Lisa Harper (2) (1963–)

**I received a digital copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.**

Introduction
Lisa Harper is back with another engaging, hilariously relatable book that reads like a fond missive between friends. Can Christians be truly, deeply happy? What does the Bible have to say about happiness? Spoiler alert: it is not only permissible, but actually encouraged! God wants his people to be happy!

The story
Lisa has certainly faced some trials in her life, a fact about which she is show more consistently honest and vulnerable. The amazing thing about her is that every time you see her, she has a million-watt smile that could probably be seen for miles in the Tennessee wilderness where she resides. How is she always so happy?! She's human, which means she leads an imperfect life just like the rest of us. Lisa Harper has, however, stumbled on a very simple, foundational Biblical secret: that is that God desires for all His people to know true and lasting happiness. This does not mean life will be perfect, that we'll get every material thing we desire, or that we'll never know suffering. On the contrary, we are promised suffering and even persecution. In her typical light-hearted but heavy hitting way, Lisa mixes personal (and often hilarious) anecdotes with Biblical truths that are life-changing. This book gives practical advice and examples of how to be truly happy in Christ.

Literary analysis
This book occasionally felt a little disjointed, but I honestly didn't mind. I am not ashamed to admit: I love and admire Lisa Harper for the wonderful, exuberant woman of God that she is. Her spirit is one of encouragement, her heart is bigger than a Montana sky, and her joy is infectious. Some people are put off by her story-telling; I love it. I enjoy the way in which Lisa manages to stay true to herself while seeking to lead others to Christ. Her books so far have had wonderful nuggets of truth sprinkled in among stories and conversation that often make you feel as though you're sitting right next to her, sharing a cup of coffee and a heart hug or two.

I did not find any grammatical or spelling errors in this first reading.

Conclusion
I recommend this book to anyone looking for a quick, encouraging, Biblically sound read! show less

The Book of Hebrews is a rich, dense section of Scripture that can intimidate the most scholarly biblical student. But Lisa Harper makes digging into Hebrews fun and doable, as only she can, without losing an ounce of depth. Hebrews was a sermon for a specific people and culture in the midst of martyrdom and persecution, but is also so relevant for us today, reminding us to continue walking toward Jesus regardless of our culture or our circumstances. Join Lisa as she journeys through this show more bridge between the Old and New Testaments to get to the heart of the matter: Jesus is our accessible King. He is not a faraway God, but an up-close Redeemer who draws near to us. Hebrews helps women make the connection between God the Father and God the Son and reminds us that Jesus is supreme, but He is also compassionate, empathetic, and loving to no end. (7 sessions) show less

I love Lisa Harper! Our Bible study has done all of her studies that I am aware of. For our group, this study was a bit of a challenge in that it seems to be aimed at people who are going through or have gone through, something horrific. Most of us don't fall into that category. The video sessions were great. I think we all learned how to be a better friend to someone who is dealing with something terrible. The challenge for us was in trying to do the homework. I found I didn't really have show more answers for many questions since nothing that big was going on. Praise God for that, but it did make the homework less useful. show less

This is a sweet devotional. I love the cover- it is girly, pink, and has a sweet little girl on the front. That is what drew me to the book. I had never heard of Lisa Harper to be honest, but I have had a good history with reading Women of Faith books. The author did a great job!I love the set up of the book: one or two personal stories, biblical references and interpretation, and then devotional or small group questions.I think she did a great job! This is not a hard hitting devotional. I show more found myself laughing at the author's stories and reading the Biblical insights and feeling refreshed. This a great devotional for any woman or teen and would make a great gift! Thanks to BookSneeze for providing this book. show less