“When we slow down enough to celebrate, we remember how good God is and what He provides, and we allow ourselves to more fully experience His goodness. We let the good thing—the step forward, the award, the fresh start—truly sink in.”

Solid read about the importance of prayer, fasting, giving thanks, slowing down.

It was a slower start but in the end I’m so glad I read this book.

A book that challenges readers to reconsider the value of slowness in an era dominated by speed and productivity. Through personal anecdotes and practical advice, Laura explores themes such as avoiding superficial measures of success, practicing mindfulness, and enhancing life satisfaction. The book offers a countercultural perspective that invites readers to adapt its suggestions at their own pace, fostering emotional healing, spiritual growth, and deeper connections. Ultimately, it serves as both a reflective guide and practical toolkit for anyone seeking a more intentional and fulfilling existence.

Reading The Urgency of Slowing Down is like sitting across the table from a wise friend who gently pries your white-knuckled fingers off your overstuffed calendar and says, “Let’s breathe.” Laura L. Smith doesn’t scold or shame—she simply invites readers to lighten their metaphorical backpacks and make more room for Jesus, and quiet moments with good coffee. Her book strikes a conversational tone. It walks us through what we can release, like our overcommitments, internal pressure, clutter, and what we can receive in its place: the peace and presence of Christ. And thankfully, she’s not handing out another spiritual to-do list disguised as rest (we've all been there, trying to rest efficiently and ending up more tired). Instead, her reflections are bite-sized and perfect for soaking up in the quiet moments.

Of course, not everyone may find the pacing or focus ideal. While Smith shines when weaving scripture into her reflections and offering insight on aligning daily life with Jesus' teachings, there are stretches where her personal stories take center stage, and the theological depth takes a break. For readers expecting a more doctrine-driven guide to Christian rest, it might feel like they’ve walked into a memoir when they were looking for a Bible study. Still, even amidst the anecdotes about family life, golden nuggets of spiritual encouragement surface. They remind us that God’s presence isn’t limited to the pulpit but is found in the carpool lane, at the dinner table, and yes, even in that line at the DMV (which sometimes feels like government mandated slowing down time).

What really works about this book is its practicality. Smith doesn’t demand monastic silence or three-hour prayer vigils; she offers tools that are realistic for real people. From rethinking fasting to setting boundaries and ditching the doom scroll, each chapter helps you reframe your habits in ways that are spiritually life-giving. She consistently reminds us that God's grace isn’t measured in how many spiritual boxes we check. As one might say: this isn’t a Fitbit for your faith. There is no pressure to hit 10,000 prayers a day.

Ultimately, The Urgency of Slowing Down is a gentle nudge to reorder our lives around the presence of God rather than the tyranny of the urgent. Whether you’re feeling spiritually frazzled, emotionally drained, or just tired of saying “I’m fine” when your soul is screaming “I need a nap and Jesus,” this book might be the mug of soul-warming encouragement you didn’t know you needed. It’s not perfect, but it doesn’t pretend to be. It simply asks, "what if slowing down wasn’t laziness, but faith?" Let’s be honest, if God can rest on the seventh day, maybe it’s okay if we slow our roll once in a while as well.

I think that the premise of this book was very good and something this current culture needs. For me personally, it felt like I got good content from the first few chapters but then the same underlying message just kept repeating. It wasn't a bad message, but just made the last half of the book take me longer to finish because I was kind of over it. Overall, a really great and important topic and would recommend to those in seasons where you need to reevaluate priorities.

The title, "The Urgency of Slowing Down" captures the entire book perfectly. Author Laura L Smith points us to Scripture and why God created a Sabbath, along with the benefits of taking one for ourselves. It it easy to get caught up in a hectic, fast paced life but so often that leads us to missing out on allowing God to fill us with His rest. The book shows us the importance of slowing down and it would take long to know exactly why is it so urgent to invest in a slower pace.

I greatly benefited from this book. The author gave twenty-four short readings with tips for creating space in our lives and enjoying the gifts God has given us. Each chapter was short and manageable to read in one sitting, but also very practical. I especially appreciated the questions at the end of each section to encourage greater reflection. I recommend this book as a tool to help evaluate your life and seek ways to focus on the most important things.

I received this book from netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

i am still reading this, but very much enjoying this book. it seems we are always on the go and everything is so fast paced. i enjoy the author's real life stories to encourage us to no only slow down, but that it is okay to slow down. we don't have to do it all and live pinterest worthy lives.

her encouragement to slow down is something we all can take notes from and apply to our lives.

This was the perfect read to start the new year off with. I requested it towards the end of the year, but am so glad that I saved and savored it for January. It was so refreshing and peaceful, and practical. Highly recommend if you are in need of a reminder to slow down.

Wow, this was my first book by this author and I enjoyed it. I really am trying my best to slow down in this season and focus on my self care in a different way,

This book is practical and full of biblical wisdom.
Smith invites the reader to slow down from the chaos of the world and to be intentional in how we are filling our time. There are things this world says will bring us life and that we should do more and more but that isn’t what the Bible says brings life. We are encouraged to ask what are we making too big a deal of and what are we valuing above Jesus? She notes that many of these things in themselves are not bad but the issue is when they become more important than our relationship with God.
Two quotes that stuck with me are;
“If we never pause, when do we reflect?”

“We work worship into our muscle memory. Using our life to worship Jesus becomes our very best habit.”

Slowing down is a continual and intentional process that builds over time. If worship is a foundation of our lives, on the days it is hard, it is easier to turn to Jesus versus if we never have that focus or are constantly distracted by other things.

It was definitely an emotional journey with this book. I was very curious because I don't have much experience with this type of book, and I can honestly say it was both motivational and educational.

The biggest advantage? The author shows us how we can integrate the Bible into our everyday lives, which can sometimes be difficult. Moreover, each chapter includes questions that might be helpful.
The book also emphasizes how important it is to slow down, to take a step back from the chaos of life, and truly connect with God. It also reminds us that in our fast-paced world, we often forget the inner need for reflection and what's the most important time with Jesus.

I can imagine this book may not be for everyone, but if you need some light in your life or are struggling to find time for Jesus, you should read it!

Solid primer on living life slow, savoring the God moments and trusting Him for the messes. Readers of John Mark Comer's The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry will love this one!

The Urgency of Slowing Down by Laura L. Smith was a real blessing to me and a book I will go back to multiple times. The truths expressed in this book are so timely and needed right now. I give this book 5 stars. This book will be a needed addition to anyone’s bookshelf.

I read a lot of books about this topic, so I worried the repetitive theme would start to get old. I enjoyed this book's short chapters, practical applications, and ongoing encouragement. It's one to highlight and read again!

The Urgency of Slowing Down was a great book to read in December and prepare for the new year. I feel that I am doing better by not overscheduling my life, but this book offered me more advice on how to prioritize my time.
Our Daily Bread published this book, but it is not a daily devotion as many of their publications. It is an easy read of 24 chapters that all women will find help in slowing down their lives. For me, it was the reminders that decluttering results in less for us to need to care for and that God gave asks us to take a Sabbath because we were made to rest.
This is a great book for all women as the new year starts. I hope to use the given advice at home and work.
I received a complimentary copy of this book thanks to Net Galley, but all opinions are my own.

This book started out a bit slow, which perhaps was on purpose, but that picked up as the book went on. The author adds a personal touch (though at times it felt a bit too much) to the story, which makes it more relatable. The reader is given lots of opportunities to pray and reflect, and there are numerous tips on how to slow down. This is a book that will likely resonate with many readers. The chapters are short, so that makes it easy to fit into a busy schedule.

Such a good read! Very Christian. What I needed right now ... so thankful to have the opportunity to read The Urgency of Slowing Down ... especially at this Christmas season. So much to do and rushing around. So important to take some moments and just thank God for the day and to look for the beauty in it and to appreciate the good and great things that have happened in the day.

There is a chapter on fasting. It is why Catholics fast at Lent. :)

Many thanks to NetGalley and Our Daily Bread Publishing for the opportunity to read the advance read copy of The Urgency of Slowing Down in exchange for an honest review. Highly recommended! Approx 248 pages.

I enjoyed this title very much. Laura Smith is a new author for me, but I found her writing fresh, insightful, and relatable. Her thoughts were practical and realistic. Although it was a “self-help” book, it pointed us to the greatest Help available—God. Deep without being boring or theoretical, this book is a keeper and one I will share.

A huge shout out to Laura L Smith and Netgalley for this ARC. Cannot recommend this book enough, this is everything my mind, body and soul needed.

I was excited to read *The Urgency of Slowing down *, gifted by NetGalley, as the premise sounded refreshing and deeply meaningful. Unfortunately, while the book had moments of brilliance, it didn’t fully meet my expectations.

The author has a gift for weaving scripture into her writing—these parts were beautifully written and truly resonated with me. When the focus shifted to Jesus and how His teachings can be applied to our lives, the book was insightful and inspiring. However, much of the content felt overly personal, centering on the author’s family and life anecdotes without enough connection to a broader, Christ-centered message.

While personal stories can enrich a faith-based book, in this case, I found they often overshadowed the spiritual depth I was hoping for. It felt more like a memoir with scattered verses rather than a guide to slowing down in a way rooted in faith.

That said, the sections focused on scripture were powerful and made the book worth finishing. I appreciated those moments of reflection, but overall, I wished the balance had been tilted more toward Jesus and less toward the author’s personal narrative.

A solid 3 stars for its potential and the beautifully written spiritual insights