Broken into Beautiful - Book Review

As soon as I saw the title of this book I couldn't wait to get my hands on it & just devour every page.  I contacted Gwen Smith, the author (you can follow her on twitter & Instagram @GwenSmithMusic) after reading a free chapter online to see about writing a review for her book.  She was so sweet and agreed, and I'm so grateful.

Below is my summary of the book & some of my favorite quotes, I HIGHLY recommend it! And it can be purchased HERE.

You know, life is great and we should walk through it with our head held high and enjoy each day we are given.  But, sometimes life throws you curve balls, times get tough, death happens, jobs are lost, friendships are ended, kids get sick, hurtful words are said, marriages are ruined, discouragement, depression & loneliness move in.  We can experience loss, defeat, worry, shame and we are left feeling BROKEN.

This book is all about how God takes our brokenness & hurts and exchanges them for something beautiful.  Gwen starts off by opening up about her own past and continues throughout the book to share the narratives of average women whose lives have been forever changed from heart breaking circumstances into amazing stories of hope.

These are a few quotes from the book that really spoke to me:

You have purpose in this life.  And though you may have gone through a season of hurt, rejection, or pain, God can and will pick you up and place you back on track.

What I do know is this: Because of Jesus Christ and not because of anything else, I'm a woman of highest worth.

We need to associate the word worthless with the word lie.

Only the God of heaven has the right to define you, and when you are in Christ, you are perfectly beautiful in His righteousness....not broken.

None of us is perfect, just perfectly forgiven.

God's love is available to each wandering heart. It doesn't matter if you have wandered just a few yards from Him or if you have ventured far away. It's never too late to turn back to God.

Our loving Father is keenly aware of your circumstances and and your needs....."The righteous cry out, and The Lord hears them; he delivers them from all their troubles." Psalm 34:17

A heart filled with fear, is a heart filled with empty...The difference between empty and full is love-love that is found in Jesus that restores you to God the Father.

When you get serious with God-when you get real honest and pour out your soul to Him-He will faithfully replace your empty with the fullness of His peace, whether he removes your burdens or allows them to remain.

He will heal your hurts and replace lies with truth.

I've come to know this for sure: in all things---even the hard things---God is sovereign and can be trusted.

He wants to transform the painful pieces of your life into beautiful blessings.  He has not forgotten you.

Whatever your circumstances...no wound of life is too infected for God to heal.

When you lift your eyes from your situation and fix them on your Savior, you will find peace in the pain and strength in the struggle.

No matter what you've been through, no matter the secrets you've been hiding or accusations you've been listening to, God is able to redeem you.

It's time we quit chasing the interests of others and start pursuing the passions that were written on our hearts.

God loves you. God knows you. God wants you. God chose you.

The great adventure of life is our pilgrimage to God's heart.

Do not waste your time bothering whether you "love" your neighbor, act as if you did.

God's word is as fresh as this morning's cup of coffee.

God wants you to move beyond your comfort to your call.

Ultimately, the Love of God that radiates from your story will result in a reflection of that love back to God and to others who are desperate need of His healing.