“I want you to take every step of your life with excitement for where you are headed. And I want you to feel beautiful and confident as you do.” But how? When the enemy whispers lies that you are not smart enough, pretty enough, or rich enough? Or you are too dumb, too loud, too quiet, too thin, too fat, too much or not enough? What if you don’t have what it takes to be who you really want to be? In Looking for Lovely, Annie F. Downs shares personal stories, biblical truth, and examples of how others have courageously walked the path God paved for their lives by remembering all God had done, loving what was right in front of them, and seeing God in the everyday—whether that be nature, friends, or the face they see in the mirror. Intensely personal, yet incredibly powerful, Looking for Lovely will spark transformative conversations and life changing patterns. No matter who we are and what path God has us on, we all need to look for lovely, fight to finish, and find beautiful in our every day!

In examining the ordinary people of the Bible--fishermen, gardeners, women, soldiers--we can discover how they sought beauty in everyday circumstances to hold onto the hope of God's perfect timing. Only when we learn to spot the lovely in the midst of hardship can we experience the transcendent peace of God that keeps us persevering when we want to give up.

Find beauty. Find hope. Find your life of lovely. Annie F. Downs wants you to take each next step of life with excitement, heading forward with beauty and confidence. ​But what if the enemy is whispering lies that ​you are not smart enough, pretty enough, or rich enough? Or that ​you are too loud, too quiet, too thin, too fat, too much? What if you feel you don’t have what it takes to be who you really want to be? Personal yet powerful, A Life of Lovely offers young women honest stories, biblical truth, and courageous examples—all to encourage readers to persevere their way to hope. You will walk away excited about who you are becoming and challenged to look for lovely, fight to finish, and find the beautiful in your every day!

Includes bibliographical references (pages 156-157).

Take the first steps to living as a healthier and happier woman and discover the spiritual importance of acceptance, gathering, and community. Jenn Johnson has come to realize that the pursuit of perfection is unrealistic and unfair. Instead, we need to pause and reflect on what's in front of us. But how? How can we slow down? How can we remain focused on what's important and do things with intention? What can we pursue that represents God's heart for us, things that are true, noble, right, pure, admirable, excellent, praiseworthy? By pursuing all things "lovely." Living a holistic and holy life, a life marked by beauty and truth, means being mindful and intentional about what we put in our bodies, how we present ourselves to the world, the spaces we create, and the people we let into our lives. When we set our minds on what is lovely, we begin to see ourselves and the world as God intended. We begin to be wholly renewed.

A 9-session Bible study that will challenge your perspective of the local church and help you embrace your part in helping the church fulfill its calling.

Are you longing to hear from God, aching to know who He really is? The beautiful truth is this—we can encounter the living God today and every day in the pages of His Word. Whether you are a seasoned Bible reader or struggle to keep up with studying Scripture, Open Your Bible will leave you with a greater appreciation for the Word of God, a deeper understanding of its authority, and a stronger desire to know the Bible inside and out. Using powerful storytelling, real-life examples, and scripture itself, Open Your Bible will quench a thirst you might not even know you have, one that can only be satisfied by God's Word.