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Finding Selah: The Simple Practice of Peace When You Need It Most
That something you’ve been looking for in the empty stress of your mad-dash days? It has a name.
The Psalms call it selah—the pause, rest, or interlude between the notes in a song. More than merely an empty space, selah is a chance to stop and resync with the story and song of God. For all the ways life keeps you running, this word and practice offers a way to re-center yourself on the One who holds all things together and makes all things beautiful.
Stretched beyond her capacity in caring for a large family in the middle of Manhattan, Kristen Kill was exhausted, depressed, and desperate for a change. Then something sparked within her when she read the Psalms, and found that often all that stood between the psalmist’s cries for help and celebrations of praise was this simple word, selah.
Join Kristen in Finding Selah for a journey that will transform the way you think about work, rest, and the little spaces in between that make all the difference. This book will show you how to tune your ear to the song God is singing over you, embrace the “selah moments” able to transform your daily rhythms, and most of all, encounter the ultimate Selah in Christ, who stands in the gap between heaven and your most hectic of days. There is hope for the dissonance you feel. Finding Selah will show you not only how to sing a new song, but to live a new way.
The Psalms call it selah—the pause, rest, or interlude between the notes in a song. More than merely an empty space, selah is a chance to stop and resync with the story and song of God. For all the ways life keeps you running, this word and practice offers a way to re-center yourself on the One who holds all things together and makes all things beautiful.
Stretched beyond her capacity in caring for a large family in the middle of Manhattan, Kristen Kill was exhausted, depressed, and desperate for a change. Then something sparked within her when she read the Psalms, and found that often all that stood between the psalmist’s cries for help and celebrations of praise was this simple word, selah.
Join Kristen in Finding Selah for a journey that will transform the way you think about work, rest, and the little spaces in between that make all the difference. This book will show you how to tune your ear to the song God is singing over you, embrace the “selah moments” able to transform your daily rhythms, and most of all, encounter the ultimate Selah in Christ, who stands in the gap between heaven and your most hectic of days. There is hope for the dissonance you feel. Finding Selah will show you not only how to sing a new song, but to live a new way.
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Published January 9, 2018
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About the author
Kristen Kill
1 book13 followersKristen Kill is a woman transformed by the delight of God. A contributing editor at The Better Mom, and co-host of At Home With Sally and Friends, a popular podcast with Sally Clarkson, Kristen is passionate about encouraging women who feel stretched thin with the truth that, even in the tension, God is singing over them with love. After spending the last seven years in the hustle of New York City, Kristen and her husband, Josh, are learning to go slow as they raise their five kids in the Pacific Northwest. Her days are filled with homeschooling, walking her slightly anxious hound dog, and putting off the cleaning for one more day. Find Kristen writing at kristenkill.com and follow her on Instagram @kristenkill.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 35 reviews
November 27, 2020
3.5 Stars
Finding Selah is a spiritual memoir on how to hear the voice of God in every aspect of one's life. I somewhat liked that the author personalized this book, sharing her ups and downs in life and the Godly steps she took towards finding Selah. However, I would have loved it so much more, had she tried relating more to the readers, through provision of practical guides.
Finding Selah is a spiritual memoir on how to hear the voice of God in every aspect of one's life. I somewhat liked that the author personalized this book, sharing her ups and downs in life and the Godly steps she took towards finding Selah. However, I would have loved it so much more, had she tried relating more to the readers, through provision of practical guides.
February 9, 2019
5 stars. This is one of the favorite books that I've ever picked up. Reading this was a beautiful experience. Review to come.
March 2, 2019
Seemed an appropriate read considering I had chosen the word Selah for my word of the year. https://marypotterkenyon.wordpress.co...
I was not disappointed. Great book.
I was not disappointed. Great book.
February 7, 2018
I first heard about this book from the author herself on her podcast. I enjoyed very much her stories about her life, its joys and frustrations and her quest to find rest in Jesus throughout. It’s a fairly short read and she makes her point well that we all need to find daily rest in Jesus, something that needs to be intentional on our part. I gave it 3 stars because in places it seemed a little too poetic or abstract for me. I would have liked to hear more concrete examples of how the author found Selah.
January 14, 2020
This is a 3.5 star- ish. A good many tidbits but I was hoping for more if a practical book on how to practice selah (rest, peace). That is the struggle sometimes (re: most of the time) with Christian living books these days, though, and so I'm not entirely surprised.
Kill did more talking about her and the various struggles she went through and then maybe had a paragraph or more, but less then 5, about how she turned to the Lord and encourages readers to do the same. Please do not read that as me not caring about her struggles, I felt for her deeply, but I was missing some of the practical points of how she finally found true rest. I'm reminded of a time when I was to share my testimony of how I found Christ. I wrote it out and sent it to the pastor and he said it was good but my focus was on the men in my life rather then what God had done. While what transpired with the men was a pivotal point to my surrender to Christ, God is the one who needs to take center stage not them, not me. That is what I seemed to get more from this book.
Kill did more talking about her and the various struggles she went through and then maybe had a paragraph or more, but less then 5, about how she turned to the Lord and encourages readers to do the same. Please do not read that as me not caring about her struggles, I felt for her deeply, but I was missing some of the practical points of how she finally found true rest. I'm reminded of a time when I was to share my testimony of how I found Christ. I wrote it out and sent it to the pastor and he said it was good but my focus was on the men in my life rather then what God had done. While what transpired with the men was a pivotal point to my surrender to Christ, God is the one who needs to take center stage not them, not me. That is what I seemed to get more from this book.
October 29, 2017
A copy of this review can be found at Book Ink Reviews.
Thank you to NetGalley, Kristen Kill, and Zondervan for providing this free ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Kristen Kill's voice is authentic as she walks you through her own experience in finding selah while using Scripture to encourage your own journey into Christ's peace and rejuvenation.
I rarely come across a book, even devotionals I have picked out specifically, that seem to speak to my very soul. Finding Selah, though, hit me in the deepest recesses of my heart. Kill is a mother that remembers how hectic bringing up little ones can be, she also has an identity away from "MOM" and that life outside of that title is just as grinding
Through thoughtful quotes, we are encouraged to get into the Word to examine what it means to find mindful peace and rest. That Selah in the Psalms is an instructional verb, not a noun. To take a beat, to find a rest, to listen in the silence. Some of the most profound:
Within these pages, you will find permission to rest and encouragement to move. You will find peace, and it is a beautiful thing that emerges.
Thank you to NetGalley, Kristen Kill, and Zondervan for providing this free ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Kristen Kill's voice is authentic as she walks you through her own experience in finding selah while using Scripture to encourage your own journey into Christ's peace and rejuvenation.
I rarely come across a book, even devotionals I have picked out specifically, that seem to speak to my very soul. Finding Selah, though, hit me in the deepest recesses of my heart. Kill is a mother that remembers how hectic bringing up little ones can be, she also has an identity away from "MOM" and that life outside of that title is just as grinding
Through thoughtful quotes, we are encouraged to get into the Word to examine what it means to find mindful peace and rest. That Selah in the Psalms is an instructional verb, not a noun. To take a beat, to find a rest, to listen in the silence. Some of the most profound:
Somewhere between majesty and misery, heaven finds us in the barren wilderness of our deepest longings.
The echoes of Eden breathes into a dry and weary world and called out to dry bones to wake and to walk, to taste and to see what was good and right and lovely, to keep the feast.
The pause, the rest, the interlude is Jesus. Selah and Sabbath are a person.
Within these pages, you will find permission to rest and encouragement to move. You will find peace, and it is a beautiful thing that emerges.
January 6, 2018
Kristen Kill shares with readers how God has shown up during the tough times in her life and helped her find moments of selah, moments of pause, small reminders and big that God is still there and good, even when life is hectic, crazy, and hard. Her experiences range from physical and emotional health issues, major life changes such as moving from an idyllic green valley to the skyscrapers of New York, to everyday headaches like all the challenges of raising kids in a Manhattan apartment. She has learned that sometimes God changes our circumstances to bring peace to our turmoil, but just as often He brings change to our hearts, offering selah even in the midst of crazy.
I don’t identify with all of Kristen’s personal experiences, but I think everyone has faced multiple moments in their life when they crave peace and calm or feel spiritually/emotionally dry and empty. Kristen provides good reminders that God won’t give up on us, that He’s always loving, and that despite our feelings, He’s always there. I think it was good to be reminded that sometimes God takes us away from the crazy and gives us days of peace and refreshing, and sometimes He provides the peace through little reminders in the midst of the craziness. I appreciated Kristen’s openness and willingness to share very personal stories. She also shares solid Scripture throughout, particularly Scripture passages God used to help refresh her. The Biblical principles were solid, the stories were engaging and from the heart, and overall the book is a good tool in providing invitations to experience selah wherever you are and whatever you are facing. Recommended for anyone who feels like their days are crazy, their hearts are dry, or their spiritual life needs a little boost. Due to Kristen’s life experiences, I expect mothers of young kids to be the ones who will most strongly identify with her. But you definitely don’t need to be a mother to get something out of this book.
No content issues.
I received an ARC of this title from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I don’t identify with all of Kristen’s personal experiences, but I think everyone has faced multiple moments in their life when they crave peace and calm or feel spiritually/emotionally dry and empty. Kristen provides good reminders that God won’t give up on us, that He’s always loving, and that despite our feelings, He’s always there. I think it was good to be reminded that sometimes God takes us away from the crazy and gives us days of peace and refreshing, and sometimes He provides the peace through little reminders in the midst of the craziness. I appreciated Kristen’s openness and willingness to share very personal stories. She also shares solid Scripture throughout, particularly Scripture passages God used to help refresh her. The Biblical principles were solid, the stories were engaging and from the heart, and overall the book is a good tool in providing invitations to experience selah wherever you are and whatever you are facing. Recommended for anyone who feels like their days are crazy, their hearts are dry, or their spiritual life needs a little boost. Due to Kristen’s life experiences, I expect mothers of young kids to be the ones who will most strongly identify with her. But you definitely don’t need to be a mother to get something out of this book.
No content issues.
I received an ARC of this title from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
January 10, 2018
Selah is one of those words that I have read in the Psalms, but I never quite understood it. In Finding Selah, Kristen Kill helped me learn just what this word means and how God can use Selah in our lives today. Throughout Finding Selah, she shares her story of growing her large family with her husband and how God also helped her find peace when she needed it.
I imagine many of us can relate to Kill's story. Our own lives have a different set of characters and set locations but many of us are beyond busy in caring for others and longing for peace in our lives. Early on in the book, Kill defines what Selah means. While she explains it several places so that we can apply it to our own lives, simply put, it is the pause between the notes in a song (psalm). For those who wrote the psalms, it was "a chance to stop and listen to the song God was singing over them." Kill learned to listen to God in the midst of her story and encourages readers to do the same. Kill says, "When we wind selah into the regular days and rhythms of our life, we are knitting in the delight of God, the presence of God and the gifts of God."
Finding Selah is one of those books that I like to savor slowly, letting the words touch my soul in all the places they need to. I don't feel my review is doing it justice, but reading Kill's personal story woven in between Scripture and her encouragement to turn to God as a source of peace and rest was so uplifting to me. Kill also spoke to me in Chapters 11 and 12 where she shares her struggles with scarcity and fully trusting God for the good things. I could understand so much of what she was saying there. Kill opens up and shares from her heart both the good things and the hard things she has experienced to offer hope to readers that God "is singing over you." I would encourage anyone in need of hope and refreshment from God to read Finding Selah.
I received this book from Zondervan. I was not required to write a positive review in exchange for the book.
I imagine many of us can relate to Kill's story. Our own lives have a different set of characters and set locations but many of us are beyond busy in caring for others and longing for peace in our lives. Early on in the book, Kill defines what Selah means. While she explains it several places so that we can apply it to our own lives, simply put, it is the pause between the notes in a song (psalm). For those who wrote the psalms, it was "a chance to stop and listen to the song God was singing over them." Kill learned to listen to God in the midst of her story and encourages readers to do the same. Kill says, "When we wind selah into the regular days and rhythms of our life, we are knitting in the delight of God, the presence of God and the gifts of God."
Finding Selah is one of those books that I like to savor slowly, letting the words touch my soul in all the places they need to. I don't feel my review is doing it justice, but reading Kill's personal story woven in between Scripture and her encouragement to turn to God as a source of peace and rest was so uplifting to me. Kill also spoke to me in Chapters 11 and 12 where she shares her struggles with scarcity and fully trusting God for the good things. I could understand so much of what she was saying there. Kill opens up and shares from her heart both the good things and the hard things she has experienced to offer hope to readers that God "is singing over you." I would encourage anyone in need of hope and refreshment from God to read Finding Selah.
I received this book from Zondervan. I was not required to write a positive review in exchange for the book.
April 30, 2018
Selah is a musical term for a pause between notes of the song or stanzas in the poetic Psalms. But it is so much more than just a break. In our lives selah can mean a pause from our busyness and time to reflect and enjoy God's presence amidst our busy lives. Kristen opens up about a chaotic season in her life when she lived in Manhattan with her husband and four kids and also endured through multiple miscarriages. Along the heartbreak and fast-paced lifestyle, she was desperate for rest. Learning about selah and sabbath were a stream of calm water for her, leading her on a journey to carve out space to be still and find peace and rest. She has a poetic writing style that is slightly reminiscent of Ann Voskamp and her honesty is refreshing and encouraging for those, like myself, who want to invite more selah into our lives. I would have liked more practical application of how others can "find selah" in their own circumstances. Granted, it is individual experience for everyone, but I would have liked to have more ideas of ways to carve out this time in my own life. In recent years, I have been blessed by exploring selah and it has looked like painting, going for walks, intentionally being still and meditating on Scripture, journaling, and praying. This is a theme that has become vital in my life since I tend to get anxious and overwhelmed when I am stretched too thin and do not have pockets of quiet and rest built into my week, so I was hoping for a bit more practical help and a deeper study in the Biblical term of selah. I was expecting more of a theological exposition and practical guide rather than a memoir, which is fine overall because it was a wonderful and encouraging read, but I think my expectation for the book affected how much I ending up liking it.
January 11, 2018
The nice thing about spiritual memoirs is that, sometimes, they’re written by the average, ordinary person. Sure, the odd pastor with a name or reputation here and there tries their hand at it, but these autobiographies are usually plain-spoken at best. No big names in flashy lights. Just the stories of the ordinary. That feeling permeates throughout Kristen Kill’s Finding Selah. Despite the subtitle “The Simple Practice of Peace When You Need It Most,” this is not really a How To guide or a balm for whatever anxiety you’re facing. Instead, it is a story. A rich story. Kill has a way with words that conjures up images of a clementine being peeled slowly, or a sweet onion’s skin being shed. It is finely nuanced. Reading Kill is like enjoying a cup of hot chocolate on a cold winter’s day. Enjoyable and frothy.
Essentially, the thrust of the book is how Kill, along with her husband, was thrust from living in the rural Pacific Northwest to Manhattan when Kill’s husband’s place of employment offered him a plum job there. The story, then, is about a mom to at least four children (five, by the end of the book) manages to get through the hectic and crazy world of the Big Apple. She finds peace in the small pauses, the mundane. A good liberal dose of the Psalms helps, too, for there she encounters the word “selah” 71 times. “Selah” is both a noun and a verb meaning “rest” to “to stop and listen.”
Read the rest here: https://medium.com/@zachary_houle/a-r...
Essentially, the thrust of the book is how Kill, along with her husband, was thrust from living in the rural Pacific Northwest to Manhattan when Kill’s husband’s place of employment offered him a plum job there. The story, then, is about a mom to at least four children (five, by the end of the book) manages to get through the hectic and crazy world of the Big Apple. She finds peace in the small pauses, the mundane. A good liberal dose of the Psalms helps, too, for there she encounters the word “selah” 71 times. “Selah” is both a noun and a verb meaning “rest” to “to stop and listen.”
Read the rest here: https://medium.com/@zachary_houle/a-r...
March 6, 2021
Eh, I'm going to rate this book a 3.5 I think, on the whole. I read it and I ENJOYED it but I mostly enjoyed it because I liked Kill's writing style and hearing about her life in Manhattan which is what she focused on primarily. And I do suppose that one would like to find peace and rest in Manhattan! :D This PNW girl (which Kill was and is again) definitely is intrigued by the hustle and bustle of city life but ultimately I just crave quiet, countryfied peace.
And I honestly have no idea what the rest of the book was about. Yes, it's about pursuing a relationship with God so as to sustain your peace but mostly it was about her life in Manhattan. Which was interesting and fascinating and I totally loved hearing about it! It's just not so much a book about steps to take to slow the pace of life down and simplify for the sake of greater peace. It's internal. But exactly how? Well, she doesn't spend a lot of time on the how-to's. But it's her story of moving a family from the PNW to Manhattan and back again and, as I say, it's fun! It was a quick and pleasant read but I'm not sure the take away....... ?
And I honestly have no idea what the rest of the book was about. Yes, it's about pursuing a relationship with God so as to sustain your peace but mostly it was about her life in Manhattan. Which was interesting and fascinating and I totally loved hearing about it! It's just not so much a book about steps to take to slow the pace of life down and simplify for the sake of greater peace. It's internal. But exactly how? Well, she doesn't spend a lot of time on the how-to's. But it's her story of moving a family from the PNW to Manhattan and back again and, as I say, it's fun! It was a quick and pleasant read but I'm not sure the take away....... ?
March 2, 2018
Peace is something I think we all search for. It feels elusive and impossible in a world that says to "go, go, go" all the time. But peace - or as the Bible calls it, Selah - is not as impossible to find as we sometimes believe. Selah is as close as finding ways to center our minds on Christ throughout our day.
In her new book, Finding Selah, Kristen Kill seeks to show the reader how to find peace in the day-to-day of life. Through sharing parts of her story, Kill sought to show the reader how to re-center life on Christ and therefore find peace.
Unfortunately for me, this book fell flat. Going into the book, I thought that I would be shown how to find peace in establishing some specific practices into my life. Instead, Finding Selah was filled with reflective personal stories and moments where Kill was able to find peace in her story.
I can agree with Kill that many of us feel overwhelmed with life, in seasons of depression or are desperate for change. And what I think we truly need is the reminder to add in some pauses to our day. Those true pauses where we stop doing and we sit in the presence of God or take the time to reflect on what God has given us are what will bring us peace.
What I had hoped going into this book would be reminders of places to really stop and pause in my day-to-day. Rather, Finding Selah made me feel a bit more hurried in my life.
If you go into this book looking for the story and not a step-by-step guide, I think you will enjoy this book much more than I did.
I received a copy of this book from NetGalley. This review is my own, honest opinion.
In her new book, Finding Selah, Kristen Kill seeks to show the reader how to find peace in the day-to-day of life. Through sharing parts of her story, Kill sought to show the reader how to re-center life on Christ and therefore find peace.
Unfortunately for me, this book fell flat. Going into the book, I thought that I would be shown how to find peace in establishing some specific practices into my life. Instead, Finding Selah was filled with reflective personal stories and moments where Kill was able to find peace in her story.
I can agree with Kill that many of us feel overwhelmed with life, in seasons of depression or are desperate for change. And what I think we truly need is the reminder to add in some pauses to our day. Those true pauses where we stop doing and we sit in the presence of God or take the time to reflect on what God has given us are what will bring us peace.
What I had hoped going into this book would be reminders of places to really stop and pause in my day-to-day. Rather, Finding Selah made me feel a bit more hurried in my life.
If you go into this book looking for the story and not a step-by-step guide, I think you will enjoy this book much more than I did.
I received a copy of this book from NetGalley. This review is my own, honest opinion.
January 23, 2024
This is my second time to read this book. My father in law gave it to me when I was pregnant with Selah 8 years ago, and it is one I will come back to again, I’m sure. I love Kristin’s writing, and the way she weaves the concept of our eternal reality with the mundane, day to day of living on earth speaks to my soul so deeply. I find this book to be so peace filled and soul refreshing and ultimately it points me to Jesus, so that’s a win!
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June 14, 2020This book was not targeted for me. It is meant for younger women who have experienced the loss of a child or perhaps infertility. I did find a few nuggets of spiritual wisdom but overall the message wasn’t directed at me. Even though I did read the entire thing, I don’t feel comfortable rating it since I believe the message and voice would help others although it did not meet a need for me.
February 1, 2018
1/2018 An introspective look by a busy young mother who works hard to find selah (the pauses in the Psalms), to worship God, and to appreciate the beauty of His creation. A good look at the struggles to be content and to rest in God's presence in the midst of chaotic and busy lives.
February 13, 2018
A beautiful, raw, lyrical book that'll be hard for you to put down! Kristen weaves honest tales of her life into the lifesaving truth of finding rest in Jesus, and leaves you both inspired and encouraged in your own journey.
April 6, 2018
Kristen Kill uses beautiful words, right-on illustrations from her own life, and deep parallels from God’s Word to help us understand what is “Selah”. God draws us into him in rest, to know him, trust in him, hear from him, and grow in love for him as the Giver so we can live abundant lives!
January 4, 2018
This book was amazing! Kristen shared so much of her personal story but always pointed us back to Scripture and the truth of God's love. I plan on reading it again.
January 20, 2018
I could read this book over and over again and soak up wisdom each time. The language is beautiful and heartwarming. Kristen Kill is a gem!
January 22, 2018
A sweet memoir about a finding the meaning of Selah in the author's life, and how to make it relevant in yours.
March 26, 2018
Great overall message, but it was hard to relate to her experiences. Overall a great read!
April 13, 2018
So beautiful! Just reading this book is a rest, my soul drank up the words. I think I'll just start over again and savour each page slow...❤
July 16, 2018
#59 out of goal of 100
Way too conversational for me... obviously, I am not the target audience.
Way too conversational for me... obviously, I am not the target audience.
August 23, 2018
A great writer achieving her purpose!
September 7, 2018
I loved this book. It is a great look at how moments of Selah are sprinkled through out all of our lives, and the importance of Sabbath.
January 15, 2019
Enter into rest. Slow down. Savor. This book invites you to pursue a life different than the norm.
January 23, 2019
Beautiful and heartfelt. A vulnerable sharing of what God has shown her of His peace and rest- His sacred pauses- in her life.
June 8, 2019
This book was so beautiful. I immediately started reading it again.
April 18, 2022
There were a handful of great points that made me glad I had picked up this book. Overall, probably not one that I'd go back to again.
January 24, 2024
Kill balances and intertwines a memoir and her testimony of her growing faith in the Lord. Short and sweet and kept me turning the pages.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 35 reviews