Holley Gerth Archives - Sherry Stahl

Holley Gerth

Just Because You Fail, Doesn’t Mean You’re A Failure
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Forgetting what lies behind and
straining forward to what lies ahead,
I press on toward the goal for the prize 
of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.
Philippians 3:13-14 ESV
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MY RECENT FAILURES

Getting out with a group of girls is always fun!

So, when my friend Ellen Graf-Martin invited me to attend her Fierce Hearted Retreat with Holley Gerth, I was all in! Well, at least until Ellen let us know the Friday night fun was painting pottery. Hearing the plan made me want to back out because it was artistic and well, let’s just say I’m not artistically talented {complete understatement}. As you can see in the pictures, my pottery painting was a total fail and this past season has given me lots of reasons to feel like a failure.

Beyond painting an ugly mug, I made the worst anniversary dinner AND dessert in human history… not the meal I had hoped would express my endearing love for Todd. Then there’s the canceled missions trip to Guatemala that was supposed to take flight in March. To say there were days when I felt like a failure is another {complete understatement}. I’ve had to keep reminding myself…

Just because you fail, doesn’t mean you’re a failure.

Knowing Paul wrote Philippians from a jail cell puts his words into perspective. Paul could have been like most of us and started bemoaning the choices made that landed him in prison, but he didn’t.

Instead of allowing his incarceration to be a reason for sinking into defeat or entering into a blaming tirade, Paul takes his focus off of this seeming ‘failure’ onto the goal ahead of him. Gaze fixed on the prize for fulfilling the upward call of God.

WOW! That’s really hard to do.

Rejecting the label of failure and choosing to look towards future success, will make you prosper.

In his book Failing Forward, John C. Maxwell rightly says,

“There is no achievement without failure.
To even imply that it might be possible gives people the wrong impression.”¹

Maxwell’s whole book is dedicated to helping people train for failure as he cites people’s stories who have found success through repeated failures, great examples of how to fail forward.

My advice to you today is, don’t let failure derail you from the upward call of God on your life. We all fail. The question is, will you be like Micah and announce to the world: “though I fall, yet I will rise”?² Remember, Just because you fail, doesn’t mean you’re a failure.

Prayer

Father… I thank you that failure is not final. I don’t have to live in fear of failure because You encourage me in Your Word that when I fall, You’ll help me get back up. Let me walk with confidence towards the exciting plans You have for my life and learn to fail forward, not letting the enemy or anyone label me a failure. In You, I am more than an overcomer! In Jesus Name…Amen

Jump on my Author Facebook page tonight, for an encouraging message.

Monday, April 23^rd8 pm EST

There’s so much more that God’s put on my heart about Failing Forward that I can’t fit into this little Soul H2O devotion. I’m also going to be giving away a copy of Holley Gerth’s book fierce hearted to a lucky winner!

[imic_button colour=”btn-warning” type=”enabled” link=”https://www.facebook.com/AuthorSherryStahl/” target=”_blank” extraclass=”” size=””]Facebook Live Link to Sherry’s Author Facebook Page[/imic_button]

You may have to LIKE my ‘AuthorSherryStahl’ page to see the Facebook LIVE

[tweetthis] Just because you fail, doesn’t mean you’re a #failure.[/tweetthis]

[tweetthis] Rejecting the label of failure and choosing to look towards future success, will make you prosper.[/tweetthis]

If you liked the refreshing in this #SoulH2O devotion, you’ll love my latest Soul H2O Devotional book: 40 Thirst Quenching Devotions for Women.

#Dare2Share
Post in the Comment Section below and bolster the faith of someone else!
1. Philippians 3:13-14
2. Micah 7:8
3. Ps 40:2-3
4. Proverbs 24:16
ENDNOTES
1. Maxwell, John. Failing Forward, © 2000 Nelson Books: Nashville, TN pg. 7
2. Micah 7:8
YOU CAN OFTEN FIND ME LINKING UP WITH:
MONDAY Monday Meditations – Laura J. Davis, Soul Survival – Donna Reidland ,
TUESDAY Cheerleaders of Faith #RARaLinkup – Kelly Balarie ,
WEDNESDAY Coffee For Your Heart – Holley Gerth , Word Nerd Wednesdays — Liz Giertz
THURSDAY Heart Encouragement Thursday – Crystal Storms , Chasing Community – Barbara Bradford Ottinger
FRIDAY Dance With Jesus Linkup – Susan B. Mead , Grace and Truth Linkup – Arabah Joy , Counting My Blessings – Deb Wolf, Fresh Market Friday – Crystal Twaddell ELLEN’S PICKS– Ellen Graf-Martin

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Living a fierceHEARTED life!

fierceHEARTED
LIVE FULLY, LOVE BRAVELY

(c) Holley Gerth

Ellen Graf-Martin introduced me to Holley Gerth’s writing. It was for my first #EllensPicks book review and Holley’s previously released, You’re Already Amazing; Life Growth Guide. I really enjoyed that book and have loved fierceHEARTED so much that I ended up doing two facebook live videos that mentioned it…and now this post.

[tweetthis]fierceHEARTED gets two thumbs up from me! @sherry_stahl #paperbackpic @EllensPicks[/tweetthis]

LIVE FULLY, LOVE BRAVELY

Holley gave this book the sub-title of LIVE FULLY, LOVE BRAVELY. Holley shares so much about her life with us in the book. There are stories from all stages of her life and a few written from events as she wrote the book. By her writing, Holley lets us into the journey of her learning to live fully and love bravely, that lead to becoming a fierceHEARTED woman of God.

When you get to the end of the book you realize that this journey of becoming is really never over, but don’t worry, that’s not a bad thing! We’re all just in the middle of what God is preparing us to do next, preparing for who He wants us to become. The second Facebook Live video I did mentioning fierceHEARTED was based on my devotion called ARE YOU IN THE MIDDLE?. It resonates with this quote from page 184.

“LET’S REMEMBER
we are all still in
the middle of the
MESSY, BEAUTIFUL WORK
of becoming.”

I love the way Holley so playfully recounts the stories of her life. The chapter titles will let you in on the fun she must have had writing this book. Here’s a few to pique your interest:

Bone in the Chicken
Shake the Jar
Flops and Rafters
Praying Wronger
Room for Knobs
Emotional Duct Tape

Ok, I’m sure you get the picture. The chapters are lighthearted stories that make a point and leave you thinking, “How’d she do that?” Holley weaves the challenges, triumphs and middle ground of her life into this book and invites us to share our lives with others as she so openly has. No more trying to act like we’ve got this thing called life all figured out, but instead being open and honest, sharing the journey to becoming fierceHEARTED together.

“Let’s make this
our declaration:
instead of trying to
have it ALL TOGETHER,
we will dare to do
real, messy, imperfect
life all together.”
Pg.126

I hope you enjoyed my #EllensPicks #paperbackpic review. I received a copy of this unpublished manuscript from Revell Books in hopes that I would post a review. The opinions expressed are my own and true from my heart.

Be Blessed and Refreshed,
~Sherry
xoxo

In case you’re wondering, here’s a link to the first Facebook Live Post where I mention fierceHEARTED

Holley Gerth is a Wall Street Journal bestselling author, certified life coach, and speaker. She loves connecting with the hearts of women thorugh her popular blog and books. If you’re a blogger, join me as I share my blog posts on Holley’s site every Wednesday morning for her #coffeeforyourheart linkup. Holley’s also the cofounder of (in)courage and a partner with DaySpring. Holley lives with her husband, Mark, in the South.

Connect with Holley at:
Website: www.holleygerth.com https://holleygerth.com/
Insta & Twitter: @holleygerth
Facebook: Holley Gerth https://www.facebook.com/HolleyGerth/?fref=ts

#PaperbackPic
fierceHEARTED
LIVE FULLY, LOVE BRAVELY
AUTHOR: Holley Gerth
© 2017 by Holley Gerth
PUBLISHER: Revell; a division of Baker Publishing Group Grand Rapids, MI USA

You can Pre-order the book Here: https://www.amazon.com/Fiercehearted-Live-Fully-Love-Bravely/dp/B075RF1M16/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1506477857&sr=8-1&keywords=holley+gerth
1. Gerth, Holley. fierceHEARTED: LIVE FULLY, LOVE BRAVELY. (Grand Rapids, MI: Revell; a division of Baker Publishing Group, 2017), 184.
2. Ibid, 126.
YOU CAN OFTEN FIND ME LINKING UP WITH:
MONDAY Monday Meditations – Laura J. Davis , #SoulSurvival – Donna Riedland
TUESDAY Cheerleaders of Faith #RARaLinkup – Kelly Balarie ,
WEDNESDAY Coffee For Your Heart – Holley Gerth , Word Nerd Wednesdays — Liz Giertz
THURSDAY Heart Encouragement Thursday – Crystal Storms , Chasing Community – Barbara Bradford Ottinger
FRIDAY Dance With Jesus Linkup – Susan B. Mead , Grace and Truth Linkup – Arabah Joy , Counting My Blessings – Deb Wolf, Fresh Market Friday – Crystal Twaddell ELLEN’S PICKS – Ellen Graf-Martin

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Do You Need to Take Down a Goliath?

I’m writing this post because this girl is goin’ through a tough time. So, I need to remind myself of God’s truths and usually when I write about my struggles, it helps others too. Situations have escalated and I need to take down a Goliath in my life I’ve allowed to rule for way too long.

Do You Need to Take Down a Goliath in your life?

Don’t get me wrong, I’m NOT asking “Do you need to take down a person?” My good friend Wendy once said, “if they have skin on, they’re not the enemy.”

For our struggle is not against flesh and blood,
but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.
Ephesians 6:12

My ‘Goliath’ has been screaming threats in my ear; attacking who I am, lying, mocking my relationship with God and criticizing the call on my life. The intimidation has often left me cowering in shame.

The longevity of this battle has taken its toll and affected me so profoundly in the past year that I was ready to give up on everything. It affected me physically, spiritually and emotionally. I felt so defeated and discouraged that I didn’t even send out my weekly Soul H2O devotions for three weeks in July because, it’s impossible to refresh others when your well is dry. Since I started sending out Soul H2O four years ago I had only missed posting once, when I was on a missions’ trip in Guatemala. I can’t express to you how defeated the enemy made me feel, even after a season of powerful ministry this spring. I can relate to Elijah’s breakdown in a new way after this experience.

Can you relate to what I’m going through?
Have you ever asked God, why is this happening to me?

Even up to this morning I was feeling this way until I listened to a sermon by Matt Tapley from Lakemount Worship Centre in Grimsby, Ontario. It wasn’t a warm and fuzzy sermon to ease my pain. This was a ‘toughen up, you can do it’ kind of message, and that’s exactly what I needed.

In his podcast, Spiritual Best Practices, Matt talks about a faulty theology Christians often have that leads you to believe

“if I’m doing what I’m supposed to be doing, I can avoid trouble.”
But, as Matt points out,
“This isn’t true.”

Falling prey to this mindset easily opens the door to believe the enemies lies. He intimidates by whispering in your ear that you MUST be doing something wrong, or worse, that God must not love you.

I wish my faith was stronger than this. You’d think I wouldn’t struggle with this faulty theology since I wrote a post about it titled, We Need To Change Our Christian Expectations. This was back in 2013 when God first started confronting my mixed-up belief. It’s sad how thick-headed we can be. God often needs to apply a few knocks on our noggin to help us ‘get it’!

“Dear friends, do not be surprised at the painful trial you are suffering, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice that you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyedwhen his glory is revealed.”
1 Peter 4:12-13

GETTING INSPIRED

Matt’s message, rereading my old blog post and beginning to read Holley Gerth’s book, Fiercehearted were the kick in the pants I needed to get out of my funk and back to a firm foundation of faith. When I heard Matt say, “ If God’s helped you with a ‘level 2 bully’ then He can help you defeat a ‘level 12 Goliath’” I wanted to shout; but the people walking on the trail near me might have called the authorities. The very title of Holley’s book is inspiring me. I want to live #fiercehearted in the face of my Goliath, and I know you do too! I can’t wait to be OVERjoyed when His glory is revealed and the battle is gone.

Click here to watch the Facebook Live I recorded after I got all fired up. I’m sure it will be a shot in the arm of courage for you!

Since the video people have asked me for the verses I mentioned. Here’s a listing of Scriptures that will help you stand firm in your faith so you can take down any Goliath you face!

Hebrews 10:39
2 Corinthians 4:16-19
Isaiah 10:27
1 John 2:20-27
Another couple verses that will help you are Isaiah 54:17, 52:2, Ephesians 6:12

Praying this post leaves you Blessed & Refreshed!

Much love,
~Sherry Stahl
xoxo

We Need To Change Our Christian Expectations My #SoulH2O Blog Post
https://holleygerth.com/
https://www.lakemount.ca/
https://www.lakemount.ca/grow/messages/spiritual-best-practices

#Dare2Share
Post in the Comment Section below and bolster the faith of someone else!

YOU CAN OFTEN FIND ME LINKING UP WITH:
MONDAY Monday Meditations – Laura J. Davis ,
TUESDAY Cheerleaders of Faith #RARaLinkup – Kelly Balarie ,
WEDNESDAY Coffee For Your Heart – Holley Gerth , Word Nerd Wednesdays — Liz Giertz
THURSDAY Heart Encouragement Thursday – Crystal Storms , Chasing Community – Barbara Bradford Ottinger
FRIDAY Dance With Jesus Linkup – Susan B. Mead , Grace and Truth Linkup – Arabah Joy , Counting My Blessings – Deb Wolf, Fresh Market Friday – Crystal Twaddell ELLEN’S PICKS – Ellen Graf-Martin

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You’re Already Amazing – By Holley Gerth

This month marks my entry into the “#EllensPicks group of women. I was so excited to get home from a speaking trip to Dallas and open my first package. I mean, who doesn’t enjoy mail without a bill! It was all packaged up with raffia, cute cards with quotes from Holley Gerth, The great You’re Already Amazing Life Growth Guide book, 2 packets of hot chocolate that I might or might not have shared with my hubby Todd and a sweet handwritten card from Ellen Graf-Martin.

As soon as I got Holley’s book I began devouring it. I love self-help stuff since I’m always needing it and especially when it’s backed up with scripture. I’m passionate about helping people see their God-given Purpose and encouraging them to fulfil it. I can see Holley is too. I immediately clicked with her book.

Then I went on my computer to check her out and watch the video mentioned in the book. I felt an affinity with Holley even though I don’t know her, yet. I can say yet, because even if we don’t meet here on earth I’m convinced there’s going to be a big blogger’s linkup area in heaven one day! When I saw the title of Holley’s blog I thought “I could hang out with this girl”. Since you’re on my page you probably know that my blog is called Soul H2O, and Holley’s blog is called Coffee For Your Heart, so we’re both trying to help quench your spiritual thirst, just with different drinks. I wish I liked coffee so my blog could have used a really cool blog name like Soul Coffee. Since I don’t like coffee and suffer from a Coke addiction (breathe…I’m meaning Coca-Cola, the kind I maybe get daily at a local McDonald’s drive-thru, maybe)…anyways, I didn’t think Soul Coke was a viable option in the Christian Blog market, so I went with the Soul H2O idea.

Ok, back to the purpose of this post—the review. Holley’s book You’re Already Amazing has the best tagline. If she gave a money-back guarantee based on the sub-title she’d never have to return a penny. It says:

Embracing Who You Are, Becoming All God Created You to Be

If you struggle with understanding what you’re good at or knowing what God wants for your life, if you’ve ever wanted to get a Life Coach, then this book is a must ‘get’. I don’t say must ‘read’ because you need to get it, read it, mark it up and write in it. You can’t ‘just’ read it or you won’t get your money’s worth. The best part of this book is the self-discovery that results from the exercises Holley gets you to do. She really puts her Life Coaching skillset into the pages of this book. She knows like my Life Coach friend Wendy Pauls, how to draw out what’s inside of you.

The most powerful sentence in the book for me was on pages 25-26 when Holley said:

“My friend’s two phrases “This is nothing” and “It was simple” are twin clues that skills are hiding somewhere in plain sight…What are you doing when people compliment you and you can’t quite understand why they think it’s a big deal?”

This statement has helped me to explain to others how to find their God-given talents. It’s as simple as that.

Once Holley helps you to Embrace Who You Are, she guides you to Becoming All God Created You to Be.

This book is a beautiful, fun journey that you’ll love to travel with Holley. If you take the time to use the book, watch her videos and implement what you learn, you’ll Become All God Created You to Be when you understand that You’re Already Amazing!

I hope you enjoyed my first #paperbackpic review. By writing this linkup post for #EllensPics I’ve reached a life-goal I’ve been putting off for a year. How fitting that it would happen while reviewing a book that helps you move forward in what God has for your life! I’ve wanted to start writing reviews on books for a long time and even searched out my own hashtag to use. I was shocked when my idea hadn’t been taken yet and #paperpackpic was unused. I’m even more shocked that it still hasn’t been used after a year. Well not anymore girls! I will be sharing books that have helped me grow and will help you too. I’ve always been one to suggest books and often give them out to friends, I just did yesterday. Once a girlfriend started calling me the ‘spiritual librarian’ of our church, which was quite funny since I’m the type that usually gets kicked out of libraries, for talking of course! So here’s my way of talking in the library and helping my girlfriends find some good books.

Be blessed and refreshed,
~Sherry

Here’s how to find Holley Gerth:
Website: http://www.holleygerth.com
Book Site: https://holleygerth.com/amazing
Insta & Twitter: @holleygerth
Facebook: Holley Gerth

You’re Already Amazing – By Holly Gerth
Embracing Who You Are, Becoming All God Created You to Be
(c) 2016 Holley, Inc. Published by Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group Grand Rapids, MI

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