Book Review: Launch Out into the Deep

I discovered Sarah Trent on Facebook. She interacts with scripture passages and provides inspiration and encouragement to those of us struggling in deep waters. The pace of her poetic offerings amazes me. She has a photography business and raises 3 children on their family farm. So many of her posts resonate deep within me and I've shared a few of her posts to my Facebook wall. As young as she is, she is clearly no stranger to suffering, yet relies on God to get through everything.

Launch Out into the Deep is a 31-day devotional. Each entry is followed by reflective questions to consider. I wanted to enter her contest to win a paperback copy of this book, so I purchased the ebook, read it in 3 installments, and left a review. [Side note: I have been frustrated by Amazon's review policies. Up until this point, I believed I could only leave reviews on my ebook purchases. Amazon requires a certain purchase amount to leave reviews, but always offered a review form at the completion of ebooks I read on my Kindle app. I would love to support authors I appreciate but my husband does not like me using his Prime account to leave my reviews. I rarely purchase from my Amazon account because he has Prime. Now, I discover that even those ebook reviews I thought I was leaving are not airing as expected because I have not met the purchase requirement. Frustrating!] 

I plan to revisit this book, reading through the devotions one day at a time next month. It is so good, it needs to be savored. Plus, I did not take time to ponder or write answers to the questions posed at the end of each entry. However, here are some snippets I gleaned to share:

- "In a world that tries to define you by your failures, your status, or your scars - Jesus defines you by your Father."

- "When I'm too tired to hold on, You don't shame me - You hold me."

- "He does not ask me to explain what aches beyond language. He knows."

- "Sometimes, the miracle isn't in the multiplying. Sometimes, it's in the offering."

Sarah has a beautiful way with words. Each sentence reverberates in my soul. She articulates what many of us feel but cannot adequately express. Her pieces are rich with biblical foundation and spiritual insight. I will continue to follow this author on Facebook and in her books.

* Yay, I won the contest! Sarah sent a copy of this devotional to me. I was able to send it as a gift to my dear friend, Lisa, who is struggling in very deep waters. How I pray it ministered healing to her weary soul!