So Long, Normal: Living and Loving the Freefall of Faith
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- Type：Epub+TxT+PDF+Mobi
- Create Date：2021-08-13 11:21:12
- Update Date：2025-09-06
- Status：finish
- Author：Laura Story
- ISBN：1713616831
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Summary
Push past the loss of your "normal" with bestselling author Laura Story and embrace the soaring freedom found in living secure in God's love。
Bible teacher Laura Story gets what it's like to have plans altered and to surrender perceived security when faced with circumstances beyond our control。 But she also understands the blessing of having a Father who loves you enough to take off the training wheels and place his beloved children in the best possible scenario for good and growth。
Building on Laura's previous two titles， When God Doesn't Fix It and I Give Up， So Long， Normal guides us to leave behind the idols of comfort， caution， and routine so we can live strong and well， even when life takes an unwelcome turn。
She says， "Jesus doesn't just save us from hell in the next life; He saves us from our addiction to 'normal' lives this side of eternity。 Our preference for cautious， ordinary lives is really rooted in a lack of faith and a failure to understand how much better His plan is than ours。"
In her confessional， conversational style， Laura weaves her own personal stories with examples from Scripture of characters whose lives were upended by unexpected （and undesired） change。 Leaving， loving， or losing our "normal" is not the end of the world but the beginning of a new adventure with God who will change us forever。
Bible teacher Laura Story gets what it's like to have plans altered and to surrender perceived security when faced with circumstances beyond our control。 But she also understands the blessing of having a Father who loves you enough to take off the training wheels and place his beloved children in the best possible scenario for good and growth。
Building on Laura's previous two titles， When God Doesn't Fix It and I Give Up， So Long， Normal guides us to leave behind the idols of comfort， caution， and routine so we can live strong and well， even when life takes an unwelcome turn。
She says， "Jesus doesn't just save us from hell in the next life; He saves us from our addiction to 'normal' lives this side of eternity。 Our preference for cautious， ordinary lives is really rooted in a lack of faith and a failure to understand how much better His plan is than ours。"
In her confessional， conversational style， Laura weaves her own personal stories with examples from Scripture of characters whose lives were upended by unexpected （and undesired） change。 Leaving， loving， or losing our "normal" is not the end of the world but the beginning of a new adventure with God who will change us forever。
Reviews
Carrie
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“Our greatest surprise has been in seeing how God chooses to bring himself immeasurable glory through what he has not healed and what he has not fixed。”“Every one of us has endured uninvited change。”This is the first book I have read by Laura Story and I definitely appreciated certain aspects of this book。 She weaves together her own life experiences， as well as some interviews with others， along with Biblical truth and teaching。 She seeks for the reader to be fully present in life and encourage “Our greatest surprise has been in seeing how God chooses to bring himself immeasurable glory through what he has not healed and what he has not fixed。”“Every one of us has endured uninvited change。”This is the first book I have read by Laura Story and I definitely appreciated certain aspects of this book。 She weaves together her own life experiences， as well as some interviews with others， along with Biblical truth and teaching。 She seeks for the reader to be fully present in life and encourages engagement in the different seasons we may find ourselves in that defy the “normal” we were expecting。 I am in a personal season of change in my life， of “saying goodbye to my own normal”， as it would be described in this book。 I should have been a key demographic for this book and yet， while this was an encouraging read and presents the reader with timeless truth， I struggled to connect with her writing style a bit。 I’m not sure if this is because I am a bit older than her and am at a different place in my family and professional life， as I am sure others will really resonate with the messages within。 I received a copy of this book through NetGalley on exchange for my honest review。 。。。more
Jill
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4 starsSo Long， NormalLiving and Loving the Free Fall of Faithby Laura StoryI have long been a fan of Laura Story's music。 So Long， Normal is a wonderful book。 Story leads readers on a journey through the difficult times in her life and others， while pointing readers to the beauty of the Gospel and the marvelous benefits of releasing our hold on “normal” and grasping on to full faith in Jesus， Story is as talented a writer as she is a singer。 She has a deep solid theology and I understood a few 4 starsSo Long， NormalLiving and Loving the Free Fall of Faithby Laura StoryI have long been a fan of Laura Story's music。 So Long， Normal is a wonderful book。 Story leads readers on a journey through the difficult times in her life and others， while pointing readers to the beauty of the Gospel and the marvelous benefits of releasing our hold on “normal” and grasping on to full faith in Jesus， Story is as talented a writer as she is a singer。 She has a deep solid theology and I understood a few Biblical promises in a new way after reading this book。I highly recommend this book。 It would be perfect for a small group！I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher and Netgalley。 。。。more
Ivy
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Laura Story takes you through her own story as well as others' stories and stories from Scripture of saying goodbye to "normal"。 "Normal" is something we so often strive for instead of stepping out in faith or trusting God。 The book is easy to read and makes you think about ways that we so often strive for "normal"。"I pray I've encouraged you to step out in boldness， step away from unhealthy or overly cautious patterns of life， and truly say goodbye to anything you lean on a substitute for true Laura Story takes you through her own story as well as others' stories and stories from Scripture of saying goodbye to "normal"。 "Normal" is something we so often strive for instead of stepping out in faith or trusting God。 The book is easy to read and makes you think about ways that we so often strive for "normal"。"I pray I've encouraged you to step out in boldness， step away from unhealthy or overly cautious patterns of life， and truly say goodbye to anything you lean on a substitute for true faith。"I received a complimentary advanced reader copy from the publisher via NetGalley。 All opinions in this review are my own。 。。。more
Kate Heinz
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I received an ARC copy of So Long， Normal in exchange for my honest review。 Thank you NetGalley and W Publishing Group for making this book available to me。 My thoughts are my own。2020 changed life for all of us。 No doubt about it。 Life came to a complete halt between January and May as we tried to understand what was taking place。Books written in the middle of this crisis will forever memorialize this life-changing year。 Unfortunately， some books will remain stuck in time， unable to become time I received an ARC copy of So Long， Normal in exchange for my honest review。 Thank you NetGalley and W Publishing Group for making this book available to me。 My thoughts are my own。2020 changed life for all of us。 No doubt about it。 Life came to a complete halt between January and May as we tried to understand what was taking place。Books written in the middle of this crisis will forever memorialize this life-changing year。 Unfortunately， some books will remain stuck in time， unable to become timeless odes。I have a "love， hate" relationship with So， Long Normal， Laura Story's newest book out July 20， 2021。The LoveI appreciate Story's mature writing in So Long， Normal。 Wanting to learn about her， I checked out her bio。 With a Master's in Theological Studies， Stories speaks from a place of authority。 Her love for God's word comes out time and again as she quotes from the Scripture and provides analysis。 She incorporates the words of several theologians， which tells me she is well-read。 I just passed the "40" milestone in June， and I feel like I'm reading the wise reflections of a best friend or older sister。 It's as if I'm sitting down over a fresh pot of coffee with Story and listening to her speak。 I love how she adds parts of her story into her writing。 I love how she's broadened her reach by adding the testimonies of fellow Christians。 I love how the book is laid out， broken into three sections: first establishing what normal is， then saying farewell to normal and finally， hello to the "new" that God has in store。 I think this is brilliant！ It's a step-by-step guide to becoming more open to God's leading and less stuck in our everyday boxes。I especially appreciate what Story offers at the end。 She asks us questions， questions about trauma， what might be holding us back and how to move into an extraordinary life。The Hate2020 triggers me。 I agree with Story that we all face post-traumatic stress from what we endured last year。 However， it's almost impossible not to politicize the pandemic or even subtly virtue signal our position。 While Story's position is subtle， I still detect a leaning in one direction。 I fear this is a turn off to some readers， as it was for me。 I wish I could look past it， but it's woven throughout the book。 I fear it will become lost as a tome of 2020。What would I have done differently？ I don't know that much could have been done to change this。 We've all drawn our lines in the sand， so to speak， regarding 2020 and COVID。 Like I said， this triggers me。 I'm one person。 I've seen reviews for So Long， Normal that praise it in its entirety。 Bottom Line2020 changed a lot for me， and I'm sure it changed a lot for you as well。 Like Story writes， I was refined in 2020。 I had to take risks in 2020。 I had to let go of plans and expectations。 There were moments of fear， but moments of great faith as well。 Have I gained wisdom from reading So Long， Normal？ Yes。Can I give So Long， Normal five stars？ No。 I can give it four stars。 Solid writing and [mostly] wise encouragement create a great resource for Christian women。 It's like the adage， "take what you like and leave the rest。"While I say this， I can imagine some of my friends asking how I can promote someone who I disagree with， how her position on certain things doesn't run through her theological position。 I don't find her positions on 2020 to run throughout her theological positions。 And that's what is frustrating to me。 She offers wise words on how we can shift our positions to what God has in store for us。However， I still think fair warning is required before jumping into this book。Triggers: 2020， COVID4-Stars 。。。more
Ginger Hudock
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I have long admired Laura Story as a musician， writer and a person。 This is at least the third book of her's that I have read and it is， again excellent。 Each chapter includes some stories of Laura's life， a discussion of a Biblical passage as well as a story about another person who has had their "normal" interrupted。 This book is perfect for the time we are in as Christians and Americans。 "Normal" has been interrupted for everyone during this past year of shutdowns due to Covid。 But， as Laura I have long admired Laura Story as a musician， writer and a person。 This is at least the third book of her's that I have read and it is， again excellent。 Each chapter includes some stories of Laura's life， a discussion of a Biblical passage as well as a story about another person who has had their "normal" interrupted。 This book is perfect for the time we are in as Christians and Americans。 "Normal" has been interrupted for everyone during this past year of shutdowns due to Covid。 But， as Laura states in the book " is it possible that God in his mercy might allow our lives to be shaken for the sole purpose of exposing a faulty foundation？" This book looks at this and also whether our changing circumstances are being used by God to bring us closer to him。 If you have had some sort of upset to your normal conditions that are causing you to question God， I highly encourage you to read this book。 I received a complementary copy from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Christine
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