Loving My Actual Life , livre ebook

Baker Publishing Group - Alexandra Kuykendall

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77 pages

English

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Feel Satisfied with Who and Where You AreIn a world of comparison and discontent, it can feel impossible to be happy with life as we know it. Other people seem to have it all together, to be finding success, to be having more fun. But we weren't meant for a life characterized by dissatisfaction.In this entertaining and relatable book, Alexandra Kuykendall chronicles her nine-month experiment to rekindle her love of her ordinary "actual" life. After wiping her calendar as clean as a mother of four can, Kuykendall focuses on one aspect of her life each month, searching for ways to more fully enjoy her current season. By intentionally adding one thing each month that will make her jump for joy, she provides a practical challenge women can easily replicate. With humor, poignancy, and plenty of personal stories, Kuykendall weaves together spiritual themes and practical application into a holy self-awareness, showing women how a few small changes in their routines can improve their enjoyment of this crazy-busy life.Endorsement"If you ever get the chance to read anything written by Alexandra Kuykendall, take it. She is a gentle, trustworthy storyteller who lives the words she writes about."--Emily P. Freeman, author of Simply Tuesday

Sujets

Philosophie et théologie

Assertiveness

Informations

Publié par	Baker Publishing Group
Date de parution	26 avril 2016
Nombre de lectures	0
EAN13	9781493404971
Langue	English
Poids de l'ouvrage	1 Mo

Informations légales : prix de location à la page 0,0432€. Cette information est donnée uniquement à titre indicatif conformément à la législation en vigueur.

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Cover
Title Page
Copyright Page
© 2016 by Alexandra Kuykendall
Published by Baker Books
a division of Baker Publishing Group
P.O. Box 6287, Grand Rapids, MI 49516-6287
www.bakerbooks.com
Ebook edition created 2016
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means—for example, electronic, photocopy, recording—without the prior written permission of the publisher. The only exception is brief quotations in printed reviews.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is on file at the Library of Congress, Washington, DC.
ISBN 978-1-4934-0497-1
Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from the Holy Bible, New International Version®. NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com
Scripture quotations labeled Message are taken from The Message by Eugene H. Peterson, copyright © 1993, 1994, 1995, 2000, 2001, 2002. Used by permission of NavPress Publishing Group. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations labeled ESV are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version® (ESV®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved. ESV Text Edition: 2011
Endorsements
“If you ever get the chance to read anything written by Alexandra Kuykendall, take it. She is a gentle, trustworthy storyteller who lives the words she writes. In a noisy world, I deeply appreciate her thoughtful, grounded voice.”
Emily P. Freeman , author of Simply Tuesday
“We can spend our lives wishing for tomorrow or decide to enjoy God’s goodness today. In Loving My Actual Life , Alex shares how we can cherish each season and find the gold already there. Grab a friend, or ten, to share in this experiment to love your actual life.”
Rebekah Lyons , author of Freefall to Fly
“Most of us struggle to like our lives, let alone love them. We look around and want what she has or to be like her . And so we miss our lives—our actual lives. There are lots of books about home organization, self-improvement, and workout routines. This book is different. Starting off with a call to quiet, Alexandra Kuykendall dares herself to invest intentionally in her daily life and discovers not just how to survive but how to love her life. Loving My Actual Life is entertaining and insightful, honest and winsome, challenging and comforting. Here is the journal of a woman who found contentment by choosing it and shares with us how we can as well.”
Elisa Morgan , speaker; author of The Beauty of Broken and Hello , Beauty Full ; cohost, Discover the Word radio show; president emerita, MOPS International
“In this book Alex does what I think most of us secretly wish we could—she makes time and space for that list of things we all have, the things we want to do but never have time for. Over nine months she deliberately changes her life so that it starts to work for her, instead of her maniacally trying to work to keep up with her life. Hands up if you can relate? If you’re tired of putting off all those things you keep wanting to do differently in your family, Alex will be the friend who keeps you company when you decide to start. Preferably tomorrow.”
Lisa- Jo Baker , author of Surprised by Motherhood ; community manager for (in)courage
“Alexandra Kuykendall’s heart shines brightly in this gently written experiment of discovering God’s gifts in the midst of the grind. Alex doesn’t gloss over the painful realities and hardships of our daily lives. Rather, she invites us to savor the goodness that is right in front of us—the goodness that we are prone to miss when we’re always longing for how life should be rather than appreciating what actually is.”
Jeannie Cunnion , author of Parenting the Wholehearted Child
“How many times have I looked at other people’s lives and wished for some aspect of what they have? By providing us a window into her own life with all of its ups and downs, joys and challenges, Alexandra Kuykendall convincingly reminds me to embrace and cherish what I have. Her nine-month experiment touches on the topics and areas that are accessible and relatable to every woman who is juggling work-life-family and striving to flourish in the fullness of her vocational calling. Reading this book is like the gift of deeply connecting with a dear friend, one who will not judge me because she gets me. My challenges are her challenges, and she lives them every day. Yet she is filled with immense hope and knowledge that neither of us is stuck. With practical and insightful tips, tools, and lessons learned, along with some experimentation, she encourages me along the journey of living fully and loving my actual life.”
Cindy Chang Mahlberg , cofounder, Women in the Mix; chief exploration officer, The Law Venture
“As moms we can’t help but compare: ourselves, our homes, our kids. Yet as we do we miss our actual life. We allow our unrealistic ideals to darken our days. Enough! Within these pages Alex shares her heart—and her journey—to prioritize her life. She shares her goals, her struggles, and lessons learned. Alex shows us that life isn’t about a point to be reached but rather ways to make the most of the life you already have. Wonderful!”
Tricia Goyer , author of Balanced: Finding Center as a Work- at- Home Mom
“There is a constant tension between the way we imagined life would be and the way life actually is . We find ourselves continually wanting more, but we just aren’t sure where or how to get it. In her signature poignant, clever, insightful, and nonjudgmental writing style, Alexandra Kuykendall helps us see that the ‘more’ we desire is not only within our grasp but right in front of us. Rarely is there a book where practical tips intersect with personal story in such an engaging, interesting, and life-changing way. What I may love the most about Loving My Actual Life , however, is that Alexandra lives what she writes. Out of her real-life experiences and authenticity comes a guide to help us trade the illusion of a perfect life for one that holds ‘more.’ More depth, more love, and more joy.”
Krista Gilbert , author of Reclaiming Home ; blogger at kristagilbert.com
“Along with her daughters in Loving My Actual Life , I raise a champagne flute of chocolate milk to Alex for taking us along on her experiment of living intentionally. She shows us it’s possible to embrace our real lives and enjoy the moments along the way. We have one life and this book calls us to love it, even in the mundane, messes, and meal planning. Read it! You’ll love the book. Come to find out, you might love your actual life.”
Sarah Harmeyer , founder and chief people gatherer, Neighbor’s Table
Dedication
For my main cast of characters.
Derek, Gabi, Genevieve, Gracelynn, and Giulianna, I thank God you are the people in my actual life.
Contents

Cover 1
Title Page 2
Copyright Page 3
Endorsements 4
Dedication 5
Preface: A Letter to You 9
Introduction: The Recalibrating of My Days 13
Month 1 : Bring It Down—Quiet 23
Month 2 : First Things First—Mornings 41
Month 3 : My Peeps—Dates 59
Month 4 : Being Kind to My Body—Health 77
Month 5 : Unleashing the Wild—Adventure 97
Month 6 : Pushing Through the Piles—Home Organization 119
Month 7 : Love Is in the Details—Creativity 141
Month 8 : Three Times a Day—Meals 161
Month 9 : I Am Made to Do Great Things—Passions 183
Conclusion: This One Life 201
Ideas to Love Your Actual Life 209
Acknowledgments 215
Notes 217
About the Author 221
Back Ads 222
Back Cover 225
Preface: A Letter to You

Hi, Friend,
We likely haven’t met in real life, but I consider you a friend for a few reasons. First, you’re ready to hear my experiences as I journey on a nine-month experiment to appreciate and cherish my life. My actual life. With all its quirks, frustrations, disappointments, surprises, and gifts. This is what friends do, sit and listen and cheer each other on. So thank you for being a willing listener.
And second, I suspect you’ve picked up this book because we are somewhat kindred spirits, friends in the journey of life. We are both facing days of incredible speed and desiring something different because this pace just doesn’t feel right. We know with certainty that we must be made for more than merely tolerating our circumstances; we want to know how to thrive within them. Especially if we don’t have a lot of opportunity to change the major things. We want to love this life today.
I must also recognize what I don’t know about you. I don’t know your financial or marital status. Whether you have children, an extended family, or a close circle of friends. Your emotional or spiritual health. Your age. Your education. Your work, paid or unpaid. Those details all matter because they impact your actual life. They shape you, inform you, and influence you as you make thousands of daily decisions.
I find most people are working hard to live life “right.” Whatever our right might be. And then real life gets in the way. Singleness or infertility or underemployment or whiny children may not be what we expected, or hoped for, but here we are. We all have our ideal and then we also all have our reality. They rarely match up. This is a book about savoring the reality.
The last few years I’ve been following my friend and mentor Karen’s advice. “Do what only you can do,” she told me during my fourth pregnancy as I struggled with work-family decisions. She emphasized you . I was the only one who could be Derek’s wife and my girls’ mother. Other responsibilities could be shared, even totally discarded on my part. It helped me say no to some obligations as I realized there were many things I could do, but didn’t need to do. But even with that intentional decision-making matrix, I sensed I was still not living my best life. I needed a fresh start. And that is wher