Live Slowly: A Gentle Invitation to Exhale
Ebook
Give yourself permission to slow down.
Jodi Grubbs did not give herself permission for too long, falling headlong into the endless rush and exhaustion of hustle culture. After leaving her childhood home on the island of Bonaire in the Caribbean, she had assumed the rapid pace and stress of city living in the States. Soon she realized God was bidding her to a return to the "island time" of her past.
In time Jodi found sanctuary and ways to care for her soul by making space for God, others, and herself. Evoking the contentment she once had in the gentle rhythms of Bonaire, she learned of another path: a path away from burnout and toward restoration. And she invites you, too, to grasp a sustainable approach to life anchored by the forced pauses of spiritual practices and an openhandedness before God. Each chapter offers slow-living shifts to help you put the concepts into practice. Begin to rest and let go of the need to keep up, as you learn to live slowly.
Includes a six-session group guide.
Introduction: A Return to Everyday Island Living
Part One: A Desperate Need to Exhale
1. When Sea Breeze and Road Rage Collide
2. Sometimes Slowing Down Is Chosen for You
3. A Sea Glass Transformation
4. You Are Exactly Who You Are Supposed to Be
5. Understanding Capacity
6. Awakening to Beauty
Part Two: Learning to Slow Down
7. Rhythms for Sunrise to Sunset
8. Soul Care for a Slowed-Down Life
9. Where's Your Island in the City?
10. Savoring, One Sip at a Time
11. Solitude and Spaciousness
12. A Lingering Pace with God and Others
13. Barefoot Hospitality Means Being Present
Part Three: You Are Free to Live Slow
14. You've Had Permission All Along
15. Burnout Behind Church Doors
16. Soft White Sand Beyond the Abyss
17. The Art of Letting Go
18. Resting in the Belief That We Are Truly Held
Acknowledgments
Appendix: The Slow Living Shifts
Group Discussion Guide
Notes
"If you need a slow-living guide—a guide out of the crush of noise and the exhausting speed of life—Jodi Grubbs is a gentle sage who has faced suffering and heartbreak. She shows us the road less traveled—into a far more meaningful life."
"In a culture that overvalues hustle and undervalues wholeness, finding spaces that honor our God-given humanity can be a challenge. Yet in Live Slowly, Jodi Grubbs compassionately and authentically invites us to a way of being that roots us in our truest identity as God's beloved. This book is a love letter to anyone feeling overwhelmed, out of alignment, and tired of pushing beyond their limits. I'm deeply grateful for Jodi's words."
"Jodi Grubbs brings a unique perspective on the challenge of hurry that we face. Growing up in a less hurried culture and living as an adult in our more hurried one has borne the fruit of practical insight and wise guidance. I encourage you to read this book if you're seeking to follow the less hurried way of Jesus. You'll find a lot of help here!"
"Some books come to us exactly when we need them. Live Slowly will undoubtedly be a timely gift for those who find themselves worn out by the hurried pace of contemporary life. Jodi Grubbs is an experienced guide to the sacred geography of slow living. Filled with Jodi's deeply personal stories, wise words from the many Christians she has read and befriended, and tangible practices for slowing down, this book is a lifesaver. I recommend it for all who have felt their exhausted heads slipping beneath the waves of hurry, hustle, and stress."
"The beach has long been a place of rest and refreshment. Sand, palm trees, driftwood, crashing waves, and flip-flops are all part of my regular rhythm of life. Jodi's island theme is the perfect setting for intentional soul care amid pressing cultural dynamics. I trust Jodi because she has lived a with-God life smack in the middle of unimaginable loss. She is uniquely capable of journeying with us as we learn to slow to the pace of an ocean wave. Read this book and trust that you have a reliable friend accompanying you on your journey toward slowness of heart, soul, and mind."
"Live Slowly is a beautifully written and much-needed book. Through soft and honest words, Jodi Grubbs invites us to slow down, exhale, and remember the unending love and kindness of God. Page after page, you'll feel the weight lifted off your shoulders as your eyes are refocused on the One who invites us to walk with him."
"I didn't think I needed permission to live slowly. But in reading these beautiful, inviting, life-giving words by Jodi Grubbs, I felt a weight I didn't know I was bearing slowly lift. Read this book and you will feel it too."
"Live Slowly offers readers hope that it is possible to live an unhurried life in our fast-paced world. It tenderly grants us permission to intentionally shift toward a life that God intended for us at the beginning of time—one that is slower, more meaningful, and filled with fellowship with God and others. This book encourages us to savor each moment, linger longer, listen attentively, and be fully present. With vivid imagery, Jodi Grubbs transports us to island living and beckons us to create our own 'Island in the City.' Live Slowly is a beautifully written gift our hurried souls have longed for."
"In Proverbs we're told that 'the purposes of a person's heart are deep waters, but one who has insight draws them out.' In Live Slowly, Jodi Grubbs takes us on a deep dive into the depths of our hearts to insightfully and gently surface the purposes of our fast-paced existence. This guided deep dive will breathe life into your exhausted soul, as it did mine. You will receive truth, compassion, hope, and the practical, spiritual tools you will need to find your soul rest in Jesus."
"The deeper I got into this book, the more my shoulders dropped and the deeper I exhaled. Jodi Grubbs has written one long permission slip that you were not made for hurry and production, chased by impossible expectations; you were made to live as a beloved child. She teaches that the more you learn to keep in step with the pace God has given you, the more you are able to love expansively. Jodi practices what she preaches. Just like her book, whenever you're in her presence, your shoulders drop and you exhale slowly, knowing she has plenty of time to enjoy your company. She's her Abba's daughter."
"Live Slowly is a refreshingly practical and unassuming guide to the contemplative life. Jodi Grubbs walks the reader by the hand to the cozy armchair, the wide-open field, the place of stillness where God can be heard over the cacophony of our modern world. Every line brims with care and intention; the 'slow living shifts' and suggested rhythms and practices found in these pages are invaluable tools for the journey. Live Slowly is a gift for anyone longing for a different pace but struggling to slow down."
"Jodi Grubbs is a woman after my own heart, offering a gentle but steady drumbeat for anyone desperate for a saner, slower, less hustle-y way of living. And now she's put all her best advice and shimmering stories into one book. Live Slowly is a valuable resource for anyone seeking to live a life of deeper meaning, connection, and spiritual fulfillment. Whether you're overwhelmed by a busy schedule or simply yearning for a more intentional way of living, this book offers a road map to help you find your rhythm—and exhale in God's grace."
- Title: Live Slowly: A Gentle Invitation to Exhale
- Author: Jodi H. Grubbs
- Publisher: IVP
- Print Publication Date: 2024
- Logos Release Date: 2023
- Language: English
- Resources: 1
- Format: Digital › Ebook
- ISBNs: 9781514007099, 9781514007082, 1514007088, 1514007096
- Resource ID: LLS:9781514007099
- Resource Type: Monograph
- Metadata Last Updated: 2024-05-03T01:14:54Z
Jodi H. Grubbs is the podcast host of Our Island in the City and a slow-living advocate. She is the author of a children’s book, The Island Adventures of Lili and Oliver, and coauthor of a Bible study called The Friendship Café. Jodi, her husband, Dean, and their daughter, Lili, live outside Raleigh, North Carolina.