Just Breathe

Christine Agostinelli

Description

This spirituality book offers a guide to help Christians understand they were made to connect with God and shouldn’t be haunted by the lie that says they weren’t.
Does God want to connect with me? Is faith supposed to feel this complicated? Is it even worth it? Should I try something else? Struggling with doubt and asking questions like these can be a lonely road to navigate. You don’t have to walk alone.
Author Christine Agostinelli knows what it’s like to wrestle deeply with faith. But she’s also discovered the piece that was missing all along: true, intimate connection with Jesus. In Just Breathe, Christine guides you through the same slow, uncomplicated process the Holy Spirit used in her life to lead her skeptical, wandering, prodigal heart back to the heart of Jesus. You'll discover how to:
• slow your pace;
• remove distractions;
• train your eyes to see him; and
• move your heart a little closer to him.
Christine communicates that you were made to connect with God and shouldn’t be haunted by the lie that says you weren’t. It starts with a breath and ends with a love like you’ve never known. It’s no more complicated than that.

Sujets

• Religion
• Christianisme
• Spiritual Growth
• Christian Living
• Philosophie et théologie
• Deconstruction
• Reconstruction

Informations

• Publié par: WestBow Press
• Date de parution: 25 octobre 2022
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9781664281097
• Langue: English

Extrait

Just Breathe

Discover Slow, Uncomplicated Time with Jesus






CHRISTINE AGOSTINELLI








Copyright © 2022 Christine Agostinelli.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the author except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

This book is a work of non-fiction. Unless otherwise noted, the author and the publisher make no explicit guarantees as to the accuracy of the information contained in this book and in some cases, names of people and places have been altered to protect their privacy.



WestBow Press
A Division of Thomas Nelson & Zondervan
1663 Liberty Drive
Bloomington, IN 47403
www.westbowpress.com
844-714-3454

Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Getty Images are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.
Certain stock imagery © Getty Images.

ISBN: 978-1-6642-8110-3 (sc)
ISBN: 978-1-6642-8111-0 (hc)
ISBN: 978-1-6642-8109-7 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2022919052



WestBow Press rev. date: 10/25/2022











Scripture quotations marked TPT are from The Passion Translation®. Copyright © 2017, 2018 by Passion & Fire Ministries, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved. ThePassionTranslation.com.

“Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.”

Scripture quotations taken from The Holy Bible, New International Version® NIV® Copyright © 1973 1978 1984 2011 by Biblica, Inc. TM. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright ©1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, a Division of Tyndale House Ministries, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

“Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. www.lockman.org ”













I humbly dedicate this work to the Holy Spirit. This book would not have been possible without Your steady presence and constant leading in my life–even when I refused to see it. You gently led me back to the open arms of the Father when I had wandered too far and patiently guided me back to the heart of Jesus, where love abounds in endless measure. Surely You have known me, understood me, and have quieted me with Your love. I eagerly share with others the things You have shown me now.
Contents
Praise for Just Breathe
Introduction
How to Use This Book
Breathe
Day 1
Day 2
Day 3
Day 4
Day 5
Day 6
Day 7
Near
Day 8
Day 9
Day 10
Day 11
Day 12
Day 13
Day 14
Call
Day 15
Day 16
Day 17
Day 18
Day 19
Day 20
Day 21
Focus
Day 22
Day 23
Day 24
Day 25
Day 26
Day 27
Day 28
Move
Day 29
Day 30
Day 31
Day 32
Day 33
Day 34
Day 35
Be
Day 36
Day 37
Day 38
Day 39
Day 40
Conclusion
Scripture References
Additional Reading
Acknowledgments
About the Author



Praise for Just Breathe
“This is the most helpful book I’ve read in a long time because it actually took me somewhere I couldn’t get to on my own. Regardless of where you are spiritually—skeptic, doubter, unbeliever, or seasoned follower of Jesus—Christine does a phenomenal job of meeting you there and leading you slowly by hand on a journey that will change your life one simple step at a time.” —Sammy Adebiyi, national speaker for Food for the Hungry and lead pastor at Soma City Church
“So many people—Christian and skeptic alike—are living disconnected from God and aren’t sure what to do about it (or even if they want to do anything about it). Let Christine be your guide! What does she offer? Honesty, authenticity, experience, wisdom, and simplicity. She not only wrestled with the emptiness of worn-out, complicated, twenty-first-century Christianity, she has penetrated to the beauty and fullness of life with God. I’ve had a front-row seat to Christine’s journey, and I’m convinced her discoveries are desperately needed by many people today. No tired clichés and religious platitudes here; just a life-giving, uncomplicated way of connecting with God that is simple and effective. God invites us into a life of intimacy and connection with Him; He’s a relational God and deeply desires for us to come close. But we make it so complicated and difficult. This book will help restore and deepen that longed-for intimacy with God. Whether you feel close to God or distant from Him, Christine’s new book will breathe life into your relationship with God as you follow her sage counsel. Read it slow; let it penetrate your soul. I highly recommend this book!” —Dr. Jim Mindling, lead pastor at Church of the Open Door
“Christine Agostinelli will take you deeper in your spiritual journey in an uncomplicated way. This book is like a scuba diving excursion for your soul. Below the surface awaits new self-discoveries, awe-inspiring revelations, and a fresh focus of connecting with Jesus. Put on your soul’s wetsuit, prepare your oxygen, dive in, and breathe !” —John Paul, educator
“I was very impressed with Christine’s heart as I read her words. That is because she really wants the readers to immerse themselves into the powerful thoughts that are presented. Christine causes you to sit and soak and rethink about what the Holy Spirit is saying to you. You will be better for spending the time with this little book because it has big impact on your walk with the Lord.” —Dr. Sammie L. Davis-Dyson, author of My Story for His Glory: The Power of Prayer



Introduction
I was angry, frustrated, disappointed, and so completely unsatisfied with my experience in the Christian faith. I had doubts and questions welling up inside of me, and I had no idea what to do with them or how to make them go away. A faith that had once felt so easy and so natural now felt so … complicated . I was left feeling isolated and alone, feeling like everyone else had it all figured out while I was the only one struggling. I didn’t know how everything had gotten so bad. All I knew is I found myself starving for something I couldn’t articulate or explain. The walls of my Christian community that had once felt so safe and so comfortable now felt like they were quickly closing in on me.
Feeling I had no other reasonable option, I decided to leave the Christian faith I had been raised with in search of whatever it was I was so hungry and desperately starving for. Something … more . Something bigger, something better. Something different … something else that could satisfy this growing hunger for more. More of what, I wasn’t sure. But I was sure that, whatever it was, I wasn’t going to find it in whatever Christianity had to offer. It was then that I left the faith with no plans to ever return.
Walking through that exit door was exhilarating. I felt free and alive for the first time in a very, very long time. In fact, leaving the faith felt like the best decision I could possibly have made. I felt like I was finally free to discover the real me without all the rules of what I should do and the expectations of who I should become. I was excited to see all the wonderful things my new non-Christian future held.
However, after a couple of years of this newly discovered freedom, the novelty and excitement of my decision began to wear off. I still hadn’t found what I was longing— starving —for. I was still searching and still empty. Everything was more complicated than it ever had been before. I still felt let down by the Christian faith, and now I felt let down by the promise that my life would be better without it. I was more confused than I had ever been.
This went on for a few more years until something strange and completely unexpected began to happen. It had been eight years since I’d left the Christian faith, and now I couldn’t deny that something in me was feeling slowly drawn back to it. What happened next, and continues to happen now, is what I aimed to capture in this book. It’s a reflection of the slow and uncomplicated process God used to draw my weary, restless, skeptical, prodigal heart back to Him.
It’s full of the questions He asked me and the deep truths He showed me. It’s full of the promises He revealed to me and, most profoundly, how He showed me the uncomplicated and unhurried way I was meant to connect with Him.
It’s the same uncomplicated and unhurried way you were made to connect with Him.
No matter where you feel you are in relation to God as you begin—if He feels near or if He feels far—let this book be your guide to help show you how to move your heart closer and closer to the heart of the Father as you work through the pages.
One of the verses t