A Still and Quiet Soul: Embracing Contentment by Cathy Messecar

Don't you just feel still and quiet when you look at this book?

Seriously.  When I got this in the mail, some kind of peace came over me just holding it and looking at it.

If you have read my reviews and posts for very long, you know I am nowhere near as surface and shallow as a statement like that may sound.  I don't say something like that flippantly.  I know true peace and contentment goes much deeper than outward appearances.

And so does this book.

A Still and Quiet Soul:  Embracing Contentment by Cathy Messecar is a joyous and at times challenging journey down a path of letting go of worries and the things that cause them.  As Cathy walks us through letting go, she strategically guides us in how and what to replace those worrisome things with---specifically with the Word of God and the peace of God which goes beyond anything we can understand or explain.

In each chapter Cathy guides us through a specific lesson along the journey of embracing contentment.  She uses life stories from hers and others' lives as well as real-life examples straight out of the Bible clearly and relevantly applied to our current daily struggles.  Near the end of each chapter, she shares a story from someone else's life featuring how they have learned to embrace contentment written in their own words.  Then, she wraps up each chapter by giving us two scriptures to memorize and pray (one as a Praise and one as a Petition) followed by a few questions to consider and even act upon on our journey toward contentment.

I so needed this book at just the time I was blessed to be able to be reading it.  So many of the statements Cathy makes in it stood out to me and touched me.  I have numerous pages "dog-eared" in it!  God knew what He was doing when He had Cathy send this gem of a book my way.

Just for you---a couple of nuggets of truth in Cathy's words:

Jesus said to live in the here and now, the moment you are breathing in.  Don't worry about tomorrow-fragments.

Recognizing and living out the seasons of life to their fullness will help us maintain a balance that supplements contentment.

Early on, some families train their children to go, go, go.  But, in that situation, when do children get opportunities to develop Christ-like disciplines of solitude and silence?  Do we set a pace for peace?  How do we encourage them to be happy travelers when their loads are too heavy?

True treasures---our God, our Savior, our blessed Holy Spirit, our salvation---outlive our mortality.  Those valuables bring lasting contentment.  Nothing, absolutely nothing of this earth compares to those.

I could go on and on, but I think you get the point.

Wonderful, practical book. 

What about you?

Are you at peace?

If not, what is at the root of your worry?

If you would like, please share your struggles here 

and I will be praying with you 

as you learn to let God handle the worries of your mind and soothe your soul.

When you get yourself a copy of A Still and Quiet Soul:  Embracing Contentment, let me know so that I can come along side you in your journey toward a more balanced life.

One final word---Cathy, I cannot thank you enough not only for giving me this book that is a true labor of your love for the Lord and His people, but also for letting His light shine through you so vibrantly.  Your friendship, life, and words are such an encouragement to me.  It is an honor to call you my friend.

Disclaimer:   I received this book for free from Cathy Messecar.  No other compensation was received.  The fact that I received a complimentary product does not guarantee a favorable review.