I received a review copy of this book; all opinions expressed are mine.

We were made to thrive, not just survive, says Nicole Crank in her new book I Will Thrive: Find Your Fight to Claim True Freedom (Hardcover, FaithWords). Crank, a pastor and international conference speaker, shares painful experiences from her past and how God restored her life to encourage others. “It’s time to…live the incredible life that God planned for you since the beginning of time,” she writes. Past struggles shouldn’t determine your future—instead, she shares how to find freedom from the past and move forward into the abundant, purposeful, thriving future God has for you.

If you are trying to break free from experiences in your past that have left you feeling hurt, scared, or defeated, you’ll be able to relate to the heartache Crank went through as a child, teen, and young adult. She writes very honestly and transparently about being bullied in school, abuse in her first marriage, and other painful things that left her feeling wounded and hopeless. But through it all, God transformed her life. “Your past does not equal your future. And…there is no limit to what God can do with you! (p. 123)”

This book is full of hope and encouragement and here are some helpful insights that Crank shares in her book:

• The depths of your wounds do not determine the height of your future…. We can’t deny the past, but we must not allow it to determine what lies ahead. Because what your future holds for you is a full, beautiful, abundant, loving, purposeful, blissful, thriving life. How do I know? The Bible told me so! John 10:10 AMP says, “…I cam that they may have and enjoy life, and have it in abundance (to the full, till it overflows).” —from the Introduction
• God is intentional and created you for this exact time and place on the earth. You are right where you’re meant to be and have endured exactly what you needed to. Your past—with all its unchangeable circumstances—does not define you, it prepares you. For today. (p 26)
• No matter what the problem is, God is strong in our weakness, and it’s in those very points of weakness that He moves. (p. 39)
• On making mistakes: [God] knew what you were going to do and He knew He could redeem it and turn that epic misstep into something amazing for His kingdom. (p. 67)
• Fear is the opposite of faith. You can’t fear the future and have faith that everything will be okay…. We need to have the strength in our faith to know that we can and should trust that still, small voice whispering, “Trust Me. I’ve got a plan.” (p. 145, 148)

This book is a great reminder that no matter what struggles we have gone through or are going through, God can redeem them and use them for our good. And He can work in amazing ways, “… immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine.” (Ephesians 3:20). So move forward confidently, knowing God loves you, He’s with you, and He’s working things out for your good. “Stop telling God what can’t happen, and start listening to Him for what He wants to accomplish through you,” Crank writes in her last chapter, “You’re His kid. The apple of His eye. And His hope to accomplish much in the earth. You can do this. Matter of fact, you were born for this! Now go out there and THRIVE!”