Whispers of Rest: 40 Days of God's Love to Revitalise Your Soul

A good friend has been challenging me lately... okay, for the last few years, to do something difficult. "Put yourself equal," she says.  Basically, give yourself the same priority as you give others.  In a world of constant moving and everything to do, stopping for the sake of yourself is considered a frivolous notion.  To many Christians it feels downright vain.  What Bonnie Gray is challenging us to do in this new release, Whispers of Rest, is to approach rest with a healthy perspective and she gives practical exercises to help.  It's not the humanistic (verging on narcissistic) "me time" movement some may think.  It's not about making yourself the center of the universe.  This book is rather a beautiful journey of taking time to discover who you really are in the presence of a loving God.

Called a "devotional detox," this 40-day exploration is all about creating space for your soul to breathe, and dare I say, heal.  Each day follows a pattern of reading, reflecting, and a time to pray and rest.  Although she shares a bit of her own story with each passing day, the focus is really on what God is saying through His Word and through taking time to just be with Him.  She challenges us with scripture that inspires application.  Her call to reflect has questions with the remaining page left with enough whitespace to jot down your own answers if you want.  Even if you like to keep a pristine book instead, this space provides a visual prompt to stop and really consider your answers before moving on.  For those that struggle to know how to pray, Gray provides help that correlates with the day's focus, while leaving room for you to speak your heart to God.

It is surprising how challenging this journey is, but Gray leads the way with ease.  God has gifted her with this message of rest and I suspect anyone who takes this 40-day journey seriously will find it to just the beginning.

Intentional Breathing: Making Space with Whispers of Rest

Today marks the release of Bonnie Gray's sophomore book, Whispers of Rest.  We learned the importance of taking time to meet with God and find ourselves in Him through her beautiful personal story in Finding Spiritual Whitespace.  This time around, we are treated to a 40 day journey of Rest.

I have enjoyed putting this necessity into practice on a daily basis.  There is something about choosing to be intentional that can make things difficult, but REST is important.  What I love most about this book are the practical prompts of things to do.  It's something as simple as "Take a Fruit Break."  Because fruit brings health.  Because fruit tastes good.  Because why not.  How beautiful is that... taking everyday things and finding spiritual rest with God in those simple moments.

I'm grateful for this incredible help in establishing a habit of rest.  I hope you will take this journey too.

Find your copy and bonus downloads at www.whispersofrest.com

The Essential Amish Cookbook: Everyday Recipes from Farm and Pantry

Author of many Amish Cookbooks, Lovina Eicher brings things back to basics in her new release, The Essential Amish Cookbook.

Cooking and baking is something I do because I enjoy.  And because I need to eat.  And because I like to eat tasty things.  I'm fortunate because I learned how to do these things from an early age.  I do however realise that this kind of homemade is becoming a lost art.  Younger generations have grown up without the basics and therefore are overwhelmed by the more daring or involved recipes.  A brief scroll through social media reveals a pattern of quick, minimal ingredient recipe videos folk are saving, pinning, and studying.

This is not the book for those who are searching for more advanced cuisine or groundbreaking technique.  It is a fantastic tool for anyone who needs a place to begin. This book keeps to the Amish idea of keeping life simple and provides simple recipes that will serve as a proper foundation for years of cooking.  Do not be mistaken to think that simple means bland.  From zesty combinations like the Pea and Cheese Salad, to the classic homespun Pot Roast, these recipes are made to taste good.  I was actually a little surprised to see ingredients like Velveeta and instant pudding mix in some recipes, but again that would appeal to our generation of convenience.  I mean, if we have it why not use it.

I especially like that this includes several desert recipes, as I love Amish baked goods.  Eicher even includes seemingly foolproof bread recipes.  She also includes two additional sections titled "Church Meals" and "Wedding Meals."  These highlight special dishes for the occasions while sharing details about the Amish culture at these special times.  Beautiful photographs and personal tidbits strewn throughout make this a personal book.

Although some recipes seem intuitive and redundant to the seasoned cook, I like how she doesn't assume the new cook would already have some basics and so she includes those recipes.  In that sense it truly is a book of essentials.  It is a fantastic tool for anyone who needs a place to begin and would be a great gift for those millennial just heading out into independent living.

Rejoice!

"Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice..."



One word:  Rejoice.  


This verse emphasizes this act of joy, calling us to take part always and again.



This year will be my year of rejoicing.