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It's Not Your Turn: What to Do While You're Waiting for Your Breakthrough
What do you do when it seems like everybody else is getting their dreams and you're not?
You don't have to be distressed when Instagram comparison makes you feel like others are more successful than you. Heather Thompson Day shows us what we can do to shape ourselves while waiting, so we are ready when it's our turn. She unpacks instant gratification and peer comparison in a social media world, and teaches how we can cultivate perspectives and practices that will enable us to be more content, patient, and constructive. We can learn to walk slowly and trust God to do his work in us, being more present in our relationships rather than striving for premature image-based success.
Your turn will come. Here's what you can do to get there.
You don't have to be distressed when Instagram comparison makes you feel like others are more successful than you. Heather Thompson Day shows us what we can do to shape ourselves while waiting, so we are ready when it's our turn. She unpacks instant gratification and peer comparison in a social media world, and teaches how we can cultivate perspectives and practices that will enable us to be more content, patient, and constructive. We can learn to walk slowly and trust God to do his work in us, being more present in our relationships rather than striving for premature image-based success.
Your turn will come. Here's what you can do to get there.
202 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 29, 2021
84 people are currently reading
994 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 90 reviews
April 20, 2021
I’ve followed the author on social media for many years and am often encouraged, inspired, and challenged by her thoughtful posts. I anticipated the same here and planned to share the book far and wide, but am sadly very disappointed. Though I’d recommend her social media accounts, particularly Twitter and Instagram, there are some pretty big issues with the message of this book.
Day writes about paying attention to the “least important people” and then shares how she spent time investing in her assistant (apparently the assistant was deemed a “less important” person). In that same chapter, she talks about the success of someone’s ministry… but it’s all tied to numbers. The ministry is “successful” because the numbers are impressive/good. (This, in a chapter about small things.) She says that God can only work with what we have surrendered to Him and later writes “God will do what you cannot, as long as you do what you can.” So — if you don’t surrender something, God isn’t capable of working? And God is stuck until you do XYZ? Neither is Biblical, which does matter here as the author is a Bible teacher. Additionally, almost every example in the book paints her as the hero or the one who knows the most/knows what’s best... it felt prideful and became uncomfortable to read.
Lastly, for a book titled “It’s Not Your Turn,” it’s confusing to find that the entire book is about how it IS your turn to set a goal, network, make a move, all with the promise that your turn is coming. That isn't guaranteed and it's misleading.
Day writes about paying attention to the “least important people” and then shares how she spent time investing in her assistant (apparently the assistant was deemed a “less important” person). In that same chapter, she talks about the success of someone’s ministry… but it’s all tied to numbers. The ministry is “successful” because the numbers are impressive/good. (This, in a chapter about small things.) She says that God can only work with what we have surrendered to Him and later writes “God will do what you cannot, as long as you do what you can.” So — if you don’t surrender something, God isn’t capable of working? And God is stuck until you do XYZ? Neither is Biblical, which does matter here as the author is a Bible teacher. Additionally, almost every example in the book paints her as the hero or the one who knows the most/knows what’s best... it felt prideful and became uncomfortable to read.
Lastly, for a book titled “It’s Not Your Turn,” it’s confusing to find that the entire book is about how it IS your turn to set a goal, network, make a move, all with the promise that your turn is coming. That isn't guaranteed and it's misleading.
June 28, 2021
I’ve lived the phrase “it’s not your turn” a lot during the last decade. Reading Dr. Day’s book felt like reading part of my own journal at times. We were crying on different “bathroom floors,” but I am intimately familiar with many of the lessons she learned. There is power in knowing we are not alone. When someone else has “been there” and found their way out, it reassures us that maybe we too can make it.
I am still in the middle of my “it’s not your turn” season. I don’t know my final outcome, but I can tell you one thing: this book provided me with a lighter spirit and an inspired will.
I am still in the middle of my “it’s not your turn” season. I don’t know my final outcome, but I can tell you one thing: this book provided me with a lighter spirit and an inspired will.
June 26, 2021
With a wonderfully witty and relatable style the author shares stories, insights, tips, and hard-learned lessons of how God meets us in the liminal spaces of waiting.
I'm often so impatient to arrive at the destination that I miss journeying with God in the in-between times, the disappointments, and the delayed gratification. Thompson Day weaves together the wisdom of Scripture (trials produce patience... patience produces a stronger, more perfect faith) and her own stories of hope deferred to give her readers permission to press into the difficult seasons with expectation.
Waiting isn't doing nothing. Sometimes it's the hardest, holiest, best work of all.
I'm often so impatient to arrive at the destination that I miss journeying with God in the in-between times, the disappointments, and the delayed gratification. Thompson Day weaves together the wisdom of Scripture (trials produce patience... patience produces a stronger, more perfect faith) and her own stories of hope deferred to give her readers permission to press into the difficult seasons with expectation.
Waiting isn't doing nothing. Sometimes it's the hardest, holiest, best work of all.
April 7, 2021
Raise your hands if you have ever compared yourself and screamed out to the heavens exclaiming "when is it my time". This is a timely book that will inspire you ,motivate you and encourage you to wait for your time.Its quite inspiring tho as she reminds us that we are ought not to be passive waiters. Huge thanks to Inter Varsity Press for my ARC
May 19, 2021
3.5. I wanted to like this book, because Heather Thompson Day is one of my favorite people on Twitter. She is full of encouragement, Biblical truth, humor, and good stories. But this book seemed to not be able to decide what kind of book it wanted to be. Part Christian life, part business strategy, part conversational blog post - it was all over the place. If she had stuck to one style, I think that would have improved it immensely.
Partly due to the differing styles, I think, each chapter also had contradicting information. For example, she talks about the importance of networking, but not just to get numbers on social media, to build real relationships and care for your neighbors. But then later in the chapter, she says you also need to just build your network with as many people as you can, just to have as big of a network as possible for future opportunities.
Along those lines, this book seems to be mostly focused on career breakthroughs, which is fine! But several times she brings up her unmarried friend who is waiting for love, or people who are waiting for babies. Business strategies will not apply to those situations (I mean, networking might lead to a love connection, but it won't help with infertility). So again, she tries to do too much and does not have a focus.
All that being said, it was full of Biblical truths and good advice, if you fit one of the random intersections of writing style and situation she addresses. For me, I'll stick to reading her Twitter feed.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a free digital copy for review, all opinions are my own.
Partly due to the differing styles, I think, each chapter also had contradicting information. For example, she talks about the importance of networking, but not just to get numbers on social media, to build real relationships and care for your neighbors. But then later in the chapter, she says you also need to just build your network with as many people as you can, just to have as big of a network as possible for future opportunities.
Along those lines, this book seems to be mostly focused on career breakthroughs, which is fine! But several times she brings up her unmarried friend who is waiting for love, or people who are waiting for babies. Business strategies will not apply to those situations (I mean, networking might lead to a love connection, but it won't help with infertility). So again, she tries to do too much and does not have a focus.
All that being said, it was full of Biblical truths and good advice, if you fit one of the random intersections of writing style and situation she addresses. For me, I'll stick to reading her Twitter feed.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a free digital copy for review, all opinions are my own.
October 7, 2021
This is a fantastic book on such an important problem we need to be prepared to face (and face well) in our lives. Day approaches this topic with a great blend of Scripture, psychological insights, and practical reasoning that helped her give a number of practical insights on the art of cultivating patience and contentment during periods of waiting. While I sometimes came from a different place theologically than Day was, particularly toward the latter third of the book, I appreciated hearing her perspective, and those parts certainly didn't detract from the rest of her thesis. At the end of the day, I'm personally thankful to have read this book and considered Day's wise advice right now.
Rating: 4.5 Stars (Very Good).
Rating: 4.5 Stars (Very Good).
June 14, 2023
I loved this book totally. So full of gems and insightful information even as I come from a Muslim background while the book seemed intended for a Christian audience. For the parts that were not religion related I gained a lot of insight and benefit and for the parts that were religion related, I at least got to know more on how Christians approach their belief directly rather than from second-hand accounts. Aside from the biblical stories that could differ in detail, there are a lot of theological similarities in the applicable aspect of faith; that is, what people search for inherently and not the specific rituals. For example, the idea of altruism and the serving of others and many other ideas that are very much applicable to my faith even from the standpoint where they were represented through Christian theology.
And I totally loved the idea of “not your turn yet” which is the main theme of the book, It’s totally soothing and comforting. It tells you that the waiting in your life for good things to happen could be or is the most precious. A very positive outlook and an encouraging one.
Perhaps I admit that in the past I was very much cautious not to read books that are heavy on the theology of a differing faith because I didn’t think I could connect where I envisioned there I’d find a conflict in approach and in processing conflicting stories and historical backgrounds. But now I realized that where there is a conflict, I could find out more about others’ worldview in a more intimate manner than I would from a book that explains their faith to me directly, and where there isn’t I can process the information to my own benefit.
So this is totally great. Either way, I personally found this book lovely.
And I totally loved the idea of “not your turn yet” which is the main theme of the book, It’s totally soothing and comforting. It tells you that the waiting in your life for good things to happen could be or is the most precious. A very positive outlook and an encouraging one.
Perhaps I admit that in the past I was very much cautious not to read books that are heavy on the theology of a differing faith because I didn’t think I could connect where I envisioned there I’d find a conflict in approach and in processing conflicting stories and historical backgrounds. But now I realized that where there is a conflict, I could find out more about others’ worldview in a more intimate manner than I would from a book that explains their faith to me directly, and where there isn’t I can process the information to my own benefit.
So this is totally great. Either way, I personally found this book lovely.
February 22, 2021
3.5. There were things I liked about this book and things I didn’t. The self-help sections were practical and engaging. The author gave clear steps of how to move forward. It was an easy read.
But at times, it seemed to ramble a bit. I would start wondering how the topic she was talking about would tie back in. It was distracting. I also wish that it was grounded in Scripture more. For example, she talks about “success” a lot. What is “success”? Biblical “success” is very different than the normal definition. Some of it felt disingenuous- like with networking and asking people favors to get them to like you. It felt a little manipulative.
My biggest issue is the last line of the description: “here’s what you can do to get there.” But WE don’t do anything - our works will get us nowhere. The glory and the credit goes to God. And the author does mention God moving. And we aren’t called to be passive, either. But if you check off all these boxes she’s setting up for you, you’ll have to be really careful to not pat yourself on the back once you’ve “arrived.”
I hate writing anything negative about books because I know they are such a labor of love. I did enjoy things about her book - she’s a great story teller and she doesn’t hold back. That was refreshing.
But at times, it seemed to ramble a bit. I would start wondering how the topic she was talking about would tie back in. It was distracting. I also wish that it was grounded in Scripture more. For example, she talks about “success” a lot. What is “success”? Biblical “success” is very different than the normal definition. Some of it felt disingenuous- like with networking and asking people favors to get them to like you. It felt a little manipulative.
My biggest issue is the last line of the description: “here’s what you can do to get there.” But WE don’t do anything - our works will get us nowhere. The glory and the credit goes to God. And the author does mention God moving. And we aren’t called to be passive, either. But if you check off all these boxes she’s setting up for you, you’ll have to be really careful to not pat yourself on the back once you’ve “arrived.”
I hate writing anything negative about books because I know they are such a labor of love. I did enjoy things about her book - she’s a great story teller and she doesn’t hold back. That was refreshing.
June 15, 2021
Summary: When everyone seems to be moving ahead while we are standing still, chosen for jobs while we are runners up, the question is how we should live while we wait our turn.
In our success-oriented culture, it can be very hard when it seems our lives are going nowhere while our friends are conquering the world. Heather Thompson Day contends that the turning point in our lives may center around what we do while we wait our turn. We can be jealous of others or sink into depression. Much of this arises from comparing ourselves to social media success stories. Day came to the realization in her own struggles that the issue wasn’t how she rated against others but against the person Jesus was inviting her to be. What she did to live toward him, succeed or not, was worth more than anything.
Day explores the rich life we may pursue as we wait our turn. Actually, the work begins with learning to wait. Day asks us to imagine the benefits that could come of something we really want being delayed. The hardest part is trusting that God will keep his promises. Then we need to reckon with the things we are saying to ourselves and to allow a life saturated in God’s word to reframe them. We need to move beyond what we feel to what we see, and then, like Elisha’s servant, have our eyes opened to seeing where God is at work. Often it means beginning to see the small things, to pursue faithfulness in the ordinariness of life. How we treat the seemingly insignificant–whether tasks or people–will crucially shape us.
The time when it is not our turn is the time to set our goals and devote ourselves to the deliberate practices necessary to reach them. It’s the time to build our network and one practice she commends is the asking of help. At the same time she challenges the social media practices of many of us, trying to build big platforms and tout our work. Instead, are we using it to stay in touch and care for others? Times of waiting can be times where God challenges our selfishness, where God humbles us so we are not a danger to others and our own souls when we are in a position of power. Waiting our turn can take us into dependence on community and challenge us to re-envision God, not as the angry, demanding deity of so many angry, demanding people, but as the loving and forgiving Father.
Finally, Day addresses how we move when we see that it may be our turn. We take risks, moving on maybe, trusting that God is in it with us. Whether it is our turn or not, we can step out in faith and act in integrity, living “our lives with a dignity we could only have given ourselves.”
Day shares her own struggles as a Ph.D struggling to make ends meet, aspiring to success as a communicator and teaching classes at a community college. She describes the risks to move across country to the positions she and her husband took, only to have a pandemic hit. Reading between the lines perhaps, one senses that the struggles have hardly come to an end and that this book is as much a “memo to myself” as it is a story of, “I made it and you can too and here is how.” Instead, what she shares is a tangible expression of what it means to live out in practical terms a life of faith grounded in the word of God. Each chapter ends with a promise from scripture to memorize as well as some searching questions.
The pandemic has been a time when many lives have been put on hold, and even as restrictions are lifted in many places, things are still in recovery. While it may not yet be our turn to move ahead, it may be our turn to lean into the transformative life of waiting on God and trusting and obeying in the little things and the formative practices that shape us for the day when it is our turn. In reading Heather Thompson Day, I feel I’m listening to someone is walking there with me and has figured out what really matters when it is not yet our turn.
____________________________
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary review copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.
In our success-oriented culture, it can be very hard when it seems our lives are going nowhere while our friends are conquering the world. Heather Thompson Day contends that the turning point in our lives may center around what we do while we wait our turn. We can be jealous of others or sink into depression. Much of this arises from comparing ourselves to social media success stories. Day came to the realization in her own struggles that the issue wasn’t how she rated against others but against the person Jesus was inviting her to be. What she did to live toward him, succeed or not, was worth more than anything.
Day explores the rich life we may pursue as we wait our turn. Actually, the work begins with learning to wait. Day asks us to imagine the benefits that could come of something we really want being delayed. The hardest part is trusting that God will keep his promises. Then we need to reckon with the things we are saying to ourselves and to allow a life saturated in God’s word to reframe them. We need to move beyond what we feel to what we see, and then, like Elisha’s servant, have our eyes opened to seeing where God is at work. Often it means beginning to see the small things, to pursue faithfulness in the ordinariness of life. How we treat the seemingly insignificant–whether tasks or people–will crucially shape us.
The time when it is not our turn is the time to set our goals and devote ourselves to the deliberate practices necessary to reach them. It’s the time to build our network and one practice she commends is the asking of help. At the same time she challenges the social media practices of many of us, trying to build big platforms and tout our work. Instead, are we using it to stay in touch and care for others? Times of waiting can be times where God challenges our selfishness, where God humbles us so we are not a danger to others and our own souls when we are in a position of power. Waiting our turn can take us into dependence on community and challenge us to re-envision God, not as the angry, demanding deity of so many angry, demanding people, but as the loving and forgiving Father.
Finally, Day addresses how we move when we see that it may be our turn. We take risks, moving on maybe, trusting that God is in it with us. Whether it is our turn or not, we can step out in faith and act in integrity, living “our lives with a dignity we could only have given ourselves.”
Day shares her own struggles as a Ph.D struggling to make ends meet, aspiring to success as a communicator and teaching classes at a community college. She describes the risks to move across country to the positions she and her husband took, only to have a pandemic hit. Reading between the lines perhaps, one senses that the struggles have hardly come to an end and that this book is as much a “memo to myself” as it is a story of, “I made it and you can too and here is how.” Instead, what she shares is a tangible expression of what it means to live out in practical terms a life of faith grounded in the word of God. Each chapter ends with a promise from scripture to memorize as well as some searching questions.
The pandemic has been a time when many lives have been put on hold, and even as restrictions are lifted in many places, things are still in recovery. While it may not yet be our turn to move ahead, it may be our turn to lean into the transformative life of waiting on God and trusting and obeying in the little things and the formative practices that shape us for the day when it is our turn. In reading Heather Thompson Day, I feel I’m listening to someone is walking there with me and has figured out what really matters when it is not yet our turn.
____________________________
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary review copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.
March 10, 2024
If you follow Heather on social media or have ever seen a video of her teaching, you know this book is exactly how she speaks. It felt so real and sincere and genuine. Like I legitimately felt like I was sitting in her class or somewhere she was delivering a message.
That said, I wish this had had a little bit more editing to correct a few things (like "thens" that should be "thans") and was a little bit less conversational. That's my own personal preference -- YMMV.
Having said both of those things, I still learned some good lessons here. In conversations around waiting for my turn, there's the part about how I handle responding to someone else's good news:
"I have unfollowed people I couldn't clap for. I remember the age-old adage, 'if you don't have something nice to say, then don't say anything at all.' The problem wasn't them; it was me. If someone is milking their work with missions for IG likes, that's on them. But the second I start a text thread scoffing, well, that's on me. Why are we competing with people that [who] aren't competing with us? I realized I hindered my own prayers by trying to block someone else's blessing. My refusal to just shut up and clap wasn't decreasing their success, but I do think it prevented mine. God isn't as worried about changing your circumstances as he is about changing you."
She also has some really really good lessons about social media in this. Among other things, quoting from Richella Parham's Mythical Me: "... since social media is always curated content, when we compare ourselves, we are actually comparing ourselves to mythical players in a curated game."
Some very sound statements here on how we "wait:
"You can't control your circumstances, but you can control how you show up to them."
"... who I am when it's not my turn is more important than who I will be when it is. Anyone can stand on a stage for a crowded stadium. It takes conviction to get up when no one would have noticed you if you walked out."
And last, her comments on God's "I am" statements I have never thought of before. I love this:
"I have literally said, 'I am not strong enough, smart enough, funny enough, popular enough, eloquent enough to ever be anyone special.' And I heard a whisper say, 'I am. It's not about what you are, it's about what I am. I am big enough, strong enough, smart enough, eloquent enough to walk you through this. I am.' And suddenly I understood why when Moses asked God, 'What should I call you?' God said, 'I am' (Exodus 3:14) It has never been about what you are, it is about what God is."
That said, I wish this had had a little bit more editing to correct a few things (like "thens" that should be "thans") and was a little bit less conversational. That's my own personal preference -- YMMV.
Having said both of those things, I still learned some good lessons here. In conversations around waiting for my turn, there's the part about how I handle responding to someone else's good news:
"I have unfollowed people I couldn't clap for. I remember the age-old adage, 'if you don't have something nice to say, then don't say anything at all.' The problem wasn't them; it was me. If someone is milking their work with missions for IG likes, that's on them. But the second I start a text thread scoffing, well, that's on me. Why are we competing with people that [who] aren't competing with us? I realized I hindered my own prayers by trying to block someone else's blessing. My refusal to just shut up and clap wasn't decreasing their success, but I do think it prevented mine. God isn't as worried about changing your circumstances as he is about changing you."
She also has some really really good lessons about social media in this. Among other things, quoting from Richella Parham's Mythical Me: "... since social media is always curated content, when we compare ourselves, we are actually comparing ourselves to mythical players in a curated game."
Some very sound statements here on how we "wait:
"You can't control your circumstances, but you can control how you show up to them."
"... who I am when it's not my turn is more important than who I will be when it is. Anyone can stand on a stage for a crowded stadium. It takes conviction to get up when no one would have noticed you if you walked out."
And last, her comments on God's "I am" statements I have never thought of before. I love this:
"I have literally said, 'I am not strong enough, smart enough, funny enough, popular enough, eloquent enough to ever be anyone special.' And I heard a whisper say, 'I am. It's not about what you are, it's about what I am. I am big enough, strong enough, smart enough, eloquent enough to walk you through this. I am.' And suddenly I understood why when Moses asked God, 'What should I call you?' God said, 'I am' (Exodus 3:14) It has never been about what you are, it is about what God is."
August 8, 2021
Book 2 of the 75 Hard Challenge:
While we get to choose the books we read for this challenge, I feel it necessary to document the order I’ve consumed each one.
Here I sit, contemplating every decision I’ve ever made in regard to my faith, my career, my dreams…I can only say with absolute certainty that my husband and children have never been “what-ifs” or “maybe” for me. Everything else? Debatable.
This book was uncomfortable to read at times and if you’ve read it, you have your own idea of where that might be…I’d venture to say, you’re probably wrong.
I loved hearing a new perspective, one from a woman who has such strong faith and viewpoints. I loved how she gave description and life to real-world events that have happened and are happening in a way that forces you to really think about how people have been affected.
I feel I’ve really learned something about myself, my faith, my views…what has maybe shifted in some areas and solidified in others. I’m not saying I’m changed because that’s just silly, but I know I’m a work in progress…I know there are areas where it’s not my turn, and I have a better understanding of what to look for when it is.
I’m learning to see what God is doing instead of feeling…because let’s face it, trying to trust your feelings on most things these days just makes your heart hurt.
Day has given some strong advice and superb analogies along with some confirming affirmations. I will be finding other titles by this author and recommending this one to anyone who feels passed over and unseen.
**4 It’s Okay to Wait, Stars*
While we get to choose the books we read for this challenge, I feel it necessary to document the order I’ve consumed each one.
Here I sit, contemplating every decision I’ve ever made in regard to my faith, my career, my dreams…I can only say with absolute certainty that my husband and children have never been “what-ifs” or “maybe” for me. Everything else? Debatable.
This book was uncomfortable to read at times and if you’ve read it, you have your own idea of where that might be…I’d venture to say, you’re probably wrong.
I loved hearing a new perspective, one from a woman who has such strong faith and viewpoints. I loved how she gave description and life to real-world events that have happened and are happening in a way that forces you to really think about how people have been affected.
I feel I’ve really learned something about myself, my faith, my views…what has maybe shifted in some areas and solidified in others. I’m not saying I’m changed because that’s just silly, but I know I’m a work in progress…I know there are areas where it’s not my turn, and I have a better understanding of what to look for when it is.
I’m learning to see what God is doing instead of feeling…because let’s face it, trying to trust your feelings on most things these days just makes your heart hurt.
Day has given some strong advice and superb analogies along with some confirming affirmations. I will be finding other titles by this author and recommending this one to anyone who feels passed over and unseen.
**4 It’s Okay to Wait, Stars*
June 30, 2021
It’s not fun to have to wait your turn. It’s especially difficult when you are waiting to realize major hopes and dreams. As a season of waiting stretches on and on, it is easy to feel stuck. This can lead to bitterness, resentment, and hopelessness. In “It’s Not Your Turn”, Heather Thompson Day helps readers wait for their turn with hope and purpose.
The author combines wisdom gained through personal experience with Biblical truth and insights from psychology, leadership, and communication studies. The book is full of practical advice to help the reader get unstuck. Even more importantly, the book offers a new perspective on the experience of waiting. When “it’s not my turn” becomes “it’s not my turn…yet”, we are able to celebrate the success of others and recognize the ways that God is working in our own lives.
The author combines wisdom gained through personal experience with Biblical truth and insights from psychology, leadership, and communication studies. The book is full of practical advice to help the reader get unstuck. Even more importantly, the book offers a new perspective on the experience of waiting. When “it’s not my turn” becomes “it’s not my turn…yet”, we are able to celebrate the success of others and recognize the ways that God is working in our own lives.
December 31, 2021
I think that what Heather Thompson Day wants to do is write an autobiography. I'm sorry but there was way too much about HER and all the times it hasn't been HER turn. Which is fine I am not dogging on her in any way. I do like what she says about patience, a lot of the times we get caught up in the fact that nothing good is happening to us when it really isn't about us at all. Damn the American nationalism to increased self importance and individualism pipeline! Really, who you are when it isn't your turn is so important to how you act when it is your turn. But yeah it was okay, probably wouldn't read again. She also really loves the word "colabor", girl please just use the word "collaborate" it makes so much more sense. Also way too much about millenials.....
Anyways this is the last book of the year! Haven't read any fiction in a month! Suffering!
Anyways this is the last book of the year! Haven't read any fiction in a month! Suffering!
January 17, 2022
I absolutely LOVED this book.
Heather is filled with wisdom & truth for an age that needs to hear every message she had to say. So well written & thought provoking. I loved it!
Heather is filled with wisdom & truth for an age that needs to hear every message she had to say. So well written & thought provoking. I loved it!
September 4, 2021
This book is full of wonderful encouragement. I am thankful for the work of Dr. Day.
July 9, 2021
A must read for any millennial who is struggling with waiting on….. anything. So good. Highly recommending this book to my friends whenever i can!
August 15, 2021
It’s Not Your Turn • Heather Thompson Day
⭐️⭐️/⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (2/5)
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“ And it's not that I wasn't happy for her, I was. I was just also so deeply sad for myself."
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👍🏼 Thumbs Up:
I was really looking forward to this book, because I highly enjoy the author's twitter feed! The theme of the book is important and I liked the overall idea that this book hits at.
👎🏻 Thumbs Down:
Unfortunately, I was disappointed in this book. The book felt choppy to me and I couldn't decide what genre it was trying to be. The author quotes a lot of other writers and data, and intersperses that with her own stories and for me, it just didn't flow. I wanted to know more about the seasons of "not our turn" but instead felt like the book talked about just the opposite. It felt like it was trying to be an advice book meets Christian living meets pop psychology book.
🤓 For Readers WHO:
Are fans of the author or are in a season of waiting for "their turn".
👉🏼 This is what’s WHAT:
This book discusses what it looks like to "wait for breakthrough" & how to work towards it in the meantime.
⏳WHEN I read this book:
I liked the idea of "it's not your turn" and will be thinking about that theme for awhile!
🚨WHERE you should watch out:
No triggers that I can remember.
📍WHY you shouldn't read this book:
I wish I had better things to say as I was really looking forward to it! But honestly I would skip this one.
📚 HOW I read this book:
eARC from Netgalley and IVP
⭐️⭐️/⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (2/5)
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“ And it's not that I wasn't happy for her, I was. I was just also so deeply sad for myself."
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👍🏼 Thumbs Up:
I was really looking forward to this book, because I highly enjoy the author's twitter feed! The theme of the book is important and I liked the overall idea that this book hits at.
👎🏻 Thumbs Down:
Unfortunately, I was disappointed in this book. The book felt choppy to me and I couldn't decide what genre it was trying to be. The author quotes a lot of other writers and data, and intersperses that with her own stories and for me, it just didn't flow. I wanted to know more about the seasons of "not our turn" but instead felt like the book talked about just the opposite. It felt like it was trying to be an advice book meets Christian living meets pop psychology book.
🤓 For Readers WHO:
Are fans of the author or are in a season of waiting for "their turn".
👉🏼 This is what’s WHAT:
This book discusses what it looks like to "wait for breakthrough" & how to work towards it in the meantime.
⏳WHEN I read this book:
I liked the idea of "it's not your turn" and will be thinking about that theme for awhile!
🚨WHERE you should watch out:
No triggers that I can remember.
📍WHY you shouldn't read this book:
I wish I had better things to say as I was really looking forward to it! But honestly I would skip this one.
📚 HOW I read this book:
eARC from Netgalley and IVP
October 18, 2022
One of the best books I’ve read this year. My copy is completely marked up with underlining, starring, circling and marginalia. Heather is a compassionate and capable guide as she explores “waiting well” in the context of scripture, neuroscience and everyday life. It really drove home some lessons I’ve been learning from my own journey through liminal space, the main one being: God’s presence is the promise.
October 3, 2022
This book was full of facts and helpful tools to learn how to wait and the importance of having wilderness seasons. I also liked the personal examples from Heather. She's a passionate advocate for women. I highly recommend listening to her podcast, Viral Jesus.
June 25, 2021
“Its Not Your Turn” articulates the premise that spiritual formation (character building) takes place primarily while you are waiting rather than when you have reached the destination. This distinctive and timely book has re-centered me during the pandemic.
When you read St. Paul’s letters in the New Testament you find his heart, mind and soul are embedded in the story lines. Also when you read “Its Not Your Turn” you also discover the author’s heart, mind and soul are interwoven into the text from the get-go of the first to the last page.
I have chosen to emphasize this book and hopefully persuade people into reading it via selecting 3 quotations as follows,
1. On social media, “the people we compare ourselves to are the best versions of those other people, not even who they really are”. Comparison is the thief of joy.
2. “I am going to start asking you to do something. I want you to start asking God for a new mind.”
Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is - his good, pleasing and perfect will.
Romans 12v2 (NIV)
3. “Because at the end of the day, all we have in life is our integrity.” The story line of this book is cultivating integrity when nobody is watching.
Storytelling is used naturally as examples to support the principles being taught. You do not have the impression that here is a leader that is using stories to amaze us however we could never do what they do. Rather the purpose of the stories is to include us and inspire us to have a go.
In conclusion, people will spend more of their time waiting for stuff to happen than the stuff dreamed of actually happening. Stuff representing the experience of a promise fulfilled. Let this eminently readable and easily digestible book enlighten you to thrive in the waiting.
Heather Thompson Day’s – “Its Not Your Turn” effortlessly blends the thoughtful, wise, practical and humorous into a book relevant for our time. Once finished it deserves to be reread at a less frantic pace (a symptom of our modern western world). Marking the relevant thoughts with highlighting pen in hand.
When you read St. Paul’s letters in the New Testament you find his heart, mind and soul are embedded in the story lines. Also when you read “Its Not Your Turn” you also discover the author’s heart, mind and soul are interwoven into the text from the get-go of the first to the last page.
I have chosen to emphasize this book and hopefully persuade people into reading it via selecting 3 quotations as follows,
1. On social media, “the people we compare ourselves to are the best versions of those other people, not even who they really are”. Comparison is the thief of joy.
2. “I am going to start asking you to do something. I want you to start asking God for a new mind.”
Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is - his good, pleasing and perfect will.
Romans 12v2 (NIV)
3. “Because at the end of the day, all we have in life is our integrity.” The story line of this book is cultivating integrity when nobody is watching.
Storytelling is used naturally as examples to support the principles being taught. You do not have the impression that here is a leader that is using stories to amaze us however we could never do what they do. Rather the purpose of the stories is to include us and inspire us to have a go.
In conclusion, people will spend more of their time waiting for stuff to happen than the stuff dreamed of actually happening. Stuff representing the experience of a promise fulfilled. Let this eminently readable and easily digestible book enlighten you to thrive in the waiting.
Heather Thompson Day’s – “Its Not Your Turn” effortlessly blends the thoughtful, wise, practical and humorous into a book relevant for our time. Once finished it deserves to be reread at a less frantic pace (a symptom of our modern western world). Marking the relevant thoughts with highlighting pen in hand.
June 30, 2021
Heather Thompson Day is a professor, speaker, and social media personality, but above all she is a master storyteller, connecting encouraging personal anecdotes to fascinating brain research, earnest social commentary, and keen prophetic insight. Occasionally as I read, I questioned the scope of the book, that perhaps it covered too many disparate topics or wanted to be too many different things, but on every page, Day’s voice is as clear, conversational, hopeful, and down-to-earth as her Twitter feed or weekly Friday Remind messages. It’s Not Your Turn reads like an extensive, deep, vulnerably honest conversation with a mentor or trusted friend. And that kind of life-changing conversation isn’t a how-to list built line by line. It’s a river that flows from story to story, truth to truth, grace to grace. The meandering is the whole point.
One of Day’s many beautiful stories details an encounter with an airplane seatmate that led to a conversation about faith and an opportunity for God to break through in this man’s situation. Like this friend, consider yourself Day's fellow passenger on a journey as you read. Her stories will inspire you, her questions will make you think, and her heart for God and for people will speak from every line. It may not be your turn, but you’ve got a frequent flyer beside you in the waiting, one who won’t fail to remind you that the Pilot knows exactly where you’re going and how long it will take to get there. In the meantime, Day urges us, he's giving you experience and a story to tell.
One of Day’s many beautiful stories details an encounter with an airplane seatmate that led to a conversation about faith and an opportunity for God to break through in this man’s situation. Like this friend, consider yourself Day's fellow passenger on a journey as you read. Her stories will inspire you, her questions will make you think, and her heart for God and for people will speak from every line. It may not be your turn, but you’ve got a frequent flyer beside you in the waiting, one who won’t fail to remind you that the Pilot knows exactly where you’re going and how long it will take to get there. In the meantime, Day urges us, he's giving you experience and a story to tell.
July 6, 2021
Waiting is a classroom we all find ourselves in on occasion, and the potential for growth while we wait is inexhaustible. It will be impossible for anyone to not find themselves in the pages Heather Thompson Day has written so beautifully. “It’s Not Your Turn” offered not only wisdom, but a relational experience. Heather has the gift of combining knowledge and data with reflections from her own life lessons, and presents all of it with such authenticity that you forget you are reading a book. It feels much more like a conversation one would have with a mentor who is deeply invested in helping you grow. She includes science, stats, and solid theology to explain the barriers we ourselves construct when facing delays and detours on the road of life, while also providing real strategies for paving new ways through. She reminds all of us that waiting can and should be active rather than passive, and there are so many treasures to be mined in the waiting rooms of life should we choose to look for them. It comes as no surprise after reading her work that she is a professor of communication, as well as a sought after speaker. Reading, “It’s Not Your Turn” gave me an opportunity to become a temporary student in Heather’s classroom, and we all remember the best teachers, not just for what they taught us, but also for how they made us feel. If you are looking to use your time wisely, even as you wait and work towards your dreams and goals, do not miss out on the gift of encouragement that, “It’s Not Your Turn” offers.
February 11, 2024
Heather Thompson Day uses an authentic, vulnerable and well researched voice to bring a counter balance to a western culture that is often stuck thinking primary about “me” and “mine.” I loved how Thompson Day referenced so many other intriguing resources and authors to the point t that I found myself inspired to wrap up Its Not Your Turn and pivot to other voices she was pointing me to.
The second chapter exploring the challenges and opportunities found in waiting as well as the discussion around establishing and activating on goals in chapter 6 were especially helpful reminders. I felt particularly inspired by chapters 7 - which gave a variety of fresh perspectives on networking - and 11 - which posited that “maybe” is enough to take action. I found Thompson Day to be very relatable throughout and I found myself wanting to hear more of how she was processing and learning as various stages of her journey. Her educator background clearly comes out in her writing.
For me personally the book would have been 5 stars if Thompson Day would have relied a bit less on exploring the ideas of others in her relatively concise chapters or going a bit deeper expounding her own thinking. That would have been worth an extra page or two each chapter. That said, I do love an author who is clearly well read so I added multiple new books or authors from this reading experience. This book provides a helpful perspective amidst our cultural tendency towards self-absorption.
The second chapter exploring the challenges and opportunities found in waiting as well as the discussion around establishing and activating on goals in chapter 6 were especially helpful reminders. I felt particularly inspired by chapters 7 - which gave a variety of fresh perspectives on networking - and 11 - which posited that “maybe” is enough to take action. I found Thompson Day to be very relatable throughout and I found myself wanting to hear more of how she was processing and learning as various stages of her journey. Her educator background clearly comes out in her writing.
For me personally the book would have been 5 stars if Thompson Day would have relied a bit less on exploring the ideas of others in her relatively concise chapters or going a bit deeper expounding her own thinking. That would have been worth an extra page or two each chapter. That said, I do love an author who is clearly well read so I added multiple new books or authors from this reading experience. This book provides a helpful perspective amidst our cultural tendency towards self-absorption.
July 10, 2021
My first impression of It’s Not Your Turn was that it was a book by a Millennial, for Millennials. Being Gen X myself, this put me immediately into the “I’ll read it, but this book isn’t for me” camp. I could not have been more wrong.
Heather Thompson Day tackles the in-between moments of life head on with wit and wisdom, providing solid counsel that speaks from experience. We’ve all had these in-between moments, where one thing has ended and we’re not yet sure what the next thing will be. They aren’t confined to just one season of life. Transitions know no age restrictions.
Calling on her faith, Thompson Day brings spiritual insight to help guide you in these transitions. This isn’t just a feel-good self-help book dressed in choir robes, though. It’s Not Your Turn is as practical as it is providential, with action steps and though-provoking questions to guide you in your season of change. Yes, you may find something here that will bring you through it, but more importantly, this book will help you find peace and life in the midst of your in between, because those times matter just as much.
Heather Thompson Day tackles the in-between moments of life head on with wit and wisdom, providing solid counsel that speaks from experience. We’ve all had these in-between moments, where one thing has ended and we’re not yet sure what the next thing will be. They aren’t confined to just one season of life. Transitions know no age restrictions.
Calling on her faith, Thompson Day brings spiritual insight to help guide you in these transitions. This isn’t just a feel-good self-help book dressed in choir robes, though. It’s Not Your Turn is as practical as it is providential, with action steps and though-provoking questions to guide you in your season of change. Yes, you may find something here that will bring you through it, but more importantly, this book will help you find peace and life in the midst of your in between, because those times matter just as much.
June 25, 2021
It's so easy to focus on that one or two things we don't have yet, that we tend to lose sight of things we can have and do while in the process of waiting for that breakthrough. I am currently at that space.
Heather is giving me a tour like in the garden, showing me many views I can enjoy while moving forward step by step. She is not only showing me areas where actually it's my turn, she is doing it like a wise friend who can backup each advice by studies and research evidences that would feed my curiousity for the matter you didn't know I have. The best advices are from people who have once been where you are. To whom you can relate, even in the aspect of Christian background. Or because of it. She understands. And you bet she is the One we needed years ago, but couldn't have because her story was yet to be "written". Now is here. Waiting to encourage and inspire all of us around the world. I needed this book and I know others who would love it too, because we all are waiting for our turn in some way or the other. I want to have it in my language so badly, so my non-english speaking friends would be blessed too.
Heather is giving me a tour like in the garden, showing me many views I can enjoy while moving forward step by step. She is not only showing me areas where actually it's my turn, she is doing it like a wise friend who can backup each advice by studies and research evidences that would feed my curiousity for the matter you didn't know I have. The best advices are from people who have once been where you are. To whom you can relate, even in the aspect of Christian background. Or because of it. She understands. And you bet she is the One we needed years ago, but couldn't have because her story was yet to be "written". Now is here. Waiting to encourage and inspire all of us around the world. I needed this book and I know others who would love it too, because we all are waiting for our turn in some way or the other. I want to have it in my language so badly, so my non-english speaking friends would be blessed too.
June 28, 2021
Relevant. Relatable. Reaffirming. These words describe my experience through Heather's book. It was as if I was sitting across from her and she was talking directly to me. The beauty of the book is how it can speak to people from all walks of life. I am divorced, but I don't think Heather had a divorced person in mind when she wrote this book, yet, it was exactly for a person like me.
This book's timing is relevant for where I find myself currently and where I am headed. I would dare say it would be relevant to others, too, after all, we've all experienced disappointment, loss, the waiting game, etc. Heather's vulnerability in sharing snippets from her life experience make this book relatable. She draws you in with story and has the ability to make a connection with your own experience. She is that friend we all need. The one who hoots and hollers and builds you up. I am walking away from this book strengthened in my journey.
I would unequivocally recommend this book to anyone who needs a friend to give it to you straight with a mix of sound advice, research, godly wisdom, and a heart that cares and wants to see you achieve your best.
This book's timing is relevant for where I find myself currently and where I am headed. I would dare say it would be relevant to others, too, after all, we've all experienced disappointment, loss, the waiting game, etc. Heather's vulnerability in sharing snippets from her life experience make this book relatable. She draws you in with story and has the ability to make a connection with your own experience. She is that friend we all need. The one who hoots and hollers and builds you up. I am walking away from this book strengthened in my journey.
I would unequivocally recommend this book to anyone who needs a friend to give it to you straight with a mix of sound advice, research, godly wisdom, and a heart that cares and wants to see you achieve your best.
March 14, 2021
It's Not Your Turn
What to Do While You're Waiting for Your Breakthrough
by Heather Thompson Day
InterVarsity Press
IVP
Christian
Pub Date 29 Jun 2021
I am reviewing a copy of InterVarsity Press and Netgalley:
In It’s Not Your Turn Heather Thompson Day reminds us that we need to stop hindering our prayers by blocking someone else’s blessings, we need to stop trying to compete with those who aren’t in completion with us.
We are reminded too that God is more worried about changing us, than changing our circumstances.
It is pointed out too that our once perfectly happy lives can start to crumble when we start to focus on what we don’t have instead of what we do.
The author points out too that some comparison as well as social media can be positive
This book reminds us too that our words change how the world sees us.
In It’s Not Your Turn we are reminded that our turn will come, and the Author gives tips on how to get there.
If you are waiting for your breakthrough I’d highly recommend It’s Not Your Turn.
Five out of five stars!
Happy Reading!
What to Do While You're Waiting for Your Breakthrough
by Heather Thompson Day
InterVarsity Press
IVP
Christian
Pub Date 29 Jun 2021
I am reviewing a copy of InterVarsity Press and Netgalley:
In It’s Not Your Turn Heather Thompson Day reminds us that we need to stop hindering our prayers by blocking someone else’s blessings, we need to stop trying to compete with those who aren’t in completion with us.
We are reminded too that God is more worried about changing us, than changing our circumstances.
It is pointed out too that our once perfectly happy lives can start to crumble when we start to focus on what we don’t have instead of what we do.
The author points out too that some comparison as well as social media can be positive
This book reminds us too that our words change how the world sees us.
In It’s Not Your Turn we are reminded that our turn will come, and the Author gives tips on how to get there.
If you are waiting for your breakthrough I’d highly recommend It’s Not Your Turn.
Five out of five stars!
Happy Reading!
October 11, 2022
I really wanted to like this book. I have enjoyed Dr. Day’s presence on social media, and I find her to be extremely spirit-led and encouraging.
I thought this book was going to be about living well in the waiting and comparison, but it felt too self-help and discombobulated. I had trouble following her in almost every chapter. She would be talking about a personal experience and say something thought-provoking but then would start talking about something else that had nothing to do with what she had just said. I enjoyed the scripture references, but I didn’t quite see the purpose in adding so many of them that didn’t 100% fit the story she was trying to tell in that particular chapter.
It felt as if she combined data, scripture, and life experience in ways that felt almost too heavy and didn’t flow. I found myself wishing she would get to the point or hoping she would tell a more personal story about a season of waiting since that’s what I thought this book would be about.
This book just wasn’t for me.
I thought this book was going to be about living well in the waiting and comparison, but it felt too self-help and discombobulated. I had trouble following her in almost every chapter. She would be talking about a personal experience and say something thought-provoking but then would start talking about something else that had nothing to do with what she had just said. I enjoyed the scripture references, but I didn’t quite see the purpose in adding so many of them that didn’t 100% fit the story she was trying to tell in that particular chapter.
It felt as if she combined data, scripture, and life experience in ways that felt almost too heavy and didn’t flow. I found myself wishing she would get to the point or hoping she would tell a more personal story about a season of waiting since that’s what I thought this book would be about.
This book just wasn’t for me.
did-not-finish
April 9, 2022I got to page 11 where Heather, when speaking of the imaginary “perfect” woman, wrote “her thighs don’t touch (which honestly just feels unhealthy)” and immediately decided I was no longer continuing to read the book. The pages leading up to this one were all about how bad comparison is and how she checks herself when she starts speaking negatively about women she may envy… whether this comment is coming from a place of envy or not, it is never appropriate to comment on another human's body (as if you could know whether they are or aren’t healthy!). My thighs not touching is not something I have worked to attain and I would never want another person to look at me as a representative of a body they would like to achieve, but it is my body, in spite of eating plenty. I don’t appreciate this veneer of being on Team Women accompanied by a message like this. How many people read this and still let it go to print?
May 9, 2022
The thing that stood out the most to me in this book was that it's part of the Christian living genre but written by a Millennial academic. This is a shift, as the genre mostly seems dominated by older generations who mostly work within the self-contained evangelical college and seminary network.
Day's expertise as a Communications PhD comes across by how easily she communicates recent research in an accessible way. Most books I've read in this genre completely dismiss anything coming from the academy, so it was refreshing to read a book that shows the compatibility between the traditional Christian disciplines (prayer, service, humility, etc) and contemporary research showing how those actually do work to shape our thoughts, sense of purpose, and identity.
Sorry though - I completely reject the idea that success in life is directly related to waking up at 5am. That's just a bridge too far for me.
Day's expertise as a Communications PhD comes across by how easily she communicates recent research in an accessible way. Most books I've read in this genre completely dismiss anything coming from the academy, so it was refreshing to read a book that shows the compatibility between the traditional Christian disciplines (prayer, service, humility, etc) and contemporary research showing how those actually do work to shape our thoughts, sense of purpose, and identity.
Sorry though - I completely reject the idea that success in life is directly related to waking up at 5am. That's just a bridge too far for me.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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