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This Ordinary Adventure: Settling Down Without Settling
They started out living the dream. They promised themselves and each other that every day would be an amazing day. They even stuck that phrase--"Amazing Days"--on their refrigerator, like Martin Luther pounding his conviction into a door and launching the next great era of the church. "Ready or not," they told the world, "here we come." They traveled the planet, doing missions and community development work in Latin America, China, Africa. Then they went back home--to the land of shopping malls and manicured lawns. And they wondered what had become of their amazing days. InThis Ordinary Adventure Adam and Christine Jeske mine their experience, from riding motorcycles in Africa to dicing celery in Wisconsin, in search of a God who is always present and who is charging every moment with potential. Read along and you'll see your life--your ruts and routines, your frustrations and exhilarations--through different eyes, maybe for the first time. You'll discover the amazing things God is doing in the shadows of even the most ordinary day.
208 pages, Paperback
First published April 25, 2012
3 people are currently reading
250 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews
August 17, 2014
First of all, two stars is labeled as "It was ok." And that's pretty much how I feel about the book as a whole.
I hated the first three chapters. The authors never explain why every day needs to be "amazing." Was every day when Paul was in prison "amazing?" Was every day Jesus was on earth "amazing?" Aren't there days when we do what we need to do in order to get things done so that other days can be amazing? I also have trouble with the way having an "amazing day" implicitly involves caring what other people think. I would rather have a good life, a disciple's life, a faithful life. Trying to be amazing seems like misdirected effort. But I may be picking apart their words too much.
Once I made it through the first three chapters, I started to like the book. The authors are very likeable people and they have a lot of interesting stories to tell. And this book had an impact on me - I am planning to invite people over to my house, which hasn't happened in a while.
I hated the first three chapters. The authors never explain why every day needs to be "amazing." Was every day when Paul was in prison "amazing?" Was every day Jesus was on earth "amazing?" Aren't there days when we do what we need to do in order to get things done so that other days can be amazing? I also have trouble with the way having an "amazing day" implicitly involves caring what other people think. I would rather have a good life, a disciple's life, a faithful life. Trying to be amazing seems like misdirected effort. But I may be picking apart their words too much.
Once I made it through the first three chapters, I started to like the book. The authors are very likeable people and they have a lot of interesting stories to tell. And this book had an impact on me - I am planning to invite people over to my house, which hasn't happened in a while.
February 11, 2013
I hesitate to say this was a fail, which is why I guess two stars is defined as "it was ok." The writing is excellent, and I can't really explain what I didn't love without sounding negative, other than to say that overall it came across to me as a therapeutic exercise for the authors in recounting their many (voluntary) trials. That isn't necessarily a bad thing, and there are quite a few really good bits on spiritual lessons learned. Something about the tone in most of the story parts just wasn't my cup of tea.
January 4, 2021
This couple has lived extremely different lifestyles in multiple countries while allowing God to direct their paths. I really enjoyed this book for the experiences this couple lived, the lessons learned, and suggestions to encourage the reader to step outside the box. It's helping me analyze and process my own fears and fight them with specific prayers and confidence.
January 25, 2018
This book speaks to people who want to live for God and live with purpose and adventure, especially in the midst of the mundane and typical routine of everyday life. It speaks to me today, as a recent college graduate, unsure of the path ahead other than a desire to live well and to serve God. I was privileged to take a class with Christine Jeske last year, where she assigned an excerpt from this book. From that time, I planned to read this book. Adam and Christine sew a continuous thread throughout this book, referencing images and themes from each other, sharing their desire to have an adventure even in the ordinary.
April 14, 2021
would read again!
August 31, 2015
Summary: The Jeskes describe what happens when their quest to live a life of "amazing days" meets up with the realities of returning to suburban America, parenting, regular work--and routine.
Take a young man and woman dedicated to living out their faith in a way that leaves its mark in the world for good, who train to do development work in Majority World countries, and then do it. They live with the poor, contract malaria and dysentary, and fear for their daughter's life when she runs a 105 degree fever. And they meet extraordinary people from the African host who ferries Christine to catch a crucial flight on his beat up old motorcycle, to the health care worker who diagnosed their daughter with tonsillitis and got her on the necessary antibiotics. They help a village close a coffee deal that was still paying dividends ten years later. They had resolved to live a life of faith that chose risk and living "amazing days" over safety.
And then they came home to pursue graduate studies and work with a national organization as a writer. They lived in several locations in Wisconsin, finally settling in midwestern Madison. They find themselves settling into the routines and realities of work, raising Phoebe and Zeke, and engaging and resisting suburban realities and trying to figure out what "amazing days" look like in this different setting.
The book is co-authored by Christine and Adam and they contribute alternate chapters, that describe both their adventures abroad, and the ordinary adventure of early twenty-first century life as people of faith with high ideals who don't want to settle for ordinary and predictable lives. The book alternates between painful struggle, funny stories, and revelatory moments like watching a spider weave a web in a kitchen window. "Amazing" can be a day at the parks with the kids, or a community gathering, or Adam's crazy jello creation. it doesn't have to be a harrowing adventure in a country most people haven't heard of. The big issue seems willing to be attentive to the form "amazing" comes in and how the amazing God wants to encounter us in different seasons.
I have to admit that there was part of me that wrestled with the "amazing days" thing. The people I knew in the blue collar neighborhood I grew up in would never have dreamed of "amazing days" and would probably have thought this couple a bit strange, running around the world, and then struggling with life here at home. Those I knew who lived lives of faith said their prayers before they went to work while their wives prayed they would return safely. You sought to raise your kids right, helped your neighbors when they were in need, remembered the bonds of extended family. You didn't think about "amazing days"--just what doing right by God, family, work, and neighbor required. Running around the world, or traveling farther than Niagara Falls, or indulging in all the suburban conveniences (attached garages and whole house air conditioning or introspecting about living simply) were luxuries that seemed beyond us.
Yet I remember when my wife and I bought a home in suburban Columbus years later. We were walking around our neighborhood and asked ourselves if we had "sold out". We were also committed to a vision of living out our faith that was different than the American dream, which confronted us in the form of the array of leagues and lessons our peers thought was the norm for any child. We somehow never made the obligatory pilgrimage to Disney World but discovered the "amazing" in wandering dusty bookstores and exploring small towns in out of the way places within an hour of our home.
And I think this is the point Adam and Christine make in this memoir of their first eleven years of life together. The temptation to settle down and sell out is real--to abandon the ideals of our faith and become more "realistic" about life. But to settle, to put roots down in a place, to love God, people, and that place doesn't require a sellout. At the same time, I think we (at least I) continue to need voices like Christine and Adam who keep us attentive to God's invitation to the adventure in the ordinary. I need the suggestions, both zany and practical, at the end of each chapter. I might just take them up on taking a photograph every day for the next month!
Take a young man and woman dedicated to living out their faith in a way that leaves its mark in the world for good, who train to do development work in Majority World countries, and then do it. They live with the poor, contract malaria and dysentary, and fear for their daughter's life when she runs a 105 degree fever. And they meet extraordinary people from the African host who ferries Christine to catch a crucial flight on his beat up old motorcycle, to the health care worker who diagnosed their daughter with tonsillitis and got her on the necessary antibiotics. They help a village close a coffee deal that was still paying dividends ten years later. They had resolved to live a life of faith that chose risk and living "amazing days" over safety.
And then they came home to pursue graduate studies and work with a national organization as a writer. They lived in several locations in Wisconsin, finally settling in midwestern Madison. They find themselves settling into the routines and realities of work, raising Phoebe and Zeke, and engaging and resisting suburban realities and trying to figure out what "amazing days" look like in this different setting.
The book is co-authored by Christine and Adam and they contribute alternate chapters, that describe both their adventures abroad, and the ordinary adventure of early twenty-first century life as people of faith with high ideals who don't want to settle for ordinary and predictable lives. The book alternates between painful struggle, funny stories, and revelatory moments like watching a spider weave a web in a kitchen window. "Amazing" can be a day at the parks with the kids, or a community gathering, or Adam's crazy jello creation. it doesn't have to be a harrowing adventure in a country most people haven't heard of. The big issue seems willing to be attentive to the form "amazing" comes in and how the amazing God wants to encounter us in different seasons.
I have to admit that there was part of me that wrestled with the "amazing days" thing. The people I knew in the blue collar neighborhood I grew up in would never have dreamed of "amazing days" and would probably have thought this couple a bit strange, running around the world, and then struggling with life here at home. Those I knew who lived lives of faith said their prayers before they went to work while their wives prayed they would return safely. You sought to raise your kids right, helped your neighbors when they were in need, remembered the bonds of extended family. You didn't think about "amazing days"--just what doing right by God, family, work, and neighbor required. Running around the world, or traveling farther than Niagara Falls, or indulging in all the suburban conveniences (attached garages and whole house air conditioning or introspecting about living simply) were luxuries that seemed beyond us.
Yet I remember when my wife and I bought a home in suburban Columbus years later. We were walking around our neighborhood and asked ourselves if we had "sold out". We were also committed to a vision of living out our faith that was different than the American dream, which confronted us in the form of the array of leagues and lessons our peers thought was the norm for any child. We somehow never made the obligatory pilgrimage to Disney World but discovered the "amazing" in wandering dusty bookstores and exploring small towns in out of the way places within an hour of our home.
And I think this is the point Adam and Christine make in this memoir of their first eleven years of life together. The temptation to settle down and sell out is real--to abandon the ideals of our faith and become more "realistic" about life. But to settle, to put roots down in a place, to love God, people, and that place doesn't require a sellout. At the same time, I think we (at least I) continue to need voices like Christine and Adam who keep us attentive to God's invitation to the adventure in the ordinary. I need the suggestions, both zany and practical, at the end of each chapter. I might just take them up on taking a photograph every day for the next month!
January 15, 2013
I won this book through the GoodReads First-Reads giveaway.
I wasn't entirely sure what I expected to get from this book. The title, of course, intrigued me as did the description. Nevertheless, I don't entirely feel that either quite does the book justice. The book is more than just a treatise on what it means to be a Christian in the modern world and it's a bit more than what it means to be involved in the world in a positive way. For me, the book seemed to be more about what it means to live a full life, according to your own values and expectations.
While the book did drag on in a few places, notably when talking about faith, the words jumped off the page in a few other places. I was surprised by the selflessness with which the authors acted, and the honesty which their children showed. Patience and perseverance were likewise in evidence, and altogether the book served as a good reminder that now and again we all could slow down a bit and perhaps compromise a bit less on what matters most to us. If we want something to happen, we need to take the first step. If someone we love wants something to happen and takes the first step, it would do to help them make it a reality, too.
I wasn't entirely sure what I expected to get from this book. The title, of course, intrigued me as did the description. Nevertheless, I don't entirely feel that either quite does the book justice. The book is more than just a treatise on what it means to be a Christian in the modern world and it's a bit more than what it means to be involved in the world in a positive way. For me, the book seemed to be more about what it means to live a full life, according to your own values and expectations.
While the book did drag on in a few places, notably when talking about faith, the words jumped off the page in a few other places. I was surprised by the selflessness with which the authors acted, and the honesty which their children showed. Patience and perseverance were likewise in evidence, and altogether the book served as a good reminder that now and again we all could slow down a bit and perhaps compromise a bit less on what matters most to us. If we want something to happen, we need to take the first step. If someone we love wants something to happen and takes the first step, it would do to help them make it a reality, too.
July 19, 2013
Adam and Christine Jeske love adventure. They sought it out while college students at the University of Wisconsin at Madison, and then, after getting married and graduating, their pursuit of adventure took them to inner city Atlanta, Nicaragua, South Africa, and China, all over the course of many years. And then one day they found themselves back in Wisconsin. And life suddenly felt terribly… well… ordinary.
In their new book, This Ordinary Adventure: Settling Down Without Settling (IVP/Likewise), the Jeskes tell their story of seeking to hold onto their ideals while adjusting to a much more “ordinary” life in the United States. Using the “Amazing Days” mantra they touted throughout college and their years overseas, they settled into the spiritual discipline of celebrating the amazing in the midst of the ordinary...
- See more at: http://tjhoiland.com/wordpress/2012/1...
In their new book, This Ordinary Adventure: Settling Down Without Settling (IVP/Likewise), the Jeskes tell their story of seeking to hold onto their ideals while adjusting to a much more “ordinary” life in the United States. Using the “Amazing Days” mantra they touted throughout college and their years overseas, they settled into the spiritual discipline of celebrating the amazing in the midst of the ordinary...
- See more at: http://tjhoiland.com/wordpress/2012/1...
March 15, 2016
This book immediately appealed to me as even the title seemed to capture the life phase I find myself in. I've moved multiple times and often talk about walking with God as the Great Adventure. It has been. And yet, I yearn to be settled and to find God as much in the ordinary adventure as in the extraordinary.This book was a fun, personal account of a couple that seemed to be facing that same struggle, on a much larger scale, after returning from exciting work overseas to an "ordinary" suburban lifestyle in the US. They provide some stories that offer practical guidance for making the ordinary amazing and hit home with some spiritual truths along the way about marriage and children. I appreciated the action steps and potential amazing things list at the end of each chapter, and aprpeciated the encouragement of knowing you can settle down without settling for less than God's best. I highly recommend it, especially for other recovering commitment-phobes.
September 10, 2012
One could describe the Jeske's book as a travelogue of their spiritual adventures. They weave their story into a narrative of sucking the marrow of life and seeing God in unexpected places--from malaria to common spiders' webs. Every thematic chapter includes not only statements of transformative insight but also the stories of where--and more importantly, from whom--they were learned. We are introduced to a wise, banana-stealing widow, a couple of crazy African motorcyclists, genocide survivors, and more. But the most amazing thing about this cast is that we are shown to all be ordinary--and amazing. By example they provide substantial food for thought in how words like "success," "amazing," and "life" are to be defined. The Jeske's have given us an invitation to come wrestle with life alongside of them and see all that can await in the amazing mundane.
March 23, 2014
It seemed to me like this book got better as it went... but that might also be because I brought some baggage to reading it that I was able to set aside as I made progress. My world-adventuring ended when I got married at the end of college whereas the authors got to run around the world a whole decade longer. There was a bit of envy. But the truth is that they made many of the same discoveries I have over the time of "ordinariness" - of learning how to love God and live well where you are. The book ends well in terms of challenging us to live well even when doing so is not flashy. I can't say I learned a lot I didn't know from the book, but it did refresh me; had I picked it up 5 years previously, I think it would have done a lot more to rock my world. If you're in that place now, I recommend it.
March 17, 2014
I feel badly, because Chrissy and Adam seem like they are good people.
But the book felt like it lacked a clear direction.
I wish they had either told the stories of their missionary work, told the (honest) struggle of coming back from the work, or simply told how they live as Christians. But this book tried to do all three in a way that made it hard for me to connect and buy-in.
I imagine the transition to and from various countries was incredibly hard. But I thought a lot of it was glossed over by glib statements about the goodness of God.
There were references to hard times, but they were quickly passed over for the good things. But life isn't that way. Not all the hard times have resolutions. Sometimes faithfulness is the end. Regardless of results. I wish there had been more of this. I feel like it would have resonated with me more.
But the book felt like it lacked a clear direction.
I wish they had either told the stories of their missionary work, told the (honest) struggle of coming back from the work, or simply told how they live as Christians. But this book tried to do all three in a way that made it hard for me to connect and buy-in.
I imagine the transition to and from various countries was incredibly hard. But I thought a lot of it was glossed over by glib statements about the goodness of God.
There were references to hard times, but they were quickly passed over for the good things. But life isn't that way. Not all the hard times have resolutions. Sometimes faithfulness is the end. Regardless of results. I wish there had been more of this. I feel like it would have resonated with me more.
September 13, 2012
How do we live faithfully? Adam and Chrissy, from the beginning of their lives together, even before they were together, wrestle with this question. I love that they wrestle with it and then live out what they decide and find these amazing days. Chrissy in an early chapter gives the description of what seems to be their life pattern: Listen. Believe. Go. See Christ there. Repeat.
I love their honesty as well. This "living out faithfulness" is hard and they are honest about the struggles, fears, and tears that go along with it. But the stories they tell are remarkable and joyful.
The book is a great inspiration to live life fully. I look forward to their continuing story and to what their story inspires in the rest of us.
I love their honesty as well. This "living out faithfulness" is hard and they are honest about the struggles, fears, and tears that go along with it. But the stories they tell are remarkable and joyful.
The book is a great inspiration to live life fully. I look forward to their continuing story and to what their story inspires in the rest of us.
September 13, 2012
At first glance, it may be tempting to write off Adam and Christine Jeske as counter-cultural, globe trotting hippies. But don't!! Through poignant stories and honest tales of their (truly amazing) international adventures, the Jeske's have forged their own unique path into adulthood. Even more impressive is their transition back to America and into the world of 9-5 jobs, home-ownership, Target shopping, and American child-rearing as they return "home" and put down roots. The book is part travel memoir, part personal reflection on the journey into a "grown-up" life that is radical at its roots. It is perfect for anyone who is looking at their ordinary (or not-so ordinary) life and asking "now what".
June 27, 2013
This book was great for some perspective and encouragement as I get ready to marry and "settle down" for a bit with my partner met while traveling. The book reads like a series of blog posts (i really enjoy some of the Jeske's blog posts). I was hoping for a bit more depth, and perhaps I should go back and read their earlier books. There are many subtleties of their travel and work that were not developed and definitely should be for those who dream of similar adventures.
That said, I really enjoyed the book and it was an easy read.
That said, I really enjoyed the book and it was an easy read.
December 21, 2012
Not really a story as it jumped around a lot with just a lot of their experiences, but was interesting and some good lines that really made me think, like about those living in poverty so why would you waste money on hair gel and how we are so controlled by fear and why we shouldn’t be.
The kind of book that I should have read using a highlighter as I read it. I just wish it had more structure - some kind of story line.
The kind of book that I should have read using a highlighter as I read it. I just wish it had more structure - some kind of story line.
August 25, 2013
I loved this book! I appreciated it because the authors live in my hometown and also because I am trying to figure out my future. I love how they look to make their new, more traditional, lifestyle one that honors God and is an adventure daily. I look forward to incorporating some of their ideas, like a regular gathering of friends and a massive housewarming party, whenever I am in a place where these things are feasible. This book made me excited for the future.
September 13, 2012
Passion for God and people explodes in the life of the Jeskes like Coke erupting from a shaken can. The more I read, the more I wanted to read. I felt discipled around the globe as though I was a live-in guest watching their every move. I am challenged to not only find the amazing in the ordinary but to see, in fact, ordinary sometimes is amazing.
August 14, 2015
My Ordinary Adventure intersected with the Jeskes’ in Madison, WI in the summer of 2010. I was a fresh hire right out of college at InterVarsity’s Orientation for New Staff (ONS). I sat down at a table at the poolside reception and introduced myself to a guy named Adam.
Click here to read more...
Click here to read more...
October 12, 2012
This book was interesting, lively reading. Sometimes hard to believe, and it seems they over think things at times, stressing a bit much about "amazing days." I appreciate winning this book and know just who I will share it with!
December 2, 2012
I loved this book! Adam and Chrissy do a great job of inspiring people to live amazing lives even in ordinary circumstances.
dearly-departed
March 21, 2014Won as part of the Goodreads first reads program. Review to come.
November 17, 2012
A world-changing, continent-hopping family has to settle down in Anywhere, USA and discover how to find adventure in their now seemingly ordinary lives.
May 23, 2013
This was a wonderful story of two Wisconsin natives and their journey serving God in several countries. Their story was inspirational!
January 11, 2014
Good collection of experiences and a great reminder to live fully even in simple seemingly "ordinary regular" circumstances.
January 16, 2014
Not a lot of why but certainly a lot of what. However, it kept me interested. They are good storytellers and know how to pull heart strings.
Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews