When Strivings Cease: Replacing the Gospel of Self-Improvement with the Gospel of Life-Transforming Grace
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- Create Date：2021-10-26 11:20:56
- Update Date：2025-09-06
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- Author：Ruth Chou Simons
- ISBN：1713637278
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Reviews
Rachel
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Do you find yourself striving in your own strength， even if you know that you are saved by grace？ We can find ourselves subconsciously reverting to old habits and thoughts， wearing ourselves out by living as if our works can save us。 We are forgetful people， and we all need reminders of the beauty and simplicity of God's grace。 Ruth lays out this principle of grace in thoughtful， empathetic， and assured words to lead us to a more spacious place。 She includes vulnerable stories from her own life Do you find yourself striving in your own strength， even if you know that you are saved by grace？ We can find ourselves subconsciously reverting to old habits and thoughts， wearing ourselves out by living as if our works can save us。 We are forgetful people， and we all need reminders of the beauty and simplicity of God's grace。 Ruth lays out this principle of grace in thoughtful， empathetic， and assured words to lead us to a more spacious place。 She includes vulnerable stories from her own life to help us understand our own lives， and writes as your best friend talking about truths you need to hear in a loving manner。 This is a beautifully written book， good for any season of life。 Keep it handy on your bookshelf for continued Godly advice and encouragement。 。。。more
Sara Hansen
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If you ever feel like you just aren’t good enough no matter how hard you try， you’re not alone， my friend！ I highly recommend reading When Strivings Cease by Ruth Chou Simons。 This book will give you a whole new insight on God， grace， and what exactly it is that you keep striving for but can never attain。 I’d love for all women who have struggled with trying to live up to the impossible to read this book and feel the sense of freedom that I have。 In a world where we’re being bombarded with self- If you ever feel like you just aren’t good enough no matter how hard you try， you’re not alone， my friend！ I highly recommend reading When Strivings Cease by Ruth Chou Simons。 This book will give you a whole new insight on God， grace， and what exactly it is that you keep striving for but can never attain。 I’d love for all women who have struggled with trying to live up to the impossible to read this book and feel the sense of freedom that I have。 In a world where we’re being bombarded with self-help strategies from books， podcasts， and yes even sermons， Ruth’s words of truth are a heartfelt reminder that no matter how hard we strive we can’t possibly save ourselves， and we aren’t meant to either。I love this quote from Ruth: "The answer we're looking for isn't the latest and greatest strategy for self-improvement; it's the transforming gift of amazing grace。" 。。。more
Marie Chan
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In When Strivings Cease， I felt like Ruth was speaking directly to me and her words were like a "mirror" of my childhood， where I struggled to navigate being both Chinese and American。 I felt so encouraged to see my Asian American experience represented in this faith space。 When Strivings Cease addresses the universal yearnings of acceptance， belonging， and wanting to be welcomed just as we are， not based on pressures to perform perfectly that others expect of us or perhaps we even put on oursel In When Strivings Cease， I felt like Ruth was speaking directly to me and her words were like a "mirror" of my childhood， where I struggled to navigate being both Chinese and American。 I felt so encouraged to see my Asian American experience represented in this faith space。 When Strivings Cease addresses the universal yearnings of acceptance， belonging， and wanting to be welcomed just as we are， not based on pressures to perform perfectly that others expect of us or perhaps we even put on ourselves。 Ruth shares about how Chinese customs like "mianzi" and a culture that values honor and shame can affect how we view ourselves。 Instead， Ruth points to real freedom found in grace。 I highly recommend When Strivings Cease and hope you get a copy today！ 。。。more
Ashley B。
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When Strivings Cease gives teeth to the gospel of grace over the gospel of self-improvement discussion。 Ruth shares raw， vulnerable stories from her own life in a way that is relatable and truly putting on display what grace looks like in the everyday。 I found this book to be a 228 page counter statement to the popular "you are enough" mantra。 I recommend this book for every weary woman who has wrestled with being enough over the years and just hasn't been able to see why they are still struggli When Strivings Cease gives teeth to the gospel of grace over the gospel of self-improvement discussion。 Ruth shares raw， vulnerable stories from her own life in a way that is relatable and truly putting on display what grace looks like in the everyday。 I found this book to be a 228 page counter statement to the popular "you are enough" mantra。 I recommend this book for every weary woman who has wrestled with being enough over the years and just hasn't been able to see why they are still struggling with that idea。 This book will help you see past that and get straight to the heart of striving/being enough。 。。。more
Laurel Williston
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This is the book I’ve been needing lately。 The first part goes through many of the ways we “strive”， trying to fix ourselves or earn grace。 And the second part shows many of the ways we can experience grace。It’s full of stories， which makes it relatable and easy to read， and is bathed in Biblical truths。 What resonated most with me was the reminder that the gospel of grace is not just for salvation but for our whole spiritual journey。 God does all the heavy lifting the whole way。If you are weary This is the book I’ve been needing lately。 The first part goes through many of the ways we “strive”， trying to fix ourselves or earn grace。 And the second part shows many of the ways we can experience grace。It’s full of stories， which makes it relatable and easy to read， and is bathed in Biblical truths。 What resonated most with me was the reminder that the gospel of grace is not just for salvation but for our whole spiritual journey。 God does all the heavy lifting the whole way。If you are weary and want rest or are tired of never feeling good enough， this book will be balm for your soul。 。。。more
Milinda Yount
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I loved when Strivings Cease for two main reasons。 The book has solid biblical teaching focused on God’s grace and how that helped the author and can help us get out of the endless cycle of striving to perform and improve。 This is considered from several perspectives in informative and readable chapters， with the main focus on God’s grace。 Scripture is used throughout to support and the discussion prompts self-reflection and critical thinking。 I highlighted over a dozen passages for future refer I loved when Strivings Cease for two main reasons。 The book has solid biblical teaching focused on God’s grace and how that helped the author and can help us get out of the endless cycle of striving to perform and improve。 This is considered from several perspectives in informative and readable chapters， with the main focus on God’s grace。 Scripture is used throughout to support and the discussion prompts self-reflection and critical thinking。 I highlighted over a dozen passages for future reference。 While not the main objective of the book， there are elements of memoir as the author provides an honest reveal into her own life and background as she looks back and processes where she has struggled and grown – this was woven in seamlessly with the topical discussions and brought the concepts alive。 Thanks to Netgalley and Thomas Nelson for an early copy to read and review。 。。。more
Kim
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An encouraging Biblically-based book from Ruth Chou Simons that delves into her background story。 I was moved by her drive to “earn grace”， a deeply held default belief that it was more important to “do” than to “be”。It’s worth the price of the book just to savor her take on the Prodigal Son passage， seen through the lens of the “saving face” concept of her Chinese heritage。 I’ve marked that chapter and will be re-reading on repeat。I highly recommend this book。
Stacy Loftis
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I’ve been a “try harder” girl my entire life。 So as I began to read When Strivings Cease I felt as if Ruth had been reading through my own journals of the past ten years。 I discovered a kindred spirit whose writing is that of honest， rich， personal conversation over tea with a wise， dear friend。 It resonates - loudly， in the kindest， most loving way。 Through her own life experiences， she reminds us that the very same gospel that redeems us， sustains us。 God’s grace is truly enough。 “We can’t kno I’ve been a “try harder” girl my entire life。 So as I began to read When Strivings Cease I felt as if Ruth had been reading through my own journals of the past ten years。 I discovered a kindred spirit whose writing is that of honest， rich， personal conversation over tea with a wise， dear friend。 It resonates - loudly， in the kindest， most loving way。 Through her own life experiences， she reminds us that the very same gospel that redeems us， sustains us。 God’s grace is truly enough。 “We can’t know true freedom if we expect grace to make us merely better， rather than completely new。 Better seeks to measure up; completely new requires a miracle。” Then she shares what it looks like to rest in that daily grace “that enables the hope that sustains us in times of uncertainty， pain， and when our lives don’t look the way we hoped or expected。” A foundation of solid Scripture referencing abounds here， in the midst of Ruth’s own beautiful story。 The truths that she shares have provided me with clarity in some areas of my faith walk that have been a long tug-of-war。 The beauties and perfect peace to be found in God’s grace are essential truths for those who have grown up in the Christian faith， as well as those new to the journey。 Bet you can’t read it just once！ 。。。more
Amber Thiessen
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RTC
Jeanne
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This book is so fitting for my life right now！ I've been striving in relationships， striving at work， striving， striving， striving。。。I've read so many "self-help" books。 This one points you right to Jesus and his love and grace。As another reviewer perfectly stated "This book is for the woman who thinks she isn’t enough。 This book is for the woman whose past guilt overwhelms her。 This book is for the woman who feels like a failure。 This book holds encouragement， hope， and grace grounded in God’s This book is so fitting for my life right now！ I've been striving in relationships， striving at work， striving， striving， striving。。。I've read so many "self-help" books。 This one points you right to Jesus and his love and grace。As another reviewer perfectly stated "This book is for the woman who thinks she isn’t enough。 This book is for the woman whose past guilt overwhelms her。 This book is for the woman who feels like a failure。 This book holds encouragement， hope， and grace grounded in God’s truth and love。" 。。。more
Kristen Mladenoff
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Is it a sign that I struggle with striving when I’ve written 4 reviews for this book and I found each one to be lacking？ I want to capture how seen and known I felt when reading。 I want to encourage you to buy the book and share it with a friend， and while I know my words don’t hold that much weight， I can remember all the times I’ve turned to a review before I choose a book。 I want you to know that in When Strivings Cease， Ruth Chou Simons weaves her story with the truth of the gospel and freed Is it a sign that I struggle with striving when I’ve written 4 reviews for this book and I found each one to be lacking？ I want to capture how seen and known I felt when reading。 I want to encourage you to buy the book and share it with a friend， and while I know my words don’t hold that much weight， I can remember all the times I’ve turned to a review before I choose a book。 I want you to know that in When Strivings Cease， Ruth Chou Simons weaves her story with the truth of the gospel and freedom that’s available when you allow God to make all things new。 She shares how life transforming grace is available all because of Jesus， and she shares with transparency and vulnerability like you would with a trusted friend over a cup of coffee。 If you’re striving and overwhelmed， these words will be water for your parched soul。 If you’re seeking to grow in your faith， these truths will be encouragement for your heart。 Replace strivings with deeply rooted understanding of the all-sufficiency of God’s grace by saturating your days in His Word。 Ruth shares how seeping in scripture has rooted and grounded her heart and how you can have this too。 。。。more
Jenn
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I was so excited to hear that Ruth was writing this book。 The title aloe spoke right to the strivers heart。 It was filled with so many beautiful truths。 Run and get yourself a copy now it will hit straight to the heart。
Chona
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Wow！ This book is something to wrestle with especially those who strive for perfection and acceptance。 Cease the doing。 Strive for the better and lay it to God。 Ruth Chou Simons latest book， When Striving Cease are for people like me and you。 To strive for the glory of God。
Jackie
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That’ll preach！ “When Strivings Cease” is not just about quitting the nonsense of striving， though it is about that too。 This book， at its heart， is sharing the gospel in such a relevant way for us in 2021。 It’s about rooting up false gospel lies in our lives and holding them to the light of the true Good News to see them for what they really are。 Ruth has multiple， wonderful gifts and abilities to write and paint and share her God-given creativity so well。 Her personal stories constantly point That’ll preach！ “When Strivings Cease” is not just about quitting the nonsense of striving， though it is about that too。 This book， at its heart， is sharing the gospel in such a relevant way for us in 2021。 It’s about rooting up false gospel lies in our lives and holding them to the light of the true Good News to see them for what they really are。 Ruth has multiple， wonderful gifts and abilities to write and paint and share her God-given creativity so well。 Her personal stories constantly point the reader to scripture， abundantly quoting and referencing the Bible， allowing His narrative to speak over and wash her own， while reminding us that that we can do this too。 The deep dive into the cultural references surrounding the Prodigal Son were particularly beautiful and touching to me。 I am a huge fan of Ruth Simmons’ books， not just because they are pretty， encouraging， or relatable， they are certainly all of those， but because she constantly points to Jesus， His Truth， His Way， and His abilities over ours。 She does that again so well here and I am so thankful for her example and shared wisdom as a fellow Christ follower。 Definitely read this one。 。。。more
Emily Maxwell
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"Take your eyes off everything you think you need to be amazing and be amazed instead at God's grace。" -Ruth Chou Simons; When Strivings CeaseIn a society so focused on "ME" and self-help/self-love， this book is EXACTLY what everyone needs。 We can't better ourselves， our relationships without first growing our relationship with God！ He is the answer to everything！ If we truly accept him into our lives， fully accept his grace， that he miraculously gives so freely， our self-love， self-acceptance， "Take your eyes off everything you think you need to be amazing and be amazed instead at God's grace。" -Ruth Chou Simons; When Strivings CeaseIn a society so focused on "ME" and self-help/self-love， this book is EXACTLY what everyone needs。 We can't better ourselves， our relationships without first growing our relationship with God！ He is the answer to everything！ If we truly accept him into our lives， fully accept his grace， that he miraculously gives so freely， our self-love， self-acceptance， self-forgiveness will come so easily。 That then carries over to our relationships with others。"We can't know true freedom if we expect grace to make us merely better， rather than completely new。""God sees us as beloved and unblemished - he sees us as he sees his perfect son， Christ。 He chooses to apply grave and call us forgiven because of himself， not because we've proven our worthiness。 That's why we can't work to forgive others until we first receive Christ's forgiveness of our own shortcomings。 Grace make it possible for us to stop trying to fix others and forgive them instead， on account of God's favor when we can't quite muster up our own。"God's grace lets us know that God does not expect us to be "perfect" or even what we see as the "perfect version of ourselves。" He knows we are going to mess up， and accepting him， and his grace， lets us know we are forgiven， gives us the courage to forgive ourselves and accept out imperfect selves， allowing us to live full lives， and grow healthy relationships。I love Ruth Chou Simons's other books， and this one is no different。 This book is different from her others in that it shows HER。 Who she really is in her faith， her life。 She lets us know of her struggles in the past with striving to be more， and her struggles to truly accept God's grace fully。 It is wonderful to see others that you admire and feel like they have it all together and see their struggles are the same as ours！BUY this book！！ You will not be disappointed！！"Good soil is the difference between truth that transforms and truth that never takes root。" 。。。more
Candy
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Apart from The Bible， When Strivings Cease is one of the most beautifully written descriptions of the simple， yet profound truth of The Gospel that I have ever read。 Like Ruth， I grew up in a performance-based home， where I often felt like my best was never good enough。 Embracing the reality of what Christ did for us on the cross will set us free from our performance mentality。 As Ruth so aptly put it， “The answer we're looking for isn't the latest and greatest strategy for self-improvement; it' Apart from The Bible， When Strivings Cease is one of the most beautifully written descriptions of the simple， yet profound truth of The Gospel that I have ever read。 Like Ruth， I grew up in a performance-based home， where I often felt like my best was never good enough。 Embracing the reality of what Christ did for us on the cross will set us free from our performance mentality。 As Ruth so aptly put it， “The answer we're looking for isn't the latest and greatest strategy for self-improvement; it's the transforming gift of amazing grace。” When we find ourselves continually striving to live up to God's standards， Ruth reminds that “realigning your mind， heart， and identity to grace， not works is a daily battle。” If you find yourself weary from always trying to measure up， this book is for you。 “The truth will set you free！” （John 8:32） 。。。more
Bethany Giles
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When Strivings Cease is a breath-taking heart challenge to remember that living as a Christian is primarily a relationship; and when that relationship based on grace becomes the core from which my everything flows， there will be rest， peace， and calm in my every day。 It is so very true that， “…realigning your mind， heart， and identity to grace， not works is a daily battle。” Being a list-making， calendar scheduling， to-do list hustling gal means that I can tend to find so much satisfaction in my When Strivings Cease is a breath-taking heart challenge to remember that living as a Christian is primarily a relationship; and when that relationship based on grace becomes the core from which my everything flows， there will be rest， peace， and calm in my every day。 It is so very true that， “…realigning your mind， heart， and identity to grace， not works is a daily battle。” Being a list-making， calendar scheduling， to-do list hustling gal means that I can tend to find so much satisfaction in my checked boxes that I lose sight of what brings real peace and satisfaction。 The center of my heart’s focus must be the grace of God， the only real enabling power。 Ruth’s transparency in sharing her own life’s journey was inspiring and made me wish for a chance to sit across from her at her kitchen table over coffee！ The book arrived， just after sending off my oldest child for several months on his first adventure away from home; and I was wrestling with the “did I do enough， say enough， warn enough， prepare him enough” thoughts。 Sometimes strivings need to cease even after the work is done， when our enemy tries to trick us into worry and fear！ The book is a refreshing read and a call to simply dwell。 。。。more
Courtney
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Ruth's powerfully and beautifully told story guides the reader on a journey to learn to receive and walk out in the extravagant， undeserved grace of God。 This book is a refreshing gulp of water to the parched soul of a recovering perfectionist and people pleaser who is tired of striving and trying to measure up。 I so appreciate Ruth's unique perspective as a Taiwanese immigrant who grew up between two cultures。 Although I was born and raised in the U。S。， I can relate with growing up in a family Ruth's powerfully and beautifully told story guides the reader on a journey to learn to receive and walk out in the extravagant， undeserved grace of God。 This book is a refreshing gulp of water to the parched soul of a recovering perfectionist and people pleaser who is tired of striving and trying to measure up。 I so appreciate Ruth's unique perspective as a Taiwanese immigrant who grew up between two cultures。 Although I was born and raised in the U。S。， I can relate with growing up in a family where words of affirmation and encouragement from my parents were few and criticism and negativity was plentiful。 She puts into words the wonderings I've always had about why I've been striving for approval and living in shame for as long as I can remember and why I haven't been able to walk in the fullness of freedom that Jesus Christ has already died to pay for。 One of the many quotes that resonates with me is， "I pray you stay。 I pray you know his delight in and through you。 I pray you know you can't save yourself， no matter how well you perform。 There's hope for me， and there's hope for you。 God's good gifts don't depend on your perfection; they've already been secured in our perfect Savior， Christ。 The pressure's off， friend。 Get off that stage， and rest" （pg。 73） 。Another is， "If there is a gospel of self-improvement， it is a damning one。 It is a gospel that is not good news at all; it will wall you off， shrivel you up， and destroy your sensitivity to God's pursuit。 This is why it must be utterly destroyed and replaced with the true gospel of life-transforming grace。 Only the grace of God is enough to bring us home， make us worthy， and keep us in the love of God" （pg。 103）。 These quotes sum up the heart of Ruth's God-given message of hope: It is possible to live in the reality of the grace of God。 。。。more
Mollie Melton
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The message of the book—that we don’t have to， and will never be able to， strive to earn God’s grace—is something I need a constant reminder of and is at the heart of the gospel。 The strength of the book is the personal testimony Ruth shares about the ways she has experienced this struggle in her own life， and she shows particular ways the emphasis on striving to be good enough played out in her experience in Asian-American culture。 The gospel message is the same across cultures and times， but d The message of the book—that we don’t have to， and will never be able to， strive to earn God’s grace—is something I need a constant reminder of and is at the heart of the gospel。 The strength of the book is the personal testimony Ruth shares about the ways she has experienced this struggle in her own life， and she shows particular ways the emphasis on striving to be good enough played out in her experience in Asian-American culture。 The gospel message is the same across cultures and times， but different cultures and individual experiences can make aspects of it especially evident。 The writing style was personable， which worked especially well with the personal stories， but contributed to the more theological parts of the book feeling a little rushed。 The quotes that she incorporates fit into the book’s message seamlessly。 。。。more
Sonja
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Ruth Chou Simons opens up her heart throughout her new book "When Strivings Cease" and makes you feel like you are having a one on one conversation with her。 She shows us how God's grace is what overcomes the lie that we believe that we have to strive for everything-acceptance， people pleasing， not being enough and more， and how exhausting it is to strive and not rest in God's grace that Jesus came to give us。 Ruth's book spoke to my heart esp。 as I identified with her and her relationship with Ruth Chou Simons opens up her heart throughout her new book "When Strivings Cease" and makes you feel like you are having a one on one conversation with her。 She shows us how God's grace is what overcomes the lie that we believe that we have to strive for everything-acceptance， people pleasing， not being enough and more， and how exhausting it is to strive and not rest in God's grace that Jesus came to give us。 Ruth's book spoke to my heart esp。 as I identified with her and her relationship with her parents， as I am one who has lived with feeling the need to people please and thinking that I am not good enough from the time I was a child as well。 One quote in her book， out of many， that resonated with me was， "You and I are freed from disappointment in others and disappointment in ourselves， not because we can let it go but because God stops us in the middle of our striving and comes after us。" "He doesn't let us go-"Ruth's perspective on grace brings such freedom。 I am so grateful for her transparency。I believe any woman that is "striving" for approval， feeling like they are not enough， feels shame， or any of the many ways we strive will definitely find hope and freedom from striving and have a new perspective on Grace as they read the words that flow right from God through Ruth onto the pages of "When Strivings Cease"。 。。。more
Patti Whitson Stephenson She Lives to Read
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“If we believe Jesus is all we need， then why do we live our days worn out， fearful， and anxiously striving as if we are lacking and unable to measure up？（Quote by the author from the Introduction to the book。）I was immediately drawn to read this book because of the title “When Strivings Cease—Replacing The Gospel Of Improvement With The Gospel of Life-Transforming Grace。” I believe that Ruth Chou Simons has identified a major problem that Christian women face today: “What must I do to be enough “If we believe Jesus is all we need， then why do we live our days worn out， fearful， and anxiously striving as if we are lacking and unable to measure up？（Quote by the author from the Introduction to the book。）I was immediately drawn to read this book because of the title “When Strivings Cease—Replacing The Gospel Of Improvement With The Gospel of Life-Transforming Grace。” I believe that Ruth Chou Simons has identified a major problem that Christian women face today: “What must I do to be enough？” We accept with gratitude the fact that Jesus paid the price for our salvation， but work as if everything else depends on us and how much we achieve。 I appreciated how the author shared her own personal struggle of growing up between two cultures， Eastern and Western， and how that affected her own view of achievement。 Her emphasis is on abiding in Christ and allowing His grace to work in our lives instead of relying on the “self improvement” movement that is so prevalent among women today。 There’s fifteen chapters in this book， and I highlighted something in every one of them。 I also appreciated the scriptural principles presented on every page of the book。 。。。more
wellreadtraveler
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Isn’t this cover gorgeous？ I am loving all the gold embossing the publishers are starting to put on books。 Author Ruth Chou Simons writes a beautiful story reminding us all that we are enough， we are worthy， and we deserve happiness。 I think we can all agree that we are hardest on ourselves and most of the time our own worst critic。 Despite what you see on social media our friends aren’t perfect， our neighbors aren’t perfect， so why do we expect ourselves to be？ Ruth shares many personal stories Isn’t this cover gorgeous？ I am loving all the gold embossing the publishers are starting to put on books。 Author Ruth Chou Simons writes a beautiful story reminding us all that we are enough， we are worthy， and we deserve happiness。 I think we can all agree that we are hardest on ourselves and most of the time our own worst critic。 Despite what you see on social media our friends aren’t perfect， our neighbors aren’t perfect， so why do we expect ourselves to be？ Ruth shares many personal stories throughout the book about her childhood and growing up different。 I loved hearing that her parents really allowed her to pursue her dreams instead of following the normal career path of doctor， lawyer， business owner。 Live your life being true to yourself but never stop learning who you are and what you want out of life。 The book is filled with wise words and each chapter has the most beautiful artwork。 I’m not gonna lie I started flipping ahead to look at each chapter to see what was coming up！ 。。。more
Debbie Pike
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I encourage you to pick up Ruth Cho Simons newest book When Strivings Cease。 I’ve been longing for most of my life to find my place， where I belong， acceptance， approval from somewhere… anywhere。 Striving to be more， do more but really never arriving at a destination。 Ruth’s newest book When Strivings Cease lead me to where I’ve been wanted all along to God where we receive His grace and mercy。 A favorite quote is “when we don’t remember that we are made to be God’s possessions， and what it cost I encourage you to pick up Ruth Cho Simons newest book When Strivings Cease。 I’ve been longing for most of my life to find my place， where I belong， acceptance， approval from somewhere… anywhere。 Striving to be more， do more but really never arriving at a destination。 Ruth’s newest book When Strivings Cease lead me to where I’ve been wanted all along to God where we receive His grace and mercy。 A favorite quote is “when we don’t remember that we are made to be God’s possessions， and what it cost for us to be His， we end up longing for belonging everywhere we else。 Excellent read！！ 。。。more
Shelby Wheeler
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This book is full of beautiful， piercing， necessary truth。 The quote before the table of contents GOT ME。 Each chapter has me more in awe of God's grace and more eager to cease this endless and empty striving and embrace the good that my God gives to me freely。 This book is full of beautiful， piercing， necessary truth。 The quote before the table of contents GOT ME。 Each chapter has me more in awe of God's grace and more eager to cease this endless and empty striving and embrace the good that my God gives to me freely。 。。。more
Michele Mossberg
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When Strivings Cease by Ruth Chou Simons invites readers to discover sustaining freedom by sharing in her personal story of learning to walk in God’s grace。 Ruth’s way of sharing from her life story， asking reflection questions， and offering insights from other Christian writers does more than present information。 It actively engages the reader！ I felt like I was sitting in her living room， sharing a cup of coffee with her， and digging into God’s word together。 I particularly love how Ruth’s art When Strivings Cease by Ruth Chou Simons invites readers to discover sustaining freedom by sharing in her personal story of learning to walk in God’s grace。 Ruth’s way of sharing from her life story， asking reflection questions， and offering insights from other Christian writers does more than present information。 It actively engages the reader！ I felt like I was sitting in her living room， sharing a cup of coffee with her， and digging into God’s word together。 I particularly love how Ruth’s artwork visually captures the main points and key quotes of each chapter。Are you looking to improve or transform your life？ You can -- when you fully embrace God’s grace and surrender to his perfect plan for your life！ So， grab your Bible， perhaps even a friend or two， and journey with Ruth Chou Simons down the pathway of God’s amazing grace！ 。。。more
Elena L。
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In the current culture of hastle， which expectations for social and professional engagement and productivity become society's endless striving， we are overflown by feelings of inadequacy and often feel discouraged。 Everywhere we encounter strategies for life direction and the pressure to perform burdens us。 Then， we end up in eternal despair while navigating life based on self-reliance， haunted by pride and shame as we are trying to please people and chase approval。Part memoir， Simons pours out In the current culture of hastle， which expectations for social and professional engagement and productivity become society's endless striving， we are overflown by feelings of inadequacy and often feel discouraged。 Everywhere we encounter strategies for life direction and the pressure to perform burdens us。 Then， we end up in eternal despair while navigating life based on self-reliance， haunted by pride and shame as we are trying to please people and chase approval。Part memoir， Simons pours out several inspirational truths to live fully into our spiritual potential。 By relying on God's gift - the life-transforming grace - there's a true satisfaction that doesn't frustrate us。 In this memoir， Simons also honestly shares about how she deals with disappointment and Taiwanese parents' expectations about life （mainly career） while trying to assimilate a total different culture as a Taiwanese immigrant。 There is， ultimately， an issue of belonging which many of us can relate to。My favorite chapter is about shame and honor - it is well-known that honor and "face" are essential to the East Asian （in this case， Taiwanese） culture， at a point where one'd rather lose own life to maintain the honor。 The reprimand nature of cancel culture and using shaming as manipulation made me meditate on our current culture and people's standards。 I appreciate that this theme was brought to light since it is quite a taboo in our culture。With biblical insights and practical applications， this book guides you on a journey to find freedom from never-ending quest for self-improvement to hope and strength in the Gospel。 A transformational book that I highly recommend！[ I received a complimentary copy from the publisher - Thomas Nelson - in exchange for an honest review ] 。。。more
Ruby Showalter
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Ruth has written a beautiful and heartfelt book of her journey to cease striving and rest in the grace of God。 It connects with my heart on so many levels， because it’s my struggle too！ As she does so well with all of her books， she continually points us back to the endless grace that is only found in Jesus - the only freedom from striving。 This line sums up the book for me: “The grace of God - the mighty and powerfully transforming grace of God - restores what is broken， brings us home， grafts Ruth has written a beautiful and heartfelt book of her journey to cease striving and rest in the grace of God。 It connects with my heart on so many levels， because it’s my struggle too！ As she does so well with all of her books， she continually points us back to the endless grace that is only found in Jesus - the only freedom from striving。 This line sums up the book for me: “The grace of God - the mighty and powerfully transforming grace of God - restores what is broken， brings us home， grafts us in， and makes us fit to abide with Christ and He with us。 It was His plan all along， and amazing grace makes us able to want His story most of all。” If you - like me - struggle to embrace the truth of how loved and accepted you are by the Father， this book is for you！ 。。。more
Michelle Rowley
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Wow！ So much good stuff in this book。 Not quite sure where to start。 I started not knowing in what areas I might be striving。 The message of this book coincided with the message preached at church that same week。 This quote is what reached me: "That nagging feeling we've had all along - that feeling of imperfection， ineptitude， or insufficiency？The world offers endless wasy to stuff it down， cover it up， numb it out， compensate， and overcome our inadequacy， but Jesus offered - and still offers - Wow！ So much good stuff in this book。 Not quite sure where to start。 I started not knowing in what areas I might be striving。 The message of this book coincided with the message preached at church that same week。 This quote is what reached me: "That nagging feeling we've had all along - that feeling of imperfection， ineptitude， or insufficiency？The world offers endless wasy to stuff it down， cover it up， numb it out， compensate， and overcome our inadequacy， but Jesus offered - and still offers - the only true， eternal solution that wasn't temporary but eternal。" The book of James， chapter 4 talks about being patient in sufferent。 Pastor talked about how we need to sit in the suffereng and be patient as God works things out。 It is all to easy to numb it or avoid it。 This is so， so true。 Learning to lean into Jesus and his grace is what we need。 。。。more
Emily
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I love Ruth Chou Simon‘s beautiful artwork and encouraging social media posts， and I was so excited to read this book。 She discusses aspects of her personal testimony and the struggles she faced living in God’s grace as she grew up in a Chinese family with cultural and personal pressures to achieve and strive for certain goals。 Although I am not Asian， I have a similar personality and always feel the need to do more and have very high expectations for myself。 Some of the quotes that resonated wi I love Ruth Chou Simon‘s beautiful artwork and encouraging social media posts， and I was so excited to read this book。 She discusses aspects of her personal testimony and the struggles she faced living in God’s grace as she grew up in a Chinese family with cultural and personal pressures to achieve and strive for certain goals。 Although I am not Asian， I have a similar personality and always feel the need to do more and have very high expectations for myself。 Some of the quotes that resonated with me most are:- “When we are in Christ， we are simply aware of who we belong to first and foremost。 And， friend， that’s when we can let go of all the world tells us to do in order to belong。”- “The sad part is the way we’ve come to determine someone’s worthiness based on our different definitions of acceptability。 We e somehow replaced identity with identification。 We’ve bought into the paradigm that our “faces”—or Facebook pages， rather—are the summation of who we are。”- “If unchecked against the true character of God and our true identity in Christ， our self-reliance and pride will cause us to resort to shaming and manipulation。 And， similarly， if unchecked against the true character of God and our true identity in Christ， our self-condemning shame and feelings of inadequacy will keep us from drawing near—and coming home—to the Lord。”- “Grace is not the reward in itself; knowing Christ is。 Grace simply makes it possible for you to stop striving for yourself and strive out of love for God instead。 Grace isn’t an excuse to be lazy or apathetic about the marks if a Christian life。 Rather， it is the catalyst by which we can partake in it。”I appreciated reading the aspects of Ruth’s personal struggles and growth， and this was the strongest portion of the book to me。 I wish she had gone into more detail and allowed us to understand her testimony and see God’s grace in her life more fully。 But overall， When Strivings Cease contains a wonderful， truth-filled， much-needed message， and it was a good read。 。。。more
Emily Miller
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