How many of us find ourselves running on empty with no time for rest, no time for ourselves, no time for God?

I know what that’s like. I’m good at surviving — an expert at figuring out how to do things right and do them well. I am not afraid of working hard, swallowing whatever might get me down, and pushing thorough.

I am a good thinker. I manage, cope and please.

I am good at taking care of everyone and everything else — except my heart and me.

Even though I’m married to my soulmate hubby, mom to two beautiful boys — deep inside, where no one can see — I feel restless. Stressed.

My heart feels weary. Most of the time, I don’t know what is wrong. So I tell myself nothing is wrong.

That I’m fine.

But, I’m really not.

My story is really every woman’s story. Because every woman has felt burned out and tired. Every woman longs to dream, to feed her soul and rest.

Yet we often put ourselves to the side, during the times we need rest the most.

Why is rest so hard?

I’ve  taken an intimate journey to find the answers.  And I’ve captured my heart-breaking journey in a book — so  you can rejuvenate your souls with deep, beautiful rest too.

Win a Copy of Finding Spiritual Whitespace: Awaken Your Soul to Rest

I’ve written a memoir-driven guidebook for you: Finding Spiritual Whitespace: Awakening Your Soul to Rest — which has garnered starred review praise from Publisher’s Weekly, as one of the Top 6 notable new religion authors. 

This week, Revell is giving away 10 copies for readers to enjoy!

Enter to win a copy.  Click to share a comment on the (in)courage site  by Friday midnight, 7/11/14.

On the brink of lifelong dream, my plans unexpectedly shattered into painful memories and anxiety. In my search for answers, I discovered we all need spiritual whitespace.

Whitespace is the space on a canvas left unmarked. It breathes beauty. Just like beautiful art, we need space to rest too.

If your soul longs for rest and a deeper intimacy with God into your everyday moment, find your spiritual whitespace through this book. Each chapter offers journaling questions for intimate self-reflection and group discussion to explore with friends.

I’d love to meet with you between the pages of Finding Spiritual Whitespace.

Here below is an excerpt from the book, for a glimpse into the journey of rest.

The Pink Outfit: Choosing Joy

I stood on the escalator next to him, one hand on the rail, as we rose higher to the upper level.

It felt so grand to be in such a fine place: the children’s department at The Emporium’s. It wasn’t a place where we usually bought our clothes, but today was different.

It was one of my father’s first visits after the divorce. I was excited because he said I could pick out whatever I wanted.

My father shuffled beside me with his greased-up hair, baggy pants, and wiry legs moving in sync with my curiosity. He would pull out something random off the shelves. This is pretty . . . you like?

Then I saw it.

Hanging up high, perched on a special display, was the most beautiful outfit I ever saw: a soft bubble-gum pink corduroy jacket with silver buckles and matching pants.

It was perfect. It’s hard to explain, if you’ve always had nice clothes or if the thought that something was worn never occurred to you. It looked amazing to me. Which one should I get—the jacket or the pants?

As I stood there tippy-toes, reaching out to fish the outfit down, my father told me to stand still and placed the outfit in front of me with one arm shot straight out, eyeing me like an old woman threading a needle.

“Turn around,” he said, pressing the sleeves against my wrists. “It fits. Daddy will buy both for you.”

As I stood there at the checkout register, watching my father pay, I couldn’t believe it. The whole outfit?

My heart was bursting, full of something beautiful. New. All for me.

Never in a thousand years would I have guessed I’d never have the chance to wear that jacket and those pants out in broad daylight. They were thrown in the garbage later that night.

A Perfect Moment

We didn’t have a garbage disposal back then. So my momma took …

To be continued…

To Read The Rest Of the Story

…To win a free copy of Finding Spiritual Whitespace — and read the rest of the story “Move Beyond Surviving to Rejuvenating Rest {Book Giveaway}”  – click here to join me over at DaySpring’s (in)courage site, where today’s post is published.

Take a virtual coffee break together. I’d love to be with you there.

Today’s post is part of my special Book Launch Tour Series  {21 Days of Rest: Finding Spiritual Whitespace}.  Click here to read Day 1 and the entire series on rest.

Be Creative:  What will happen?

Join the Whitespace Thursday Link Up

This Thursday’s 7/10/14 Writing Prompt:  Take time to enjoy doing something creative or artistic. Share what you did, how it felt and what you discovered.

Other writing prompts:

* If you’re reading the Finding Spiritual Whitespace, share your discoveries. How is the book speaking to you?

* Share your whitespace moments:
– moments of beauty and rest
– feeding your soul
– your alone time with God

* Choose your own open writing prompt.  Be you.

What Bestselling Authors are Saying
About Finding Spiritual Whitespace:  Endorsements

Take The Journey of Rest With Me

Take the Finding Spiritual Whitespace journey to make space to rest, despite whatever chaos and stress clutters our everyday lives.

Take the journey of self-discovery with Jesus with journal prompts for individual or intimate group exploration. Let’s live a better story of rest. Together.

Purchase a copy of my memoir-driven guidebook for yourself and your friends.  Because rest isn’t a journey we need to take alone.  We need each other.

Because some stories can’t be told on a blog.  They are so intimate, they can only echo in the sacred space of the printed page. Letters from my heart bound together for you.

Let’s be kindreds. Let’s meet between the pages of Finding Spiritual Whitespace.