Refresh: Embracing a Grace-Paced Life in a World of Endless Demands Paperback – October 31, 2017

This book was excellent! I listened to it on Hoopla, but also bought a paperback so I can reread it!!I loved the practical tips, but I especially appreciated the consistent pointing back to Scripture and dependence on Christ. So many good thoughts. Maybe with my reread I’ll share some quotes.I highly recommend all ladies read this book. ❤️

Shona and David Murray's book Refresh is probably the best book I have read in the last six months, maybe even in the last year. This is NOT simply another book by a female Christian talking about how overwhelming life can be.If it was, I wouldn't be reviewing it!Instead Dr. Murray (Shona) writes practically about how women get into the situations of being overwhelmed, full of anxiety, and depressed despite being Christians. Dr. Murray takes the reader through 10 stations in the "refresh gym" to help get women back on track and living the healthiest and most honoring life possible. Dr Murray talks about things that other books for Christian women completely neglect. She addresses things like sleep, media influences, nutrition, and physical exercise and how they impact a Christian walk. The one that really sticks out in my mind is from the chapter Re-Create in which Murray says,Your body was bought with the price of Christ's blood. He bought it with the greatest ransom ever paid. Try to think of the most expensive thing you ever bought Was it a car or a house? How much did you protect and maintain it? Now think of how much Christ paid for your body and consider how you are managing this blood bought property. "You are not your own," says Paul. "You were bought at a price". We have a new owner who has paid a huge price for his property. He claims our bodies as his own and calls us to manage them for his glory.Man! Isn't that convicting? Imagine if every Christian was operating at 100%. If we weren't slowed down by dependency on social media, sugar, or self caused exhaustion. In Refresh, Dr. Murray lays out simple and practical steps to achieve this goal.I think it is just fabulous.If I could give a book more than an A+ I would. I might just have to create something higher for those few special books that really touch my heart. Anyways, Refresh would be one of those books. I don't care if you are 13 and trying to navigate middle school or 95 and trying to live the winter of your life honoring God, this book is for you. Basically what I am saying is go out and read this book right now. Put it on the top of your stack of books and make sure you share it with the next woman you meet that seems like she could use a little refreshing.

I’m so grateful the Murrays have written this book. Both theological and practical, it provided a helpful and Gospel-focused framework for thinking through what it means to be healthy – emotionally, spiritually, and physically. I read it with a friend, both of us having struggled with our emotional and physical health, and it led to good discussion and tangible steps forward. I am especially grateful for Shona’s willingness to engage mental illness from both a physical and spiritual perspective – something that is far too often missing in Christian thought and dialogue. It was an easy read, like a conversation with a mentor. I found the imagery of going to the gym a little cheesy, but it didn’t detract from the book’s overall helpfulness.I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author; this review is my own.

No matter what stage you are in with life, this book WILL HELP YOU. I found myself doing more and more, thinking it was spiritual problem, and if I just kept going I would eventually feel better. Until I was running unexplained fevers regularly, losing weight, joint paint, extreme fatigue- yet insomnia, and little pleasure in things I once enjoyed. I am better now...but if I had of had this book during that time, it would have saved years of searching and struggling. So many doctors. So much stuff... it was all a vicious cycle that I didn't know how to break or where to start. This book is solid Bible truth with practical applications... I am thrilled to go through it right now with "minor" warning signs, to stop them before I get more!!!

A good read for those who are burning out from our fast paced world. A lot of useful suggestions. Not a big fan of exercise but it was one of the ideas to help regain balance. Plus taking time for vacation. Getting away to relax but not with the agenda to see this, go there, do that, etc. Actually taking time to wind down.

Some of this was familiar, but I appreciated the message that the Christian community has neglected, that of the importance of rest, sabbath and a “grace-paced” life. The section on identity was especially key.

While reading this book, I found her examples helpful, but it focused on her and her story far more than I expected. There are quotes from it that I will share with others and points I will use to make conversation, but I do not think I will recommend this book to others—especially anyone who is not in the season of motherhood. It appeals to women in other seasons of life, but the majority of it is written from the perspective of a mom.

A wonderful book for today’s women who live a race paced life packing in way too much. We will pay a price and this book shares how to find the grace pace a woman of faith will benefit from (and her family will as well!)