Sanctuary ebook

Linda Allcock

Powerfully yet gently, Denise exposes the noise that fills our lives and leads us on a journey towards the peace that God alone gives. This book will do your heart good.

Kristen Wetherell

My head is so busy and my heart is often so heavy that Denise’s book was a gift to me. Who doesn’t yearn for a true sanctuary from all the noise and expectations? I appreciate her commitment to all of Scripture, her engaging stories, and her warmth in coming alongside those who read. In a culture that tells us to seek rest anywhere else but in Christ, Sanctuary is a helpful guide for the restless heart.

“Loved this devo!”

I loved this devotional. The cover is beautiful, and Denise Hughes' writing is powerful. In a world dominated by social media, this devotional helps us refocus on Jesus and find true peace.

The devotional is structured over 31 days, with each day comprising around three pages that include thoughtful questions and a concluding prayer. The content is both relatable and easy to understand, making it accessible to a wide audience.

I highly recommend this book to anyone and everyone!

“Relating, not running away”

Relating, not running away

If like me you are of an age, inclination or profession that has allowed you to avoid, ignore or side-step the clutches of most social media and perhaps other external intrusions into your life, do not make the mistake of thinking that this book is not for you. Hughes challenges the reader to recognise the source of the real noise in our lives – ourselves – and the need to be intentional about creating both physical and emotional spaces of quiet, regardless of lifestyle and responsibilities, personality or technological aptitude or inclination. If you have every struggled to focus when you’ve picked up your bible to read, or settled to pray, then this is the book for you.

Grounded in biblical accounts and challenges, and using true-life illustrations and a mix of reflective questions and practical suggestions, Hughes takes us on a 31-day journey; encouraging us to find our ‘sanctuary’, a place of strength and growth from which we can serve a hurting world, not run from it; a place that allows us to stay connected to the world around us without being drained, exhausted or overloaded.

“Relating, not running away”

If like me you are of an age, inclination or profession that has allowed you to avoid, ignore or side-step the clutches of most social media and perhaps other external intrusions into your life, do not make the mistake of thinking that this book is not for you. Hughes challenges us to recognise the source of the real noise in our lives – ourselves – and the need to be intentional about creating both physical and emotional spaces of quiet, regardless of lifestyle and responsibilities, personality or technological aptitude or inclination. If you have every struggled to focus when you’ve picked up your bible to read, or settled to pray, then this is the book for you.

Grounded in biblical accounts and challenges, and using true-life illustrations and a mix of reflective questions and practical suggestions, Hughes takes us on a 31-day journey; encouraging us to find our ‘sanctuary’, a place of strength and spiritual growth from which we can serve a hurting world, not run from it; a place that allows us to stay connected to the world around us without being drained, exhausted or overloaded by it,

“Freedom From the Noise”

Where can we find rest and safety from social media? In Sanctuary, Denise J. Hughes delivers a plan for cultivating a quiet heart in a noisy and demanding world.

Living a Quiet Life

The theme of “living a quiet life” echoes throughout this book. This refers to 1 Thessalonians 4:11-12, and Hughes helps us see how it means to live with dependence on God. It is a life free from constant noise and hustle, and it is a life defined by purpose rather than ambition. Hughes gives a brief theology of technology, specifically focusing on how social media has become the place where we shape our identities. She calls us back to the sanctuary of God’s presence, where we can rest in being a new creation and having our new identity in Christ.

Hughes stays extremely relatable throughout the book. She speaks of being emotionally drained and spiritually empty. She speaks of her tendency towards overcommitment. She speaks of venting in a group text and different sins that can take place in our technological world. Hughes covers a lot of ground, helping us have more discernment with our social media habits.

Freedom from the Noise

This book would be a great read for young adults who feel the weight of the social media world, or for older saints who feel distracted and distraught with their social media habits. The book ends by saying that the Christian can be free of the noise of social media, saying that we can find all of the encouragement and help we need from the Holy Spirit who lives inside of us. This was refreshing to me, and reminded me that Christ does not need the tools of social media for the sanctification of our souls. We can put our phones and social media apps away. He has given us everything we need.

I received a media copy of Sanctuary and this is my honest review.

“Helpful Reflections”

This thirty-one day devotional for women is about finding peace and quietness in the midst of a fast-paced, hectic world. The author, Denise J. Hughes, writes about her own challenges with social media overuse and workaholic behaviors, and shares some of the lessons she has learned about how to accept her limits, pursue a quiet heart, and hear God's voice over the noise of the world. The readings are all about four to seven pages long, sometimes with one page that highlights a main quote. They all open with a short Bible verse, and conclude with contemplation questions, ideas for putting that reading's ideas into practice, and an example prayer.

This book will encourage Christian women to consider practical ways that they can slow down and prevent themselves from burning out physically, emotionally, and spiritually. The book is appropriate for women in various stages of life, and although devotionals with a single theme can often become repetitive, I found that this book had sufficient variety with all of the different Scriptural stories and reflections that the author included about the concept of sanctuary and meeting with God.

My main critique is that the constant emphasis on quietness can make it seem like this book is mainly for introverts. One of the readings addresses this concern, and Hughes explains why these core concepts apply to both introverts and extroverts, but this appeared very late in the book. I think this explanation should have come sooner, and I wish that Hughes had included examples throughout about how extroverted women can pursue spiritual quietness even when they are less easily overwhelmed and have louder personalities. Overall, any women can glean value from this book, but more acknowledgment of different personalities would have been helpful.

Note: I received a free copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

“An Encouraging Daily Read”

This made a lovely gift for a friend who had a few big questions about what living as a Christian as a woman looked like in practice. Looking at 1 Thessalonians 4 alongside other passages, Hughes writes a month’s worth of refreshing daily devotions which are really encouraging to read. Not only does she write a devotional full of personal stories, but she then also turns that into something more practical by looking at how to live out the commands from 1 Thessalonians 4 (contemplating, cultivating and praying). It’s a lovely gift for a Christian woman

“Devotion on Contentment”

This is the first work I've read of Denise Hughes and honestly didn't know what to expect. Sanctuary: Cultivating a Quiet Heart in a Noisy and Demanding World is a 31-day devotion based on 1 Thessalonians 4 and how Paul describes and instructs people to live a content life.
I'm pretty sure that everyone would agree that contentment is an issue in today's world, including the Western Church. Each day you have a scripture, commentary, and then application of what she calls "Tuning in to Quiet". In the application section, there are 3 parts: Contemplate, Cultivate, & Pray.

I received this book from the publisher in exchange for my review.

“A Quiet Life is the Best Life”

In a noisy world that continuously pushes us to be more, do more and say more, it’s countercultural—even counterproductive—to do the opposite, on purpose. And yet, in this lovely book, Denise Hughes gently explains why pursuing a quiet life is perhaps the best way to encounter God and find the peace that only He can provide. If your heart longs for sanctuary, this encouraging and practical devotional will show you how and where to find it.