Wednesday, August 19, 2015

Ordinary into Extraordinary...does that sound good?




I've been on Emily's pre-launch team now for a couple of months and it's been a joy!  A group responded to her request about reading her book, then we would be gifted with it and then we give our honest, heart-felt reviews ~ good or bad!  Well, mine is neither...it is a awesome review because this an awesome- touching book!

In today's world, we need a book that reminds us to treasure the "small" moments.  To enjoy living right now in everyday, ordinary now.  Our society is caught up with telling everybody I am so busy...well maybe not everyone, but think about how many people tell you everyday their to do list.  The list are real for each person, but we wear it like a badge of honor and get caught up with the busy-ness that we forget to live in the moment.  We forget to look for Our Savior in the small moments as well as the big moments!

Emily shares beautifully about treasuring the little moments on the bench.  It's not a hard read...it's simple just like the title, but yet it speaks to a recovering busy woman's soul!  I know because it spoke to my soul!

I've underlined little treasures throughout the whole book!  A few that I will share are:  one about "the temptation to always look ahead idealizing the other-ness of what is not rather than embracing the essence of what is"...let that soak in a moment!  It's good!

Another is people need "our with-ness!  They don't need for us to impress them with how spiritual we are.  They need to know that aren't alone.  People need us to embrace a relational smallness, accepting we are not a star, the counselor, the convincer, or the fixer.  Instead, we are a companion, willing to keep company with the soul of another!"  Girls we are always trying to fix things...we can't always fix, but we can just be with them!  Oh, this is a great reminder of what matters!

Are you struggling?  Well, in the chapter about honesty and maturity Emily writes these beautiful words ~
she is talking about a fake fine when someone ask how you are doing.  "But over the years I have continued to struggle through this balance(for lack of a better word) of not hiding behind fake fines while also embracing my security in Christ, realizing sometimes it's okay to struggle and not share it because maybe I'm traveling a personal journey and don't always need to tell everyone about it.  And that doesn't mean I'm being fake, it just means I'm honoring my own design, personality, and process."

Emily is writing from her own journey and sharing beautiful truth!  It spoke to my soul and I believe it will speak to all the "busy" women about the little, small, beautiful moments we might be missing in the busy!  Listen to a few of the chapter titles and see if some of them don't make you a little curious:
Moments & Times, Gates & Cul-de-Sacs, Stairwells & Stages, Honesty & Maturity, Desire& Disappointment, Vision & Contentment...the list contains just a few to wet your appetite for more!

A quote that touched me from this beautiful journey is found at the beginning of "Honesty & Maturity" chapter by Dr. Larry Crabb and it so speaks to this book..."God meets us where we are, not where we pretend to be."  Meet God in this beautiful book by Emily Freeman, God shows up and I encourage you to show up too!  It's an awesome experience on the bench!

5 stars!

Sweet blessings,
Debbie Covington

1 comment:

Unknown said...

I had put this book on my list as soon as I heard about it. I don't read that much, but it sounded like a good one! Glad to hear you enjoyed it!