At Home in This Life

Minister and speaker Greer (A Homemade Year) ruminates on the changes to her faith and life that came after she and her husband decided to sell their renovated 1940s suburban home and move to the country, where they could spread out, live off the land, and raise their children in a more bucolic setting. The family expected their house to be sold quickly (it had been featured in design magazines), but fickle buyers and a stagnant market left them unable to get rid of the property. Greer stresses that it took her a while to come to terms with the idea that their grand plans might not be timed with God’s will. Gradually the family turned to practicing charity, humility, stability, and faithfulness—relying solely on God (not their own timing) to set the plan into motion. Instead of looking for the next step all the time, Greer learned to love her current home and developed strategies, such as “fasting” from laundry machines, TV, and multitasking, to bring more calm into daily life. In a gentle, conversational tone, Greer opens up her heart and innermost thoughts to readers. She shares recipes, craft ideas, and farming projects, keeping the tone positive and hopeful. Greer’s joyful memoir will appeal to families searching for solid ground in a season of patient waiting. (May)