Rest Assured


Vicki Courtney quickly became one of my new favorite authors when I read her previous book, Move On: When Mercy Meets Your Mess last year. I so appreciated her conversational style, godly wisdom, deep yet simple insights, and her willingness to bare her own soul and life in a very honest and real way. Nothing bothers me more than a book where the author refuses to share their own personal struggles and issues. I don't want to read a book from an author who (pretends to be) perfect, but rather from someone I can relate to and isn't afraid to tell the truth. So when I saw Vicki's newest book, Rest Assured: A Recovery Plan for Weary Souls, I immediately knew I wanted to read it. The back cover reads:

"“Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest” (Matt. 11:28)

Women are overcommitted, overconnected, overburdened, and overwhelmed. Their lives are full, but oddly, their souls are empty. They are aching for a bold challenge—one that will bring rest to their longing souls. Rest Assured is for the daring women who truly want to disrupt their current patterns and see lasting change.

Divided into two parts, Rest Assured offers not just an intervention:

-The Badge of Busyness
-The Exhausting Pursuit of Happiness
-Tethered Souls
-Worried Sick

But also a recovery plan:

-Prioritize the One Thing Needed: Time for God
-Create Room to Breathe: Time for Solitude
-Give Yourself a Break: Time for Leisure
-Pay It Forward: Time for Others

If the soul is weary, it’s time for an intervention. Rest Assured is not a quick fix, but rather a bold challenge that aids women in identifying the negative patterns that prevent them from experiencing rest in their souls. Most importantly, it will give them the tools needed to break the cycle.

A “Rest Stop” challenge is included at the end of each chapter for use in Bible studies and book clubs. Bonus material includes a 30-Day Restitution Plan and 100 Ways to Give It a Rest."

What woman isn't weary these days? I know I am. Between the pressure to have a beautifully decorated, spic and span clean, perfectly organized house; make Pinterest crafts and Betty Crocker (local, organic, from-scratch, GMO free) dinners every night; volunteer for every church activity; and of course, have magazine-model ready children to display at church on Sunday, women can often become burnt out, exhausted, envious, and worst of all, completely missing the point: man looks on the outward appearance, but God looks at our hearts. This is a subject that has been niggling at my brain for awhile now. I feel like many women focus so much on outward appearances and outdoing all the other women at church that they are neglecting the "most needful" thing. Vicki's new book is a call to women to go back to sit at Jesus' feet and realize that, once we put God in His proper place, we will find rest for our weary souls and still manage to have time for the other busy things that crowd our lives. Vicki gently calls us to prioritize our lives according to God's will. I highly recommend this book to every Christian woman. This is also a great pick for a Bible study or book club.

I received a copy of this book from BookLook Bloggers in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

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