Liz Johnson is a fellow author and not just that but a fellow LOVE INSPIRED author. And not only is Liz a talented writer and skilled in her marketing job, she's one of the most precious spirits I know. Her love for God and compassion for people has touched me more than she'll ever realize! 

And I'm not surprised Liz volunteered to do a giveaway on her post here today - just one more example of her sweet, generous heart. TWO books, for that matter! You won't want to miss leaving a comment below to sign up for her autographed freebies, one of which is a compilation that made the New York Times Bestselling list! 

GETTING REAL WITH AUTHOR LIZ JOHNSON:


Get real. Two short words. We learn how to read and write them by the first grade. We use them in everyday language and throw them around without much thought. But learning to live them out can take a lifetime.

The urban dictionary defines “get real” as a reality check. And that’s certainly a good start. But I think getting real goes deeper than that. It’s not a one-time check. It’s an on-going pursuit for authenticity. It’s tearing away the disguises that we so often wear. I suppose that leads to another question. Why do we wear masks and hide our true selves? Who among us hasn’t played a part, pretended to be someone richer, smarter, or deeper than who we really are?

I’m guilty of this more often than I’d like to admit. Like that time I bought an armload of clothes at the mall because my friends were, too, and I didn’t want them to think I couldn’t afford them. Even though I really couldn’t. I wanted to be accepted as part of their group, so I added to my credit card bill.

Or what about that time I joined in the gossip about someone I didn’t really know? I just wanted to be part of a group and feel like I belonged.

I was putting on a façade and hoping that the people around me would accept the pretense on display instead of actually accepting me. All to fit in. But don’t we already belong? When we’re adopted into God’s family, we’re children of God. “The Spirit himself bears witness to our spirit that we are God’s children.” (Romans 8:16). We belong to Him and with Him. He’s chosen us and drawn us into his family.

For me, getting real really means laying down the fear that I won’t be accepted and instead clinging to the truth that God has already accepted me and trusting that that’s all I need.

That’s an ongoing battle for me, and I need regular reminders that the things I know and don’t know, the things I do and don’t do, don’t define me. If that’s a continuous struggle for you, too, let’s encourage each other to look to the One whose approval and acceptance matters most.


Here are the novels Liz is giving away! Leave a comment to enter! Drawing will be held later this week!