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Beginnings: The First Seven Days of the Rest of Your Life
Have you ever found yourself at the beginning of a big life change? Maybe you’re getting married, or divorced. Maybe you’re having a child, or burying a parent. Maybe you’ve been promoted, or lost a job you loved. Maybe you’ve moved; maybe you feel stuck. These big changes hit us hard―it’s easy to lose our way. It’s easy to think that God is leaving us alone in them.
The good news is that the God who spoke the world into existence, who lovingly brought into being everything seen and unseen, is speaking into your big change. Drawing from the story of creation in Genesis, Beginnings offers an empowering message of how God works through the transition in our lives. As God orchestrated the ultimate transition when he created everything from nothing, he can handle the overwhelming details in your life. Beginnings is for everyone who faces significant transition―in career, in relationships, in life stage, whether good or bad. By exploring the first chapter in Genesis―day by day, creative act by creative act―Steve Wiens shows us how beginnings work, and how God works through our beginnings.
The good news is that the God who spoke the world into existence, who lovingly brought into being everything seen and unseen, is speaking into your big change. Drawing from the story of creation in Genesis, Beginnings offers an empowering message of how God works through the transition in our lives. As God orchestrated the ultimate transition when he created everything from nothing, he can handle the overwhelming details in your life. Beginnings is for everyone who faces significant transition―in career, in relationships, in life stage, whether good or bad. By exploring the first chapter in Genesis―day by day, creative act by creative act―Steve Wiens shows us how beginnings work, and how God works through our beginnings.
240 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2016
11 people are currently reading
78 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
February 1, 2016
This book is just plain beautiful. Life has a tendency to be less than exactly what you've planned or hoped for. Maybe you've been thrown some curve balls...maybe you've thrown yourself some curve balls. It's never perfect and contains more change (good and hard) than you'd like. You crave to find yourself in a bigger story, with freedom to recognize your need to begin again…and again…and again. Wiens wrote a book that helps you start to find your feet in your own life...your real, actual life.
You can scroll through this page and find SUPER detailed reviews of the structure of the book and writing style, etc. etc., and that’s all needed, I get it. But, I would simply say that this book is incredibly encouraging, accessible, challenging and just downright helpful. Wiens manages to take you on a road that feels comforting and dangerous all at the same time. I suspect that you will feel SEEN by the time you’re done reading it. Nope, scratch that. You’ll know that you are SEEN...and known for that matter. You’ll also have some crazy great tools in your tool box to face whatever “day” you find yourself in.
“You are not a noun. You are a verb. You are endlessly becoming."
Turns out, there’s an amazing reason why you are feeling the way you feel right now...
Also, you’re about to learn some sweet Hebrew. Bonus! I plan to use it at parties.
You can scroll through this page and find SUPER detailed reviews of the structure of the book and writing style, etc. etc., and that’s all needed, I get it. But, I would simply say that this book is incredibly encouraging, accessible, challenging and just downright helpful. Wiens manages to take you on a road that feels comforting and dangerous all at the same time. I suspect that you will feel SEEN by the time you’re done reading it. Nope, scratch that. You’ll know that you are SEEN...and known for that matter. You’ll also have some crazy great tools in your tool box to face whatever “day” you find yourself in.
“You are not a noun. You are a verb. You are endlessly becoming."
Turns out, there’s an amazing reason why you are feeling the way you feel right now...
Also, you’re about to learn some sweet Hebrew. Bonus! I plan to use it at parties.
September 11, 2017
Enjoyed the book thoroughly.
Insight into how to look at our lives and the new beginnings. Very relatable.
Only down side was the authors need to share his appreciation of alcohol. I know the argument for it but as someone who is an alcoholic, the references bothered me. Especially saying the Sabbath was made for beer. Most will be able to look past this but it was a concern for me. Remember the weaker brother, I hope the authors was just being real and not flaunting but that is between him and God. If you can look past that you can enjoy this book.
Insight into how to look at our lives and the new beginnings. Very relatable.
Only down side was the authors need to share his appreciation of alcohol. I know the argument for it but as someone who is an alcoholic, the references bothered me. Especially saying the Sabbath was made for beer. Most will be able to look past this but it was a concern for me. Remember the weaker brother, I hope the authors was just being real and not flaunting but that is between him and God. If you can look past that you can enjoy this book.
February 16, 2019
This is a book that asks you good questions about reflection of your past, your spirituality and how you want to move your life to a future full of hopes, dreams, inner peace and your connection to God. What I like about this book is that it directs you to view your life as who you are and not what you should be. Once you read this book, I assure you that your perspective about your life will change. Reflecting on your past to determine where you want to be in the future will lead you where you need to be in the present. God is always in the present - thus, is why God is known as "I AM"
August 16, 2017
This is a book of stories, it will note answer all your questions. Instead, if it does it's work it will create new questions that will lead you on a path of discovery. ~Steve Wiens
This book, in a very gentle way, facilitated a change of perspective n regards to how I view the seasons of life. I feel as though I have been given permission to embrace each day of creation as I experience it in relation to my own life.
This book, in a very gentle way, facilitated a change of perspective n regards to how I view the seasons of life. I feel as though I have been given permission to embrace each day of creation as I experience it in relation to my own life.
February 21, 2017
Enjoyed having this book read by the author so that you could feel his passion for what he has written Good insights of scripture.
December 16, 2015
[Note: This book was provided free of charge by Tyndale Blog Network/NavPress in exchange for an honest review.]
Beginnings is a book that uses a striking and vivid allegorical interpretation of the week of creation spoken of in Genesis 1:1-2:3 as being figurative of the work of new creation that God does in believers, using each day as symbolic of a different aspect of God’s work and ours as we become a new creation. Although the title of the book sounds like a self-help book, the contents of the book are far more than that, although each chapter of this book is focused on practices that can allow us to live better. What raises this book from the normal book about encouragement and God’s workings with mankind is a combination of the author’s deeply humble and personal discussion of his own life as well as the author’s basic appreciation of what the Bible says, including a surprising, if not entirely biblical, respect for the Sabbath. These elements allow this book to draw a great deal of thought and reflection, and encourage action among its readers, even if that action is as simple, or difficult, as stopping.
In terms of its contents, the book consists of nine chapters. The introduction of the book, Tov, introduces the Hebrew word for good or fine that reminds us that what God has made, including we ourselves, are designed for goodness. This approach provides a welcome contrast to the cold comfort of Calvinism, even though this book does not in any way diminish the reality of mankind’s rebellion and brokenness. What it does delight in is demonstrating God’s ways of encouraging growth in believers through periods of latency and through the refining process of trials and difficulties. The next seven chapters after the introduction consist of allegorical interpretations of each day of creation. Light speaks of the new beginnings that God has for us in our moments of deepest and darkest despair. Expanse speaks of the way that God expands us to reach new levels of growth and maturity, but often at the cost of hollowing us out inside through long years of waiting and difficult experiences. Seeds speaks about the new life that God encourages and that we can see in others, seeking to burst through the confining soil in verdant growth. Seasons speaks of the time in our lives where we happen to reside at a given moment: the winter of desolate waiting and latency, the spring of hope and the beginnings of new life, the summer of glorious growth and richness, and the fall of harvest and loss and approaching darkness. The fifth chapter, Monsters, deals with the vulnerability that it takes to honestly face our fears and overcome the horrors that we have witnessed or experienced. The sixth chapter, Us, looks at the way that God deals with us graciously and created us for His purposes of glory because we were wanted by Him. The seventh chapter, stop, looks at our need for rest, which if it is not given, leads to the sorts of sicknesses and breakdowns that serve as an induced rest. After this comes a chapter on the eighth day, with its encouragement for readers to live in the growth that God has provided through our renewal and restoration in the Eternal.
Throughout the numerous biblical stories, which include some sensitive interpretations of God’s gentle and nurturing side, a part of God’s nature that is not often well recognized, the author discusses his own life with memorable discussions of how he stuttered as a kid and had a hard time finding his voice, the way that his sister had a hard time escaping from an abusive relationship that left her gaunt and empty inside, the struggles the author’s wife had with having three sons under the age of two thanks to having twins, and the long period of waiting where the two of them struggled with not being able to have children at all. This is a book that speaks intelligently to the mind, but also to the frustrated longings of the heart with a sense of both honesty and compassion that is remarkable. This book should be particularly prized by readers looking to view the creation narrative not just in its cosmic scope but also in the personal creation that God works in every believer, a thoughtful and striking perspective that is not always recognized.
Beginnings is a book that uses a striking and vivid allegorical interpretation of the week of creation spoken of in Genesis 1:1-2:3 as being figurative of the work of new creation that God does in believers, using each day as symbolic of a different aspect of God’s work and ours as we become a new creation. Although the title of the book sounds like a self-help book, the contents of the book are far more than that, although each chapter of this book is focused on practices that can allow us to live better. What raises this book from the normal book about encouragement and God’s workings with mankind is a combination of the author’s deeply humble and personal discussion of his own life as well as the author’s basic appreciation of what the Bible says, including a surprising, if not entirely biblical, respect for the Sabbath. These elements allow this book to draw a great deal of thought and reflection, and encourage action among its readers, even if that action is as simple, or difficult, as stopping.
In terms of its contents, the book consists of nine chapters. The introduction of the book, Tov, introduces the Hebrew word for good or fine that reminds us that what God has made, including we ourselves, are designed for goodness. This approach provides a welcome contrast to the cold comfort of Calvinism, even though this book does not in any way diminish the reality of mankind’s rebellion and brokenness. What it does delight in is demonstrating God’s ways of encouraging growth in believers through periods of latency and through the refining process of trials and difficulties. The next seven chapters after the introduction consist of allegorical interpretations of each day of creation. Light speaks of the new beginnings that God has for us in our moments of deepest and darkest despair. Expanse speaks of the way that God expands us to reach new levels of growth and maturity, but often at the cost of hollowing us out inside through long years of waiting and difficult experiences. Seeds speaks about the new life that God encourages and that we can see in others, seeking to burst through the confining soil in verdant growth. Seasons speaks of the time in our lives where we happen to reside at a given moment: the winter of desolate waiting and latency, the spring of hope and the beginnings of new life, the summer of glorious growth and richness, and the fall of harvest and loss and approaching darkness. The fifth chapter, Monsters, deals with the vulnerability that it takes to honestly face our fears and overcome the horrors that we have witnessed or experienced. The sixth chapter, Us, looks at the way that God deals with us graciously and created us for His purposes of glory because we were wanted by Him. The seventh chapter, stop, looks at our need for rest, which if it is not given, leads to the sorts of sicknesses and breakdowns that serve as an induced rest. After this comes a chapter on the eighth day, with its encouragement for readers to live in the growth that God has provided through our renewal and restoration in the Eternal.
Throughout the numerous biblical stories, which include some sensitive interpretations of God’s gentle and nurturing side, a part of God’s nature that is not often well recognized, the author discusses his own life with memorable discussions of how he stuttered as a kid and had a hard time finding his voice, the way that his sister had a hard time escaping from an abusive relationship that left her gaunt and empty inside, the struggles the author’s wife had with having three sons under the age of two thanks to having twins, and the long period of waiting where the two of them struggled with not being able to have children at all. This is a book that speaks intelligently to the mind, but also to the frustrated longings of the heart with a sense of both honesty and compassion that is remarkable. This book should be particularly prized by readers looking to view the creation narrative not just in its cosmic scope but also in the personal creation that God works in every believer, a thoughtful and striking perspective that is not always recognized.
March 8, 2016
We all experience times we are overwhelmed by life circumstance when the Spirit hovers over the very chaos of our lives. Steve Wiens, pastor of Genesis Covenant Church in Maple Grove points us to a resource for beginning (and beginning again)--Genesis 1. The seven days of creation tell more than how the world was created; these days are a resource through times of transition and difficult circumstance. In Beginnings, Wiens inhabits the text and offers it up as Midrashim. The creation account re-stories us, plays midwife to us, and invites us into the process of becoming (xxii-xxv).
978-1-63146-400-3Each of the seven days speak of God's work in our lives. On Day One, God's Spirit hovers over the chaos and darkness we experience, bringing light and hope. On Day two, an expanse (space) is created between the waters above and below. This symbolically speaks of how God creates space in our life to grow something new. Day Three we experience the growth of seeds in freshly broken ground. Day Four (the seperation of day and night, Sun, Moon and Stars) we are able to see seasons. On Day Five we confront the monsters in the waters which threaten to strike down our new beginning. Day Six we press into God's creative work in fashioning us, healing our past and propelling us into the future. Day Seven we learn the power of stopping and nurturing ceasing.
This is a unique book in that Wiens doesn't address any of the creationist/evolutionist debates, and instead focuses on what the seven days of creation tell us about our life. Writers like John Walton (The Lost World of Genesis One, IVP ACademic 2009) tell us that ancient near east cosmologies are more concerned about how the universe is ordered than they are about origins. If this is true (and I believe it is), a book like this which focuses on what Genesis 1 tells us about our life and God's creative and redemptive work are truer to the message of scripture than many literal readings of the creation account. The focus here is less on what happened, so much of what it means.
Wiens also brings the message of Genesis down to a personal level. He share of difficult seasons in his own life (vocational struggles, infertility, problems with physical health, etc) and names the way God was at work in his life. His discussion of the seven days invites us to reflect on God's work in our own life. I read this book in the midst of my own difficult season of life. Wiens's words give me hope and a vision of where God may be at work in this stage of my journey. I give this four-and-a-half stars.
Note: I received this book from NavPress through the Tyndale Bloggers Network in exchange for my honest review.
978-1-63146-400-3Each of the seven days speak of God's work in our lives. On Day One, God's Spirit hovers over the chaos and darkness we experience, bringing light and hope. On Day two, an expanse (space) is created between the waters above and below. This symbolically speaks of how God creates space in our life to grow something new. Day Three we experience the growth of seeds in freshly broken ground. Day Four (the seperation of day and night, Sun, Moon and Stars) we are able to see seasons. On Day Five we confront the monsters in the waters which threaten to strike down our new beginning. Day Six we press into God's creative work in fashioning us, healing our past and propelling us into the future. Day Seven we learn the power of stopping and nurturing ceasing.
This is a unique book in that Wiens doesn't address any of the creationist/evolutionist debates, and instead focuses on what the seven days of creation tell us about our life. Writers like John Walton (The Lost World of Genesis One, IVP ACademic 2009) tell us that ancient near east cosmologies are more concerned about how the universe is ordered than they are about origins. If this is true (and I believe it is), a book like this which focuses on what Genesis 1 tells us about our life and God's creative and redemptive work are truer to the message of scripture than many literal readings of the creation account. The focus here is less on what happened, so much of what it means.
Wiens also brings the message of Genesis down to a personal level. He share of difficult seasons in his own life (vocational struggles, infertility, problems with physical health, etc) and names the way God was at work in his life. His discussion of the seven days invites us to reflect on God's work in our own life. I read this book in the midst of my own difficult season of life. Wiens's words give me hope and a vision of where God may be at work in this stage of my journey. I give this four-and-a-half stars.
Note: I received this book from NavPress through the Tyndale Bloggers Network in exchange for my honest review.
February 11, 2016
*PLEASE NOTE: I received a hardcopy of this book to review for the publisher.
They awake the same way each morning—in a haze of gray. The hours they sleep do not matter, nor does the weather outdoors. The alarm sounds; their eyes open; they leave the warmth of their bed and fight—they fight—just to get themselves started. These are our neighbors; these are our relatives. Maybe this is us.
We find ourselves in these hard times, these times where the living itself is a struggle, and we hope for renewal, newness. A new start.
A beginning.
Steve Wiens believes this possible for any of us—for all of us—again and again. In fact, he believes that the very days of Creation assure us of this fact. He believes that with each new movement of the creation narrative, the Lord was revealing a new hope, a new facet of our human experience. Wiens looks into the original text and draws from it a fresh, vibrant interpretation that calls forth hope and a divine promise against the sadness, against the monsters, against the pain and peril.
Wiens’ strength lies not only in the constantly encouraging substance but his delivery, which is lyrical yet accessible, simple but poetic. Wiens weaves personal stories throughout his thematic exploration, providing context and application for all he presents. This allows for a digestible but full experience, one that leaves the reader feeling far better than he or she did before entering the text.
Life moves in seasons—the vibrant summer, the hope of spring, and the haunting, biting cold of winter. Steve Wiens understands this; he believes God built us to engage it, to endure it, and to emerge even stronger. Time and time again. When a person finds himself in those difficult spaces, when it seems impossible just to face the day, he can recall that new beginnings are coming. Life moves in seasons, but all seasons change. Knowing this allows us to savor the good and endure the bad; and that is something for which we can be thankful, in whatever season we find ourselves.
They awake the same way each morning—in a haze of gray. The hours they sleep do not matter, nor does the weather outdoors. The alarm sounds; their eyes open; they leave the warmth of their bed and fight—they fight—just to get themselves started. These are our neighbors; these are our relatives. Maybe this is us.
We find ourselves in these hard times, these times where the living itself is a struggle, and we hope for renewal, newness. A new start.
A beginning.
Steve Wiens believes this possible for any of us—for all of us—again and again. In fact, he believes that the very days of Creation assure us of this fact. He believes that with each new movement of the creation narrative, the Lord was revealing a new hope, a new facet of our human experience. Wiens looks into the original text and draws from it a fresh, vibrant interpretation that calls forth hope and a divine promise against the sadness, against the monsters, against the pain and peril.
Wiens’ strength lies not only in the constantly encouraging substance but his delivery, which is lyrical yet accessible, simple but poetic. Wiens weaves personal stories throughout his thematic exploration, providing context and application for all he presents. This allows for a digestible but full experience, one that leaves the reader feeling far better than he or she did before entering the text.
Life moves in seasons—the vibrant summer, the hope of spring, and the haunting, biting cold of winter. Steve Wiens understands this; he believes God built us to engage it, to endure it, and to emerge even stronger. Time and time again. When a person finds himself in those difficult spaces, when it seems impossible just to face the day, he can recall that new beginnings are coming. Life moves in seasons, but all seasons change. Knowing this allows us to savor the good and endure the bad; and that is something for which we can be thankful, in whatever season we find ourselves.
December 30, 2015
“This book is about finding hidden beginnings and pursuing the endless adventures of becoming,” Wiens writes.
He uses the creation story to help us understand how our lives are unfolding. We learn God is in the beginning chaos. We see new life come forth from seeds God has placed in us. We learn to give away what is really true of us. We learn there are seasons we go through and how we can celebrate them. We experience opposition we must overcome. We look at where we've come from and that helps us know where we are going. We find that there are rhythms and a time to stop.
This is a book about stories, stories from the Bible, from Wiens' life and from the lives of others. Wiens hopes we will find our place in the bigger story.
For some reason, this book just did not grab me. It really epitomizes the current idea of the importance of story, of one's own story, and of finding one's place in a bigger story. In the spirit of the emphasis on story, Wiens tells many of his own. He gives an extensive description of his Grand Canyon rim to rim run, a story I thought was unnecessary. And did I really need to know he was conceived on a white, hide-a-bed couch?
Nonetheless, I found some really good ideas in Wiens' teaching. I liked the message that we don't have to have our life together before God will come in. I liked the idea that there are seasons we go through, that there will be new beginnings, and that there is also a time to stop.
Wiens says this book is like a midwife, providing a process for becoming. I think that will happen mostly through the spiritual practices and questions for reflection and discussion at the end of each chapter. This book would work best in a lively discussion group where people can share their own stories and discuss the suggested practices and questions.
I received a complimentary egalley of this book from the publisher for the purpose of an independent and honest review.
He uses the creation story to help us understand how our lives are unfolding. We learn God is in the beginning chaos. We see new life come forth from seeds God has placed in us. We learn to give away what is really true of us. We learn there are seasons we go through and how we can celebrate them. We experience opposition we must overcome. We look at where we've come from and that helps us know where we are going. We find that there are rhythms and a time to stop.
This is a book about stories, stories from the Bible, from Wiens' life and from the lives of others. Wiens hopes we will find our place in the bigger story.
For some reason, this book just did not grab me. It really epitomizes the current idea of the importance of story, of one's own story, and of finding one's place in a bigger story. In the spirit of the emphasis on story, Wiens tells many of his own. He gives an extensive description of his Grand Canyon rim to rim run, a story I thought was unnecessary. And did I really need to know he was conceived on a white, hide-a-bed couch?
Nonetheless, I found some really good ideas in Wiens' teaching. I liked the message that we don't have to have our life together before God will come in. I liked the idea that there are seasons we go through, that there will be new beginnings, and that there is also a time to stop.
Wiens says this book is like a midwife, providing a process for becoming. I think that will happen mostly through the spiritual practices and questions for reflection and discussion at the end of each chapter. This book would work best in a lively discussion group where people can share their own stories and discuss the suggested practices and questions.
I received a complimentary egalley of this book from the publisher for the purpose of an independent and honest review.
December 16, 2015
Starting over, a new opportunity, a new chapter in life. Where is God when we face a transition, something new that we aren't prepared for? Is He able to help us? Even if we know God is with us and will help us, we can get afraid and concerned when a new chapter in life opens. In Beginnings, Steve Wiens looks at what the Bible says about starting something new.
Using the creation story in Genesis, Wiens shows how God brings light and order into the chaos that can accompany big changes in our lives. God does not want us to stay the same, He wants us to grow, mature, and live in a way that leaves something good behind.
Wiens writes that it won't always be easy, pain and sadness will be there in the process. This pain helps us see things that are holding us back and then to shed those things.
This book is well written, easy to understand, and enjoyable to read. He shares stories from his life and those of his friends to show how others went through beginnings. Though this is a serious topic and book, Wiens uses humor to keep it from being dry.
What interested me about reading this book in the first place is that I'm at this point; there are changes that our business has to go though, and I wanted to see what the book said. He comments that we will probably be able to see what day we are on as we read. I could see several days that fit together and and matched what I was looking at.
I received a free copy of Beginnings from Tyndale House Publishers in exchange for this review.
Using the creation story in Genesis, Wiens shows how God brings light and order into the chaos that can accompany big changes in our lives. God does not want us to stay the same, He wants us to grow, mature, and live in a way that leaves something good behind.
Wiens writes that it won't always be easy, pain and sadness will be there in the process. This pain helps us see things that are holding us back and then to shed those things.
This book is well written, easy to understand, and enjoyable to read. He shares stories from his life and those of his friends to show how others went through beginnings. Though this is a serious topic and book, Wiens uses humor to keep it from being dry.
What interested me about reading this book in the first place is that I'm at this point; there are changes that our business has to go though, and I wanted to see what the book said. He comments that we will probably be able to see what day we are on as we read. I could see several days that fit together and and matched what I was looking at.
I received a free copy of Beginnings from Tyndale House Publishers in exchange for this review.
December 12, 2015
My Review Q&A style
I did receive a complimentary copy of this book.
- What did you like about the book and why? I like the way the author writes about his beliefs and spirituality.
- What did you not like about the book and why? Well my views may not always align with that of the author, but it is not something I can not look over.
- What did you learn? I was interested in a lot of the different ways a person can connect with their religion.
- To whom would you recommend this book and why? Someone who is of the Christian faith or people who want to learn more about it. I feel like if you're not really on board with the lifestyle and choices of the author, it may take from the book's impact.
I did receive a complimentary copy of this book.
- What did you like about the book and why? I like the way the author writes about his beliefs and spirituality.
- What did you not like about the book and why? Well my views may not always align with that of the author, but it is not something I can not look over.
- What did you learn? I was interested in a lot of the different ways a person can connect with their religion.
- To whom would you recommend this book and why? Someone who is of the Christian faith or people who want to learn more about it. I feel like if you're not really on board with the lifestyle and choices of the author, it may take from the book's impact.
January 31, 2016
Love the poetic style of Steve's writing. Love the vulnerability, honesty and forward thoughts. Love the [sometimes scary] challenges, inspiration, and practical application. This book gives me a lot to consider (along with incredibly helpful action steps) and will be a good one to return to time and time again.
January 26, 2016
Great perspectives
Beautiful exegesis of Genesis 1. The strong point of this book is the stunning language and imagery. It's simply a beautiful book to read, with a beautiful expression of God's heart in creation... tov.
Beautiful exegesis of Genesis 1. The strong point of this book is the stunning language and imagery. It's simply a beautiful book to read, with a beautiful expression of God's heart in creation... tov.
August 16, 2016
Spot on
Spoke to me and my recent experience in so many ways. A nonjudgmental, questioning, reassuring tone invites the reader to face their own hard stuff and let's one know thing will be and are good.
Spoke to me and my recent experience in so many ways. A nonjudgmental, questioning, reassuring tone invites the reader to face their own hard stuff and let's one know thing will be and are good.
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews