Emily Freeman’s A Million Little Ways

Okay friends…. you are in for treat! Emily Freeman, author, speaker, blogger, and way-encouraging wordsmith has agreed to give away three copies of her latest book A Million Little Ways to three of you who comment on this post. But, before we go all crazy trying to win this wonderfully helpful book, let’s take a little peek into who Emily is and just what this book is all about.

In her own words…….

emily freemanI live in North Carolina with my husband, John.  We have been married for twelve years and have three children: twin girls who look like him and a son who looks like me.  I’m deeply curious about the mystery of Christ, the gracefulness of the everyday, and the sacredness of our inner lives. Everything I write or speak about comes from this curiosity and the deep conviction that every need, desire, and expectation is met in the person of Jesus Christ.

Sometimes when blog readers meet me in real life, they are surprised by my personality. I am a quiet, contemplative writer with a loud, obnoxious laugh and an emotional allergy to small talk. Technically I’m an introvert, but from the outside you probably wouldn’t know it.

You can find me writing on my blog Chatting at the Sky several times a week as well as once a month over at (in)courage.

My books are Grace for the Good Girl: Letting Go of the Try-Hard Life (2011) Graceful {For Young Women} (2012) and the book I am giving away here today: A Million Little Ways: Uncover the Art You Were Made to Live (2013)

{Karen here again} Isn’t this fun getting to know Emily?

Now, here is the low-down on her third book, A Million Little Ways.  It uncovers the creative, personal imprint of God on every individual.  Inviting the discouraged parent, the bored Christian, the exhausted executive to look at their lives differently by approaching their critics, their jobs, and the kids around their table the same way an artist approaches the canvas–with wonder, bravery, and hope.million little ways 2

In her gentle, compelling style, Emily encourages readers to turn down the volume on their inner critic and move into the world with the courage to be who they most deeply are.

She invites regular people to see the artistic potential in words, gestures, attitudes, and relationships.  discover the art in a quiet word, a hot dinner, a made bed, a grace-filled glance, and a million other ways of showing God to the world through the simple human acts of listening, waiting, creating, and showing up.

If you want to be entered to win the random drawing for one of the three copies of this fabulous book, leave a comment here on this post.

Tell us the answer to this question: In what area of life are you the most critical of yourself? Your marriage? Mothering? Housekeeping skills? Your work? A personality trait or physical characteristic? We all have at least one area so please share.

And then? Know that His grace covers it all. In fact, after you tell us your area, in all caps please write GRACE, GRACE, GRACE!

The three winners will be announced Friday.

171 Comments

  1. This book sounds like a true blessing. I’m most critical in myself with what I tell myself when I fail as a wife, mother, friend. I hear the negative. I wish I was more upbeat, happy & carefree. I stress & take it out on my family. I feel horrible & apologize.

  2. I think I most critical about my walk with my Heavenly Father. It is a daily battle I fight every day, depending on his Grace and mercy to get through .I feel I disappoint him as well as myself and strive to learn something new as I walk with him. GRACE, GRACE, GRACE!!!

  3. Probably all of the above, but the one I am the least gifted in, and am working at right now is all things hospitality! (True story: I received my Amazon shipment of Everyday Confetti and Life That Says Welcome yesterday for this reason.) You could come to my house for three hours, and I will not think to offer you a glass of water, and I always feel like I’m letting people down in birthdays/anniversaries/holidays. But… GRACE< GRACE< GRACE!

  4. I grew up in a pretty dysfunctional family, no God ever spoke of in my house.,when I entered the teen years I went down the awful path of anorexia. This went on for years. When you deal with such a problem your self esteem is just not there.
    I had a close guy friend that started sharing about love , and that In was worthy of love. That was hard to believe , but I decided something had to change. I also started to attend church and met Jesus! What a difference he can make in our lives when we truly know and understand how much He loves us and cares about every part of our lives.

  5. This last year has been so difficult with changes in my life and responsibilities that all demand my attention. I have had great difficulty keeping up with everything. The things that scream the loudest are done, but the things that I wish I could spend more time doing get very little attention. I’ve found myself upset with myself for not being able to do it all and frustrated in general because of it.

  6. I am probably hardest on my self in my parenting skills. I often feel like their shortcomings, failures, and less-than-perfect attributes are all my fault.

  7. I love being creative but then think that what I create isn’t that good. I am trying to not be so hard on myself.

  8. My marriage is my favorite topic to cut deeply into my soul. The others listed are close, but my second most sacred relationship can submerge my day like no other. But, GRACE, GRACE, GRACE. Thanks.

  9. I think we all want to be acceptable and so we are willing to fit into the mold of this world, but it would be great to break free and be who God desires for me to be.

  10. Your book sounds wonderful ! Such a complete overview of so many areas in our daily life that we should be looking at in a different Godly light, as he would have us. I would so much love this book, and I know my very driven daughter with 3 children would just be thrilled to be able to read it. I find the most areas I’m critical about myself are my “mismanagement” of my daily time, with all of my lists of things to do. I feel that I’ve let myself down by not having enough things crossed off my list each day.

  11. I think I can be critical in just about every area of my life, it depends on the day. Sometimes it is work, sometimes my housekeeping, my spouse-keeping, or what I didn’t get done today. I have to work hard sometimes to just be in the moment, and enjoy the moment, forgetting all my mistakes.

    GRACE, GRACE, GRACE. Most definitely!

  12. I’m most critical of myself for lots of areas but mostly I’m hardest on myself about what I DIDN’T get done today- cooking, cleaning, etc.

  13. Mothering!! I feel like such a failure sometimes because things don’t look like I thought they would. I am trying to let go of my expectations and embrace what God wants for my family. Even if it doesn’t look like what I thought it would.

  14. I’m most critical of myself when I find myself trying to control the things I have no control over, and getting frustrated at myself for not being “in control”. Its a vicious cycle. GRACE ! GRACE! GRACE!

  15. I am such a fan of Emily :) I would say that I am most critical of my words. It’s so easy to hold back something I want to say because I fear being uninteresting or looked down on.

  16. I am most critical of myself when it comes to perfection! I try to be perfect in everything I do as if I am trying to earn the right to have what God has given me or to keep it from being taken away or to hide where I am weak! GRACE! GRACE! GRACE!

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