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Sacred Rest: Recover Your Life, Renew Your Energy, Restore Your Sanity
Staying busy is easy. Staying well rested-now there's a challenge.
How can you keep your energy, happiness, creativity, and relationships fresh and thriving in the midst of never-ending family demands, career pressures, and the stress of everyday life? In SACRED REST, Dr. Saundra Dalton-Smith, a board-certified internal medicine doctor, reveals why rest can no longer remain optional.
Dr. Dalton-Smith shares seven types of rest she has found lacking in the lives of those she encounters in her clinical practice and research-physical, mental, spiritual, emotional, sensory, social, creative-and why a deficiency in any one of these types of rest can have unfavorable effects on your health, happiness, relationships, creativity, and productivity. SACRED REST combines the science of rest, the spirituality of rest, the gifts of rest, and the resulting fruit of rest. It shows rest as something sacred, valuable, and worthy of our respect.
By combining scientific research with personal stories, spiritual insight, and practical next steps, SACRED REST gives the weary permission to embrace rest, set boundaries, and seek sanctuary without any guilt, shame, or fear.
240 pages, Hardcover
First published December 19, 2017
841 people are currently reading
6105 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 327 reviews
June 15, 2018
I really wanted to like this book. I requested my library purchase it so I could read it. But...it is WAY too preachy, repetitive, and lacking in useful content. I enjoyed the brief scientific parts. I enjoyed some of the parts where she talked about her own struggles and those of her patients. However, I needed there to be much more science and much much less evangelism. I'm fully on board with the idea that rest is sacred, necessary, and as God intended. Stop quoting Bible verses at me, though, especially when they are taken out of context and irrelevant. I wanted to read the book to get tips/ideas for how to manage my life so that I feel more rested, present, joyful, and calm. In the end, I realized that reading the book was annoying me so much I was skimming it while rolling my eyes and muttering impolite responses, so when my checkout expired, I didn't bother to renew and finish the last few chapters. She wasn't saying anything new. In fact, the book might not have been too bad had an editor removed all the redundancies, nearly every Bible verse, and every attempt to convert the reader to her particular brand of evangelical Christianity.
January 21, 2018
Lots of truth here and an approach that I hadn’t thought of before.
One point that really changed the way I see the concept of resting is her assertion that sleep is not the same thing as rest. In fact, we all know that sometimes sleep isn’t restful at all. In order to find true rest, we need to refresh the soul. This requires more than just going to bed earlier or sleeping in. Instead, it spans across seven different areas of our lives – physical, mental, emotional, social, spiritual, sensory and creative. And the first step is to figure out ‘what kind of tired are you’. Breaking down the different types of rest deficits and some practical ways to be intentional about rest in each of those areas was really eye-opening for me.
The author’s writing style is engaging, and her examples are easy to relate to. She has been there too – in desperate need of rest – and her experience shines through in her words. But her love of God shines through even more. And tying the need for rest to our relationship with God elevates Sacred Rest (the book and the concept) above a typical self-help book. Instead, these truths here – if applied – can revolutionize your walk with God as well as every other area of your life.
Bottom Line: If you are burned out… if you find it impossible to say no … if you don’t remember the last time you were simply ‘still’… Sacred Rest needs to be the next book you read! Practical application, Scriptural wisdom, science and research all play a part in Dalton-Smith’s message: we need to become well-rested by intentionally replenishing the areas of our lives that we consistently deplete. Easy to read and encouraging, this is one of the best books on rest I’ve ever read!
(I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book)
first seen at Reading Is My SuperPower
One point that really changed the way I see the concept of resting is her assertion that sleep is not the same thing as rest. In fact, we all know that sometimes sleep isn’t restful at all. In order to find true rest, we need to refresh the soul. This requires more than just going to bed earlier or sleeping in. Instead, it spans across seven different areas of our lives – physical, mental, emotional, social, spiritual, sensory and creative. And the first step is to figure out ‘what kind of tired are you’. Breaking down the different types of rest deficits and some practical ways to be intentional about rest in each of those areas was really eye-opening for me.
The author’s writing style is engaging, and her examples are easy to relate to. She has been there too – in desperate need of rest – and her experience shines through in her words. But her love of God shines through even more. And tying the need for rest to our relationship with God elevates Sacred Rest (the book and the concept) above a typical self-help book. Instead, these truths here – if applied – can revolutionize your walk with God as well as every other area of your life.
Bottom Line: If you are burned out… if you find it impossible to say no … if you don’t remember the last time you were simply ‘still’… Sacred Rest needs to be the next book you read! Practical application, Scriptural wisdom, science and research all play a part in Dalton-Smith’s message: we need to become well-rested by intentionally replenishing the areas of our lives that we consistently deplete. Easy to read and encouraging, this is one of the best books on rest I’ve ever read!
(I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book)
first seen at Reading Is My SuperPower
August 16, 2021
This is a 3.5 I am rounding up. Good facts, in particular delineating the different types of rest, which I am in agreement with, and are helpful to see laid out like that. I think one of the most insightful comments was how the author said a vacation is not rest. So true! However, the advice wasn’t particularly new or felt new. I also felt the REST Method felt a little like an antiquated marketing concept.
Part II referenced a lot of Christianity. I didn’t realize how much this was about the Christian god before I bought this. Nothing wrong with that and this could be a selling point for Christians who want to rest as the author cites scriptures particularly in Part II, and is quite explicit about experiencing God in the later sections.
Part II referenced a lot of Christianity. I didn’t realize how much this was about the Christian god before I bought this. Nothing wrong with that and this could be a selling point for Christians who want to rest as the author cites scriptures particularly in Part II, and is quite explicit about experiencing God in the later sections.
November 13, 2025
This book would have been an easy 3 or maybe even 4 stars if the evangelical Christian garbage was replaced with actual medical science. I was flabbergasted by the sheer concentration of religious claims given that the author is a practicing medical doctor who claims that rest is “the best-kept secret in medicine”. Nevertheless, I am grateful to have been given the book as a gift, and think there was some good material on how to chill out a bit, it’s just a shame that the author WHO HAS A MEDICAL DEGREE THAT OSTENSIBLY TOOK MANY YEARS OF HARD STUDY OF THE NATURAL SCIENCES TO ATTAIN backed up all of her claims with bible passages.
Edit: Who the fuck names their child Saundra
Edit: Who the fuck names their child Saundra
January 23, 2021
I question as to whether I’ve completely grasped the sacredness of rest. Oh, I know Sunday is to be a day of worship and rest, but there’s so much more. The author is a Christian physician which is something I want in all of my doctors. This book is written from a Christian perspective, but she’s not overbearing. I liked the fact that scripture is used throughout the book. She covers 7 methods of rest we need. The author blends the tones of a best friend, physician and spiritual mentor flawlessly. I’m happy I stumbled upon this one thanks to Stasia Nelson!
July 3, 2020
This could have been a blog post or a short series of blog posts instead.
September 29, 2020
The concept is really good. I listened to the author on a podcast and this sounded like exactly what I needed! However, this book poorly executes the concept.
The first part goes through each type of rest. There's physical, mental, emotional, spiritual, social, sensory, and creative rest. The chapters are very short for each of these categories.
Beyond this first part, the book gets very preachy. It continues to get more and more preachy to where it's really distracting to read. I found myself reading the words and thinking about other things going on in my life. Exactly why I need this book, but to be honest after reading this I'm pretty clueless on how to actually apply this concept to my life.
There's three parts to the book. The most important part, the first one, I feel the book just goes way off topic. There's a lot of putting words in my mouth of 'how I'm feeling in life'. How does the author know? It's actually unmotivating. Again, very preachy.
There's really no solid examples of how to actually rest or how to really incorporate it into your life.
Most of the book is 'motivation' and tiny little 'supportive' stories that I couldn't even relate to.
I was hoping this book wouldn't be as religious as it is. I believe this makes the book have a limited audience.
I didn't end up finishing the last few chapters because I couldn't take the religious references anymore.
Skip reading this book and just google 'types of self care' and it's basically the same thing.
The first part goes through each type of rest. There's physical, mental, emotional, spiritual, social, sensory, and creative rest. The chapters are very short for each of these categories.
Beyond this first part, the book gets very preachy. It continues to get more and more preachy to where it's really distracting to read. I found myself reading the words and thinking about other things going on in my life. Exactly why I need this book, but to be honest after reading this I'm pretty clueless on how to actually apply this concept to my life.
There's three parts to the book. The most important part, the first one, I feel the book just goes way off topic. There's a lot of putting words in my mouth of 'how I'm feeling in life'. How does the author know? It's actually unmotivating. Again, very preachy.
There's really no solid examples of how to actually rest or how to really incorporate it into your life.
Most of the book is 'motivation' and tiny little 'supportive' stories that I couldn't even relate to.
I was hoping this book wouldn't be as religious as it is. I believe this makes the book have a limited audience.
I didn't end up finishing the last few chapters because I couldn't take the religious references anymore.
Skip reading this book and just google 'types of self care' and it's basically the same thing.
March 14, 2020
I heard this author on a podcast and really liked her premise that rest is more than sleep, and that we require different types of "rest". So I wanted to like this book, but I couldn't get though it. I'm not sure what it was about the writing style/approach that turned me off, but I gave up on this book after a few chapters.
September 6, 2023
“Staying busy is easy. Staying well rested is a challenge.” This book taught me what rest really is and spoiler alert…it isn’t sleeping more! I made a few changes and have been sleeping better at night and feeling rested throughout the day!
January 19, 2018
An eye-opening look at what rest really means. And it's not just getting adequate sleep. In fact, Dr. Dalton-Smith is quick to point out that sleep is not the same thing as rest. You could sleep eight hours a day and never feel rested.
"A well-rested life is a secret hidden in plain sight. It is a life at one with God, self,and others. It's life strengthened by winding down the expectations of others and charging up your expectations for yourself." (p 118)
I kept thinking of the scripture "Be still and know that I am God." (Psalm 46:10) as I read through this book. And I think that ultimately, that is the key -- to feel God, to see Him in every aspect of our lives. It's only then that a sacred rest is truly possible.
My favourite section of this book is Part II -- The Gifts of Rest.There's a lot of meat to this part of the book and it really got me thinking...and marveling over all the gifts available to us. And not the ones you'd automatically think of -- at least I wouldn't have. Like the Gift of Boundaries, of Acceptance, of Permission and so many more. Dalton-Smith has encouraged me to explore each of these gifts and how they relate to me. This isn't the kind of book you just read through. It's the kind that makes you pause and ponder and want to come back to time and time again.
Book provided courtesy of Faith Works and Litfuse Publicity Group.
"A well-rested life is a secret hidden in plain sight. It is a life at one with God, self,and others. It's life strengthened by winding down the expectations of others and charging up your expectations for yourself." (p 118)
I kept thinking of the scripture "Be still and know that I am God." (Psalm 46:10) as I read through this book. And I think that ultimately, that is the key -- to feel God, to see Him in every aspect of our lives. It's only then that a sacred rest is truly possible.
My favourite section of this book is Part II -- The Gifts of Rest.There's a lot of meat to this part of the book and it really got me thinking...and marveling over all the gifts available to us. And not the ones you'd automatically think of -- at least I wouldn't have. Like the Gift of Boundaries, of Acceptance, of Permission and so many more. Dalton-Smith has encouraged me to explore each of these gifts and how they relate to me. This isn't the kind of book you just read through. It's the kind that makes you pause and ponder and want to come back to time and time again.
Book provided courtesy of Faith Works and Litfuse Publicity Group.
December 7, 2017
An amazing book filled with encouragement and ways to help renew your life with God's rest. We all have busy lives at times and staying rested is vital to our mental, physical and spiritual welfare. This book is wonderful to give as a gift, too. I received a copy of this book from the author and this is my personal honest opinion.
April 27, 2023
The concept is so important but this book fell short. Skimmed the last 100 pages and found there wasn’t anything useful or insightful. I didn’t expect this book to reference Christianity quite so much (might be helpful for some people but wasn’t for me). Part 1 is my only take away; there was so much more potential to better explain rest or explore how to find rest and that didn’t happen.
August 13, 2023
Some good tidbits on resting as a total person and resting in the particular area we are burnt out in. I like how she separated rest into several areas: physical, mental, emotional, spiritual, social, sensory, and creative. A good book to read to encourage living a more rested life and reminds one tonweekly take a day of rest.
did-not-finish
November 1, 2021I was really drawn to the concept of this book. I find myself thinking I'm tired a lot, but it's not necessary PHYSICAL tiredness. But the execution just wasn't there for me. I also didn't realize it was a Christian Living book--not a bad thing, but unexpected.
December 20, 2018
First part was great! Even bought the book for a friend because I was enjoying it so much. The rest of it didn't do much for me. I had to plod through it.
December 28, 2017
A "Must Read" for your well-being. SACRED REST is a perfect guide to empower you, and jump-start your New Year! Review to follow.
October 2, 2024
Too much god
May 17, 2022
This was a disappointing book with far too many overt references to a singular religious context. I wanted to love this book, but it repeated itself such that the end of each chapter felt like it was trying to author the beginning all over again. Some of the ideas were okay, but the implementation concepts were useless. And mostly the book fails to account for the many layers of privilege that allow a person to engage in meaningful rest of any kind. Colonialism and capitalism combined with systemic racism and seismic have created a world in which rest is for the rich. I'd like to have seen this book acknowledge that on some level.
February 24, 2023
This has some interesting ideas on various forms of rest which are not sleep but make you feel exhausted nonetheless and may affect your quality of sleep.
Part one looked into different areas and types of rest and part two was mostly just "God is the solution".
So I can endure quite a lot of bible/God talk but this was too much for me and took away from the interesting ideas of the book.
I would not recommend this to anyone who is alergic to bible quotes or any form of God mentions.
If you are looking to imrove your rest skills with your faith this will be for you.
Part one looked into different areas and types of rest and part two was mostly just "God is the solution".
So I can endure quite a lot of bible/God talk but this was too much for me and took away from the interesting ideas of the book.
I would not recommend this to anyone who is alergic to bible quotes or any form of God mentions.
If you are looking to imrove your rest skills with your faith this will be for you.
September 13, 2025
Die ersten Kapitel des Buches geben interessanten Input, was Erholung ist bzw. was es alles sein kann und regt zur Reflexion an.
Aber spätestens ab der Mitte des Buches vermischt die Autorin wissenschaftliche Erkenntnisse mit ihrem Glauben, was für meinen Geschmack viel zu weit geht. Das führt auch dazu, dass das Buch meiner Meinung nach unnötig lang ist - die ersten 10 der 25 Kapitel liefern Mehrwert, danach wurde es mir zu religiös und die Abschnitte fühlten sich sehr aufgebläht an.
Aber spätestens ab der Mitte des Buches vermischt die Autorin wissenschaftliche Erkenntnisse mit ihrem Glauben, was für meinen Geschmack viel zu weit geht. Das führt auch dazu, dass das Buch meiner Meinung nach unnötig lang ist - die ersten 10 der 25 Kapitel liefern Mehrwert, danach wurde es mir zu religiös und die Abschnitte fühlten sich sehr aufgebläht an.
September 19, 2018
I thought the book was too self-focused to really be considered a Christian book. I think there needed to be more emphasis on prayer and leaning on the Holy Spirit in addition to the tips she mentioned. I thought she had some really great ideas, but maybe I just didn't read it in the right season of life. I didn't grab me and I don't plan on reading it again.
February 17, 2023
A lot of this read like an Instagram caption to me😅 Not bad, not great. In my opinion, read Rhythms of Renewal by Rebekah Lyons for similar but better content instead.
January 25, 2018
Why I Choose This Book:
Resting is a lesson I've been working on learning for a long time now, but have really focused on during the last six to eight months of my life. Finding the balance between being and doing and what is really important. My life has become more rich and fulfilling when I take time to stop and rest instead of always try and accomplish, and that for me, is a huge accomplishment in and of itself.
What I Thought:
Beautiful. This book. It had long, flowing sentences, perfect word choices, and a fine balance as the author wove truths for us to read. She pulls stories from her own life, verses from the Bible, research from science, and accounts from her work as a doctor to back up everything she says and show how it makes sense.
I've been working on learning all of the lessons that were in this book, and I have got to say, I think my life during the last few years would have been different if I would have read this book earlier. I will probably read this book again and definitely recommend it. I highly recommend it to anyone who has gone through something like Lyme disease and needs to learn how to rest guilt-free.
Physical rest is something that has long been a part of my life. I have to rest a lot more than the average person due to having gone through years of being sick with Lyme disease. Until the last few months I balked and fought the rest, feeling like a failure or like others would view me as lazy. Gaining perspective and realizing how needed rest is, not just physically, but in all ways, was so important for me. That's what I've been learning and this book only reinforced those lessons, plus expanded on them and reminded me just why rest (physically, mentally, emotionally, spiritually, socially, and sensory), is so needed.
One huge thing that helped me learn how to rest better and to enjoy it, is to really put my identity in who I am in Christ, not in what I can accomplish. That's a big thing this book talked about (although maybe not with that wording). I really appreciated that and the whole view the author took on accomplishments. I mean, she's obviously very accomplished (seeing how she's a doctor and a published author, in addition to being a mother), but she seemed to view her accomplishments far below how she viewed the rest of her life. She clearly portrayed that who she is in Christ is more important than anything else, and that is so spot-on.
I generally read books fast. This one felt like it couldn't be rushed. I read it slowly over about three weeks, savoring it and nibbling a few pages a day. It was delightful. One of those rare books that make me think of art and beauty. In fact, I savored the book so much that I had to carry it around with me all day long and am staying up late to finish this review on time. (Staying up late to finish a book about rest... Hmmm.)
Another thing the author points out in this book is that rest is sometimes a mindset - sometimes a five-minute breathing deeply session here or there - it's not about being lazy or an excuse. I thought the author had a really good balance with how she talked about rest and the suggestions she gave for how to accomplish the art of resting.
Conclusion:
With reading the book over such a long period of time (three weeks, when I generally read a book within a few days), I don't remember all my thoughts about the book. I feel like there were a few places early on that I didn't agree with, but those were minor and I can't recall them now. Overall, this book was spot-on and I wouldn't hesitate to recommend it.
Rating:
I’m giving Sacred Rest 4 out of 5 stars, and 8 out of 10
*This book was given to me by Litfuse for reviewing
Resting is a lesson I've been working on learning for a long time now, but have really focused on during the last six to eight months of my life. Finding the balance between being and doing and what is really important. My life has become more rich and fulfilling when I take time to stop and rest instead of always try and accomplish, and that for me, is a huge accomplishment in and of itself.
What I Thought:
Beautiful. This book. It had long, flowing sentences, perfect word choices, and a fine balance as the author wove truths for us to read. She pulls stories from her own life, verses from the Bible, research from science, and accounts from her work as a doctor to back up everything she says and show how it makes sense.
I've been working on learning all of the lessons that were in this book, and I have got to say, I think my life during the last few years would have been different if I would have read this book earlier. I will probably read this book again and definitely recommend it. I highly recommend it to anyone who has gone through something like Lyme disease and needs to learn how to rest guilt-free.
Physical rest is something that has long been a part of my life. I have to rest a lot more than the average person due to having gone through years of being sick with Lyme disease. Until the last few months I balked and fought the rest, feeling like a failure or like others would view me as lazy. Gaining perspective and realizing how needed rest is, not just physically, but in all ways, was so important for me. That's what I've been learning and this book only reinforced those lessons, plus expanded on them and reminded me just why rest (physically, mentally, emotionally, spiritually, socially, and sensory), is so needed.
One huge thing that helped me learn how to rest better and to enjoy it, is to really put my identity in who I am in Christ, not in what I can accomplish. That's a big thing this book talked about (although maybe not with that wording). I really appreciated that and the whole view the author took on accomplishments. I mean, she's obviously very accomplished (seeing how she's a doctor and a published author, in addition to being a mother), but she seemed to view her accomplishments far below how she viewed the rest of her life. She clearly portrayed that who she is in Christ is more important than anything else, and that is so spot-on.
I generally read books fast. This one felt like it couldn't be rushed. I read it slowly over about three weeks, savoring it and nibbling a few pages a day. It was delightful. One of those rare books that make me think of art and beauty. In fact, I savored the book so much that I had to carry it around with me all day long and am staying up late to finish this review on time. (Staying up late to finish a book about rest... Hmmm.)
Another thing the author points out in this book is that rest is sometimes a mindset - sometimes a five-minute breathing deeply session here or there - it's not about being lazy or an excuse. I thought the author had a really good balance with how she talked about rest and the suggestions she gave for how to accomplish the art of resting.
Conclusion:
With reading the book over such a long period of time (three weeks, when I generally read a book within a few days), I don't remember all my thoughts about the book. I feel like there were a few places early on that I didn't agree with, but those were minor and I can't recall them now. Overall, this book was spot-on and I wouldn't hesitate to recommend it.
Rating:
I’m giving Sacred Rest 4 out of 5 stars, and 8 out of 10
*This book was given to me by Litfuse for reviewing
October 8, 2023
It was good, I was inspired to do research, but, there are some parts I skipped entirely. Specially the spiritual parts. It's definitely a Catholic oriented book. If I follow everything here, it's definitely life changing, but meh? It literally took me months to finish this book. 😂This is a book that reminds us of one of the things that we always forget: REST.
Sacred Rest by Dr. Sandra Dalton-Smith details the 7 types of rest. Namely: Physical, mental, emotional, sensory, social, spiritual, and creative rest.
3/5 stars. It's easy to read, really encourages you take some rest, and the perspective on rest (splitting it among 7 types) is a fresh new take on the concept of rest. Since it's categorical, it's specific to what aspects in your life you can focus on and give time for rest. There's even a short quiz at the end where you can easily identity what kind of rest you need. (When I took it in July apparently I'm emotionally exhausted and need emotional rest. Which makes sense since I'm going through a breakup. But I think right now I'm in need of sensory rest. See? I can be aware of what rest I need and what activities I can do to rest because of this book. So right now every evening I lend it to reading instead of TV.) The book also has suggestions on what you can do if you've identified a specific kind of rest you need.
But, the suggestions for the activities for the rest is kind of familiar to me. There's a few new things that I learned. But maybe it's because I'm a psychologist and knowledgeable about these already. But it's still substantial.
My favorite parts are the discussions about physical, social, creative, and sensory rest. The discussion about mental and emotional rest, I know already.
Also, I skipped some pages and I think a whole chapter because the bible verses and the talks about religion turned me off. The chapter on Spiritual rest is ok, since it also discussed about the importance of spirituality in our mental health (which I don't dispute) but I got turned off when the book started throwing bibile verses and basically telling me to be religious and shit. My agnostic as* just can't take it. It's kind of my fault though, since it didn't sink in to me immediately that the book will be religious since it's titled "Sacred Rest" and the publisher is "Faith Words" 😂
But it's good. This book made me more aware of how much rest I'm getting, and to PRIORITIZE it more. I'm the kind of person that's already mindful about rest, but this book made me prioritize it even more. Also, I got a lot of research ideas about this, it will really help in my career as an academician. 😁
Sacred Rest by Dr. Sandra Dalton-Smith details the 7 types of rest. Namely: Physical, mental, emotional, sensory, social, spiritual, and creative rest.
3/5 stars. It's easy to read, really encourages you take some rest, and the perspective on rest (splitting it among 7 types) is a fresh new take on the concept of rest. Since it's categorical, it's specific to what aspects in your life you can focus on and give time for rest. There's even a short quiz at the end where you can easily identity what kind of rest you need. (When I took it in July apparently I'm emotionally exhausted and need emotional rest. Which makes sense since I'm going through a breakup. But I think right now I'm in need of sensory rest. See? I can be aware of what rest I need and what activities I can do to rest because of this book. So right now every evening I lend it to reading instead of TV.) The book also has suggestions on what you can do if you've identified a specific kind of rest you need.
But, the suggestions for the activities for the rest is kind of familiar to me. There's a few new things that I learned. But maybe it's because I'm a psychologist and knowledgeable about these already. But it's still substantial.
My favorite parts are the discussions about physical, social, creative, and sensory rest. The discussion about mental and emotional rest, I know already.
Also, I skipped some pages and I think a whole chapter because the bible verses and the talks about religion turned me off. The chapter on Spiritual rest is ok, since it also discussed about the importance of spirituality in our mental health (which I don't dispute) but I got turned off when the book started throwing bibile verses and basically telling me to be religious and shit. My agnostic as* just can't take it. It's kind of my fault though, since it didn't sink in to me immediately that the book will be religious since it's titled "Sacred Rest" and the publisher is "Faith Words" 😂
But it's good. This book made me more aware of how much rest I'm getting, and to PRIORITIZE it more. I'm the kind of person that's already mindful about rest, but this book made me prioritize it even more. Also, I got a lot of research ideas about this, it will really help in my career as an academician. 😁
December 14, 2017
As the back cover of Sacred Rest says, "Staying busy is easy, Staying well rested--now there's a challenge." In our modern world today, how true are these words for you?
Saundra Dalton-Smith is not only a medical doctor, she is a mom to two boys, a busy wife, and carries several other roles like many women today. Sacred Rest is written from the point of view of someone who understands what it is like to be tired and in need of rest. Yet, Dalton-Smith also shares how she looked to God to help her and those of us who read her book to find the rest we need. She purposely wrote the book with short chapters so that you can read it in bits and pieces to fit it into your schedule and then take the time to apply it to your life. In part 1, "Why Rest?" Dalton-Smith help you understand different types of rest so that you can see which ones that you need the most. In the second section, "The Gifts of Rest," she discusses the spiritual aspects of rest in 12 areas of your life. In the third part, she shares "The Promises of Rest." There is also a "Personal Rest Deficit Assessment Tool" and access to an on-line tool called the "Thirty-Day Sacred Rest Challenge."
Sacred Rest offers a lot of good solid information from someone who has clearly lived a busy life, who understands the importance of rest as both a woman and a doctor, and someone who wants to help the reader live a better life. I found a lot of helpful advice and encouragement within this book. I thought the author wrote at a level that the reader could clearly relate to and understand. While I did read the book straight through for this review, I would encourage readers to break it up and read it more slowly, journaling along the way to discover how to best make life changes leading to a more restful life.
I received Sacred Rest from FaithWords/Hachette Book Group. I was not required to write a positive review in exchange for the book.
Saundra Dalton-Smith is not only a medical doctor, she is a mom to two boys, a busy wife, and carries several other roles like many women today. Sacred Rest is written from the point of view of someone who understands what it is like to be tired and in need of rest. Yet, Dalton-Smith also shares how she looked to God to help her and those of us who read her book to find the rest we need. She purposely wrote the book with short chapters so that you can read it in bits and pieces to fit it into your schedule and then take the time to apply it to your life. In part 1, "Why Rest?" Dalton-Smith help you understand different types of rest so that you can see which ones that you need the most. In the second section, "The Gifts of Rest," she discusses the spiritual aspects of rest in 12 areas of your life. In the third part, she shares "The Promises of Rest." There is also a "Personal Rest Deficit Assessment Tool" and access to an on-line tool called the "Thirty-Day Sacred Rest Challenge."
Sacred Rest offers a lot of good solid information from someone who has clearly lived a busy life, who understands the importance of rest as both a woman and a doctor, and someone who wants to help the reader live a better life. I found a lot of helpful advice and encouragement within this book. I thought the author wrote at a level that the reader could clearly relate to and understand. While I did read the book straight through for this review, I would encourage readers to break it up and read it more slowly, journaling along the way to discover how to best make life changes leading to a more restful life.
I received Sacred Rest from FaithWords/Hachette Book Group. I was not required to write a positive review in exchange for the book.
January 23, 2018
With so many books about rest on the market, two things (at least) set this one apart: 1) its author is an M.D. — as well as a Christian, wife, and mom — which allows her to understand “busy” from the inside out: physical, spiritual, emotional, mental. And 2) her multi-layered dissection of rest includes more categories than I would have thought to count: in addition to the aforementioned, there’s social, sensory, and creative.
Saundra Dalton-Smith’s personal experience and understanding allows her to examine all of these areas thoroughly, providing along the way both inspiration and practical tips for combating busyness. Of all the areas she examines, Creative Rest is the one that I most appreciated — both for its fresh approach (that she recognizes there is a need for such a thing!), and for her solution given: to “soak in beauty and light.” Yes.
For Christian women who are tired of being busy — and tired of being tired — Dr. Saundra’s wisdom dispensed in Sacred Rest provides hope for a better way.
Thanks to Litfuse Publicity and FaithWords for providing me this book free of charge. All opinions are mine.
Saundra Dalton-Smith’s personal experience and understanding allows her to examine all of these areas thoroughly, providing along the way both inspiration and practical tips for combating busyness. Of all the areas she examines, Creative Rest is the one that I most appreciated — both for its fresh approach (that she recognizes there is a need for such a thing!), and for her solution given: to “soak in beauty and light.” Yes.
For Christian women who are tired of being busy — and tired of being tired — Dr. Saundra’s wisdom dispensed in Sacred Rest provides hope for a better way.
Thanks to Litfuse Publicity and FaithWords for providing me this book free of charge. All opinions are mine.
July 9, 2024
I think this is a 3-star book overall, but honestly it was 4-star content for me in this current season of life. This book provides a high-level look at rest and the many ways pursuing rest opens us up to live life as God intended. It is divided into two main sections.
In the first, Dr. Dalton-Smith presents what she believes to be the seven types of rest. I found this to be extremely impactful in discerning where my weariness stems from. This section alone is well worth your time. The second section explains the different "gifts" we gain from rest. This is where the book dragged for me until I came to a gift that resonated with me. It was then that I realized just how basic and wide-reaching this book was meant to be, which was a helpful perspective for finishing out that part of the book.
This is a great starting point for anyone who is burnt out and seeking rest. If you're already deep in the weeds of learning what biblical rest looks like, skip reading this book and just take her rest quiz online and listen to some of her podcasts!
In the first, Dr. Dalton-Smith presents what she believes to be the seven types of rest. I found this to be extremely impactful in discerning where my weariness stems from. This section alone is well worth your time. The second section explains the different "gifts" we gain from rest. This is where the book dragged for me until I came to a gift that resonated with me. It was then that I realized just how basic and wide-reaching this book was meant to be, which was a helpful perspective for finishing out that part of the book.
This is a great starting point for anyone who is burnt out and seeking rest. If you're already deep in the weeds of learning what biblical rest looks like, skip reading this book and just take her rest quiz online and listen to some of her podcasts!
did-not-finish
October 20, 2024I really appreciate her seven kinds of rest. I am lacking, but after reading several chapters into part 2 just feel like the book is telling me it’s my fault. I’m not finding any tangible advice, just more on the lines of make time for it, set your priorities right, etc.
Minor things that rubbed me the wrong way: I saw several reviews that complained about the inclusion of Bible verses. I actually would have liked more of using them effective and correctly.
She tells her birth story, mocking herself (and thus others) for having a birth plan that was completely ignored by the medical professionals, then describes a scary situation that was completely caused by the medical intervention and wouldn’t have happened if her birth plan had been followed.
She has a whole chapter that uses a metaphor of reflection vs. refraction = we are to reflect the image of God as reflection is pure and true; refraction is deceptive. But refraction is rainbows. Refraction allows me to see clearly through my glasses. Refraction is a part of the telescope she describes. Her black and white argument stretched the metaphor way, way too far.
And she clearly has the fatphobia that is endemic in the medical profession.
Minor things that rubbed me the wrong way: I saw several reviews that complained about the inclusion of Bible verses. I actually would have liked more of using them effective and correctly.
She tells her birth story, mocking herself (and thus others) for having a birth plan that was completely ignored by the medical professionals, then describes a scary situation that was completely caused by the medical intervention and wouldn’t have happened if her birth plan had been followed.
She has a whole chapter that uses a metaphor of reflection vs. refraction = we are to reflect the image of God as reflection is pure and true; refraction is deceptive. But refraction is rainbows. Refraction allows me to see clearly through my glasses. Refraction is a part of the telescope she describes. Her black and white argument stretched the metaphor way, way too far.
And she clearly has the fatphobia that is endemic in the medical profession.
January 31, 2018
I have read several books about rest in the last year or two. This is the first one that spoke to me right where I am. It wasn’t really about the author’s perspective of herself like so many other books about rest are. She talks to YOU. She wants you to hear her, right where you are. I love the Rest Quiz and other resources she offers to figure out where you are deficient so you can move forward. The way she breaks down the seven different kinds of rest gave me a new perspective that felt very manageable. I’m signed up for the 30 day rest challenge so I can start putting some of these great thoughts into action. I've already started recommending to friends who can benefit from this. I know a lot of moms just like me who need to hear this message.
Thanks to Netgalley.com who gave me a copy in exchange for my review.
Thanks to Netgalley.com who gave me a copy in exchange for my review.
September 10, 2023
I purchased this book after hearing Dr. Dalton-Smith speak about rest. I realized after listening to her that most of us are living a burned-out life. Everyone needs rest but there are many types of exhaustion.
Discussed in the book are physical rest, mental rest, emotional rest, spiritual rest, social rest, sensory rest, and creative rest. What you must do to achieve each type of rest differs.
It amazed me how much there is to learn about each type. For example, physical rest can’t restore mental rest. The author offers suggestions for readers to begin the process for each one.
What an amazing, helpful book! I just finished it and have already promised to lend it out to two others.
Recommended for exhausted, weary readers searching for rest.
Discussed in the book are physical rest, mental rest, emotional rest, spiritual rest, social rest, sensory rest, and creative rest. What you must do to achieve each type of rest differs.
It amazed me how much there is to learn about each type. For example, physical rest can’t restore mental rest. The author offers suggestions for readers to begin the process for each one.
What an amazing, helpful book! I just finished it and have already promised to lend it out to two others.
Recommended for exhausted, weary readers searching for rest.
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