I love being surprised by a book. I was looking for inspiration, and I found it here. I love a good story and I read one here. The author is a woman socialized to be inauthentic, who awakens and decides to do what is necessary to live authentically. She sees this process not just as personal growth, but as integral to becoming part of Jesus' Kingdom of God, where like-minded believers surrender their life to God/Jesus and live in courageous relationship with each other feeling like they belong. She speaks to women who feel they never quite measure up or fit in, who struggle and fear being judged, and who feel they have nothing to offer their community. She shares anecdotes from her childhood facing alcoholism and abuse before graduating college to become a pastor's wife and raise four children. Her writing expresses her illustrations from the Bible and the incidents from her life with humor and grace, making her wisdom easy to identify with and be encouraged by. The line which summarizes her message for me is, "You can manage your image or you can manage your relationship with Jesus and allow His image to shine through." I recommend this book to every woman seeking inspiration "when the real woman you want to be is on the other side of fear". This book is a clearly written testament to the supportive infectiousness and the miraculous effects of courage.