Dearest readers,
Welcome to another Book by Book reading challenge review. For July’s prompt, we were invited to read a nonfiction book. I am reading 2 excellent nonfiction books right now but haven’t finished either of them. The one I want to share with you for this post is Everyday Holy: Finding a Big God in Little Moments by Melanie Shankle.
Mel and I go way back. Not in real life but here on the blog. I have reviewed a couple of her autobiographical books, Nobody’s Cuter Than You and The Antelope in the Living Room. If you haven’t read any Melanie Shankle, let me encourage you to give her a try.
You may remember that not long ago, I became disillusioned with the book I was using during my devotional time. Struggled reading it each morning for about 5 months but each day, it left me feeling beaten up rather than uplifted. It didn’t feed me. I wound up pulling out Jesus Calling, which never ever disappoints or fails me. But in the car, running errands and now driving to work(!), I’ve been listening to Everyday Holy: Finding a Big God in Little Moments. Allow me to share a little bit about it with you.
Everyday Holy
[source]
The Fine Print
- Hardcover: 224 pages
- Publisher: Zondervan (April 10, 2018)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 0310346681
- ISBN-13: 978-0310346685
- Amazon average customer review: 5 out of 5 stars
- Goodread’s average customer review: 4.53 out of 5 stars
Editorial Reviews
Neither Goodreads or Amazon feature any editorial reviews. This book is probably too good for the critics to trifle with. Their loss. But the customer reviews are glowing.
Reading Melanie’s works are always a delight and Everyday Holy is no exception. A sweet little devotional, Everyday Holy is a great way to start your day. ~ on June 19, 2018 (Amazon)
If y’all have been around the blog for a while, then you know I’m a Melanie Shankle fan. Her humor and writing always have me laughing and leaving encouraged. Her latest devotional is no different. Sharing every day stories from her life, Shankle’s daily devotions encourage, remind and teach about God’s truth in the everyday. How much I need this! There’s been quite a few daily devos that were just what I needed and when I did. It’s something I’m so thankful for during this season. ~ Jamie on May 19, 2018 (Goodreads)
Summary
We’ve all been there. Melanie Shankle, New York Times bestselling author and writer at The Big Mama Blog, is just brave enough to say it out loud. And Everyday Holy is your invitation to reexamine your life and find the little pieces that create a beautiful picture of a big God.
On any given day, you may be asking yourself:
- Is Instagram making me crazy, or am I actually supposed to have a perfectly curated cup of coffee on my artfully rumpled throw blanket every morning?
- Doubts about my faith are normal, right?
- Is eating cookie dough straight from the fridge fine as long as it’s organic?
- Could it be that loving my family well is my spiritual gift?
It’s a common theme: Am I okay? Is my life significant? And how do we measure significance, anyway? Melanie’s hilarious and poignant insight offers you the deep breath of relief that God is working in all the moments, no matter how big or how small. In 100 devotions, Everyday Holy: Finding a Big God in the Little Moments invites you to see your life as God intended: rich with opportunity, significance, and beauty, even on days that feel overwhelmingly ordinary.
If you’re looking for the line that connects the dots, Everyday Holy is for you. If you wonder where God is in this mess or how exactly He’s working behind the scenes, this book is for you. Whether you feel overwhelmed or disillusioned or frustrated by how your life feels, there’s room for you at this table. And here’s the best news: We’re all in this together. [source]
My Review
I can’t speak to every single page of this book because I am still reading/listening to it. Like I said above, it goes with me in the car, and brightens every drive. Sometimes I listen to it on my walks, too. Whenever, wherever I listen, I always feel uplifted and fed.
Melanie Shankle writes like she is talking to her readers over a cup of coffee. The book is divided 1oo mini-devotions, each just a few minutes long. So on my way to work, I can easily listen to 8-10 messages. The author usually begins with a few verses of Scripture or a paraphrased version of a familiar Bible story (familiar to everyone except this Bible-reading novice), then relates that to her own life experiences.
Today, among the sections I listened to was Day 53, “Glory Revealed”. Shankle begins by relating the story of the blind man in John 9 about whom Christ is asked ‘who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?’ To which Jesus replied, “Neither this man nor his parents sinned, but this happened so that the works of God might be displayed in him.”
She goes on to explain that God can use the difficulties in our lives to enable us to show others His glory when we allow ourselves to trust in His plan. That was a comfort to me today.
Because I am a slow reader, I think I am probably a slow processor, too. These devotions are more effective for me if I pause the recording after a couple of sections to think about what I have heard. To find ways of applying the message to my life. Was thinking today how it might be nice if Shankle had played a little elevator music or a recording of the sound of the waves in the ocean or a gentle rainfall between sections, to give some of us a little time to digest what they’ve heard.
If you are looking for something new to try in your morning quiet time, I highly recommend Everyday Holy: Finding a Big God in the Little Moments. The perfect bit of encouragement to start your day.
Your Turn
What does your morning quiet time routine look like? Do you have a favorite devotion or are you looking for something new to try? I can almost guarantee that you will find light for your way in Everyday Holy.
This month for Book by Book, we are revisting an old favorite. Think I am going to take a different direction to that prompt. Here are the remaining prompts for the year. It’s not too late for you to jump in here with us!
Also, please run by the blogs of Kristen and Rachel to check out what they read in July. Lest you think this is the only book I read last month, let me remind you that I am hosting the 2018 Summer Virtual Book Club on Facebook!! And we are about to begin our 4th book together as a group. Would love to have you join us! Leave me a message below if you are interested and we’ll get you added to the group.
Tomorrow is Wellness Wednesday. See you you then? Hope so!
Hugs and kisses,
ShootingStarsMag
I’m glad you are enjoying this one – definitely seems like something to enjoy a bit at a time. I like the prompt for next month. 🙂
-Lauren
Leslie Roberts Clingan
I really don’t reread books much. Do you? I am thinking if I revisit an old favorite for August’s prompt for the Book by Book reading challenge, it will have to be an old favorite picture book.
If not, I think I will go with an book that sat in my Nook library for a long time before I read it. Which makes it old but not necessarily a favorite.