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Rest & Reflect: 12-Week Guided Sabbath Journal
Discover Your Own Life-giving Rhythm of Rest and Reflection
Rest is counter-intuitive and counter-cultural. Why stop when there is so much to be done? Why wait when it feels urgent? Why slow down when everything says go faster?
Over the next 12 weeks, Rest & Reflect will guide you as you learn for yourself what it means to create space in your week for life-giving rest and reflection.
A short verse and devotional to reflect on will kick off your week, laying a foundation of truth that supports rest for all of you—your identity, purpose, and belonging. As the week proceeds, you’ll be prompted with a different question each day to further reflect on God’s design and desire for your life. There’s daily space for writing your prayer concerns and desires as you turn them over to God and rest in His faithfulness. As you end your week, there’s a place for sermon notes as well as a series of specific questions to guide you as you reflect back on the week. The week culminates with a Sabbath prayer of rest in God’s love, provision, and mercy.
As you practice this regular rhythm of rest and reflection, over time you will discover
…clarity of direction
…deepening of relationship
…strengthening of faith
…discernment about things that matter.
If you are ready to create a life-giving rhythm of rest and reflection in your week, then this is the journal for you.
Rest is counter-intuitive and counter-cultural. Why stop when there is so much to be done? Why wait when it feels urgent? Why slow down when everything says go faster?
Over the next 12 weeks, Rest & Reflect will guide you as you learn for yourself what it means to create space in your week for life-giving rest and reflection.
A short verse and devotional to reflect on will kick off your week, laying a foundation of truth that supports rest for all of you—your identity, purpose, and belonging. As the week proceeds, you’ll be prompted with a different question each day to further reflect on God’s design and desire for your life. There’s daily space for writing your prayer concerns and desires as you turn them over to God and rest in His faithfulness. As you end your week, there’s a place for sermon notes as well as a series of specific questions to guide you as you reflect back on the week. The week culminates with a Sabbath prayer of rest in God’s love, provision, and mercy.
As you practice this regular rhythm of rest and reflection, over time you will discover
…clarity of direction
…deepening of relationship
…strengthening of faith
…discernment about things that matter.
If you are ready to create a life-giving rhythm of rest and reflection in your week, then this is the journal for you.
302 pages, Paperback
Published March 11, 2021
About the author
Rachel Fahrenbach
5 books38 followersRachel Fahrenbach writes layered, character-driven fiction for readers drawn to stories that wrestle with questions of identity, purpose, and belonging. Her debut novel, Image of the Invisible, invites readers to consider how unseen truths shape the visible world around us—an echo of her belief that storytelling can be both a mirror and a compass.
Besides her fiction, Rachel is the author of Rest & Reflect and the Dwell Advent series, and hosts The Business of Christian Fiction podcast. She encourages Christian creatives to treat storytelling as both a calling and a craft, helping them build sustainable income and meaningful impact while honoring a rhythm of rest.
Rachel holds a background in both creative writing and business, and her winding path has included everything from editing scientific journals to co-founding a nonprofit food pantry. These days, she writes from her home in Huntsville, Alabama, where she and her husband homeschool their three children.
You can connect with Rachel and explore more of her work at https://rachelfahrenbach.com
She also loves connecting with readers on Instagram and Facebook—find her @rachelfahrenbach.
Besides her fiction, Rachel is the author of Rest & Reflect and the Dwell Advent series, and hosts The Business of Christian Fiction podcast. She encourages Christian creatives to treat storytelling as both a calling and a craft, helping them build sustainable income and meaningful impact while honoring a rhythm of rest.
Rachel holds a background in both creative writing and business, and her winding path has included everything from editing scientific journals to co-founding a nonprofit food pantry. These days, she writes from her home in Huntsville, Alabama, where she and her husband homeschool their three children.
You can connect with Rachel and explore more of her work at https://rachelfahrenbach.com
She also loves connecting with readers on Instagram and Facebook—find her @rachelfahrenbach.
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
May 11, 2022
A review for the twelve week guided journal titled “Rest and Reflect” by Rachel Fahrenbach: I know Rachel through a writing group and originally purchased the journal as a way to support another homeschool mom, because, gracious, homeschooling plus writing in the margins of the day is tough stuff. Here’s what I found now that I’ve used this practice a few months. The journal was worth every penny. She leads you through the process she followed to help make Sabbath a priority in her own home.
While it would be convenient if she had chosen to just give a three point plan to make a Sabbath practice doable, her own experience understood that what works for her family would likely not work for every family. I appreciate that she has that insight. Without the slow steady reflection, it would be difficult to understand what changes, additions, or deletions from our lives are needed to find a true Sabbath rest.
The journal is formatted with each week following a non-overwhelming pattern: it begins with a short reading, then prompted questions to ask yourself and lines to write your answers. This is the flow for days one through six each week, with day seven offering a larger space to reflect, take sermon notes, and a beautiful Sabbath prayer specific to that week.
For me, I found it easy to go through and do the journaling prompts early in the morning after Bible reading. The format is designed in a way that doesn’t feel heavy or too much. I found within a few weeks that how I was viewing rest was slowly shifting. The ways I had engrained in my head as a “rest day” for years weren’t truly bringing refreshing rest. I think that is the biggest take away I got while doing the journal. My rest wasn’t actually restful. The insight and awareness that following the journal provided on that alone made this worth doing.
Another takeaway that helped me visually see how my approach to Sabbath practice had changed within the twelve weeks was the “Reflect: three month look back” chapter at the end of the book. I paused and thumbed back through the previous twelve weeks and could see that there were some diehard sabbath striving practices that I’d done for years out of habit-because that’s how we “always did it”, not because it had any biblical basis or because it was even restful. It was freeing to just let them go. It also helped me see what we’ve done as a family that does work well for us. Those are habits we will maintain.
Overall, while I first found the twelve weeks feeling like a longer commitment for a book, I now see how the slow and steady approach helped prevent the process from feeling overwhelming. It provides structure so you can spot where real sabbath is happening in your life and what areas are unnecessarily draining. If you are someone that starts Monday feeling already tired, this book helps you spot the red flags in your sabbath practices that are draining you.
The journal itself is lovely-cover and spine look gorgeous on a shelf and inner book illustrations are consistent and not distracting. The book feels great in the hand, paper quality is perfect for writing with pen, pencil, gel pen-no issues with ink bleed through on paper.
While it would be convenient if she had chosen to just give a three point plan to make a Sabbath practice doable, her own experience understood that what works for her family would likely not work for every family. I appreciate that she has that insight. Without the slow steady reflection, it would be difficult to understand what changes, additions, or deletions from our lives are needed to find a true Sabbath rest.
The journal is formatted with each week following a non-overwhelming pattern: it begins with a short reading, then prompted questions to ask yourself and lines to write your answers. This is the flow for days one through six each week, with day seven offering a larger space to reflect, take sermon notes, and a beautiful Sabbath prayer specific to that week.
For me, I found it easy to go through and do the journaling prompts early in the morning after Bible reading. The format is designed in a way that doesn’t feel heavy or too much. I found within a few weeks that how I was viewing rest was slowly shifting. The ways I had engrained in my head as a “rest day” for years weren’t truly bringing refreshing rest. I think that is the biggest take away I got while doing the journal. My rest wasn’t actually restful. The insight and awareness that following the journal provided on that alone made this worth doing.
Another takeaway that helped me visually see how my approach to Sabbath practice had changed within the twelve weeks was the “Reflect: three month look back” chapter at the end of the book. I paused and thumbed back through the previous twelve weeks and could see that there were some diehard sabbath striving practices that I’d done for years out of habit-because that’s how we “always did it”, not because it had any biblical basis or because it was even restful. It was freeing to just let them go. It also helped me see what we’ve done as a family that does work well for us. Those are habits we will maintain.
Overall, while I first found the twelve weeks feeling like a longer commitment for a book, I now see how the slow and steady approach helped prevent the process from feeling overwhelming. It provides structure so you can spot where real sabbath is happening in your life and what areas are unnecessarily draining. If you are someone that starts Monday feeling already tired, this book helps you spot the red flags in your sabbath practices that are draining you.
The journal itself is lovely-cover and spine look gorgeous on a shelf and inner book illustrations are consistent and not distracting. The book feels great in the hand, paper quality is perfect for writing with pen, pencil, gel pen-no issues with ink bleed through on paper.
March 26, 2021
This guided journal is a warm invitation, a spiritual friend guiding the reader into a focused conversation with God as Creator and Redeemer. Rachel Fahrenbach has found a restful, reflective weekly Sabbath space to be a profoundly helpful practice in deepening her own understanding of her purpose, identity and belonging in prayerful conversation with God. She created this journal out of a desire to invite others into that practice, guiding her readers through a well-curated, easy to follow 12 week journey.
The journal cycles and builds through 4 questions:
Who am I?
Who does God say I am?
How should I live?
How should I relate to those around me?
It's an exploration of purpose and identity, but rather than a self-help or advice book format, the author opens each week with a short devotional piece reflecting on her own experience, and then leads the reader through short daily exercises of intentional, spirit-attentive reflection and prayer, guided by questions that open up facets of that week's theme. These brief daily reflections form the groundwork for a longer space of reflection intended to be practiced as a part of the reader's weekly Sabbath rhythm.
The Rest and Reflect Journal is a good fit for readers who may be feeling ungrounded in vocation or broader sense of purpose, those who are seeking a deeper, prayerful exploration of the shape of their lives' purpose. Fahrenbach invites readers to consider how the image of God that dwells in each person is meant to be reflected in the particularities of their own lives, dreams, work, and beyond. The journal is also for those who would like to incorporate more focused, consistent reflection and prayer into their weekly rhythm and Sabbath practice, and could benefit from a more guided structure.
The journal cycles and builds through 4 questions:
Who am I?
Who does God say I am?
How should I live?
How should I relate to those around me?
It's an exploration of purpose and identity, but rather than a self-help or advice book format, the author opens each week with a short devotional piece reflecting on her own experience, and then leads the reader through short daily exercises of intentional, spirit-attentive reflection and prayer, guided by questions that open up facets of that week's theme. These brief daily reflections form the groundwork for a longer space of reflection intended to be practiced as a part of the reader's weekly Sabbath rhythm.
The Rest and Reflect Journal is a good fit for readers who may be feeling ungrounded in vocation or broader sense of purpose, those who are seeking a deeper, prayerful exploration of the shape of their lives' purpose. Fahrenbach invites readers to consider how the image of God that dwells in each person is meant to be reflected in the particularities of their own lives, dreams, work, and beyond. The journal is also for those who would like to incorporate more focused, consistent reflection and prayer into their weekly rhythm and Sabbath practice, and could benefit from a more guided structure.
March 27, 2021
I'm enjoying this guided journal as a gentle invitation to rest and reflect about my week, my life, who I believe myself to be, who God says I am, and what God has to teach me and speak to me as I rest in Him.
I love that this journal asks deep questions rather than all the typical questions and then provides space for me to reflect on them and pour my heart out while also encouraging me to listen for what God is saying to me about them and through them. I especially love the weekly questions about what I embraced this past week and how God embraced me this week. The picture of God embracing me is exactly what comes to mind as I read through and use this journal.
With a weekly devotional, the author's beautiful Sabbath prayers, space to write my own prayers, a section to record answered prayers, an area for taking sermon notes, pages to list things on my mind and also people on my mind, and lists of even more questions to dig deeper in reflection, this journal is unlike any journal I've seen before -- and I highly recommend it. I'm grateful for the intention and care that author Rachel Fahrenbach put into designing such a lovely journal that invites us to stop and reflect, rest and refresh, as we lean into God's gift of Sabbath.
I love that this journal asks deep questions rather than all the typical questions and then provides space for me to reflect on them and pour my heart out while also encouraging me to listen for what God is saying to me about them and through them. I especially love the weekly questions about what I embraced this past week and how God embraced me this week. The picture of God embracing me is exactly what comes to mind as I read through and use this journal.
With a weekly devotional, the author's beautiful Sabbath prayers, space to write my own prayers, a section to record answered prayers, an area for taking sermon notes, pages to list things on my mind and also people on my mind, and lists of even more questions to dig deeper in reflection, this journal is unlike any journal I've seen before -- and I highly recommend it. I'm grateful for the intention and care that author Rachel Fahrenbach put into designing such a lovely journal that invites us to stop and reflect, rest and refresh, as we lean into God's gift of Sabbath.
March 27, 2021
Rachel has created a helpful guide to lead her readers in a gentle cadence of resting and reflecting, focusing on a biblical framework of Sabbath rest. True rest can seem elusive as our days fill with responsibilities and increasing demands on our time and attention. Rachel's 12-week guided Sabbath journal invites us to slow our pace through a weekly devotional reading, daily rest and reflection questions with space to journal, and a weekly reflection to dig a little deeper. Though theoretically simple in practice, the discipline to actively choose Sabbath rest is not - especially as it relates to our identity, purpose and belonging. Rachel explores these topics and gently asks her readers to do the same. 'Rest and Reflect' guides the reader into a rhythm of rest and reflection, encouraging a practice that will bear fruit long after the 12-week session has come to an end.
March 28, 2021
If you are both WEARY and feeling a little LOST in your IDENTITY and PURPOSE, this guided journal is for you. I highly recommend this journal as a tool to help to move through your weekly Sabbath practice. Even after a few weeks of combining this journal with a consistent practicing of Sabbath, I noticed a huge difference in my life. I found myself feeling more rested, calmer, and more connected to God, my family, and to myself. My intentional choice to honor the Sabbath gave me time and space, while the prompts in this journal allowed a specific intention to reflect on things that I have long put on the back burner. I have been trudging through life as a new mom, without giving myself the needed time to be rerooted in Christ and examine his unique design for my life. I began to dig deeper into my dreams and what God was doing in me and through me. This is an amazing resource!
March 25, 2021
This journal has the potential to quietly change your life. It's not something that demands a lot out of you everyday, but softly calls you to the Father and provides a place to rest and reflect. It gives a space to write out a prayer after a simple question based on the devotion for the week and allows you to jot down what and who is on your mind. There's a lovely space for sermon notes and a weekly look-back to help reflect more deeply and fully on what the subject for the week was. Better yet, it holds 12 weeks worth of those things, so you can plainly see how you and God have moved together through those weeks. This book is lovely and I highly recommend it for anyone who wants to focus on resting as God has called us to.
March 30, 2021
I have known for years that I needed to create space in my life to regularly reflect on and rest in God's goodness. I was caught in a swiftly moving current of activities, unable to break free, pull up to shore, and catch my breath. Then I was introduced to Rachel's book Rest and Reflect. This guided journal was God's lifeline tossed my way, guiding me gently to shore, and establishing new patterns in my daily routine that are leading me to walk through my days with an attitude of calm. If you are feeling anxious and trying to find your way to calmer waters, then I highly recommend this devotional/journal.
March 26, 2021
Rest & Reflect is a wonderful guided journal for anyone looking to delve deeper into the idea of sabbath rest, particularly in the context of exploring self-identity and purpose. As each week unfolds, you’ll be prompted with weekly Bible-based insights and thoughtful daily questions to help you rest & reflect on God’s unique design and desire for your life. All in all, this is a great tool for self-reflection, which does exactly what it says on the tin!
March 27, 2021
I am a doer, so resting is hard because it can often feel frivolous. Rachel teaches how to “do” rest. And she makes it so simple!
While this is a guided journal, there is substance to the words written. The weekly devotions beautifully lay the ground work for deeper thought and reflection about the bigger, meaningful things.
There is nothing frivolous or self-indulgent here. Only a life-giving practice that everyone needs.
While this is a guided journal, there is substance to the words written. The weekly devotions beautifully lay the ground work for deeper thought and reflection about the bigger, meaningful things.
There is nothing frivolous or self-indulgent here. Only a life-giving practice that everyone needs.
March 25, 2021
Rest & Reflect is helping me engage with Sabbath in a way I never have before. The daily questions are simple yet thought-provoking, and the weekly reflections help me trace God's hand throughout my week and make adjustments for my week ahead. I highly recommend this journal if you're looking for a kind companion as you journey into Sabbath either for the first time, or as you journey deeper.
April 9, 2021
As someone who’s tendency is constant movement and work, Rest & Reflect was a timely blessing and reminder to me of the importance of rest. I love Rachel’s idea of incorporating a Sabbath Rest into our lives, and her guided journal helps in being intentional about taking this much needed and God-ordained time of rest in my week.
September 16, 2021
The word "Sabbath" can be daunting, especially in the context of setting aside one whole day out of the week in our fast-paced busy culture! With her gentle words and encouragement, Rachel has created this wonderful journal to help guide the way and to practicing a weekly Sabbath together as a family.
March 25, 2021
A beautiful meander through the practice of Sabbath rest. Rachel helps you appreciate the need for breathing room and offers the perfect blend of thoughtful questions with whitespace to fill with your reflections.
March 27, 2021
This journal helps make rest approachable. The reflections helped me slow down and take the time to think about how God was present with me throughout the week. Taking time for a Sabbath rest has become part of my routine thanks to this journal, I recommend it.
April 9, 2021
I love how Rachel has done the work to understand Sabbath and share the spirit of that with all of us. She has a gift in her writing and makes it so easy for the rest of us to figure out a way to rest in Jesus and reflect on Him.
March 25, 2021
This is a fantastic resource to help you practice Sabbath rest. I love the journal and weekly reflection. It helps you be intentional with Sabbath. It’s a lovely book I’d highly recommend!
April 5, 2021
As I peruse my new Rest & Reflect guided journal, I am in awe. There are thoughtful daily prompts for guided reflection, along with a place to record and bring your concerns and requests to God. These prompts guide you toward a meaningful look back weekly and quarterly. If you’re like me in a very full season of life where you squeeze Bible study in one crack of time each day and prayer in another, you feel disconnected and restless as you long for more time with God. This guided journal is a wonderful tool to help bring more meaning to that time, taking you from survival mode with no reflection to true rest in your weekly Sabbath.
October 2, 2021
I can do this. That's the theme running through my head as I thumb through my new journal. This guided journal really is that -- guided. I love that the layout is very approachable and the daily prompts are just one question to consider. For someone like me who always has a million things going on, even reflection can seem like too much because I'm unfocused or trying to reflect on too many things. This Sabbath guide really helps to slow down, ask one thing, and let the Lord guide me as I consider each day's question. And then at the end of each week, it all is brought together with a reflection practice that I know will become a regular life practice the more I read through this journal.
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews