The Grounds' Book Reviews discussion

-by Ali Seiwert (Grounds Volunteer)

Have you ever felt burned out? Tired? Too busy? Isolated? Stuck? We have all taken on various titles - spouse, parent, friend, employee, manager, writer, artist, neighbor, sibling - all of which we cannot keep up with.

Shauna Niequist has experienced most of the fast and busy life of work, family, writing, speaking and traveling. And in "Present over Perfect" she opens up her life with severe vulnerability to let her readers know that they are not alone when it comes to the social pressures of trying to be perfect. Through a collection of essays, Shauna continuously offers personal experiences that she has been a part of, giving the readers a sense of perspective that God is so much bigger than what we may be living through; and that God prefers us to be present, even during the smallest things in life.

“Stop. Rest. Play. Connect. Create. Cultivate silence. And in that silence, you'll discover the voice of love you've been asking to hear.”

Take every step slowly and carefully, and listen. Shauna does a great job ending each chapter with a pause - to soak in everything she has learned and grown from with each experience. It's a quick read but eye-opening and packs so much personal experience from Shauna that you can't help but feel something powerful from her. It may take time to find your silence, but this book could help you get there, not today, not tomorrow, but soon. And the journey to that is just as exciting.