Finding Calm in the Chaos: Christian Devotions for Busy Women [Paperback]

Kathleen Long Bostrom (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 3, 2005

Best-selling author Kathy Bostrom offers this book of devotions to help women create calm in the chaos of their busy lives. The book comprises twenty-eight days of devotions for each month of the year, so that readers can begin using the book during any month. Each week's devotions, prayers, quotations, and "Spirit Boosters" focus on one Bible passage, which is read each day of that week. Each week ends with a "Sabbath Celebration," a time for quiet prayer, reflection, and renewal. The "Spirit Boosters" for each week are divided into "Reaching In" and "Reaching Out" sections. They offer suggestions for ways to be kind to yourself and to others while nurturing your own faith. This book is ideal for women's prayer groups, to give as a gift, or to give to yourself.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

"This is the equation of my life," writes Bostrom: "One husband plus two jobs plus three children plus half a dozen projects all going on at once." It's no wonder that she feels exhausted, and she is not alone in such fatigue. How can women find spiritual refreshment in the midst of laundry, bills, school conferences and work? The Bible, says Bostrom, offers wisdom for finding "calm in the chaos" as early as the opening verse of Genesis, when God creates the earth from a formless void. Bostrom doesn't want this devotional to add to the stress that women already feel, or become just another item on their never-ending to-do lists. To this end, it has a slightly different sensibility than other Christian devotionals: rather than incorporating the obligatory scripture du jour, Bostrom uses a single scripture for an entire week. This way, she says, readers can really delve into the passage and let its meaning wash over them for a substantial period of time. Also, she wants readers to engage in a weekly "Sabbath celebration," to set Sunday apart as a true respite from the clamor of the week. She speaks openly from her own experiences of being busy and tired, noting that she suffers from a chronic illness that forces her to choose only those activities that are most meaningful. Literary readers will enjoy the well-chosen quotations from the likes of William Sloane Coffin, Madeleine L'Engle, Thomas Aquinas, Wendell Berry, Thomas Merton and Frederick Buechner.
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From the Back Cover

"In this inspiring book of devotions, Kathy Bostrom becomes our daily companion and guide. Her delightful reflections are grounded in her very real life as a woman, a mother, and a minister. This book is a gentle and stress-free way to take moments of quiet reflection, even in the busiest of lives." --Denise Roy, author of My Monastery Is a Minivan

"The reader will want this book for the collection of quotations alone, but Kathy Bostrom has given us much, much more. She has lived the pushing pulling chaos of life, and yet she has emerged with a voice of calm faithfulness. Her warm personal stories relating carefully chosen weekly scripture, poetry, prayer, quotation and Sabbath Celebration to the unrelenting everydayness of women's lives is a reminder of God's gifts: the incredible availability of God and a peacefulness that is ours for the taking, an inner God-blessed peacefulness. --Ann Weems, author of Kneeling in Bethlehem, Searching for Shalom, and Psalms of Lament

"Kathy Bostrom’s new book is a superb addition to the spiritual treasury of the church. Within a practical daily prayer discipline she provides a rich resource of readings - prayers, poetry and prose - drawn from the saints both ancient and modern, and also a series of personal meditations, rooted in daily life, which reach deep into the soul and the life of faith. I was enchanted, and found it hard to resist the temptation to read ahead." --J. Barrie Shepherd, author of Diary of Daily Prayer

"Kathleen Bostrom sets forth her intent early--to help us "create calm in the chaos, not add to it" by simply giving us one more thing to do. She succeeds. This is not one of those trite devotionals that wraps everything up nicely with a bow on top and leaves you longing for something deeper, more lasting. I found myself eagerly strategizing a way to carve out my next few moments (I have four kids and a neurotic dog!) to sit with that day’s devotion and let Kathleen’s words soak into my soul like rain into thirsty soil. Kathleen offers a grace-filled practical plan that guides us through each week, creating space for God to cultivate His peace, His calm in our lives." --Lisa Espinoza Johnson, speaker, recording artist, and author of Days of Whine and Noses--Pep Talks for Tuckered Out Moms

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Product Details

• Paperback: 224 pages
• Publisher: Westminster John Knox Press (November 3, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0664229166
• ISBN-13: 978-0664229160
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.5 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #175,089 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Kathleen Long Bostrom is an accomplished author who has written numerous children's books, including Sunrise Hill and Mary's Happy Christmas Day. She lives in Wildwood, Illinois, with her husband and three children.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A wonderful devotional book for women -- and men!, February 3, 2006

By 

Leah B. Wyckoff (Fort Worth, Texas) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Finding Calm in the Chaos: Christian Devotions for Busy Women (Paperback)

Kathy Bostrom has written a wonderful devotional book that encourages readers to reflect on and engage with scripture and prayer in their daily lives. One of the book's strengths is that Bostrom has the reader reflect on one scripture in a variety of ways over the course of a week. New understandings and ideas may be revealed with each day's reading of the scripture. At the end of each week is a Sabbath Celebration, a time to incorporate light, prayer, scripture and silence into one's personal worship. I appreciate Kathy Bostrom's writing, which illuminates the sacred in daily living and encourages the reader to enjoy the gift of daily devotional time.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Outstanding Christian Devotional, November 9, 2006

By 

M. N. Miller - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Finding Calm in the Chaos: Christian Devotions for Busy Women (Paperback)

This devotional is truly exceptional. It is written using a weekly format that makes it easy to use, with some variety in the components of the weekly devotions. There are personal anecdotes that are full of warmth and wisdom, scripture lessons, and much wisdom. I have loved this book so much that I've started giving it to friends as gifts. I highly recommend it!!

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great Devotional Book!, December 29, 2009

By 

Donna LaFont (Milwaukee) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Finding Calm in the Chaos: Christian Devotions for Busy Women (Paperback)

I love the way this book helps the reader to chew on scriptures from different angles, a single scripture at a time. Great for busy women!