TLC Book Tour Stop: Nervous Systems by Sara Billups

 


I am not sure many of us want to admit it, but our modern world can leave us feeling anxious at times. I especially think this is true for those of us who struggle to care for aging parents and our own children. Are you a caregiver of someone with anxiety due to illness? Nervous Systems by Sara Billups is an up-close look at anxiety as the author cares for her aging parents who have health issues.

I am about half way through Nervous Systems. This book is easy to read as it is a first hand account of struggles by the author. Her writing is clear, personal and full of real experiences. I especially think those who are caregivers could relate to this book. I feel for Sara as she is an only child and I am an only child with aging parents. I think as the book goes on, there will be more to relate to. I tend to read non-fiction books more slowly as there is often a lot to absorb in them. 

An Honest Search for Personal and Collective Peace in Our Anxious Times

· Discover how to live well in a culture permeated with fear, worry, and anxiety
· Develop doable daily practices to promote peace both for yourself and in community
· Learn to face anxiety head-on rather than merely coping and compartmentalizing

Every era has its challenges, but ours seem to be majoring in anxiety. Bombarded (via screens) by constant global conflicts, rancorous politics, and church scandals, today we endure seemingly endless external stressors. The reasons are easy to find–division in politics and the pews, caring for kids or aging parents, and the rapid impact of social media on our psyches, to name a few. While exploring these origins may hold some benefit, Sara Billups is concerned with right now: How do we live well in the presence of pervasive personal and collective anxiety?

The dissonance between Jesus saying “Do not worry” and her heart’s inability to stop worrying led Sara to seek out spiritual rhythms and practices that create a holistic, holy response to the anxiety brimming in our bodies, our churches, and our society.

Nervous Systems offers helpful, doable daily practices for anxiety in the large and small trials in our lives. This collection of personal and cultural observations invites us to let go in the presence of our anxiety. Join Sara in learning how, with God’s help, to face anxiety head-on rather than trying to pray it away or, worse, grin and bear it.

About the Author

Sara Billups is a writer and cultural commentator with bylines in publications including The New York Times and Christianity Today. Sara completed a Doctor of Ministry in the Sacred Art of Writing at the Peterson Center for the Christian Imagination at Western Theological Seminary. Sara writes Bitter Scroll on Substack and cohosts the podcast That’s the Spirit. She lives in Seattle.
 
@bakerpublishinggroup @bakerbooks @sara.billups #NervousSystems @tlcbooktours 

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