What is The Art of Everyday Worship?

Friends! Please allow me to share with you info on a beautiful, coffee table book that’s not only pretty to look at, but encourages you to find the wonder of each new day. Frankly, I struggle with taking things, people, and places for granted until my eyes are reopened by wake-up calls from our Creator. “Still a work in progress” comes to mind…

The book? Oh, you’ll LOVE this one: Beholding and Becoming: The Art of Everyday Worship by Ruth Chou Simons.

I first discovered Ruth’s breathtaking art and writing gift from her first book, Gracelaced: Discovering Timeless Truths Through Seasons of the Heart. I flipped over it and snagged multiple copies for my daughters-in-love and friends the year it came out. Thus, I was beyond excited to discover Ruth’s newest endeavor, Beholding and Becoming.

Here’s the cover of her first book:

FYI: Both books also have companion journals, which make great gifts as well.

In Beholding and Becoming, Ruth begins with,

“A relatively short time ago, we didn’t have an ‘online life.’
Tweeting was for birds,
posts were for fences,
and text required ink.”

She builds her case by reminding us the clutter we’re inundated with from our culture causes us to miss the “art of beholding.”

Ruth invites us to “be transformed, one everyday moment at a time.” We readers get to do exactly that thanks to her words of wisdom, saturated with Scripture, many times in a beautiful painting, or two or three, found in each of the sixteen entries.

We’re also given, in the Glossary, information about various insects, plants, flowers, etc., showing us what they symbolize. I found this fascinating, i.e. “blackberries…the thorns and blood of Christ,” or “bluebells…humility.”

Worship is defined as “esteeming a thing or a person more highly than everything else and giving it your utmost attention and adoration.”

Here’s one of many favorite quotes:

Missionary Elisabeth Elliott famously encouraged all who crossed her path to “just do the next thing.” Ruth includes a favorite verse, Psalm 118:24, “This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.” She expounds on this, “When we believe the Giver of every ordinary moment in our every day is the faithful God who is trustworthy for each next step we take in our daily lives, we have reason to rejoice in the gift of another day.” (To which I’d add several exclamation points!!!)

Another reason I stand in awe of this book, and of author Ruth Simons so much is because of her life she lives on a daily basis. She and her husband are the parents of six, count ‘em six, boys!!! Checkout both of her websites: www.gracelaced.com and www.ruthchousimons.com

The gracelaced website has a shoppe where you can find prints and notecards…just look at how beautiful they are. She also includes super fun recipes, plus ideas of how to put the “family friendly snacks” to use, just for example.

Savoring these sixteen entries will take a while as you feel as if you’re stepping into an art gallery with each one. You can easily spend a lot of time in each section. The last one happens to be my favorite, “Actively Abide.”

We readers discover Ruth and her family recently bought some property with a pond on it in Colorado. Their boys were the most excited about it, however they quickly became disappointed when they learned the pond is not connected to a water source, thus it’s a grand ole’ hole in the ground come summer! Here’s where she points us to John 15:9-10,

We learn, “The meaning of the original Greek word meno (which is ‘abide’) in the New Testament means:

To stay,To remain,To be true to,To persevere,To keep walking beside;To get in close,To dwell,To be near,To not perish,To withstand.”

Friends, may we seek to abide in Him and worship Him every day with wonder and with new eyes.

Now you know what I’m going to say, “Run, don’t walk to your favorite bookstore and get your very own copy of Beholding and Becoming.” You’ll thank me later, I’m certain!!!

‘Til next time!

Disclosure of Material Connection: Some of the links in the page above are “affiliate links.”