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No Such Thing as Ordinary: Unlocking Your Extraordinary Life through Everyday Encounters with Jesus
Are you looking for freedom and fulfillment in the life you are already living, or do you feel trapped because your everyday reality doesn’t match your dreams?
No Such Thing as Ordinary will help you discover the passion and adventure in your life while empowering you to see how God uses daily, here-and-now moments to draw you to him in an extraordinary way.
Drawing from Jesus’s conversation with the woman at the well in the Gospel of John, Rachel Balducci—Catholic writer and cohost of CatholicTV’s The Gist—shares how a deep unrest in her life launched her on a journey to discover the secret that true joy is found in a deeper relationship with Jesus.
Through scripture, her passionate faith, and personal stories, Balducci shows you how to
discover freedom, adventure, and deep, abiding peace;stop being distracted by the worldly voices telling you to forget your responsibilities and pursue your own fulfillment;find your true self in the midst of losing everything you thought defined you; andrecognize and believe that where you are now is where God has placed you and where he intends to meet you.
No Such Thing as Ordinary will help you discover the passion and adventure in your life while empowering you to see how God uses daily, here-and-now moments to draw you to him in an extraordinary way.
Drawing from Jesus’s conversation with the woman at the well in the Gospel of John, Rachel Balducci—Catholic writer and cohost of CatholicTV’s The Gist—shares how a deep unrest in her life launched her on a journey to discover the secret that true joy is found in a deeper relationship with Jesus.
Through scripture, her passionate faith, and personal stories, Balducci shows you how to
discover freedom, adventure, and deep, abiding peace;stop being distracted by the worldly voices telling you to forget your responsibilities and pursue your own fulfillment;find your true self in the midst of losing everything you thought defined you; andrecognize and believe that where you are now is where God has placed you and where he intends to meet you.
129 pages, Kindle Edition
Published May 20, 2022
9 people are currently reading
106 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
January 13, 2022
This is not my typical genre to read. Most religious genres are stuffy or make you feel worse before you even started. But NOT this one!! I absolutely loved this book!!!!!!!
Rachel Balducci pours her soul and her experiences of life into these pages. She is authentic,transparent on her feelings, how she over came these insecurities and “quenched her thirst” with God.
Her profound words inspired me that being a stay at home mom is fulfilling and that God put me here for reasons. He has a plan. This book truly healed my heart and soul and to trust God that he does has a plan me and you. We are each designed unique and loved deeply by God.
Please, please read this book if you are searching for something or you feel that your are not fulfilled in life. God is here to help you and he is using Rachel Balducci’s God given talent,as a writer, to send you his message. READ IT!!!!!!
Rachel Balducci pours her soul and her experiences of life into these pages. She is authentic,transparent on her feelings, how she over came these insecurities and “quenched her thirst” with God.
Her profound words inspired me that being a stay at home mom is fulfilling and that God put me here for reasons. He has a plan. This book truly healed my heart and soul and to trust God that he does has a plan me and you. We are each designed unique and loved deeply by God.
Please, please read this book if you are searching for something or you feel that your are not fulfilled in life. God is here to help you and he is using Rachel Balducci’s God given talent,as a writer, to send you his message. READ IT!!!!!!
June 3, 2022
The value of anyone’s spiritual journey, especially if it is undertaken with a sincere desire to come closer to God, should never be questioned. However, not every such journey merits a published memoir. While No Such Thing As Ordinary: Unlocking Your Extraordinary Life through Everyday Encounters with Jesus, by Rachel Balducci has much to recommend it, only a very narrow audience will find it worthy of a read.
Balducci, host of a talk show on Catholic TV, author and social media influencer (with more than 9K followers on Instagram), chronicles her quest for deeper purpose, meaning and fulfillment in mid-life as wife and mother. This “personal journey” is organized around a compelling scriptural metaphor (Woman at the Well), explores important spiritual principles (Trust, Healing trough Truth, Conversion) and spotlights sacred, grace-filled practices of the Catholic faith (Eucharistic Adoration and spiritual direction). The author’s voice is often authentic and sometimes wise, such as when she writes “God opposes the proud, and he give his grace to the humble. It is a step in humility to turn our gaze from ourselves to God,” and “Surrender is about starting to look at yourself not from the outside in but from the inside out. Surrender is a major paradigm shift, not a quick transformation.”
But at other times, the author’s observations seem naïve and tone-deaf, such as when this mother of six children, admits that, yes, Jesus might be the “something missing” in a woman’s life, but another child might also fill that hole. Despite the title, most of the content is quite ordinary: the writing is largely expository and the anecdotes mundane. For example, the author’s husband and father to her brood is mentioned only in passing; her children are mentioned by name and age in service to a life-story timeline. As such, there is little between the covers to set this book apart from the ghastly gaggle of “girlfriend” guides by white Christian women clogging the market of spiritual non-fiction these days.
There is no doubt an audience for another Be-Happy Mommy book by a social media darling, especially among traditionalist Catholics with large families who seek validation of their choices and roles. However, many more mothers crave well-crafted prose, sophisticated humor, compelling characters, thoughtful insights and advice about managing complex family situations that challenge faith, such as abuse, addiction, divorce, and grief. They seek advice from a fellow traveler, someone who has experienced and understands the many trajectories, seasons and permutations of a mothering life. They thirst for spiritual memoir that confronts as well as comfort, both spiritually and intellectually.
Balducci does acknowledge that her personal and motherhood challenges are commonplace and any spiritual doubts minor, but before dispensing advice to others, another admission seems necessary: any authority she offers as a guide has as much to do with privilege as it does authentic spiritual vision. Precious few mothers yearning for more beyond the next diaper change have the position, affluence, education and good fortune of a loving marriage, conditions necessary for the author’s success story that pivots from motherhood to a media and teaching career. Fewer still have husbands who gift trips to Italy for 40th birthdays, along with audiences with the Pope, the subject of her concluding chapter. “It will blow your mind the things God will do,” she writes. No kidding.
Balducci’s advice to find God in the ordinary is encouraging, and her advice to “let Jesus into all the parts of my heart and soul” is sound. But the assertion that “I’m armed with the tools I need to take a stand for life—every life. And so are you,” will hardly ring true for every mother.
Balducci, host of a talk show on Catholic TV, author and social media influencer (with more than 9K followers on Instagram), chronicles her quest for deeper purpose, meaning and fulfillment in mid-life as wife and mother. This “personal journey” is organized around a compelling scriptural metaphor (Woman at the Well), explores important spiritual principles (Trust, Healing trough Truth, Conversion) and spotlights sacred, grace-filled practices of the Catholic faith (Eucharistic Adoration and spiritual direction). The author’s voice is often authentic and sometimes wise, such as when she writes “God opposes the proud, and he give his grace to the humble. It is a step in humility to turn our gaze from ourselves to God,” and “Surrender is about starting to look at yourself not from the outside in but from the inside out. Surrender is a major paradigm shift, not a quick transformation.”
But at other times, the author’s observations seem naïve and tone-deaf, such as when this mother of six children, admits that, yes, Jesus might be the “something missing” in a woman’s life, but another child might also fill that hole. Despite the title, most of the content is quite ordinary: the writing is largely expository and the anecdotes mundane. For example, the author’s husband and father to her brood is mentioned only in passing; her children are mentioned by name and age in service to a life-story timeline. As such, there is little between the covers to set this book apart from the ghastly gaggle of “girlfriend” guides by white Christian women clogging the market of spiritual non-fiction these days.
There is no doubt an audience for another Be-Happy Mommy book by a social media darling, especially among traditionalist Catholics with large families who seek validation of their choices and roles. However, many more mothers crave well-crafted prose, sophisticated humor, compelling characters, thoughtful insights and advice about managing complex family situations that challenge faith, such as abuse, addiction, divorce, and grief. They seek advice from a fellow traveler, someone who has experienced and understands the many trajectories, seasons and permutations of a mothering life. They thirst for spiritual memoir that confronts as well as comfort, both spiritually and intellectually.
Balducci does acknowledge that her personal and motherhood challenges are commonplace and any spiritual doubts minor, but before dispensing advice to others, another admission seems necessary: any authority she offers as a guide has as much to do with privilege as it does authentic spiritual vision. Precious few mothers yearning for more beyond the next diaper change have the position, affluence, education and good fortune of a loving marriage, conditions necessary for the author’s success story that pivots from motherhood to a media and teaching career. Fewer still have husbands who gift trips to Italy for 40th birthdays, along with audiences with the Pope, the subject of her concluding chapter. “It will blow your mind the things God will do,” she writes. No kidding.
Balducci’s advice to find God in the ordinary is encouraging, and her advice to “let Jesus into all the parts of my heart and soul” is sound. But the assertion that “I’m armed with the tools I need to take a stand for life—every life. And so are you,” will hardly ring true for every mother.
January 6, 2022
#NoSuchThingasOrdinary #NetGalley #bookreview
Publisher: Ave Maria Press
ISBN: 9781646801275
Release Date: Mar 11, 2022
The Promise (Descr from Publisher):
No Such Thing as Ordinary will help you discover the passion and adventure in your life while empowering you to see how God uses daily, here-and-now moments to draw you to him in an extraordinary way.
The Expectation (mine after reading the promise, etc):
I am kind of an odd duck. I not only march to the beat of a different drum.. It's a drum to a completely different band marching on a completely different field. So, this book just drew me in by title alone. It's like I have a permission slip - it's ok to not be "ordinary" & I hope this encourages me to be open to God working through me in extraordinary ways... in spite of myself and in spite of my very ordinary life.
Favorite/Summary Quote:
“Each of us has a deep thirst for something more that helps us push past a willingness to be mediocre.”
What I connected with:
This book exceeded my expectations!!!
If I had been highlighting in an actual book, I’d need new highlighters. There is nugget after glorious golden nugget in this book. I laughed. I cried. I connected with her struggles of the day in day out of being a wife & mom.
She said something about burnout forcing her surrender & that is EXACTLY where I’m at right now. And “I’m tired and need a nap.” I’m there, too. Surrender is simple in some ways but scary. The author made this far less scary.
I can’t say enough about this wonderful book!
What I struggled with:
I really didn’t struggle with anything other than I really want a hard copy of this book in my hands! In my personal library. Sometimes I felt like there was some repetition, but it wasn’t annoying at all. It was weaving an established, familiar thread from earlier in her book to a new one. This was a fantastic experience!
What I learned:
That I desperately need to surrender to my overwhelming thirst for God in the stillness & quietness of prayer & I can be assured that God not only will show up, He’s already there waiting on me… expecting me. .. knowing that I am coming.
How I was transformed:
I read this book in one sitting because I just couldn’t put it down. I have some peace I didn’t have before over a decision I made recently to walk away from hustle & grind & shut out the noise, heal the burnout and focus only on what God wants in my life through daily adoration. I have affirmation & confirmation & some great motivation and inspiration for doing this in my life starting now. I have no reason to wait. This can be now. This is life changing for me.
I will recommend this to friends and family. I will buy this book as a gift for new brides & new moms. I wish I’d had this book 15 years ago! I definitely want a hard copy of this book! I am going to read her other books! This was the first book I’ve read by this author.
I received an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. My opinions are my own.
Publisher: Ave Maria Press
ISBN: 9781646801275
Release Date: Mar 11, 2022
The Promise (Descr from Publisher):
No Such Thing as Ordinary will help you discover the passion and adventure in your life while empowering you to see how God uses daily, here-and-now moments to draw you to him in an extraordinary way.
The Expectation (mine after reading the promise, etc):
I am kind of an odd duck. I not only march to the beat of a different drum.. It's a drum to a completely different band marching on a completely different field. So, this book just drew me in by title alone. It's like I have a permission slip - it's ok to not be "ordinary" & I hope this encourages me to be open to God working through me in extraordinary ways... in spite of myself and in spite of my very ordinary life.
Favorite/Summary Quote:
“Each of us has a deep thirst for something more that helps us push past a willingness to be mediocre.”
What I connected with:
This book exceeded my expectations!!!
If I had been highlighting in an actual book, I’d need new highlighters. There is nugget after glorious golden nugget in this book. I laughed. I cried. I connected with her struggles of the day in day out of being a wife & mom.
She said something about burnout forcing her surrender & that is EXACTLY where I’m at right now. And “I’m tired and need a nap.” I’m there, too. Surrender is simple in some ways but scary. The author made this far less scary.
I can’t say enough about this wonderful book!
What I struggled with:
I really didn’t struggle with anything other than I really want a hard copy of this book in my hands! In my personal library. Sometimes I felt like there was some repetition, but it wasn’t annoying at all. It was weaving an established, familiar thread from earlier in her book to a new one. This was a fantastic experience!
What I learned:
That I desperately need to surrender to my overwhelming thirst for God in the stillness & quietness of prayer & I can be assured that God not only will show up, He’s already there waiting on me… expecting me. .. knowing that I am coming.
How I was transformed:
I read this book in one sitting because I just couldn’t put it down. I have some peace I didn’t have before over a decision I made recently to walk away from hustle & grind & shut out the noise, heal the burnout and focus only on what God wants in my life through daily adoration. I have affirmation & confirmation & some great motivation and inspiration for doing this in my life starting now. I have no reason to wait. This can be now. This is life changing for me.
I will recommend this to friends and family. I will buy this book as a gift for new brides & new moms. I wish I’d had this book 15 years ago! I definitely want a hard copy of this book! I am going to read her other books! This was the first book I’ve read by this author.
I received an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. My opinions are my own.
January 26, 2022
I will post this review to Goodreads today 1/26/22. I will post to retail sites and Instagram on the date of publication, 3/11/22.
Perfection is never a prerequisite for deeper relationship with Jesus. - Rachel Balducci
No Such Thing as Ordinary is a book that I think will resonate with many women, regardless of the phase of life they may be in. We all have something to offer to Jesus regardless of how busy or not we find ourselves in our daily lives. Jesus can use us in the most mundane tasks or the most extraordinary tasks, the key is in the offering our tasks to be used.
Ms. Balducci uses the story of the woman at the well to illustrate how Jesus can use us in all circumstances. She drives home the point that even if our lives do not match what we thought they would look like, nothing is wasted. We can find contentment and fulfillment by focusing on the here and now and what our particular phase of life gives us to offer back to the Lord.
Contentment is not found in the world, or by listening to the world telling us what we need to do, the things we need to have, and the ways to accomplish all of this. Contentment can be found when we realize and accept that where we are at any given point in time is not a mistake. God has us right where he wants us in each moment of the day and is waiting to meet us there if we only open our hearts and ask him to. When we realize that who we are rests in our identity in Christ, our priorities and purpose will become exceedingly clear.
I am so grateful to have been given a copy of this book to read. It is so very easy to get caught up in thinking I should be doing something different or my life, which doesn’t look like I thought it would when i was in college, is an example of me wasting time because I am not using my degrees the way I thought I would. Instead, when looked at differently, through the lense of being right were God wants me to be, I see how He is using me and meeting me in my daily life. Nothing is wasted with God and He truly can use all things for good.
Thank you to Ave Maria Press, Rachel Balducci, and NetGalley for a copy of this book in exchange for a review. All opinions expressed here are entirely my own.
Perfection is never a prerequisite for deeper relationship with Jesus. - Rachel Balducci
No Such Thing as Ordinary is a book that I think will resonate with many women, regardless of the phase of life they may be in. We all have something to offer to Jesus regardless of how busy or not we find ourselves in our daily lives. Jesus can use us in the most mundane tasks or the most extraordinary tasks, the key is in the offering our tasks to be used.
Ms. Balducci uses the story of the woman at the well to illustrate how Jesus can use us in all circumstances. She drives home the point that even if our lives do not match what we thought they would look like, nothing is wasted. We can find contentment and fulfillment by focusing on the here and now and what our particular phase of life gives us to offer back to the Lord.
Contentment is not found in the world, or by listening to the world telling us what we need to do, the things we need to have, and the ways to accomplish all of this. Contentment can be found when we realize and accept that where we are at any given point in time is not a mistake. God has us right where he wants us in each moment of the day and is waiting to meet us there if we only open our hearts and ask him to. When we realize that who we are rests in our identity in Christ, our priorities and purpose will become exceedingly clear.
I am so grateful to have been given a copy of this book to read. It is so very easy to get caught up in thinking I should be doing something different or my life, which doesn’t look like I thought it would when i was in college, is an example of me wasting time because I am not using my degrees the way I thought I would. Instead, when looked at differently, through the lense of being right were God wants me to be, I see how He is using me and meeting me in my daily life. Nothing is wasted with God and He truly can use all things for good.
Thank you to Ave Maria Press, Rachel Balducci, and NetGalley for a copy of this book in exchange for a review. All opinions expressed here are entirely my own.
July 19, 2022
I just finished reading Rachel Balducci's newest book, No Such Thing as Ordinary: Unlocking Your Extraordinary Life through Everyday Encounters with Jesus. I read a chapter a day with my coffee in the early mornings, and I highly recommend the book, and the approach I took.
Each chapter moves through the steps of a deep call to relationship with Jesus, starting with encounter and thirst, and moving toward trust, surrender, and finally our mission through His will to name a few of the chapters. Rachel shares her spiritual journey at each of these steps, revealing the little foibles that probably make up most of our lives, and then jumping in with both feet to reveal some deeply wounding experiences, that again, are probably close to the insecurities and hurts we've experienced as children and then later as young adults (and maybe beyond).
Rachel's storytelling engages the reader with her vulnerability. Too often we are entertained with egregious self-confessionals that offer us little in the growth department. Here, Rachel Balducci uses her personal stories to show us how through these experiences her heart broke open a little more each time, letting Christ inside to heal her.
More than a light summer read, No Such Thing as Ordinary is a little manual for making friends with Jesus.
Each chapter moves through the steps of a deep call to relationship with Jesus, starting with encounter and thirst, and moving toward trust, surrender, and finally our mission through His will to name a few of the chapters. Rachel shares her spiritual journey at each of these steps, revealing the little foibles that probably make up most of our lives, and then jumping in with both feet to reveal some deeply wounding experiences, that again, are probably close to the insecurities and hurts we've experienced as children and then later as young adults (and maybe beyond).
Rachel's storytelling engages the reader with her vulnerability. Too often we are entertained with egregious self-confessionals that offer us little in the growth department. Here, Rachel Balducci uses her personal stories to show us how through these experiences her heart broke open a little more each time, letting Christ inside to heal her.
More than a light summer read, No Such Thing as Ordinary is a little manual for making friends with Jesus.
July 31, 2025
“Trust in the Lord. You will be fulfilled.”
That’s the closing line from Rachel Balducci’s No Such Thing as Ordinary, and really the theme of this easy-to-read spiritual journey that aligns with the story of the Samaritan woman at the well. The author is the co-host of The Gist on Catholic TV, teaches journalism at Augusta (Ga.) University, and is a popular speaker. But I’m sure, based on this book, her most important titles are beloved daughter of God, wife, and mama to six.
Rachel has a lively, peppy tone to her writing. I read this entire book in an hour. But that’s not to say it’s a light read. Her topic is profound—recognizing Christ in our everyday lives, and trusting in the Lord’s plan. She handles it deftly, and helps readers see that they, too, are extraordinary in God’s eyes. We are loved.
That’s the closing line from Rachel Balducci’s No Such Thing as Ordinary, and really the theme of this easy-to-read spiritual journey that aligns with the story of the Samaritan woman at the well. The author is the co-host of The Gist on Catholic TV, teaches journalism at Augusta (Ga.) University, and is a popular speaker. But I’m sure, based on this book, her most important titles are beloved daughter of God, wife, and mama to six.
Rachel has a lively, peppy tone to her writing. I read this entire book in an hour. But that’s not to say it’s a light read. Her topic is profound—recognizing Christ in our everyday lives, and trusting in the Lord’s plan. She handles it deftly, and helps readers see that they, too, are extraordinary in God’s eyes. We are loved.
April 24, 2022
A wonderful book of finding peace and purpose in the day to day craziness of life.
Drawing from Jesus’s conversation with the woman at the well in the Gospel of John, Rachel Balducci shares how one can seek deeper meaning and peace to quench that thirst we all feel. Using examples from her faith journey, as well as from spiritual directors she has worked with over the years, Balducci provides a very approachable, and useful guide to quieting the voices of doubt and criticism that plague so many of us.
Drawing from Jesus’s conversation with the woman at the well in the Gospel of John, Rachel Balducci shares how one can seek deeper meaning and peace to quench that thirst we all feel. Using examples from her faith journey, as well as from spiritual directors she has worked with over the years, Balducci provides a very approachable, and useful guide to quieting the voices of doubt and criticism that plague so many of us.
November 30, 2022
I liked that this was short and to the point. This is one woman’s story about her faith journey but it has lots of good reminders about the importance of daily prayer and trusting in Jesus.
February 3, 2023
4.5 stars. Balducci is honest and vulnerable, and her guidance is approachable. Great for any woman in any season of life.
October 9, 2025
Inspired to commit to contemplative prayer after hearing the author speak and reading about her spiritual journey. Author is very relatable, down-to-earth, and encouraging.
February 15, 2023
Feeling stuck in life? Wanting more? Feeling like you should feel closer to God than you do? This book hit on three important aspects of my life that I was looking for guidance in. Rachel made me realize I was going about things the wrong way, looking for something I shouldn’t necessarily be looking for because it wasn’t really what I needed at this moment in time, what I need is for Jesus to quench my thirst before I can truly understand what I am thirsty for, and to get there I need daily time spent in prayer - I need to make it a point to spend time with him everyday and pray so I can have a connection with him and feel fulfilled. If you’re feeling stuck in life, this is a great book to help you get to a point where you are unstuck.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Thank you to Ave Maria Press and NetGalley for the advanced copy of this book!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Thank you to Ave Maria Press and NetGalley for the advanced copy of this book!
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews