This post is part of the “Finding Spiritual Whitespace Blog Tour.” To learn more and join us, CLICK HERE!

There’s something decadent about curling up with a good book, probably because as women we deny ourselves downtime, like a privilege we must earn. Surely that’s not just me.

Questioning the idea that it’s wrong to rest is one of my greatest takeaways from my friend Bonnie Gray’s new book, Finding Spiritual Whitespace: Awakening Your Soul to Rest (affiliate link). Bonnie defines spiritual whitespace as rest for your soul; I need that.

If you’re a long-time reader here, you may remember Bonnie’s guest post The Day God Took My Picture. I was with Bonnie the day she found out she had an offer to publish her book, and now that I’ve read it, I truly understand how special our time was while taking her photograph.

Something unthinkable happened when Bonnie began to write: she experienced panic attacks, insomnia, and finally a diagnosis of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) because of her childhood. Instead of joy, this personal milestone spiraled Bonnie into months of anxiety triggered by writing her book.

Even if your childhood was free of the psychological trauma Bonnie experienced, there is something here for every woman.

My story is really every woman’s story. Because every woman has felt burned out and tired. Every woman longs to dream, to feed her soul and rest. Everyone longs to move beyond coping and surviving.

Yet we often put ourselves to the side, numbing the stillness by doing rather than by becoming vulnerable and real.

Part memoir, part self-help, packed with journal prompts, Finding Spiritual Whitespace encourages you to nurture your soul and draw closer to Jesus. This soul-rest is not a call to inactivity: whitespace categories include creativity, friendship, adventure, and soul-care. The Whitespace Challenge section at the end of the book contains practical ideas for awakening your soul to rest and reducing stress in your life.

[Email subscribers click here to watch the book trailer.]

Interestingly enough, my summer reads are calling me to analyze the ways we as parents affect and influence our children. I can’t wait to share my list with you. Hopefully you’ll find good books to cuddle up with, too.

Bonnie Gray is the writer behind Faith Barista.com who wrote a book about her inspiring, heart-breaking journey to find rest, which garnered Publisher’s Weekly starred review. I’m taking the journey to find rest through this guidebook and invite you to read it too. You can get a copy HERE.