Anna Kettle

Sand Between Your Toes: Inspirations for a Slower, Simpler, and More Soulful Life by Anna Kettle

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Sand Between Your Toes: Inspirations for a Slower, Simpler, and More Soulful Life made me read a book to my kids when I would have turned bedtime into Netflix and hell—chaotic crosstalk of voices shouting from devices dotted all over our master bedroom. Me, hiding in my headphones, wondering what makes the top 10 movies “good.”

Anna Kettle’s devotional helped me make a different choice that looked like my kids in their sleeping bags at the end of our bed and the toddler between Hubby and I all received an unfamiliar message: It’s okay. Rest.

The principles from Sand Between Your Toes had got into me, and I decided to say, “No.” No to “chill time” that does nothing but set our brains on high alert. No to the busyness and blue light that too often rules the roost right up until the arbitrary sleep timer on TV shuts it all down. No to talking over each other. Replaced by the narration of a fantasy-adventure novel about three marvelous children who seem to have forgotten their true identities… Sound machines went on and lights went out without a peep. I slept better than I have in a really long time.

I had forgotten an important truth, which I remembered as I read between the lines of Anna Kettle’s devotional, Sand Between Your Toes: Inspirations for a Slower, Simpler, and More Soulful Life: We have now, in the midst of the Pandemic, its limits, and forced slowing of life, a choice. It’s one we’ve always had, actually—a choice whether to keep things as they are: Busy. Questionably good.

OR, I can choose to change. To say, “Yes” to the things that are life-giving and “No” to the things God is very gently telling me to trust to His care.

That’s real soul care. Self-care. Rest.




View all my reviews