“Ready or not, here I come!”

It’s the call of change.

It closes its eyes, counts to ten, and the search begins.

Whether we’re ready or not, it’s about to find us.

Change.

Kristen Strong knows all about it.

She’s been playing hide and seek with change since she married her military sweetheart over twenty years ago. With the ring came an ongoing circle of change in their lives, as they uprooted time and again.

In her new book, Girl Meets Change: Truths to Carry You Through Life’s Transitions, Kristen admits that she used to hide from change. She crouched low behind the door, praying it wouldn’t find her.

Inevitably, it did, and still she would squish her eyes tight, hoping that if she didn’t acknowledge its presence, it would go away and look for somebody else.

Eventually, she surrendered.

She realized it was no benefit to balk or complain when change found her. Instead of giving up and admitting defeat, she has embraced a new tactic:

Learning to thrive through the change.

Rather than avoiding it, hating it and blaming it, Kristen is gradually seeing that it’s possible to not only embrace change, but to see it as a gift.

Instead of asking, “Why is this happening to me?” Kristen is asking, “What is God trying to teach me?” and “What does God want me to accomplish during this change?”

If you’re stuck in the middle of a round of hide and seek with change, consider stepping out from behind that door and facing it head-on, with an open mind and open heart.

The post above is Day 10 of 31 Days of Five Minute Free Writes. Keep reading for my full review of Girl Meets Change:

I couldn’t wait for this book to be released.

I knew it was going to be good, as soon as I read that Kristen Strong was working on it. When I heard it was being published by Revell Books, I scoured my monthly blogger e-mails, waiting for the opportunity to request a review copy.

Of all people to write a book about change, Kristen is the ideal candidate. As a military wife, she is no stranger to change. Yet in spite of the frequency with which change pays her a visit, she’ll admit she’s no expert at inviting change in with open arms and a welcome smile. But she’s getting there.

With time, prayer, and God’s help, Kristen is learning to grow from each experience. She’s learning to thrive.

Girl Meets Change is applicable to everyone. Kristen writes with such a genuine friendliness and down-to-earth tone, you’ll feel like you’re chatting with her on her front porch. She’s sincere and encouraging, and honestly desires that each reader would be challenged to thrive in the midst of change, not run from it.

I basically underlined half the book, but here are a handful of my favorite quotes to whet your appetite:

“Change isn’t just something God allows but is something he authors.”

“Sometimes God allows change in our lives so we can have his presence like never before.”

[Tweet “”One of the key times God is closest is during and after change.” ~@Kristen_Strong, #GirlMeetsChange”]

“When we spend all our energy wishing things were different, we have no strength to revel in the glory of the blessings right in front of us.”

[Tweet “”I don’t want to just survive change, I want to thrive through it.” ~@Kristen_Strong”]

“To thrive means to grow well. And a big part of growing well is seeing change with the eyes of heaven and knowing that God will always, always use it for us.”

Amen?

Click here to get yourself a copy!

Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book from Revell Books in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own. Affiliate links used.