Glimpses of Grace

One of my most favorite “mom” parenting books is Glimpses of Grace: Treasuring the Gospel in Your Home by Gloria Furman. The book is not so much about what we should do (though there are fantastic examples and suggestions throughout) but who we should be. And, in the “being”, we learn how to “do” in a way that highlights the Gospel and the grace of God that meets our daily needs. 

If you are looking for some summer reading that will help your soul savor and celebrate God’s amazing grace, I highly recommend picking up Glimpses of Grace. And just in case you need a little extra encouragement, here are some of the quotes you’ll read if you dig into this book: 

“Peace and quiet are not ultimate. Activity and responsibility are not ultimate. Because Christ is ultimate, the loss of any of these things – solitude or circus- makes no difference in the sufficiency of Christ or in His ability to give you everything you need for life and godliness.” (Wow! I want to paint that one on my walls!!!)

“To live in the reality of the gospel each day….means that you see things as an opportunity to talk with God, talk about God, and receive wisdom from the Bible throughout your day.” (In recent years, we keep hearing so much about “gospel-living” but it is often not defined. I love the practical way she explained this gospel truth.)

“A cheerful attitude and a sense of hopefulness are wonderful by-products of rejoicing in God while in the midst of our homes. But that’s just what they are…by-products. The source of our faith, hope, love, joy, and gospel-grounded optimism is God Himself and not our stuff or our circumstances.” 

“If God doesn’t rule your mundane, then He doesn’t rule you. Because that’s where you live.” (a “re-quote” from Paul Tripp)

“If there is discontent bound up in your heart, then there is no room in your house where you can go and feel peace. You will, as I have, attempt to create the perfect environment that is rid of distraction so you can focus. At the end of the day you will find out that the chaos isn’t your environment – it’s in your heart.” (How often I forget the sin that is bound up in my own heart. A change in circumstances will not change my heart, only Jesus, through His Word and Sprit, can do that.)

“We need faith to trust that God doesn’t merely “know what’s best for us,” but that He IS what’s best for us no matter what our circumstances are.”

John Piper once said, “Books don’t change people; paragraphs do. Sometimes even sentences.” Glimpses of Grace is a book filled with sentences and paragraphs that, if rightly applied, will truly change the way you think. And where our thoughts go, so do our actions; which, in this case, is a beautiful thing!