Lisa Harper - Overextended and Loving Most of It: The Unexpected Joy of Being Harried, Heartbroken, and Hurling Oneself Off Cliffs

Overextended

Jesus did not come so we could have a safe-picket-fence life. In her book Overextended... and Loving Most of It!, Lisa challenges and encourages us to live the big life that God designed for us to live. In her practical and oh-so-funny way she paints the picture of how we really can live our everyday life in a way that honors God and makes a difference in the world. You will love this book... really!!!

HOLLY WAGNER

FOUNDER AND AUTHOR OF GODCHICKS, WARRIOR CHICKS,
AND SURVIVAL GUIDE FOR YOUNG WOMEN

Lisa Harper is a true gift to everyone who knows her. This book gives you an opportunity to hear from a woman who not only talks it, but walks it. I know a lot of people who read and quote the Bible. Lisa not only knows the words, she also knows what they mean, and why those words were used instead of others. Shes funny, bright, dedicated, and an absolute BLAST to hang out with. Read this book!

SCOTT HAMILTON

OLYMPIC GOLD MEDALIST

I have known this whirlwind of a woman, Lisa Harper, for many years. And heres the scoop: shes the real deal. Lisa hot-foots the gospel around the world and her fervor is contagious, as is her obvious passion for words that sizzle with truth. I love Lisa, as will youcatch the fire of living life with a full heart!

PATSY CLAIRMONT

AUTHOR OF TWIRL

I love a book thats funny, honest, challenging, biblical, heartfelt, and real, real, real. Overextended... and Loving Most of It! is just that kind of read. Lisa walks us through the mountain tops and valley depths of living all in for Jesus, using personal stories and biblical wisdom to drive home truths we all need to hear. A great read!

LIZ CURTIS HIGGS

BEST-SELLING AUTHOR OF BAD GIRLS OF THE BIBLE AND
THE GIRLS STILL GOT IT

Lisas writing is just like sitting across the table from her. One minute youre holding your stomach because youre laughing so hard, and the next thing you know youre wiping away tears because shes just said something beautiful and inspiring and poignant. Lisa makes you want to live life out loud in all the fullness that God has for us. You will find inspiration and laughter in every word and walk away feeling like youve just said good-bye to a dear friend.

MELANIE SHANKLE

AUTHOR OF SPARKLY GREEN EARRINGS

The first thing youll learn about Lisa Harper is that she has a huge heart. Shes approachable while being honest and funny while teaching sometimes hard life lessons. One of the greatest gifts Lisa gives to the world is her ability to transform stories from the Bible we all know into fresh and relatable truth. You will be challenged, you will laugh a lot, and you will occasionally shed a tear. But most importantly, you will grow closer to God and feel empowered in your faith. I love Lisa Harper, and I know you will too.

SANDI PATTY

GRAMMY AND DOVE AWARD-WINNING SINGER

Out of Lisas overextended life emerges a collection of unforgettable lessons. Thankfully she has assembled them so the rest of us can benefit. Slow down. Take a breath and enjoy this book!

MAX LUCADO

PASTOR AND BEST-SELLING AUTHOR

In order to do what God has called us to do we must ensure that we only do what He has called us to do. In Overextended Lisa shows us how to live this awesome faith adventure constantly stretching ourselves but not snapping in the process. This is a timely and much needed message for the body of Christ.

CHRISTINE CAINE

FOUNDER OF THE A21 CAMPAIGN

2013 Lisa Harper

All rights reserved. No portion of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any meanselectronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, scanning, or otherexcept for brief quotations in critical reviews or articles, without the prior written permission of the publisher.

Published in Nashville, Tennessee, by Thomas Nelson. Thomas Nelson is a registered trademark of Thomas Nelson, Inc.

Lisa Harper is represented by Anvil II Management.

Thomas Nelson, Inc., titles may be purchased in bulk for educational, business, fund-raising, or sales promotional use. For information, please e-mail SpecialMarkets@ThomasNelson.com.

Unless otherwise noted, Scripture quotations are taken from The English Standard Version (ESV). 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers.

Other Scripture references are from the following sources: The New Century Version (NCV). 2005 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Holy Bible, New Living Translation (NLT). 1996, 2004, 2007. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved. The Message (MSG) by Eugene H. Peterson. 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002. Used by permission of NavPress Publishing Group. Holy Bible, New International Version (NIV). 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com. The Voice (THE VOICE). 2008 by Ecclesia Bible Society. Used by permission. All rights reserved. HOLMAN CHRISTIAN STANDARD BIBLE (HCSB). 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003 by Broadman and Holman Publishers. All rights reserved. The Bible in Basic English (BBE). Public domain. The Expanded Bible (EXB). Copyright 2011 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Available Upon Request

ISBN 978-0-8499-2192-6

Printed in the United States of America

13 14 15 16 17 18 RRD 6 5 4 3 2 1

In loving memory of my father, Everett Andrew Harper, who is probably riding a horse and roping a steer in Glory at this very moment. I miss you, Dad.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

We are surrounded by a great cloud of people whose lives tell us what faith means. So let us run the race that is before us and never give up.

Hebrews 12:1a NCV

I feel morally obliged to begin with a disclaimer: I simply adore Lisa Harper! We have been friends for over twenty years, and as the years have passed that friendship has deepened into a lifelong commitment to be there for one another, no matter what. I dont think either of us realized years ago just how deep that what might be. How could we have known in the earlier days of ministry that God would stretch us in ways that at times would make it hard to catch our breath?

I have watched the unfolding of Lisas life and at times Ive had to remind myself to breathe as she is stretched in ways that, as her sister and friend, make me want to shout, Stop! But with every stretching I have seen it. I have watched the tender outpouring of fresh grace and the profound intensifying of her allegiance to Christ and His people. I have watched her say, Yes! over and over, not to the pressures of a culture that would consume but to a Savior who would transform. Lisa does not live safely. She lives a full-out, pedal to the metal, cross the finish line dripping with sweat and tears and laughter, kind of life.

If youre tempted to think that this all sounds a bit too much, a bit unhealthy, I would say this: there are two ways to live that could fall under the heading Overextended.

There is one where no boundaries are in place. Many well-meaning followers of Christ lie bleeding on this road. They have tried to please everyone around them and martyred their joy on the cross of the approval of others. I have traveled this road and it almost killed me. This path is hard, and graceless, and full of potholes.

This is not the path that Lisa writes about in these pages. There is another way to live an overextended life.