BSB Book Excerpts – Ch. 5-8

(Paperback – 1st ed.)

Accepting things that we ourselves have never experienced is often difficult for us as humans… As a result, numerous believers have rested in their knowledge of Jesus but missed out on the power, purpose, and intimacy of His Spirit.
(Page: 52)

We miss the passion with which she lived her life. We miss her fire. We miss her spirit! We miss her every hour of every day. But that all pales in comparison to the glory Kristen now knows in His presence.
(Page: 54)

The peace we have experienced is not a warm and fuzzy feeling that comforts our emotional pain. It is the sweet, joy-filled conviction of God’s unwavering love for Kristen and for us.
(Page: 55)

So when people see us celebrating our Lord and His glory in the midst of our loss, what they are actually seeing is the overflow of His grace in our lives. That grace is not our own; it is a gift from God. His grace is the context in which we grieve.
(Page: 56)

There are still times when I think of her, and the thought literally takes my breath away. For that brief moment, the weight of her physical absence is too much to bear. Then my spirit remembers the gentle touch of God’s grace, and all is well. I just breathe!
(Page: 61)

So in this time of loss and sorrow, God’s Spirit has encouraged us with His steadfast presence in our lives.
(Page: 65)

We didn’t know the final destination of God’s plan, but we knew where the next step was leading us. That is the comfort of walking with God. He leads, we follow…and the outcome belongs to Him.
(Page: 70)

He had prepared my heart, through the dreams, to receive a child that was different from my original expectation. The words, “Yes, yes!” literally jumped out before I could even process the thought.
(Page: 72)

Kristen had prayed for a little sister who was bigger than she was. Her new sister turned out to be about two inches taller than Kristen and three weeks younger. That’s how God honored the faith of a child.
(Page: 73)

The summer of 2015 carried with it the answers to many of our hopes and prayers as an adoptive family.
(Page: 74)

All of our trials and triumphs remind us that the teaching of Jesus didn’t end at the cross.
(Page: 74)

It seemed as if a lifetime of emotions had passed over us since we left the hospital. This “day after” (May 29) seemed to go on forever.
(Page: 77)

In the end, we filled the day with tears and laughter, with sorrow and joy. We hugged, and we cried. We held, and we healed. We remembered, and we rejoiced.
(Page: 78)

Kristen’s faith rested on her Rock, her Jesus…but what if it hadn’t? What if she had put it off for another day—a day that never came!
(Page: 80)

“If there were a thousand steps between you and God
And you could see no way across the great divide
Just take one step toward His loving arms
And He’ll take nine hundred and ninety-nine”                                                 
Newsong – “A Thousand Steps”
(Page: 81)

Faith isn’t about our never having problems or trials. It is about trusting God to lead us through them.
(Page: 87)

We learned there is an intimacy in the midst of the storm that can’t be found in calm waters. It comes when we have exhausted or abandoned our own strength and our own wisdom.
(Page: 89)

We knew God’s Spirit was walking with us. Smiles of joy overflowed from the depths of our soul as we once again tasted the intimacy of our Father’s care.
(Page: 92)

Our desire was for others to experience His hope and peace in the midst of our storm. We were incredibly blessed, and we wanted to pass on that blessing to everyone we saw.
(Page: 93)

The pouring out of His Spirit into mine on that early morning was as gentle as it was beautiful. It was one of the most intimate times I have ever experienced with Him.
(Page: 96)

We have grieved for all the tomorrows that will come and go without her bright smile and laughter… But thank God our story doesn’t end there. Our story is about trusting Him in the midst of the heartache, in the midst of the loss, and in the midst of sorrow.
(Pages: 98,99)

“If one heart is drawn to Him
Through my life or my death.
Then every struggle was worth it
And in peace I will rest.”
(Page: 100)

Thank God that our struggles are not our destiny. They are only opportunities to experience His grace in deeper and more powerful ways.
(Page: 101)