Be Bold in the Broken: How I Found My Courage and Purpose in God's Unconditional Love

by Mary E. Lenaburg, Leah Darrow (Foreword)

Who am I? What is my purpose? Where do I belong? These questions linger in every season of our lives, but, as Mary Lenaburg learned the hard way, answering them becomes possible only when we direct our hearts to the God who made us and loves us best of all. Following Lenaburg’s example in Be Bold in the Broken will give you the courage and inspiration you need to accept who you are—the good, the bad, and the awkward—and become the woman God made you to be. Lenaburg desperately wanted to be part of a girl tribe in middle school. She wanted to belong, to have friends—to be seen. So the unathletic, gangly sixth grader tried out for the cheerleading squad. She didn’t have fancy clothes like the other girls and she noticed that everyone else had “a chest.” So Lenaburg stuffed a pair of her brother’s sweat socks into her bra. You can probably guess the One sock fell out when she started a tumbling routine. When she was still feeling humiliated after several weeks, her father gave her some life-changing “How about next time you just be you, do your best, and let God figure out the rest.” Lenaburg—the author of Be Brave in the Scared —explores her journey to self-acceptance as she struggled to make sense of who she is and what she had to offer. Relatable anecdotes will make you laugh as Lenaburg answers the questions she is most often asked and shares how she finally learned to own With personal stories and faith-filled reflections, Lenaburg blazes the path to true identity and purpose in Christ.

Genres: Catholic, Memoir, Nonfiction

160 pages, Paperback

Published March 12, 2021

Reviews

[Mary Ellen · Rating 5 out of 5]

With her customary warmth and humor Mary Lenaberg has written another book that calls upon us all to shed our fear and embrace God’s love for us. She shared all the hard things that got in her way and in doing so helps us all see where we too can be bold in the broken.

[Alaina · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good advice for those who struggle with questioning one's path and decisions. The organization is loose and meandering, but the content is excellent, and the writing style is so pleasant and easy to read.

[Angie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Easy, lovely read of the author’s path to growing closer to Christ.

[April · Rating 5 out of 5]

WOW! Mary Lenaburg has done it again. I read Be Brave in the Scared and was touched in so many ways by that book. The same has happened with her latest book.

Be Bold in the Broken is a book that will speak to all women. I know I could relate to so much of Mrs. Lenaburg’s story, feeling inadequate, going overboard trying to fit in, thinking I will never be enough or that I will always be too much for people to be around.

The thing is, we will never be enough on our own, the Lord wants us to rely on Him and His plan for everything.in our lives. The Lord wants to be part of every single aspect of our lives. When we trust in Him, things happen as we see so many times in the stories that Mrs. Lenaburg shares.

One of my favorite points the author makes is the difference between fitting in and belonging. When we belong, we are accepted for who we are, no matter what, When we are trying to fit in, we are changing parts of our unique self God made us to be. In the broken parts and all, God crafted our story for a unique purpose. When we embrace that, amazing things happen.

Mrs. Lenaburg shares some hard lessons in this book and does it in such a way that you feel like you are talking to a close friend. She does not preach or shame, but shares from the heart, and in the process touched my heart. I will be purchasing a copy of this book and can see it being a book I gift to others, I can see this being a book that will require numerous readings to soak in all the good shared.

Thank you to NetGalley, Ave Maria Press, and Mary Lenaburg for the copy of this book. All opinions expressed here are my own,

[Chrissie · Rating 5 out of 5]

🖤 Book Review 🖤

🖤 Be bold in the broken by Mary E Lenaburg

🖤 Thank you @netgalley for my copy!

🖤 Publication Date, March 12 2021

🖤 Who am I? What is my purpose? Where do I belong? These questions linger in every season of our lives, but, as Mary Lenaburg learned the hard way, answering them becomes possible only when we direct our hearts to the God who made us and loves us best of all...

🖤 With an open attitude and honesty you don't find often Mary helps the reader to see that God loves us in all our imperfect ways and with all our many flaws. He knows we aren't perfect because he created us this way and yet He loves us completely. We don't need to hide ourselves from him.

🖤 She encourages us to be open and honest with ourselves and with God and to have an authentic relationship with Him.

[Jessica Stenstrom · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reading Be Bold in the Broken by Mary E. Lenaburg, I was constantly reminded of the 2 Corinthians 12:9 which says, “My grace is sufficient for thee.” Leanburg shares with authenticity about life events that have shaped her faith journey and understanding of God’s unconditional love and grace. She shares painful moments, as well as humorous ones, as well as moments where you can tell that she wishes she had done better. She models vulnerability which is so needed in order to bring healing and unity in our world today. Her writing is both relevant and relatable with wisdom shared from ordinary, everyday moments.

Thank you NetGalley for a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review!

#BeBoldintheBroken #NetGalley

[Emily · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mary Lenaburg's second book is as much as a gut punch shower of truth and love as her first book. In Be Bold In the Broken, Mary uses examples from her own life (some hilariously funny, and some gut-wrenching) to illustrate that God loves us, *no matter what*. We are not "less" to God. We don't have to try to hide our imperfections and brokenness before Him, because He knows it all and loves us *anyway*--and invites us to deep, true, loving relationship and authenticity with Him. A truly wonderful and vital book!

[Deviany · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is amazing and very different. the writer uses her experience to guide us to be closer to Jesus. It made me realize, usually people tend to tell their story when they are successful and skip the hardship. But the author gave us a detailed story. it helped me because I realize God's way may not be fast but it always ends up beautiful. Also, she gave us a reflection question. The most amazing part is that I live in Indonesia, which we have a different culture. But a Catholic book can unite all of us. This book is absolutely amazing and very worth our time.

[Kaity · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this in two sittings during a little mini personal retreat. Is it the most literary memoir? No, but yet I cried and highlighted many passages I want to go back to later. God’s love and desire for us to accept Him into our hearts beams through the pages. Mary so empathetically helps us to see how it can be so difficult to accept this love, but that it is the greatest, most important challenge of our lives.

[Melanie Rigney · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a short, quick read, but one that will stay with you a long time. I found Mary Lenaburg's storytelling even more compelling than in Be Brave in the Scared. In this book, Mary shows us her perceived shortcomings and bad habits... and most importantly, shares what she discovered: God loves us as we are, and desires to help us become even better, more obedient children. Highly recommend.

[Alissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have been feeling lost the past couple of months and this book hit home for me in so many different ways. The author, Mary Lenaburg, is wonderfully down to earth and relatable through her writing, and the many life examples she gives in the book. I am so thankful for this book coming to me at a moment when I really needed it. It's very much worth the read and might help you too feel a little less loss.

[Barb · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found myself nodding "yes" to so much of what the author said in this book. Mary and I are polar opposites in terms of personality, but I could see myself in quite a few of the personal anecdotes she shared. If you've ever felt like you just don't fit and start questioning what you're even doing here, this book is for you. (Advance review copy received from publisher.)

[Carolyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mary Lenaburg's humor and vulnerability lend themselves readily to her authentic style, enabling readers to empathize easily and absorb the hard-earned lessons she shares.

While her first book, Be Brave in the Scared, focuses on the blessings and challenges of caring for her daughter, Be Bold in the Broken moves between childhood reminiscences and more recent experiences in which Mary Lenaburg is seeking love and approval in all the wrong ways. Ultimately, she finds love and freedom in being the woman God created her to be, encouraging readers to do the same.

While I didn't readily identify with the experiences, I could enjoy their humor and poignancy and appreciate the beauty of how God has worked in Mary Lenaburg's life, whether she was cooperating with that work or not.

[Kathleen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I struggle a lot with feelings of unworthiness, of inadequacy, of being unloved and unseen, and I know I’m not alone in those feelings. Be Bold in the Broken spoke into those broken parts of my heart that needed to be reminded that I am deeply loved by the Creator of the Universe exactly as I am. I don’t have to earn it, or hide my flaws, or put on a show of being the perfect woman. Mary so beautifully shares her long and difficult journey toward accepting God’s love and in turn, learning to love herself in the unique and unrepeatable way that God created her.

Mary challenges her readers to not just acknowledge God’s unending love, but to allow it to transform the way we see ourselves and the others around us. She calls us to not only accept and love ourselves as we are, but also to discover how our uniqueness is absolutely essential in fulfilling the singular mission each of us has from God. She calls us to let go of the control we so desperately cling to and go forth boldly in the knowledge that we are made for greatness and are fully equipped, with his help, to fulfill the purpose for which God has created us.

Be Bold in the Broken was exactly the reminder that I needed that the struggles and the drudgery of my day-to-day life are not wasted or invisible, but that even when I feel that I’m never enough, God is loving me and shaping me and leading me toward a purpose that is mine and mine alone, if only I would get out of his way and let him love me.

[Jan Kolb · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. The way Mary openly shared her wounds and struggles touched my heart and reminded me that Our Creator is always working on us and with us in all situations. We need to be open to Him and trust.

[Amanda Weeder · Rating 5 out of 5]

Relatable and honest. Felt connected to the stories and inspired.

[Heather · Rating 5 out of 5]

I want to thank Netgalley and the author for gifting me the ebook. A great Christian nonfiction novel. Highly recommend for all Christian's out there.

[Katie Fitzgerald · Rating 3 out of 5]

"Fitting in means you change yourself for someone else, and belonging is when you are welcomed just as you are." - Mary Lenaburg, BE BOLD IN THE BROKEN

Mary Lenaburg, the "Catholic Mom of Instagram," has written a second book! BE BOLD IN THE BROKEN comes out March 12th, and it relates incidents from Mary's life that have slowly helped her learn to be herself, and to believe that God loves her just as she is.

Reading this book, I really related to Mary's desire to fit in and the way she sometimes struggled to do so. Stories about her teen years made me laugh in recognition of the awkwardness we all endure at that age, and her reflections on her relationships with her husband, her in-laws, and her friends really rang true for me as well. I was also really interested to learn of her early aspirations to write romance novels, as that is a path I have considered for myself.

I love Mary's honesty in her stories here on Instagram and in both of her books. She is such an inspiration to Catholic women, and I really appreciate her willingness to share the path she has walked to get to where she is today. This book, which includes discussion questions in the back for every single chapter, provides a great opportunity for us to remind ourselves of God's enduring love for us, and to look for ways to boldly be ourselves even when it might feel more comfortable to deny our true selves in order to fit in.

Thank you to Netgalley and Ave Maria Press for the digital review copy.

This review first appeared on my Instagram.