Courtney Ellis is an author, speaker, and pastor. Her books include Looking Up, Weathering Change, Uncluttered, Present, and Almost Holy Mama. Ellis serves as a Presbyterian pastor in southern California and is the host of The Thing with Feathers podcast. Born in the Northwoods of Wisconsin, she graduated from Wheaton College, Loyola University Chicago, and Princeton Theological Seminary. She and her husband are the parents of three children.
Description
Welcome
Part I God Sees You
1 When You Rise Early | Sunrise
2 When You Feel Unnoticed | Snow
3 When You Feel Unheard | Waves
4 When You Feel Lost | Soil
5 When You Just Dont Fit In | Seahorses
6 When You Havent Been Celebrated | Orangutans
7 When You Feel Like You Are Too Much | A Very Good Dog
8 When You Long for a Blessing | Stars
Part II God Is Kind
9 When You Ignore Your Own Pressing Needs | Water
10 When You Seek Wonder | Jellyfish
11 When You Need to Play | Foxes
12 When You Feel Angry | Cleaner Wrasse
13 When You Want to Pay Holy Attention | Norway Maple
14 When You Feel Grumpy | Awe Walk
Part III Fear Not
15 When You Fear What You Dont Understand | Saw-scaled Viper
16 When You Feel Like Everything is Falling Apart | Strawberries and Tomatoes
17 When You Are Unsettled by the Dark | Night
18 When You Struggle to Sleep | Cats
19 When You Want to Stop Hiding | Red-tailed Hawks
20 When You Feel Frantic | Clouds
21 When You Feel Overwhelmed | Trees
22 When You Are Shaken | Breath
Part IV My Peace I Give You
23 When You Need Stability | Fungi
24 When You Struggle to Believe in What You Cannot See | Wind
25 When You Need a Little Encouragement | Eelgrass
26 When You Struggle to Be With People | Owls
27 When You Feel Behind | Elephants
28 When You Havent Smiled in a Long Time | Sea Turtles
Part V What Do You Long For?
29 When You Are Hungry for Beauty | Birds
30 When You Long for the New Creation | Pests
31 When You Need a Good Cry | Onions
32 When You Want to Forget Yourself | Parks
33 When You Need Softness | Feathers
34 When You Need a Hug | Bark
35 When You Feel Annoyed | Northern Parula
36 When You Experience Stale Worship | Citrus
Part VI Be of Good Courage
37 When You Need Permission to Say Hard Things to God | Quaking Aspen
38 When You Struggle to Name the Truth | Coral
39 When You Need a Gentle Push in the Right Direction | Rattlesnakes
40 When You Long to See Growth | Celery
41 When You Want to Learn How to See | Moths
42 When You Struggle to Love Others | Spiders
43 When You Ache Because of the State of the World | White-crowned Sparrow
44 When You Feel Stuck in a Rut | Mangrove Tree Crabs
Part VII Find Rest
45 When You Are Over It | Rocks
46 When You Are Tired of Surviving Extremes | Tardigrades
47 When You Seek to Embrace a Fallow Season | Farm Fields
48 When You Feel Exhausted | Koalas
49 When You Are Running Ragged | Blue Whales
50 When You Need a Lift | Condors
51 When You Need Time to Soak Things In | Moss
52 When You Need Rest | Sunsets
Acknowledgments
Notes
"This book is a seed: nourishing, quiet, humble, and deeply hopeful. More than once, my eyes filled as Courtney Ellis described in clear, friendly prose the massive and minute dramas of the natural world, each one noticed by a God whose attention never wanes. If God attends to sunsets and soil, jellyfish and sparrows, as the Bible and nature itself suggest, then Ellis challenges us to trust that Gods tender regard extends to you and me too. Take a deep breath, settle yourself in a chair with a view, and then pick up this book to be reminded that we are not alone on this planet, and we never were-thank God." --LIZ CHARLOTTE GRANT, author of Knock at the Sky and By Fire, By Song
"Most of us picked up the message somewhere that good Christians are disciplined, devoted, and doing all the right spiritual things, even if sometimes were not sure who made the list. Courtney Ellis names the anxiety that were not doing enough so we can move past performing and get to the good stuff: noticing Gods nearness in all of creation. She helps us open our eyes to the extraordinary things hiding in ordinary time, to a God who does the good work of formation right where we are, moving through ordinary time in an extraordinary world." --SARA BILLUPS, author of Orphaned Believers and Nervous Systems
"A gentle invitation to stop trying so hard and begin noticing again. With warmth, wisdom, and wonderful humor, Courtney Ellis reminds us that God is already here-in birdsong and breath, trees and tides, wonder and rest. These pages are a gift for weary souls: permission to pay attention, to be curious, and to trust that grace has been closer than we imagined all along." --ROGER HUTCHISON, author of Into the Woulds: A Field Guide for Tender Souls
"If you have questions about your relationship with God that you cant seem to find a good answer to, or you find yourself wondering (and wandering) and really need something that tethers you back to the crawl-space faith that you have been trying to hang on to by a thread, this book is for you. As someone who walks alongside grievers of all kinds, I believe the synergy of welcome and connection to God through nature is just the nervous-system regulator we need in this season. I highly recommend The Undevotional for anyone exhausted from the norm and in need of a gentle place to land." --DR. QUANTRILLA ARD, grief coach and founder of Its All Grief to Me
"Courtney Elliss newest book is a breath of fresh air. The format evolved from Elliss own quest to nurture her faith by letting go of all the shoulds and have tos that often weigh us down as we seek to follow Christ. The fifty-two chapters of The Undevotional are a kind of spiritual menu, and the seeker can choose from entrees such as God Is Kind, Finding Rest, and What Do You Long For? I will be using this book and, as with Elliss other books, sharing it with family and friends." --KATHLEEN LONG BOSTROM, author
"The Undevotional encourages us to slow down and allow the beauty of Gods creation to foster our spiritual growth. Courtney Ellis is deeply knowledgeable about nature, refreshingly candid, and impatient with superficial advice. She challenges stereotypes of what Christians are sometimes told to think and feel, and offers antidotes to the neglect of the soul promoted by relentless striving." --CLINTON W. MCLEMORE, PhD, clinical psychologist, author of Christianity for Seekers and Skeptics: Critical Thinking and Passionate Faith