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Simply Tuesday: Small-Moment Living in a Fast-Moving World
Our obsession with bigger and faster is spinning us out of control. We move through the week breathless and bustling, just trying to keep up while longing to slow down. But real life happens in the small moments, the kind we find on Tuesday, the most ordinary day of the week. Tuesday carries moments we want to hold onto--as well as ones we'd rather leave behind. It hold secrets we can't see in a hurry--secrets not just for our schedules but for our souls. It offers us a simple bench on which to sit, observe, and share our stories.
For those being pulled under by the strong current of expectation, comparison, and hurry, relief is found more in our small moments than in our fast movements. In "Simply Tuesday," Emily P. Freeman helps readers
- stop dreading small beginnings and embrace today's work
- find contentment in the now--even when the now is frustrating or discouraging
- replace competition with compassion
- learn to breathe in a breathless world
Jesus lived small moments well, slow moments fully, and all moments free. He lives with us still, on all our ordinary days, creating and redeeming the world both in us and through us, one small moment at a time. It's time to take back Tuesday, to release our obsession with building a life, and believe in the life Christ is building in us--every day.
For those being pulled under by the strong current of expectation, comparison, and hurry, relief is found more in our small moments than in our fast movements. In "Simply Tuesday," Emily P. Freeman helps readers
- stop dreading small beginnings and embrace today's work
- find contentment in the now--even when the now is frustrating or discouraging
- replace competition with compassion
- learn to breathe in a breathless world
Jesus lived small moments well, slow moments fully, and all moments free. He lives with us still, on all our ordinary days, creating and redeeming the world both in us and through us, one small moment at a time. It's time to take back Tuesday, to release our obsession with building a life, and believe in the life Christ is building in us--every day.
256 pages, Paperback
First published August 11, 2015
453 people are currently reading
7205 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 451 reviews
August 29, 2016
Are you ready? Because I have a lot of things to say about this book. Overall, I very much love the message of it. The trend in Christianity used to be that if you weren't selling all your possessions and moving to Africa to take care of the orphans, you were horrible and terrible and selfish and didn't have enough faith. That always bothered me for a multitude of reasons. This book glorifies a "small" and ordinary life spent serving God and how to embrace it. This is right up my alley and I'm all over it. Awesome. High five, Emily, and two thumbs up.
However. Emily writes with that trendy, Ann Voskampy, flowery, ethereal, mystical kind of writing style and let me be the first to say that I CANNOT STAND IT. She gets lost inside her own metaphors at times, and I kept finding myself wanting to pull her back down to earth and tell her to cut the crap and get to the point already. The bench metaphor and the kingdom of God being one inch above the ground thing did NOT work for me. I couldn't grasp it, couldn't connect with it. It was weird, and it felt like she was beating a dead horse. Speaking of beating a dead horse with metaphors, she spent almost a whole page saying things like "Tuesday is the day that wears sensible shoes, Tuesday wears reading glasses, Tuesday is not the day for a party but the day we send out invitations," etc. My eyes glazed over. We get it, Emily. A lot of this book felt over-explained, and yet a lot of paragraphs were nothing more than pithy one-liners strung together that didn't make a whole lot of sense. I just wish she wrote this book a little more straightforward, because there were parts (the fog, searching for clarity) that met me right where I am in life and that I LOVED. The sappy writing came off as cheesy and corny, and I think it ultimately took away from the message of the book. Not to mention, she quoted from some people and Bible translations with wonky-at-best theology. Great idea, subpar execution.
However. Emily writes with that trendy, Ann Voskampy, flowery, ethereal, mystical kind of writing style and let me be the first to say that I CANNOT STAND IT. She gets lost inside her own metaphors at times, and I kept finding myself wanting to pull her back down to earth and tell her to cut the crap and get to the point already. The bench metaphor and the kingdom of God being one inch above the ground thing did NOT work for me. I couldn't grasp it, couldn't connect with it. It was weird, and it felt like she was beating a dead horse. Speaking of beating a dead horse with metaphors, she spent almost a whole page saying things like "Tuesday is the day that wears sensible shoes, Tuesday wears reading glasses, Tuesday is not the day for a party but the day we send out invitations," etc. My eyes glazed over. We get it, Emily. A lot of this book felt over-explained, and yet a lot of paragraphs were nothing more than pithy one-liners strung together that didn't make a whole lot of sense. I just wish she wrote this book a little more straightforward, because there were parts (the fog, searching for clarity) that met me right where I am in life and that I LOVED. The sappy writing came off as cheesy and corny, and I think it ultimately took away from the message of the book. Not to mention, she quoted from some people and Bible translations with wonky-at-best theology. Great idea, subpar execution.
January 1, 2016
Oh, how I love this book. There are not many books that I choose to reread, but after the last page of this book, the only response for me is to turn back to page one. There are so many elegant truths to take in. I highly recommend it.
July 17, 2015
Reading Simply Tuesday is like taking in a breath of fresh air. It soothes the soul and invites it to rest in the small moments. Life moves fast, and its hurried pace can come to occupy our very souls. Simply Tuesday invites us to slow down, to enjoy God's presence, and to find the glory of His kingdom in the seemingly small, simple moments of daily life. Nobody communicates on matters of the soul better than Emily P. Freeman, and she has outdone herself this time. Read Simply Tuesday; your soul is longing for its message.
November 29, 2016
Let me just get this out of the way: I do not like flowery, try hard writing a la Ann Voskamp. I do not need odd metaphors and symbolism. Unfortunately this is how this book is written. While I appreciated a lot of the content, it was very, very hard to get beyond the writing. An English professor would have a field day with it.
I was disappointed because I love Emily's blog. This book doesn't even feel like it is written by the same person. By the end of the book I loathed her bench and Tuesday. I was uninterested and bored with her self-reflective navel gazing. Who has that much time to reflect on every single decision they make? No one. Literally no one.
That all said the message is a good one: life is made up of small moments that can be used to honor God and build our faith. We don't need to do anything drastic or have big spiritual moments to be faithful and holy. There's beauty in the mundane and offering up easy, simple tasks as prayer.
It is a shame the message gets lost in her weird writing.
Skip this one. There are far better books on the topic of simple, everyday faith floating around including The 10 Habits of Happy Mothers: Reclaiming Our Passion, Purpose, and Sanity.
I was disappointed because I love Emily's blog. This book doesn't even feel like it is written by the same person. By the end of the book I loathed her bench and Tuesday. I was uninterested and bored with her self-reflective navel gazing. Who has that much time to reflect on every single decision they make? No one. Literally no one.
That all said the message is a good one: life is made up of small moments that can be used to honor God and build our faith. We don't need to do anything drastic or have big spiritual moments to be faithful and holy. There's beauty in the mundane and offering up easy, simple tasks as prayer.
It is a shame the message gets lost in her weird writing.
Skip this one. There are far better books on the topic of simple, everyday faith floating around including The 10 Habits of Happy Mothers: Reclaiming Our Passion, Purpose, and Sanity.
August 24, 2015
I received an Advance Readers Copy in exchange for my honest review & would rather be able to give this 3.5 stars than just 3, but I don't feel that it's the same as others I've given 4.
I really like the author & her style. Mrs Freeman is very relatable and I believe many of her readers will benefit from the message of Simply Tuesday: "Learning to live well in ordinary time."
I appreciate that she sets the standard of not elevating moments. If we are only looking to the mountaintops life will be full of disappointments. "Learning to live well in ordinary time" reminds me of the term vocation- Every Christian has a particular calling from God.
(With the doctrine of vocation, ordinary relationships, the 9-to-5 routine, taking care of the kids, the work-a-day world—the way we spend most hours of the day — become charged with the presence of God.)
So why 3.5 stars? Well there are some sections of the book that make me uncomfortable, that gave me some red flags. She talks about the shape of our souls, the brokenness of the world, of our souls.. which is all true but I prefer less mystical wording & to focus on what Christ has done for us, not what we can do to change the shape of our soul.
The shape of our soul is damned ... without Christ's sacrifice & forgiveness. Therefore the only thing we can do is to recognize our sin, confess & repent.
I believe we have to be careful to not look to what we can do and instead see more of what He did & does for us.
I really like the author & her style. Mrs Freeman is very relatable and I believe many of her readers will benefit from the message of Simply Tuesday: "Learning to live well in ordinary time."
I appreciate that she sets the standard of not elevating moments. If we are only looking to the mountaintops life will be full of disappointments. "Learning to live well in ordinary time" reminds me of the term vocation- Every Christian has a particular calling from God.
(With the doctrine of vocation, ordinary relationships, the 9-to-5 routine, taking care of the kids, the work-a-day world—the way we spend most hours of the day — become charged with the presence of God.)
So why 3.5 stars? Well there are some sections of the book that make me uncomfortable, that gave me some red flags. She talks about the shape of our souls, the brokenness of the world, of our souls.. which is all true but I prefer less mystical wording & to focus on what Christ has done for us, not what we can do to change the shape of our soul.
The shape of our soul is damned ... without Christ's sacrifice & forgiveness. Therefore the only thing we can do is to recognize our sin, confess & repent.
I believe we have to be careful to not look to what we can do and instead see more of what He did & does for us.
July 9, 2015
*I received a free ARC of this book from the publisher in exchange for my honest review.*
Emily Freeman has long offered readers a place to rest and escape from the rush of daily life on her blog Chatting at the Sky. Now she's offering that same peace in Simply Tuesday.
We live in a world that glorifies people and successes that are larger than life. What do we do when our own lives and accomplishments feel so small in comparison? In Simply Tuesday, Freeman shows readers that it's not about how big we are or how much we do, but about seeing God's kingdom in the ordinary time of our everyday lives. Instead of looking for our purpose and our God in large, earth-shattering moments, we're called to live in the kingdom that's one inch above the ground.
This is a book about slowing down, leaving room to breathe, and recognizing the holy in the small moments of your daily life. I didn't love it quite as much as A Million Little Ways, but Simply Tuesday is still definitely worth reading for anyone struggling with the fast pace of life in a world that insists on doing more when what we really need is less.
Emily Freeman has long offered readers a place to rest and escape from the rush of daily life on her blog Chatting at the Sky. Now she's offering that same peace in Simply Tuesday.
We live in a world that glorifies people and successes that are larger than life. What do we do when our own lives and accomplishments feel so small in comparison? In Simply Tuesday, Freeman shows readers that it's not about how big we are or how much we do, but about seeing God's kingdom in the ordinary time of our everyday lives. Instead of looking for our purpose and our God in large, earth-shattering moments, we're called to live in the kingdom that's one inch above the ground.
This is a book about slowing down, leaving room to breathe, and recognizing the holy in the small moments of your daily life. I didn't love it quite as much as A Million Little Ways, but Simply Tuesday is still definitely worth reading for anyone struggling with the fast pace of life in a world that insists on doing more when what we really need is less.
October 28, 2015
What I liked about this book: the call to not skip over the ordinary bits of life, to find God there and not wait for the extraordinary. Lovely and challenging! Freeman also has a nice writing style- a blog voice no doubt, but one that is personal and draws you in as a reader.
What I didn't like: it was so reflective and constantly told readers to reflect on their life! Sometimes bordering on ridiculous. I don't want to criticize the author or her family- and I know blogging can be big business (ETA: a job itself) and I know God's call on people's lives is different... and I know that full time ministry is hard work (I've done it myself, so I don't blame her husband for carrying out another career path) BUT so much of this book was about embracing her family's new rhythms now that her husband took two years off and started a nonprofit. I am sure there's more to their lives than can be shared in the book but it comes off as sooo privileged. What a turn off. She did say that she knew this wasn't reality for many but still.
Maybe this book just isn't for me at this time. This reflective spirit/writing style is very prevalent in blogs these days but it annoys me. I wanted this book to lead me more to Jesus, not be mystical and talk about a lifestyle that isn't possible for many women. Parts were good, parts weren't but if you aren't a fan of this author I'd probably skip it.
What I didn't like: it was so reflective and constantly told readers to reflect on their life! Sometimes bordering on ridiculous. I don't want to criticize the author or her family- and I know blogging can be big business (ETA: a job itself) and I know God's call on people's lives is different... and I know that full time ministry is hard work (I've done it myself, so I don't blame her husband for carrying out another career path) BUT so much of this book was about embracing her family's new rhythms now that her husband took two years off and started a nonprofit. I am sure there's more to their lives than can be shared in the book but it comes off as sooo privileged. What a turn off. She did say that she knew this wasn't reality for many but still.
Maybe this book just isn't for me at this time. This reflective spirit/writing style is very prevalent in blogs these days but it annoys me. I wanted this book to lead me more to Jesus, not be mystical and talk about a lifestyle that isn't possible for many women. Parts were good, parts weren't but if you aren't a fan of this author I'd probably skip it.
May 22, 2019
3.5 🌟 This author can be very flowery in her language and thought processes. The first part of the book felt too fluffy, but I’m glad I stuck with it as I enjoyed the ending more with some thought provoking statements. God created me to enjoy the ordinary and praise Him in the small things. Smallness is not a bad thing and can teach us so much!
I prefer practical, hard facts type of books -not so much the theoretical and feel good stuff. The author’s husband used to be a youth pastor, and she makes it sound like they’ve found more fulfillment and realness to life now that he’s not.🤔
I prefer practical, hard facts type of books -not so much the theoretical and feel good stuff. The author’s husband used to be a youth pastor, and she makes it sound like they’ve found more fulfillment and realness to life now that he’s not.🤔
October 4, 2019
Paper & Glam Book Club September 2019
The words I needed at the time I needed them. A book I'll be revisiting again and again.
Discussion questions for Simply Tuesday:
1. What was your experience reading Simply Tuesday? How many benches 🛋 would you rate it?
2. What does it look like to embrace small-moment living in your life? And/or to embrace smallness? (37)
3. What are the symptoms of city building in your life? (30-31)
4. How do you stay focused on your “8 foot assignment?” (89)
5. In what ways do you fear your personality gets in the way of your desired success? (95)
6. How do you know when you’re being pushed by fear? How do you know when you’re being led by love? (207-208)
7. Are you hoping for a particular ending to your small beginning? (224)
8. What are some ways you practice “chasing the flash” or capturing moments of hopeful vision for the future? (211-212)
9. Which of Emily’s thoughts or chapters impacted you most profoundly?
Watch the live Book Club session right here ---> https://youtu.be/GjZNMQLRYZg
The words I needed at the time I needed them. A book I'll be revisiting again and again.
Discussion questions for Simply Tuesday:
1. What was your experience reading Simply Tuesday? How many benches 🛋 would you rate it?
2. What does it look like to embrace small-moment living in your life? And/or to embrace smallness? (37)
3. What are the symptoms of city building in your life? (30-31)
4. How do you stay focused on your “8 foot assignment?” (89)
5. In what ways do you fear your personality gets in the way of your desired success? (95)
6. How do you know when you’re being pushed by fear? How do you know when you’re being led by love? (207-208)
7. Are you hoping for a particular ending to your small beginning? (224)
8. What are some ways you practice “chasing the flash” or capturing moments of hopeful vision for the future? (211-212)
9. Which of Emily’s thoughts or chapters impacted you most profoundly?
Watch the live Book Club session right here ---> https://youtu.be/GjZNMQLRYZg
July 28, 2016
This book was not what I expected. I read "Grace for the Good Girl" a couple years ago and really enjoyed it, but this book was hard for me to finish. I don't know what it's called--if it even has a name--but there's this trendy style of writing (lots of adjectives and weird descriptions) that I find annoying. (Examples: before he took his first breath of earth-air; whose entire life pointed like a locust-colored arrow; kingdom of God is one inch above the ground) I know it's just a pet peeve, but what other air would he breathe besides air from earth? What does it mean to be a locust-colored arrow exactly? I never understood her metaphor for the kingdom of God being one inch above the ground. To me, this doesn't add anything to what the author is trying to say; instead, I think it's distracting from her point.
The chapters also didn't seem to build off each other. It felt like she might have taken several blog posts and just put them together to make a book.
There were a parts that I did enjoy. I thought most of the chapters "Success and Envy" and "Prayers and Questions" were really good. I also thought her idea of starting journal entries with the phrase "these are the days of..." was a great way to write about and appreciate the season in which God has placed you.
I'm sure a lot of people love this book. I just could not connect with the writing style and metaphors the author used.
The chapters also didn't seem to build off each other. It felt like she might have taken several blog posts and just put them together to make a book.
There were a parts that I did enjoy. I thought most of the chapters "Success and Envy" and "Prayers and Questions" were really good. I also thought her idea of starting journal entries with the phrase "these are the days of..." was a great way to write about and appreciate the season in which God has placed you.
I'm sure a lot of people love this book. I just could not connect with the writing style and metaphors the author used.
August 19, 2015
I discovered Emily Freeman with her Chatting at the Sky blog. This is the first of her books I have read. I'll read her others now, as well. Simply Tuesday feels like sensible, loving advice from an old friend. I do feel as if I am "held hostage by hustle." How wonderful for a writer to suggest I am already good enough, as I am, and that I can stop trying to accomplish more and just be. I highlighted many passages, and many of the pages are streaked with tears. This book feeds the soul!
July 17, 2015
Emily Freeman does it again! She causes us to stop and consider ways we are "trying to keep up while longing to slow down". She helps us see the wonder of our Tuesdays, where real life happens in small, ordinary moments. I highlighted so much of this book, my marker dried up. And then I went back to the beginning and took notes for myself, because Emily's words are just that good. READ this one!
July 17, 2015
This book explains why you should give yourself permission to slow down. Stop scheduling yourself into oblivion. Stop comparing yourself to everyone else. The most amazing things can happen when you take the time to enjoy and observe and experience your life. There are some great quotes in here but I won't spoil any of them for you. You'll have to read it for yourself! :)
July 25, 2019
I relate so much to a Emily. I literally laughed and cried as I read her writing. She has challenged me in many ways, and this is probably a book I will revisit multiple times.
July 17, 2015
Emily P. Freeman thoughtfully and thought provokingly writes about the small, ordinary in our lives and embracing it. Simply Tuesday is a gift for your soul as Emily invites the reader to sit on a bench, listen to the quiet and rest in both the small, average, beginnings and endings of our lives.
I could have underlined and highlighted the entire book and constantly wrote in the margins "me too" and "YES!!!" Reading this book is like having a long conversation with a dear friend over coffee about all the stuff. If you're in a season of transition, loss, failure, or loneliness this is a must read...not because it's a self-help book, but a giving grace book and an arrow pointing to our Father and Savior.
Emily divides her book into 5 parts and within each part provides the reader with an invitation, a prayer and questions for further reflection. I would best characterize this gem of a book as food for the soul...spiritual discipleship and a book to read in short bursts, reflect on your bench and ponder the Truths shared. I'm rereading it again!
Simply Tuesday would also make a great small group or book club discussion book with a group of friends or one on one. I can say that reading Simply Tuesday has reminded me of God's Truth and is presently shaping me how I view being small and not despising it!
I could have underlined and highlighted the entire book and constantly wrote in the margins "me too" and "YES!!!" Reading this book is like having a long conversation with a dear friend over coffee about all the stuff. If you're in a season of transition, loss, failure, or loneliness this is a must read...not because it's a self-help book, but a giving grace book and an arrow pointing to our Father and Savior.
Emily divides her book into 5 parts and within each part provides the reader with an invitation, a prayer and questions for further reflection. I would best characterize this gem of a book as food for the soul...spiritual discipleship and a book to read in short bursts, reflect on your bench and ponder the Truths shared. I'm rereading it again!
Simply Tuesday would also make a great small group or book club discussion book with a group of friends or one on one. I can say that reading Simply Tuesday has reminded me of God's Truth and is presently shaping me how I view being small and not despising it!
July 17, 2015
Absolutely nothing ordinary about Emily's beautiful, heartfelt thoughts on everyday! I loved her encouragement of finding Jesus in the ordinary moments and don't take those moments for granted. Emily shared her heart and anytime you are willing to share your heart the story speaks to others. Allow this book to open up some God moments for you!
I was given this book by the publisher to give my honest thoughts in review to others! Honestly, it's a winner!
I was given this book by the publisher to give my honest thoughts in review to others! Honestly, it's a winner!
July 16, 2015
I used up my pink highlighter on this one. Emily is one of my favorite writers because she helps me stop and listen. Simply Tuesday is about celebrating the everyday, small wonders of life instead of striving for bigger and faster and louder. I needed the truths this book shared.
July 17, 2015
Summer vacation as a teacher was a perfect time to read this book. Emily uses a powerful combination of personal stories and quotes to get this message across. I was reminded that being small is not bad!
May 1, 2016
Could not get myself to enjoy this book at all, so after trudging through page after page, I gave myself permission to not finish.
dnf
January 14, 2019WAY too religious for me - I didn't realize how Christian it was until I started reading it. Too much Jesus to ignore for this atheist, sorry.
April 22, 2019
Full review on my blog, Storied Adventures
I LOVED this book. It has helped me so much with my anxiety, and has helped me to just breath. To be content where I am. To find joy in every life circumstance. To just live in this moment.
I most definitely plan to read all of her books now!
I LOVED this book. It has helped me so much with my anxiety, and has helped me to just breath. To be content where I am. To find joy in every life circumstance. To just live in this moment.
I most definitely plan to read all of her books now!
January 19, 2016
Subtitled "Small-Moment Living in a Fast-Moving World," Simply Tuesday calls readers to live in the everyday moments without the pressure to perform or to push on to the next big thing. Even the cover art, a quiet bench with birds and dragonflies, calls us to slow down.
Sections consider our home, work, relationships and souls, as well as a vision for what's ahead. Readers are invited to find ourselves and our loved ones in the present, and to be present to Jesus with us. The book is part memoir and part an exploration of Christian living, shared by one who's still learning through life (as opposed to one who's nailed the answers).
It's approachable and easy to relate to, an invitation to embrace and celebrate our smallness instead of condemning ourselves for our humanity. My favourite lines:
Emily P. Freeman writes with a transparency and a conversational style that will be familiar to anyone who follows her blog. Something I hadn't noticed in her blog posts that made the book a little harder for me is the fluidity with which she shifts from past to present and back again. We do this in conversations, to add immediacy: "Fifteen years ago, I'm working at a local high school... It's morning and the bell rings..." (p. 206) In printed form, I find this jarring. Maybe it's the editor in me.
Simply Tuesday offers refreshment for anyone struggling in the try-hard life while her soul aches for a simpler pace and a bit of fresh air. It's not anti-performance or opposing busyness. Instead, it's a glimpse of what life might look like if we began to nurture the small things in our lives and if we accepted ourselves as who we are instead of always pushing to be more than we are. Highly recommended for weary souls.
[Review copy from my personal library.]
Sections consider our home, work, relationships and souls, as well as a vision for what's ahead. Readers are invited to find ourselves and our loved ones in the present, and to be present to Jesus with us. The book is part memoir and part an exploration of Christian living, shared by one who's still learning through life (as opposed to one who's nailed the answers).
It's approachable and easy to relate to, an invitation to embrace and celebrate our smallness instead of condemning ourselves for our humanity. My favourite lines:
What gives moments meaning is not the moments themselves but the presence of Christ with us in the midst of them. (p. 47)
True belief is movement toward God even in the midst of confusion or frustration or fear. (p. 78)
I can't prevent storms from coming, but I can decide not to invent my own. (p. 209)
Emily P. Freeman writes with a transparency and a conversational style that will be familiar to anyone who follows her blog. Something I hadn't noticed in her blog posts that made the book a little harder for me is the fluidity with which she shifts from past to present and back again. We do this in conversations, to add immediacy: "Fifteen years ago, I'm working at a local high school... It's morning and the bell rings..." (p. 206) In printed form, I find this jarring. Maybe it's the editor in me.
Simply Tuesday offers refreshment for anyone struggling in the try-hard life while her soul aches for a simpler pace and a bit of fresh air. It's not anti-performance or opposing busyness. Instead, it's a glimpse of what life might look like if we began to nurture the small things in our lives and if we accepted ourselves as who we are instead of always pushing to be more than we are. Highly recommended for weary souls.
[Review copy from my personal library.]
August 5, 2015
Emily P Freeman writes what my soul longs to say in the wonder and struggle of daily life. In her latest book Simply Tuesday she grabbed my attention in the introduction when she shared a provocative question: What if the Kingdom of God was One Inch Above the Ground? Emily unpacked the question a bit to set the stage for Simply Tuesday. The Kingdom of God is in our midst as Jesus said; in the middle of our simple, everyday moments.
Throughout the book Emily invited me to slow, to breathe, to notice, to appreciate. These invitations are counter-cultural; a series of invitations to push back against a large, overfilled life to be able to reclaim space on 'the bench' to simply be.
If your soul is drying up because you 'don't have time' to care for yourself, this book is a must read! Emily gently models the challenges of slow and small while sharing the multiple blessings that result in actually choosing, actually making room, to feed and care for one's soul.
Throughout the book Emily invited me to slow, to breathe, to notice, to appreciate. These invitations are counter-cultural; a series of invitations to push back against a large, overfilled life to be able to reclaim space on 'the bench' to simply be.
If your soul is drying up because you 'don't have time' to care for yourself, this book is a must read! Emily gently models the challenges of slow and small while sharing the multiple blessings that result in actually choosing, actually making room, to feed and care for one's soul.
January 16, 2016
Overall I liked the theme of benches and Tuesdays woven thought this book and some of the author's experiences and/or struggles were similar to my own. She was real and transparent and did not flower coat everything. However, sometimes I got lost in what she was trying to say and did not find her writing style as clear or as easy to follow as some of my other favorites. I did like her idea (on pg. 233 & 234) of journaling with these five words: "these are the days of...." followed by things that come to mind that represent our current season of life.
May 4, 2016
I liked the basic premise of the book...finding Christ in our everyday, ordinary lives. I had a hard time following her train of thought, so it seemed messy and unorganized to me. My one take-away was her idea of simply journaling the prompt "These are the days of..." and making a list of what is making up this season of your life (piles of laundry, late-night ice cream, family walks, etc...). As someone who recognizes the importance of journaling, but can't seem to find the time, I am drawn to the simplicity of this idea.
December 23, 2016
It took me a long time to get into this, and I wasn't so impressed with it at first. It seemed pretty repetitive and just...eh. But the more I read, the more I found myself underlining and dogearing pages. Several poignant gems to chew on. It is itself what it advocates: simple, small, humble, straightforward. In the end I found it encouraging and helpful and copied lots of quotes. Maybe 3.5 stars.
May 9, 2016
Simply Tuesday is a gentle invitation to slow down and live small. This book is a timely message for this day of big, busy, and shallow breathing. Emily writes beautifully, honestly, and intelligently as she shares her struggles, and suggests practical ways to get back to our soul.
June 29, 2015
Emily's words are wonderful and are just what I needed. Highly recommend.
July 17, 2015
A treasure!! Cannot speak highly of Emily's encouragement to embrace our everyday smallness, to invite Jesus to keep company with us there. This book was refreshing and comforting to my soul.
July 5, 2015
My favorite of Emily's work so far, this book really drives home the importance of our souls and the quiet, faithful, ordinary ways God moves in them. So, so much good stuff here.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 451 reviews