Girl Meets Change: A Book Review

Let's talk change.

I'm going to be honest, I'm not a fan. If I could have things my way, life would be consistent, always. All the time. Life would stay the same. I like comfort, I like knowing what's going to happen, I like predictability.

Unfortunately, God had other plans for my life, starting with sending a United States Marine into my life and changing my world forever. The military life is not one known for it's consistency. Just the opposite. In fact, I remember being told early on that the Marine Corps family motto was 'Semper Gumby- Always Flexible'. This was just the first of many changes throughout the years...

• After marrying my husband, I moved across the country to California- away from my friends, my family, and the only life I'd known.
• Shortly after we welcomed our son. A welcome change, of course, but a drastic one at that.
• When my son was just 9 months old, my husband left on his 3rd deployment- our first as a married couple. This brought another big change, moving back to Indiana to be with family.
• Then came the return and another cross country move, back to California.
• Next up, an autism diagnosis- the start of a journey that would change our lives forever.
• Another deployment? Why not! This one was a year long and with a kid in need of consistency, great resources and about to start school, this one kept us in California.
• Not long after his return, our life changed again when my husband received orders for recruiting duty- another cross country move back to Indiana.
• After 2 years in Indiana came perhaps one of the biggest changes- an unexpected exit from the military life and the difficult transition into life as a civilian family.
• And most recently, rejoining the world of military families with an enlistment into the Indiana National Guard.

Like I said, since meeting my husband, life has been full of changes... deployments, moves, diagnoses... the only thing that has remained consistent is the inconsistency.

I wish I could say that after all these changes I have come to enjoy changes...but if I said that I'd be lying. I have gotten better at dealing with them of course, but I still struggle. Don't we all? 

If you struggle with dealing with the changes life throws your way, Girl Meets Change is an ideal read for you:

Whether chosen or unexpected, all change brings stress. Kristen Strong knows about change--especially the kind you didn't choose. Over the years, she's fought hard to learn an important truth: change is not something to be feared but something to be received as a blessing from a God who works through it, not in spite of it. 

In this hope-filled book, Kristen invites you to see all the ways you are loved and cared for in the midst of change. She walks alongside you as a friend, gently ushering you toward a new view of change, one that meets you at the crossroads of your own sense of anxiety and God's sense of purpose. With practical advice for coping in every part of life, she draws from her own experiences, the stories of others, and stories from Scripture to help you find contentment, purpose, and renewed strength.

Kristen Strong is a popular blogger at Chasing Blue Skies (chasingblueskies.net) and DaySpring's (in)courage, as well as a writer whose work has appeared in MOMSense and Family Fun magazines. She and her husband, David, have three children. Together this military family has zig-zagged across the country (and one ocean!) several times, and they currently live in Colorado Springs, Colorado.

I've been a fan of Kristen's blog- and (in)courage for years now, so I was excited to read this, and it did not disappoint. Change is never easy, but there is always good to be found in it. For those struggling with recent or upcoming changes, Girl Meets Change is fantastic.  It is beautifully written and helps to remind us all that change is not always easy, but that doesn't mean its bad- giving us practical wisdom to help us adjust to the inevitable transitions that will come our way.

You can purchase it now at your favorite book retailers.