A beautiful invitation to discover your place in God's heart and let him set the pace for your life—from a wife and mother, singer-songwriter, and worship leader for Passion Conferences and IF:Gathering
“Christy Nockels is a gentle, strong voice shepherding us into a fuller life with Jesus at the very center. This book will restore your weary soul.”—Jennie Allen, New York Times bestselling author of Get Out of Your Head and founder and visionary of IF:Gathering
Christy Nockels knows firsthand how easily our desire to serve God—even when using the gifts He has given us—can overshadow our delight in simply being with Him. When God called her to lay down her ministry for a season, Christy was forced to confront how her sense of purpose and worth had become tangled up in her work. God then lovingly invited her to discover true rest in His presence as she learned to live as the Beloved.
In The Life You Long For, Christy shows us how to let go of hustle and achievement and instead find our identity in the quiet center of God’s love. As we delight in being with Him, we are filled to overflowing with contentment and love that propel us into an entirely new way of being, one in which every act of service and every encounter with the people around us arise from a heart at rest.
With irresistible warmth and grace, this book calls you to step fully into the life you didn’t even realize you’ve been seeking, as you find your highest calling not in a duty to uphold but in a beautiful identity to live out.
God has been so good to lead the ladies of my church to pick studies that are perfect for where I am right now. I've struggled with lies and striving for acceptance by filling my life with busyness. Instead I need to rest in the fact that I am a beloved child of God and then move to serve where He leads. Christy Nockels writes with a beautiful friendliness that makes you feel like you're always welcome at her table.
Though I would only recommend this book to a select few, the Lord used it to minister to my soul in a special way in this season. I don’t agree with everything that was said, nor would I have taken so many pages to say it, but the repetition drives home a consistent theme that we must lean into the Lord first before we can be truly fruitful, enduring, and joyful in our love for Him and others. “The life we long for and the rest we need is forever found wherever He is.”
The sweet voice of the singer who has led our hearts in worship through song, speaks to readers in this book through experiences of suffering and courage. Christy Nockels is a gentle mentor as she shares insight on the concentric circles of our life of service and faith. Her honeycomb heart draws us to a deeper faith.
Absolutely loved this book. So much truth and encouragement within Christy Nockels’ words. I found so much comfort in her message as I’m going through seasons of change myself, and I loved how she uses scripture to tie it all together. Such a solid book!
Christy is soft-spoken and sincere, but her words pack a punch. I loved her insights that will help me to find soul rest for my next season. Great book!!
She is an artist. It must be this way... you start on the inside and it pours to the ouside. It can never be different. When I read this book it al made sence. This author has been part of my life and she will never know the blessing she has been for my life. The innumerable times we have been together in my kitchen, sharing tears (my tears). I appreciate her heart, her detail, her blooming words. I´m also thankful for her friends, I wish I could have that kind of friends. Friends who not just encourage you to do things for God, to be faithful just where you are, but friends who are happy when God teaches you something, leads you somewhere, and have you in his palm. Not everyone can deal with that. I´m happy to read there are other ladies out there who are trying to be faithful just where they are... not looking for something else, shiny things are irrelevant for them. It doesn´t matter the culture, it matters the heart, the eternal, the purpose God graved in our hearts. I don´t want to spoil this book to you. It was a lovely companion during my recovery time in bed, before surgery. God gave me peace through those pages, the Bible in one hand and Christy´s songs in the background, sweet time. I wish I could thank her someday. Who knows the future? probably someday in some event or workshop or something. I wish I could be there, singing in a small and private living room while we give glory to God for His faithfulness. I think I relate with her because we share some things in common. I love art, I love people but love my silence and space. I also grew up around very "famous and important people" (in my own mini country obviously) and I was in the music environment for years, I was surrounded with "prominent" people and that gives you another perspective of things, you see that the things people admire and follows it are not how they think. She gets that. I also quite everything to invest in my home. The last years I have said no to the most "awesome" opportunities in the eyes of everyone: family, friends, world, church and ministry friends. Some have thought that is a waste (of time, gifts, and life) they don´t even know what are they talking about, they don´t know the process inside your head and heart. This is one of the memorable books I will have for 2020. I´m so thankful about Christy, I pray for her and her family. Some people think they understand but if you don´t live it you don´t really know what are you talking about, you have to be there to really understand.
I just started reading this book and HIGHLY recommend it. Thus far, these have been my favorite lines: > "Just hit the bullseye, and I will take care of all the outer rings of your life. I will hold up your cause and show you My glory." >"...the bullseye, the calm at the center of it all, represented God’s heart, where I found my place as His Beloved." >"Living from the bullseye of our Belovedness, we begin to trust God alone with what makes us right before Him and with this cause that we hold so dear." >"...you are God loved, which is essentially what the name Beloved means. I find it beautiful that God both made us in His image and named us in His image." >"all throughout Scripture you and I are called Beloved—or as the Greek says, “loved by God. It’s as if we’re the response to who He is, and right from the start, He is the fulfillment of our greatest need: to be loved."
I almost hate to admit this, but I’ve never listened to any of Christy Nockels’ podcasts. However, the description of this book intrigued me and I knew I wanted to read it. Within just a new pages, her warm and personable writing style had drawn me into the book. The more I read, the more Biblical encouragement I received. There are principles from scripture in this book that I knew, but I needed to be reminded of them. We are indeed beloved in Christ, and that should be the source of our identity and purpose in life.
The author’s personal examples made this book seem as if I were sitting in a small group listening to her share her heart with us. There’s something in this book for ladies in all seasons of life, and I think it would be a good book study for any group. I liked it so much that I’m going to purchase a print copy and use it myself in a reading circle that I lead. I’ll be returning to this book again to carefully think though the concepts she presented on “The Life You Long For”.
I received a copy of this book from the publisher. All opinions are my own.
Christy Nockels has this wonderful album of lullabies that I listen to whenever I find myself having anxious thoughts. This book feels just like the warmth and love of that album! I feel so cared for and known by my Creator and even by Christy reading about my identity rooted in Christ. She just wrote truth and it feels like it’s being read over you. Truly so sweet and restful. A delight to read this book.
Reading this book was something like being mentored by Christy, who shares generously from her rich substance and creativity. It is obvious that she put her whole being into every word of this book. She has lived this message of working from a place of rest and her invitation to follow is incredibly compelling. This is one I can see myself returning to and referencing for a long time.
"We begin to carry a quiet confidence as the Beloved when we learn to be made in this secret place, when we realize that all our accolades and approval, our very rewards in this life, are found in who God is. The wonder and mystery that we've been restored to this God who loves us - become our greatest joy. We find that all our longings are met with the glorious treasure of Jesus."
Starting my review focusing on the end of the book could be a potential spoiler, but I promise that it isn't. In my opinion, a well-written book of non-fiction always has notes at the end containing extra sources. Christy Nockels did this, but there is something unique about her list. Almost all of her references are Bible verses. To me this is confirmation that Christy's goal was to have her readers draw closer to Jesus. What better way can they do that than by reading God's Word?
Christy has a way with words. She expresses her heart in such a beautiful way. This is a book about learning to trust Jesus as we follow Him more closely. I truly felt the peace of God coming off the page and into my heart.
But at the same time, Christy is not aloof, and she does not put on a presentation of perfection. Honestly I felt like I was listening to the words of a wise friend over a cup of coffee. Although she has had a successful career in music, this does not seem to have adversely affected who she is as a person. In fact, if I knew she was driving by my town, she is the sort of person I would feel comfortable inviting out for coffee or even into my home for conversation. I have read other books about seeking after God that can make me feel anxious and like I have so far to go. I did not feel that way at all after reading this book. I felt inspired.
The book is divided into three sections: The Calling of the Beloved, The Community of the Beloved and the Capacity of the Beloved. Each section has four chapters. The Scripture, illustrations and messages are woven together beautifully.
The only potential negative could be that if you listen to her "Glorious in the Mundane" podcast, she writes about several stories that I had already heard on that medium. This did not bother me because sometimes I like reminders. But it could be an irritation if you are expecting only fresh material.
I do highly recommend this book if you are looking for encouragement and guidance on how to grow closer to Jesus along the journey. I was given a copy of this book by the publisher to read through NetGalley. I was grateful for that opportunity since this was a book that I definitely wanted to read. My gratitude did not affect my opinions which were formulated independently.
I have been listening to Christy Nockels for over ten years now, so I was really excited to read this book! What I was not ready for was the reality check I would get reading it. This book really hit home for me and I was able to address things going on in my life. She shares her personal struggles and triumphs in this book that I can now relate to her as a person along with being a great artist. Music takes on a whole new meaning when you know where it is birthed from. The stories tell that she is just a regular person finding her way through life just like everyone else. We all have a personal story to share and we all have a bigger reason to share it. God has a purpose for what happens in our lives. How we respond to difficult times will shape our view of God. Trials will come in this life and we should always give glory to God. Strength will come through persevering the hard times and there is always a bigger picture we don't see because we are not God.
Christy allowed me to see I need to have my priorities set in correct order of what is most important in life. God speaks to us in different ways and in different places, but we need to pursue that relationship with him. We have a purpose in this life. Life is not all bout what we can do for God, it's about what God has done for us. We learn to serve from his example and humble ourselves to his purpose. I have realized that my importance comes from him not what I do or have done. We learn who we are once we find out whose you are.
This book was excellent! If you struggle with feeling that God is punishing you, lack of purpose, or life is just hard right now, this book will find a way to relate to you. With everything going on in the world there's a lot of anxiety, stress, uncertainty that it can make dealing with problems hard. Find out in this book how much God loves you and wants to guide you in this life. No matter where we are in life, God will keep pursuing us, he will always want us more than we want him. He will always be a constant in an inconstant world. Some books are good, but others hit at a personal level that can change your life. This could be one of those books for you.
In “The Life You Long For”, Nockels uses her imaginative songwriting abilities to paint a glorious picture of God’s love over us. The heart of the book revolves around rest, and living our lives from a place of first being rooted in God’s love and identity before heading out into our communities and the world. There was plenty of refreshment this book provided me, reminders that brought a wave of peace over me. Lots of good takeaways.
Many times throughout the book she references her “Beloved” lullabies album and songs on it, and after listening now to the album, I enjoy the music a lot. It’s very peaceful and encouraging.
I believe this would be a tough book for someone who is not already deep into their faith, or who hasn’t already spent a few years in their faith. The imaginative, beautiful, whimsical language she uses throughout could seem odd to someone not familiar with the church – or they might just not get the pictures she’s painting. Thankfully, she does site each Bible verse she references in the back, so that helps too.
I loved every moment spent reading this book. A lovely bonus is listening to Christy's songs as you read the book as they are dotted throughout. "Beloved, God will go to great lengths to reveal places in our hearts that He's not done fighting for. This is because He knows full well that the hallowed space of our longing is a space that only He can fill. He also know that when we allow Him to fill that space in us, we will be propelled out from His rest into the what and why that He has prepared for us." - pages 204-205
This book takes you on a journey of reflecting on your life and how we often try to fill the spaces only God can with things that make us sick and leave us hungry, thirsty and exhausted. I was reminded at every turn Who's I am ("Beloved" is now a part of my vocabulary:) and that in order to find true deep rest, I get to seek the Father daily, bringing everything before Him, the ugly and beautiful, all of it. From this place, I live my life (bullseye living (chapter 2). Living from God, not just for Him.
…”using your spiritual imagination is really the same thing as living out your faith.”
This is not my typical read; however, it was gifted to me by my sister so therefore I found it important to read. I struggle reading books such as these, where it seems to be page after page of literary fluff in an attempt to make you feel good in your Christian identity. I think this would be a good book for a Christian whose base of religion is built on fluffy, lighthearted analogies and metaphors with the sole purpose of feeling good. And honestly, I don’t think that makes you any less of a believer, but fun, metaphorical hyperboles are not up my alley. I especially found the above quote unsettling, as I feel it highlights just how fluffy this book was. Likening the Christian faith to spiritual imagination? It takes away the roots of one’s faith, the dirty, twisted, hidden parts of faith, and strips it into a shallow, short-lived blossom. People already call Christianity a fairytale; stating that one’s faith is spiritual imagination is certainly supporting that rhetoric.
Over 20 years ago I took Cait & Bridge to a concert where the opening act was a duo (@christynockels & Nathan Nockels) just starting out with their first CD, Watermark. I fell in love with their lyrics which put to music many of the feelings I had on faith and life. I still often play it. We also met her & she was so sweet with the girls & talked openly with me on her hopes with starting a family. (they now have three). Was pleased to discover a few years ago Christy has a podcast, The Glorious in the Mundane, which I listen to often on my morning walks. I would think, she needs to write a book and she has! Even better, rest is a central theme! Such a gift to have received an advance copy. In these pages, Christy again guides both the beauty & the challenges of normal days towards a peace centered perspective. #sundaymorning #thelifeyoulongfor #inspirational #christynockels #watermark #faith
This book was a pretty good read - I am usually a speed reader, but this one, I learned quickly that I needed to slow down because there is SO much to digest. The main premise that I held on from this author is that instead of living FOR God, we should begin to live FROM God - our inherit belovedness is where all of our decision making should be based from. I also loved the setup that this book has that actually includes discussion/reflection questions after each chapter; for that reason alone it would make a great book club/small group study. The author is quite transparent and helps you to understand her perspective right from the beginning of the book all the way through.
I very much enjoyed this read and would highly recommend to anyone who has experienced church hurt, burn out or is just needing reaffirming in their innate value. I received an advanced readers copy of this book in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.
"I'm not more loved when I do things for God, nor am I more loved or important when I receive public praise." That quote summarises the whole book for me. It's about living from a place of being loved by God, instead of living for God.
The crucial thing is God's heart for us. Christy says the word capacity "relates to what we can produce, but it has just as much to do with what we can receive, contain, and hold". This is a book about living at our fullest capacity, where we're receiving from the heart of God, and what we receive flows out to impact those around us. It's well worth reading and I've made lots of notes. It's also one of those books where I'd recommend having a music subscription because, if you're anything like me, you'll regularly want to stop and listen to the lovely songs she talks about. Thank you, Christy, for your thoughtful book and for having me on your launch team.
I had never heard of Christy Nockels. The cover and book description on NetGalley had me intrigued and I was happy to read it. This topic is close to my heart, being the beloved, living day to day, working and resting in this knowledge. She describes this living from the center of God's love as a bulls eye that we move out from.
I loved her honesty about laying aside a career for a time to be home with her children. The things she learned along the way. Reminders that we are so much more than the work we do or produce. God wants a relationship with us most of all. Being reminded of this living from God's love, it was as if the whole time I read this book I felt my mind meditating on God's love the way she described it.
This is truly a beautifully written book. I hope she writes again.
The title is what drew me to the book. It sounded like just the book I would want to read. I want to continue to learn to live from rest.
I didn't realize who the author was when I selected the book. I did know the musical duo Watermark. I even had a cassette tape of theirs years ago.
There were lots of illustrations from her own life which is good. She writes about how God moved her from a busy travel and performance schedule to being home with her children. Those bits stuck with me more than what I am to do or how I am to live from a heart of rest. I did highlight some quotes to go back and refer to.
After reading the book, I can't tell you really what I can apply from this book.
Thanks to netgalley for a copy of this book to review.
I will never be able to review this book with justice. It’s a perspective changer. If you love Jesus, and you feel you are living and walking in the abundant life He gives His Beloved, let it encourage you. If you are a believer and you feel you struggle with this or need a good reminder, read it. More than any other book I’ve read, this Scripture-saturated, Biblical context-driven book, had so many practical descriptions on how to apply Scripture to our busy, busy life. Don’t get me wrong in that it’s “a one-size fits all, let me give you method,” but like I said— it’s a perspective changer that propels one to dig into Scripture and walk in the highest calling we have been given as the Beloved children of God by remembering Whose we belong to. 1000000/10 recommend.
This book will be one I come back to often to remember who the Lord has been to me past, present, and will be in the future (it’s honestly become part of my journal). It has been a slow read for me, as I’ve savored the truth on every page. And it’s been a part of transforming me in this season I find myself in - easily burnout, often overwhelmed by the weight of the world, and fearful. My heart has now gotten to experience yet again, anew, & through the stories & truth Christy writes in this book, the life of the beloved. I would recommend this book to anyone who needs some extra truth & companionship in the midst of a season of wondering or striving.
I am so super excited about this book!! Christy is an amazing singer and songwriter, we've known that for a long time! What was lesser known to me until I began listening to her podcast "The Glorious and the Mundane" was how genuine and pure her pursuit of the heart of Jesus is! She is such an encouragement! I am currently reading the first three chapter as a preview and I cannot wait for the full release Feb 16th!! I hope you will check it out! I look forward to some meaningful conversations with my goodreads friends on this one! :)
Speaking through her own life experiences, Christy Nockels speaks into the lives of all who will read "The Life You Long For." I appreciate how she remains soundly biblical and Christ-centered throughout, and even when the days were darkest, she heard God's voice speaking through His Word and the people he brought into her life for just that moment.
Leading the reader to make Christ the center of all and then working outward, Nockels constantly pulls us back to the need to live from a heart of rest in God alone.
As a die-hard “Glorious in the mundane” podcast listener, of course I had to pick up Christy’s book.
It’s really good, and a succinct summary of much of her podcast. Her content is always so good, as a stay-at-home-mom (going on 10 years) it’s always filled with reminders that my little heart needs.
Only 4 stars because it’s a LOT of repeat material if you listen to her podcast, and I hate to say it but I do prefer the podcast medium. Christy’s voice is soothing, having her talking as I’m doing the dishes feels like a dear friend is with me!
This book was simple and beautifully written. As I turned through the pages my heart felt lighter and at ease. Although the concepts and thoughts were ones I had heard before, I walked away with some key takeaway phrases and questions that will stick with me:
- invite the glorious into the mundane - what if our hustle is holding us back? - god’s guardrails are for our growth - desperation affords us dependence on him
If you are able to listen to instrumental music while you read, I highly suggest listening to her instrumental lullabies album.