Holy in the Moment is well written and a great book for women who struggle with anxiety that mixes humor with compassion and practical ideas. Christ is center to this and the one who can lift us up during our struggles.

When Ginger Harrington and her family moved from North Carolina to California, she wasn’t worried about packing or adjusting to a new home base. Rather, she was worried about surviving! Medical testing had revealed that she had Graves’ disease, a hyperthyroid autoimmune disease and suddenly, all the roller coaster symptoms of anxiety and a body stuck in high gear began to make sense. Packing a supply of her new little pills along with her three young children and all their belongings into a moving van, she and her husband did what military families always do–except that this time, Ginger’s moving mojo was drowned in a flood of adrenaline. Sleepless by night and depleted by day, she was forced to reach deeply into the truth she knew but could not feel:

“When you pass through the waters, I will be with you;
And through the rivers, they shall not overflow you.
When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned,
Nor shall the flame scorch you.
For I am the Lord your God. . .” Isaiah 43:2, 3

Ginger’s journal became a spiritual climbing wall, a record of hand holds by which she pulled forward into the next grueling day:

“I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” (Philippians 4:13)
“Don’t fret or worry.” (Philippians 4:6)

Holy in the Moment: Simple Ways to Love God and Enjoy Your Life, part memoir and part manifesto, is Ginger’s record of God’s faithfulness and a gift to readers in search of homely wisdom for living in sync with the promises of God. Fear and weakness forced Ginger to open her heart to the strength that comes only through prayer and to make one holy choice:

“Not every moment is good, but [she would] believe God is good in every moment.”

Truth that Transforms the Hard Moments
Far from stale “religion,” holiness is both practical and relevant to the life of a believer, for it is rooted in relationship with a holy God and grows in direct proportion to our willingness to be transformed in mind, will, and emotion. God’s invitation into holiness is a path away from a “disorderly and unkempt life” and toward a “life that is as beautiful on the inside as the outside.” For Ginger (and for all of us whose feet are walking broken paths), these are life-saving words, and anchor our hearts in the truth that God loves us as we are–not as we wish we were.

A Habit of Prayer in the Moment
Whether dealing with anxiety over major life adjustments or simply bad habits that have produced a hurried soul, redirection begins with the good choice to rest in God and to adopt a moment-by-moment trust. Prayer becomes the affirmation of total dependence upon God, especially as it becomes instinctive to “pray now rather than later.” (Loc 928)

Praying in the moment looks like grace flowing into everyday life:

Write a prayer directly into a social media thread;
Record your prayer in an email or text message and then hit “send”;
Send private, emergency messages to the God who is always listening;
View the fleeting thought about a person or a situation as a call to prayer.
In his classic work Practicing the Presence of God, Brother Lawrence refers to this mindfulness and ongoing dialogue as “continual conversation” with God.

Trust, Lean, Acknowledge
Holy living in the moment translates the familiar wisdom of Proverbs 3:5,6 from theoretical to the intensely practical in three action-oriented steps:

Trust God with all your heart: Trust and love live in direct proportion to one another.
Lean not on your own understanding: “Our own understanding steers crooked with the bias of self.” (Loc 1020) Resigning from our position as adviser to God and depending on His leading is a huge sign that we are depending on Him and not ourselves.
In all your ways acknowledge Him: “To acknowledge God is a form of prayer,” and all our ways would include thoughts, feelings, responses, and decisions. As we embrace God’s way of doing and being, we discover that His promise of straight paths stands in direct contrast to our own broken and bent way of living.
Shimmering Glimpses of Wisdom
Oswald Chambers was known for teaching that prayer is all about relationship rather than answers:

“The purpose of prayer is to get a hold of God.”

As I progressed through Holy in the Moment, I found myself pausing and pondering over shimmering glimpses of wisdom that stand alone in their gracious beckoning toward truth:

“Aim for consistency but walk in grace.”

“You can choose the thoughts you will receive and the ones you will reject.”

“The faith way is to think,”I know my work is taxing, but Christ is my strength.”

“Far more than a doctrine to follow, holiness is a life to enjoy.”

“It’s important to understand that joy is not the absence of pain in circumstances, but rather the presence of God in the midst of them.”

Everyday choices build a life. Mundane moments of loving our kids, cherishing our husbands, and supporting our friends in ten thousand different ways over the course of a lifetime well-lived change us from the inside out. “Loving God whole-heartedly is choosing the life we were made for,” and one day, we discover that God is doing His work through us, and we shine with a glory that is not our own.

This book was provided by the author in exchange for my review. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Holy in the Moment
Simple Ways to Love God and Enjoy Your Life
by Ginger Harrington
Abingdon Press
Christian , Religion & Spirituality
Pub Date 06 Mar 2018


I am reviewing a copy of Holy in the Moment through Abingdon Press and Netgalley:


In this book we are reminded that Believing God is a choice not an emotion. We are reminded too that Believing God connects our need to his supply. It is pointed out too that Faith walks hand in hand with holiness.



Holy in the Moment allows us to explore the practical power of choices to grow In Holiness without fearing the pressure of perfectionism. Through gentle encouragement biblical insights and applicable ideas to help along the way.


I give Holy in the Moment five out of five star!


Happy Reading!

In Holy in the Moment, Ginger Harrington sets out to lift from our shoulders the perceived-heavy burden of holiness and instead replaces it with a definition more closely aligned with God’s intent. At the same time, she doesn’t diminish the importance of holiness in the life of a believer. Rather, she teaches us the simplicity of holiness lived out in every moment – a way to truly enjoy our lives as we walk out our love for God.

I particularly enjoyed her discussions on surrender and abiding in Jesus – what that means and what it looks like in practical ways – and on a ‘continual conversation’ of prayer. She reminds us that Jesus has made it so attainable for each of us, FREEING us from the burdens of impossible perfectionism and frantic busyness. I also really liked her personal stories, the thoughtful questions she asks periodically throughout each chapter, and her ‘simple lists’.

The lists that really spoke to me were:

3 simple ways to abide in Christ on a busy day
5 simple ways to find rest for your BODY
10 simple ways to find rest for your SOUL

My kindle version of the book is highlighted on nearly every page… sometimes the whole page. Here are just a few of the quotes I want to remember:

“Holiness comes when we make room for God in our busy lives, offering our hearts just as they are, not as we wish they were.”
“Abiding trains us to trust God’s heart in hard times.”
“Abiding is the only way to live holy in the moment.”
“Prayer transforms any moment from mundane to significant, from temporal to eternal.”
“Aim for consistency but walk in grace.” (this one is my fave!)
“Far more than a doctrine to follow, holiness is a life to enjoy.“

Bottom Line: With warmth, grace and camaraderie, Ginger Harrington shares the sacred simplicity of holiness as a means to fully enjoy the life God has given us. She uses her own personal story, as well as others, but is quick to apply the Scriptural truths to a wide variety of personalities and struggles. The wisdom here is simple but profound, and her practical tips encourage the weary soul. This would be a great choice for personal growth, devotional reading, and/or small group discussion. Highly recommended!

(I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book)

Holiness is an underrepresented topic in contemporary Christian writing, and I enjoyed Ginger Harrington's coverage of this important subject.

Ginger's story involves cross-country moves, debilitating anxiety, and tests of faith. She describes how the pursuit of holiness can provide stability and peace in our challenges.

This verse sums up Ginger's approach to holy living:

"God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life--your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life--and place it before God as an offering." Romans 12:1 MSG

I appreciated the stories Ginger shared from her own life about pursuing holiness in all kinds of moments. Enjoy this sampling of quotes from Holy in the Moment:

"Just as umbrellas shield us from rain, faith protects us from questions and doubts that flood our souls."

"Faith is a gift from God, not some secret power we must manufacture on our own. Faith is inseparably tied to the power and holiness of God."

"Holy in the moment, I want love for my God to motivate all I do--work, serve, rest, and play."

"Prayer transforms any moment from mundane to significant, from temporal to eternal."

She offers plenty of practical applications for finding and seeking holiness in everyday living throughout this book.

Thank you to Netgalley for a free preview copy of Holy in the Moment.

This book is about the power of sacred choices and good decisions, decisions we make every moment. I am impressed with this book. Harrington has spiritual insights I've not seen before. She has filled this book with great teaching and practical ideas for godly living.

I like her clarification of holiness. We might think holiness is a certain behavior. But holiness is a reflection of who we are in Christ. Righteousness is thinking, feeling and acting as the person God created us to be. We begin with God's holiness and exercise our faith by putting God's will before our own.

My favorite chapter was the one on the sacred gift of concentration, important to those of us with SDD, spiritual deficit disorder. The teaching that impressed me the most by far was that on surrender and suffering. “Surrender is our hardest, most sacred prayer as, like Jesus, we submit our desires to God. … When we trust God in our suffering, choosing to pray and accept His will, we release our deepest worship.” (Loc 1058/2560) That really spoke to me.

While there are no questions for reflection as such, there would be much to discuss if this book was used in a trusted group setting. Harrington has included many practical suggestions that are perfect for an accountability group.

Food for thought: “Making intentional choices to trust God is where holiness happens right in the middle of an ordinary day.” (Loc 240/2560)

My rating: 4/5 stars.

Ginger Harrington is an award winning blogger, entertaining speaker, and innovative ministry leader. She is the Coordinator if Publishing for the non-profit, Planting Roots: Strength to Thrive in Military Life. She has a master's in English, has been involved with the Navigator's military ministry and women's ministries as a teacher, speaker, and trainer. She spent twenty four years moving around the U. S. and overseas as a career military spouse. You can find out more at https://gingerharrington.com/.

Abingdon Press, 240 pages.

I received a complimentary egalley of this book from the publisher. My comments are an independent and honest review.

Love this as a practical read for women seeking the Lord in everyday life. Especially appreciate the focus of holiness being a daily and constant choice, rather than a set of specific rules we'll always fail to follow. Highly recommend.