From Seeking Adventure to Restfulness, Get 10 Practical Steps to Playfulness You Can Start Now
When was the last time you felt really, truly happy? If you've ever longed to leave your exhausting days and fretful nights behind, look no further. Author Courtney Ellis recounts a courageous--and often hilarious --experiment in joy and delight as she awakens to the truth that God doesn't just want us to be holy, but happy, too
Happy Now is designed to invite readers to let go of their most serious selves, grant them permission to engage in curiosity and wonder of all kinds, and delight in the release of its transformative effects: creativity, innovation, delight, rest, and--above all--a more trusting relationship with Jesus. Through wry observations, first hand experience, Scriptural study, and broad research, Ellis addresses questions like:
- How does God invite us into play?
- What does it mean that we are created for curiosity?
- In what ways can wonder help us love our neighbors more fully?
Happy Now: Let the Power of Play Lift Your Load & Renew Your Spirit is a rollicking, investigative, and thoughtful invitation to open ourselves to the joy and freedom of play all over again. Here are just some of the practical steps you can take toward a lighter life:
- Embrace Restfulness
- Seek Adventure
- Fail Often
- Find Community
- Take Off Your Shoes
- Do Useless Things
A whimsical storyteller who combines witty humor and engaging research with unfettered honesty, in Happy Now Courtney Ellis is a wise guide on an uplifting journey from sad to spirited. You'll discover there is almost nothing that playfulness cannot make a little bit better, a little bit easier, and a lot more fun. Lift your mood, lighten your load, and renew your spirit with the power of playfulness.
The world can be a serious place. Because of Jesus, Christians don't need to be. Dive deeply into the waters of whimsy, embracing the joy God offers. Sometimes that looks like welcoming holy laughter. Other times it's learning to see mistakes as learning and innovation rather than mess-making. Play brings about transformation and rest and praise. And isn't that just the reason God created us?
It's time to get serious about playfulness
Perfect for:
- Small groups
- College and adult groups
- Church libraries
- Gifts
- Christian counseling
- And more
Paperback, 256 pages, 6 x 9 inches, ISBN 9781628628944. Ebook Available.
About the Author
Courtney Ellis's life transformed from serious to seldom-not-smiling through God's gift of playfulness. A graduate of Wheaton College and Princeton Seminary, she can now be found approaching almost everything playfully, from parenting to public speaking to praying (really ). The author of Uncluttered and Almost Holy Mama, Courtney resides with her husband and three children in California where they still have the class parakeet they brought home for the weekend.
