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A review by bethpeninger
Notes from a Blue Bike: The Art of Living Intentionally in a Chaotic World by Tsh Oxenreider
3.0
3.5 stars
I'm always interested to hear from others who are attempting to live intentionally in a fast-paced, technology saturated world. It is no easy feat to slow down in this life so when I come across others who have ideas and have managed to find small ways to do it then I'm all ears.
Oxenreider and her husband had the privilege of living overseas in Turkey for a few years which set the foundation for living a slower paced and more intentional way of life. Entering back in to America was a shock to the system, a reverse culture shock of sorts and it set off a series of conversations and attempts to reclaim the ways they knew their life for their family needed to be. Life is all about trial and error and Oxenreider is refreshingly honest in sharing those. She makes no attempts to pretend she has "arrived" at the place of living intentionally, she admits it is difficult and easy to be sucked into the whirlpool of this western, developed world life. She shares some of their trial and errors, how they choose to make life intentional, and poses questions for the reader to think through in regards to their own living and how they might make it more intentional. She also doesn't prescribe a set formula for this slower, intentional life that "everyone" must follow - she acknowledges that it will look different for each family, that a slower paced, intentional life is unique to each family. That is refreshing when generally many who have good intentions to share what they have learned set it forth in a manner that is a prescribed method and everyone should follow it to a "t". The one thing I think she makes clear, as do others who have ideas about living more intentionally is that it is a family goal, that everyone in the home is on board and contributes to a more meaningful life. This is where I always get hung up, as I am the only one in my home who would love to pursue a more meaningful life. Still, there are some things I can do and implement and I will do what I can.
I'm always interested to hear from others who are attempting to live intentionally in a fast-paced, technology saturated world. It is no easy feat to slow down in this life so when I come across others who have ideas and have managed to find small ways to do it then I'm all ears.
Oxenreider and her husband had the privilege of living overseas in Turkey for a few years which set the foundation for living a slower paced and more intentional way of life. Entering back in to America was a shock to the system, a reverse culture shock of sorts and it set off a series of conversations and attempts to reclaim the ways they knew their life for their family needed to be. Life is all about trial and error and Oxenreider is refreshingly honest in sharing those. She makes no attempts to pretend she has "arrived" at the place of living intentionally, she admits it is difficult and easy to be sucked into the whirlpool of this western, developed world life. She shares some of their trial and errors, how they choose to make life intentional, and poses questions for the reader to think through in regards to their own living and how they might make it more intentional. She also doesn't prescribe a set formula for this slower, intentional life that "everyone" must follow - she acknowledges that it will look different for each family, that a slower paced, intentional life is unique to each family. That is refreshing when generally many who have good intentions to share what they have learned set it forth in a manner that is a prescribed method and everyone should follow it to a "t". The one thing I think she makes clear, as do others who have ideas about living more intentionally is that it is a family goal, that everyone in the home is on board and contributes to a more meaningful life. This is where I always get hung up, as I am the only one in my home who would love to pursue a more meaningful life. Still, there are some things I can do and implement and I will do what I can.