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A Sudden Glory

by Jennifer McIlwain

October 2, 2012

@MomMcIlwain

Do you have a "glory ache"?

"You long to feel close to God but sense there's just something lacking, that you've missed the mysterious formula to make it happen. I call this a 'glory ache' - a persistent longing to experience God's presence on a daily basis. Perhaps like most women, you've tried desperately to balance the montage of mundane demands and somehow slip God into the white spaces that are few and far between. You long to spend time in the sacred with God but find the desire crowded out by the responsibilities of the secular - the daily demands that lay claim to your attention. You yearn to experience God's presence but feel far away from Him a you reach to click off the bedside lamp and collapse exhausted once again. Maybe tomorrow, you sigh." (Sharon Jaynes in chapter one of A Sudden Glory: God's Lavish Response to Your Ache for Something More) Sharon Jaynes has been encouraging women through ministry for over twenty-five years. From the time she met Christ as a teenager, she fell in love with God’s Word and has had a passion to equip women to live fully and free (John 8:32; John 10:10). Her passion is to encourage, and empower women to walk in courage and confidence as they grasp their true identity as a child of God and a co-heir with Christ. For ten years Sharon served as Vice President of Proverbs 31 Ministries and co-host for their daily radio feature. She is the author of 17 books with Harvest House, Moody, and Multnomah Publishers (see resource page for details). She has also written numerous magazine articles and devotions for publications such as Focus on the Family, Extraordinary Women, Decision, Crosswalk.com and In Touch. Sharon is a frequent guest on radio and television programs such as Revive Our Hearts with Nancy Leigh DeMoss, Family Life Today with Dennis Rainey, and Focus on the Family. Besides her own books, she has also been a contributing author in many books such as Chicken Soup for the Sports Fan’s Soul, Stories for the Teens Heart, Stories for the Man’s Heart, and the Women’s Devotional Bible. Her books have been translated into several different languages including Spanish, Portuguese, Polish, and Korean Sharon is the co-founder of Girlfriends in God, Inc., a non-denominational ministry that crosses generational, denominational and racial boundaries to bring the Body of Christ together as believers. She, along with her ministry partners, Mary Southerland and Gwen Smith, provide daily on-line devotions read by approximately 400,000 subscribers and turn-key conferences packages. (Bio taken from Jaynes' website found at www.sharonjaynes.com. You will be blessed to visit her website, where you can find more information about Sharon and her books as well as download excerpts of A Sudden Glory)

I was introduced to Sharon Jaynes and her ministry several years ago when my firstborn (now 14) was just a little girl and I purchased her book Being a Great Mom, Raising Great Kids. That book has been one my absolute most favorite parenting books - it is filled with exhortation from scripture and a "come along beside you" mentoring kind of feel. When WaterBrook Multnomah offered A Sudden Glory for review as part of their Blogging for Books program, I knew I HAD to get a copy!

A Sudden Glory: God's Lavish Response to Your Ache for Something More DID NOT disappoint! In the book, Sharon graciously takes the focus off the idea of doing more for God and throws it on living in such a way as to bring glory to God. Sharon's writing is refreshing - the perfect blend of scriptural support and practical application. Also included in the book is a Ten Week Bible Study corresponding with each chapter of the book making it a perfect selection for your next women's Bible study or small group (Sunday School, etc.) study.