Thacker - Fresh Out of Amazing

If God has called you to something, you will need friends to help you be brave.

S HAUNA N IEQUIST

W ith gratitude for those who helped me be brave:

Mike: Being married to a fresh-out-of-amazing girl is not easy. Thank you for your grace every day. I wouldnt be standing here in this place without your support and encouragement. Love you. Always.

My girls: I will always respond with a smile when others say, Are all these girls yours? I have the best job in the world as your mom. Thanks for being endlessly patient with your writer mom. Love you so much!

Angie Elkins, Emily Blackwell, Teri Lynne Underwood, Tanya Cramer, Lainie Thomas, Krystal Nowak, Robin Langford, Gretchen Scoleri, Unchong Berkey, and Michal Lynn Tweedie: Your help on this manuscript was irreplaceable. Sending timid words to sweet friends who are more like sisters is so much easier. Praying I can do the same for you. Also, I owe you coffee.

Voxer Girls (Kat Lee, Amy Lynn Andrews, Katie Orr, Lara Williams, Chrystal Hurst, Francie Winslow, Liz Griffin, and Heather MacFadyen): You are the best kind of gift. You are strong, Jesus-loving, purposeful women of faith who challenge and encourage me to follow hard after Him. Grateful for each and every one of you!

Brooke: This book has hovered in the background of Hope for the past few years. Thank you for your encouragement to write these words and for your support. I missed writing with you, friend.

Sara Hagerty: It means more to me than you will ever know to have your words in this book. Thank you for not only saying yes, but praying first. Simply grateful, sweet friend.

Janet Grant and the Books & Such Agency: I am so grateful for our timely meeting at Allume. You were the first to tell me to write this book. God knew what I needed in an agent and your wisdom has been invaluable. Thank you for always steering me right and caring with all of your heart!

Kathleen Kerr: You are golden. Thank you for pushing me to write the book that fresh-out-of-amazing readers need. I cant wait to hug your neck and buy you a white mocha.

Mom: Thank you for not losing your song in the valley of bitterness and grief. You are still singing and I am so proud to be your daughter!

Dad: Missing you still. Comforted by this thought: Better is one day in your courts than a thousand elsewhere (Psalm 84:10 NIV ). I know you are having the best day ever. See you soon.

I love it when a story lets you peek into the and they lived happily ever after part. After all, even when we close the book, the characters continue to live on in our hearts and minds. We are desperate to know what comes next, arent we?

What happens next for us? What does our epilogue say? Where do we go from here? I believe what happens next is very important. Fresh Out of Amazing has not simply been a book project for me. It has begun a healing work in my life. One reason is that I have planted myself with both feet in the Word of God. As Bible teacher Priscilla Shirer said, The one place you can be absolutely sure Jesus will show up is in the pages of Gods Word. Simply put, Jesus has shown up, he brought healing to my heart, and I am not one bit surprised.

When I look back over my life, every time I have found myself in a deep, deep pit, the one thing that made it possible for me to climb out was the Word of God. I take great comfort in the promise of Isaiah 40:8The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God will stand forever. Gods Word will not wither even if I feel like I might. And when my heart would rather fade into the background, God is just getting started. His Word is perpetual, unending, and continuous. So is the healing he wants to bring into my life and yours. Life lived with and for Jesus really does just keep getting better.

Ive decided what happens next in my journeyor maybe I should say where I go next. Im going to Capernaum. I know what you are thinking: Capernaum? That came out of left field. I really thought you were going to say Starbucks or maybe Disney World. Why Capernaum? Im so glad you asked.

What is so special about Capernaum? Located by the Sea of Galilee, Capernaum was the place Jesus moved right after he stood strong against Satans temptations. This flourishing town was Jesuss town of choice. You see, Capernaum was a popular destination along the Via Marias, an international highway that ran from Syria to Egypt. Any news that came out of Capernaum could travel fast in both directions. Crowds gathered in this fishing town; some came by land and others by sea. The important point is they came to Capernaum by droves. There they could buy fish and other goods, and they could visit the local synagogue.

Of course Capernaum was crawling with fishermen. Jesus changed the lives of four named Peter, James, Andrew, and John when, on the shores of Capernaum, he said, Come and follow me, and I will make you fishers of men. Here in Capernaum Jesus built his ministry; here in Capernaum his first disciples believedand their lives were never the same. And here in Capernaum

Jesus probably lived in Peters home.

Jesus preached the Word of God daily in the synagogue.

Jesus performed many miracles, including healing the paralytic and the centurions servant.

People searched for Jesus, sometimes by boat.

Those with eyes of faith saw the Worthy One.

But nothing Jesus did was ever simply by chance. Everything he did had a divine purpose. The choice of Capernaum was not only strategic for his ministry, but it was the fulfillment of an ancient prophecy:

There will be no gloom for her who was in anguish. In the former time [the Lord] brought into contempt the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, but in the latter time he has made glorious the way of the sea, the land beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the nations (Isaiah 9:1).

Capernaum was the land between Zebulun and Naphtali, and Jesuss presence there made it glorious. It was a time and place where Gods people hadnt seen a hint of light or hope of day, and God did something new.

I am longing for God to do something new in my life, and that kind of work begins with the soul-stirring presence of Jesus. Im not actually going to Capernaum, although a girl can dream. Capernaum, to me, has become a fascinating image of the place I want to be spiritually, a place where I can

Seek Jesus

Grow my faith

Hear Gods Word

Respond to Jesuss calling to follow him

Experience Gods healing

Get counsel for decisions

To put it in simple terms, my heart longs to go to Capernaum. I want to sit at the feet of Jesus and learn from him.

That said, may I toss one more invitation your way? (You saw it coming, right?) This invitation is open-ended, and it has absolutely nothing to do with my book. It has to do with another bookthe Bible. Gods Word is living and active. It will stir your fresh-out-of-amazing heart like nothing else can. My heartfelt prayer is that this book, this small offering, makes you want to grab your Bible and get to know better the Great Big God who desires to revive your heart. That is exactly what Jesus has done for this fresh-out-of-amazing girl. I know he will do it for you too.

Wanting my life to be purposeful and strategic as I move on from here, Im running full force to the feet of Jesus. And if Jesus in his sweet mercy adds a touch of the glorious (I have a feeling he just might), well, Ill be more than okay with that. As we gather in our own Capernaum places, may we look forward and may our epilogues each read like this:

Since we [fresh-out-of-amazing girls] stand surrounded by all those who have gone before, an enormous cloud of witnesses, let us drop every extra weight, every sin that clings to us and slackens our pace, and let us run with endurance the long race set before us. Now stay focused on Jesus, who designed and perfected our faith. He endured the cross and ignored the shame of that death because He focused on the joy that was set before Him; and now He is seated beside God on the throne, a place of honor (Hebrews 12:1-2 T HE V OICE ).