And It Was Beautiful: Celebrating Life in the Midst of the Long Good-Bye

Written by Kara Tippetts

“I was here. I saw beauty. I embraced it.”—Kara TippettsHow do you live out extravagant love in the everyday moments? How do you celebrate grace when your life turns out differently than the one you dreamed?Kara Tippetts discovered how to find joy in the small moments of life. She learned how to hold tight to hope even while battling intense physical and emotional pain. And she lived out the truth that God can redeem any story.In her final book, Kara offers gentle reflections on living and dying well. She invites us to cultivate soft hearts even when we face great disappointment. Her ideas for living are hard-won, wrestled with in the crucible of family, illness, and faith. And her constant reminder is that whether we are in the midst of dark days or mundane moments Jesus is always there, life is surprisingly beautiful, and God is forever good.

• Language: English
• Publisher: ChristianAudio.com
• Release date: Mar 1, 2016
• ISBN: 9781633896024

Reviews for And It Was Beautiful

[aharey · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This was a heart-wrenching, beautiful look at a life filled with the blessings of God while dealing with stage 4 cancer. Hearing Kara's story in her own words is incredibly raw and real. It truly is a beautiful testimonial to a woman who faced mortality with grace and humor. It truly touched my heart and I will reread this book again. I highly recommend this book!

I received a free ARC of this book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

[justcommonly · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

My first encounter with Kara Tippetts' writings was from the joint venture she did with Jill Lynn Buteyn on Just Show Up: The Dance of Walking Through Suffering Together, which I find humbling and beautiful all in itself. Since then, I've added her first book, The Hardest Peace to my TBR list. Unfortunately, I did not get the chance to read it yet. Now, as her third and final book, And It Was Beautiful released, I had the honored and privilege to read it.And it Was Beautiful is a collection of essays she wrote on her blog, Mundane Faithfulness, and compiled to allow us to share in her journey. It is not in chronological order, but in an order that feels right. Kara is brutally honest with what cancer is, what grief is and what dying feels like."...I felt completely tanked. I thought I could do survivorship. But I found out I cannot do 'the worried well' on my own. I can't tough it out. So I guess I'll have to keep on being needy, dependent, spent, always begging for grace. It's not a bad place to be, by any means. I'm just tired of it. I just don't want to be sick anymore." (96)Her "I just don't want to be sick anymore", echos many who have been sick before, even if it's a prolong cold that just doesn't want to give up. I've had my share of sickness leaving me empty and tired, and what little time it was, it didn't bode well for me emotionally and physically. I'm not saying it's comparable to Kara's or those with similar experiences, but we can understand a bit about being tired and drained.Kara talks about loving, about doing the most mundane things in life, and enjoying it, because it may be her last, and seeking peace in it all. Her honesty not only opens our hearts to her experience, but to feel and learn to love more consciously and to see life as it is - sometimes fragile, sometimes gloomy, but always beautiful."What really got us through were the years and years committed to learning to love." (170)"Dumbledore says, 'Your mother died to save you. If there is one thing Voldemort cannot understand, it is love....To have been loved so deeply, even though the person who loved us is gone, will give us some protection forever. It is in your very skin. (Taken from Harry Potter series).' ... Isn't that beautiful? Love changes us. It changes those we extend our love to. Love matters, always." (236)And then I'm reminded by of 1 John 4:19, "We love because He first loved us.""...as you search for a safe place, be a safe place in return. God loves seeing us seeking Him together." (101)"My love will never be enough. But the One who sacrificed Himself on a tree many years ago loves...far more than I do. I don't need to struggle to wonder if I have loved enough in this life. That's in God's hands." (44)Kara, through her journey with God, and yes, with dying, found beauty in it all - in herself, in the "gift" of cancer, in her relationships, in the simplicity and in God. And it was beautiful, yes it was.This Review was first seen on Just Commonly Blog.NOTE: I received a complimentary copy of this book through Litfuse Publicity Group for an honest review. All opinions expressed are my own. For my review policy, please see my Disclosure page.

[robin661_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

And It was Beautiful
Kara Tippetts

Book Summary: “I was here. I saw beauty. I embraced it.”—Kara Tippetts. How do you live out extravagant love in the everyday moments? How do you celebrate grace when your life turns out differently than the one you dreamed? Kara Tippetts discovered how to find joy in the small moments of life. She learned how to hold tight to hope even while battling intense physical and emotional pain. And she lived out the truth that God can redeem any story. In her final book, Kara offers gentle reflections on living and dying well. She invites us to cultivate soft hearts even when we face great disappointment. Her ideas for living are hard-won, wrestled with in the crucible of family, illness, and faith. And her constant reminder is that whether we are in the midst of dark days or mundane moments Jesus is always there, life is surprisingly beautiful, and God is forever good.
Review: Breathtaking, Magical, and Heartwarming all in one. Read with a whole box of tissues!!! I own her other two book and they are now on my must read list. Oh how wonderful and awful the events of life. A great gift to die being able to say goodbye and yet so awfully sad to loose this wonderful soul who has taught much to the church in such a short time. I want to live an ordinary life that touches lives like Kara and her family. What a tremendous role model. I have read a similar theme, but that was not autobiographical. This was more personal, more of soul kiss. I cried as the book progressed. Thank to the family and friends of the Tippetts for gifting me with insights that will last forever. Life has never seemed more real than through Kara’s eyes.


I would like to thank Net Galley and David C Cook for allowing me to read and review this book in return for a free copy and I was never asked to write a favorable review by anyone. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.