Unglued Devotional Book Review

Title: Unglued Devotional

Author: Lysa Terkeurst

Publisher: Zondervan

Published: December, 2012

ISBN: 9780310320326

Genre: Religion – Christian Life – Spiritual Growth

Pages: 208

Price: $12.99

About the Book:

This companion devotional to the bestselling book Unglued provides encouragement to help readers handle emotional struggles. Including a daily opening Scripture, Thought for the Day, devotion, and closing prayer, this book helps readers begin a 60-day journey in learning to positively process raw emotions, such as fear, anger, and regret.

My thoughts:

As a mother of three kids – five and under, I find that I am often getting unglued.  After the birth of my second child I suffered with postpartum depression for over a year.  It was rough and emotional.  I wish I had this tool to help me on those days when things just seemed so bleak.  Terkeurst created this devotional as a companion to her bestselling book Unglued.  It’s refreshing that you can find something to help you on those days when your emotions seem to get the best of you.  We’ve all been there before and with this book you can find daily inspiration to help you with those emotions.  Although it’s set to last 60 days I think you can revisit any day when you find you are in need of the inspiration to get through that day.  What I liked about the devotional is that it doesn’t bash you for having break downs.  Terkeurst shares her imperfect moments and helps you connect to those experiences and at the end of each day is a prayer for progress.  I felt like I was in great company because there wasn’t criticism, she’s raw and vulnerable in sharing her struggles and how she found other women with the same struggles.  I’m learning to change my reaction to situations that I don’t like and to react differently to my children, husband, family and friends when they are not doing the things I want them to do.  I also do if I get unglued again that it’s okay and I can start over the process again and continue to take steps towards my goal.  I just keep moving.

If you think you are getting unglued or want to work on how your emotions are controlling you then you need to pick up this book.  Don’t look at like a sixty day guide because you can use it over and over again on the days you need the help.  You can pick it up online from Zondervan or Amazon.

Excerpt From Unglued Devotional:

Time for a New Script
“For I am the LORD your God
who takes hold of your right hand and says to you,
Do not fear; I will help you.”
(ISAIAH 41:13)

Thought for the Day: While feeling unglued is all I’ve really known,
today my life can be different.

I’m sad because of the way I acted today. I’m disappointed in my lack of self-control. And the more I relive my emotionally driven tirade, the more my brain refuses sleep.
I have to figure this out. What is my problem? Why can’t I seem to control my reactions? I stuff. I explode. And I don’t know how to get a handle on this. But God help me if I don’t get a handle on this. I will destroy the relationships I value most and weave into my life permanent threads of short-temperedness, shame, fear, and frustration. Is that what I really want? Do I want my headstone to read, “Well, on the days she was nice, she was really nice. But on the days she wasn’t, rest assured, hell hath no fury like the woman who lies beneath the ground right here”?  No. That’s not what I want. Not at all. I don’t want the script of my life to be written that way.  So, at 2:08 a.m., I vow to do better tomorrow. But better proves elusive and my vow wears thin in the face of daily annoyances and other unpleasant realities. Tears slip, and I’m worn out from trying.

Always trying.  I feel broken. Unglued, actually. I have vowed to do better at 2:08 a.m. and 8:14 a.m. and 3:37 p.m. and 9:49 p.m. and many other minutes in between. So why aren’t things getting better? Why aren’t my reactions tamer?  I know what it’s like to praise God one minute and in the next minute yell and scream at my child — and then to feel both the burden of my destructive behavior and the shame of my powerlessness to stop it. The emotional demands keep on coming. Unrelenting insecurity. Wondering if anyone appreciates me. Feeling tired, stressed, and hormonal.  Feeling unglued is really all I’ve ever known. And I’m starting to wonder if maybe it’s all I’ll ever be.  Those were the defeating thoughts I couldn’t escape. Maybe you can relate. If you relate to my hurt, I pray you will also relate to my hope. While unglued is all I’ve really known, I believe that with God’s help, today my life can be different. That’s my personal revelation of hope. The pages of this devotional are my hope journal.
A place of tender mercies and grace given so many times it almost seems scandalous. How can our God be so patient? I don’t know.  But He is. Today, He’s offering us the fresh start our souls desperately need. Our key verse from Isaiah 41 promises He will help us.  We can be different. A slate wiped clean. A page crisp white. A chance to start rewriting the old scripts of past failures. For me. For you.  Together.  We can do this.

God, thank You that this is a new twenty-four hours. Today,
I want to believe I can start writing a new script for my life.
Help me to overcome the disbelief I have because of my past
failures. Amen.

Disclosure: I was provided this book for review from Booksneeze and Zondervan for review.  Any and all opinions expressed are my own and have not been influenced.

Related articles

• Unglued Devotional (werejumpin.wordpress.com)
• Imperfect Progress #UnGlued (runningrachel.com)
• Unglued Devotional by Lysa TerKeurst (create-with-joy.com)