Worth It & Wonderful: Inspiration for Christian Women to Live Bravely and Boldly

In this confident debut, Scaggs, executive manager of a nonprofit that fights human trafficking, empowers women to love themselves through God. Calling on readers to reject the usual ways of self-categorization, Scaggs suggests embracing one’s inner “dualities,” such as being “strategic and spontaneous” or “independent and supported,” in order to honor their God-given complexities. Each chapter considers a set of opposing qualities: confidence and humility, for instance, can coexist to promote healthy self-esteem (a surfeit of confidence spurs “ego-driven” attitudes, and overreliance on humility leads to self-minimizing behavior), while being lovely and fierce allows for a graceful perseverance when pursuing goals. Scaggs talks about being both “career-focused” and “family-focused” herself, arguing that these priorities can “come together in a symbiotic way” by using her professional success to “inspire [her] children toward greatness.” Throughout, Scaggs draws on her experiences as a parent, former police officer, wife, and Christian to illustrate how God’s love allowed her to embrace a complex identity and live with faith as her “compass.” While her tone is relentlessly encouraging, Scaggs’s candidness about the challenges of living in a society that often constrains women’s identities adds a sense of real utility to the advice. Believers will find inspiration in this appealing entry. (Jan.)