Captivating

The best selling authors, John and Stasi Eldredge, write of the beautiful masterpiece God created in women with Captivating: Unveiling The Mystery Of A Woman's Soul. I loved the book, but it may be due in part for the same reason I love food cooked with organic and fresh ingredients - the book itself became captivating because of the allure of it's subject. There is a lot of honesty in these pages, and it is presented in a graceful eloquent way but still retains the raw emotion - much like the treasures it is describing.The duo set the scene where the Bible sets it - creation. God creates alongside man an ezer kenegdo, which has been translated from Hebrew to mean a "helper" or "companion". But John and Stasi point out that when ezer is used elsewhere in the Bible, it is in reference to a very necessary lifesaver in desperate times. She is hope for the man. And, as a man reading this book, I was spurred on by the message that I don't need an ezer to be a couch potato living a stagnant life; I need an ezer if I am living out a wild faith which throws me in the midst of adventures. I found this book to be a great insight into the hearts of women whom I admire. There are examples of hurt as well as triumph and I have been able to see some of the women I interact with in those stories. I can see this book being a tremendous tool to help understand the whys and hows of these wonderful creatures.However, I do know that this book, like Wild at Heart, does not apply specifically to every woman. I found when reading that there are some very general statements made which some women I know would not be able to relate with. There is a statement in the introduction which I think is good to keep in mind while reading; "So, is a true woman Cinderella or Joan of Arc? Mary Magdalene or Oprah? How do we discover essential femininity without falling into stereotypes, or worse, ushering in more pressure or shame upon our readers?... And that treasure is your heart, your priceless feminine heart. God has set within you a femininity that is powerful and tender, fierce and alluring. No doubt it has been misunderstood. Surely it has been assaulted. But it is there, your true heart, and it is worth recovering. You are captivating."I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their rad book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review, I honestly like the book. The opinions I have expressed are my own. See this review and more like it at booked and convicted