Defiant Joy : Taking Hold of Hope, Beauty, and Life in a Hurting World

Bestselling author Stasi Eldredge shows us how to choose a joy that stands against the tides of life's real and often overwhelming pain. Defiant Joy will help you... get off the emotional roller coaster and experience daily joy; learn how to have a posture of holy defiance when circumstances threaten to weigh down your soul; and find new perspectives on painful circumstances and see how God sometimes interferes with your life to heal and transform you. We are called to live. And, miraculously, to live with joy. We all spend a lot of energy reaching for happiness, but we are never quite able to hang on to it. Real life happens, and our circumstances take us on an emotional rollercoaster ride. So the Bible's call to "be joyful always" sounds almost crazy—and out of reach. But it doesn't have to be. Joy is meant to be ours, a joy that is defiant in the face of this broken world. This joy is not simply happiness on steroids; it's the unyielding belief that sorrow and loss do not have the final say. It's the stubborn determination to be present to whatever may come and to interpret both goodness and grief by the light of heaven. In Defiant Joy, Stasi Eldredge invites us with courage, candor, and tender vulnerability to a place beyond sadness or happiness. She shows us how to maintain a posture of holy defiance that neither denies nor diminishes our pain but dares to live with expectant, unwavering hope. We all spend a lot of energy reaching for happiness, but we're never quite able to hang on to it. Real life happens, and our circumstances take us on an emotional rollercoaster. Oftentimes, the Bible's call to "be joyful always" seems out of reach—but it doesn't have to be. We are called to live. And, miraculously, to live with joy. Join bestselling author Stasi Eldredge as she shows us how to choose a joy that stands against the tides of life's real and often overwhelming pain. Defiant Joy reminds us that a joy that is defiant in the face of this broken world was meant to be ours. This joy isn't simply happiness on steroids, it's the unyielding belief that sorrow and loss do not have the final say. It's the stubborn determination to be present in whatever may come and interpret both goodness and grief by the light of heaven. Defiant Joy will give you the encouragement you need to: Finally experience daily joy Learn how to have a posture of holy defiance when circumstances threaten to weigh down your soul Find new perspectives on the painful circumstances you've faced In Defiant Joy, Stasi invites us with courage, candor, and tender vulnerability to a place beyond sadness or happiness, leading the way as we learn how to maintain a posture of holy defiance that neither denies nor diminishes our pain but dares to live with expectant, unwavering hope. Bestselling author Stasi Eldredge shows readers how to choose a joy that stands against the tides of life's real and often overwhelming pain. We are called to live. And, miraculously, to live with joy. Walking in joy often feels crazy and like a denial of actual life. Yet Christians are called to "be joyful always" (1 Thess. 5:16). What does this mean, and how is it even possible' In her new book, Stasi Eldredge meets readers in their painful realities and offers an invitation to a joy that is defiant in the face of this broken world. This joy does not Pollyannaish-ly ignore life's heartache; rather, it insists that sorrow and loss do not have the final say. This kind of joy is present to both goodness and grief and interprets them in the light of heaven. With deep vulnerability about her own chronic pain, surprising diagnoses, and relational struggles and loss, Stasi demonstrates how to maintain a posture of holy defiance that neither denies nor diminishes the pain, but instead leans fully into the experience of knowing God's presence and promise in the middle of whatever life may bring "Walking in joy often feels crazy and like a denial of actual life. Yet Christians are called to be joyful always (1 Thess. 5:16). What does this mean, and how is it even possible? In her new book, Stasi Eldredge meets readers in their painful realities and offers an invitation to a joy that is defiant in the face of this broken world. This joy does not Pollyannaish-ly ignore life's heartache; rather, it insists that sorrow and loss do not have the final say. This kind of joy is present to both goodness and grief and interprets them in the light of heaven. With deep vulnerability about her own chronic pain, surprising diagnoses, and relational struggles and loss, Stasi demonstrates how to maintain a posture of holy defiance that neither denies nor diminishes the pain, but instead leans fully into the experience of knowing God's presence and promise in the middle of whatever life may bring."--Publisher's description