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Into the Deep: Finding Relief from Pressure, Exhaustion, and the Need to Perform in a Shallow World
Not yet published
Expected 6 Oct 26Begin a journey to living a deep, confident faith in a world of unrealistic, impossible standards.
There's no question it's easier to live in shallow water, where we can touch the ground without risking anything. We're all just trying to keep it together, hoping to find some sense of safety in our chaotic world. But as a result, we aren't really living. We're stuck in survival mode, saying we want relief but filling the silence with noise, hungering for connection but hiding our true selves, claiming we want freedom but clinging to control, saying that Jesus is enough but living like He's not. We're trying to live deep, meaningful lives with surface-level tools—when we know we were created for more.
In Into the Deep, bestselling author Angie Smith brings her signature humor, practical application, biblical teaching, and PhD in psychology to help
look beneath the surface of the habits and fears that keep us living small, sidelined, and scared shed perfectionism, impostor syndrome, anxiety, comparison, exhaustion, and anything else that drags you down realize you can be brave, authentic, and honest in a world that doesn't always encourage it learn from men and women in Scripture how to live fully accepted and loved in your identity as a child of God The world will never tell you that you're enough. But you can take a deep breath, loosen your grip, and trust Jesus to be in the water with you. Join Angie in unlearning the patterns that have held you captive and instead encounter the deeper truth of who you already are in Christ—loved, accepted, chosen, known, worthy, and so much more.
There's no question it's easier to live in shallow water, where we can touch the ground without risking anything. We're all just trying to keep it together, hoping to find some sense of safety in our chaotic world. But as a result, we aren't really living. We're stuck in survival mode, saying we want relief but filling the silence with noise, hungering for connection but hiding our true selves, claiming we want freedom but clinging to control, saying that Jesus is enough but living like He's not. We're trying to live deep, meaningful lives with surface-level tools—when we know we were created for more.
In Into the Deep, bestselling author Angie Smith brings her signature humor, practical application, biblical teaching, and PhD in psychology to help
look beneath the surface of the habits and fears that keep us living small, sidelined, and scared shed perfectionism, impostor syndrome, anxiety, comparison, exhaustion, and anything else that drags you down realize you can be brave, authentic, and honest in a world that doesn't always encourage it learn from men and women in Scripture how to live fully accepted and loved in your identity as a child of God The world will never tell you that you're enough. But you can take a deep breath, loosen your grip, and trust Jesus to be in the water with you. Join Angie in unlearning the patterns that have held you captive and instead encounter the deeper truth of who you already are in Christ—loved, accepted, chosen, known, worthy, and so much more.
224 pages, Hardcover
Expected publication October 6, 2026
About the author
Angie Smith
53 books69 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
This is Angie^Smith, where ^=space. (default profile)
This is Angie^Smith, where ^=space. (default profile)
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Angie is a refreshing voice for today’s culture. She doesn’t take herself too seriously but tackles important truths in relatable ways. This book is the perfect mashup of Scripture and psychology and so very applicable to my life.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
There are some books you read because you are interested in the subject. There are other books you read because, somehow, the book seems to find you at exactly the right moment.
Into the Deep by Angie Smith was that kind of book for me.
My interest in this book began during my time in spiritual direction. Spiritual direction has given me the opportunity to slow down, pay attention to what is happening beneath the surface of my life, and become more honest about what I believe about God—and what my actual life sometimes reveals that I believe about God.
That experience became a springboard for wanting to read Into the Deep. I was drawn to the idea of exploring what happens when we stop pretending, stop comparing, stop trying to control everything, and become honest before God about what is really happening in our hearts.
Smith's writing repeatedly brought me back to that tension between what I say I believe and what I actually live as though I believe.
One quote that particularly stood out to me was:
“Here's the spiritual wound at the core of all pretending: we believe the lie that love is conditional and based on our performance.”
That hit me.
How often do we live as though God's love for us depends on how well we are doing? We may know intellectually that God's grace isn't something we earn, yet we can still approach Him as though we need to prove ourselves. We measure our spiritual lives, our accomplishments, our failures, and even our usefulness—and somewhere along the way, we begin believing that our performance determines our worth.
Spiritual direction has helped me recognize how important it is to bring those hidden beliefs into the light. Into the Deep reinforced that invitation: stop pretending and become honest with God.
That invitation to honesty also extends into our relationships with other people. Smith writes:
“We want intimacy, but we're afraid of what intimacy requires.”
That is another uncomfortable truth.
We want to be known, but being known requires vulnerability. We want deep relationships, but deep relationships require us to risk being honest. We want people to see the best parts of us, while often trying to hide the places where we struggle, feel afraid, feel jealous, or feel hurt.
Maybe that's part of why pretending can be so exhausting. We want intimacy, but we don't always want to expose the parts of ourselves that make intimacy possible.
That thought connected strongly with another quote that challenged me:
“The Lord calls us to be peacemakers, not peacekeepers—and those are radically different.”
There is a significant difference between creating peace and simply avoiding conflict.
A peacekeeper may do whatever is necessary to keep everyone comfortable. A peacemaker is willing to step into difficult situations, speak truth, pursue reconciliation, and sometimes have uncomfortable conversations because genuine peace is worth pursuing.
That distinction made me think about how often I may choose keeping the peace over actually making peace. Avoiding conflict can feel easier in the moment, but avoiding something doesn't necessarily make it healthy. Sometimes love requires us to enter into difficult conversations rather than run from them.
Another theme that really challenged me was contentment.
Smith writes:
“Cultivating contentment is how we combat comparison and competition.”
Comparison can be incredibly subtle. We don't always realize that we're comparing ourselves to others until someone else's success makes us feel like a failure. Someone else's opportunity becomes evidence that we are being overlooked. Someone else's blessing becomes evidence that God isn't doing enough in our own lives.
Smith offers a simple but profound alternative:
“I'm glad good things happen to people. That means good things can happen to me too.”
I love the honesty behind this. It isn't pretending that envy doesn't hurt. It isn't forcing ourselves to be happy when our hearts are breaking. Instead, it challenges the habit of turning someone else's success into evidence against ourselves.
That is something I needed to hear.
Another line that stayed with me was:
“When you're always scanning for what could go wrong, you can't be fully grateful for the gifts you already have.”
As someone who can naturally think about what comes next, what needs to be fixed, or what could potentially go wrong, this was convicting. Anxiety can convince us that constantly anticipating the next problem is wisdom. Sometimes it isn't wisdom—it is simply preventing us from being present.
If I'm always looking around the corner for the next difficulty, I can miss what God has already placed right in front of me.
And that connects directly with one of Smith's observations about Jesus:
“Jesus didn't meet their panic with more panic.”
What a picture of Jesus.
When everyone else is overwhelmed, Jesus isn't. When circumstances are chaotic, Jesus doesn't become chaotic. When people are afraid, He doesn't respond by feeding their fear.
That challenged me to think about how I respond when circumstances change or when people around me are anxious. Do I bring the peace of Christ into the situation, or do I simply absorb and multiply the panic?
Perhaps the most personally challenging section for me was Smith's discussion of change and what she calls the "consecration process."
She writes:
“This consecration process forces me to get honest about the gap between my stated theology and my lived theology. I say I believe God is faithful, but my anxiety about change reveals that I'm not sure He's faithful to me. I say I believe His ways are higher than my ways, but my resistance to change shows that I think my version of safety is better than His version of growth.”
That paragraph alone is worth sitting with.
It is easy to say, "God is faithful."
It is much harder to live that way when God is asking us to step into something unfamiliar.
It is easy to say, "God's ways are higher than my ways."
It is much harder when His ways don't look like the plans we had made.
And it is easy to say, "I trust God."
Until something changes.
My experience in spiritual direction has made me increasingly aware of this gap between my stated theology and my lived theology. I can know the right answers about God and still discover that my heart is living according to a different set of assumptions.
That, to me, is where Into the Deep becomes more than simply a book about spiritual growth.
It becomes an invitation to honesty.
An invitation to stop performing.
An invitation to stop comparing ourselves to everyone else.
An invitation to pursue real peace rather than simply avoid conflict.
An invitation to acknowledge our desire for intimacy while also recognizing what vulnerability requires.
An invitation to become content.
An invitation to recognize God's goodness even when someone else's life looks better than ours.
An invitation to stop living in anticipation of everything that could go wrong and start noticing the gifts God has already given.
And ultimately, an invitation to trust God when He leads us somewhere deeper than we would have chosen for ourselves.
I finished Into the Deep with more questions than I started with—and I mean that as a compliment.
The book caused me to ask:
What am I pretending about?
Where am I comparing myself to others?
Where am I keeping the peace instead of making peace?
What am I afraid to reveal because I want intimacy without the vulnerability it requires?
What does my anxiety reveal about what I actually believe about God?
Where am I resisting change because I have confused safety with faithfulness?
And what would it look like to trust God more deeply?
Those are not always comfortable questions.
But they are important ones.
My time in spiritual direction has taught me that spiritual growth often begins when we are willing to stop giving God the answers we think He wants and start giving Him the truth about what is actually happening inside us.
Into the Deep encouraged me to do exactly that.
If you're looking for a book that makes you feel better, this may not be it. But if you're willing to let a book slow you down, challenge your assumptions, expose some of the places where your theology and your everyday life don't quite match, and invite you into a deeper trust in God, I think Into the Deep is worth reading.
Sometimes going deeper with God doesn't mean discovering something completely new.
Sometimes it means finally becoming honest about what has been there all along.
And perhaps that is where real transformation begins.
I received an advance copy of this book for review purposes. All opinions expressed are my own.
Into the Deep by Angie Smith was that kind of book for me.
My interest in this book began during my time in spiritual direction. Spiritual direction has given me the opportunity to slow down, pay attention to what is happening beneath the surface of my life, and become more honest about what I believe about God—and what my actual life sometimes reveals that I believe about God.
That experience became a springboard for wanting to read Into the Deep. I was drawn to the idea of exploring what happens when we stop pretending, stop comparing, stop trying to control everything, and become honest before God about what is really happening in our hearts.
Smith's writing repeatedly brought me back to that tension between what I say I believe and what I actually live as though I believe.
One quote that particularly stood out to me was:
“Here's the spiritual wound at the core of all pretending: we believe the lie that love is conditional and based on our performance.”
That hit me.
How often do we live as though God's love for us depends on how well we are doing? We may know intellectually that God's grace isn't something we earn, yet we can still approach Him as though we need to prove ourselves. We measure our spiritual lives, our accomplishments, our failures, and even our usefulness—and somewhere along the way, we begin believing that our performance determines our worth.
Spiritual direction has helped me recognize how important it is to bring those hidden beliefs into the light. Into the Deep reinforced that invitation: stop pretending and become honest with God.
That invitation to honesty also extends into our relationships with other people. Smith writes:
“We want intimacy, but we're afraid of what intimacy requires.”
That is another uncomfortable truth.
We want to be known, but being known requires vulnerability. We want deep relationships, but deep relationships require us to risk being honest. We want people to see the best parts of us, while often trying to hide the places where we struggle, feel afraid, feel jealous, or feel hurt.
Maybe that's part of why pretending can be so exhausting. We want intimacy, but we don't always want to expose the parts of ourselves that make intimacy possible.
That thought connected strongly with another quote that challenged me:
“The Lord calls us to be peacemakers, not peacekeepers—and those are radically different.”
There is a significant difference between creating peace and simply avoiding conflict.
A peacekeeper may do whatever is necessary to keep everyone comfortable. A peacemaker is willing to step into difficult situations, speak truth, pursue reconciliation, and sometimes have uncomfortable conversations because genuine peace is worth pursuing.
That distinction made me think about how often I may choose keeping the peace over actually making peace. Avoiding conflict can feel easier in the moment, but avoiding something doesn't necessarily make it healthy. Sometimes love requires us to enter into difficult conversations rather than run from them.
Another theme that really challenged me was contentment.
Smith writes:
“Cultivating contentment is how we combat comparison and competition.”
Comparison can be incredibly subtle. We don't always realize that we're comparing ourselves to others until someone else's success makes us feel like a failure. Someone else's opportunity becomes evidence that we are being overlooked. Someone else's blessing becomes evidence that God isn't doing enough in our own lives.
Smith offers a simple but profound alternative:
“I'm glad good things happen to people. That means good things can happen to me too.”
I love the honesty behind this. It isn't pretending that envy doesn't hurt. It isn't forcing ourselves to be happy when our hearts are breaking. Instead, it challenges the habit of turning someone else's success into evidence against ourselves.
That is something I needed to hear.
Another line that stayed with me was:
“When you're always scanning for what could go wrong, you can't be fully grateful for the gifts you already have.”
As someone who can naturally think about what comes next, what needs to be fixed, or what could potentially go wrong, this was convicting. Anxiety can convince us that constantly anticipating the next problem is wisdom. Sometimes it isn't wisdom—it is simply preventing us from being present.
If I'm always looking around the corner for the next difficulty, I can miss what God has already placed right in front of me.
And that connects directly with one of Smith's observations about Jesus:
“Jesus didn't meet their panic with more panic.”
What a picture of Jesus.
When everyone else is overwhelmed, Jesus isn't. When circumstances are chaotic, Jesus doesn't become chaotic. When people are afraid, He doesn't respond by feeding their fear.
That challenged me to think about how I respond when circumstances change or when people around me are anxious. Do I bring the peace of Christ into the situation, or do I simply absorb and multiply the panic?
Perhaps the most personally challenging section for me was Smith's discussion of change and what she calls the "consecration process."
She writes:
“This consecration process forces me to get honest about the gap between my stated theology and my lived theology. I say I believe God is faithful, but my anxiety about change reveals that I'm not sure He's faithful to me. I say I believe His ways are higher than my ways, but my resistance to change shows that I think my version of safety is better than His version of growth.”
That paragraph alone is worth sitting with.
It is easy to say, "God is faithful."
It is much harder to live that way when God is asking us to step into something unfamiliar.
It is easy to say, "God's ways are higher than my ways."
It is much harder when His ways don't look like the plans we had made.
And it is easy to say, "I trust God."
Until something changes.
My experience in spiritual direction has made me increasingly aware of this gap between my stated theology and my lived theology. I can know the right answers about God and still discover that my heart is living according to a different set of assumptions.
That, to me, is where Into the Deep becomes more than simply a book about spiritual growth.
It becomes an invitation to honesty.
An invitation to stop performing.
An invitation to stop comparing ourselves to everyone else.
An invitation to pursue real peace rather than simply avoid conflict.
An invitation to acknowledge our desire for intimacy while also recognizing what vulnerability requires.
An invitation to become content.
An invitation to recognize God's goodness even when someone else's life looks better than ours.
An invitation to stop living in anticipation of everything that could go wrong and start noticing the gifts God has already given.
And ultimately, an invitation to trust God when He leads us somewhere deeper than we would have chosen for ourselves.
I finished Into the Deep with more questions than I started with—and I mean that as a compliment.
The book caused me to ask:
What am I pretending about?
Where am I comparing myself to others?
Where am I keeping the peace instead of making peace?
What am I afraid to reveal because I want intimacy without the vulnerability it requires?
What does my anxiety reveal about what I actually believe about God?
Where am I resisting change because I have confused safety with faithfulness?
And what would it look like to trust God more deeply?
Those are not always comfortable questions.
But they are important ones.
My time in spiritual direction has taught me that spiritual growth often begins when we are willing to stop giving God the answers we think He wants and start giving Him the truth about what is actually happening inside us.
Into the Deep encouraged me to do exactly that.
If you're looking for a book that makes you feel better, this may not be it. But if you're willing to let a book slow you down, challenge your assumptions, expose some of the places where your theology and your everyday life don't quite match, and invite you into a deeper trust in God, I think Into the Deep is worth reading.
Sometimes going deeper with God doesn't mean discovering something completely new.
Sometimes it means finally becoming honest about what has been there all along.
And perhaps that is where real transformation begins.
I received an advance copy of this book for review purposes. All opinions expressed are my own.
Read
July 28, 2026I’m a bit conflicted about how to rate this book, so I’m not giving it a star rating. But I’ve got lots of thoughts!
On one hand, it was written in a style that was enjoyable to read, the author clearly loves Jesus and poured her heart into this book. This book contains some helpful Biblical content (though it does serve a more supportive role to the main content and is usually paraphrased). I also loved the prayers that were written at the end of each chapter.
On the other hand, with the exception of a small portion of chapter 6, I didn’t relate to this author at all (though she assumed I did, which felt weird). To be clear, I have plenty of issues, they are just different than the challenges the author shared about in this book.
Here is just one example: she shares that she wears a lot of masks and adapts to the people/circumstances around her. She says that her constant underlying fear is that “if they knew the real me… they wouldn’t love me anymore.” She then tells the reader, “I have a feeling you know what I’m talking about.”
My issue isn’t that this kind of fear isn’t valid; it is very real for many people. My issue is that the book is written from the assumption that everyone reading it also shares the same core fears, which simply isn’t true.
Despite my qualms, you will probably get a lot out of this book IF:
•You are an enneagram 3 (I cannot say this enough—if I had to rename this book, I’d title it: “Into the Deep: Overcoming Your Fears and Living Vibrantly as an Enneagram 3”)
•You struggle with wearing masks, feeling like you have to perform all the time, imposter syndrome, etc.
•You feel like you need to create the perfect image of yourself.
•You struggle with placing your identity in your performance/success.
•You struggle with slowing down and feel like you have to be achieving all the time.
•You want close friendships, but vulnerability is incredibly hard.
•You struggle with FOMO and comparison.
Age rating: teen/adult.
Huge thank you to NetGalley and to the publisher for allowing me to read an eARC of this book! All thoughts expressed here are my own.
On one hand, it was written in a style that was enjoyable to read, the author clearly loves Jesus and poured her heart into this book. This book contains some helpful Biblical content (though it does serve a more supportive role to the main content and is usually paraphrased). I also loved the prayers that were written at the end of each chapter.
On the other hand, with the exception of a small portion of chapter 6, I didn’t relate to this author at all (though she assumed I did, which felt weird). To be clear, I have plenty of issues, they are just different than the challenges the author shared about in this book.
Here is just one example: she shares that she wears a lot of masks and adapts to the people/circumstances around her. She says that her constant underlying fear is that “if they knew the real me… they wouldn’t love me anymore.” She then tells the reader, “I have a feeling you know what I’m talking about.”
My issue isn’t that this kind of fear isn’t valid; it is very real for many people. My issue is that the book is written from the assumption that everyone reading it also shares the same core fears, which simply isn’t true.
Despite my qualms, you will probably get a lot out of this book IF:
•You are an enneagram 3 (I cannot say this enough—if I had to rename this book, I’d title it: “Into the Deep: Overcoming Your Fears and Living Vibrantly as an Enneagram 3”)
•You struggle with wearing masks, feeling like you have to perform all the time, imposter syndrome, etc.
•You feel like you need to create the perfect image of yourself.
•You struggle with placing your identity in your performance/success.
•You struggle with slowing down and feel like you have to be achieving all the time.
•You want close friendships, but vulnerability is incredibly hard.
•You struggle with FOMO and comparison.
Age rating: teen/adult.
Huge thank you to NetGalley and to the publisher for allowing me to read an eARC of this book! All thoughts expressed here are my own.
Read
September 30, 2026The latest book, Into the Deep, by Angie Smith, PhD, is one you won’t want to miss! I loved the concept of this book from the beginning, as Angie takes the reader on a thoughtful and careful look at the unrealistic standards and expectations that we tend to put on ourselves. The format of the book is easy to read and allows the reader natural places to pause and reflect on the insight given. As Angie walks you through various areas that we all tend to struggle with, you are drawn into the personal stories she shares and the beautiful way she applies this and Scripture to everyday struggles women face. The reader gets a clear picture of what we wrestle with internally and how that is displayed externally in our relationships, attitudes, and actions. I loved the way that she addressed common thought processes we consistently face, such as imposter syndrome, perfectionism, and rejection.
Using the truth of biblical stories blended with a touch of psychology, Angie draws the reader in to a deeply personal walk in helping us examine our own areas of struggle and letting us know we are not alone. It feels like you are having coffee with a good friend and unpacking all the “stuff” we deal with in our own heads on a daily basis. This book will leave you wanting to keep reading and feeling empowered to move forward in God’s strength as you reflect on your own faith and all the ways God shows us His presence and deep love-especially in the hardest places of our souls.
Using the truth of biblical stories blended with a touch of psychology, Angie draws the reader in to a deeply personal walk in helping us examine our own areas of struggle and letting us know we are not alone. It feels like you are having coffee with a good friend and unpacking all the “stuff” we deal with in our own heads on a daily basis. This book will leave you wanting to keep reading and feeling empowered to move forward in God’s strength as you reflect on your own faith and all the ways God shows us His presence and deep love-especially in the hardest places of our souls.
Review of advance copy received from Author
I absolutely loved Into the Deep. Angie Smith has a way of writing that feels personal, honest, funny, and deeply encouraging all at once.
This book spoke directly to some of my deepest insecurities, especially the times I have found myself in rooms where I questioned whether I truly belonged. Her words challenged the fears, comparisons, and feelings of inadequacy that can keep us living small.
One of my favorite parts of the book is Angie’s humor. She makes the men and women of the Bible feel incredibly relatable, and there were moments when I was laughing out loud. But underneath the humor is so much truth. She continually points the reader back to our identity in Christ and the freedom that comes from knowing we are already loved, accepted, chosen, and known.
I also appreciated the way she addresses perfectionism, impostor syndrome, anxiety, comparison, and the temptation to stay in the “shallow water” where life feels safer. The invitation to go deeper is not about having everything figured out; it is about trusting Jesus enough to loosen our grip and live more honestly and confidently in who He created us to be.
If you have ever struggled with belonging, insecurity, comparison, or feeling like you are not enough, I highly recommend Into the Deep. It was encouraging, convicting, funny, and refreshing. Absolutely a five-star read for me.
This book spoke directly to some of my deepest insecurities, especially the times I have found myself in rooms where I questioned whether I truly belonged. Her words challenged the fears, comparisons, and feelings of inadequacy that can keep us living small.
One of my favorite parts of the book is Angie’s humor. She makes the men and women of the Bible feel incredibly relatable, and there were moments when I was laughing out loud. But underneath the humor is so much truth. She continually points the reader back to our identity in Christ and the freedom that comes from knowing we are already loved, accepted, chosen, and known.
I also appreciated the way she addresses perfectionism, impostor syndrome, anxiety, comparison, and the temptation to stay in the “shallow water” where life feels safer. The invitation to go deeper is not about having everything figured out; it is about trusting Jesus enough to loosen our grip and live more honestly and confidently in who He created us to be.
If you have ever struggled with belonging, insecurity, comparison, or feeling like you are not enough, I highly recommend Into the Deep. It was encouraging, convicting, funny, and refreshing. Absolutely a five-star read for me.
September 20, 2026
This book addresses the common tendency we all have to live in "shallow water", staying in survival mode, and relying on surface-level tools because it feels safer than risking deep, authentic faith. She challenges the reader to unlearn patterns and step into a deeper truth.
For a short book it had a lot of information. The audiobook version is read by the author. I thought she did a wonderful job narrating. I enjoyed all the examples in this book and found they were applicable to our current age especially in such a digital environment, while still pairing it with stories from the bible. This is a book I will be listening to again as I digest more of what I listened to. I would definitely recommend this book. I know for me personally challenging difficult habits is a hard task and I’m sure I’m not the only one who feels this way. I appreciated that she used her background in psychology to encourage the reader to look beneath the surface behaviours to the root of our fears, to embrace truth over simply performing, and to accept our identity in God.
Thank you to the publisher, Tyndale House Audiobooks (Tyndale Momentum) and NetGalley for the opportunity to review this ARC audiobook in exchange for an honest review.
For a short book it had a lot of information. The audiobook version is read by the author. I thought she did a wonderful job narrating. I enjoyed all the examples in this book and found they were applicable to our current age especially in such a digital environment, while still pairing it with stories from the bible. This is a book I will be listening to again as I digest more of what I listened to. I would definitely recommend this book. I know for me personally challenging difficult habits is a hard task and I’m sure I’m not the only one who feels this way. I appreciated that she used her background in psychology to encourage the reader to look beneath the surface behaviours to the root of our fears, to embrace truth over simply performing, and to accept our identity in God.
Thank you to the publisher, Tyndale House Audiobooks (Tyndale Momentum) and NetGalley for the opportunity to review this ARC audiobook in exchange for an honest review.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
A timely and helpful book filled with wisdom, Biblical truth, and practical tips for navigating everyday situations, such as Fear of Missing Out (FOMO), comparison traps, perfectionism, friendships, conflicts and so much more. I read this side by side with my Bible and journal for note taking. The author's voice and humor is relatable, like having brunch with an encouraging and wise friend. The prayers and end of chapter benedictions resonated with me and strengthened my faith. I will be pre-ordering to have a physical copy for reference. I recommend reading through the entire book once (each chapter layers deeper in the depth of topic), but I also see myself reaching for this book whenever I'm struggling with the individual subjects. This book is a blessing and I'm so thankful I had an opportunity to review an advanced copy. Thank you to #NetGalley, Angie Smith, and Tyndale for the ARC. All views expressed are my own.
August 27, 2026
Don’t mind me…I’m just going back and registering to chapters 6 and 7…I need to chew on those for a while, over and over. Most nonfiction books give you all the meet in the first few chapters and the rest of the book is kinda repetivtive fluff that the publisher just had them write to fill more pages. But not this one. This one seems like it ramped up with every chapters and never felt repetitive but like it just got into the deeper things as the book went on…pun intended. That’s actually what I enjoyed most about the book! That and the fact that I just felt like she was real and vulnerable and relatable.
She’s also a fantastic narrator, sounds a lot like Jennie Allen, who I think could and should narrate tons of books!
* thank you netgalley and Tyndall House for a review copy of this book. My opinions are my own.
She’s also a fantastic narrator, sounds a lot like Jennie Allen, who I think could and should narrate tons of books!
* thank you netgalley and Tyndall House for a review copy of this book. My opinions are my own.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
I knew it was going to be a good book, but I wasn’t anticipating seeing myself in pretty much every chapter. Every single topic Angie wrote about was something I went, “Oh hey, that’s me all over,” or, “Yup. I totally relate to that point.” I already have plans to gift this book to several friends who would benefit from the reminders as much as I did.
Her writing style is super conversational, which I know not everyone is a fan of, but that’s ok! I appreciated how every chapter gave us a real life example from the Bible of someone who experienced the chapter topic. It reminds you that 1) you’re not alone in the waters and 2) these are not just modern day concerns. I would say it’s a “self-help” style of book, except it’s not because the focus is on “God-help” and how we can’t be the ones to fix things.
Her writing style is super conversational, which I know not everyone is a fan of, but that’s ok! I appreciated how every chapter gave us a real life example from the Bible of someone who experienced the chapter topic. It reminds you that 1) you’re not alone in the waters and 2) these are not just modern day concerns. I would say it’s a “self-help” style of book, except it’s not because the focus is on “God-help” and how we can’t be the ones to fix things.
September 30, 2026
This book was so good. She says, “this isn’t a self-help book; it’s a self-reflective book”, which is such a good description. It helps identify and put words to what you are feeling, and then help understand the motivation for it. It didn’t make me feel inferior for having feelings, rather, it validated that there is a reason for feeling this way and offered realistic advice on how to redirect that emotion into a more productive thought.
I thought it was a very good balance of research and facts, then summarizing each chapter with Biblical reflections. It was a very good reminder that God loves us and wants us to be confident in Him and secure that He made us the way He intended.
I thought it was a very good balance of research and facts, then summarizing each chapter with Biblical reflections. It was a very good reminder that God loves us and wants us to be confident in Him and secure that He made us the way He intended.
Review of advance copy received from Author
Angie is witty and retells scripture in a relatable way. She also digs deep into the psychology behind why we feel the way we do, which was very helpful! The story that resonated with me the most was the story of Joshua. It has made an impact on my life that I’m still thinking about. She also said something that I can’t stop thinking about. She asked the question (I’m paraphrasing)…why would I trust in the world more than I trust the One who created it?
September 30, 2026
One of the most relatable books I’ve read. I love Angie’s writing style. It feels like you’re chatting with a friend on a comfy couch wrapped in a cozy blanket. I will be recommending this to all of my friends as I think it will speak to each person differently. Thankful for this book!
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Love this book! Angie is such a down to earth author and writes in a way that anyone can understand and relate to. This title was just what I needed in this stage of my life!!
September 27, 2026
I recognize that I am not the target audience for this book. However, that is a mistake of either the author or the publisher to not plan for a wider audience. This book was very helpful and at times I felt like she had been spying on my life. The humor (there were times I laughed out loud), the conversational tone and the wise advice and guidance were all much appreciated. I plan to re-read this book at a slower pace because there is much help within these pages. NOTE: I was provided an advance digital copy for an honest review but am anticipating receiving my physical copy.
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