"and it was beautiful" by kara tippetts

I became aware of Kara Tippetts' story and her blog, Mundane Faithfulness, shortly before her death last March. Like most people (I assume, anyway), I don't like thinking about death—especially death we would consider "untimely." I didn't read much of Kara's blog for that reason. But recently I learned about And It Was Beautiful, which is mainly a collection of writings from Kara's blog, and something told me to read it. I'm glad I did.

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"I was here. I saw beauty. I embraced it." -Kara Tippetts

How do you live out extravagant love in the everyday moments? How do you celebrate grace when your life turns out differently than the one you dreamed?

Kara Tippetts discovered how to find joy in the small moments of life. She learned how to hold tight to hope even while battling intense physical and emotional pain. And she lived out the truth that God can redeem any story.

In her final book, Kara offers gentle reflections on living and dying well. She invites us to cultivate soft hearts even when we face great disappointment. Her ideas for living are hard-won, wrestled with in the crucible of family, illness, and faith. And her constant reminder is that whether we are in the midst of dark days or mundane moments Jesus is always there, life is surprisingly beautiful, and God is forever good.

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I picked up And It Was Beautiful with a bit of trepidation, fearing I was facing 250 pages that would make me want to cry. I couldn't have been more wrong. The subtitle, "Celebrating Life in the Midst of the Long Good-Bye," so clearly communicates what Kara did through her writing—she struggled, she cried, she questioned ... but she also found humor in the pain, lived life to the fullest, and trusted in the One who knew the number of her days.

Yes, I did cry as I read the book's final pages, but I closed the book thankful for the gift of being able to see the grace, dignity, and hope that Kara left behind as her legacy. 5 stars.

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Kara Tippetts was the author of The Hardest Peace and the co-author of Just Show Up. She blogged faithfully at mundanefaithfulness.com. Since her death in March 2015, her husband, Jason, has been parenting their four children and leading the church the couple founded in Colorado Springs, Colorado.

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Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Litfuse Publicity Group. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. Also, some of the links in the post above are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. 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."