Treasured: Knowing God by the Things He Keeps [Hardcover]

Leigh McLeroy (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 15, 2009

Cigar boxes. Refrigerator doors. Scrapbooks and sock drawers and top shelves. These are the places we store our treasures–the keepsakes that tell the story of whom and what we’ve loved, how we’ve lived, and what matters most to us.

God is a collector, too, whose treasures are tucked securely into the pages of his book: a golden bell here, an olive leaf there, a scarlet thread, a blood-stained cloth, a few grains of barley. Each of these saved artifacts reveals a facet of his heart and tells the story of a Father whose most precious possession is…us.

In Treasured, Leigh McLeroy considers tangible reminders of God’s active presence and guides us in discovering evidence in our own lives of his attentive love.

Editorial Reviews

Review

Praise for
Treasured

“In Treasured, LeighMcLeroy invites the reader to join her quest to know God’s heart for His child. Well written, winsome, and fearlessly honest, this is a reassuring read for the soul who hungers for
God’s love.”
—CAROLYN CUSTIS JAMES, author of The Gospel of Ruth:
Loving God Enough to Break the Rules

“What a refreshing and surprising book! Until I read Treasured, I never considered how a few easily overlooked things in Scripture could have such power to help us know God more truly and intimately.
With delightful prose and biblically shaped wisdom, Leigh McLeroy leads us into a deeper encounter with our living, loving God.”
—DR.MARK D. ROBERTS, senior director
and scholar-in-residence for Laity Lodge

“I enjoyed watching [Leigh McLeroy] deftly polish the treasures God might keep in His memory box. She helped me notice God’s engagement with us. If God feels distant to you, Treasured will imaginatively and biblically illustrate His tenderness.”
—JONALYN GRACE FINCHER, national speaker with
Soulation (www.soulation.org) and author of Ruby
Slippers: How the Soul of a Woman Brings Her Home

“LeighMcLeroy has interwoven her story withGod’s story—a rich tale of treasures and being treasured. She has done what I love in good writing:mixed sweetmemories, profound observations, sharp
insights, and exquisite words into a delicious narrative.”
—JUDY DOUGLASS, director of Women’s Resources,
Campus Crusade for Christ, and cofounder
of SynergyWomen’s Network

About the Author

Leigh McLeroy is the author of The Beautiful Ache and The Sacred Ordinary. An avid collector and recorder of everyday moments, words, and wonders, Leigh’s keen eye for God’s presence in ordinary life infuses her writing and living with a deep, insistent joy. A frequent conference and event speaker, the author makes her home in Houston, Texas, and posts often at www.leighmcleroy.com.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 224 pages
• Publisher: WaterBrook Press; 1 edition (September 15, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1400074819
• ISBN-13: 978-1400074815
• Product Dimensions: 5.2 x 0.8 x 7.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (69 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,162,370 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Leigh McLeroy writes and speaks with a passion for God and a keen eye for his presence in everyday life. As an author, blogger, conference speaker and Bible teacher, Leigh fully engages in the moment - and tells the truth, but "tells it slant" - sharing the reality of God's love and grace a way that beckons, woos, resonates and compels.

A former corporate marketing executive and mega-church staffer, Leigh now devotes the majority of her time to writing, speaking and collaborating on various creative projects. "I want to be available to go where God calls, and to do what God wants done. The assignment will look a little different for me every day - but I celebrate the beautiful uncertainty of this Christ-following journey called life."

From her home base in Houston, Texas, Leigh can be found teaching in her inner-city church, City of Refuge Evangelical Presbyterian, traveling to various women's conferences and other events as a keynote speaker, working on one of her books, or writing Wednesday words - a weekly e-devotional she launched six years ago that she says "has taken on a life of its own."

Her books include Moments for Singles (NavPress 2004), The Beautiful Ache (Revell, 2007), The Sacred Ordinary (Revell, 2008) and Treasured (WaterBrook, 2009). She may be reached at www.leighmcleroy.com, and www.wednesdaywords.com.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Reminder Worth Reading, December 4, 2009

By 

Scott Asher "ashertopia" (Tennessee) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Treasured: Knowing God by the Things He Keeps (Hardcover)

How many books have we read to better understand God? Who is God? What is he like? Leigh McLeroy probes into these questions from a different perspective than most. A valid and (after-the-fact) obvious way. After all, the Scriptures say that you can tell what kind of tree something is by its fruit; how it behaves, acts. Isn't the same true of God?

In Treasured, McLeroy seeks to know God by the things he keeps. This is a bit of a misnomer as God doesn't actually keep the things that McLeroy talks about but rather interacts with them. Chapters like 1 A Fig Leaf talk about God keeping us after Adam and Eve ate the forbidden fruit and were covered by God. In 12 One Smooth Stone, McLeroy describes God's intentions and interactions with us and how he turns our stone-cold hearts to living ones.

Each chapter is bite sized and easy to read, starting with an anecdotal story from the authors life in most cases then moving on to a time in the Bible where God interacted with our ancestors making the connection that He still interacts with us the same way today. While the book doesn't actually talk about the things God keeps as in items that God actually has, like the author's cigar box. Rather the book is about what God, invisible and non-physical, holds tight to; what He treasures. This is a book about us, of course. Reading this book reminded me that we are His treasure and He is our portion. Highly recommended.

This book was provided free of charge by the publisher as a review copy. The publisher had no editorial rights or claims over the content or the conclusions made in this review. Visit the publisher for more information on this book.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Thoughtful look at God's treasures, December 12, 2009

By 

Christina Lockstein "Christy's Book Blog" (Oconto Falls, WI USA) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Treasured: Knowing God by the Things He Keeps (Hardcover)

Treasured by Leigh McLeroy is an amazing book that poses the question: what would God keep in a treasure box as mementos of His love story with humanity? By focusing in on pivotal moments in the Bible, like the fig leaf, Abraham's knife, and Balaam's riding crop, she creates new understanding about who God is and just how much He loves us. It also adds subtext to each story making them richer and meaningful for today's readers. She takes everyday items and made them seem almost sacred because of their context. Each chapter is easily read in a few minutes daily making it a terrific addition to readers' time with God. She ends the book discussing the items that would be in her own treasure box of faith and encourages readers to consider the contents of theirs as well.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The best devotional-type I've read this year, December 11, 2009

By 

K. Martinez "Kim Martinez" (Seattle, WA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Treasured: Knowing God by the Things He Keeps (Hardcover)

I'm not big on devotional books, but I really enjoyed Treasured.

Treasured is a book about getting to know God through the details of bible events. You'll be introduced to the fig leaves that Adam and Eve used to cover themselves; the knife that Abraham planned to use to sacrifice his son; and the riding crop that Balaam used to beat his donkey among many others. Each of these details are just a part of a bigger story that shows God's personality.

If you like the Women of Faith, I think you will really like Leigh McLeroy. Unlike the WOF, she is rather serious, but she has a passion for introducing people to God, and she does it with ease. This book is a quick and easy read - I think it would make a good commuter book or gift book.