Undaunted, Outrageous Courage: Two Book Reviews

So tonight, I decided to do two book reviews together, since I read them back to back and they have similar themes, though different storylines.

Undaunted, by Christine Caine, I read first. And how amazing it is to read her testimony and how she used the struggles and surprises in her life to not only overcome, but to forward her faith in a way that undauntedly reveals God's fingerprints across her life.

I'd love to interview and get to know both she AND the lady who is the story teller in Kris and Jason Vallotton's book, Outrageous Courage. Her name is Tracy Evans, and she is currently part of iReachAfrica.

While Christine's heart is for teenagers and those who have become victim to human trafficking, Tracy has a medical background and now works with babies whose families have all but passed away. Both have watched miracles come with their undaunted, outrageous courage in a BIG God Who knows just what to do, even when we are not at our most perfect.

Some of the quotes that stuck out to me are as follows:

From Undaunted--

Difficulty is the bully that steps into your path and tries to arm-wrestle you to the ground until you cry uncle. No matter what you're trying to do, if it's worthwhile, he will try to outshout both God and your own thoughts, confusing you. He tries to loom so large that you can only see what's right in front of you - the problems, the obstacles, and the walls....Don't let Difficulty keep you from daring to go where god wants you to go. God will make a way.   -(182, 183)

Difficulty is part of this world. But God is bigger than any difficulty. He sees above and beyond any obstacle. He leads us a step at a time over the mountains into the valleys he wants us to possess because no prayer is too big for him to answer, no problem too big for him to solve. There is no disease he cannot heal or heart he cannot mend. There is no bondage God cannot break, need he cannot meet, enemy he cannot defeat, or mountain he cannot move.
There is nothing my God cannot do.   -(191)

You can't touch faith, but it can move mountains. The Bible puts it this way: You may not be able to hold faith or wrap it up in a box, but it is real and powerful and can conquer kingdoms, administer justice, gain what was promised. It can shut the mouths of lions, quench the fury of flames, escape the ede of the sword, raise the long dead, end torture, and release the imprisoned (Hebrews 11:33-38). Faith can take you right where God wants you.   - (190)

What's the Mission: Impossible you've been declining because you claim you're not up to it?
And when will you finally accept that appointment with destiny?   -(61)

From Outrageous Courage--

The cross forever removed the issue of punishment from the Christian life. The real issue is trust and obedience.   -(58)

It is important for us to remember that God does not live in the Bible, and that obeying Him does not simply mean following the Ten Commandments. It means walking in unbroken loyalty to His voice. Jesus modeled this... for us.   -(62)

God never has to "tolerate" us in our immaturity, because He sees the end from the beginning, and our end is glorious!   (64)

Everything about God is supernatural, so walking with Him inevitably launches us into a supernatural lifestyle. and I know that if I go where He sends me, it is always going to be okay, whether I live or whether I die. For to live is Christ and to die is gain!   (102)

I would rather die boldly than live as a coward. I would rather take a step, even in presumption, than stay frozen in uncertainty and insecurity. Too many times I have stalled out in mediocrity, thinking I was waiting on God, when actually I was just hiding in fear. As someone once said, you cannot steer a car unless it is moving. I have come to trust that God will guide me, but unless I am in motion, He will not do what he does best!   -(145)

It is so easy to refuse to "come to the edge" because of fear - fear of death, dear of pain, fear of loss. these fears are all too natural. But we must realize that fear will always betray and sabotage our ultimate purpose. It is in these dark times that we have to remind ourselves that our Father has taken hold of us and will not let go. Although your end may not look like mine, God's promise to save us is the same. Maybe it is time to step out and learn to soar!   -(86)

[[After discussing the story in 1 Samuel 14 bout how Jonathan took his armor bearer and went after the Philistines, Tracy says:]]
We were created to be like Jonathan - to live from our hearts, free from fear. When our passion for the Lord is or guide, we step into the superior reality of life with God. We were not called just to be survivors. We were divinely designed to do exploits.   -(147)


Christine and Tracy's stories were divine appointments in my life, in a long line of them. In the past few weeks, God has been talking to me about the idea of living life undaunted, with outrageous courage. With radical risk-taking faith. How appropriate that He would lead me to two books on the same weekend that together had titles with His exact wording to me... I am in awe of how faithful God is, and of what I see and hear of Him doing in the lives of others, and I look forward to the rest of my own journey with Him... a journey heightened to awareness more and more with the love and care of authors of books just like these two. Both are awesome, very much recommended, and life-altering.

If you're ready for a radical shift in your life... if you're ready to learn more about how God can use you and why He wants to, then I highly recommend you go out and find these books TODAY!


UPDATE 7/16/13-- Want to read more stories? Once funded, that's just what this fundraiser is for!!
COME OVER and check out my FUNDRAISER! Journey to a Thousand Voices...