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Always Peachy: Living Happy When Life Hurts
Life never turns out the way we think it will, does it?Amy Williams shows how not to live in constant negativity or focus on what is wrong
but the answer is not to pretend everything is fine.
This book is an honest look at life and how it works (or doesn’t) coupled with the humor
of life stories.
There are horses involved. And flooding basements, tornadoes, riding lawnmowers,
buried pirate treasure, and much, much more.Life hurts but you can choose to be happy!
Amy C. Williams is a coffee-drinking, sushi-eating, story-telling nerd who loves cats, country
living, and all things Japanese. With more than a dozen books in both fiction and non-fiction, she
specializes in stories with themes of identity and found family, ensemble casts, and epic world-
building. Amy is a Selah Award finalist for devotions, as well as a popular monthly contributor
to two blogs ranked in Writer’s Digest’s Top 101 sites for authors. In 2022, she was named the
Arise Daily Devotional Writer of the Year. If that’s your cup of tea (or coffee), join the fun at
www.amycwilliams.com.
but the answer is not to pretend everything is fine.
This book is an honest look at life and how it works (or doesn’t) coupled with the humor
of life stories.
There are horses involved. And flooding basements, tornadoes, riding lawnmowers,
buried pirate treasure, and much, much more.Life hurts but you can choose to be happy!
Amy C. Williams is a coffee-drinking, sushi-eating, story-telling nerd who loves cats, country
living, and all things Japanese. With more than a dozen books in both fiction and non-fiction, she
specializes in stories with themes of identity and found family, ensemble casts, and epic world-
building. Amy is a Selah Award finalist for devotions, as well as a popular monthly contributor
to two blogs ranked in Writer’s Digest’s Top 101 sites for authors. In 2022, she was named the
Arise Daily Devotional Writer of the Year. If that’s your cup of tea (or coffee), join the fun at
www.amycwilliams.com.
198 pages, Paperback
Published April 24, 2024
1 person is currently reading
11 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
July 1, 2024
Sitting in my daughter’s hospital room, wires snaking across her head and monitors peeping a relentless rhythm, the irony of starting “Always Peachy: Living Happy” wasn’t lost on me. Yet, as I devoured its pages, a new perspective bloomed. While I would not call those days truly happy, they were filled with a newfound awareness of how much Jesus cares for me, and how well he takes care of my needs.
I loved how her relatable stories, like digging up an old washing machine on her Kansas farm, led to lessons like encouraging believers to be honest about our emotions. This resonated deeply, especially as a man who often struggles to express emotions freely. But to be able to look at my daughter in that hospital bed and feel the freedom to tell God — “Yeah, this is a bad beat. This stinks.” (Okay, I didn’t say stinks.)—proved an important first step in processing my anger, grief, and powerlessness.
There were so numerous times where it was like Williams had been living in my head. For example, I deeply resonated with her when she said “I want the people, I love to be okay, and I’m willing to do whatever I need to do to get them there.”
She looks at all the hardship and heartache, but this doesn’t lead her to despair or nihilism. Instead, she offers hope and a way of finding meaning, purpose and value. This isn’t a denial of reality. Rather, it is a call to live life in view of the Christian’s truest reality, that of a relationship with Jesus Christ.
I love that Williams ultimately points everything back to Jesus. She gently explains how he’s always there. I loved it when she said, “We try everything in our hearts to show God that we’re worthy of his love. That’s not the point. That’s not why Jesus came here. He didn’t come so that we would have to labor under the heavy weight of God’s impossible standards. Jesus came to save us from ourselves.”
I thank God for sending this book to me to help me navigate the situation with my daughter and also for Williams’ obedience in writing it. Today, my daughter is home, and while we still process the challenges of those days, we found that, just as Williams promised, Jesus was with us the whole time. His love never changed. My daughter is on her way to what we hope is a full recovery.
This book is ideal for Christians seeking hope, or any readers struggling with hardship.
I loved how her relatable stories, like digging up an old washing machine on her Kansas farm, led to lessons like encouraging believers to be honest about our emotions. This resonated deeply, especially as a man who often struggles to express emotions freely. But to be able to look at my daughter in that hospital bed and feel the freedom to tell God — “Yeah, this is a bad beat. This stinks.” (Okay, I didn’t say stinks.)—proved an important first step in processing my anger, grief, and powerlessness.
There were so numerous times where it was like Williams had been living in my head. For example, I deeply resonated with her when she said “I want the people, I love to be okay, and I’m willing to do whatever I need to do to get them there.”
She looks at all the hardship and heartache, but this doesn’t lead her to despair or nihilism. Instead, she offers hope and a way of finding meaning, purpose and value. This isn’t a denial of reality. Rather, it is a call to live life in view of the Christian’s truest reality, that of a relationship with Jesus Christ.
I love that Williams ultimately points everything back to Jesus. She gently explains how he’s always there. I loved it when she said, “We try everything in our hearts to show God that we’re worthy of his love. That’s not the point. That’s not why Jesus came here. He didn’t come so that we would have to labor under the heavy weight of God’s impossible standards. Jesus came to save us from ourselves.”
I thank God for sending this book to me to help me navigate the situation with my daughter and also for Williams’ obedience in writing it. Today, my daughter is home, and while we still process the challenges of those days, we found that, just as Williams promised, Jesus was with us the whole time. His love never changed. My daughter is on her way to what we hope is a full recovery.
This book is ideal for Christians seeking hope, or any readers struggling with hardship.
August 31, 2025
I laughed almost as much as I cried reading this book (both a good thing, trust me!), and knowing Amy, that shouldn’t be a surprise. She touched on every human struggle that I’ve experienced over the past year with the perfect understanding and wisdom. Her humor kept it light and entertaining, but did by no means diminish the depths of her truths. Every time I opened this book, it was the exact message I needed to hear on that exact day.
“God is faithful. And His love isn’t based on our performance …We can trust Him to provide for us.” It’s truths like that, that you know are true, but the reminder is so well-placed it brings tears.
From when I started to when I finished, it went from a life-line of what I needed to hear to keep going, to beautiful confirmation of the changes I was already making in my life. I feel like a different person than when I first cracked this open, and Amy’s words were a comfort and support through it all.
“God is faithful. And His love isn’t based on our performance …We can trust Him to provide for us.” It’s truths like that, that you know are true, but the reminder is so well-placed it brings tears.
From when I started to when I finished, it went from a life-line of what I needed to hear to keep going, to beautiful confirmation of the changes I was already making in my life. I feel like a different person than when I first cracked this open, and Amy’s words were a comfort and support through it all.
May 16, 2024
Comedy, Stories, and most importantly drawing closer to Jesus. This book has it all. Amy C. Williams delivers a brilliant book full of emotions. You will laugh , cry, and reflect on your own life experiences. Connected and rooted in scripture and truth , Ms. Williams challenges us to look up and realize God is always on our side. It is a must read! I received a copy of this book in advance and all opinions are my own.
May 10, 2024
Always Peachy: Living Happy When Life Hurts by Amy C. Williams, is an encouraging reminder that God is always there, even on those days when nothing goes right.
Amy provides entertaining and personal stories of times when life got hard but with God she could always get through it. I found so many of her personal anecdotes relatable.
The best part of this book is the message. You might look at this book’s title and assume the message is to always be happy no matter what, because God is a magical cure-all that will make the world go your way.
But he isn’t a magic cure-all. In Always Peachy: Living Happy When Life Hurts, author Amy C. Williams gives you permission to NOT be okay. She expresses, on every page of this book, how important all your emotions are.
A book that doesn’t make me feel less Christian for feeling sad, angry, or hurt, I am here for it. I am also here for the stories about buried washing machines and horse-riding in Guatemala.
*I received this book from the publisher and was not required to leave a review. The honest opinion is my own.*
Amy provides entertaining and personal stories of times when life got hard but with God she could always get through it. I found so many of her personal anecdotes relatable.
The best part of this book is the message. You might look at this book’s title and assume the message is to always be happy no matter what, because God is a magical cure-all that will make the world go your way.
But he isn’t a magic cure-all. In Always Peachy: Living Happy When Life Hurts, author Amy C. Williams gives you permission to NOT be okay. She expresses, on every page of this book, how important all your emotions are.
A book that doesn’t make me feel less Christian for feeling sad, angry, or hurt, I am here for it. I am also here for the stories about buried washing machines and horse-riding in Guatemala.
*I received this book from the publisher and was not required to leave a review. The honest opinion is my own.*
May 14, 2024
This book is perfection in that it is so honest and open that it is guaranteed to touch the reader's heart. As I was reading this book, it really brought to light things that I need to work- there's no guilt, just information poured from the heart of someone who's letting it all hang out. Amy also balances out the serious stuff with some really funny stories and scenarios! I laughed out loud a lot! I really appreciate the way that Amy approached all of the subjects in the book. I will certainly be pondering this book and even re-reading it to glean as much as I can! A definite must read!
I was provided a complimentary copy of the book from the author. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
I was provided a complimentary copy of the book from the author. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
June 10, 2024
First, I was hesitant about this book. Was it going to be toxic positivity wrapped in empty Christianese phrases and give me the eye-rolling feeling of "you can be happy even when pick up a chocolate chip cookie and it is actually raisin" and ignore that IRL it's often more like "when your metaphorical cookie is full of maggots"? So I tried the sample first and quickly realized this wasn't that empty level of canned phrases and denial, so I bought the ebook.
This was so good and I highlighted so much in my Kindle app. Encouraging, challenging, real, honest, vulnerable, uplifting without being trite, and beautifully walks the line of acknowledging life in this broken world hurts (and may not always be fixed here; no empty promises or prosperity gospel) but there is hope and goodness and joy to be had, even here. This book is a definite blessing in my life that I will revisit. Highly recommend.
"This isn’t all there is. Where you’re at today isn’t the best God has in mind for you. If you know Jesus, you can take comfort from that. I hope you do."
This was so good and I highlighted so much in my Kindle app. Encouraging, challenging, real, honest, vulnerable, uplifting without being trite, and beautifully walks the line of acknowledging life in this broken world hurts (and may not always be fixed here; no empty promises or prosperity gospel) but there is hope and goodness and joy to be had, even here. This book is a definite blessing in my life that I will revisit. Highly recommend.
"This isn’t all there is. Where you’re at today isn’t the best God has in mind for you. If you know Jesus, you can take comfort from that. I hope you do."
September 18, 2024
Always Peachy is a book of hope, laughter, inspiration, and compassion. Amy Williams writes from her heart and aims her words of encouragement with a wisdom and winsomeness that hits home. Balanced with the right amount of humor, this book lays bare her own struggles, hurts, and joys as she takes us on a journey to begin the healing in our own lives. Those who are hurting or know someone who is hurting, will find a unique perspective on adjusting to those unexpected life events that knock us off our feet. It is a book to be read often and one you will want to buy for your friends and family. The down-to-earth encouragement and inspiration will bring a smile to your face as you relate to her stories with those of your own. It’s like talking with a friend who listens and holds your hand and travels with you down the same road she’s walked on her journey to finding happiness amid life’s bumps and detours. This one will stay within easy reach on my bookshelf.
November 19, 2024
I'm a fan of some of Amy Williams's fiction, so I was excited to read her first nonfiction book. Knowing a bit about her life, I know she's had a few times when life was hard and being happy didn't seem like the right response, so I was curious to see what she had to say.
I can't think of a single person who wouldn't get something out of this book. We've all had times of pain and doubt, and Williams makes it clear that being a Christian doesn't exempt us from those times. She does, however, go back to Scripture to show Christians how they can have hope (and even happiness) during those hard times.
Williams's humor and humility take some of the sting out of life's hard truths, but she doesn't sugar coat them. Instead, she offers hope, encouragement, and God's promises for tough times. This is a book I'll recommend to others, and I'll definitely read it again.
I can't think of a single person who wouldn't get something out of this book. We've all had times of pain and doubt, and Williams makes it clear that being a Christian doesn't exempt us from those times. She does, however, go back to Scripture to show Christians how they can have hope (and even happiness) during those hard times.
Williams's humor and humility take some of the sting out of life's hard truths, but she doesn't sugar coat them. Instead, she offers hope, encouragement, and God's promises for tough times. This is a book I'll recommend to others, and I'll definitely read it again.
May 7, 2024
How does one articulate the sheer blessing that is this book? This is not a self-help or how-to, but an autobiographical peek into the Christian lifestyle, layered with hysterical anecdotes, spiritual insight, biblical wisdom, and practical application. I thoroughly appreciated its raw honesty and courage to not only address the fact that life is hard, painful, and challenging without sugar coating the truth, but also offer perspective, hope, and a hearty reminder for Christians to remember who God is. With topics on emotions, hardships, and suffering, this book is a call to action. To recognize God as who he says he is and to be intentional about how we respond to the hardships of life in light of the Gospel. I was so encouraged!
May 8, 2024
Sometimes books just come when you need them, and I needed to read this book. Always Peachy: Living Happy When Life Hurts by Amy Williams is the perfect combination of laughter and honesty. She has a ton of great stories, but she weaves in the lessons she learned from each one. She shares with the reader how she has come to have joy even when life is hard. I took detailed notes because it was a subject that hit close to home for me. It will make you laugh, and it will make you think about a better way of doing life. Get it for someone you know is struggling and get one for yourself while you’re at it. It’s a message for all of us.
May 16, 2024
This is my first book by this author which I enjoyed reading. This is a book that is full of life stories that will make you laugh in parts. The stories are creative and engaging. This is a great book that will make you look at life and even laugh. I really enjoyed this must read book. I look forward to seeing what is next for this author.
January 18, 2025
I loved these funny and insightful stories that left the reader with lessons about life and God's hand in our lives. One of my favotire stories was about finding the washing machine tub in the ground at the farm and them digging allsummer for the treasure. The book is filled with beauitful vinettes of life that can be applied to our journey through life.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews