I received a copy of For The Love: Fighting for Grace, written by Jen Hatmaker, from NetGalley for the purpose of generating a review. Her latest book came out this week! With the exception of the first verse of "Amazing Grace," italicized quotes are from the book. The opinions expressed here are my own.

Sometimes us Christians can find ourselves running around on a wheel much like a hamster. Performing because we think we're supposed to but really getting nowhere. I mean, when you serve a Savior who was perfect in every way, you can often feel like you don’t measure up.

Because you don’t. But if you stick with it, continue learning about Jesus and studying Scripture and stepping into the fellowship of His church, you learn a word that covers over all this performance and effort you’ve been offering.

Grace. 

And you don’t just learn the definition of grace, you live the definition. You sing these words on a Sunday morning; actually, you find yourselves singing these words in your soul every morning:

Amazing grace! How sweet the sound, that saved a wretch like me!

I once was lost, but now am found, Was blind, but now I see.

You realize a fellow named John Newton nailed it more than two hundred years ago and you’re just now learning it. You dance and weep and laugh and wonder... at grace.

Jen Hatmaker’s new book, For The Love: Fighting For Grace, screamed grace to me. It also spoke humor and story and theology. But it screamed grace! She’s found it at a deeper level for herself and she offers it up here for others. On every page. 

I’m hoping to help lead a tribe that does more healing and less hurting. I consider that my job. I see a generation of people ON THE HOOK...

I believe we can do better than this. I think God wants us off the hook, since Jesus pretty much already handled that for us.

There it is. Amazing Grace.

At times For the Love read like a series of blog posts. There's not a running story but rather she introduces various topics to consider and discuss. Conversation starters.

As we’ve come to expect, Jen writes with her regular sauce and humor. It’s why we love her. 

Balance. It’s like a unicorn, we’ve heard about it, everyone talks about it and makes airbrushed T-shirts celebrating it, it seems super rad, but we haven’t actually seen one.

Also, a favorite addition for me. She included a few chapters in her book called “Thank-You Notes.” Funny quips from her online readers dripping with humor and sarcasm.

Thank you, Coffee. For everything. You make life possible. I don’t want to make you feel weird, but you are my soul mate. Well done.

Thank you, Four-Year-Old Daughter, for yelling at two-year-old sister: “Are you going to listen to me? Or to you want TO DIE ON THE CROSS FOR YOUR SINS?"

Thank you, Calilou, for having a nonphonetic title so my son cannot look you up on Netflix.

She covers so many topics in this book! Puts her finger right on the pulse of society’s hot topics. Then gives us permission to invite Jesus and His good into every one of them. Being a real family. Living in church community. Turning 40. Raising children. Being a wife. Having a career. Making time for girlfriends. Mission trips that have lasting impact. Women in ministry.

Do yourselves a favor. Read this one. Start saving your money and buy a copy for each of your girlfriends this holiday season. Your relationships will be better for it.

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I've linked up this review over at Literacy Musing Monday. Thanks Circling the Story for the opportunity to do so!