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Customer Reviews for Random House, Inc Dancing with My Father: How God Leads Us into a Life of Grace and Joy
Random House, Inc Dancing with My Father: How God Leads Us into a Life of Grace and Joy
When trusted author and mentor Sally Clarkson noticed a lack of joy in her own life, she realized how easy it can be, especially for women with overloaded to-do lists, to feel weighed down by drudgery and disappointment. But rather than slogging through her days, Sally wanted to know the delight of God's presence. She began prayerfully exploring how to cultivate deep-rooted joy even in the midst of difficult seasons.
In this warm and wise book, she invites you to experience for yourself what happens when you trust God to lead you into a life of anticipation, passion, and purpose.
Average Customer Rating:
(19 Reviews) 19
Rating Snapshot (19 reviews)
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2 out of 2100%customers would recommend this product to a friend.
Customer Reviews for Dancing with My Father: How God Leads Us into a Life of Grace and Joy
Review 1 for Dancing with My Father: How God Leads Us into a Life of Grace and Joy
Overall Rating:
Date:October 17, 2011
Chappywife
Age:35-44
Gender:female
Quality:
5
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5
Value:
5
out of
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Meets Expectations:
5
out of
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Excellent. The book is convicting, but encouraging. It leaves you with a sincere desire to seek the Lord only for Joy.
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Review 2 for Dancing with My Father: How God Leads Us into a Life of Grace and Joy
Overall Rating:
Choose Joy
Date:January 29, 2011
Quality:
5
out of
5
Value:
5
out of
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Meets Expectations:
5
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"Joy" is a lovely word that we all want to experience but often cannot find because we tend to focus our attention on our circumstances, trials, disappointment, and discontent. Dancing with My Father helps guide us to let go of all that and hold on to God’s hand, instead. "Let your soul dance with delight in God." Each chapter ends with questions and/or suggestions to help you find your rhythm in God’s joy. I enjoyed reading this book and jotting down notes in my diary. In search of true lasting joy, the author relies on God and His Word. She learns to look at things through God’s eyes with eternal perspectives and embrace child-like faith. Let us all choose to dance with our Heavenly Father, the Source of joy, who loves us and is always ready to lead us into a life full of joy. Will you follow His steps and enjoy the dance?
~This book was provided for review by the WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group.
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Review 3 for Dancing with My Father: How God Leads Us into a Life of Grace and Joy
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Date:March 15, 2010
Deborah Gajee
This is probably one of the most wonderful books on joy that I have ever read. I have been reading a couple of books lately (my usual style) and I keep coming back to this one and just wanting it to never end. I have been reading bits of it to my husband and children and they just love it. Oh dear ladies read and get a wonderful and joyful picture of our loving and heavenly Father.
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Review 4 for Dancing with My Father: How God Leads Us into a Life of Grace and Joy
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Date:March 12, 2010
Gretchen L. Acheson
Dancing with My Father: How God Leads Us into a Life of Grace and Joy is not just an uplifting, encouraging read. Its like each chapter is a chat over a cup of tea with the author herself. Reading Mrs. Clarksons book makes me feel like Ive gotten to know this dear lady, seen her heart and felt her hugs. Hearing through the pages of Dancing with My Father about how she chose joy in her daily life and struggles inspired me to choose a different heart, a heart of joy. And it brought home the point that its not something that just happensI must choose joy. Each and every day.
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Review 5 for Dancing with My Father: How God Leads Us into a Life of Grace and Joy
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Date:March 6, 2010
Sally Clarkson is a popular speaker who has worked in various ministries for more than thirty years. She and her husband live with their four children outside of Colorado Springs, CO. Her latest book, Dancing with My Father, suggests that we should let our soul dance with delight in God. This is from the back cover of the book:When trusted author and mentor Sally Clarkson noticed a lack of joy in her own life, she realized how easy it can be, especially for women with overloaded to-do lists, to feel weighted down by drudgery and disappointment. But rather than slogging through her days, Sally wanted to know the delight of Gods presence. She began prayerfully exploring how to cultivate deep-rooted joy even in the midst of difficult seasons.Sally places special emphasis on Jesus as the source of joy:In the past couple of years, I have realized that it is as I ponder Jesus think about Him, study Him, read about Him, model Him that my life becomes more fully what it is supposed to be in all areas. Jesus is the ultimate portrait of living with joy. But even more, I have sought to understand what it means to love Him with my whole heart, as He so desires. If Jesus, the man anointed with oil of joy and gladness was about serving others to the point of laying down His life for them, then serving others and giving myself to the cause of Christ must be the place in which I will find joy. (p. 198)Sally, in her postscript, states that we all have to make the choice from our heart, before God, to follow His Son and to live a life of joy and grace. It is an easy choice, isnt it?! I appreciate that Sally made that journey, and shares her finding with us!This book comes complete with discussion questions at the end of each chapter, which I intend to work through. I think this book would work wonderfully well for a womens small group.This book was provided to me for review purposes by Waterbrook Press.
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Review 6 for Dancing with My Father: How God Leads Us into a Life of Grace and Joy
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Date:March 6, 2010
Erika Chapman
I am about halfway through it. It is taking me a while, not because it is not interesting but because you can't rush through a Sally Clarkson book. She has lots of humorous stories and it is not a difficult read, but if you skim through there is so much depth that can be missed. So I am working my way through it.Clarkson does a great job of being very transparent. She is a woman in ministry. She homeschooled her children and writes books on how to be a great mom. I love how she is truthful about how it doesn't always feel good and sometimes we will feel down. We can struggle and still be a true Christ follower. Yet she also walks through how to make safe passage through those times and seasons. The chapters are set up with questions at the end which are great for journaling but would also work wonderfully for an accountability group or ladies Bible study as well. I highly recommend it and honestly all things Clarkson:)
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Review 7 for Dancing with My Father: How God Leads Us into a Life of Grace and Joy
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Date:March 5, 2010
Jamie
I recently got to read two books on relationships for the purpose of reviewing them. The first one was "Dancing With My Father", by Sally Clarkson. Here's what I honestly think: Best book I've read about finding joy in our lives. EVER.Sally Clarkson does an excellent job encouraging believers to find the joy in everyday life, during good and bad times. You see, joy is not a feeling. In a way, it's a choice. Throughout the book, she points the readers in the direction of finding joy in our Heavenly Father, like a small girl twirling around with her earthly daddy. She consistently backs it up with Scripture, showing us what the Bible has to say about joy. And do you know what? There's alot! She repeatedly tells stories of people who choose joy on a daily basis and makes me want to become more like them (and Jesus)! I was so challenged and encouraged by her words and I would highly recommend it to anyone who is looking for the joy in life. "Restore unto me the joy of Thy salvation..." Psalm 51:11 This book was provided for review by Waterbrook Mulnomah.
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Review 8 for Dancing with My Father: How God Leads Us into a Life of Grace and Joy
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Date:March 5, 2010
Jennifer Sikora
I really liked this book, but it took me a little bit to get into it. After the first chapter, it starts to really get into detail about how God leads us into joy and grace.Something that really spoke to me while reading it was this:How frustrating it must be to God to know that we sometimes picture Him as a grumpy old man interested in our perfect behavior, ready at any moment to spoil our fun and to slap us with harsh discipline the moment we fail, and who wants us to always be quiet and well behaved. I am convinced that God meant for us to regularly experience pleasure and delight, laughter, and pure unadulterated joy. But in order for these to be an integral part of a very real relationship with Him, we need to find Him in beauty and pleasure in the minute detail and places in our lives.Do you view God that way? This book helped me to take a look at how I was seeing Him and realizing He is a God of joy and of grace and not some grumpy old man.
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Review 9 for Dancing with My Father: How God Leads Us into a Life of Grace and Joy
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Date:March 4, 2010
Darcy
I truly enjoyed this book. It spoke directly to my heart and is what I needed to hear at this point in my life. Starting on page 2, I saw myself in this book.I knew from the moment I read that, this was the book for me! I underlined, wrote in the margins and even said "Amen" out loud while continuing to read this book. I longed to sit down and read more and couldn't wait until the kids were in bed so I could continue to read.It was great having questions at the end of every chapter to help "Finding Your Rhythm in God's Joy". It made me truly examine my own life and pour my heart out to God. Before even reading this book, I longed to find my Joy in Him. I like how she includes not only biblical examples of how we should live, but also shares her personal experiences that has brought her to where she is today. She shares her failures as well as her successes. She shares that she is a "real" person just like me and isn't some high and mighty woman of God. If she has learned how to dance with my Lord, so can I!She inspired me to not only change how I viewed life, but to change the lives of those around me by truly showing God's love to others. We are called to "love our neighbors as ourselves". We are called to go BE a neighbor and love everyone. One final thought about this life-changing book is that it is not up to the things of this world to make us happy and bring us joy. We will never find joy if we continue to look to things (or people) of this world to bring it to us. We will only find joy when we seek God--spend time with Him, read His Word, talk with Him. We can find joy where we are right now! It isn't the circumstances that determine our joy, it is how we relate to those circumstances. If you know Christ and spend time with Him, then you will find you can find joy even in the things this world sees as disastrous.
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Review 10 for Dancing with My Father: How God Leads Us into a Life of Grace and Joy
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Date:March 4, 2010
In her new book, Sally Clarkson explores the concept of joy as a fruit of the spirit and what it looks like in everyday life. She explains through real-life examples how joy can be elusive in the "daily drudgery" of to-do lists and stressful events. Sally is real in this book -- unafraid to share her heart and how even she, as a missionary, public speaker, writer, and homeschooling mom, has gotten bogged down and lost that joyful feeling of knowing God personally. She explains that God-given joy is always available to us in any situation if we pray and search our hearts. Each chapter includes thought-provoking questions, scripture, and a prayer for deeper reflection. I really value this chance to delve into the topic at the end of each chapter. I think it would make a great Bible study for women!One of my favorite stories from the book involves the Clarksons' search for an apartment in NYC for their son. I won't give away the details, but it's an amazing example of God's provision and work "behind the scenes" even when we don't see a possible solution.
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Review 11 for Dancing with My Father: How God Leads Us into a Life of Grace and Joy
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Date:March 2, 2010
Bethany LeBedz
Growing up Baptist, dancing never entered my head, let alone dancing with my father, a minister! How the times have changed. Sally Clarkson uses the dancing metaphor to symbolize our relationship with our Heavenly Father. Dancing with My Father leads women in learning how to let our souls dance with delight in God and into a life of grace and joy. Clarkson uses real-life stories, biblical insights, and journaling exercises to invite Christian women to let God fulfill our deepest longings and become our dance partner, even if we cant imagine dancing with our earthly fathers. I appreciated the fact that Sally doesnt ignore lifes issues. She struggled with joy and grace herself, and that makes the book more genuine. The section I most appreciatedand most need to applyis Ill be happy when . . . It can be Ill be happy now. The journal questions encourage us to delve deep into our souls and confront those things that hold us back from dancing through life like an exuberant and unencumbered six-year-old ballerina twirling in her fathers arms. Pick up this book if you want dance, rather than skulk, through life. This book was provided by the WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group.
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Review 12 for Dancing with My Father: How God Leads Us into a Life of Grace and Joy
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Date:March 1, 2010
Dancing with My Father is the story of one woman's search for God's joy in the midst of any and all circumstances of life. As Sally Clarkson shares her story, she encourages her readers to begin their own.In the opening chapter, Clarkson tells of sitting on a park bench, feeling cynical, depressed, and overwhelmed. She remembered happier, more hopeful times, and longed to recapture that. Her reflections led her to begin a quest, the results of which she shares in this book. On p. 13, Clarkson says, I told [God] that I wanted to reflect his character and reality, that I wanted to love him and be filled every day with his joy, so that others who see me would have a glimpse of Godin my words, in my affection, in my writing, in disappointments and trials, and even in everyday tasks. I longed for him to 'restore to me the joy of my salvation' (Psalm 51:12).The following chapters tell how she learned to look for joy in circumstances, in trials, in relationship, in servicetruly, in all of life. Relevant Scripture, quotes from other people, and her stories from Clarkson's life help the reader understand and see how her ideas can work in their lives. Clarkson closes each chapter with more Scripture to consider woven with challenging, life-application discussion questions and a prayer for the reader to use.I found the book to be thought-provoking and encouraging. Clarkson met me right where I am. I may have to read this again!This book was provided for review by the WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group.
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Review 13 for Dancing with My Father: How God Leads Us into a Life of Grace and Joy
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Date:March 1, 2010
When giving examples from her life (which took up about half of the book), the author put in so much detail and her stories lasted so long that I often lost track of what point she was trying to make. These sections often turned into 'sharing her memories' rather than 'giving real life illustrations.'Also, the authors apparently changing view of the Bible baffled me. At the very beginning, she apologized for using the Bible so much. In my opinion, she didn't use the Bible much at all. She mainly made her points based on her personal experiences and the advice of her friends. Ironically, this works since her friends based their advice off of what the Bible teaches.In chapter 5, she focused on finding joy in God's created things. She said that if we want to know what God is like, then one of the best and most complete teachers is nature (p.91). I was left thinking, "Um, what about Jesus? He was God made flesh. And the Bible gives us a much more specific knowledge about God. And don't you think He'd like us to find joy in HIM and not just the things he created?" After a long wait, chapter 10 was a lovely chapter on finding enjoyment in God Himself and on the importance of reading the Bible to get a right idea of God and to guard our hearts. But it also felt inconsistent with her previous statements.By the way, she rarely referred to Jesus or the Holy Spirit. She did say we should study and follow Jesus' example, but not because He's God and therefore knows how to be joyful better than anybody, but because he was 'a man anointed with joy.'The book made a lot of good points, but I'm still feeling baffled by the lack of internal consistency in places. Also, the glances toward God and His direct role in our joy seemed few and brief. So it's not a bad book, but I'm sure there are better-written books out there on this same subject.This book was provided for review by the WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group.
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Review 14 for Dancing with My Father: How God Leads Us into a Life of Grace and Joy
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Date:March 1, 2010
Sally Clarkson is one of my favorite authors, so I was thrilled to review her latest book when Waterbrook offered me the chance. Her books have been important to me as a Christian woman, helping me to have a vision for raising my children and embracing my role as mother.The topic of this latest book also fits in perfectly with where I am in life right now. I have been desiring to have more peace and joy in my life, to display that in my home and to those outside of my family. I've become bogged down with all there is to do, raising a family, taking care of housework, homeschooling, and just getting the next thing done. The repetitiveness of it all and the urgency of each crisis can pull my focus away from God, and bring on the "blahs".Cultivating joy is the topic that Sally tackles in Dancing With My Father. Drawing from her own experiences and her own realization that she needed to consciously cultivate joy in her life, she has written a book that will touch the hearts of busy Christian women everywhere. I know it is just what I need right now!
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Review 15 for Dancing with My Father: How God Leads Us into a Life of Grace and Joy
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Date:March 1, 2010
In a world of sadness, evil and shoulder's full of burdens, how can we live with real joy? When we are encumbered with loss, addiction, anger, and the stressed of each day how can we find peace to live out the lives that God has for us? Sally shows us how to catch a hold of that joyous feeling we once carried as children. She shows us how to face our journey and experience the full joy of living a Spirit filled life. I learned we do not have to be isolated from God in our trials, but we can cling to Him for His strength. Sally uses scripture to lead us to a joy filled life.Through real life stories she shows us how to celebrate life instead of letting it get us down. She shares from her heart and leads us in questions to ponder over in thought. Sally shows us we can find our rhythm in God's joy and each step we take together leads us to a more intimate dance with our Father. This book quickly grabbed my heart as I find myself searching to find a closer relationship with my Father.This book was a gift from Multnomah WaterBrook Press for its review.
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Review 16 for Dancing with My Father: How God Leads Us into a Life of Grace and Joy
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Date:March 1, 2010
Sally Clarkson knows first hand what it feels like to lose her joy. In her journey back to joy, she discovered that the process begins with a single step, one day at a time, closer to Christ. Sally discovered that when she changed the focus of her heart, she began to find answers. This book is written to share the process that the author used in her own life. Each chapter includes a Finding Your Rhythm In Gods Joy section which has a scripture to mediate on and then some questions for self-reflection.
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Review 17 for Dancing with My Father: How God Leads Us into a Life of Grace and Joy
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Date:March 1, 2010
Margaret
Sally Clarkson is a well-known author, speaker, and encourager of mothers. The publisher's description doesn't satisfy me. This is a seriously deep and challenging book. It points towards joy and freedom in Christ, but also addresses serious, joy-squelching tendancies I've noticed in myself and in the expressions of other women. I'll let Sally's own words give you an example:"I often meet with women who are distraught, upset, and feel distant from God. Though usually very sincere of heart and wanting to walk with God, they find great disappointment and disillusionment because they have believed in the religious formulas they've been taught. They don't realize that their prayers and lives have been more about building up...expectations...about what they hoped life would be and then telling God how he should act on their behalf."The whole book is like that. It's not fluff reading, and some of it is like a slap upside the head from a friend who knows you need to hear the truth.The path to joy is not an easy road built on self-satisfaction and getting our own way. It's our human tendancy to think so. It's the first thing we whine about in trials "If God loves me, doesn't he just want me to be happy?" Well, He does, but as Sally Clarkson points out, what we think will make us happy and what God wants us to know about happiness (and joy, and peace, and contenetment) are often radically different.I like a book that makes me say "Oh my!" when I know I should be saying "Amen!" I like a book that lets me know someone else has discovered the same amazing things about God that I have slowly been learning. This is that kind of book.
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Review 18 for Dancing with My Father: How God Leads Us into a Life of Grace and Joy
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Date:February 27, 2010
This book was very interesting in that the Mrs. Clarkson shares her heart for the reader to find how to know God deeply, intimately and personally. How to have a real hunger and thirst for dancing with Him. Joy is a heart issue. We need to seek God's presence in our everyday lives. Each chapter is followed with dig deeper questions along with a prayer. The author makes you think about your relationship with The Father. We need to learn to empty our hands so that we are free to hold His hand-and Dance, let go of our will. We experience the joy of dance when we follow His direction and let Him lead. The author was very easy to understand and conveyed Bible truths in all areas. A copy of this book was provided for review by Waterbrook Publishing.
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Review 19 for Dancing with My Father: How God Leads Us into a Life of Grace and Joy
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Date:February 26, 2010
Dancing With My Father is a refreshing read on how we can experience joy in our lives. Each chapter was encouraging and made me think about where joy is or is not in my life. Clarkson writes about dancing with the Father and how He intends for us to have joy in all aspects of our lives, not just at certain times or places. I especially appreciate this quote from page 55: "Not realizing it, I had built values in my heart and a foundation for a kingdom that was pretty much dependent on this world and on people rather than on God." This book is a wonderful book for anyone woman to read at any stage of life. Sally shares her own expectations and experiences that we can all relate to and ends each chapter with a series of questions that will help you think through the content and apply it to your own life. Dancing With My Father is not about being happy, but rather about finding true joy even in trials, suffering, and in difficult relationships.
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