A Beautiful Disaster: Finding Hope in the Midst of Brokenness

A Beautiful Disaster: Finding Hope in the Midst of Brokenness is special to me because it was written by a friend. But I have found it to be special for more than that. This book is a treasure field, chock-full of wisdom. I read it slowly, savoring and pondering its truths. I am sure that others will find it as life-giving as I did. Marlena writes about the desert wilderness of the spiritual life. Dorothy Greco rightly refers to Marlena as a "wilderness guide", one who has spent time learning the lessons of the desert and now leads others through their own spiritual deserts. In A Beautiful Disaster Marlena writes powerfully about her dysfunctional childhood. "I lived in a world of turmoil.... I needed God to show me his path through the desert wilderness of poverty, DUIs, adultery, mental illness, prison, a house fire, the death of loved ones, and my own bad decisions." Marlena found God in the wilderness of her childhood and learned lessons there that served her well as she grew. In her adult life, she encountered more wilderness experiences. Yet instead of despairing in these deserts, Marlena found God there. She discovers that "desert land is fertile ground for spiritual activity, transformation, and renewal." Rather than being preachy or platitudinous, as many writers tend to be when discussing suffering, Marlena's tone is consistently gracious and humble. The book is brimming with wisdom, intertwined with stories, Scripture and quotes. The result is a thoughtful, serious, and beautiful guide. After just one reading, my copy of A Beautiful Disaster is marked up with notes and scribbles throughout. Each chapter seemed better than the last. I will certainly be revisiting this book many times in the future and will be giving copies away as well. Out of all the books I've read on trials and suffering, this will definitely be the one that I recommend to others. Finally, it seems impossible that I write any endorsement of A Beautiful Disaster without also endorsing its author. As I said before, Marlena is a friend and a mentor. I can attest that Marlena's life matches her message. She is sincere in her pursuit of Jesus and is constantly encouraging others towards him. Marlena reflects Jesus in her writing as well as in her life. *Originally posted at www.calliegloriosomays.com

An instant classic! A Beautiful Disaster will be next to my C.S. Lewis and John Piper favorites! Marlena takes the chaotic, mixed emotions of the human heart and brings Gospel veracity, clarity and simplicity. There is practical and encouraging truths whispering from every page. Marlena presents challenging thoughts about the life of Christ and encouraging personal pictures of redemption. This book breathed life into my fretful and often harried existence. Currently, I am creatively incorporating Marlena's Shalom lifestyle--balance of rest, work and delight into my life. Already I have noticed soul-refreshment and renewed intimacy with Christ. This book renewed my heart and brought clarity to my life. I have already bought copies of this book for all my friends! Love, LOVE this book!

This is a beautiful book. There is a lot of wisdom between page 1 and page 204. I especially liked Grave's views on the need for silence and solitude. She says we cannot live our whole life in full view of others and that solitude is where we find ourselves and it is a soul-soothing time. I also liked the end of the book where she discusses being fully alive. There are lovely passages about laughter, play--- and God's acceptance of play and fun. One thing that bothered me about the book is how often Graves refers to her unhappiness, poverty, sin and the wilderness in her life. The reader is lead to believe that her life was hard, however we are never told much about these hardships. We are left to wonder whether it was abuse, drugs, alcohol or sex. We probably picture her life worse than it was in reality. The story would be stronger if the reader knew what obstacles she had to overcome.

I've wanted to read this book ever since I heard the author speak a year ago. She is authentic and passionate, and that comes through in this book. Marlena has a way of writing that is poetic and genuine. She invites us to explore the challenges of living a life of faith with raw honesty but incredible hope, calling us back to God, His goodness and love, His truth. Reading this book was like a balm to my soul, affirming so much of what God has been teaching me in a way that makes me feel I'm not alone, and encouraging me to keep going on this journey. We need more books like this that look suffering in the face and say, "God is in this." It's inviting and freeing, grounded in scripture, full of personal stories that are so relatable. Highly recommend.