True You comes with the challenging subtitle Letting Go of Your False Self to Uncover the Person God Created. Michelle pulls no punches with herself from the opening page to the closing. It is a punch to the gut, in a good way. I found myself throwing it down every few pages, my inner monologue screaming I DON’T WANNA in a nineties Lindsay Lohan kind of way, ahem 38 this year, ahem, before picking it back up and absorbing the words within. Michelle has that uncanny knack of giving language to the unspoken jumbled up ramblings of my soul. January 1st is such a cliche for new beginnings, but I love that this book comes out then. That this year could be a year of clarity for all those who read it. That this could be a year without falsehood, without attempts to weave a fictitious self, when all he wants is you, you, you. If you have the stomach for it, True You has the potential to pull out the rotten places that have built up in your spirit, to help you name those things you feel but had no words for, to give voice to the holy spirit’s call on your life. Michelle is a great guide for anyone wanting to let go of those barriers we build up in our own mind, those controls and rules we self impose and won't let go of.

The first few pages I thought this was a typical "super achiever realizes that achieving doesn't last" book. But I kept reading. I knocked out around 50 pages in one sitting, not the norm for me. Michelle writes in a way that I want to keep reading. She really does bring new information and insight to this topic.

I am excited to share a new book by author Michelle DeRusha, True You: Letting Go of Your False Self to Uncover the Person God Created! This is not the first book I have read of hers, I previously read Katharina and Martin Luther, and what I liked about that book was the not only the powerful story about Katharina and Martin, but the details and the research Michelle put into the book. She did the same thing with this book, True You, though this book is much different, she shares her personal struggles, some scientific data, truth from God’s Word, and what is helping her overcome and draw nearer to our Lord! This world is loud and with technology now so easily available it never stops. If we are not careful we will allow those around us or this world to tell us who we are, instead of relying on who God says we are. Like her, I don’t think I am the only one that struggles with things, we all do, but sometimes we learn to mask it, and that is not good! So what do we do, well that is where Michelle shares her struggles and what she learned. Thank goodness there is a solution and it all points to God! Who we are must be rooted in Christ. We are always changing, the world is always changing, but do you know who never changes!? God, He never changes!!! So we need to turn to our LORD to let Him tell us who our true self is. Not rely on what someone says or our feelings, which I have in the past. This last year I made some hard decisions and the results have been good, even though the process was difficult. A week before Christmas I deactivated my Facebook account, this was a long time coming, so another hard decision, but you know what, it has brought peace into my life and less distraction, and that is a good thing! When we take time to step away and draw near to God and rely on His Word and promises, you will find peace.

Here are some of my favorite parts/quotes from the book:

God yearns for us to live wholeheartedly and truthfully as the unique, beautiful, beloved individuals He created us to be. Most of all, God’s deepest desire is for us to know Him, to root our whole selves in Him like a tree rooted by a stream, and to know His deep abiding love for us. God yearns for us to live in the spacious, light-filled freedom of Christ and to know ourselves in Him, through Him, and with Him.
Part of our need to be busy and productive comes from our desire to be valued and known…This addiction to busyness is devastating to our souls…Busyness allows us to avoid the deepest questions of our souls.
The key to slowing down is to live more fully in the present moment…allow space and time for a “Sabbath in the brain” and space and time for directed rest. Sometimes the now holds everything we would rather avoid.
The journey to wholeness and healing, it turns out, does not begin with surgery or even with a diagnosis. The journey to wholeness begins with admitting you are broken.
Fear and distrust prevent us from answering God’s invitation to intimacy and healing. Fear and distrust prevent us from standing, picking up our mats, and walking. Like the bleeding woman and Adan and Eve in the garden, we often only step out of hiding to tell our story when we are called out by God himself.
Moses’ last words to his people are meant for us as well. Pay attention. Stay alert. Be vigilant. God is where with us, just as He promised. But sometimes we must go to the far side of the wilderness to sense His presence. Sometimes we must stand still in order to see the great things God is doing right before our very eyes.
God doesn’t promise us wealth, health, success, an easy road, or even happiness. In fact, God doesn’t promise to give us most of what we think we want or even most of what we think we need… This is hard to accept when there’s no burning bush, no pillars of cloud or flame. Yet at the same time, God’s promise couldn’t be more straightforward. “I am with you always,” Jesus said, “even to the end of the age”.
Like Moses, we want to know the plan; we want specifics – the who, what, why, and when. But God gives us something better: His presence.
Not-yet-there is not a perfect place, nor is it always a comfortable place, but it’s an important place.
God identifies us as His children. Our primary identity – really, our only true identity – is a beloved child of God.
Our sins can destroy not only ourselves but those around us… An idol is anything that takes the place of God in our lives, in an infinite variety of forms from material wants to intangible desires… It’s not fun to look honestly at our weaknesses and flaws. It can be demoralizing and frustrating to identify our idols and temptations, to root out that which makes us liable to destruction. But it’s also some of the most important work we will do on this journey…calling out our idols ultimately creates space for us to move closer to Christ… While the entire responsibility of transformation doesn’t fall on our shoulders, we do have an important part to play in our journey. God is in control of this process. He is the Inviter. He is the Igniter. And He can be trusted not only to continue but to complete what He begins.

Challenged, that’s how this author’s words made me feel. Challenged in a good way, in a way that encourages personal growth. As many do, I’ve been choosing a yearly focus word for several years now; after much contemplation, I’ve chosen “communion” or perhaps the word has chosen me.

In True You, author Michelle DeRusha describes how God challenged her to be still, utterly still, in His presence. DeRusha speaks of her daily walks, of how she began to practice stillness while pausing to rest on a bench five minutes each day. It took time, a lot of time, to clear the clutter of her mind before her heart began to recognize what God would have to know, but when it happened it was life-changing.

Our lives are so full of things, of information, of the hustle and bustle of daily life; is it any wonder we struggle to quiet our minds and hearts? Even at rest, our minds continue to move from one thing to another. Imagine your heart and mind truly quiet, in true communion with God.

This book is timely for me, how about you?

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via Just Read Tours, and am not required to write a positive review. All thoughts and opinions therein are solely my own.

I loved in chapter one about clutter. It was so relatable. It is so easy to say, “just one more”. I thought hard on this as I was making my new year’s goals for this year. So many truths in this book like needing to step out of hiding and recognize who we really are. Once we recognize our brokenness, we can start submitting to pruning of our soul. I love the metaphor of the tree throughout this book and how each lesson is tied to Biblical stories. I also enjoyed the questions in the “going deeper” sections at the end of each chapter. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone wanting to step out and follow God more deeply. I received an advanced reader copy from Baker Books.

If you feel that life is moving at a frantic pace, that you're so busy trying to keep up with everything you have to do that you're losing sight of who you are, then this book is for you!
Busyness is often worn as a badge of honour in our society but in this book Michelle DeRusha challenges us that busyness can be something we hide behind and that it can cause us to lose an authentic connection with ourselves and with God.
Using a comparison with a Japanese pruning technique, she encourages us to strip away the clutter in our lives, to embrace the practice of silence and solitude, and to leave space for God to work. She shares biblical insights as well as parts of her own story and practical tips and techniques to help us discover who God made us to be.
A helpful and encouraging read!

This book released on January 1st, 2019. That is the perfect time for it, because it is all about revealing the “true you”, and becoming the person God meant you to be! How is that for a New Year goal -- A new beginning in the New Year!
I found this book so intriguing. It is like solving a mystery, trying to find out what your true self is by asking and answering delving questions. It takes a little bit of quiet thinking to come up with the answers.
The author, Michelle DeRusha, uses her own life to explain how she found her “true you”. She spent some time sitting on a park bench surrounded by trees. She also uses nature to explain the process of uncovering the “true you” by comparing it to pruning. This is no quick read. Although I finished reading “True You”, I have not finished thinking about the questions. I have clues to my mystery "true you", but I have not yet found the answer. I will, it will just take a bit more time and thought. This book needs to be given time to ruminate in your thoughts. A mystery after all is not solved in one day!
I think uncovering the person in you that God created you to be is important. Don’t you?

This Needs To Be On Everyone’s 2019 Bookclub List

I've been on my own transformational journey from perfectionism, striving, competing, busyness.... and such for a few years now. The opportunity to read this book came along at a time when I knew that this was a conversation that needed to be brought to light especially in our current cultural climate but didn't really have the words to articulate what was going on in my mind and heart.

Then came True You. It felt like Michelle had been reading my mail. Like she knew things about me that I'd only whispered in the dark. This book brought to light the resounding truth that we're really all more alike than different. Our struggles are not unique and are thus better shared.

I could not stop high-fiving the book one moment and weeping with it the next. I'm going through it again, this time with a small group of girlfriends, we're all looking forward to being free from our false selves and discovering our "True You-ness"

Michelle is not an author who writes just Biblical scripture, no she writes from a personal perspective how God’s word keeps her real. How following Jesus, son of God and the Holy Spirit aligns her life with Him. Not just by brushing the surface of His words, but digging deeper into the root of who we are. Each chapter invites us not only to read her story, but to delve into our own. And by the end, you will have a closer knowledge of the True You.

I’ve been blessed to serve on the launch team for True You, a contemplative book written by Michelle DeRusha. It’s so good that my small group will be using it for our weekly discussions this January. If you’re looking for a great read to help you make a fresh start, True You is an excellent choice.


Letting Go of Your False Self
In our fast-paced world, it’s so easy to lose sight of our souls. Our lives are crowded with noise and stimuli, and it can be hard for our souls to get the nourishment they need. Michelle uses the metaphor of pruning a tree to open it up for more beauty and life. She shows us practical ways to do that in True You.

This book is about slowing down, becoming more mindful, and listening to our heart cries while we explore our faith journeys. Michelle leads us through her own story of discovery and helps us see what we need to do differently to cultivate deeper faith.

I enjoyed Michelle’s honest, vulnerable prunings of pretense and insecurities. Few authors are willing to talk about their circuitous and frustrating paths toward success, and even fewer are willing to say that past book sales struggled along. Her transparency about failure inspired me to take a harder look at the masks I wear and gently set them aside.

Uncovering the Person God Created
By sharing her own journey toward spiritual contentment, I learned the value of sitting still and just being the me God created. Through this book, I received permission to set aside my massive responsibilities and simply enjoy nature, read a book, or take a walk every day. Those activities soothe my soul and help me listen more closely to what God is whispering to my mind, heart and soul.

As a gardener, I truly enjoyed Michelle’s extended metaphor about pruning and I gained many personal applications. Today, the first day of 2019, I’m looking at my schedule and deciding what needs to be pruned out so I can nourish the most important branches and bear more fruit. I’m skimming through my favorite quotes from True You to help me decide what matters most.

Favorite Quotes from True You:
There are so many rich, thoughtful ideas in True You, and here are some of my favorites.

“We do not need to heal ourselves–the indwelling Holy Spirit does that for us–but we do need to want to get well; we need to desire wellness and choose it.”

“Confronting your false self and naming it is a necessary and critical part of deep transformation.”

“God didn’t just lead Moses into the wilderness; he led Moses to the far side of the wilderness–to the quietest, loneliest, most isolated, most desolate place possible. And it was only in that place, away from the demands and distractions of ordinary life, that God spoke to Moses.”

“God calls us to stay and wait, and all the while, he is working out something we can’t see or even imagine.”

“Deep, radical transformation does not take place overnight. It is a slow process, requiring time for healing, waiting, listening, watching, resting, and recovery.”

“Nature has always been the place that frees me to be my truest self and the place I most often sense God’s presence.”

“Like trees, our well-being depends in large part on our connection with and integration into our community. We need each other for nourishment, connection, and support.”

I enjoyed Michelle’s personal stories, her practical application tips, and the frequent bursts of artistic descriptions of the beauty of nature. True You is like a lovely walk through the woods that leaves you feeling peaceful, refreshed and energized for further growth.

I received a preview copy of True You from Baker Books and Netgalley.

Michelle DeRusha takes on one of modern society’s biggest lies in her latest book—the badge of busyness. “Part of our need to be busy and productive comes from our desire to be valued and known,” she says. “If we are busy, we must be needed, and if we are needed, we must be important.” But wearing the busyness badge just makes us feel even more harried and worn out—when in reality, we need to seek intentional rest.

On her quest to find the antidote to busyness, DeRusha takes the reader along on a soul-searching journey. Using the metaphor of a tree, she shows how easily we let life turn us into a jungle of lists and things and striving. Like sucker shoots, all the things take energy from our true selves until we lose sight of our true identity—children of a loving Father.

We forget that God values us and knows us more intimately than we know ourselves. When we take time for intentional rest, we allow the Master Gardner to prune and shape us. Pruning and shaping might not feel comfortable at the time. But when we ask God to do the work in us, we discover that his plan exceeds our wildest expectations. By scheduling intentional rest into our daily routine, we make room for God’s plans and shape for our lives to take root. We allow him to gently train us in the way we should go.

DeRusha combines her journalist’s skills with her memoirist’s eye to create the perfect combination of research and story. Each chapter ends with study questions that take the reader deeper into the quest of letting go and discovering the person God created.

This Book is For You If…

If you’re a busy person—the kind that constantly strives and secretly takes pride in having a full schedule—this book is for you. Our culture has built up the cult of busyness to unhealthy heights, and this book serves as a wake-up call to step away from the pyre.

If you feel empty, no matter how much you accomplish, this book is for you. You’ll discover a better way to live. A way that doesn’t include submitting to a never-ending to-do list, but instead includes submitting to a never-ending God.

We know that God has created each one of us to be a unique individual. Sometimes, however, the pressure to conform or be who someone else wants us to be is great. Perhaps there are parts of us we don't like so we stay so crazy busy we don't have time to think about our true self.

DeRusha takes readers on a very personal journey of peeling away the layers, revealing the true person God created her to be. While sharing her own experiences, she helps us understand the process she went through, giving us specific steps.

She likens the entire process to that of tree pruning. First comes observation. As one must first spend some time observing the nature of the tree, so we must observe and reflect. She suggests directed rest, a time of resting in a self-reflective state. She gives specific training in the technique in an Appendix. Next comes the intensive task of identifying our false identity. We must acknowledge that we're broken and develop a true desire to get well. Through personal example, biblical truth and helpful suggestions, DeRusha continues describing the process of pruning for shaping, allowing for new growth in the best direction. The process will not be entirely pleasant as she shows from her own “dark night of the soul” experience.

I really like this book. DeRusha is very honest and open in her experiences – a good thing since her book is about personal truth and authenticity. I like that she gives several questions at the end of each chapter for reflection. Keeping a journal handy while reading the book would be a good idea. The book is easy to follow and is full of good teaching.

I recommend this book to Christians who would like to peel away the layers and discover the unique person within. DeRusha's experience is good encouragement along the journey, as is her teaching.

Food for thought: “We cannot begin to know ourselves until we allow silence and solitude into our lives.” (Loc. 375/2776)

I received a complimentary egalley of this book from the publisher. My comments are an independent and honest review.

If the amount of highlighting on my pages is any indication, I loved this book. It is full of truth!

The author reveals our need for stillness and directed rest. I loved the message that we need to really discover our true self. My identity doesn’t come from what I DO, it comes from who God made me to be and in His love for me. She states that while “our culture values busyness, achievement, efficiency, and productivity above all else,” that “God’s deepest desire is for us to know him, to root our whole selves in him…and to know his deep, abiding love for us.”

This is a great read for anyone who has ever said, “I’m so busy.” It is an invitation to come away, to rest, to discover the true you beneath all the stuff that we fill our lives and time with.

I don’t give out 5-star reviews easily. They are reserved for books I will use with my holistic health coaching clients to help them move forward in whole health and also books I will read over and over. This is one of those books.

I received an advanced copy from Baker Books so I could give an honest review. I was not required to give a positive review. The thoughts and opinions expressed here are entirely my own.

I received an advanced copy of for my honest review and I am so thankful. I am looking forward to having friends read this. My copy is full of highlights. Michelle DeRusha shares with great vulnerability about her spiritual journey and in essence her journey to becoming her truest self. Our honesty about our brokenness and being willing to be pruned and cut back allow God to show us who we truly are in Him. This book is about letting go, and holding our preconceived selves with open hands allowing us to fully embrace all that God has for us to be. DeRusha does a marvelous job in sharing some practical ways to allow this space and room for pruning in our life. DeRusha's story telling and honesty make this journey so relatable and enjoyable even as one is challenged to deal with the difficult of life.

With the New Year soon upon us, we make resolutions to be a better person. “True You” by Michelle DeRusha can help you succeed/accomplish to be a better person...Michelle uses a Tree as a metaphor in how pruning can remove old stems, dead and unsightly limbs (our bad habits/sins). It takes dedication, discipline and sometimes it’s painful, but absolutely necessary to make the tree a beautiful specimen. God is the gardener, pruning our unsightly limbs making us into the amazing person he created... True You is a must read not once but again and again... I can see this also being a women’s bible study. Thank you to Michelle DeRusha, Baker Books via NetGallery for ARC of this book. This is a honest and whole heartedly recommendation of this book.

This is a book that you will read again and again. You are to be the person God made you to be not the person the world wants you to be. Sometimes it is painful to cut certain things out of your life, but you have to let God do the "pruning"as He sees fit. Thank you Michelle DeRusha and Baker Books via NetGalley for the ARC copy of this book. This is my honest opinion and I highly recommend this book.

True You” by Michelle Derusha helps you to “let go of your false self to uncover the Person God created.” God is after truth from the inside out. “Enter me, Lord, to conceive a new, true life” – (Psalm 51:6). We need to discard our false identities like a tree discards its dead leaves and like how the gardener prunes away unwanted branches to capture the enchanting beauty and gracefulness of the tree.

Pruning in gardening and in real life is a skill that requires discipline and insight. Pruning, the art of cutting back to open up, is absolutely essential for our souls to uncover who we really are at the core of our God-created selves and personalities. Pruning uncovers us to our bare essentials to reveal our truest, most authentic selves.

God wants us to live as the beautiful, unique people He created us to be. He does not want us to hide behind false identities. God wants us to know Him and be aware of His deep, abiding love for us. He wishes us to root our whole selves in Him. God longs for us to live in the freedom of Christ and to know our true, unique selves in intimacy with Him. Let us allow God to prune us from the inside out. He is the Master Gardener of our souls. May we relinquish and surrender our hearts and minds to God to allow Him to do His healing in us.

I highly recommend this book to start God’s divine pruning in you, to uncover and reveal the “True You” as God created you to be. As this book was born out of Michelle’s own experience, it is time-tested and true to life. I have experienced the pruning process in my own life and I bear faithful testimony to this. May God help you to discover the “True You” in yourself. Blessings!