I’m a huge Jen Hatmaker fan. I’ve read most of her books, follow her on social media, and have heard her speak live. My goal in life is to be her friend in real life, and not because she’s a glamorous celebrity, but just the opposite. She is honest and real and seems like the type of person you wouldn’t have to clean your house fore before she came over to visit.
I appreciate her laugh-out loud humour, her real-life insights, and also the way she sticks to her beliefs even when it costs her. For example, as a Christian author, pastor, and speaker, she recently took a stand in support of the LGBTQ+ community, advocating for their place in churches, supporting marriage quality, and calling out the church to love these brothers and sisters better – it resulted in her being torn to shreds in the conservative media, losing contracts and publishing deals, and basically making her life a living hell. If you’ve read Brene Brown’s Braving the Wilderness, she eludes to her friend Jen and tells a bit of this story. This is THAT Jen.
Knowing that this has been her story over the past couple years, this book is so poignant. She talks about dusting yourself off and getting back up after life knocks you down. She talks about real mistakes and how messy life can get… and how to find the beauty in that, and not beat yourself up too much. I wouldn’t say there’s anything SUPER deep here, or things that were mind blowing… more just reminders that things will be ok, that it’s ok to laugh when life is crumbling around you, and encouragement to keep going.
Every single one of her books has made me laugh out loud in public, and also need to wipe away the tears. Reading her books is like sitting on a Texas porch swing and talking about all the things weighing on your mind, while sipping on some whiskey with a friend.
Highly recommended if you’re looking for encouraging inspiration with a healthy dose of humour.