A good book at describing how to plant seeds and be disciplined in a time of waiting. This book has had some great topics: Bible, friendship, singleness, work, health. My favorite chapter is the one about health because it is something so overlooked!
While this has a great message for young girls, college aged to maybe late 20s, it didn't quite hit right for me personally being a 35-year-old mom. I guess everyone has experiences with seasons of waiting and can use the advice this provides of trusting in His timing, but a lot of the application wasn't really relevant to someone like me (working, raising a family, keeping a home) and would better suit a woman in wait of these things.
This was such a needed book for this season of life I’m in. I loved how it covered waiting in multiple areas of life and different habits to make the most of it. This book was the perfect reminder that the waiting season is not wasted and God still has good things coming.
Great book for young Christian girls! Very encouraging and very practical! I checked out this book from the Library, but I think I am going to purchase so I can highlight!! Haha! I would recommend for women who are in a waiting season, trying to implement healthy habits!
I genuinely loved this book. It’s such a gentle but powerful guide about shifting small habits in your life to move closer to God, and so many parts really spoke to me. I especially connected with the reminder to distance yourself from people who don’t bring you closer to Him such a needed truth.
I also really connected with the idea of asking God for help when you’re tempted to slip back into old habits. That reminder to pause, breathe, and lean on Him instead of trying to handle everything alone is a lesson I’ve learned the hard way.
Ashley also talks a lot about falling in love with the process instead of chasing the end goal, and actually giving yourself the rest your mind, heart, and body need. The emphasis on taking care of your body not just spiritually, but physically really stuck with me. It’s part of being fruitful, part of giving your life to God in how you show up every day.
Such an encouraging, grounding read. “Let the planting process begin.”🌱
Thank you Penguin Random House Christian Publishing , NetGalley, + Ashley Hetherington for this ARC read in exchange for an honest review.
I did not know who Ashley Hetherington was when I picked up this book, but wanted to give it a chance after seeing overall positive reviews.
The best way I can describe the book is that it is a little... vapid.
I am impressed by Ashley's faithfulness (which btw, Catholics probably should not approach. I will just say 'lattes during service' and you will understand). But this is a VERY young narrator and it is painfully obvious.
I am sure her wounds are deep. But most of her journey essentially reads like typical tribulations of youth and - surprise - maturing a little bit with the discovery that vices have negative ripple effects. I promise, I am in no way judging any of her previous behaviors. My college self would have related very well to her, in many ways. There are some small habits that she inspired me to nuture. If you come from the school of Hard Knox though, she may sound a bit more tone deaf and spoiled.
I think instead of trying to write an inspirational book at the young age of 25, her ideas could have lended more neatly to a plain and simple memoir. Still young for a memoir but I think reflecting on her own life could have more influence than trying to speculate on what her reader may be going through (which I would also say leans limited).
There were some tidbits here and there that felt fairly insightful but ultimately the most sound advice all seemed to be quoted from other well known sources, specifically "Atomic Habits" by James Clear, "The Power to Change" by Craig Groeschel, and "Mere Christianity" by CS Lewis. So the question naturally becomes, what kind of value does Ashley add to them? Am I just buying a book to hear what others have already said? The value is there if you are looking for a Christian spin from the viewpoint of a Valley Girl.
But really.. my biggest issue with this book, and maybe I am a little sensitive here - is that it reads like a big marketing pamphlet for Ashley Hetherington & Co.
It is clear she truly wants to have a positive impact on people but I can't help but feel that if helping is really the goal, she shouldn't be capitalizing off vulnerability (I know we are in America and that's basically our whole economy. And it bothers me everywhere).
I'm not sure if I can articulate this exactly but Jesus spread his word and his lessons freely. The word of Christ was not reserved for those that could pay for it. Wisdom was given to the faithful, the sinners, anyone with an open heart - not just those who had a dime.
There is just a little bit of a disconnect for me, creating your own business in the name of connecting people to Christ, just essentially to say "have faith!" This doesn't seem like the type of service worthy of profitizing (but to be fair, have not explored her paid services much beyond her writing).
The fact that she has a seemingly complimentary book with a similar concept? I will pass.
But then again, I think I am in the minority here as it seems she has a pretty loyal following. Can't win them all, I guess.
I wish Ashley Hetherington all of the best. I hope she finds the man of her dreams. But it seems to me that there are still some important lessons she has yet to face.
The Sowing Season by Ashley Hetherington A Practical Guide to Cultivating Small Habits That Invite God's Abundance Discover how simple, meaningful habits can nurture your faith and help you grow closer to God—from the founder of the Honey Scoop and bestselling author of The Joy of the In-Between.
“In a world obsessed with instant results, Ashley Hetherington reminds us that faithfulness in the unseen seasons is where real spiritual growth happens.”—Jonathan Pokluda, lead pastor of Harris Creek Baptist Church, bestselling author, host of the Becoming Something podcast
God promises that even when things seem stagnant, there will always be fruit from our labor. When a situation feels overwhelming, He invites us to be faithful with what He has given us. In The Sowing Season, Ashley Hetherington guides you to make the most of the season you are in, sowing good seeds in the soil where God has planted you.
Through personal narratives and practical applications, Ashley invites you to embrace faithfulness and put God first every day. Discover how to
• fall in love with prayer and reading God’s Word • live a disciplined life • overcome fear and insecurity • find true Christian friends • care for your body as a temple through healthy eating and daily movement • trust God in hard circumstances
By adopting small, intentional rhythms of faithfulness in friendships, family, prayer, work, and more during the sowing season, you will experience a harvest of joy and a deeper relationship with God. A good book. The book is easy to read and understand. I recommend reading this book. The Sowing Season by Ashley Hetherington is a 5-star book. I am looking forward to reading more books by Ashley Hetherington I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions shared here in this review are my own.
The Sowing Season by Ashley Hetherington left me feeling encouraged, inspired, and ready to embrace the season of life I am currently in. I believe it can do the same for you.
Hetherington writes about her journey through relational loneliness, healthy disciplines, and spiritual growth in this how-to guide on living an abundant life in Christ. Whether you believe the same as the author or not, there is richness and truth layered throughout her work that is undeniable and contagious. The vulnerability of the author begs readers to examine and reflect on their own journeys to better cultivate healthy habits for daily rhythms and routines mentally, spiritually, and physically.
For someone, like myself, that prefers a fictional read, Hetherington captured my attention with her writing style and relatable storytelling ability.
I would highly recommend this book for a college aged female that is either single or dating and trying to navigate adult life as a Christ follower. However, I am a pastors wife with 5 young kids and I found great value in this book.
Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC of The Sowing Season by Ashley Hetherington.
A heart-filled testimony, though a different theological approach.
(I’ve read 22% of the content before posting this review).
First, I want to commend Ashley Hetherington for sharing such personal and inspiring backstories. Her passion for leading people to Jesus is evident and heartwarming, and I believe her testimony will be very encouraging to many readers.
However, I have decided to set the book aside (DNF) because I found that the principles and practices for living out faith described here differ slightly from my own convictions. At this stage in my walk, I am looking for more practical, Bible-based references that align specifically with the Christ-centered doctrine I adhere to.
While this book wasn't the right fit for my personal spiritual growth needs right now, I have rated it 4 stars because the message is clearly heartfelt and the author's desire to point others to God is genuine.
Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Random House Christian Publishing for the opportunity to read this early copy!
When I saw that they were giving out ARCs for this book I immediately applied. I have seen a lot of Ashley Hetherington's video on YouTube. She is one of my favourite christian content creators. So when I saw that she now also has a book I was really curious about it.
This book is about how to integrate small habits so you can live a more fruitful live. It explores themes as friendships, health and faithfulness. In this book Ashley explains everything really well, so even if you don’t know a lot about christianity, this book is perfect for you. She really guides you through every step and how to apply it. She will also tell how she has done things. This was really helpful for me and made it easier for me to apply to my life.
Thank you NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.
🔖 What I liked: • The book cover is warm and inviting. • The colours are calm, lovely, and immediately set the tone for the read.
🔖 What I loved: • The author’s honesty woven throughout her writing. • I really appreciated how down-to-earth and real the reflections were. • The book beautifully touches on the essence of faithfulness across different areas of life — in a way that feels practical, not abstract.
✍🏽 To the writer: I genuinely love your writing style. This book truly impacted me — even in practical ways (I intentionally drink more water now, lol!). That says a lot about how real and applicable the lessons are.
📚 To the reader: This is an amazing read — one that is absolutely worth reading and re-reading.
this book helped me in so many ways. as someone who deeply struggles with comparison and worrying, is recovering from an ED, and is waiting for God to bring my future husband into my life… this book was just what i needed. i’ve been really struggling in this season of my life, and ashley did such a good job at hitting every point while backing it up with Biblical truths. this encouraged me in so many ways, and gave me a newfound desire to continue to serve God to the best of my ability, take care of my body as the Holy Temple it is, and be content in this season of life. i highly recommend this read!!
Such a great read. I finished it in nearly one month. Ashley Hetherington has done a fantastic job sharing her testimony and giving readers practical ways of how to apply scripture. But she also spoke about cultivating holy habits so beautifully. I could easily understand what she was saying and found myself relating to it somewhat, which I believe will definitely create a sense of belonging for the rest of her audience. It is definitely worth your time! Thank you to NetGalley and WaterBrook Multnomah for allowing me to read this book early.
Ashley’s social media presence and influence has helped me grow SO much in my faith. I can’t wait to read her other books! This was genuinely so encouraging for me as I’m walking through a sowing season myself. Thankful for the ways that God is using her to help other women. I want to read this a second time to take notes, and definitely want to cultivate many of these habits into my own life. God changed my heart in many ways while reading this. Would recommend this to anyone who wants to go deeper in their relationship with Jesus, or even someone who is newer in their walk :)
"Make the most of the season you are in, sowing good seeds in the soil where God has planted you." I have always loved the saying "bloom where you are planted" and this incredible book shows you just how to do that. Beautifully written, honest and thought provoking, it gives practical and encouraging words/advice for a deeper relationship with God. Reminding us to put God first everyday. Very inspiring, hopeful and faith filled. I loved everything about this fantastic book, I highly recommend it.
Ashley has written this book at the perfect time as i have witnessed many young Christian women (*cough cough* myself) in the same boat: feeling like they are called for more but haven't yet reached the point in life when that can begin. This book is full of encouragement to persevere and tips for how you can do so. She gives the basics on where to start and how to start well, and then how to keep going with it. To not give up and sow the seeds of Godly habits, because if the seeds are sown, there WILL BE a harvest. So be encouraged and read this book ❤️
I’ve been watching Ashley’s videos on social media for a while and loved her first book ‘The Joy of the In-Between’, which is why I was really excited to read this book.
In ‘The Sowing Season’ I loved to learn how to incorporate your faith into everyday life by creating routines. I found the book really inspiring and a helpful guide for spiritual growth.
Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to receive this book early.
Ashley Hetherington has provided a wonderful, practical guide to women who are seeking to grow in their relationship with God. She speaks to a new generation of women about faith matters, and I'm encouraged to see how God is raising up new voices who not only can speak about the Christian life but also understand the challenges faced by women in this critical time in history.
I really enjoyed this read, as a someone on a health and wellness journey, I’ve followed Ashley on Yourube and enjoyed Jesus Freaks, I think this book is awesome because it’s simple to access, there’s great actionable points and the blending of health and wellness in a girly way is great.
Thank you to #netgalley for the ARC in exchange for a honest review
This is a book I just ate up! It is an honest take on life, faith, God’s plan, and how you accept or reject it dictates your joy. I wish I had this book 15 years ago if not earlier when I started my adult life of decisions! Ashley is open and honest about her life story and how to apply simple truths to everyday life for eternal impact.
I enjoyed reading Ashley's book, her tone felt like I was talking to a friend. For me the first chapters were really good, God spoke a lot through them and it brought a lot of light when I needed it. I see how it's more of a lifestyle book and makes sense to include the health and body chapters. Netgalley, Thank, you for my copy!
SO SO amazing. Ashley really has a way of connecting with her readers and putting things into words that we all relate to but sometimes don’t know how to voice. She has been a living example of a Godly woman and being able to learn from her own life’s lessons is an absolute blessing. 100% recommend!!!
This book is full of wisdom, Biblical references, and ways to form solid, long lasting habits. I gleaned much from this book & from Ashley’s story! Much needed for my current season of life. The target audience seemed to be for singles, but as a married first time mom- it still brought such encouragement and truth! 🌿
I found this book to be encouraging and insightful. It was a delightful read. This book is for anyone who desires to reap a fruitful harvest. You may not know how or where to start. Maybe you feel lost or discouraged. Or maybe you don’t, but just want a good read while walking with Jesus. This book is for you. 🤍
I absolutely loved and highly recommend this book!! I highlighted SO MUCH. It offers endless wisdom on how to steward the current season you’re in and grow closer to God, while discussing lessons from scripture. I can’t believe I’m done reading it!
This is an encouraging book for young women who are in a waiting period. It gives them affirmation and practical help for cultivating faith and being more intentional in their lives before they move to the next stage of their personal or professional lives. I received a preview copy from NetGalley.
I loved the practicality of this book. Real in time things I can implement today to grow in all different areas. One thing I didn’t like was it was more geared towards women who aren’t married or have kids - but that’s totally okay. I loved it none the less and am taking away a lot :)
This book was just okay. She is very relatable in the way she writes and stories she shares, I think I would’ve gotten more out of it back when I was in college or in an earlier season of life. I would still recommend to young women in high school/college
this book is legit the reason i'm getting my life back on track. i feel so immensely inspired and now i'm going to read more non-fiction books similar to this one !!
go to your nearest target and buy this book neowwwww <3