Jen Hatmaker is the author of 7: An Experimental Mutiny Against Excess and INTERRUPTED: When Jesus Wrecks Your Comfortable Christianity. She is also a mom to five children, a pastor’s wife, speaker and star of the popular “My Big Family Renovation” on HGTV. In FOR THE LOVE, Hatmaker takes on grace and all of the societal (and internal) opposition to living a grace-filled existence here on planet Earth. She is funny and prone to laugh at just about everything, which she admits isn’t always such a good thing. However, readers will disagree because Hatmaker takes the mundane of life and brings some lighthearted, much-needed clarity to otherwise dismal events that are commonplace to all.

"With ample personal stories and an overabundance (in the best way possible) of comedic undertones, [Hatmaker] does a marvelous job of guiding her audience through the potholes with grit and grace."

In her 26 chapters, Hatmaker discusses everything from turning 40, fashion concerns, surviving school, being quirky, difficult people and poverty tourism, to a specific call to Christians to stop being lame. She finds novel ways of exposing people’s inner thoughts on everyday subjects while simultaneously helping them to see how ridiculous much of these perfectionist standards are in the scope of life itself. If ever there was a time to fight against impossible standards meted out by the media (and the church?), it is now.

Hatmaker sees women all the time who are worn thin (not literally) by their vain attempts to present a perfect outwardly viewed life (in real life and on social media). She genuinely admits to fighting off these inner voices to be more, better and, subsequently, to best herself. Then she guides readers to a better way of living life by helping them to lighten up, laugh a little (or a lot), and see the good gifts scattered amongst the tough stuff.

The author understands that life is hard, and when the hard comes calling (and it will), folks need to lean in hard to the One who loves them best. God isn’t the scary, demanding Heavenly tyrant that some Christians (and some churches) make Him out to be. Rather, God loves His children and is eager to bless their lives with all good things to enjoy. True, there is much pain to be dealt with amidst those happy moments, but as Hatmaker writes, “For the Love….people….get a grip! Life isn’t all somber and solemn and even Jesus had fun and laughed.”

During a time when so many individuals appear to be drowning in self-recrimination and doubt, Hatmaker’s message is both timely and invigorating. With ample personal stories and an overabundance (in the best way possible) of comedic undertones, she does a marvelous job of guiding her audience through the potholes with grit and grace. Readers will fall in love with her unique perspective on the all-too-dailies of daily life and will never view some of these minor life happenings in the same way again.

FOR THE LOVE is a book to buy…and then buy some more for those folks who are struggling to see the light at the end of their particular dark tunnel.