I Need Some Help Here!

 

I knew this book was going to be good when I saw the cover of the book and could relate to the picture. With three little ones running around the house, life can be a bit crazy. It's so easy to become overwhelmed, embarrassed or guilty, especially when you compare yourself to others, or your children are not going according to the plans or dreams you had envisioned.

I Need Some Help Here! is a book written by Kathi Lipp. It is filled with not only wisdom and practical advice, but examples and stories from mothers who have weathered and survived the storm of parenthood through the grace of God. I feel like this is a book that I will look back upon often, as it easily relates to young children as well as teenagers. Each chapter points out how the parent can feel desperate, helpless, frustrated or powerless while in the battlefield of life; it then follows with a section highlighting an attribute of God in each of those circumstances. I loved that. It is so easy to forget that He is above all and in all when we are in the trenches. Additionally, many chapters ended with scriptural prayers that can be prayed for both yourself and your child.

This book is for all those moms that need to be reminded that we are not alone, even if it appears that way on the outside. It also serves as an encourager for us to not hold it in, but seek friendships with others that support us, people we can be honest and transparent with, ones that will stand beside us, raising us up and praying for us.

This review was given in exchange for a free copy of the book from the publisher. All opinions are my own. :)

Finding Spiritual Whitespace

This post is part of the  “Finding Spiritual Whitespace Blog Tour” which I am a part of...
To learn more, CLICK HERE!  

 

We've been a bit non-stop lately.

I once heard the analogy that your life is like a bunch of glass jars lined up on a mantle. Each jar is representative of the time in your day spent with someone or doing an activity. There are only so many jars you can place up there. If you try to put up too many, something else will fall off.

I feel like this is how my life has been these past few months. Some things have unfortunately fallen off the shelf and others aren't getting the time and quality they deserve as I live a jam-packed schedule. And, as, evidenced by the past few posts, my shelf has been sagging, burdened by the weight of it all.

Enter the need for whitespace. In her book, Finding Spiritual Whitespace, Bonnie Gray explores how we can awaken our soul to spiritual rest and a closer communion with Christ. The Bible clearly portrays God as the divine Creator, the great artist in this world, who formed us all to be beautiful individuals... His handiwork. Gray argues that all great works of art and composition need to be surrounded by whitespace, the place where the eye can rest (or in the case of a composition, a musical interval break). Whitespace quiets the noisy background and gives artistic value. Nurturing our souls with whitespace is a call to actually live a life of extravagance, to recognize that God created us beautiful, as is, and we don't need to clutter up our lives like pictures overtaking a fridge and continue to perform in order to improve ourselves. We need whitespace in order to live a beautiful life for God.

Bonnie Gray was working on her book when she began suffering from anxiety and was diagnosed with PTSD. She began suffering from insomnia and reliving painful memories from her past, ones she thought she had overcome, but had really just been pushed and hidden within her. Through her struggles and search for whitespace, she discovered four elements that are key in this endeavor: creativity, adventure, community and soul care. Gray, the faith barista, writes and provides examples of how you can sip and delight in these elements while nurturing your soul. At the end of each chapter she provides questions and activities for reflection, ideal for a small group setting.

The book was written in an interesting way, skipping from painful memories of Gray's childhood, to more present ones and sessions with her psychiatrist, to reflective application for the here and now. At times it was difficult for me to read, though I wonder if it was mostly from my own burdens at the time. God used this book to speak to me however; almost each chapter I read helped me as I struggled to trust and serve His direction in our move. I was reminded that often, the harder path is to choose rest, looking to none but Jesus. It is not always easy to choose the intimacy rest requires over the safer and easier path of continuing along in my normal routine. It is not a simple flip of a switch, but requires intentional effort to forcefully stop myself to not think of our impending move, but when I did so, it was only then that I felt peace. At my most vulnerable moments was when I could truly feel an intimate relationship with Him, knowing that when I am weak, He alone is glorified. I would definitely like to read this book again, soaking up more of it's applicable wisdom.

 

Bonnie Gray is the writer behind Faith Barista.com who wrote a book about her inspiring, heart-breaking journey to find rest. I was given a free copy in exchange for a review.
If you would like to know more about the freedom and rest  in Christ that whitespace can give you, you can get a copy HERE.