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Star for Jesus (And Other Jobs I Quit)
Rediscovering the Grace that Sets Us Free
Description
A funny, thought-provoking memoir-in-essays about learning to understand—again and again—that we can’t earn God’s love no matter how many rules we follow or boxes we check, and learning to accept the grace that is freely given.
Growing up, Kimberly Stuart got really good at strapping on her spiritual tap shoes and trying to be a star for Jesus. She could sing all the songs, ace the sword drills, and know all the right theology. From earning creepy Jesus paperweights in her church’s faux Girl Scout program to trying to calm an actual storm on the Mediterranean, she was doing her best… and still found herself longing for something more. She didn’t mean to completely ignore the most beautiful tenets of her faith—the unwavering grace and tenacious love of God—but she did. Which, of course, was the problem. Her best was lackluster, and God wasn’t looking for a star performer anyway.Star for Jesus (And Other Jobs I Quit), is an invitation for readers to spot unvarnished, amazing grace when they see it. With her trademark wit and transparency, Stuart brings readers through both big and small moments that teach us to cling to the fierce love of God instead of the flimsier versions we find elsewhere.
With unflinching honesty and relatable humor, Stuart encourages readers to take another look at unrelenting grace; why, contrary to the cultural narrative, we are not actually enough, and that’s good news; how we always, remarkably, have all the grace we need; and why this moment in history is the perfect time to extend no-strings-attached grace to an emotionally bedraggled, wary world.
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Praise
"For anyone seeking solace from the exhausting cycle of proving their worth, Star for Jesus is an invaluable and hilarious companion, pointing you to the transformative power of embracing God's unconditional love and grace."
—Jennifer Dukes Lee, author of Growing Slow and Stuff I’d Only Tell God
"Warm, witty, and infinitely relatable, the stories on these pages invite us to stop striving and start accepting the unforced rhythms of grace that God so graciously offers us. Kimberly Stuart is a natural-born storyteller who has given us a gem of a book to guide us toward glimmers of grace in our messy, real lives."
—Kayla Craig, author of Every Season Sacred and To Light Their Way; creator of Liturgies for Parents
"Kim Stuart is one of the most delightful humans we know—buoyant but deep, hilarious but tender—and that same spirit flows through these pages. This book is a personal but universal guide to releasing the tidy and simplistic life of faith we thought we should live in order to receive a messier, grace-filled, transcendent life of faith that actually is."
—Katherine and Jay Wolf, co-authors of Hope Heals and Suffer Strong
"Star for Jesus (And Other Jobs I Quit) is a great book, beautifully written by an author who isn’t afraid to dig a little deeper to discover a life that matters. Through the telling of thoughtful, nostalgic and very funny stories we are reminded that the secret to living a life full of meaning is found in the Giver of endless grace."
—Maria Goff, wife, mother, grandmother and author of Love Lives Here
"This book is a powerful shot of grace for the common human being, the only kind of human being there is."
—Sean Dietrich, also known as Sean of South and author of Kinfolk
"You won't leave this book the same way you opened it, you will leave more in awe of God, and you can find the wild relief of the good news that no one ever asked you to be a star for Jesus."
—Jess Connolly, author of Breaking Free from Body Shame and Tired of Being Tired