Book Club: Captivating by John & Stasi Eldredge

This past few days I got into John and Stasi Eldredge’s novel, Captivating. Can I just say: WOW! This book was really something else. When I first started reading it, I was like… bleeuuughghghghghghghhghghghg…. But then it started speaking to me in words that totally made sense and I found myself going “I know!!! right?!!!!” and “Ohhhhhh now I see” outloud. Sometimes in public.

Okay lets get the venue and food out of the way (yes, the book is THAT good!) We had breaki at a place called Marilyn’s (duh, tribute eating spot to the great Monroe). Food was average’ish. I had a Marilyn breakfast, I think.

Right, back to the book! Aaack! This is such a MUST READ for all you females out there. I know that I am like more than a few days late with this post, but its so fitting to chat about this today, since yesterday we celebrated Woman’s Day in South Africa.
Captivating is more than just a self help book. This book speaks to the heart of every woman and our desire to be loved, wanted, needed and delighted in. The question burning in every female heart is: Am I lovely? 
And as Stasi and John explained, even as young girls we dress up as princesses and fairy’s and yearn to be delighted in. This is recognizable in the age old question: “Do I look pretty?” (now disguised as “does this make me look fat?” )

I learnt that as women, we are powerful beyond what we can imagine. Uhm, hello, the serpent in the garden tempted Eve, not Adam. Not because she was daft. But because she was the way IN. Woman are the “relationship builders”. They hold families and friendships together. They know when its so-and-so’s birthday or 20th wedding anniversary. They urge husbands to visit loved ones in hospital or donate something to the little boy standing on the corner with a shiny tin in his hand. We were built to be relational. Therefore the most important thing about you, as a woman, is your HEART. We are known as the crown of creation!

God has a special purpose for every single woman he has placed on Earth. You were made in His image and created to be relational like He is. God yearns to be in relationship with us, and He has given females that desire to love on others the way He does. But because of past hurts and mindsets forged while growing up, we have somehow moved away from what He wants for us.

Stasi speaks about her moms death and how the roles of females in our lives, kinda programme us to see ourselves a certain way. In the same way, our dads and their love and excitement over us as little girls, totally impacts how we view ourselves as adults.

I’ve really learnt so much about why I tick the way that I do. God has a purpose for every single heart. He wants to draw you out of the muck that the world has “taught” you to feel about yourself and show you your true beauty and value! He wants to reveal to you that you are the IRREPLACEABLE heroine in YOUR life story. That you ARE lovely. How might God be inviting YOUR heart to come alive?

Happy Woman’s Day to all!