Shannan Martin

I'm still chewing on this book, but I recommend it. It's challenging, gritty, honest, and witty. Shannan Martin comes across as a loving mom and wife, a loyal friend, and someone who genuinely cares about her community--a community that is often ignored or overlooked. Her compassion for her neighbors is empowering, and I love reading about her relationships with her adopted children. Everything she does seems to take her outside of her comfort zone, and in doing so it challenges us to do the show more same. She's inspiring without trying to be, and she's very humble in her attempts to love those around her. Read this book and you too may find yourself chewing on the messages therein for months afterward. show less

What a beautiful book! In "The Ministry of Ordinary Places", Shannan Martin shares candidly the story of how her family put down roots in a neighborhood she never imagined living in and seeing Jesus in the midst of it all. Life changed unexpectedly for her family when God called them from the rural to the urban. Plunked down in the middle of a city where they knew no one, they set out to truly bloom where they were planted, getting to know their neighbors and investing in the local show more low-income school and dying church. While it's a story of how God has used their family, it's more a story of how God has changed them in the midst of it all. By allowing their vision for life to be shaped by God, they have seen how He has worked in their own lives as they have opened themselves up to be changed and challenged by it all.

I fell in love with this book from the very beginning. Martin writes in a warm, winsome way that draws the reader in right away. The book is divided into four sections. I personally resonated with the second section in particular, which focused on hospitality. So often, we hide behind excuses instead of opening our homes for a meal or a simple chat with a neighbor. Martin reminds us that the hospitality is the point--not the state of our homes or the quality of the meal. Hospitality can be offered by inviting someone over for take-out or by meeting up a local playground. I was challenged to think how I can start opening my home to make room for people at my table.

What a gift this book is. Wise words for a challenging, polarizing time in our society. Simple acts of neighborliness, investing deeply where you are planted, and entering into the lives of others even in the midst of our own brokenness can have more impact than we can ever imagine.

"As Christ-followers, we are called to be long-haul neighbors committed to authenticity and willing to take some risks. Our vocation is to invest deeply in the lives of those around us, devoted to one another, physically close to each other as we breathe the same air and walk the same blocks. Our purpose is not so mysterious after all. We get to love and be loved deeply right where we're planted, by whomever happens to be near. We will inevitably encounter brokenness we cannot fix, solve, or understand, and we'll feel as small, uncertain, and outpaced as we have ever felt. But we'll find our very lives in this calling, to be among people as Jesus was, and it will change everything." (p. xviii)

(I’ve received this complimentary book through the BookLook program in exchange for a review. A positive review was not required and the views expressed in my review are strictly my own.) show less

Counterweights is just what the world needs right now. Essays include stories about dealing with hard times and the weight of the world being on your shoulder. The lightness and joy that Martin offers to balance out the tough stuff is delightful.

First things first, the cover design is really beautiful and makes it feel like something worth keeping on your shelf. Inside, Shannan Martin writes with a warm and funny voice about the idea of “counterweights,” basically the practice of holding life’s heaviness and its beauty at the same time. Some of the essays were genuinely thought-provoking and the kind of writing that sticks with you. My main gripe is the structure: each essay is followed by a list of loosely related items, and show more that format felt a bit disjointed and pulled me out of the flow. But if you’re feeling worn down and want a grounded read that doesn’t sugarcoat things or wallow, it’s worth picking up.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​ show less