Crash the Chatterbox

Took this book with me to read on my Caribbean Cruise and it was fantastic. Pastor Steven Furtick from Elevation Church in Charlotte, NC is one of my favorite pastors who has been teaching me through his sermons, blogs, and books. I recently went to Charlotte last month for their band's live album recording which was PHENOMENAL! Pastor Steven's first two books are called Sun Stand Still and Greater. I read Greater and really gained a lot from it, so when his third book was released, I made sure to purchase it. It is called Crash the Chatterbox. For someone who struggles greatly with depressive and persistent negative thoughts, this subject matter was perfect for an area of my life that I am constantly trying to improve on and where I know God wishes for me to have life and joy. Here are some quotes that stood out to me from the book:

• "He has not chosen you blindly but intentionally, even while knowing you inwardly and intimately. And let me tell you why this is some of the best news in the history of the universe: If this God has chosen you while totally knowing even the worst parts of you, then you no longer have to live up to anything. Instead, you are now empowered to live out of an awareness of divine acceptance."
• "This is one of the main reasons we struggle with insecurity: we're comparing our behind-the-scenes with everybody else's highlight reel."
• "Because fear often finds its power, not in our actual situation but in what we tell ourselves about our situation."
• "It's also true that God's Word cannot adequately sustain you--no matter how prevalent it is around you--until you receive it within you."
• "Flip the script on what the Enemy meant for evil--let Me use it for something good. Take the first half of the equation the Enemy is presenting to you, insert grace and truth in the middle of it, and you'll discover a much different outcome."
• "We cannot change anything until we accept it. Condemnation does not liberate, it oppresses."
• "The more you grow in Christ and the closer you get to fulfilling the things He put you on the earth to do, the more intense the battle with your chatter becomes."
• "Going to the next level isn't about graduating from difficult circumstances and dark emotions. It's resolving to live with the mindset that declares, My joy is not determined by what happens to me but by what Christ is doing in me and through me."
• "Inner conflict is often a confirmation of your calling. The Enemy only fights those who pose a threat."
• "Don't let what you expected keep you from what God wants you to experience."
• "But gratitude allows us to disconnect discouragement at the power source by choosing to call God good in spite of our situation."
• "Gratitude begins where our sense of entitlement ends."
• "Believe what God has already declared to be true about you. Resist the lies. Enjoy the brief reprieve with every victory God grants you, but keep the gloves close by, knowing that if you will simply keep making contact, ultimate victory is yours."