by Fiona Castle and Friends
Be is a year long, daily devotional. Each bite-sized nugget encourages people in act of be-ing: Be Wise, Be Kind, Be Loving and so on. Each day has a bible reference, a short insight and a prayer. It takes moments to read and yet powerful and deep, it provides a rich source of wisdom as you walk with Jesus.
Be is a book of wisdom, both inspirational and practical. Reading the daily insights is good practice in daily bible reading, which is itself nourishment for your soul. The insights are personal yet easy to identify with; there are faith building and faith stretching moments within the pages with an emphasis on being who you are called to be and no pressure to be more.
We wrote Be as a collaboration during the pandemic. Our planned conferences were cancelled both in 2020 and 2021. This left a void in our usual annual gatherings. We transitioned the conferences to online events, but it really wasn’t the same as being together. As the Activate team, inspired by Fiona Castle and her incredible insight into everyday life, we were led to put together this daily devotional. Fiona has written the majority of the contributions, whilst the rest of the team contributed their insights too. It was fun to have a project to work on together when we couldn’t be together.
The book itself is a beautiful hardbound text with a ribbon bookmark! It makes an excellent gift. The devotionals are numbered and not dated, which means you do not have to wait to start it. It also means that it doesn’t matter if you miss a day or two as you just pick up where you left off. Although, written by women for women, we hear that a number of men have also dipped in and discovered rich gems for themselves.
This is a book that is undemanding in nature, but a joy to read. Every page is dripping with encouragement. In the crazy busy of the everyday, these words offer moments of peace, reflection and stillness. It provides you with the perfect opportunity to be un-hurried in a very busy world.
- Jaz Potter
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