This book is for all who have experienced some sort of pain or heartache in their lives. Lysa TerKeurst has been though a heartache in her marriage that she never expected. She’s also experienced two life-threatening physical conditions. She’s willing to open her heart and life up to her readers in this honest and compelling look at the lessons that God is teaching her during difficult times. Her encouragement to look at pain and disappointment through a study of the Scriotures gives hope and encouragement that God is indeed working in our lives in all things.

I highlighted so many quotes and passages in this book. I was moved by the honesty of this author, and loved the scripture verses that will be an invaluable list to study and treasure. This is a book that I’ll keep on my favorites shelf to read again during times of pain or discouragement.
This would be a good book study for a group or even between a couple of friends who are supporting each other during a painful season of life.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher. All opinions are my own.

Lysa Terkeurst takes you by the hand right from the beginning of the book and not only shares her own personal journey but encourages you to dig deep and confront those feelings of guilt, inadequacy, and loss in your own story. I love the line “We say we trust God but behind the scenes we work our fingers to the bone and our emotions into a tangled fray trying to control our outcomes”. We want to write our own story. What we need to do is let God take the pen and write the story while we live in trust and follow His path. God never promised that life would be easy, but what He does promise is that He will be there every step of the way. He doesn’t do things to hurt or harm us, He does things to help us grow and mature in our journey. We question Him when things don’t go “our way”, but our way isn’t always “His way”. Life is a journey of growth and change, happiness and heartache. It’s what we do with what we are given that matters. You may not see it now, but when you look back, maybe we can see the lesson we were meant to learn.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. We all have circumstances which leave us saying “It’s not supposed to be this way”. I could relate to Lysa and felt like she was there to support me in my journey. The book is written to help us grow and dig deep. I just love how Lysa “keeps it real”, she doesn’t hid us from the truth, but helps us face it and move forward. So sit back, grab a pen or pencil and get ready to write down your thoughts and reflections. Dig deep and get ready to begin the next chapter in your story. Thank you to NetGalley for an advanced copy of the book to review in exchange for my honest review.

It's Not Supposed to Be This Way is a great book. My small group and I are studying this. We have learned and grown so much by reading and studying this book. It is a good tool to have in your tool box to help you with your spiritual side. Lysa TerKeurst helps you to remember that life does presents disappointments on a regular basis, but we have a God that will combat all of those disappointments if we seek him and his word. Great book.

In her newest book It's Not Supposed to Be This Way, Lisa TerKeurst walks through what it looks like to live in a world where we're often disappointed. She doesn't speak from the rafters or on the outside looking in... she knows what she's talking about, and shares openly and honestly as if you were chatting with a friend. Even if you don't have many takeaways for the book (as a reader), I think it would be difficult to read Lysa's words and not be both encouraged and challenged by her faith through many disappointing situations.

Every single person at some point in their life, likely many times, will be faced with challenges that throw them for a loop. This book is designed to help you through those times, to help heal past hurts, to help you see past the difficulties and focus on God and his promises. Lysa is real and authentic, opening her pain and sharing her heart to help you heal yours. This book is raw, real, and a light for those walking in the darkness. Her authenticity in sharing her pain, to break down the walls and really allow the reader to SEE her heart, is a testament to everything she has written in this book. Whether you are currently experiencing pain, or still healing from pain, or need to help someone else...this is the book for you! Thank you @nelsonbooks for this advance reader in exchange for my honest review.

It's Not Supposed to Be This Way by Lysa TerKeurst is a book written from the midst of suffering but told as a story of hope in who we are in Christ. She writes very honestly and from a place of real and raw emotion. Her hardship that she writes about stems from marital issues and major health issues, none of which were expected which left her severely disappointed and devastated. As she tells her story, she saturates it with Scripture and Biblical reflection and the book shows glimpses into her healing process. She uses her own personal shattering to help others who are dealing with the same feelings but not necessarily the same situation. This book is applicable to anyone who is going through some type of suffering, pain, disappointment. This book shows that there is hope even though we suffer, and there is hope especially when we feel as though there is no way to recover what was once considered normal. This book is definitely a must read if you have ever felt disappointed, disillusioned, broken, betrayed, or weakened by something or some event or someone in your life.

Almost everyone has had times in their lives where they think, "It's not supposed to be this way!" This is what makes Lysa's newest book so relatable. Lysa shares from her own story of walking through her husband's infidelity, and shares Biblical truth and wisdom for those who are also struggling through a challenging time. Each chapter includes a personal story, practical advise, and a section called "Going to the Well". The "Going to the Well" section includes a summary of the chapter, Bible verses, suggested scripture to read, and a prayer.

Some of my favorite quotes from this book included:
1. Some things won't be fixed this side of eternity; they just have to be walked through.
2. If the enemy can isolate us, he can influence us.
3. I know I must walk through God's process before I see His fulfilled promise.
4. I hope for the good I know God will ultimately bring from this, whether the good turns out to match my desires or not.
5. God loves us too much to answer our prayers in any other way than the right way. And He loves us too much to answer our prayers at any other time than the right time.

I really got a lot out of reading this book, and I would recommend it for anyone who is going through a difficult time.

This book came to me at the right moment. I even purchased a copy for my friend/mentor. We have both gone through some stressful/faith-testing times. Sometimes, the book picks us. Thank you for the chance to read this one early and thank you, Lysa for being so honest and open . ❤️

Will be posting a photo/review via Instagram once I receive my physical copy in the mail! Cannot wait!

Through this book, we can see the author Lysa TerKeurst wrestling with the events of her life. Things just did not go according to plan. There has been much brokenness in each of our lives, but we learn God can use "the dust" of our lives. The broken things that we might have discarded long ago. We serve a Mighty God, and He is able to demonstrate His power through the things we didn't plan for.

As always, Lysa TerKeurst delivers. Filled with spiritual truths and heart-wrenchingly familiar scenarios, this book is one I'd highly recommend to any of my friends.

Lysa shares her heart when you are in the middle of a place you didn’t want to be or ever thought you would be. How does the Lord meet us there and how does he reveal more of himself to us? Whether our prayers are answered the way we want them to be or not - we find the Lord in ways we would never have imagined otherwise. I appreciated her raw story and bravery in sharing in the middle instead of just on the other side.

As usual Lysa Terkeurst shares her authentic soul with her readers. Nothing has changed. Powerful and authentic book and her best one yet.

Absolutely wonderfully written book. I like all her books, but this book is more open and honest. She has a trust in God that is so inspiring.

Thanks to Lysa Terkeurst for sharing her heart and the truths she learned through so many disappointments and hurts that she has experienced. This book, "It's Not Supposed To Be This Way", opens your eyes up to how God works in our lives and never leaves us, even through the hardest days of our lives and how He can use our hurts for His glory and for our own good. Lysa gives us so much scripture that helped her to also help us. I am now doing a Bible Study with the book and a video that Lysa does, as my guide, that I highly recommend.
Here are a few quotes from the book that meant a lot to me:
"Disappointment isn't proof that God is withholding good things from us. Sometimes it's His way of leading us home".
"God loves me too much to answer my prayers at any other time than the right time and in other way than the right way".
"Harsh realities aren't the end, but rather a temporary middle space. Not the place where we are meant to wallow and dwell. Rather the place which we will have to learn to wrestle well. To wrestle well means acknowledging my feelings but moving forward, letting my faith lead the way".
This is a book that I will keep and review many times.

It's Not Supposed to Be This Way
Finding Unexpected Strength When Disappointments Leave You Shattered
by Lysa TerKeurst
Nelson Books
Thomas Nelson
Christian
Pub Date 13 Nov 2018


I am reviewing a copy of It‘s Not Supposed to Be This Way through Nelson Books and Netgalley:

In It‘s Not Supposed to Be This Way New York times Bestselling author Lysa TerKeustreminds us that although life Often looks very different than we expected, that some events will catch us off guard for a moment while others shatter us.


TerKeust helps the reader to understand that though events may make us feel dissapointed and disillusioned some of these things can be the divine appointments our souls need in order to radically encounter God.


Lysa TerKeust writes this book from a deep and personal place and I would recommend it to all who have experienced the challenges in your life that make you wonde.


I give It’s Not Supposed to Be This Way five out of five stars!


Happy Reading!

Great inspiration for all those who think they have life mapped out to a T. The road that is messy and pocketed with detours is truly the road you might need. A great reminder to remember after the storms a bright day will come again.

Lysa TerKeurst verteld openlijk in dit boek over haar scheiding en ziek zijn. Ze neemt je mee in haar tocht van onbegrip en groot verdriet. Want het leven zou toch niet zo moeten zijn.

Toen ik het boek las en al haar leed opzoog vanuit het boek moest ik denken aan Job. Het lijkt net of God ook haar veel ontnam maar ook weer gaf.

Het mooiste stuk vond ik dat zij bad dat de pijn in haar buik weg zou gaan toen zij in het ziekenhuis lag en dat dit niet gebeurde. Dit is overigens een van de nare dingen die haar in de afgelopen jaren is gebeurd. Zij snapt niet waarom God haar gebed niet verhoorde. Later bleek dat als God haar pijn had weg genomen zij mogelijk nu niet meer had geleefd omdat dat de artsen er nooit achter waren gekomen wat haar mankeerde.

Dit boek is echt een aanrader als je zelf moeilijk zit of wanneer je God zijn handelen niet snapt.

Ik mocht dit boek lezen via #netgalley en ben daar erg blij mee.
Je kunt het boek hier bestellen .

Wow, this book. I’ve followed TerKeurst’s journey and read her books for the past several years, and the raw, vulnerable honesty and elegance with which she writes are unmatched. I knew this book would be one written from a place of pain, but one that would bring hope, and I wasn’t wrong. It’s a lifeline, one from a person in deep pain to a person in deep pain. Its honesty is unparalleled and so, so appreciated. I admire the courage and authenticity it took to write such a manuscript, and even more so to write with such hope and faith. It’s Not Supposed to Be This Way is a moving read, one that I would recommend to anyone who has ever experienced pain or disappointment in their lives, so, to anyone. There are parts that made me laugh out loud, and parts that spoke to the deepest parts of my soul. I loved that the chapters ended with a recap, some questions to apply the material to the reader’s personal life, and verse references to read. It was practical, helpful, and beautiful.

Thank you to Thomas Nelson and Net Galley for providing me with a copy of this book to read and review. All opinions are my own and were not required to be positive. I received a copy of this book for free. I was not required to post a positive review and the views and opinions expressed are my own.

*Disclosure of Material Connection: I received one or more of the products or services mentioned above for free in the hope that I would mention/review it on my blog. I was not required to give a positive review, only my honest opinion – which I’ve done. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own and I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.*

My thoughts... The tagline of this novel couldn't be more relevant to myself or my family. We've been through a lot of difficult circumstances: cancer, loss of loved ones, financial debt, difficult job situations, isolation, depression, sadness, fear....and the list goes on. Sometimes it's hard not to feel like we live in a never ending survival mode. There are so many truths presented in this amazing book, I couldn't begin to unpack them all in a short summary. I literally felt like it was so personal, and I know other readers will as well. Lysa's compassion, honesty, hope, and trust in God really reached across the pages right into my heart...because she's not just giving us her word that everything is going to be ok. She's using her heart-wrenching experiences to share God's Word and His promises.
In one chapter Lysa talks about a physically painful situation she went through. For several days she begged God to relieve the physical pain she was experiencing. She didn't understand why God was not giving her relief from her suffering. Later, after doctors discovered the problem and did surgery, her surgeon came and spoke with her. Basically he said that Lysa's survival was a miracle, as her body had already started to decay on the inside. The truth God revealed to her through that situation was that if He had answered her prayer for relief, she would've given up trying to find the solution to her issue. She would've died thinking that the problem was solved, when in fact it was killing her. God uses our pain, our suffering, for our good. We may not always know the reason at the time, but with time we will see that He truly does "work all things for the good of those who love Him."
Lysa has an amazing testimony, and she openly shares it with her readers as an encouragement through the very difficult circumstances of life. I'm recommending it to everyone I know...because I think we've all whispered the words, "it's not supposed to be this way" in our hearts in one season or another.

**I received a free copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in order to give an honest review, which I did.**

What an amazing read! This book spoke to me so powerfully about the nature of suffering, disappointment and God's place in it. Lysa weaves her personal story with Scripture and solid teaching to make impactful points about God being at work in our disappointments. Reading this book feels more like sitting and having a coffee with a dear mentor than being lectured or preached at or taught. I recommend this book to anyone facing a trial or difficulty or who has... it will be refreshing and encouraging.