*thank you to NetGalley and Thomas Nelson for a copy of this eARC in exchange for my review*

A really transparent and encouraging look at how to live life and find purpose in the in between. Ruth Chou Simons shares her heart about the reality of the messy middle in a welcoming way that feels like she’s opening the doors to her home.

When so much of life feels like waiting, it’s easy to feel like time is wasted because it seems like nothing is happening. But as one of my good friends always reminds me, nothing is wasted. God is always at work, and the messy middle is a unique opportunity to dig in and be the hands and feet of Jesus wherever we may find ourselves.

The book was straightforward in a tough love kind of way, and I found myself challenged to consider my perspective on seasons of waiting. While not every part of the book felt relatable, I appreciated Simons’ vulnerability and willingness to communicate about the messy parts of life.

There is a glorious dwelling place provided by Jesus Christ for all His believing people. The world that now is, is not their rest: they are pilgrims and strangers in it. Heaven is their home. ~ J.C. Ryle (Heaven)

Believers live in the "Now and Not Yet." It is a tension that can lead to restlessness and discouragement. This new devotional by Ruth Chou Simons speaks into that place with experience and assurance giving encouragement and a path forward. Perfect for use as a private devotional or in a small-group Bible study.

The Ten Chapters:
1. When Right Now Isn't What You Want
2. Restlessness As An Invitation
3. Hidden Doesn't Mean Forgotten
4. You Don't Have To Be Blooming To Be Growing
5. Someday Is Made Up Of Thousands Of Right Nows
6. Chaos Produces Character
7. God's Callings Are His Enablings
8. When It's Not Just A Season
9. The Stories We Tell Ourselves
10. Start Where You Are

Each chapter includes a meditation and relevant Scripture with a Thought To Press Into and A Liturgy For Pressing In at the end. In addition to the poetic liturgy, Ruth Chou Simons includes her artistry along the way highlighting memorable bits of wisdom. Essentially this book is also a self-help workbook with additional chapters including "Five Steps To Help You Flip Your Script,"a "Start Where You Are Self-Assessment," "The Theological Framework Of The Now and Not Yet," and all the Scripture references listed by chapter.

While I have been using this as a daily devotional, my Tabletalk magazine from Ligonier Ministries has also provided articles on "Waiting On the Lord." Looks like this was God's timing for me to be putting some thought into how I am pressing in for this season in my life.

If this title is speaking into your current situation, I encourage you to seek out a copy and find some folks to share it with. The publication date is coming up soon: April 9, 2024. Thank you to Thomas Nelson and NetGalley for a DRC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

A last word from Ruth Chou Simons:
So this is me, leaning in to tell you:
You're not alone. You will make it.
This moment matters, and our God won't waste a thing.
Therefore, stay awake, stay present, and press in!
Run to Jesus, not the other way.
Get going and make the most of every opportunity.
Don't sit this season out.

I deeply appreciate Ruth's writing and this book did not disappoint. She has a gift for putting meaningful concepts into simple language. I really appreciate her vulnerability in this book as she openly shares real life experiences that God has used to shape and mold her. The main premise of the book is one I have wrestled with recently and it was a sweet gift to feel like I could "unpack" it alongside someone else.

"We know how it feels to want something other than what we have right in front of us.... How can you be happy in your right now when your not yet feels so far away?"

"Perhaps, like me, you tend to look for a way out rather than a way through."

"I truly believe that how we embrace our right now is a perennial and continual realigning of the heart. (Spoiler alert: realigning is to return to our God-intended perspective)"

"You don't have to be blooming to be growing... God is still at work in us, even in the seasons when we don't see the blooms we long for."

Ruth Chou Simons is gracious yet doesn't mince words. This book is full of powerful reminders that life won't always look the way we think it will yet God is using it all.

Now and Not Yet is an honest and beautiful book. So many times in our life we are living in the between and we tend to feel stuck, uncompleted, frustrated and disappointed forgetting that we need to enjoy every season in out life. We forget that God is preparing the way and walking along with us. Ruth reminded and encouraged me to trust God in the process, to see His grace in my between seasons. I was reminded that God is more interested in the way and the work He is doing in me and through me in every season in my life than in the goal. I love the art of Ruth in each of her books. Totally recommend it.

Ruth Chou Simons isn't afraid to dig deep and reach to the heart of matters. She sees the importance of having those hard conversations with ourselves in order to grow closer to Jesus and to be more like Him - which allows us to live a vibrant, peaceful and joyful life. And she doesn't shy away from sharing her own experiences (good or bad) to help others know they are not alone in any struggle.

But most importantly, she always points readers and listeners back to God and His Word, using and citing verses that always point us back to the truth of God, who He is, and His love for us. She does not invite us to take her at her own word, but to look at the Bible for confirmation and truth.

I highly recommend Now and Not Yet, as well as her other books and beautiful artwork - ALL will point you toward Jesus!

#nowandnotyet #netgalley #goodreads

Such a beautifully written book by Ruth Chou Simons, I highly recommend Now and Not Yet to every christian who has found themselves struggling with where they are in life and restless for more. Often we feel like we are not where we should, we haven't reached our potential, or just want more. But as we trust in our Sovereign Lord who knows exactly what is best for us, we are encouraged to press in and joyfully embrace what God has for us right where He has us.
Each of us has struggled through a season in life we wished we didn't have to go through, whether it be heartache, loss, a difficult relationship, or an unfulfilling job. But when we take our eyes off Christ and focus on our circumstances it only breeds discontentment and we lose our joy. When we aren't content we are really not trusting God. Now and Not Yet invites you to press in and focus on where God has you while trusting that He works all things for your good and His glory, I will definitely be adding this book to my bookshelf and recommending it to my friends.
Thank you NetGalley and Nelson Books for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I love this book. I have many books by Ruth and this one was just as good as all the other I have read.
She shares her personal experience with being in a season that was too busy, not where she thought she should be/are would be, and at a place where her spiritual gifts weren’t being used (so she thought).
I really liked how she shared that even in the waiting God will do great things as long as you aren’t wasting your time on things that don’t matter, like scrolling on instagram.

This is a book I will probably revisit from time to time. It’s like the book was just written for me. Ruth has put to words what I have been wrestling with for some time. If you think your stuck, I highly recommend reading it!

In this day and age of social media when we are all constantly shown more, more, more, and buy into it, literally— ever planned a trip based on insta or bought those kitchen sponges Eva Mendes sells— we need an antidote!! This book is that very thing and defines what “more” truly means. Both relatable and inspirational, the pages serve as a low key reminder to turn to what really will bring peace and contentment. Now and Not Yet will have a home on my keeper shelf and I know I will return to it often. Oh and if this book had a playlist - an Amy Grant song from the 80s written by Pam Mark Hall, titled The Now and the Not Yet should be included.

Learning to be present and be still in the Lord is a lesson I’ve fought hard to learn. I work fulltime and have been a weekend caregiver and jack of all trades for my parents since mom was diagnosed with dementia prior to the pandemic. Mom passed in the middle of reading “Now and Not Yet” so now life is still in a waiting period but I’m looking at it differently. This book has been a balm to my soul and has encouraged me to live the life God wants me to live even if I’m not in the place where I want to be.

I believe we can all relate to being in a season where our expectations and reality don't match. Perhaps we're impatient for an easier or more visible season. Maybe we're feeling stuck in circumstances that are difficult. Wherever you are, Ruth Chou Simons lovingly points you back to Jesus, back to truth of the Bible, and to liturgies and prayers that can re-orient our heart to patiently and obediently look for God in every situation, instead of only looking for God to get us out of our situations. I loved this book. I will be highly recommending to all of my friends!!

#NowandNotYet #NetGalley

This is my honest review. Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas Nelson books for the eARC.

"Now and Not Yet" by Ruth Chou Simons is like a friendly nudge to appreciate the season of life you're in, even when you're craving change. With stories and down-to-earth wisdom, Simons reminds us to soak up the lessons and blessings of the present moment instead of always looking ahead. While it can get a tad repetitive, the book's message hits home, earning it a solid four stars. It's a timely and relatable read that encourages us to live with gratitude, faith, and purpose right here, right now.

Haven’t quite finished the book but fully plan to. I will also be purchasing a hard copy. This book is a literal answer to prayer. A book that is very much needed in this current culture. The encouragement and truth she speaks into the restlessness of this world is just beautifully done. We all desperately strive for platforms and followings, far too often at the expense of our hidden lives in Christ. This book speaks to that. I am deeply convicted by just the first few chapters and have no doubt the rest will be the same. Highly recommend.

Thanks to @netgalley, @nelsonbooks, and @ruthchousimons for the ARC of this book! I LOVED it!

I’m currently sitting in the midst of a lot of turmoil and frustration in my career. I’ve been feeling restless and pushed to move away and on to what I deem as “better.” My copy of this book came at the perfect time haha.

Gently, but firmly, Ruth guides us to settle in to the now and not yet of life. At the end of the book, she referenced the words of the prophet Jeremiah and I found it to be some of the most impactful parts. Israel was called by God to settle in and prosper; to love and create peace; to dig in and do GOOD during their captivity in the land of Babylon. Regardless of where we are, we are God’s people and he will never forsake us, His plans are greater and everything is perfect in HIS timing—not ours. This is a book I’m taking many lessons away from and I’m excited for a physical copy of the book to be in my hands next month so I can go back to reference and be challenged by it in the time to come.

Highly recommend this to any and all readers, but it’s especially poignant if you’re in a season of “now and not yet” yourself 🫶🏼 a waiting season is not a wasted season.

“Look forward to someday and stay faithful now.” -Ruth Chou Simons

This was such an enjoyable book from the beginning. She is thorough and thoughtful in her points and it's easy to follow along.

I love Ruth Chou Simons and was really excited to get this ARC from NetGalley…and it did not disappoint. I always have a Christian, nonfiction book going at the same time as a fiction book. Ruth guides us through the restless times we are currently in by pressing in and growing through the circumstances. I very often want to fast forward through the messes and get to the good stuff but that is rarely how life happens. My right now matters, God is right here with me, and He is not done with me yet. Beautifully written book. I have quite a few highlighted areas.

Ruth Chou Simons' books are always truth filled and heaven pointing but I wasn't prepared for how much Now and Not Yet would speak to me.

Wonderfully written and beautifully illustrated, the book talks to the importance of pressing in and persevering right where you are, whatever your circumstances. God is not done with us, He works through any and all circumstances even if they are ones we would rather not be part of our stories.

Ruth shows how throughout the Bible, in less than ideal circumstances, the authors show us how to eyes on Jesus, to preach his truths to our hearts and to keep going even when it is tough.

Through wisdom taken straight from the Bible and practical thoughts about how we can press on, Ruth helps us to work through the disappointments and struggles we can face as Christians, helping us to understand the tension of the now and not yet of God's Kingdom and leaning into the trustworthiness of God.

The liturgies found at the end of each Chapter were also a really helpful way to gather my thoughts and express them as I voiced my struggles in prayer.

This is definitely a book that I will return to again and again.

Thanks to Netgalley and Nelson for the ARC.

A great resource from Ruth Chou Simons about not rushing the season you are in. Living each moment to its fullest and leaning into the lessons God wants to teach you in the "right now". Which is a very good message for our world today, which is always rushing forward to the "next thing". A very timely book for our current culture. If you enjoy Simons other books & writing style, you will enjoy this one as well.

I’m trying to think of the words, and they fail me. Now and Not Yet is an intensely vulnerable and deeply relatable book about what to do with yourself in the messy in between of where you were and where you’d rather be. I remember 5-7 years ago watching Gracelaced Co. rise out of relative obscurity to be what it is today. In that season, I was a mother of two littles and not at all thriving with it. Looking at someone like Ruth, the “unlikely mother to six” and the owner of a thriving business - I remember wondering how on earth she managed it all. Then I looked at myself and wondered sadly what was wrong with me. This book feels like the answer she’d give me had I had coffee with her then, and her words are a healing balm even now, years later - when, out of the littlest years, I finally have more capacity at my disposal. I’m so thankful for her vulnerability and willingness to return to those hard places to gird up those of us behind her with truth.

The artwork in every Ruth Chou Simon’s book is always lovely, but the liturgies in this book are breathtaking. Her poetic words are aching and beautiful and true. This is one I will buy for my library as well as putting it on the top of my list to gift to loved ones in their dry, desert seasons. Thank you for your wisdom, Ruth; though hard won, they are a testament to God’s faithfulness in your life as well as a reminder to us all to look to the Father.

I’d like to thank Nelson and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for my honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I'm not sure how I stumbled upon a Christian book, but I quite enjoyed reading "Now and Not Yet". This beautiful book has messages that people of all faiths can relate to in one way or another. For example, Simons' writes, "You have a choice to stay present, to not check out, to press into the unwanted parts of your story that are happening right now even if they don't feel purposeful or productive... (as) the seasons we, in our limited understanding, had deemed fruitless often turn out to be anything but." To appreciate the present, we must appreciate that our ordinary life and labor is what shapes us to find value in our next accomplishment. It may feel like we are wasting time but there is a "dignity of ordinary human life and labor". We may want to fast forward but without the present struggles there is no reward.

Thank you to NetGalley and Nelson Books for this ARC!