This Is Awkward: How Life's Uncomfortable Moments Open the Door to Intimacy and Connection

by Sammy Rhodes

Don’t waste your awkwardness.

The most difficult subjects in our lives are also the ones that we find most uncomfortable to talk about: divorce, body image, sexuality, pornography, or depression. Our awkward silence reveals the gap that exists between what we are and what we know we should be. But God loves those awkward moments, Sammy Rhodes argues, because they are precisely where we find connection with God and one another.

In This Is Awkward, Rhodes talks directly, honestly, hilariously about the most painfully uncomfortable subjects in our lives. In chapters like “Parents Are a Gift (You Can’t Return Them)” and “The Porn in My Side,” he boldly goes where most of us fear to tread, revealing that we can be liberated by the embrace of a God who knows the most shameful things about us and loves us all the same. Because nothing is too awkward for God.

Genres: Christian, Christian Living, Nonfiction, Theology, Christianity, Faith, Memoir

211 pages, Kindle Edition

First published March 1, 2016

About the author

Sammy Rhodes is a campus minister with Reformed University Fellowship at the University of South Carolina. Rhodes also has a popular Internet presence, which has been highlighted in the Huffington Post, Salon, Paste, and Christianity Today. His hobbies include doughnuts, music he thinks he “discovered,” and watching all of the Netflix.

Reviews

[Harrison High · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was a really good blend of Biblical wisdom, practical advice, and jokes. Overall a quick and easy read that was both entertaining and insightful.

[Avinash (pookreads) · Rating 3 out of 5]

After reading I Kissed Dating Goodbye by Joshua Harris I never thought I would encounter another book by a Pastor/Minister of Christian faith so early on.
I must admit, This is Awkward felt like going on a BLOG binge and each journal-like entry start not only keeps the book from becoming too preachy but is also a unique way of starting off a topic in a informal way which a reader of any faith can relate to.


Laced with hilarious anecdotes; quotes from various writers; moments from various movies and insights from The Bible, Songs of Solomon, Nahum etc., Sammy Rhodes takes you on a unique journey through various incidents in his life as he discusses topics like Lust, crying at Starbucks, Pornography, the Art of delaying writing, Addiction, Parental issues, Social media, Dating, Marriage which are directly related to our awkwardness, vulnerability, growth, and intimacy related issues.

The self-deprecating humor sometimes doesn't work out as well as expected but all in all the writer goes on to do one HELL of a good job to make the points he wish to make on various topics.

I don't believe in Jesus.
But that didn't stop me from reading this book as I agreed/disagreed with what the writer had to say.
You can read this book from cover to cover or you can jump to any chapter you want and it would still come good.

Ratings:
Overall it is a good book worth a read or two.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookLook Bloggers book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

[Ivan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I began the book with a large degree of skepticism but finished it with tears of laughter. Sammy Rhodes, an RUF campus minister at USC, uses humor in a disarming way to openly talk about the “awkward” things of life—divorce, body image, sexuality, pornography, depression, finding identity in social media. While he's candid about his own failures he continually points to Christ’s transforming grace.

[John Ready Reader One · Rating 3 out of 5]

This review is awkward. I felt like Sammy was trying to reflect and be vulnerable in light of many things he confesses over the course of his book. But it feels sort of like that friend that always over shares and the rest of you are looking around for eye contact and all thinking, "why is he still talking?" In fact multiple times in the book he is just writing about his experience trying to write. I don't really care about your empty latte cup and acting buys in a coffee shop trying to write. All his self doubt about his writing he expresses becomes a self fulfilling prophecy. I blame the editors on that one. Seriously? Who read all those and thought, lets keep them in. If you can't write 200 pages, then go back, dig deep and find more interesting things to write. Otherwise its a blog. Keep the journal for your own reviews, or reflections 30 years from now. I rounded up to 3 because of his attempt to write something that might encourage others to overcome and trust a God that loves them. It just falls........flat.

[Justin · Rating 3 out of 5]

I give this a generous 3 because the theme of the book mostly seemed lost to me. However in bits and pieces the author had some good things to say. It was just really scattered. Plus the author seemed incapable of making a point without first making a pop culture reference.

I appreciated the transparency the author gives abou his insecurities, past and present failures, and warnings not to be engulfed with social networking. Most likely I would recommend this book to a young person 18-25, or to someone consumed with social networking. I feel this author could write another book with much more depth for Christians who've had similar experiences like him and need some encouragement just how with Gods help he got through them.

[Emily Herron · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow. I loved this book. Sammy Rhodes taught one of my elective classes at a camp I was at and he was so engaging that I decided to read his book. The funny thing about this book, is that it is kind of awkward to read in public. I always feel like people are thinking, "Wow, she must be a really awkward person if she has to read an entire book about it." But that is the beauty of it. Rhodes not only is extremely vulnerable himself (both through stories and through journal entries of his writing process) which paves the way for his audience to follow, but he also does not downplay that beauty of the grace of Jesus. This book is now one of my favorites and I now recommend all the time. Please read it!

[Paula Shannon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved every page

Most non-fiction books don't get read all the way to the end in my hands. I get the gist, try to finish, but somewhere along the way, I put them down. Not this book. It is quirky and deep and honest. It is worth it. I won't forget some of the little stones that I picked up as I read. They have strengthened my faith, and may help me not give up when depression won't let up. Thank you , Sammy.

[Madison · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sammy has a very easy-to-read, amiable writing style. The ideas presented in this book are relatively elementary, but I definitely found it to be encouraging all the same. I also think it is helpful in giving a basic understanding of aspects of the Christian walk that you personally might not struggle with. I finished it in one night, so it was an easy, encouraging read.

[Chris Duncan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely loved this book. Seeing how Jesus meets us in our awkwardness was so refreshing and relatable. Sammy blender humor so well to talk about serious struggles that we all have but rarely talk about. I would love to be we open and self-aware as he was in this book.

Also shoutout Sammy for being my campus minister’s campus minister at SC (small world)

[Jordan Shirkman · Rating 4 out of 5]

I appreciate the vulnerability of Sammy Rhodes. He shares difficult failures, current struggles, and gospel insights along the way. Lots of truth on shame and internet fame from his own experience that serve as warnings for others.

[Omar · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was really disappointed with this book. I had been looking forward to reading it and it wasn't at all what I expected.
Basically I felt that I was his therapist and he was unloading his guilty conscience all on me. I understand he was trying to emphasize the need for "transparency and vulnerability" but the way in which he did it was more creepy than helpful.
I gave the book two stars because I was afraid he'd cry if I gave it only one.

[Kyle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sammy Rhodes does an excellent job showing how vulnerability is the means by which we can combat shame and cultivate connections with other people and with God. He picks up vignettes from his own life as he works through the hard places of his own story in front of the reader in hilarious and often profound ways. One of my favorite books of the year.

[Sophie Miller · Rating 4 out of 5]

My third time reading this and it’s still really good. Accessible, quirky, fun, and gospel-centered. One of my favorite books for going through with high school and college students as it generates a ton of discussion that goes far beyond the surface.

[Alli Johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a book I need to read like every 3 years or something. So much healing and grace can be found through Sammy’s writing. He’s so raw and honest, things at which the Church is not doing a good job. The Church doesn’t seem to know what it’s like to be a real person with real issues. Sammy calls them out on it by sharing his own struggles and reminding us that God is gracious. I have been so reminded of God’s kindness through this book.

[Katie McArthur · Rating 5 out of 5]

The deep, uncommonly-talked-about struggles humanity deals with partnered with the love and wisdom of God is truly remarkable. I guarantee that there is something in this book for you. I have learned to understand/love myself and appreciate loved ones in more ways than I can count.

Most chapters were 5⭐️ (lots of humor sprinkled in)

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars.

Here's the good things about this book:

1. It's funny and flows well. That's a hard combination, but somehow Rhodes does this well. It reminded me a little bit of what I loved about Tina Fey's Bossypants, but with more Jesus. I laughed out loud numerous times, sometimes a bit painfully (I'm an ENTJ and...ouch. ;) )

2. It is incredibly insightful. I teach high school students who are learning to process the ways their families are functional and dysfunctional, beginning to examine why they are the way they are, and wrestling through the first stages of identity and idolatry and belonging. While reading this book, I have had a number of conversations with students and have brought up concepts and ideas that Rhodes raises in the book. Without fail these students have responded with "Yes. That's exactly how I feel." As someone whose story - both in terms of family, sin, and personality - is different than the author's, it was great to discover insights that have helped me in my ministry.

3. It is very Jesus-centered and theologically grounded. There is not a single chapter in this book where the author doesn't take whatever funny or insightful topic he's on and bring it back to the good news of what Jesus has done for broken people. Whether the topic is sin or family or social media, Rhodes is constantly taking what he's saying and giving it roots. He also quotes a large amount of other sources without feeling like he's just regurgitating others' ideas or simply paraphrasing. It feels more like the way Tim Keller references other sources than the way Jefferson Bethke does.

Now for things that may bother some readers:

1. The pop cultural references are plentiful. And when I say plentiful, I mean it. There are at least 2 references to Brokeback Mountain in there, a large number of music references that went over my head, and some tv show shoutouts that may seem painfully out of date in 5 years, like when you read a book from 2005 and someone references Desperate Housewives. This works most of the time in this context, because it's really clear that Rhodes works with college students, but I sometimes wished there were less, only so the book would be a little more timeless. (As an aside, the Brokeback Mountain references were a little disconcerting. Not because I'm a stick in the mud, but simply because here I was reading this book alongside my Bible and suddenly I was reminded of a movie that is incredibly explicit and I probably shouldn't have watched in the first place. Then I suddenly thought of a guy reading this who struggles with same sex attraction, and thought "man would that ruin his entire reading experience". It's probably just me being sensitive, but it did take me out of the flow of an otherwise incredibly good book, simply for the sake of a joke.)

2. Throughout the book there are mini "journal" entries. These are sort of stream-of-consciousness/day-in-the-life paragraphs about Rhodes location and thoughts as he writes that part of the book. These are not just at the beginning of the chapters, they're throughout the book, and I'm sure that someone here is complaining about them. I actually really enjoyed these breaks - and not just because I went to college in Columbia so I'm familiar with all the locations he is sitting and writing at - the chapters themselves are pretty long and these serve as good breaks within the chapters. It makes the entire book seem more conversational, so if you're into that you'll like these, if you aren't then you won't like them.

3. The chapters are oddly...specific? I'm not really sure how to describe them otherwise. Because Rhodes is so insightful, I didn't feel like the book was wrong or lacking, just that the specific topics he covers are very particular. Depression. Sexual addiction. Introversion. Social Media. This isn't just a general book on discipleship, and I can imagine someone coming to it not getting what they wanted out of it. As someone who is very different in personality from Rhodes, I found it helpful, but I think that's because I'm in ministry. Joe Schmo, who is just a Christian looking for a book to read, might get frustrated if it doesn't "apply" to him.

I think I might take this book and spend the next month or so going through it with some of the girls I mentor. It's a good one, and will probably be lent out from my classroom library soon. (As an aside, normally when I write reviews I alternate between calling an author by their first name, last name, and "the author". There's just something about the name "Sammy" though. So sorry if this review felt awkward to read. I suppose that's fitting.)

[Robert Durough, Jr. · Rating 2 out of 5]

So, this is awkward… Really. I follow Sammy Rhodes (@SammyRhodes) on Twitter because I can empathize with his humorous, self-deprecating, introverted gluttony in 144 characters or less. That kind of awkward I can handle. The first half of This Is Awkward I could not.

When Rhodes announced his upcoming book, I thought to myself, “I really hope it works for him because he doesn’t need one more thing that denies him some affirmation.” I didn’t plan on reading it (ever), but when it came up as an option for me to review, I decided to see just how awkward it was going to be. I’ve never not finished a book I agreed to review, but I really wanted to put this one down.

The forced insertions of journal-like entries of his writing process in the middle of the actual writing, none of which are contextually appropriate in any way, only emphasized the uncomfortable way in which this first book was written. I assume the intent was to find a novel way in which to engage the reader in the life of the awkward Sammy Rhodes and the difficult process of writing a book, but they really read like further desires for affirmation and “I really hope you like this book and don’t write about hating it because my insecurities may not be able to handle it.” I’m not sure if I should feel pity or just more awkwardness… (Probably both.) Here’s an utterly inappropriate and awkward example of just how inappropriately awkward the book is: Rhodes honestly and vulnerably talks about an older boy physically “teaching” him about sexuality, which leads Rhodes to question whether or not he’s gay as a child; but then, in one of this disjointed journal entries, immediately follows with (intentional or not, I really can’t tell) the difficulty in peeling and eating a banana while writing. … Yes, that happened. (My apologies for instilling in you the awkwardness this book instilled in me.)

However, things began to change with Chapter 6: “I Kissed Marriage Hello After Kissing Dating Goodbye.” The first few pages are laugh-out-loud stories leading up to and including Rhodes’ wedding day. Seriously awkward. Seriously funny. I’m not sure how much time elapsed between his beginning to write the book and the start of this latter half of the manuscript, but the writing and appropriate level of awkward definitely change for the better. I began to buy into the journal entries as part of the journey, even though I still didn’t care much for their integration without connective material. I made it to the end without wincing the whole way.

In addition to what I’ve already written about the writing style, I must include the perpetual appeal to pop-culture references of which the reader may or may not be aware. This isn’t that surprising from someone who got his start in a social media following, but that kind of writing (to me) feels a lot like using other’s ideas because the author does not have enough words of his own. (This should not be confused with plagiarism, for which Rhodes has previously been accused, to what legitimate extent I know not.) I simply find it a bit too cliché and leaving the reader left out if unaware of the references (like what John Eldridge does with movies and plays, but with a broader range). (Rhodes also misidentifies some of his references, although the points he makes by them are not thereby negatively affected.)

Rhodes has some good stuff in here, but I’m not sure wading through the rest of the text is worth the effort. Perhaps other articles, subsequent tweets, or maybe another book will prove beneficial in bringing out that information now that the ice has been broken.


*Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookLook Bloggers book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

[Kaitlyn Bouchillon · Rating 1 out of 5]

First, I truly appreciate that Rhodes wrote into some of the vulnerable, potentially awkward topics that many people avoid discussing out loud. That takes bravery and I'm sure others will notice and appreciate it.

However, the book as a whole felt very disjointed to me. Within each chapter, there are section breaks. these section breaks always include a time, a location, and a paragraph about "pre-thoughts." In other words, it's like reading a journal of what Rhodes was thinking before writing each section. It sounds cool, but it was extremely confusing. It broke up a train of thought and made each section stand alone instead of flow together. I wanted to like it, but I didn't care to read about how he was writing at McDonald's but hadn't been there in months and will anyone like this book, oh wait, maybe he should start writing but he doesn't want to write anymore. <-- example. Rhodes went straight from that into a totally different topic and every single time, it took away instead of adding something to the story.

There were five or six quotes from the book that I've written down to remember... one or two from Sammy, the rest from people he quoted within in the book. I don't want to sound harsh, but it just wasn't for me. I suppose I expected it to be funnier, but attempts at being funny - like the section intros - just distracted me.

[Megan · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is another review in which I don't want to be uncharitable. This was really not my cup of tea. What I didn't care for are matters of taste in writing style, mostly, but I found other problems as well. While there were a few gems of clearly put, truthful encouragement, most of it read like a prolonged, painful blog of self-deprecation. I wouldn't say it's not worth reading, but just know what to expect. Humor; painful honesty; good (if light) treatments of common areas of struggle for Christians (lust, pride, divorce, body image, etc.); and general encouragement. The book never matures in tone or content. I would read this carefully before recommending it to anyone, and know your audience well before you do. The author does a good job of dealing with all these awkward topics but he doesn't answer it well with the Gospel or redemption or assurance. He throws Scripture around a bit, and lays out some foundational truths and encouragements, but he doesn't wrap the book up with a strong, clear, all-encompassing, or particularly even hopeful presentation of the Gospel, of living in victory over sin, of Jesus's power to transform us, or anything of the sort. There's just no balance to all the struggle.

[Joe Donaldson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sammy Rhodes does an excellent job of assessing and defining awkwardness. Essentially the Fall is awkwardness exemplified, in that it created the possibility of it and need to be redeemed. This is simply because awkwardness is defined as the gap between what is and the desperate feel for what should be. God redeems us from this in a cosmic sense and in a salvific sense. But where Rhodes comes in is to articulate the buzz word "awkward," as it is used today in a hilarious manner. For we all feel the awkward gap between our perceived and desired self, or our lives or other areas. God redeems this too.

[Robin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Confident grace for awkward people

I don't know what it was...maybe the authors brutal honesty and dripping view of grace...that drew me in and made me laugh, cry and rejoice. Really enjoyed this.

[Cheyenne · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book speaks so much truth. I highly recommend this to anyone who is struggling with faith or just feels awkward frequently (like me!) Be prepared to laugh and cry!

[Hannah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Laughter & tears throughout the whole book. Thankful for Sammy's honesty & humor & reminders of Jesus's great and tender love.

[Nathan Albright · Rating 5 out of 5]

[Note: This book was provided free of charge by BookLook/Thomas Nelson in exchange for an honest review.]

This book is awkward, no joke. I do not know how popular this book will be, but nearly every chapter of this book is full of awkward personal honesty to the point of oversharing. Unfortunately or fortunately, depending on how one views the travails of insecure and painfully open and honest writers with incredibly uncomfortable personal backgrounds, I happen to clearly be part of the target audience for this book. This book was written for someone almost exactly like me, and much of it could have been written by someone like me, although it would have been written differently because I would have written it according to my own style and with my experiences instead of the author’s, but there would have been a large amount of overlap [1]. In a way, that makes it uncomfortable to review this book, because to talk about the book is in many ways, and painfully awkward ways, to talk about myself [2]. Nevertheless, this discomfort appears to be the goal of the book, to provoke the sort of discomfort that leads to genuine repentance and the building of a relationship of honesty and integrity with God and others.

The contents of this book fit squarely within the body of books written to encourage those who deal with the brokenness of life [3]. There are a lot of those books, because this world is full of brokenness, and because many broken people are compelled to express the brokenness they struggle with. The chapters of this book, around fifteen or twenty pages apiece, deal with issues such as dysfunctional childhoods, divorced parents, addictions to lust, depression, disastrous experiences in dating and courtship, friendship, personality theory and the difficulties of communication, eating as self-medication, the hazards of social media, the tension between fear and longing in our relationships with Jesus Christ. After these chapters, the author provides two very short appendices about surviving a party as an introvert and a sensible manifesto for responsible social media use. The author is generous with his acknowledgements, thanking both of his parents as well as his wife, who has stuck with him despite the ups and downs of a very challenging life, which cannot be easy to deal with.

This is a book that is hard to render a verdict on, because the author fills the pages of this book with his life, with his memories of his parents’ phenomenally ugly divorce involving drinking and drug addiction and adultery, with his own experiences of sexual abuse as a young person, and with the disastrous effects of his life’s trauma on his mental state, including a huge amount of anxiety and depression that fill nearly every page of this work. The author includes diary entries where he records his awkward conversations about crying in public because of what a friend says as well as his uncomfortable interactions with Starbucks’ baristas, and the unhealthy use of food and thoughts about sex as ways to medicate his deeply wounded soul. My own feelings upon having read this book are deeply complicated—a sense of deep compassion and empathy for the author in that he is a man not so different from myself, neither in his experiences, in the damage and wounds he suffered from them, nor in the way he deals with his burden by pouring it out through writing. Added to this is a feeling of deep discomfort that there was so much I could relate to as well, and a sense of the embarrassment and shame in so much of what was written about, in the way that many people do not want to talk about it, and want to pretend that such horrors and difficulties do not exist. Added to this is also a deep and fierce longing for the justice of God, and also for Him to bind up the wounds of the broken of this world and to create a new heavens and new earth where the former things of this life will not even be remembered, nor mourned, as they so often are in our lives. Added to this as well is a sense of some dissatisfaction that the author spends so much time dealing with, even wallowing in, the brokenness of life and not a lot of time painting a vision of wholeness that we can hope to reach someday, by the grace of our loving Father, and elder brother, Jesus Christ. It is a difficult thing to ask such a small book, not even 200 pages including its appendices, to carry the weight of such complicated feelings.

[1] See, for example, my discussion of the awkwardness of life:

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[2] See, for example, the following quotes:

“Again, that’s what awkwardness is, the gap between what we should be and what we actually are. Life is awkward because it doesn’t go the way it should go. People are awkward because they don’t do and say and think what they should do and say and think. All of us are awkward because all of us experience this gap in some way (4).”

“What a devastating realization it is that your parents are people—people who carry wounds and who create wounds too. Wounded people wound people, whether they stay or leave. One of the keys to the wholeness we all long for is embracing the awkwardness of loving and forgiving our parents, wounds and all (16).”

“The only thing that can mend the hearts of those of us coming from broken homes is a love deeper than romance that melts our cynicism. A love that is subversive in its power. A love that stares into the abyss of our souls and says with compassionate conviction, “I’m not going anywhere.” A love that knows us at our worst yet moves toward us still (44).”

“That is how life goes—we send our children into the wilderness. Some of them on the day they are born, it seems, for all the help we can give them. Some of them seem to be a kind of wilderness into themselves. But there must be angels there, too, and springs of water. Even that wilderness, the very habitation of jackals, is the Lord’s.” – Marilynne Robinson (172)

“The good news is that the Lord loves awkward people, for there isn’t any other kind (182).”

[3] See, for example:

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[Annie · Rating 3 out of 5]

As a Twitter fan of Sammy Rhodes, I was so excited to see that he had published a book. I walked into this expecting to be entertained and leave laughing.

While he does have spots of humor here and there, Sammy Rhodes hits on some heavy issues like divorce, marriage, sexual abuse, depression, body image, etc. I wasn’t expecting that. When it comes to these issues, Sammy writes with truth and honest, which I thought was very brave and refreshing.

The theme of this book is that God can use our awkwardness to increase our intimacy with Him and other people. I love that idea but overall, it didn’t feel like this theme was continually present. It felt more like a string of essays that were tied together with blurbs about his struggle in writing the book.

Overall, this book wasn’t completely light hearted and it wasn’t super serious. It good, not great.

[Natalee · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book has a lot of things very worth saying, and a lot of segments that should have been cut out. (Specifically all the flashbacks where he complains about writing a book--they are NUMEROUS.). It also is not going to age well, given the number of pop culture YA book references! That said, each chapter represents a different area of the author's life where he has struggled, and seen God's grace. And the book's thesis: that we are ALL awkward people because none of us are what we should be, is spot on. Absolutely wonderful. I doubt anyone will identify with every chapter (I certainly didn't), but there's a lot of truth here all the same, and I appreciate it, irritating style/filler not withstanding. ;)

[Lisa · Rating 1 out of 5]

I’m not really sure how to review this book. It is not exactly what I thought it would be. I expected there to be practical tips on embracing your awkwardness. It was more like a confessional. I applaud the author for his brutal honesty. But because of it, the more I read the more I disliked him as a person. I find myself thinking “How is it possible that this man is a pastor and that he works with young people influencing them?” he primarily shares negative things about himself and so there is not opportunity to get to know good about him. I wish that he had shared more about the way God has worked in his life to help him overcome all of the sins that he presented in the book. This book needed to be more well rounded and point more toward God and less toward Sammie.

[Katie Buntin · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book had good nuggets of thought provoking writing and provided great jumping off points for conversation, but wasn’t my favorite read. It might be a better book for a younger audience (college, high school) based on the fact that a lot of the author’s points of awkwardness seemed to occur for him when he was younger as well.

Ultimately, my biggest beef with this one was that the author seemed to really lack confidence in what he was saying. Some of the strongest, most meaningful statements in the book were weakened by being immediately followed by a joke, as if to say, “I think this, but if you don’t agree then here’s a joke to distract you from judging me.”

[narwhal · Rating 4 out of 5]

WOW so much insight when I needed it.
Though I felt that some conclusions were too simple, and that he used too many interjections and jokes, I also understand that it is his style of writing and I appreciate it.
I really appreciated his chapter on awkwardness and depression.
So refreshing to have a writer speak unpretentiously from this specific generation and this specific time and age, where technology and unsophisticated lingo dominates society. And awkwardness, too.
He had really great quotes and sources, as well. One being GK Chesterton, another being Brene Brown.

[Samuel Park · Rating 5 out of 5]

What belief in Hope looks like in real life

I remember hearing a statement from my father in law shortly before he divorced , “What does Jesus dying on the cross have to do with this(marriage)?”

I thought about his statement a lot and wondered the same things in other areas of life. What does it look like to believe in the gospel in everyday life? How does that apply to my normal?

If you want to have a preview of what that may look like this book gives a helpful snapshot.

Highly recommend!