In the introduction to her book All I Need Is Jesus and a Good Pair of Jeans: The Tired Supergirl’s Search for Grace Susanna Foth Aughtmon describes with perfect clarity and amazing insight the universal quest of womankind: the perfect pair of jeans. We want jeans that “suppress the upper thigh, lengthen the inseam, and let you reveal your inner rock star. Because they look that good.” Jeans that are forgiving, particularly when it comes to the less than flattering parts of our bodies. However, if we are honest, we know that there is something of a dichotomy between what we know a good pair of jeans ought to look like and what we really look like in our everyday jeans. Bringing the metaphor home, Aughtmon says:
And it’s the same when we look at the rest of our lives. What we desire is not necessarily what we have. The person we are is not the person we long to be. Just as the perfect jeans seem to elude us, so do the obedient children, the perfect marital communication, and the conquering of all our weaknesses…It seems that we supergirls need some forgiveness in other areas of our lives besides jeans and outerwear. We need forgiveness for our lives in general. And what we really need is some grace. An ever-present shower of grace that we can sit under and soak up and let pervade all the areas of our life that seem to fall short of the glory of God.
And such is the premise and purpose of her book. All I Need Is Jesus and a Good Pair of Jeans: The Tired Supergirl’s Search for Grace provides an frank and vulnerable look at the struggles all women face, from insecurity to body image issues. Each chapter is a confession of sorts, often hilarious, sometimes painfully honest, sometimes so much a mirror reflection of my own failures and foibles that I wondered how Aughtmon got inside my head. Aughtmon is refreshingly authentic as she describes her inadequacies and imperfections with humor and honesty, deliberately pointing readers to the grace we all need, the grace that is found only in the person of Jesus Christ.
Like Aughtmon, I am a tired supergirl, weary of battling foes like Tired Lady, Compare-A-Girl, Miss No-Fair, Miss Do-They-Like-Me and the Diva. Like Aughtmon, I am oh so tired, I want chocolate to solve my problems, I am jealous of my friends, I don’t like to admit I am wrong, I am a people pleaser, and I have a long way to go (all of which are chapter titles). Like Aughtmon, I feel caught between who I am and who I long to be, and, like Aughtmon, I know that even tired supergirls can find grace as they turn to Jesus and the truth of God’s Word.
Author Susanna Foth Aughtmon has graciously volunteered to giveaway three copies of this book (U.S. or Canadian shipping addresses). If you would like to win a copy, please leave us a comment and we’ll announce the recipients on February 25.
The winner of the If I Were A. . . series is #51 Tammy Grady.
The winners of Your Roots Are Showing are
#57 jayne
#60 Nicole C.
#120 Angie P.
#73 Gabriel J.
#134 Angie LambIf you didn’t receive your notification email, send your name and address to 5minutesforbooksATgmailDOTcom.
Wife and mother, Bible teacher and blogger, Lisa loves Jesus, coffee, dark chocolate and, of course, books. Read more of her reflections at Lisa writes….
sounds like a great book!
I’d like to read this book. Thanks.
sounds like a great book. would love to read a copy.
With a title like that it has to be a pretty good book.
sounds great
Happy Monday!
This book sounds excellant. I would really love to read it. Thank you for giving me the chance to win.
This looks like a great book! I would love to enter!
I would love to read this book and pass it along to some of my friends!
I would love to read this book and then share with others!
This sounds like a great book. Please enter me.
Sounds like great reading.
Count me in. The title sounds like me.
Looks great! Thanks for the giveaway!
Looks like a very great book, Please enter me:)
I would love to win this great book.
What an interesting title. Please enter me in the contest.
enter me
Sounds interesting. I’m in!
I love to read and a catchy title always gets my eye. Please enter me! Thanks for the giveaway!
Thanks for the giveaway!
I would love to win the book con5459(at)gmail(dot)com
Definitely want to read this–thanks!
I’d need Jesus, a good pair of jeans … and some chocolate.
This sounds very interesting and I love books.
I love the title! Sounds like a book I would love to read.
Another wonderful book! Count me in!
Sounds one my college daughter needs to read. She goes to a Christian school with many problems!!!
What a cute title! It sure makes you wonder what’s inside! Please count me in!
I’d love to read this!