Awake: Paying Attention to What Matters Most in a World That's Pulling You Apart by Anjuli Paschall Book Review

Awake is Anjuli Paschall’s second book. This book is about learning to embrace our lives and to live them to the fullest. She stated how we spend most of lives on putting things on hold. We wait until we are married, have a better job, wait to have kids, wait until the weekend, and much more. She explained how she struggled with the fear the something is missing and having carpe diem syndrome- the fear of not living life to the fullest. She shared how she wanted to live her life awake and live it to the fullest. A big key she discovered is to having meaning connection to others, calling, voice, creator and this assist us in living our lives more fully. 

 

 

In the book, she shared how she had to use courage when she was faced with a small tumor near her pituitary gland and the only thing, they can do is treat it with medication. This could also cause her not to be able to have children. The doctor explained what her name means, “the fragrance released from a love offering”. She explained how we need to at our past and reflect on our story and suffering. He looked at how God changed names in scriptures, such as Abram to Abraham, Jacob to Israel, just to name a few. In Revelation, it is revealed that God will give us all new names. She explained how important it is to have meaning in our lives. 

 

 

I would recommend this awesome book to anyone who is ready to begin to live their life and not focusing on things that doesn’t matter. I loved how she went into great detail about how she awakening her own soul and how we can learn to enjoy the small moments. I also loved the story and concept of the Moth party and this is an event where people gather to share their personal stories that changed their lives. I immensely loved how she opened up about dealing with her rejection and how only six RSVP for her birthday/moth party. I loved how she spoke on acceptance and receiving God’s love. 

 

 

 

"I received this book free from the publisher, Bethany House/ Chosen for my honest review.”

 

 

 

 

If you would like to purchase a copy, check it out on Amazon.com:

 

 

https://www.amazon.com/Awake-Paying-Attention-Matters-Pulling/dp/0764238523

Stay: Discovering Grace, Freedom, and Wholeness Where You Never Imagined Looking by Anjuli Paschall Book Review

In Stay, Anjuli Paschall explored the topic of staying and facing our pain and past. She encouraged readers that the areas that we resist are the ones where God can greatly use to transform our lives. She pointed out how God wants us to have a deep relationship with Him and to have true intimacy. She begins the book by sharing how she attended a Christian college and how she found a group of friends. She revealed how she struggled with being unknown and how she still felt out of place. She connected with a psychology professor, Helyn Fay and she listened to her insecurities and prayed for her. This greatly changed her life and influenced her positively. She shared how she felt known for the first time and how she had a sense of belonging. She discovered the power of believing that she is loved on the inside. Throughout the book, she looked at vulnerability and how we try and hide behind things that we think will protect us. We have to be vulnerable and be honest about our secrets and trust Jesus to help us. In the book, she opened up about how she met her husband, Sam and how he proposed twice. She also shared the beautiful parts of their marriage and also the weeds and the thorns season they experienced. 

I would recommend this amazing book to anyone who is ready to face their past and they are ready to stay in the arms of Jesus. I liked how open she was in discussing her life story and she shared the lessons she has learned in her marriage. I liked how each chapter covered invitations, such as “to be an outsider, loneliness, listen, sit in the weeds, fear”, and more. One of my favorite things she shared was how she started, “The Moms We Love Club”. She shared how she was able to start Go Fund Me’s for moms who are going through a lot and how they have all changed her own life in some way. I liked how she included discussion questions at the end of the book where readers can go deeper into the book and they can ponder their own lives. If you’re looking for a book on freedom and wholeness, then read this book! 

"I received this book free from the publisher, Bethany House/ Chosen for my honest review.” 

If you would like to purchase a copy of Stay, check it out on Amazon.com:

https://www.amazon.com/Stay-Discovering-Freedom-Wholeness-Imagined/dp/0764235842