By Brooke Luby
Thanks to author Shauna Niequist, Wrecked is offering three, free signed copies of her book Cold Tangerines. Just answer the question at the bottom of this post to enter, and we’ll randomly pick three winners in a week. Find out more at the end of this review:
When I first picked up Cold Tangerines by Shauna Niequist, I have to admit that I was a little skeptical. I was sort of expecting a “Chicken soup for the soul” flavored book, overly emotional and slightly cheesy.
At first I was a little annoyed at some of the inane “girly” details she would talk about, but as I delved into the book, it took me by surprise.
Shauna’s vulnerable essays of the bits and pieces of her life made me feel like we were sitting in a coffee shop as she shared her story with me. Her words drew me in and took me on a journey with her, zooming in on certain moments that would normally seem mundane, but brought out different insight.
As I reached the end of Cold Tangerines, I felt like we could be close friends. I felt like she had given me a priceless gift — a reminder that life itself is a gift and worthy of being celebrated.
I recommend this book to anyone who is longing for a deeper sense of simplicity in enjoying everyday life — it’s not just for women, either. Her style is Donald Miller-like with its “rambling” memoir style, but somehow there’s a different, more hopeful (and obviously, more feminine) flavor. Niequist’s perspective is wise, yet child-like, and her writing will capture you with its simple beauty, as an excerpt from her chapter “Waiting,” shows:
…I choose to believe that there is nothing more sacred or profound than this day. I choose to believe that there may be a thousand big moments embedded in this day, waiting to be discovered like tiny shards of gold.
It is rare for a Christian author to take you into such truth without a hint of being preachy. In her day-to-day struggles with her body image, in her relationships with her church and family, in the welcoming of her son into the world, Shauna invites you into the deepest depths of her life. She reminds you to stop and see the beauty and wonder of life. Woven throughout the book is a colorful streamer proclaiming that celebration of the little things in life brings a real joy, and a strength to overcome the difficult times. I laughed out loud at moments and was moved to tears at others.
In the chapter, “Needle and Thread,” (titled after a Sleeping At Last song) Shauna poetically states:
Art slips past our brains and straight into our bellies. It weaves itself into our thoughts and feelings and the open spaces in our souls, and it allows us to live more and say more and feel more.
I had that feeling as I was reading this book, cracks in my souls were indeed opening up and I could see the light coming in, illuminating the beauty that is already all around me. I walked away from reading Cold Tangerines feeling hopeful, refreshed and a little bit lighter.
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To buy the book, click the following link to Amazon: Cold Tangerines: Celebrating the Extraordinary Nature of Everyday Life. To find out more about Shauna Niequist and to read a free chapter of Cold Tangerines, visit: Shaunaiequist.com.
Also, if you liked this, check out our video interview with Shauna Niequist.
“What’s one way that you celebrate the extraordinary nature of everyday life?”
Brooke lives in the middle of nowhere in east Texas, trying to live, understand, and write about Grace. She makes great pasta salad. Check out her blog.
How do I celebrate the simple extraordinary nature of everyday life? I walk in my yard. I have huge flower beds and have something blooming every day of the year.
Just to walk through and see a new rose, or columbine’s beautiful swirled leaves first peeping out of the ground thrill my soul. I notice the ladybug, the dragonfly. And, oh my! the butterfly! For each plant, for each bloom I continually realize that I can put seeds in the ground, I can stick a baby plant in the soil, but I can’t make a single thing grow. That is always and forever up to the Great Creator who made it in the first place. I’m just His caretaker.
The way that I celebrate the extraordinary nature of everyday life is to tell God how thankful I am to be alive. To be able to smell the freshness of the air after the rain, the perfume of the distinctive flowers around me, to feel the breeze after doing outside chores, to hear the sweet chatter of a happy child, to feel the
love a friend, are all things to be grateful for.
I have the unique pleasure of living and working on the rural coast of one of the most picturesque regions of one of the most scenery rich countries in the world… Nelson, top of the South Island of New Zealand. My drive to work takes approx 15 minutes with the open ocean on one side and snow capped (winter only) mountains on the other. As I sit at my desk I only need raise my head to see stock-dotted fields, native bush and those same mountains. How could any warm-bloodied human view something as wonderous as this and not praise God for his creativity, love and majesty? Yet is nothing compared to the creative energy he put into making me, you and everyone of us…
The extradordinary is all around me, yet for so long I haven’t noticed it, zooming through life at breakneck pace. No more. I notice the extraordinary in the sparkle of my daughter’s eyes, the tone of voices that are used in conversation, the moments of grace that are extended when others put others first rather than self. To look at life’s blessings and accept them as such is an extraordinary gift woven through the gift of life itself.
Enjoy the simple things with my children. It’a amazing to watch them as they create things from ordinary stuff in our house. They wanted instruments so they could have a band. So they created a microphone (with stand) from paper and turned a trash can, metal first aid kit and coat hangers into a drum set. It’s fun to watch their minds as they process the world around them.
I see things that astonish me and I have to capture them on film, like a butterfly on a flower, or a humming bird on a feeder. Or a sunset, or a wave breaking on the shore. I never run out of material. God has truly blessed us!
One of my favorite verses is “The heavens declare the glory of God, the skies proclaim the work of His hands”, and this past weekend my family drove through Michigan to attend a wedding and we were surrounded by the most amazingly colored trees! It is so cool to see God’s creation all around us, even in the little things. And most recently, every day I get to see the beauty of God when I look at my daughter Elliot. It is amazing to see what God knit together and to understand a little bit more the nature of His love for us in the love we have for her.
I celebrate the extraordinary nature of every day life by acknowledging that this is the day that the Lord has made and rejoicing and being glad in it. I recognize His hand in every moment and ask Him to open my eyes to see Him at work in the most mundane of tasks.
This book sounds amazing, I’m shocked that I haven’t heard about it before this! Great review too Brooke!
I’d love to be entered in the give-away.
One way that I celebrate every day life is thru my kids and books. I love to read and I love my kids. So I try to make myself slow down long enough to get on the couch or curl up on the bed with at least my 2 or 3 youngest ones (I’ve got 7) and read at least one book a day if not more…sometimes we’re got a huge pile to read thru.
The more of life I experience, the more I am convinced that relationships are the most valuable gift we have been given. I feel privileged to know the people who are in my everyday life, and spending time with them really is a celebration. Everything, from laughing with my roommate as we brush our teeth in the morning, to listening to a friend’s problems over a cup of coffee; from conversing with a co-worker while preparing a meal, to reminiscing with a family member over the phone?even just being in the same room as my friends as we all read or watch a movie?is flavoring life, making it beautiful and worth living. I see God in these moments, reflected through these people, and I know that my time spent with them is never wasted.
I celebrate through photography. The wonder of the world around us is easy to take for granted but stopping to look at tiny bits of it as my lens allows me to see forces me to slow down and revel in the beauty that surrounds us every day.
I celebrate by doing something new or unexpected. Walk up to someone you don’t know. Try a new food. Join a new exercise group. Enjoy the possibility of something new that might just possibly change your life.
I breathe in the air that I have been blessed with.
I celebrate it by being content with it. There is a big part of me that wants more than everyday life; to be a star, to control my own destiny. But it takes much more discipline and surrender to contentedly live in every day and enjoy the little moments as the big successes. To be satisfied with daily life and not constantly crave more is how I celebrate it.
“What’s one way that you celebrate the extraordinary nature of everyday life?”
I run. Preferably outside and alone. I’ve found that I can cater my conversation to those I’m around. By running solo, it just me and God, and there’s no other way to boil it down. My physical limitations parallel my emotional and spiritual ones, and the finish line provides hope that all races can be enjoyed, regardless of speed or perfection of the runner.
I celebrate the nature of everyday life by taking pictures. I try to take a picture a day so that I can document the journey of life. These pictures capture what was going on in that particular day: whether it be joy, pain, frustration or the range of human emotions. It’s really cool to look back and see what the past year held for you through documenting in pictures.
I write haikus!
People always say, “Don’t sweat the small stuff!”, but it’s far too easy to MISS the “small stuff”. Although I know that I often fail at celebrating the “small” yet amazing moments each day, my goal is to just be present…. to slow down & really see. When I make a point to LOOK for the seemingly simple -yet so precious- things that are so easy to miss then I can celebrate & honor them. Having children in our life helps with this… their unbridled joy at the simplest of things usually brings me back to a healthy appreciation of the small stuff.
Glad you are brining some attention to Shauna, her stories & insight are so genuine & grace-filled. She is honest with herself & us, the reader, even when it’s not pretty. I love that!
I celebrate everyday life by making sure that every moment is lived to the fullest. Wether I’m taking a walk, sitting in a crowded classroom, hanging out with friends, or spending quiet time with my Father, I try to make sure that I am truly in the moment and making it a significant one.
I celebrate everyday life by finding what I call ‘small joys.’ Sometimes it comes very natural and other times I have to look hard. A small joy for me is usually something like the reflection in a water droplet, the way diesel gas bubbles or the smell of new leather. I use these small joys as a way to thank God for something new everyday.
The way that I celebrate the extraordinary nature of everyday life is by taking photos of the things I find most beautiful. They serve as moments of inspiration for poetry, smiles, and just plain joy at having another day to share.
“What’s one way that you celebrate the extraordinary nature of everyday life?”
True celebration of the extraordinary nature of everyday life happens when I allow myself to be frozen in the moment. When I push aside my worries, anxiety, plans and problems. When I simply stop, breath and realize. When I stand in the moment that God has put me in, spin around, throw my hands in the air and dance. When the color of the grass and the shape of the clouds become my only and complete awareness. When I notice the painting that my creator has placed me deep within. When the laugh of my friends become music and the noises on the street fade. When my moment is appreciated, acknowledged and celebrated. When my creator hears me whisper, “thank you.”
One of the ways I celebrat the extraordinary nature of everyday life is to look people in the eye and care what they have to say. I actually want to here how you are when I ask “how are you” it is not just a greeting friviously said. Those people God puts around us are extraordinary, nobody is ordinary this is always something special about someone. I want to love them in extraordinary ways just like God.
To celebrate the extraordinary nautre of everyday life, I try to find moments that define life as I know it. Moments that stand out to succinctly summerize my understanding of who I am, who God is, the relationships between people, etc. I look for the moments that can tell entire stories. And then I try to capture them. I either write them down, photograph them, or incorporate them into my next project. All in hopes that I’ll be able to share that story with someone else, so that they too can appreciate the extraordinary nature of everyday life.
I celebrate the extraordinary by pausing long enough in the midst of the hurry to enjoy the small things: My kids’ laughing. The feel of a small body on my lap. The quiet of an afternoon alone. Rain on my windows. I try to remember when God moved in front of Elijah, he was not in the wind or the fire, but in a whisper. I love those whispers.
i go outside and sit and look around and its so relaxing.
I try to celebrate life in the little things. Life can sometimes get so busy that I forget to stop and breathe and just be thankful for the blessings in my life! I try to celebrate my life, my being, my breathing by ejoying being right where I am, at this place in time, and consciously remembering to breathe and thank God for this beautiful day-because everyday is truly beautiful.
I love to celebrate the everyday nature of everyday life by relaxing and playing like a child. For example, the leaves are so beautiful right now, and I enjoy their colors and relax and take in the beauty of God’s creation. Also, with the leaves, I love to rake them up and jump into a huge pile of them-yes I am twenty years old-but why should I grow up? I am thankful for my life and I don’t want to miss out on anything.
I enjoy spending time with other people and celebrating life by enjoying every moment.
Communion. Bread and wine, which I consume regularly, become the body and blood of Christ. Everyday and extraordinary at the same time.
I celebrate the beauty in the ordinary by walking through the park in fall and kicking leaves like a little kid… taking joy in the small things still.
I celebrate with creativity.
I know if I go for too long without making something new, whether it’s a raincoat, a ceramic pitcher, a roll of film, or something else, I don’t feel extraordinary anymore and it becomes easier for me to miss the small beautiful things. When I keep creating, my mind is awake and open.
One way that my family and I celebrate the extraordinary nature of everyday life is to dance and lie out in the rain. We have such fun together doing this and laugh so much. God is amazing – always!!
One of the most extraordinary every day things I have discovered recently is the sound of water – lapping at the shore or running over rocks. I was considering how this is such a peaceful sound to pretty much everyone and the thought came to me that it’s like God put it there just for us to hear it like that… like his lullaby to us. He made that sound and I know He doesn’t make things without a purpose – this one is very special…
I celebrate the extraordinary nature of everyday life by being thankful for the rain. Sure, it’s messy, but so are our lives. However, the rain is also renewing; it is an extraordinary blessing from God. Just consider all the laws of nature that play into the creation and deliverance of rain. The rain is not a nuisance, but an amazing reminder of the sustaining power of God in our lives!
I run. Some mornings I walk my dog. Just being outdoors makes me so grateful that I’m healthy enough to be out there facing the day. I use that as my prayer time and especially watching the sun rise or set with the fall colors is just breathtaking. God is such an unbelievable artist and getting out there every day really makes me appreciate it and everything He’s done for us and made possible to enjoy.
I’m an ADHD person to the nth degree, and one of the great advantages of that is being able to see many things at once and how they all tie into each other.
Driving my son to school, I hear our dog Otis’ breath in our ears, as he peers from the back seet between us. He props his speckled feet up on our armrests and pokes his black velveteen nose between us in order to participate in my boy’s escort. The windows rolled down, we can hear the occasional call of a birds just waking to their business, smell the dewy grass and school bus exhaust, and hear the joyful screams of children racing to the crosswalk. I look over at my son, and his eyes sparkls with love. His hair is a mess, which is a great excuse for me to run my fingers through it, which is a little piece of heaven for me. He tells me he is blessed and that God must love us very much. At that moment, I think I am the luckiest woman to be alive. I know exactly how he feels!
Since this doesn’t happen fornme automatically
I’ve been asking God to just lead me on a
treasure hunt and be open to the adventure…I give myself
the task of either taking a pic every few
days…looking for the lovely in the mundane
or RECORDiNG sounds since
we’re such visual creatures just
listening to sounds can bring a whole
new appreciation about your environment!
I celebrate the extraordinary nature of every day life by having dinner with my teenagers daily and giving God praise for nourishing our minds and bodies.
Thanks, Jenny. Unfortunately, the contest has already ended. Great comment, though!