Enjoy

Enjoy: Finding the Freedom to Delight Daily in God’s Good Gifts
By: Trillia J. Newbell

This book sets out to show us how we can enjoy things God has given us (i.e. work, people, rest, sex, creation, money, food, possessions, life) without feeling guilty. It's a fairly fast read. I think my favorite part about it was the setup, which, unfortunately, I didn't fully utilize. After each topical chapter there is a list of ways to apply what you just read about. The author calls it The Enjoy Project.

It would be ideal to read this book with one or two others and keep each other accountable to put into practice some of the application. For example, the chapter on rest ends with suggestions like- ‘Set aside one day this week to fully rest, write a list of activities that help you rest, evaluate your schedule to identify ways you can create space for rest,’ etc. I didn't allow myself to engage much with the questions like I would have liked to- maybe in a different season of life than right now- but I think it's extremely helpful with books like this to have concrete application, answers to the question 'Okay, so what am I supposed to do with this information?'

What I didn't really like about the book, was that it did feel a bit repetitive and nothing really stuck out to me as new information or revelation. It was not a ground-breaking book on how to enjoy God's gifts and I think a lot of the book was somewhat forgettable. But ultimately it was a good reminder to recognize everything God has given us and to be in the habit of thanking Him for it- that it's okay to enjoy his good gifts without feeling guilty, as long as we acknowledge from whom they were given.

So my recommendation would be to read the book if you are willing to read it with someone and take the time to invest in the application portions more than I did.