Exceedingly by Anita Agers-Brooks

Agers-Brooks wants people to live abundantly. It's what we were made for. (Eph. 3:20, John 10:10). That means finding out God's purpose for us and living it with passion.

She tells stories and shares lessons from them. Many of the stories are from her own life and are quite revealing. At one point she says this book is a “pretty intimate look inside my life.” (1152/2837) She's made mistakes and had struggles so her life is a good illustration for the lessons she teaches.

I was glad to see that the latter half of the book contained more teaching than stories. I like how she reminds us that our purpose may be related to something we naturally like to do and are good at. She writes about overcoming fear, finding a support community, and much more.

Much of what Agers-Brooks shares about her life deals with her writing journey so this would be a good book for aspiring writers. Encouraging words, Scripture and discussion prompts are included at the end of each chapter. This would be a good book to be used with trusted friends.

Here are a couple of my favorite quotes from the book:

“When you submit to God's plan, everything you experience will be used to fulfill his purpose for you.” (936/2837)

"Remember, the worst that can happen is not failure; it is not attempting at all.” (1102/2837)

This is a good book for readers who like spiritual lessons wrapped up in stories. It would best be used with a journal in hand or in a group of friends.

You can read an excerpt here.

My rating: 4/5 stars.

Anita Agers-Brooks is a writer, speaker, and certified life coach with a passion for encouraging people to seek biblical guidance for emotional issues. She is also a multi-published, award-winning author and host of Tending Your Dreams podcast. She lives in Cuba, Missouri.

Kregel, 192 pages.

I received a complimentary egalley of this book from the publisher. My comments are an independent and honest review. I read an ARC and the quotes may have been changed in the final product.