Simply Tuesday {book review}

One of my goals for November was to read Emily Freeman's book, Simply Tuesday, and I'm disappointed to say I didn't love it. :/

She had some really great points to share, but overall, I felt like her theme of appreciating the smallness of our "Tuesday" moments and "creating benches" in our lives were overstated and honestly not super relatable, at least for me.

I always feel guilty when I don't love a book that's intended to strengthen my walk with Jesus (remember my review of Ann Voskamp's book One Thousand Gifts?!), so I'd be curious to know if you any of you have read Simply Tuesday and if I'm way out in left field with my opinion of it.

I think I went into it expecting more of a For the Love feel, and just had a hard time keeping up with her anecdotal style of writing- which, oddly enough, worked great in Jen Hatmaker's book and in Shauna Niequist's book Bread & Wine, but just seemed so choppy in this one.

Or maybe it was that her overall approach to life's situations seemed pretty glass-half-empty. (Much like this review, huh?!) 

I did highlight a handful of thought-provoking ideas as I read; the ones listed below are the ones that stuck out to me the most:

"In my own life I’ve found it to be true that when I hold on to the wrong things, the wrong things hold on to me." (Page 19)

"Attention, success, and comparison hold my soul hostage and refuse to negotiate until they get what they want. Spoiler alert: They want everything. And they are never satisfied. They will never let you go." (Page 20)

Effort toward excellence in my work can silently morph into effort toward perfection in my soul. And before I can tease them apart my life becomes one defined by my failure and successes and I’ve forgotten who I really am. “Excellence” just becomes a more respectable word for “control,” which is a fancy version of “manipulation,” which is a physiological word for “sin,” (Page 73)

"When I am willing to explore my deepest disappointments I might be surprised to find my deepest desires lingering just beyond. Knowing Christ may only be possible when we come face-to-face with our deepest desire and are willing to walk through our deepest disappointment." (Page 176)

Don’t try to handle your anxiety. Bring your anxiety into the presence of Christ. Don’t try to fix your loneliness. Bring your loneliness into the presence of Christ. Don’t try to hide your addiction. Bring your addiction into the presence of Christ. Don’t try to change your attitude. Bring your attitude into the presence of Christ. Don’t despise your humanity. Bring your humanity into the presence of Christ. There is still responsibility and action that comes from me. But my action is not to make right, to make whole, or to make better. My action is to usher my abilities, inabilities, failures, and successes all into the presence of Christ. (Page 194)

So overall, it was not terrible, but I don't know that I'd recommend it either.

If any of you have read it, I'd love to know your thoughts!