An incredibly reflective and planning oriented book. When I say I took extensive notes, I mean it. I didn't devour this book, I took it little bites at a time. And then I went back and asked the questions with my husband too. This was an incredibly helpful and practical guide to defining a rule of life (which, hint: they will talk about in the book). I love the idea of aligning my time and goals with my values for myself and my family. I highly recommend this book if you're open to making changes and looking for new ways to orient your daily life. Thank you NetGalley for the advanced copy to read.

Holly and Glenn's words in this book were a timely gift for me. Their thoughtful, compassionate, and concise writing spoke directly to my heart during this season of life. What struck me most was the absence of judgment; there was no pressure to do more or be more. Instead, each chapter felt like an invitation to pause, reflect on my life, and discover practical ways to live with greater clarity and purpose.

As fellow travelers on the busy road of life, the Packiams have filled these pages with wisdom on how to infuse significance into every moment. This isn't a book that piles on more 'to-dos' but rather a guide to crafting intentional rhythms in our lives. It's the kind of book that beckons you to read slowly, with a journal and pen by your side.

In The Intentional Year, Glenn and Holly Packiam identify and then reflect on five key spheres of intentional living: prayer, rest, renewal, relationships, and work. And the good news is that we don’t have to wait until January 1 or the beginning of a new school year to embark on a new beginning in any of these five important spheres.

The Packiams’ hopeful message embraces the power of practice. It’s absolutely true that we are continually being formed by our habits. Therefore, our ability to respond well to immediate crises or drawn-out seasons in the wilderness depends, in large measure, upon the foundation we are building on a daily basis. I found in The Intentional Year an invitation to stop on purpose, reassess my priorities, listen to the Lord, and pray my way toward freedom.

This is not a book that shouts, “Come on! You can do better!” Instead, the reader is challenged to honestly assess her foundation in prayer, rest, renewal, relationships, and work, and then find, to her surprise, that this is the path to becoming rooted in love as our primary motivation in a life that is “filled entirely with the fullness of God.”

Many thanks to NavPress and Net Galley for providing a copy of this book to facilitate my review, which is, of course, offered freely and with honesty.

I always enjoy reading books in this vein around the end of one year and beginning of the next. I was a bit late (by calendar standards) with this one, but I'm also learning to extend myself grace in that regard, heh. I got there, and that's the important thing.

This did feel "simple" (as mentioned in the title); it also felt like a lot of "simple" things that could easily add up to...too much. I could easily fall into the trap of "must do all the things in this book"--defeating the purpose, but it was helpful to become aware of that!

I appreciated that the authors pulled in a variety of authors, genres, reference points, and so on. There are a lot of stories included--which can be great, or you may find yourself (like I did) flipping to the reflection elements. While I'm not sure I agree with everything theologically, it certainly provided food for thought!

An interesting starting point for living intentionally.

I received an eARC of the book from the publisher via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

This is a good resource for people new to intentionally setting up their daily life to have more of Jesus. The Packiams do a good job outlining why it's good for us and introducing us to the various practices that help facilitate drawing closer to the Lord in the 5 spheres of life that they've chosen to focus on:

Prayer
Relationships
Work
Rest
Renewal

I enjoyed getting separate perspectives from both Glenn and Holly as they both shared how they've gone about establishing intentionality in their lives and also their family having 4 kids.

Having read other books on similar themes and actively engaging in such intentional behavior, I felt this was superficial and could have gone to a greater depth. Information is only helpful to a certain extent and the spiritual walk is a transformational journey that involves becoming more like Christ. Accordingly, information only serves us to a certain degree.

I think the book could be enhanced with more in-depth stories, reflections from others who have walked a similar journey, and a section that provides more enabling resources.

Once again, I feel many will benefit from reading this book and I hope it will whet the appetite for more of Jesus and a desire for greater intimacy with Him and fellow sojourners.

Glenn and Holly Packiam have created a gentle and approachable guide to living a more intentional life with their latest book, The Intentional Year. It is evident that the Packiam's have earned their wisdom in this area by trial and error in their own lives. The Intentional Year covers five areas in our lives where more intentional practices can be put in place. I really appreciated their thoughts on reflection.

This is a good book for those who like to reflect on their year and plan for the upcoming year. A lot of insight and deep diving here,. I appreciate Netgalley, the author, and the publisher for allowing me to read and review..

There were some interesting concepts here that were helpful. A few things that didn't fit in with my worldview but I went into it knowing there are significant differences between myself and the authors. I took what worked for me and left the rest.

This book gives you a foundation for a well-balanced life. In the chapters, the writers take you along all kinds of spiritual and daily practices. Including reflecting and looking ahead, prayer, taking a rest, examining your own health, friendships and work. With each subject they share something about their own life and quest.

They briefly refer to all kinds of spiritual practices such as: the prayer of exam, Lectio Divina, sabbath. I longed for more depth, more explanation, how-to’s and examples on many of these topics.

All in all, this book is an accessible beginner's guide to read. t invites you to take steps in your life of faith. I would rate it 3,5 star.

In exchange of my honest review I received an advanced readers copy of this book by NetGalley

Closing out one year and moving into the next, it is a tie for reflection and planning. I believe most would desire to live intentionally in the year to come. The authors offer valuable recommendations for doing just that. Having been introduced to the practices of praying the prayer of examen and lectio divina this year, I found their inclusion in this book as a good reminder. I also liked the section of the book referencing taking a spiritual retreat.

The Intentional Year: Simple Rhythms for Finding Freedom, Peace, and Purpose
by Glenn Packiam; Holly Packiam
Publisher: Tyndale House Publishers
Series: None
Rated: 5
Obtain: Buy

Back of the Book: “Are you ready to stop living reactively, feeling emotionally exhausted, and being pulled in multiple directions?
We struggle to keep up with the demands of life—but God invites us into freedom.
We feel anxious and overwhelmed—but God promises peace.
We’re stretched and empty—but God offers purpose.
The Intentional Year is an invitation to stop right now, right where you are, and choose to live on purpose. This isn’t just about aspirations or self-improvement—a flourishing life is tangible and possible. With stories, practices, and a road map into intentionality, Holly and Glenn Packiam will guide you into simple ways to grow personally. Experience freedom to invest time and energy into the people you value most and into the purpose you were made for.
As you step into your intentional year, you’ll . . .
reflect on the lessons and celebrations of the past season;
identify themes and a sense of calling for the season ahead; and
implement new rhythms of prayer, rest, renewal, relationships, and work.
Life doesn’t have to be something that just happens to us. It’s time to start practicing the life-giving rhythms of an intentional life—starting today.”

Impressions: This was a phenomenal resource to prepare you for a life of intention. The beginning was a bit slower but I’m glad I continued reading. The advice in this book was helpful and encouraging in making my faith the cornerstone of my life. I also appreciated the shared resources to help keep God's Word as part of the rhythm of my life. This is a must-read for creating a habit of development and depth in your faith.

Quotes: Far too many to share here! This book is glowing from highlighter!

I received an ARC of this book via the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for my honest review shared here. For more book reviews go to: https://simplyannehere.wordpress.com

This Christian book has many practical suggestions for creating intentional daily-weekly-monthly-quarterly rhythms to develop greater intimacy with God. Some are very simple while others require more time and commit but the encouragement is always to start and do what you can.

The Intentional Year brings together a variety of spiritual practices (e.g., praying for a word for the year, honoring the sabbath, specific types of prayer, doing a spiritual retreat) through the lens of intentionality. The personal examples shared by Glenn and Holly are helpful and make the practices accessible.

This is a great book for anyone wanting to start a new season of growth and intimacy with God.

Wow! Great book! I've been practicing a getaway with a yearly review of my life for a few years now. I've looked at a handful of different resources to help me structure that time and this one is one of the better ones I've seen. Each chapter addressed a different aspect of your life to take some time to review as well as ideas for how to set goals or rhythms as you go into the new year. I will definitely be incorporating some of these ideas into my own year end review this month as we enter into 2023.

This would be a great book for those who are in the midst of burnout—namely in their career or their particular stage of life. I didn't feel that the book offered many new practices or strategies, but it might be a better guidebook for those who are new to creating an intentional schedule. The tone of voice was pretty casual if you enjoy more accessible books. Overall, it was just fine but I'm not sure I took things away from it.

I've followed Glenn's work for a bit now and have come to appreciate his deep wisdom that is so rooted in the truth of God but also deeply relevant to our current realities. I found Holly to be the same in this book! I imagine this book being a perfect gift for any friend open to faith. Well done, Packiams!

This book was really insightful and accessible. Lots of really great reflection questions that I’ll be working through!

The Intentional Year
by Glenn Packiam , Holly Packiam
Pub Date: December 6, 2022
Intervarsity Press
Thanks to the authors, publisher, and Netgalley for the ARC of this book! It was a good fit for me and I really enjoyed reading it.
As you step into your intentional year, you'll . . .

reflect on the lessons and celebrations of the past season;
identify themes and a sense of calling for the season ahead; and
implement new rhythms of prayer, rest, renewal, relationships, and work.

Life doesn't have to be something that just happens to us. It's time to start practicing the life-giving rhythms of an intentional life--starting today. Great book!
4 stars

Wowza!!

I didn't realize how much I needed this book! First off, this is a Christian based book so if religion isn't your thing this might not be the best fit for you. I truly love how Holly and Glenn take turns writing this book. You get both perspectives and the way they write it's like you've sat down to have lunch and chat with them. They're both so down to Earth and funny. They have so many examples and stories and they tie it all in with the bible. I ended up highlighting most of the book!! I love how each chapter starts off with quote - they were fun and gave you a little heads up on what the chapter's going to be about. I love the review type questions at the end of each chapter. They break it down on how it applies to you in your life right now and how you can change things in the future. I kept my trusty little notebook handy while reading this one. It's insightful and easy to read. It's never boring or felt like it was dragging on forever. I highly recommend this book and hope they write more!!

This book wasn't a good fit for me. I was hoping for more about living seasonally and less about becoming a better Christian (in their views). It may be a good fit for others.

The Intentional Year by Glenn and Holly Packiam provided practical examples on how to step out of the craziness of life to first take a breather, access where you are at with God, and how to find control.

This book was set a part from others by the humbleness of the authors, not once claiming they have it all figured out. They use great examples that are relatable and you can sense their genuine heart behind the words.