Four Gifts

Four Gifts: Seeking Self-Care for Heart, Soul, Mind, and Strength (Herald Press, 2018).

I can’t do it all, and you can’t either.

Feeling overwhelmed by the pace and stress of daily life? Find respite from superficial definitions of self-care and move toward deeper engagement with God.

From the Back Cover

Is self-care different from being selfish or self-indulgent? Is it the same as caring for your soul? And what does self-care look like in light of following Jesus, who called his followers to deny themselves?

In Four Gifts, pastor and author April Yamasaki addresses these and other questions about self-care. Drawing on the ancient scriptural command to love God with our heart, soul, mind, and strength, Yamasaki helps readers think about the spiritual dimensions of attending to your own needs, setting priorities, and finding true rest in a fast-paced world. She weaves together personal stories, biblical and theological insights, questions for reflection, and practical ideas for self-care.

Praise

This was the first book for our new Field Notes Book Club, and it was such a great read… One thing she said that will stay with me is how so often we think self-care means “me first” and too often the church teaches us “me never” but instead true spiritual self-care is a simple “me, too.”

Sarah Bessey, author of Jesus Feminist

Four Gifts is the most thorough and thoughtful exploration of self-care I have ever come across. With wisdom and sensitivity, April Yamasaki lays out the spiritual case for self-care and how to pursue it in harmony with life’s other treasures, including vocation, community, and justice.

Dorcas Cheng-Tozun, columnist for Inc.com