About The Book
In his book, “Blue Skies,” James Barnett shows us a way to live our lives with wonder and excitement, and to always expect that God will show up, no matter what. Barnett is the president of DaySpring, the world’s largest Christian greeting card company, and a subsidiary of Hallmark. And because Mary & Martha is a part of DaySpring, we get to have a first hand look at his book!
How many of you have felt that perhaps there’s not a bit of truth in this quote? Sometimes it’s hard to find the blue skies and sunshine. If that’s you, then you want to read this book. Throughout the book, as he takes us on incredible journeys visiting the nation’s national parks, we see how just a little change in perspective changes everything.
I had the opportunity recently to hear the author speak, and he listed 3 important actions for us all to take:
Stop: Stop and ask the right questions. Ask “what, God?” and not “why?” He challenges the reader to always ask what God’s up to next. And then to simply serve and love.
Look: Always look in the right places. As an example, if you visit the Caribbean, you’ll notice that the crosswalks have signs that say “Look right.” Now why would they do that? Having lived in Barbados for two years, I totally get this one. The cars drive on the left side of the road. Tourists need that reminder to look to their right because that’s where those cars will be. So we should always look for what God is doing. It will lead to His truth and directions.
Listen: Listen to the right voices. John 10 tell us that His sheep know his voice AND that He calls us by name. I find some real wonder in thinking that God knows me by name. How about you?
My Thoughts
Since reading this book, I find myself much more aware of how God shows up in things throughout the day. It’s not always the big things, sometimes it’s the small things, but He is always there. I also loved reading about all of the parks the family visited. Barnett makes them come alive with his writing style and you feel like you’re right there with them. You’ll find yourself being truly happy when you see God showing up in their travels, and you’ll be excited and celebrate along with them.
One of the things I love about this book, and something I’m working on incorporating into my own life, is Barnett’s daily prayer. I’ll paraphrase it here as I can’t quote it directly from memory. It goes something like this: “God I have a lot on my schedule today. And You can move anything on it. Help me to listen and pay attention so that I am responsive when you choose to move something.” I imagine Barnett’s life is a lot busier than mine, and yet sometimes we get so much on that “schedule” for the day that we don’t pay attention to those things that God sends to change our schedule. I want to be so connected that I hear those nudges and follow them!
Who Should Read This Book?
It would be easy to say everyone, because honestly I think there’s so much value to every person reading this. So think about what we all have coming up in the next few months. This is a perfect graduation gift for that new graduate who is branching out into a brand new world, a reminder to always see the blue skies in life. It’s a great Mother’s Day or Father’s Day gift as well. Maybe you have a birthday coming up and need a unique gift. Or, maybe you have a “gift closet” so that you always have something when you need a gift; put a few of these books in that closet, you’ll be glad you did! You can order your books here!
Book Club Coming Soon!
Now here’s the exciting thing! We are doing a book club with this book! And if we have enough people, James might even stop by. It will be virtual so everyone can participate! YOU can join us by simply purchasing your book now so you’re ready when it starts! I hope you will join us. I love our online studies because I see people coming together and sharing their faith and encouraging each other! I’ll see you there!
