I Give Up: The Secret Joy of a Surrendered Life Paperback – July 30, 2019

Combining stories from her life and God’s Word with thoughtful, wise reflections, Laura Story leads a charge to surrender that readers can get behind.The titles of several chapters demonstrate some of what she explains about Godly giving up:• Surrender by Choosing to Believe• A Great, Good, Trustworthy God• When I Surrender, I WorshipBetween humorous quips, stories, and Biblical insight, Laura Story also makes some memorable, straightforward points:-If my God is worthy, then he is trustworthy too.-Surrendering our lives to him makes sense when we see him for who he is.-It’s in that space between “I will” and “I have” that relationships are tested and faith is strengthened.-In between is both a hard space to live and a necessary part of letting go.-Every surrender to God involves choosing to believe him.-Not only does God prize my surrender- Jesus models it.-You can’t grow beyond what you haven’t grieved.-Surrendering doesn’t lead us into worship; our surrender is our worship.One of the most helpful points Laura makes (and proves throughout the book) is how much surrender is a constant choice. She highlights the number of times “surrender” is sung in the beautiful hymn “I surrender all.” She shares story after story of Biblical surrender. She exemplifies her own need for surrendering to Christ- in theology, parenting, friendship, big decisions, and daily gaffes.What I read in I Give Up is helping me quit- in the best way! I would recommend this book to anyone who isn’t dead yet- but especially to living, breathing women.

Highly recommend

I wasn’t really sure how much I would like a book about surrender at first. It’s never really a comfortable topic, but one that challenges you and insists upon change. I was pleasantly surprised with “I Give Up”! Laura gently walks you through different aspects of surrender with gut level honesty that feels more like a conversation with a good friend. She takes you through what surrender really is and how to get there. I left this book inspired to make changes in my own life without ever feeling condemned in the process. If you’re looking for guidance or a gentle hand to walk you through surrender to the Lord in a real, unashamed way I definitely recommend this book.

You know those books that God seems to deliver to you at just the right time in your life? Well this was it for me.I Give Up has been in my library for quite some time, and though I’ve always been thrilled to read it, I just never seemed to pick it up.Backstory: We can all probably attest to the fact that in some form or fashion, 2020 has been a doozy... from covid, quarantine, and all the struggles that stem from the combination of the two, I needed God to pour some love and healing into my heart.We have moved 3 times in the past 3 years. I don’t know about your experience with moving, but for me, it is stressful. Each time we have to move, I can honestly feel and see the most where God has worked in our lives, but also each time I struggle with trying to figure every minute detail out myself.As we embark upon yet another move in just a few months, I could feel my heart becoming filled with anxiety and unease. As soon as I opened this book, I was reminded that all God needs me to do is surrender. His plan is infinitely better than my own and his plans for our life are good.It’s so easy to try to plan out every little detail of life to a degree that will drive you mad when life throws a curveball, but if we just trust in his plan and pray for him to make it known, our hearts will rest and enjoy the fleeting moments we have instead of worrying over things we can’t control.If you are struggling, please read this book. Even if you aren’t struggling, this book is a lighthouse in a dark sea.

I read When God Doesn’t Fix It by Laura Story and absolutely loved it so when I found out she was publishing another book I couldn’t wait to read it.I will admit it took me a while to read this book despite my excitement, because I felt like I wasn’t in the right place to fully grasp the meaning behind it.In I Give Up: The Secret Joy of a Surrendered Life, Laura takes us through valuable life lessons that helps us learn how to live a surrendered life despite our circumstances.My favorite part of the book was how Laura pulled key stories from the Bible to further explain the joys that come with living a surrendered life. By pulling from the Bible she was also able to explain and reference that everyone’s walk with Jesus Christ is different. That some people may be called to walk harder lives than others and it’s not because you or I have done something to deserve it.It simply means, God has a unique plan for each one of us and it has nothing to do with what you or I have done. God loves us equally and without measure so if I’m called to walk a rockier path than someone else that’s okay, because God loves me.This book greatly puts into perspective my own life and what living a surrendered life to God will do for me.*I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley, these opinions are my own.*

This is the first I heard of Laura Story. I got this book to take a 4 week Bible study and her book is helping me to understand what it means to surrender all to God. It helps a lot to hear her life story and what she's learned, and her songs were a bonus. I highly recommend this book to anyone wanting to know more about how much God love us and how we can trust him fully with our lives. It's a process, but thankfully will serve a patient, loving God. I would also recommend it to anyone for a Bible study group or a book reading group.

Die Autorin und Musikerin Laura Story ist für mich ein Beispiel eines Menschen, der mit Gottes Hilfe nicht aufgibt und weitergeht, auch wenn vieles nicht von einem Moment auf den anderen einfacher wird. Ich habe dieses Buch in einer persönlichen Krise gelesen und mir wurde schlagartig bewusst, dass meine Krise kein Vergleich ist zu dem, was sie schon alles erlebt hat. Aber ihr Urvertrauen in einen guten Gott, der alles in seiner Hand hält, zieht sich durch das ganze Buch und tut einfach gut. Durch die Musik, ihr Leben als Mutter und Freundin und Ehefrau möchte sie diesen Glauben vorleben an einen Gott, der unser Lob verdient hat. Als Lobpreisleiterin habe ich auch in diesem Buch sehr viel dazugelernt. Schade, dass es nur auf Englisch erhältlich ist, aber es lässt sich wirklich einfach lesen.

Laura Story is one of my favorite worship leaders and author and I love the way she presents her story through faith. Love her point of view. Thought provoking and faith strengthening. Must read.