Today we are going to take a brief break from our
ongoing series, “10 Tips for Beating a Crush,” for our September Resource for
Girls!
From the back of the book:
Kyle and
Kelsey Kupecky couldn't have dreamed a better love story for themselves had it
been scripted by a bestselling novelist like Kelsey's mom, Karen Kingsbury. In
fact, if you asked them, Kyle and Kelsey would name God as the author of their
story. And they're glad they trusted him to write it for them.
Unfortunately,
too many girls hoping for their own happily-ever-after have taken matters into
their own hands, chasing after boys when they should be chasing after God. And
that inevitably leads to heartache, low self-esteem, and poor choices as girls
give in to pressure from media and peers to look and act a certain way to
attract guys.
Kyle and
Kelsey want girls to know that it's never too late to trust God with their love
lives, that wherever they are, there's always hope for the future. Through
their own story and the stories of others who long for love, they show girls how
to put God first, how to value and protect their purity, how to deal with
loneliness and bullying, and how to see themselves as God does--a
one-in-a-million girl who deserves no less than God's best.
My
thoughts:
I enjoyed reading The Chase a lot. It is a small,
quick read but it’s completely packed with potent stories, great advice, and
very insightful information about guys!
Though I’m not one to cry in books/movies, one of
the stories did move me to tears about how a girl responded with incredible
faith and trust to the death of her father.
I love how The Chase emphasized waiting for the
right one and not settling for anything less than the best.
I am very appreciative of the honesty and bluntness
that characterizes both Kyle and Kelsey’s writing. There isn’t any beating
around the bush. They are both to the point and don’t waste time or words.
Especially since I do not have time during the semester to devote to tons of
reading, I loved how they say what they needed to say and then end the book.
The things I learned about Christian guys were very
encouraging. I love hearing about how Christian guys both appreciate and admire
modesty. It gives me more resolve in my commitment to both dressing and acting
modestly and above reproach.
I also love the chapter on letting the guy lead the
relationship. A lot of times, we ladies like to grab the steering wheel and
lead the relationship. However, Kyle talks about how much he loved being able
to do the pursuing. He loved how Kelsey let him lead and he says that leading
their relationship was what changed him from a boy into a man.
Finally, another chapter I loved was
“R-E-S-P-E-C-T.” I already knew that guys needed respect, but it definitely
made me wonder how much I built up the guys around me. Do I tear them down or
do I make them feel important? This especially applies to my brothers and dad.
It made me ask myself if I belittled them or encouraged them. Loving the guys
around me as brothers means building them up and respecting them.
Sexual
content:
There is a chapter about staying pure until
marriage. However, everything is discreet and there is no defiling content.
What I
didn’t like:
My biggest problem was the translations/paraphrases
of the Bible that are used. The translations I use are the ones that stick
closest to the actual Greek and Hebrew text. The translations/paraphrases they
use were the New Living Translation, The Message, and The Voice—none of which I
rely on as good translations.
While I agree whole-heartedly that we should wait
for the guy God has for us and not settle for anything less, I did not fully agree
with their reason. They keep saying that we deserve
better. As a pastor’s daughter, I’m a bit of a stickler about theology.
Technically speaking, we don’t deserve anything but death. I believe we should
wait for the right one and not settle for less because God wants to give us more than mediocrity. He has molded each of us
for a certain young man because He loves to shower us with blessings. God is willing and He desires to give us more, so why should we settle for less?
The last thing is not very big. I had the
impression the book was going to be more about chasing God. However, I felt
like it was more about not chasing guys. I came away with the question, “So
what do I do now?” when I finished The Chase.
Final
thoughts:
If you think that you’re chasing guys, then The Chase is for you. The Kupeckys’ love story is inspiring. They contrast each of
their past mistakes in relationships with the perfect romance God had written
for them.
I do want to let you know that The Chase does not
talk much about how to use your single years to your best advantage. It talks
about not chasing guys and trusting God to bring the right guy into your life
at the right time. For books about not wasting your single years, I would
encourage you to check out the posts, July
Resources for Young Ladies and August
Resources for Young Ladies.
I highly encourage you to read this book and then
share in the comments what you learned!
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