On Beauty and Faith

All of Alabaster’s books have a way of inspiring you and calming you as you meditate on either the words written or the scriptures. Towards Rest focuses on many different areas where rest is important. I found this book especially beneficial for me personally, as I tend to get caught up with the day-to-day tasks and the need I feel to accomplish and do things to the best of my ability. Lately, God has been reminding me that He is glorified, and I am made perfect not in my striving but in my dependence on Him. To the world, this may seem counterintuitive, but with God, it is our intimacy with God and our hearts He is after. This book is so timely in the hustle culture we live in today. **I received a complimentary copy of the Book of the Gospels through Alabaster’s Influencer Program.

The Alabaster Co. has the keen ability to bring scriptures and prayers to life. The Alabaster Co. delicately pulled together beautiful images that provoke meaning, emotion, and power through each photo to give the reader an enhanced understanding to the idea of rest. To bring a beautiful book into the world as a reminder to rest is exactly what our culture needs right now. The Alabaster “Towards Rest: Discovering the Qualities of Rest for Our Lives of Faith" is giving us another opportunity to reposition our posture toward rest. May we take these books, keep them on our coffee table or nightstand to start a conversation with our peers. May the words in this book be our arsenal to fight well in this world and to be equipped always. Let us all slow down long enough to let the photo and the words speak to us and take root in our hearts. This book would be wonderful for a Christmas present. Regardless of the stage of life, this book will meet each of us where we are at and speak to our weary souls by the word of truth. **My copy of the book was complimentary through Alabaster's Influencer Program**

I didn’t grow up with great examples of resting or how to rest well. I also didn’t grow up in a church that taught it much. But I do know learning to rest is important and is a spiritual discipline for the Christian. With this new offering, Alabaster takes readers on a 7-chapter journey surrounding the act of rest and why we, as faithful followers of Christ, must do so. From viewing stories Genesis, Psalms, and other scripture to carefully featuring real life stories of men and women who learned to rest, Alabaster does this succinctly and well. And of course, true to the signature of Alabaster are the beautiful pictures of serene nature and colors that match the mood and theme around rest. This is a book I would read while drinking hot chocolate and laying down on the couch OR as a devotional for myself or for my small group. If I could make a suggestion, it would be to include more writers/authors or theologians of color into the mix. While Nouwen, Peterson, Wallace and others are a welcomed source for their respective works on rest, I wonder how other Christians around the world value and do rest. I also wonder how the practice of rest looks similar or different around the world. *A copy of the book was made available to me through Alabaster’s Influencer Program.*

As people and as artists I think it's so easy get lost in our journeys; continually bouncing from one thing to another that we become lost with the true reality of life and death. As Christian people and artists we have such an opportunity and privilege to connect with the God of the universe and to share that relationship with those we interact with. This amazing book that I had the opportunity to read as part of Alabaster's ambassador program, gives me so much joy to visually and poetically rest in the Rest of God. I cannot express how much of an impact this book has made on me & I pray that everyone who reads it will share this amazing power of resting in God!

I am so excited about this book on rest! I am so thankful to be apart of the Alabaster's Influencer Program and to receive my complimentary copy of the book. This book is so needed for us as believers to be reminded of the rest we find in Christ. Reading through the introduction there is all ready so many parts to highlight and take note on. I am a person who likes to get things done and really feels like I can rest once my to do list is done. This book has already reminded me that my rest can not look like that. There is always more to do. My rest needs to be found in my dependence on God. As the introduction says “Rest is at the heart of being with God.” We all need rest not just because we get tired, but because we need to slow down and connect with God. This book has been such a beautiful reminder to me that my relationship with the Lord is not based off of what I can do, but what He has done! And in that we find rest! What a blessing! There is so much great truth in this book and even though I haven’t finished it yet I would definitely recommend it. We all need to slow down and check that our hearts are resting in God! I can’t wait to continue to read this book and learn more about rest!