Beautiful Women (Ruth) and other Jesus Stuff that Rocks My Socks off!

This book (especially these chapters) rocks my socks off!

“Let’s attempt to get on Jesus’ side rather than making Him choose ours” (Hatmaker pg. 102)”
I love this! Why do we finite human beings think we know it all and have it all together? Why do we put God in a box and make up our own rules? God/Jesus Christ is way above us and so much more powerful than us. He does not need us; we need Him; not once a week only on Sundays or only once things go wrong/bad, but every single day.

“Friend, you are loved by a God who attends to brokenness.” and “But no loss, no sin, no heartache removes your title as daughter of the Almighty.” (Hatmaker pg. 108)
I think too many women today get caught up/lost/stuck in past sins (even current ones) and think that they are not worthy, good enough, or deserving of Christ’s love, acceptance, and free gift of salvation. I don’t know about you, but I know what brokenness and heartache are all about because we live in a fallen and evil/sin-ridden world. People will let you down/disappoint you/walk out on you, but the most important thing to remember, believe, and have faith/trust in is that God will never leave your nor forsake you. He will always keep to/stay/fulfill His promises. He loves us no matter what.


“I refuse to quantify God’s methods or scope. Jesus is the way, but we can’t determine who has genuinely encouraged that resurrected Jesus and who hasn’t. Jesus said that two groups will be surprised when this life is over: those who flaunt their self-righteous merits only to hear, ‘I never really knew you,’ and those who will be welcomed into heaven asking, ‘Lord, when did we ever love You?’ and He’ll reply, ‘Whatever you did for the least and lost people, you did for Me’ (see Mathew 25:31-41). The incarnation of Christ is divinely activated and divinely discerned. Paul reminded us, ‘Who are you to judge someone else’s servant? To his own master he stands or falls. And he will stand, for the Lord is able to make him stand’ (Romans 14:4). Believer’s, may we never show contempt for God’s mercy by restricting it to a Western experience.” (Hatmaker pg. 110)
I love this! There are people I know in this life/world that seriously think it is our God-given right and job/will in life to judge and point out people’s sins/faults and point out fruit in people’s lives and lack there of. I am totally against this (unless your brother or sister is living in sin and is hurting themselves or others it’s very acceptable and encouraged to follow Matthew 18). I think that too many Christians are quick to assume, judge, point out, and say who is going to heaven with Jesus and who is not strictly based on works, opinions, and theologies - not faith or service/love for people and God.



MY FAVORITE! “Jesus’ church members have always preferred exclusivity. Then: Keep out the Gentiles, keep out the uncircumcised, keep out the skeptics. Now: Keep out the homosexuals, keep out the prostitutes, keep out the sinners. I can’t square this with Jesus’ ideas, like how His church is a hospital for the sick and a sanctuary for offenders. Or when He said that the greatest display of our faith is how we love people. Loving people isn’t the same as condoning sin. Welcoming into your church a stripper who hasn’t yet quit her job isn’t endorsing her career choice. (Ditto homose xuals.) It’s saying, “Look, this church is full of people with sin habits, some of which we know about and others successfully kept secret from everyone else. If there are two hundred of us in this room, someone here is hooked on porn, a few are poisonous gossips, somebody is being eaten alive by hatred toward whomever, somebody’s having sex outside marriage, quite a few wish they could, several of us are in the grip of envy, and so on. The church is packed with sinners, and the stripper isn’t worse. What we care about is that the sinners here are in the process of letting Jesus forgive them and clean up their lives.” (Hatmaker pg. 111)
Wow! If all churches/church members/church employees/Christians/followers and servants of Christ thought/acted/spoke/lived like this then what a ministry/impact/stand/difference we would have on the world/people around us. If our true mindset was like this then maybe outsiders/people who feel like they don’t belong in a church pew will actually come to church and find Jesus through the people there because they are loved and accepted despite their looks, sins, and lifestyle.








“Do you see the power of beauty? It invites, it inspires, it makes a man crazy. There is nothing a man won’t do for a beautiful woman, one of integrity and kindness. Boaz’s heart nearly leapt out of his chest. Gorgeous, compassionate, strong work ethic, humble, loyal Ruth—he fell all over himself to protect her. This is what beauty does to the heart of a man.” (Hatmaker Pg. 121) and “Nothing evokes tenderness in a man like a beautiful woman.” and “It was the beauty of Ruth’s feminine heart—vulnerable, humble, but still courageous and faithful. Her tenderness was untainted by her circumstances.” (122).
I have seen this in many couples/men/women/marriages/relationships; especially with my cousins and a few of my friends who have already gotten married. A woman and her inner and outer beauty really does change a man; he becomes more endearing, loving, sweet, humble, goal-oriented, determined, a leader, and a lover. I pray that some day in God’s timing, in His way, and with His best for me that I will make a man crazy with my integrity, kindness, passion for God and for people, compassion, work ethic, humbleness, loyalty, honesty, tenderness, beauty inside and out, vulnerability, courage, faithfulness, and even my faults/flaws/silliness.

-Sarah Maurer