Beholding and Becoming: The Art of Everyday Worship
- Downloads：5691
- Type：Epub+TxT+PDF+Mobi
- Create Date：2023-03-04 06:59:58
- Update Date：2025-09-07
- Status：finish
- Author：Ruth Chou Simons
- ISBN：073697492X
- Environment：PC/Android/iPhone/iPad/Kindle
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Summary
Become What You Behold
You are in the process of becoming。 Every day is an opportunity to be shaped and formed by what moves your heart…drives your thoughts…captures your gaze。 Is it any wonder that where you direct your eyes and your heart matter in your day-to-day？
We become what we behold when we set our hearts and minds on Christ and His redemption story here in the details of our daily lives。 Not just on Sunday， not just on holidays， not just when extraordinarily hard or wonderful things happen…but today。
Bestselling author and artist Ruth Chou Simons invites you on a new journey to Beholding and Becoming。 With more than 850 pieces of intricate， original artwork， Ruth encourages you to elevate your gaze to the One who created all things。
Today is an opportunity for God to demonstrate His love and His faithfulness in the midst of your mundane。 No circumstance is too ordinary or too forgotten for Him to meet you there in worship。 His transforming grace turns your “everyday ordinary” into a holy place of becoming。
You are in the process of becoming。 Every day is an opportunity to be shaped and formed by what moves your heart…drives your thoughts…captures your gaze。 Is it any wonder that where you direct your eyes and your heart matter in your day-to-day？
We become what we behold when we set our hearts and minds on Christ and His redemption story here in the details of our daily lives。 Not just on Sunday， not just on holidays， not just when extraordinarily hard or wonderful things happen…but today。
Bestselling author and artist Ruth Chou Simons invites you on a new journey to Beholding and Becoming。 With more than 850 pieces of intricate， original artwork， Ruth encourages you to elevate your gaze to the One who created all things。
Today is an opportunity for God to demonstrate His love and His faithfulness in the midst of your mundane。 No circumstance is too ordinary or too forgotten for Him to meet you there in worship。 His transforming grace turns your “everyday ordinary” into a holy place of becoming。
Reviews
Brittany
，
4。8/5 This was marvelous and utterly beautiful。 Not only were the paintings inside so delightful， so we’re the encouraging words of becoming and beholding。 To be like Christ and to abide in him。 A beautiful read throughout 🥹💗
Kari Johnson
，
I looked forward to starting my morning with this book every morning。 Beautiful artwork and beautiful words that help you focus your day on what’s important and center our day around God instead of our endless tasks and things this world make us feel we need to focus on。 （Not that it has to be a morning read。 I just enjoyed it during my quiet morning time before the kids woke up）。
Leah Houweling
，
I enjoyed this read so much， it was encouraging as Christian women to strive towards daily worship。 And how to do that practically in the trenches of life。 I have a hard time reading books that are “to pretty” Ruth’s artwork is absolutely stunning and I could just flip through to look at the pictures。 Personally I find it incredibly distracting because I can’t focus on the words on the pages。 If you don’t have that problem this book is definitely for you！ Even if you do have that problem the mes I enjoyed this read so much， it was encouraging as Christian women to strive towards daily worship。 And how to do that practically in the trenches of life。 I have a hard time reading books that are “to pretty” Ruth’s artwork is absolutely stunning and I could just flip through to look at the pictures。 Personally I find it incredibly distracting because I can’t focus on the words on the pages。 If you don’t have that problem this book is definitely for you！ Even if you do have that problem the message she teaches is worth the distraction struggle。 I will definitely read again and recommend it to friends 。。。more
Brooke Chessum
，
I absolutely loved this beautiful book。 Not only does it feel like an heirloom with its beautiful paintings throughout， but Ruth’s words are necessary reminders for the everyday Christian life。 She is not redundant， nor does she try to be wordy。 She simply states simple biblical truths and connects them very practically to everyday life。 Will definitely read again and again As I need reminders and gentle infusion of truth into everyday moments。
Laura
，
This is such a lovely book！ I really enjoyed all the beautiful paintings by the author。 Her words were both comforting in a "me too" type of way， and convicting in a way that makes me want to draw closer to the Lord。 I highly recommend this book。 This is such a lovely book！ I really enjoyed all the beautiful paintings by the author。 Her words were both comforting in a "me too" type of way， and convicting in a way that makes me want to draw closer to the Lord。 I highly recommend this book。 。。。more
Callie Nyhus
，
Friend， let me tell you about this book。 It is a devotional style Christian book aimed at women and especially moms。 The artwork is absolutely beautiful！ There’s something so inspiring and encouraging reading something filled with so much beauty！ The words are uplifting but the author doesn’t mince around。 She is direct and calls us out regularly。 It is the exact right kind of encouragement I’ve needed lately。“But no matter how many books I purchase or strategies I employ， the fact remains that Friend， let me tell you about this book。 It is a devotional style Christian book aimed at women and especially moms。 The artwork is absolutely beautiful！ There’s something so inspiring and encouraging reading something filled with so much beauty！ The words are uplifting but the author doesn’t mince around。 She is direct and calls us out regularly。 It is the exact right kind of encouragement I’ve needed lately。“But no matter how many books I purchase or strategies I employ， the fact remains that I fail on a daily basis in these areas and more。 You see， the temptation for （and perhaps for you） is to strategize my way to never fail。 Being defined by our successes and failures is how this world operates， even if unspoken。 But God—He makes no secret of our faults and failures。 Failures and shortcomings remind us that we are not saviors of our own lives。” “He makes us， who were beggars at the door， children at the King’s table—a table that overflows with the richest fare。 And when we， the hungry and forgetful， come to it， we find anew that Jesus is the full measure of abundance and life。”“No one who abides in Christ keeps on sinning （1 John 3:6） because when we abide， we keep on loving Christ first。 We can’t simultaneously do both。 If we’re busy rehearsing truth and practicing nearness to the presence of God， we won’t have bandwidth to practice perfecting the pattern of sin。 There’s no room to be enamored by the penthouse of sin when our every need is met in our home with Christ。” 。。。more
Brooke
，
"We become what we behold。"This is a beautifully written （and illustrated！） book about the art of everyday worship by way of beholding God and His wonderful works and providences in our lives， resulting in becoming more Christ-like in our lives， growing more dependent on Him， and trusting His will for our lives。 I appreciate how relatable and honest Simons is in her writing， and she shows that it can be easy to think， How can I serve God in my basic， ordinary life of endless errands， homework as "We become what we behold。"This is a beautifully written （and illustrated！） book about the art of everyday worship by way of beholding God and His wonderful works and providences in our lives， resulting in becoming more Christ-like in our lives， growing more dependent on Him， and trusting His will for our lives。 I appreciate how relatable and honest Simons is in her writing， and she shows that it can be easy to think， How can I serve God in my basic， ordinary life of endless errands， homework assignments， and other daily occurrences？ To quote the book description: "Today is an opportunity for God to demonstrate His love and His faithfulness in the midst of your mundane。 No circumstance is too ordinary or too forgotten for Him to meet you there in worship。 His transforming grace turns your “everyday ordinary” into a holy place of becoming。" Every other chapter focuses on beholding God in his love and faithfulness to us in our daily lives while the other chapters teach what we can learn and become by focusing on and learning to deeply worship Him。 I also love how Simons includes many Scriptural passages to support her message and inserts many lines from well-known hymns。 I listened to this on audiobook， but I've flipped through someone else's physical copy， and Simons is such a talented artist！ I will definitely have to purchase a copy of my own at some point。 :） I really enjoyed this book。 <3 。。。more
Hannah
，
S1V1L1
JoNelle Holland
，
Excellent
Melissa
，
In Beholding and Becoming， Ruth Chou Simons tackles what is most often taken for granted， discounted， and overlooked - the ordinary， the everyday。 Coupled with her beautiful illustrations （yes， she did them herself！ They are so lovely！）， Mrs。 Simons shares wisdom from Scripture to convey a simple yet difficult to comprehend （and quite profound） message。 It is far too easy to look ahead at some lofty goal or back at a mountaintop experience and completely miss being present and appreciating the n In Beholding and Becoming， Ruth Chou Simons tackles what is most often taken for granted， discounted， and overlooked - the ordinary， the everyday。 Coupled with her beautiful illustrations （yes， she did them herself！ They are so lovely！）， Mrs。 Simons shares wisdom from Scripture to convey a simple yet difficult to comprehend （and quite profound） message。 It is far too easy to look ahead at some lofty goal or back at a mountaintop experience and completely miss being present and appreciating the now that God has us in。 We miss the details of life and fail to delight in the intricacies of who God is every moment of every day while also failing to appreciate the same intricacy in nature， meant to remind us of the One who made it all， and who holds our lives in His hands。 As the title of the book suggests， there is an art to everyday worship， and I appreciate that the author uses her love for art and her gift for it to glorify the Lord。I love the idea behind this book， and I'm hard-pressed to say if I love the idea or the author's illustrations more， as both are skillfully presented。 As a whole， the book is quite beautiful and would make a lovely tabletop edition for when guests come over。 And also， taken as a whole， the message behind the book， like the illustrations， is both lovely and simple。 There is something about the combination that is incredibly beautiful。 In closing， this book comes highly recommended。 This reader didn't take her own advice to stop and savor this read， but I hope to read other books by Ruth Chou Simons and to revisit this one again。 This is an excellent read for those who are constantly in a hurry。 It's a reminder to slow down and enjoy。P。S。 one last recommendation: I advise getting a physical copy of Beholding and Becoming rather than audio or ebook editions。 You need to see it for yourself。 。。。more
Chelsey Connor
，
This was such a wonderful devotional。 So pretty as well！ Definitely worth reading
Sierra
，
5 stars！！ Beautiful art pieces by the author with scripture backed truth of God。 Loved the beauty in this book。
Andrea
，
I listened to the audiobook but would love to read the physical copy to see the artwork that accompanies。 To me the theme of theme book is 1 Cor 10:31 “So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do， do it all for the glory of God。” It’s a beautifully written encouraging book about choosing to glorify God in everyday life， even the mundane or routine。 The last chapter she ends off by talking about a pond on her property that she imagined using for picnics and all sorts of things throughout the y I listened to the audiobook but would love to read the physical copy to see the artwork that accompanies。 To me the theme of theme book is 1 Cor 10:31 “So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do， do it all for the glory of God。” It’s a beautifully written encouraging book about choosing to glorify God in everyday life， even the mundane or routine。 The last chapter she ends off by talking about a pond on her property that she imagined using for picnics and all sorts of things throughout the year。 But after moving in she realized it isn’t connected to any water source， so most of the year it’s a large empty basin。 In the same way， we need to be connected to God， Him as our source and sustainer， in every day life。 。。。more
Natalie
，
Simple to read， but applicable to every person’s situation and full of truth。 Where our heart and focus is， there we take our rest。 May my life’s work to abide， behold and become more like Jesus every day， in ordinary and great acts of everyday worship。
Mary
，
The artwork is beautiful and so meaningful。 Don't miss the Glossary on pages 6 and 7。 She gives meaning to the elements you see in her illustrations。 Ruth says， "I painted these for your encouragement。。。" It's a book to cherish as well as to read。 Mine was a gift from my daughter。 You can pick it up again and again and receive encouragement。 The artwork is beautiful and so meaningful。 Don't miss the Glossary on pages 6 and 7。 She gives meaning to the elements you see in her illustrations。 Ruth says， "I painted these for your encouragement。。。" It's a book to cherish as well as to read。 Mine was a gift from my daughter。 You can pick it up again and again and receive encouragement。 。。。more
Adriana
，
The concepts brought forward in this book were excellent and highly encouraging！ I found that I never understood the difference between the beholding and becoming sections and found the chapters didn't have a flow; almost more like multiple blog posts combined in a book。 The concepts brought forward in this book were excellent and highly encouraging！ I found that I never understood the difference between the beholding and becoming sections and found the chapters didn't have a flow; almost more like multiple blog posts combined in a book。 。。。more
Brenda
，
Beautiful and deeper than I thought。
Charis Isaac
，
First off， I must say， beautiful artwork。 Ruth Chou Simons is a gifted artist。 Content-wise， I felt it was lacking in depth a little bit。 I enjoyed Simon’s content on Instagram so I might still check out the book she has authored with her husband。
Genevieve
，
A beautifully worded and illustrated book to encourage you seeking God on everyday mundane
Kimberly
，
Ruth Chou Simons shares what it looks like to become more like Jesus as we behold Him in small and big ways。 While easy to enjoy audibly， the concepts covered are not fluff， but thought-provoking， convicting。 The author and other reviewers comment that the physical book has glorious art to compliment the written work。 I hope to enjoy this book that way as well。
Ann Marie
，
Wonderfully written。 Couple pages per chapter with extra verses to dig more。 It’s like a big hug from your grandmomma to keep going & learn to embrace the mundane。 I found it so comforting reading it as a mother with a little one and in the exhaustion of daily constant providing for her every need。 This was delightful。 But also read through it with friends who didn’t have children。 Great wisdom。 ❤️
evelyn siegel
，
This book was really lovely！ I enjoyed it :） I found the messages to be the pretty typical Christian messages that you hear everywhere lol， so if it had just been that I would’ve kept it at three stars， but the illustrations were SO gorgeous… they definitely bumped it up to a solid four stars。 And although it was common， I did find the message to be encouraging， and it was nice to have reminders of things I so often forget。 I found the last chapters to be particularly good。 All that said， I woul This book was really lovely！ I enjoyed it :） I found the messages to be the pretty typical Christian messages that you hear everywhere lol， so if it had just been that I would’ve kept it at three stars， but the illustrations were SO gorgeous… they definitely bumped it up to a solid four stars。 And although it was common， I did find the message to be encouraging， and it was nice to have reminders of things I so often forget。 I found the last chapters to be particularly good。 All that said， I would suggest reading this book for the illustrations alone， even if you aren’t religious。 They are really， really beautiful- Mrs。 Simons has a true gift！！ 💓 。。。more
Donna
，
Genres: Nonfiction/Christian LivingI heard this author being interviewed on a podcast and thought I'd check out her books。 I liked this one but from reading the other reviews makes me feel like I missed out on a visual experience。 I listened to the audio version so I was unable to be wowed by the artwork。 So based on what I listned to， I thought this was very light and fluffy。 Sometimes that is just what I need。 I loved her emphasis on simple worship in all that we do。 I have another one of her Genres: Nonfiction/Christian LivingI heard this author being interviewed on a podcast and thought I'd check out her books。 I liked this one but from reading the other reviews makes me feel like I missed out on a visual experience。 I listened to the audio version so I was unable to be wowed by the artwork。 So based on what I listned to， I thought this was very light and fluffy。 Sometimes that is just what I need。 I loved her emphasis on simple worship in all that we do。 I have another one of her books and I'm hoping to get to it this week。 All in all though， 3 stars。 。。。more
Wintermote
，
5 stars for the beautiful format of this book。 The illustrated （illuminated？） pages and devotional meditations are simply beautiful！ The entire visual presentation invites us to rest， to linger in meditation rather than quickly reading an entry as most devotionals do。 This book has been classified as “spiritual growth” rather than “devotional” but it was certainly a devotional experience for me。 Unfortunately the content I rate at 4 stars simply because I think some of the content had some theol 5 stars for the beautiful format of this book。 The illustrated （illuminated？） pages and devotional meditations are simply beautiful！ The entire visual presentation invites us to rest， to linger in meditation rather than quickly reading an entry as most devotionals do。 This book has been classified as “spiritual growth” rather than “devotional” but it was certainly a devotional experience for me。 Unfortunately the content I rate at 4 stars simply because I think some of the content had some theology that just wasn’t quite right—lots of emphasis on sin in a fundamental conservative evangelical way that I think misses the mark。 。。。more
Kimberly Patton
，
The artwork made this reading experience so incredible。 I loved turning each page and staring at the intricacies of her painting。 I’m so lucky to have picked this book up at the library and I can’t wait to get to know this author more。 She pointed me to Jesus and filled my devotion time with such beauty and warmth。 Thank you Ruth！！ Quote on page 43 by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe: Cease endlessly striving to do what you want to do and learn to love what must be doneArt on page 111: Faithfulness is The artwork made this reading experience so incredible。 I loved turning each page and staring at the intricacies of her painting。 I’m so lucky to have picked this book up at the library and I can’t wait to get to know this author more。 She pointed me to Jesus and filled my devotion time with such beauty and warmth。 Thank you Ruth！！ Quote on page 43 by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe: Cease endlessly striving to do what you want to do and learn to love what must be doneArt on page 111: Faithfulness is Success 。。。more
Brooke Irwin
，
I really enjoyed reading this book。 A mentoring group I have at church read through it， and everyone loved it。 Ruth Chou Simons has a very elegant way with words。 She draws you toward home and shows you how even the mundane and everyday things can bring worship to God。
Lauren
，
Love love love the beautiful water color drawings and the devotionals are really insightful/applicable for every day worship/living。
Liza Lehman
，
What we behold in our everyday， monotonous， forgotten moments determines what we become。 This inspiring， heart-changing book challenges me to abide in Christ and look for the awesome ways God works in my life every day。
Lisa Matheny
，
I listened to this on audible。 Like listening to a great friend bring encouragement and gentle reminders from God's Word。 Ouch and thanks！ I listened to this on audible。 Like listening to a great friend bring encouragement and gentle reminders from God's Word。 Ouch and thanks！ 。。。more
Carol Wilson
，
Glorious！ This devotional， along with Ruth Chou Simons' "Gracelaced" devotional are now on my "favorite gifts to give" list。 Each devotion is meaningful， but the author's beautiful artwork elevates the reader experience。 The artwork invites the heart and mind to linger in a beautiful， immersive “Behold my glorious Lord" space。 Glorious！ This devotional， along with Ruth Chou Simons' "Gracelaced" devotional are now on my "favorite gifts to give" list。 Each devotion is meaningful， but the author's beautiful artwork elevates the reader experience。 The artwork invites the heart and mind to linger in a beautiful， immersive “Behold my glorious Lord" space。 。。。more
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beholding and becoming the art of everyday worship