A beautiful companion to Sarah Bessey's book of the same name, the guided journal takes the practices and postures beyond the page into your heart. I was surprised by how thorough it is, with many pages of reflection questions and space to journal for each chapter. This journal allows you to make embodied changes based on the practices in Bessey's book.

A lovely journal to accompany the modern day collection of Psalms, A Rhythm of Prayer. Thoughtful and timely.

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

There have been so many times I’ve longed for a guided journal to go with Sarah Bessie books! This companion guided journal makes the experience, much more immersive, meaningful and wonderful.

This journal is a great companion to the Field Notes to the Wilderness book. I think it's still possible to get value out of it without reading the book, but it's definitely best together!

I've used companion journals that don't add much to the book, but this one is different. It asks you to think deeper and look at your own journey in a way that I could more easily have avoided if I only read the book. It also has some beautiful breath prayers that I really enjoyed. I started with a virtual copy of this journal, but purchased a hard copy and I think the physical journal is the best way to experience it if that's an option for you!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an eARC of this journal in exchange for an honest review!

An excellent companion the the book Field Notes for the Wilderness. Put together in a way that follows the book, enabling the user to journal along with reading the book, if they want to. Each of the seventeen chapters consists of questions and gives adequate space to journal your answers. Each chapter ends with a breath prayer. Overall and excellent resource to go deeper with the accompanying book. Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for the ARC.

The guided journal compliments the book Field Notes for the Wilderness. I liked the guidebook very much, and I think it opened up an opportunity for deep reflection. I am impressed that the author compiled such a comprehensive review guide for the intrigued reader. Bravo.

This guided journal is a truly wonderful accompaniment to Bessey's Field Notes for the Wilderness. The questions are thought-provoking and perfect for journaling or discussing with a spiritual director. You really do want to buy the book Field Notes for the Wilderness as this journal will be much more impactful if you've read the book. I'm an e-book person so I'm taking individual questions from this guided journal for use in my paper and pen journaling. HIGHLY Recommend.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest opinion.

“The wilderness is the place where you meet God face-to-face, with nothing between you.”

I’m considering a move to Calgary, where fellow Canadian Sarah Bessey and I will become BFFs and I can sew her quilts and she can pet my head and tell me it’s going to (eventually) be okay.

This book, a collection of essays (or love letters?) is exactly what I needed. She speaks truth in love…(with anecdote and scripture and research)..but not with that ‘love the sinner hate the sin’ bullshit, but actual, dirt-under-the-fingernails, hold-your-hair-and-rub-your-back-while-you-puke love.

The Guided Journal is a fantastic companion. Asking questions like, “When was the last time you were surprised by God?” and “What is an old version of you are you glad to leave behind?” as well as breath prayers, it’s the perfect way to work out what you’ve learned.

As you walk through the Valley of the Shadow of Death, have no fear. Jesus (and Sarah) is with you.

Always live-giving.
Always truth-telling.
Always meaning-making.

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

The guided journal that accompanies Field Notes for the Wilderness deepens the journey that the book invites readers to take as they reflect on their relationships with the church and with God. The journal’s questions are clear and purposeful: they ask readers to connect the specifics of their lives with general ideas discussed in each chapter. For example, reflecting on spiritual upbringing and traditions, the journal invites time and thought given to questions such as “What do you want to remember and cherish? and “What do you want to release and let go of?” The journal’s prompts are neither intrusive nor judgmental, but instead feel like questions posed by a loving and generous friend.

I'm not much of a guided journal girly, especially for things tied to books. It just feels too much like the assigned reading and responses from school. This is absolutely the exception! Field Notes for the Wilderness is a beautiful book. Out of that beauty, though, I now have lots of thoughts and feelings to be processing through. This guided journal helped me slow down and actually sit in those feelings instead of rushing through them in order to consume the rest of the book faster. I have time in this space to dig deep into these emotions, and Bessey's work provides an incredible jumping off point. Get the journal. Wrestle with God. Walk in love differently because you took that time.

This is a really helpful accompaniment to the book of the same name. There are lots of reflection questions and prompts for each chapter of the book, with plenty of space to respond.

For this reason I do think it’s best used in hard/copy, rather than on Kindle.

Sarah Bessey did a new thing this time, she wrote a guided journal to go with Field Notes for the Wilderness. I love the questions. They are as thought-provoking as you might hope for. The breath prayers and quotes are lovely. If there was anything I would change it would be a bit more structure around each chapter. Obviously this book is meant as a companion and not a standalone journal, but I still think it would have benefited from a bit more chatter. I would have liked some context to the questions, a starting point. That said, the questions themselves are more than worth the price of admission and I very much look forward to getting my hands on a paper copy I can scribble all over. Thank you to the author, Convergent Books, and NetGalley for the eARC.

Please don't take my slight criticism as anything more than being greedy for more of Bessey's beautiful words. The questions in this journal will shake you to your core and help you put yourself back together again. I found questions here I have not seen elsewhere. New questions = new answers = a better understanding of myself and how I see the world. This is truly a gift and I am grateful for the opportunity to seriously consider these new perspectives. Each question could be a journaling prompt for individual reflection or the book would be just as helpful in a book club setting.

Sarah Bessey asks, "What do you hope is true about God?" And that, my friend, is a question worth thinking about.

Sarah Bessey provides a great discussion guide to accompany her book. While I liked reading the questions i recommend the hard copy.

This is a helpful companion to process the questions raised in A Field Guide to the Wilderness. The prompts were meaningful and I appreciated the breath prayers

Field Notes for the Wilderness: A Guided Journal - Sarah Bessey
Genre: Nonfiction, Self Help

If your faith is changing…and you are thinking deeply… and writing helps you clarify your feelings and make better decisions, the combination of Field Notes for the Wilderness: Practices for an Evolving Faith and Field Notes for the Wilderness: A Guided Journal both by Sarah Bessey will delight you.

Sarah is so careful throughout the entirety of her book to be clear that she is offering notes and suggestions - sharing practices built on her own difficult experiences as her faith evolves, but that the wilderness traveler must find their own way through the wilderness. Her wisdom, combined with the thoughtful reflection provided through journaling responses to the guided prompts will prove an invaluable help to the traveler. How to word this properly? When moving from a faith built on fairly inflexible and prescribed belief systems, the joy of having freedom to make choices and move from “againsts” to “fors,” through study and writing is a gift.

Please - if you are struggling - if you’re not but your faith is transforming - do yourself a favor and get to know Sarah Bessey. Read her letters to you in Field Notes for the Wilderness: Practices for an Evolving Faith. Reflect on the ideas in her Guided Journal.

I'm not much of a journal person, so this is not really a great fit for me, but for those who, like journals, I think they will love this one. It is a great companion to her book. Even people who don't like to journal, like me, will find the questions that she asks to be good thought or conversation starters.

This guided journal is a great companion piece to the book of the same name. I read the book first. Now I plan to reread it and use the journal along the way.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for sending me the E-ARC.
Sarah knows how to draw you in and keep you reading, with relatable prose that makes you say “that’s me, how do you know” over and over again. I found her journaling questions really beautiful and enlightening. They helped me take what she was saying to a deeper level and truly apply it to my life. I am so grateful for Sarah’s Wisdom and her obedience in sharing it with us. I’m excited to read more from this author!

From the very first page, Bessey's words resonate with authenticity and warmth, inviting readers to embark on a personal journey within the pages of this guided journal. The book seamlessly weaves together the beauty of the natural world with the complexities of our inner landscapes, creating a harmonious space for reflection and growth.

What sets this journal apart is Bessey's deep understanding of the transformative power of nature. Each prompt is a carefully chosen stepping stone, guiding readers through the wilderness of their thoughts and emotions. It's more than just a journal; it's a companion that gently nudges you towards a better understanding of yourself.

Bessey's writing style is not only engaging but also deeply empathetic. As Vanda, I found her insights to be both comforting and challenging, pushing me to delve deeper into my thoughts and emotions. It's evident that the author believes in the healing power of nature and the importance of intentional self-reflection.

The thoughtful inclusion of quotes, prompts, and blank spaces for personal thoughts creates a perfect balance between guidance and personal expression. It's a testament to Bessey's understanding of the diverse ways individuals engage with their inner worlds, allowing readers to make the journal truly their own.

Christian author/blogger Sarah Bessey, also co-founder of the Evolving Faith podcast and conference, has always felt like a literary safe space for the wounded, the curious, the lost, and the miraculously hopeful. Serving as a companion to her latest book "Field Notes for the Wilderness," this guided journal finds Bessey serving as a spiritual guide, mentor, and coach as we work through practical activities, questions, and challenges following the same framework as her book and following the same themes as Evolving Faith and everything we've come to know and love about Bessey.

Bessey guides us through, among other things:

• practicing wonder and curiosity as spiritual disciplines
• learning to mother yourself with empathy
• making space for lament and righteous rage
• finding good spiritual teachers

There's no question that everything here is ideally suited for conferences, retreats, trainings, and/or simply personal exploration. While I reviewed an electronic ARC Galley of the journal, it wasn't long before I realized this would be a guided journal I would need in my hands once I'm able to obtain it. This is a guided journal that needs to be lived into and truly practiced. There were so many times I found myself deep in reflection, wanting to write, and needing to explore these amazing ideas and practices. I find myself anxious to revisit this journal so that I can immerse myself in these guided practices and really apply them more fully.

While it is likely true that most who obtain this journal will have read "Field Notes for the Wilderness," it's worth pointing out that this truly is a companion journal that would have difficulty standing alone. I at times found myself wishing this journal offered a stronger narrative so that it could, in fact, be a stand-alone experience. However, this is a modest quibble for a guided journal that captivated me from beginning to end.

If your faith is evolving, deconstructing, or reconstructing, "Field Notes for the Wilderness" will serve as a welcome companion and literary friend.