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The Lives We Actually Have

The Lives We Actually Have

100 Blessings for Imperfect Days

Warm and witty blessings found within the struggles of our shared humanity, from the New York Times bestselling authors of Good Enough.

Product Code: 9080
ISBN: 9780593193709
Format: Hardback
Publisher: Convergent
Pages: 256
Published Date: 02/14/2023
Availability:In stock
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Price: $25.00
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Blessed are you, the strange duck. You with the very intense hobbies. Or the collection of movies or mugs or sneakers. You with the hometown or home team that makes you very, very proud. You, my dear, in all your intricacies . . . are a marvel.

We live in a world that demands relentless perfection. Happy marriages and easy friendships. Bucket list–level adventures and matching family photos. But what if our actual lives don’t feel very #blessed? Might our everyday existence be worthy of a blessing too? Even an average Tuesday?

Kate Bowler and Jessica Richie offer creative, faith-based blessings that center gratitude and hope while acknowledging our real, messy lives. Formatted like a prayer book, The Lives We Actually Have is an oasis and a landing spot for weary souls, with blessings that focus on the full range of human moments: garbage days, lovely days, grief-stricken days, and even (especially) completely ordinary days. These heartfelt blessings are a chance to exhale when we feel everything from careworn to restless, devastated to bored. Let’s have a reminder that we don’t need to wait for perfect lives when we can bless the lives we actually have.


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Contents

Introduction
Bless This Ordinary Life
01 for this ordinary day
02 for feeling it all
03 for when you just need to put one foot in front of the other
04 for when you’re scared your kids are not getting the school experience they need
05 for what makes us us
06 for when you are looking for love (and it’s complicated)
07 for small steps when you feel overwhelmed
08 for stretching your heart
09 for a peaceful day or night
10 for a peaceful day or night

Bless This Tired Life
11 for this tired day
12 for when you can’t sleep
13 for truth-telling-however bitter or sweet
14 for when you’re running on fumes
15 for when the stress is getting ridiculous
16 for when you’re too tired to cry
17 for when you feel stretched too thin
18 for when you just can’t find any peace
19 for when you need a little hope
20 for when you’re hanging on by a thread

Bless This Lovely Life
21 for this lovely day
22 for a little boost in the morning
23 for when you need permission to change
24 for waking up to life again
25 for when you need a gentle day
26 for aging gracefully
27 for around the table
28 for friends who hold us up
29 for learning to love yourself
30 for when it’s been a great day

Bless This Grief-Stricken Life 31 for this grief-stricken day
32 for when the unthinkable happens
33 for the courage to try… and the wisdom to know when to stop
34 for collective grief
35 for the day of mourning
36 for when disaster strikes
37 for when you’ve lost someone far too soon
38 for when your parents are aging
39 for all the firsts without a loved one

Bless This Overwhelming Life
40 for this overwhelming day
41 for when you Can’t catch a break
42 for caregivers
43 for when you suffer alone
44 for the gift of doubt
45 for when you suffer alone 46 for the gift of doubt
47 for when the road is long
48 for courage when you don’t feel very brave
49 for when you feel forgotten by God
50 for when iy is too much to handle

Bless This Painful Life
51 for this painful day (and our bodies feel like the enemy)
52 for finding grace for others (and ourselves)
53 for if you’ve had a painful childhood
54 for when you’ve been hurt by the church
55 for when hope seems lost
56 for when this pain doesn’t make sense
57 for when your child is in pain
58 for when your family disappoints you
59 for when your child is in pain

Bless This Garbage Life
60 for this garbage day
61 for when you are afraid
62 for when you are waiting
63 for when you can’t love yourself
64 for when you’re feeling grouchy
65 for when you’re not getting any better
66 for when you’re sick but have no answers
67 for when you thought you would feel different by now
68 for when you feel stuck
69 for when you feel lonely

Bless The Lives of Others 70 for others 71 for when so many are suffering (and you don’t know what to do)
72 for the ones who choose to break their hearts for ours
73 for the ones who bear witness
74 for those who keep watch over the sick
75 for when loving your enemy seems too big of an ask
76 for loving someone when differences divide us
77 for the givers who need to receive
78 for your great, big dumb heart

Bless This Beautiful, Limited Life
79 for this beautiful, limited day
80 for learning to delight again
81 for when you need to hold on or let go
82 for an unfinishable day
83 for beginnings and endings
84 for the courage to do something difficult
85 for when you want more
86 for the life you didn’t choose
87 for who you might become
88 for the good already come (and gone)

Bless This Holy Life
Bless This Lent
89 for Ash Wednesday
90 for Palm Sunday
91 for Maundy Thursday
92 for Good Friday
93 for Holy Saturday
94 for Easter Sunday
Bless This Advent
95 for the first Sunday of Advent – hope
96 for the second Sunday of Advent – love
97 for the third Sunday of Advent – joy
98 for the fourth Sunday of Advent – peace 99 for Christmas Eve
100 for Christmas Day

Acknowledgments
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Review and Rate this Item

Blessed are you, the strange duck. You with the very intense hobbies. Or the collection of movies or mugs or sneakers. You with the hometown or home team that makes you very, very proud. You, my dear, in all your intricacies . . . are a marvel.

We live in a world that demands relentless perfection. Happy marriages and easy friendships. Bucket list–level adventures and matching family photos. But what if our actual lives don’t feel very #blessed? Might our everyday existence be worthy of a blessing too? Even an average Tuesday?

Kate Bowler and Jessica Richie offer creative, faith-based blessings that center gratitude and hope while acknowledging our real, messy lives. Formatted like a prayer book, The Lives We Actually Have is an oasis and a landing spot for weary souls, with blessings that focus on the full range of human moments: garbage days, lovely days, grief-stricken days, and even (especially) completely ordinary days. These heartfelt blessings are a chance to exhale when we feel everything from careworn to restless, devastated to bored. Let’s have a reminder that we don’t need to wait for perfect lives when we can bless the lives we actually have.


Bookmark and Share

Contents

Introduction
Bless This Ordinary Life
01 for this ordinary day
02 for feeling it all
03 for when you just need to put one foot in front of the other
04 for when you’re scared your kids are not getting the school experience they need
05 for what makes us us
06 for when you are looking for love (and it’s complicated)
07 for small steps when you feel overwhelmed
08 for stretching your heart
09 for a peaceful day or night
10 for a peaceful day or night

Bless This Tired Life
11 for this tired day
12 for when you can’t sleep
13 for truth-telling-however bitter or sweet
14 for when you’re running on fumes
15 for when the stress is getting ridiculous
16 for when you’re too tired to cry
17 for when you feel stretched too thin
18 for when you just can’t find any peace
19 for when you need a little hope
20 for when you’re hanging on by a thread

Bless This Lovely Life
21 for this lovely day
22 for a little boost in the morning
23 for when you need permission to change
24 for waking up to life again
25 for when you need a gentle day
26 for aging gracefully
27 for around the table
28 for friends who hold us up
29 for learning to love yourself
30 for when it’s been a great day

Bless This Grief-Stricken Life 31 for this grief-stricken day
32 for when the unthinkable happens
33 for the courage to try… and the wisdom to know when to stop
34 for collective grief
35 for the day of mourning
36 for when disaster strikes
37 for when you’ve lost someone far too soon
38 for when your parents are aging
39 for all the firsts without a loved one

Bless This Overwhelming Life
40 for this overwhelming day
41 for when you Can’t catch a break
42 for caregivers
43 for when you suffer alone
44 for the gift of doubt
45 for when you suffer alone 46 for the gift of doubt
47 for when the road is long
48 for courage when you don’t feel very brave
49 for when you feel forgotten by God
50 for when iy is too much to handle

Bless This Painful Life
51 for this painful day (and our bodies feel like the enemy)
52 for finding grace for others (and ourselves)
53 for if you’ve had a painful childhood
54 for when you’ve been hurt by the church
55 for when hope seems lost
56 for when this pain doesn’t make sense
57 for when your child is in pain
58 for when your family disappoints you
59 for when your child is in pain

Bless This Garbage Life
60 for this garbage day
61 for when you are afraid
62 for when you are waiting
63 for when you can’t love yourself
64 for when you’re feeling grouchy
65 for when you’re not getting any better
66 for when you’re sick but have no answers
67 for when you thought you would feel different by now
68 for when you feel stuck
69 for when you feel lonely

Bless The Lives of Others 70 for others 71 for when so many are suffering (and you don’t know what to do)
72 for the ones who choose to break their hearts for ours
73 for the ones who bear witness
74 for those who keep watch over the sick
75 for when loving your enemy seems too big of an ask
76 for loving someone when differences divide us
77 for the givers who need to receive
78 for your great, big dumb heart

Bless This Beautiful, Limited Life
79 for this beautiful, limited day
80 for learning to delight again
81 for when you need to hold on or let go
82 for an unfinishable day
83 for beginnings and endings
84 for the courage to do something difficult
85 for when you want more
86 for the life you didn’t choose
87 for who you might become
88 for the good already come (and gone)

Bless This Holy Life
Bless This Lent
89 for Ash Wednesday
90 for Palm Sunday
91 for Maundy Thursday
92 for Good Friday
93 for Holy Saturday
94 for Easter Sunday
Bless This Advent
95 for the first Sunday of Advent – hope
96 for the second Sunday of Advent – love
97 for the third Sunday of Advent – joy
98 for the fourth Sunday of Advent – peace 99 for Christmas Eve
100 for Christmas Day

Acknowledgments
Be the first to submit a review on this product!
Review and Rate this Item

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