Better Than My Dreams

August 13, 2007
Women's conference speaker and professional counselor Rinehart (Strong Women, Soft Hearts
) offers Christian women redemptive hope in a world where dreaming can be a dangerous endeavor. Rinehart tells her own story of living in dull “sepia” days, bound by life's disappointments and doubting Christian claims. Such skepticism eventually led her to serious explorations in Jungian psychology, which she now views as a period when she was committing “spiritual adultery.” Wrestling through personal faith issues proved painful, yet incredibly freeing, as Rinehart allowed God's mercy and knowledge of her to permeate every darkened space of her heart. Rinehart lucidly hits the mark about women's most desperate yearnings as she discusses rites of passage in which individuals make a choice to either embrace life with all its interruptions or settle into a paralyzing fear. She challenges readers to act decisively and courageously in their relationships, primarily by inviting vulnerability and loving difficult people, and she shows how to trust God's sovereignty and faithful love even through interminable setbacks. Christian women who are serious about setting a course beyond vague dreaming will appreciate Rinehart's inspiring path to a more hopeful life.