Pursued by the Shepherd: Every Woman's Journey from Lost to Found [Paperback]

Karon Phillips Goodman (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 1, 2007

At one time or another, most women feel like lost sheep desiring to be rescued by the Shepherd. Whether misguided by mistakes, lost in muddled priorities, or alone in denial, every woman needs encouragement, understanding, and guidance on reuniting with God. Karon Phillips Goodman's Pursued by the Shepherd explores how women become lost and reveals they are never so lost that the Shepherd won't search for them. The wanderer, when found, will be forever changed by God's grace, mercy, faithfulness, and unfailing love. With reflection questions and short chapters for easy study, Pursued by the Shepherd provides a renewed sense of purpose, energy, and devotion for the weary.

Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

Have you ever been lost? At one time or another, most of us have tried to find our way by ourselves. Like sheep that wander away from the shepherd, we wind up in undesirable pastures and in need of rescue. Whether misguided by mistakes, lost in muddled priorities, or alone in denial, we all need encouragement, understanding, and guidance on reuniting with God. Though we don't always follow, the Lord waits patiently for us to answer His call. He will come after us every time, and the reunion leaves us forever changed. If you have wandered, you can rest assured that God, in His grace, mercy, faithfulness, and unfailing love, will find you. If you're feeling weary, know that you can have a renewed sense of purpose, energy, and devotion. Karon Phillips Goodman reveals why you are never so lost that you won't be Pursued by the Shepherd. Each chapter includes questions for personal reflection or group study.

About the Author

Karon Phillips Goodman worked as a newspaper reporter, columnist, public relations director, technical writer, and Boy Scouts of America program director before she began writing full time. She has written for magazines and is the author of several books, including You're Late Again, Lord! Karon lives with her family in Oxford, Alabama.

Product Details

• Paperback: 192 pages
• Publisher: Revell (May 1, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0800731921
• ISBN-13: 978-0800731922
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.5 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #663,929 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Karon has been writing forever, from newspaper stories and columns to technical instructions to books--and it's books she loves most because it's her chance to interact with readers, to meet them where they are and help them along the way. Karon's writing is personal, transparent and upheld by God's grace as she trusts the words to come together to guide readers right to their own hearts. She thinks in complete sentences even as she struggles over the jagged hills of life just like the rest of us. Please sit back, relax and know that you'll know more about yourself and be inspired and ready for the life before you when you've joined her for a book or two. Let's read . . . .

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Gentle Guide for Women Seeking God's Direction, August 17, 2007

By 

Heather Ivester (Georgia) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Pursued by the Shepherd: Every Woman's Journey from Lost to Found (Paperback)

"I think God must have the world's largest lost-and-found department," writes Karon Phillips Goodman in her introduction. "I've visited there quite often, but it's never a permanent stay."

Using the analogy of the lost sheep in Luke 15:4-6, the author shares how women can wander off from God's perfect plan. Yet our Great Shepherd always comes searching.

The book is divided into seven sections covering the topics of being misguided, lost, alone, found, redeemed, growing, and becoming.

Each of the 49 devotionals can be read stand-alone and contains three questions for further reflection, as well as a prayer. For women who are group leaders or speakers, this is a wonderful tool for brief devotionals.

As a personal reflection guide, Goodman's gentle prose helps women find a renewed sense of purpose, energy, and faith.

--Christian Women Online Book Buzz

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Completely relatable, August 18, 2008

By 

FaithfulReader.com (New York, New York) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Pursued by the Shepherd: Every Woman's Journey from Lost to Found (Paperback)

Christian women from across the spectrum have heard sermons, read books and discussed the various facets of Christ as shepherd. This mental picture is as old as scripture itself and so powerfully depicts the exactness of Jesus's loving, complete and constant care for his "sheep." Author Karon Phillips Goodman offers fellow Christ followers a beautifully designed collection of brief chapters that hone in both practically and with loving inspiration the many definitions of God's shepherding care.

Goodman has fashioned her text around seven fully-developed themes that detail the real-life scenarios women frequently find themselves mired in and apart from God's intimate counsel and direction on a daily basis. These topics are presented so thoughtfully and are so relatable that women, young and old, will resonate completely with Goodman's stories as well as the heartwrenching dilemmas they experience throughout their lifetime.

Goodman walks with her readers through those hard spaces of time when they are: misguided by mistiming, misjudgment, mistakes, misdirection, or mistrust; when they experience lostness due to the darkness of lost humility, priorities, self-control, forgiveness, security and purpose; or when believing women feel alone in hiding, denial, sorrow, doubt and prayer, and need rescue. Goodman also encourages Christian believers to take heart that He redeems with a sure, ready, wise and responsive love; that He will grow them up as they trust in His perfect control, presence and plan. Coming full circle, readers will discover how Christ shepherds them into becoming vibrant instruments of perseverance, faith, obedience, service, grace, promise and purpose.

As women peruse this text, they will find special spots to settle in depending upon what they're currently dealing with in their lives. For those who are in the harried pace of a hectic life, where struggles with the world's idea of success and worth bombard them, Goodman's devotional on "Misguided by Misvalue" will provide some redirection and helpful tips for seeing what is important as opposed to what is not. Women who are feeling so very lost and far from Christ will take comfort in Goodman's personal narrative on Christ's dramatic love in "Found No Matter How Lost" that rescued her even when she determined to stay lost, in the dark and alone. She writes that Christ's grace is far too big and His plan is always better than our shortsighted choices.

For those believers who are lacking in trust, Goodman challenges them to grow in this discipline by abiding closely in God's presence, one day at a time. She also tells of a period "Growing Trust in His Presence" when she could not even look to tomorrow because today's pain was so immense --- but in that place of dependency, she found that the Shepherd matched her inadequacies with an abundance of comfort, reassurance, grace and peace. What better picture of love, full and complete, is there than this pursuit by the Shepherd Lord?

--- Reviewed by Michele Howe