Kate Bowler is no stranger to pain or strife. She is also no stranger to living in this world as a modern mom, wife, daughter, friend, etc. In spite of the cancer diagnosis, she has somehow managed to find beauty in the terrible without false (and often toxic) positivity, and that is a gift beyond measure. Aside from her gift for framing life's tempestuous moments through God's grace, she does it in a way that is relatable and frank. She does it in a way that is God-centered and real. And for the busiest of us? She does it succinctly. I'm sure there will be people who bemoan her brevity, but I think that's where the Holy Spirit enters the picture and fills in the gap through prayer and earnest consideration of what she has said. This is a gift to the reader and a good gift to share with other readers for seeing a little beauty in terrible things.

The preface sets the stage for HAVE A BEAUTIFUL, TERRIBLE DAY; Kate Bowler wrote this in the "midst of a dark season of pain," where the first hour of the day was her most bearable, after which she struggled to focus. This was a project that was manageable in those constraints.

Bowler excels in vulnerability, offering strength and companionship to those also struggling, allowing others to be transparent in their realities. Every meditation starts with a verse and an introduction to frame the content and then closes with a reflection prompt. The structure offers bite-size readings that still manage to be impactful.

No topic is off limits as she offers meditations for regret, for feeling aimless, for being overwhelmed, disappointed, or a host of other circumstances, and then she turns her attention to a Lent devotional and a section for Advent.

This title is a welcome resource in our current publishing season of modern, relevant meditations to match our realities with all their messiness and complexities.

(I received a digital ARC from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.)

Kate Bowler does it again! "Have a Beautiful, Terrible Day" is a fantastic collection of reflections for every person. Spanning a wide range of ordinary situations (and a few out-of-the-ordinary ones, too), these meditations help ground you in the midst of a world that can be beautiful, but also can be terrible. Kate infuses humor into these thoughtful devotions, and you will want to savor every one.

Like all Kate Bowler's books, I love her attitude that things can be bad and good at the same time, and that's ok. This book is not meant to be devoured in one sitting, it's for thinking and bite-sized pieces. She has great thoughts and mini-essays to read, with great insights into life. I appreciate those parts of the book more than her blessings or reflection prompts, but I can see how depending on what I'm experiencing at the time, those might be more useful for me, too.

I thought this was a really beautiful devotional collection with readings, blessings, and reflections both for specific topics and for specific parts of the Christian calendar. I really appreciated the inclusion of a reflection at the end of each devotion.

This was another great book from Kate Bowler. I really enjoyed her collaboration with Jessica Richie in The Lives We Actually Have last year, and this continued those lovely blessings plus some. I appreciated the slight change to a devotional style where Bowler introduces each blessing, sharing who it was written for and what kind of day it might be useful. I also liked that they all included a reflection prompt at the end. The questions she poses and exercises she suggests were helpful ways to take a moment out of the hum-drum of everyday life. The guides and readings for both Lent and Advent are something I will certainly come back to. The balance between suffering and hope and the focus on social justice and the Spirit of God was great. I will say there were a couple of moments that I simply couldn’t relate, not as a matter of timing in my life, but because my personality must be different than the author’s–these in particular were ones that spoke of being a giver and caretaker of others. While I do these things, it doesn’t come naturally for me and so the idea that I need a blessing to give myself permission to take a break just didn’t hit home. I can see how these would be extremely meaningful for others though. Overall, this is a book that will happily sit on my shelf of devotions and blessings and be picked up again and again.

I enjoyed this book as I have enjoyed her other books. The preface is fantastic. The quick snippets of acknowledgement and encouragement and realness is refreshing. The small prompts are manageable and realistic. I can sit and read a handful if I have time or take 5 minutes to read a prompt and move about my day.

I received a free copy from Netgalley for my honest review. I really liked this devotional. Having read another book of hers, Everything Happens For A Reason, I can appreciate the way she's so blunt about the hard times and realities of life. I needed a book like this in my life right now! Will definitely read more from this author.

A devotional for the rest of us that have days that range from the valley of the shadow of death to the mountaintops and all that is between the two. Bowler is not afraid to be honest about those times in her life and cuts through the prepackaged devotions normally found on the shelf.

Thanks to Convergent Books and NetGalley for an ARC of this book.

I have read and loved two other books by Kate Bowler and this collection of prayers is beautiful, poignant, and powerful, as well. This is an excellent book for your coffee table or to give to a loved one who is in the thick of life’s ups and downs. A reader can flip to the prayer that topically fits their needs. It doesn’t need to be read in order. Above all, I appreciate Bowler’s perspective that two opposing feelings can co-exist, because they absolutely do. We can feel hope alongside suffering. We have moments of peace through grief and loss. We do have beautiful, terrible days in this complex journey of life. I will continue to read everything this author writes.

Kate Bowler has done it again. She's written another book that helps us feel better about our sufferings. And less alone in them.

This book has 39 beautiful and poignant daily meditations, plus 40 meditations for Lent and 8 for Advent. As in all her books, you’ll discover rich connections among the coexistence of pains and joys.

Among other things, Kate writes here that our illusion of controlling the details of our lives is a sham.

“All of our freedoms—our choices and our ridiculous attempts to plan our lives—are constrained by so many unchangeable details.”

We need not be caught off guard by how much is out of our control.

“How are we? Dependent. How are we doing? Fine until we need help (which will be in roughly two or three minutes).”

You'll find lots of great comfort (and humor too) for your hard days and your good days here. I highly recommend this book.

My thanks to Netgalley and Convergent Books for the review copy of Have a Beautiful, Terrible Day!

I adore Kate Bowler because she just gets it. She gets how to make religion and real life work together in a way that is so real. She doesn't only focus on the good as so many others do. She acknowledges the bad times and prays into them instead of trying to pray them away. Sometimes acknowledging that life is hard is more healing than trying to constantly put your energy into looking the other way. Her words never fail to hit my heart just right and put into words things that I wish I could but fail. This book is filled with so many words, prayers, and reflections to help you acknowledge what those terrible aspects of life and put it at God's feet. If you've liked her previous works, this will be another hit.

Have a Beautiful, Terrible Day was such a beautiful book and a balm to my soul. Toxic positivity within the Christian church can be exhausting, so I adore Kate Bowler’s honest mix of joy and sorrow.

Author Kate Bowler has written a lovely Christian Devotion, Self Help book with Have a Beautiful, Terrible Day. This is an open, honest, and sometimes funny book to assist readers in their daily lives. The author writes openly and in such a way that it is like having a conversation with a friend.

She begins her devotion with scripture. Following that is a reflection on it. She closes with meditations, ways to apply it. Her book is divided into three parts. These sections contain a total of 89 devotions. Section One is about day-to-day living. Section Two is for Lent. The last section is for Advent.

This is a refreshing book that allows readers to acknowledge and even embrace their life, bad days included. It is one that will be reread over time and bought as a gift. I highly recommend it. It receives a 5 out of 5 star rating from me. A copy was provided by NetGalley, but these are my honest words.
#Have a Beautiful, Terrible Day #NetGalley

Kate Bowler is one of my favourite humans. She has an amazing ability to confront the heavy, sad things about life with such hope and at times, humour. Have a Beautiful, Terrible Day is not meant to be read forwards in exact order like other books (although you certainly could). Rather, it's designed for the reader to flip through and find the section that is needed for that moment. Overall this collection of blessings is pure encouragement. As a reader, I always feel so seen and respected by Kate's writing. For those looking for short, authentic, and hope-filled chapters that will be like a balm to the soul, look no further.

Thank you Netgalley for the advanced copy to review.

what a refreshing (and though an overused word) Authentic "devotional" featuring my favorite Buechner quote as its inspiration: "Here is the world. Beautiful and terrible things will happen. Do not be afraid." Kate gives us so many blessings and honest heartfelt poems/prayers that are truly unique and comforting for all of our messy human needs to feel nuanced feelings and articulate when things are too terrible for words. she gives us some to speak and memorize.

Thank you to Net Galley for an early e-copy of the Arc of Have a Beautiful, Terrible Day!

Ah, Kate Bowler!!! 💙💙💙. As a faithful reader of her work and podcast devotee, I love her “voice”. Literally and figuratively. I have especially appreciated hearing the back story of this book via her podcast too. Knowing that Kate was going through a prolonged period of physical pain and difficulty while writing this book and the blessings and prayers made it even more real and meaningful to me. She mentioned that she would get up early in the morning and work on a prayer a day before she just couldn’t focus to write more. In my opinion, though, these reflections and prayers and meditations take on even more powerfulness due to this reality. She wrote through the beautiful terrible.

This one gets my highest rating and Kate, I read it straight through. I never do that with devotional. And you even suggested shying away from it in this book itself! But, for me, I was compelled to do just that.

Kate’s book will be one I will want to buy and keep a hard copy of to come back to time and time again.

This has some helpful prompts and reads like a daily guide book. I didn't realize that it was Christian self-help, so that's my bad for not noticing that denotation under category. I won't downvote it for that - I hope the book reaches it's right audience. Thanks for the Arc!

Have a Beautiful, Terrible Day! Daily Meditations for the Ups, Downs & In-Betweens offers a refreshing and honest perspective on living with uncertainty and finding joy in the midst of pain. The author, who was diagnosed with stage IV cancer at the age of 35, shares her insights and experiences on topics such as gratitude, grief, hope, fear, love, and faith. Each day's meditation is accompanied by a quote, a scripture, a prayer, and a reflection question that invites the reader to explore their own feelings and beliefs. The book is not a guide to overcoming or escaping suffering, but rather a companion for embracing it and learning from it. Kate Bowler writes with humor, wisdom, and compassion, and her words challenge the reader to live each day fully and authentically. Have a Beautiful, Terrible Day! is a book that will inspire and comfort anyone who is facing a difficult situation or who simply wants to grow in their spiritual journey.

Thank you to the author, Convergent Books, and NetGalley for the eARC.

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Have a Beautiful, Terrible Day!
Author: Kate Bowler
Source: NetGalley & Convergent Books
Pub Date: Jan. 23, 2024

I need to be honest. I have had trouble sleeping of late, and I am tired. So, I decided to take charge and reset my bedtime routine. No more reading in bed by the light of my Kindle, no more caffeine, complete breathing exercises, and read Kate Bowler. Have a Beautiful, Terrible Day is another winner for a writer who knows the ups and downs of life and yet covers the reader in encouragement and inspiration. Each night, I read something from Kate’s book and write the date on the page and my thoughts, then I say the prayerful thought and turn my troubles over to God. Why didn’t I think of this before? It works for me. There is a reason that Kate Bowler’s words comfort me. I would encourage you to buy this excellent book NOW and give yourself some grace and peace. #HaveABeautifulTerribleDay @katecbowler @convergent_books @netgalley #thoughtfulness #mindfulness #encouragement #kindness #empathy #life #trials #sleep #inspiration #love
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I received a complimentary copy of this ARC. The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own. Thank you to the publisher, Netgalley, and the author for the opportunity to read this novel. Pub. Date: Jan. 23, 2024
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