What I liked about this book is that Lisa made happiness attainable for everyone. And she has such a realistic view on what it means to be happy.

The Sacrament of Happy is rocking my world and changing my perspective on the holiness of happy. It has come alongside me at a time when I really needed to understand that God is happy when we are happy - that He longs for us to be happy. Not just joyful - but ridiculously HAPPY. Lisa's book is a joy to read - her humor is perfectly balanced with gut-punching truth, all backed by scripture. This book is something that I'd love to get into the hands of almost every woman I know. Do yourself a favor and order NOW!!!

I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for my honest review.

It’s always encouraging to hear read about someone else’s story, especially when it comes to parenting! I appreciated her story and her perspective on joy and happiness in the context of family, motherhood, and parenting.

There is so much pain and ugliness in the world, it can seem nearly overwhelming. The Sacrament of Happy explores (with solid Biblical teaching) the happy side of God and His desire for His children to experience happiness and share it with a hurting world. Lisa Harper’s writing is warm, witty, and full of fun. The book is easy to read, but includes thought provoking questions at the end of each chapter for reflection.

This author took a lot of liberties with her interpretations, and it really junked the book up. Most notably, the "happy" she refers to is her own interpretation of the word we often translate as "blessed." Happiness is a cheap, cheap imitation of blessedness, and I just can't get behind anything that claims happiness as one of the highs of our spiritual experience. It just sucked all of the beauty out of the Scriptures she re-interpreted this way and made the Christian pursuit something far less than it was intended to be.

I really enjoyed the humor but also the seriousness of this book. She had so many good lines that I found highlighting a lot while I read. Some of my favorites are: "cultivating happiness - that is tending and fertilizing our God-given joy so as to make it grow bigger and bloom more often - requires intentional gratitude"..."...gratitude is both the fertilizer and the fruit of happiness." So very true. I found myself saying Amen a lot as well. She is not preachy but rather matter of fact in her statement that being Happy is a sacrament from God. This quote is my favorite: "We don't have to work harder to make it into some elusive 'I deserve to be happy club.' We can't instigate or impel divine happiness, nor can we lose or lessen divine happiness. God's joy is self-generated and sustained with and through His Spirit and His Son. So when we put our trust in Jesus and receive the accompanying infilling of the Holy Spirit, we become heirs of His divine delight." Love. Such good reminders and would make a lovely graduation gift.
I received an advanced copy of this book from the publisher for my honest review.

this book had a good overall message but for me the author felt very unfocused and didn’t really know how to express what they wanted to say without making it feel all over the place.
so because of that not really the best for me.

This book was only ok for me. The author, I think, has a good message, but it felt like she was all over the place with her stories and examples. And it felt a little bit that she was trying to fit the scripture to what she wanted it to say.

Thank you to the publisher and netgalley for allowing me to read and review this book.

I love Lisa Harper! I follow her social media accounts and was very excited to receive a copy of The Sacrament of Happy. She has such a way with words! She is hilarious and insightful. It's obvious that she loves God and she knows her Bible! Thank you, Lisa, for unpacking this idea of joy vs. happiness and making the sound argument that yes, God does want us to enjoy this life AND be happy.

This book had a good message, but the style was not for me she jumped around from telling stories to the lesson and it didn’t flow very well.

Finally someone who doesn't act like she has mastered the skill of being "Godly" all the time! This book made me feel like I'm not alone in my struggles to be happy even when everything around me is making me angry, sad, disappointed, etc. I felt like I was sitting with a friend, trading stories along with sarcasm and wit. The personal stories made this book worthwhile. She doesn't claim to have it all figured out, but she shares her experiences along with scripture to enlighten us of our identity in Christ. I will definitely revisit this book for encouragement in the future, and maybe even gift it to a friend!

The Sacrament of Happy is a much-needed reminder that Christians aren't supposed to be glum and gloomy. God gives us the gift of happiness! Lisa Harper uses personal stories and Scripture to illustrate how true, God-given happiness isn't dependent on the "good" or "bad" things that life throws our way. Rather, we find happiness in the knowledge that, no matter our current circumstances, God IS good, and DOES good. Reading Lisa's words feels like sitting down with a friend. She's open and honest, and this, along with the subject matter, makes her book a delight to read.

I received a free advanced e-book copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. This is my honest opinion, and I don't say nice things about books I don't like.

Real, God-imbued happiness is not the absence of sadness or badness. Rather, it is hanging on to the truth of His sovereign goodness regardless of what’s going on within or around us.- Lisa Harper

I have had the pleasure of hearing Lisa speak live before around the time she lost her first adoption. I have had the pleasure of following her though all the happy and sad times along the road to Missy. Lisa truly knows the sacrament of happy. I have learned much reading her words in this book. She spoke to my soul. I have trouble letting go and letting happiness take over. Thank you Lisa for helping me to laugh and cry along with you during this journey to happiness.


I received an advanced copy of this book for my honest review.

Lisa Harper is a gift to the world. She is a truth teller of the best kind. She makes me laugh and cry at the same time, which makes her my favorite kind of people. This glimpse into her life with her daughter gives me even more love and respect for her.

If you have a sense of humor and a desire to know more about what it looks like to follow Jesus, you will not regret buying this book for one moment!

Harper has a conversational style to her writing. It is why I have purchased most of her books. Many of her other books felt more like lessons- Bible series and small group books. This book is more reflective of her life. There are still wonderful lessons, but the wisdom is more suited for an individual reader instead of a small group of readers. The authentic style is still inviting. One may feel invited to join Harper in the kitchen for a cup of tea. Although it may be a book I would skip for a small group study, I would definitely suggest it to women who want to good read.

Lisa has a beautiful story. I love that her writing style includes us on her journey. She is like the sister we all want (and some have). This book is real, raw and heartfelt.

I have loved everything that I have read by Lisa Harper and this is no exception. This short read focuses on how we are designed to be happy because God is happy. Lisa (I feel like I'm on a first-name basis with her) writes as though she's sitting down across from the reader. Her style is quirky, easy to read, and totally applicable to everyday life. The book has Scripture infused throughout to support main points and questions at the end of each chapter to help the reader apply the information. I would highly recommend this book!

Lisa Harper is a God-send! The End.

Oh, you mean you need more of a review than that? Well, alrighty.

Lisa Harper is a down to earth, God fearing woman that loves life! She writes books that are so easy to read, it is like a conversation with a dear friend. Honestly! She tells stories that tug on your heartstrings, and then others that make you literally laugh out loud! She has been through some crappy days, and she chooses to cultivate happy.

The Sacrament of Happy is a collection of stories that show us that God does have a sense of humor. It shows us that we can choose happy, how to get happy, and how happy changes the world.

I recommend that you get a hard copy rather than an ebook, because you will want to highlight several parts of this book. You will want to remember some of the wisdom of Lisa Harper. Another reason you will want to highlight is because you will start a story and will know what the main points are, but by the end you have laughed so hard that you might forget what you were supposed to learn from it all. It could just be me though.

I don't re-read a lot of books, but I will keep this one around to read every now and then.

Received an advanced eARC from Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.

I'll be honest, this book did not immediately draw me in. I felt like I had to force myself to keep reading. I liked what the author had to say but it just wasn't a hit for me. It's a good book and I like what she had to say, I think it's just the style of writing I didn't connect with. I received an advanced readers copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

<b>**I received a digital copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.**</b>

<b>Introduction</b>
Lisa Harper is back with another engaging, hilariously relatable book that reads like a fond missive between friends. Can Christians be truly, deeply happy? What does the Bible have to say about happiness? Spoiler alert: it is not only permissible, but actually encouraged! God <i>wants</i> his people to be happy!

<b>The story</b>
Lisa has certainly faced some trials in her life, a fact about which she is consistently honest and vulnerable. The amazing thing about her is that every time you see her, she has a million-watt smile that could probably be seen for miles in the Tennessee wilderness where she resides. How is she always so happy?! She's human, which means she leads an imperfect life just like the rest of us. Lisa Harper has, however, stumbled on a very simple, foundational Biblical secret: that is that God desires for all His people to know true and lasting happiness. This does not mean life will be perfect, that we'll get every material thing we desire, or that we'll never know suffering. On the contrary, we are promised suffering and even persecution. In her typical light-hearted but heavy hitting way, Lisa mixes personal (and often hilarious) anecdotes with Biblical truths that are life-changing. This book gives practical advice and examples of how to be truly happy in Christ.

<b>Literary analysis</b>
This book occasionally felt a little disjointed, but I honestly didn't mind. I am not ashamed to admit: I love and admire Lisa Harper for the wonderful, exuberant woman of God that she is. Her spirit is one of encouragement, her heart is bigger than a Montana sky, and her joy is infectious. Some people are put off by her story-telling; I love it. I enjoy the way in which Lisa manages to stay true to herself while seeking to lead others to Christ. Her books so far have had wonderful nuggets of truth sprinkled in among stories and conversation that often make you feel as though you're sitting right next to her, sharing a cup of coffee and a heart hug or two.

I did not find any grammatical or spelling errors in this first reading.

<b>Conclusion</b>
I recommend this book to anyone looking for a quick, encouraging, Biblically sound read!