The Book of Common Courage - by K J Ramsey (Hardcover)

This book of prayers and poems is a beautiful reflection on Psalm 23, but it's so much more than that. The poems, prayers, and photography KJ has included in this book are simple and yet profound. They feel accessible and relatable - anyone could read this book and find glimpses of their own heart in its pages. She weaves together her story, her pain, and her loss with courage, hope, and God's unfailing love. I have found so much hope and life in KJ's story and her encouragement to treat our bodies and stories with kindness and to root ourselves firmly in the truth that we are His beloved. This would be would an excellent purchase for anyone looking for a way to connect more intimately with God in their daily ordinary lives.

With hardwon courage, that she practices right alongside you, KJ again is shepherding us to Jesus. Wherever you are on the journey with God and others, you will be surrounded with kindness by receiving the words in this book. Don’t be distracted if poetry or prayer “isn’t your thing”; if any part of you wonders whether anyone is with you in the wilderness, this book is your “yes”. “May your barrenness become a beginning…”

Pain, grief, loss, disappointment … these are emotions of the human experience we so often choose not to talk about. Let’s face it - It can be difficult to share these types of experiences. Maybe we lack others in our lives we can feel safe sharing our stories. Sometimes we are told we just need to toughen up. Some of us simply deny these feelings and experiences. Others choose to numb. We walk around wearing masks of what others expect us to be. Even our spiritual lives can reflect this disconnectedness. K. J. Ramsey, author of The Book of Common Courage, shares through the backdrop of Psalm 23 personal prayers and poems reflecting her own story and journey through pain, grief, loss, and disappointment. Her skill as a trauma-informed therapist and her own courage in sharing these past and present struggles serves to create a safe place for each of us. Her words remind us of the worth and value of our own stories. More importantly, K. J. grounds us in the love and hope we have in relationship with Jesus Christ, our Good Shepherd. We are not alone. There is purpose in all we experience. K. J. encourages us to ask the hard questions. She reminds us it is possible to hold both joy and grief at the same time. K. J. teaches us how to hold space for ourselves and others. I am forever grateful for her encouragement to listen deeply through the chaos of life and to recognize and follow the voice of my Shepherd. It has been life-giving through some of the greatest challenges I have faced.

This book is a beauty-filled benediction, brimming with poetry, collects, and photographs. Ramsey’s words bless and encourage, while her personal narrative models embodied courage.

I have followed KJ Ramsey since I read her first book This Too Shall Last and have loved her work. I never been gravitated toward poetry, however, this book has drawn me in and given me a desire to keep coming back for more. The Common Book of Courage is one of those books that I will continue to pick up when my thirsty soul needs refreshed. KJ has a way with her words that make you feel seen and known in deep ways. I highly recommend picking up the hardcopy of this book because a digital copy does not do justice to the absolutely beautiful pictures. Pick up a copy - you won't be disappointed.

This book will remain on my "perpetual reading list" because of the timeless truths from Psalm 23 that I can come back to over and over. It is not to be read quickly but savored, as each poem reveals the deep well of truths that KJ has excavated from her own life's experiences, and each photo illustrates her brave commitment to this beautiful and treacherous life. Just as the bristlecone pine's secret to longevity is the harsh conditions under which it lives, so a thing of beauty like this book came out of deep physical suffering and pain for the author. Like the authentic Psalms of David, most great reads of biblical reflection require a soul being cracked open, and out of that wilderness experience comes a scattering of beauty and hope to help our weary souls find the way to discovering God's great love and delight once again or for the first time. This is the kind of book this is...it leads us beside still waters, it quiets the storms of shame and hurt, and it gives us a compass home, all the while knowing the great God of the universe pursues us and shapes us to leave an indelible mark of love on others.

Emotive. Healing. A keeper. Describing K.J. Ramsey’s latest book, “The Book of Common Courage” isn’t easy, it’s immense in its scope! K.J. sums it up as “These words are my small witness to your life, my with-ness to your weariness, and my welcome back to the home of your heart. Within these pages, you will find prayers, poems, and some blessings to bridge the space between your pain and God’s promises.” What she describes as her small witness felt like a big, warm, soothing hug, a space to be revisited when needed which in this broken and hard time is frequently. No part of pain is overlooked, unseen, or diminished. K.J. gives voice and form to the hard, the intangible and I found myself saying “yes”, and “oh, wow, you feel that too” often. But she imbues too such hope, such resilience, and directs the reader to ways of upliftment and comfort. It is poetic, it is visual, and it is a Bible reflection. It’s honest. It’s brutal. It’s an outpouring from a soul that has walked through hardship and found hope, that is deeply compassionate and for one who I am incredibly grateful If you love the book of Psalms, if you enjoy the Book of Common Prayer, if art and music are a space of comfort, read “The Book of Common Courage”. I read the e-book (beautiful) but will be buying the hard copy for my shelf. It’s a five out of five on the enJOYment scale. I received a complimentary copy of the book from Thomas Nelson and Zondervan Gift through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in these reviews are completely my own.

This books is beautiful, a balm for the hurting, and tells the reader “you are not alone”. This is a book I will read over and over, recommend to others, and give as a gift to anyone who might need “prayers and poems to find strength in small moments”, and isn’t that all of us? It was an honor to be a part of KJ's launch team for this book and I truly enjoyed reading and just soaking in the beauty and comfort of this book!

The Book of Common Courage fits so well with the Lord is My Courage. I am a fan of K.J., her words stir my soul, touching the deep places that still long for healing. As a survivor of domestic abuse and now mentoring other survivors, I will recommend this book, it will give survivors the words they long to express but don't know how.

So grateful for K.J. Ramsey’s words. She speaks of grace and truth and lifts my spirit with each word.

I wish I could express my love for this book with the same combination of skill and poetry that K.J. used to give us this gift of a book. The words in these poems helped me feel more connected to myself, to the world, to Jesus. In so many places in life where the grind of capitalism and production propel us forward to do better and produce more, K.J. invites us in to a softer place--a place of care, beauty, compassion, goodness, delight, and healing. This will be a book I keep, reread, buy for friends, and that takes root in my heart.

I highly recommend this book as it has been such an encouragement to me. It's formatted so lovely in bite size pieces. I found I could read a small chunk and just consider the thought all day long! At the very beginning of the book, "Courage is not the possession of the bravest or biggest but the choice to move toward the heart when the mind and body are separated by fear. Courage is the choice to move our fear into communion." (P 12). I have written down so many of these quotes to keep coming back to, but one later in the book, "...over and over I find that behind every voice of fear in my head is a child who needs a friend" (p152). Oh the gentleness of these words...

Through her writing and photography, KJ brings beauty and richness to my days and faith. In a season where I’ve struggled to find good, when I have failed to find words to pray, this book has been a source of rest for my soul. Her words and pictures remind me of all that is good in this world and help me find communion with God. I highly recommend this book for everyone! Who doesn’t need more beauty and rest for their weary souls?

There are few authors I trust to write about Scripture without weaponizing it in some way. K.J. is an author I trust, and this book is absolutely beautiful, both visually in the design and photos, and in substance, in the poems and prayers. Especially if you have experienced religious trauma or spiritual abuse, this book is a kind companion on the way from someone who has been there and walks there still. This book can stand alone, but I think reading it alongside her previous book, The Lord Is My Courage, makes it even better. 10/10, have already ordered copies to give to several friends.

When I first came across K.J.’s work, I was stunned by both her ability to turn a phrase while also strengthening her poetic words with neuroscience. As I read her book, The Lord Is My Courage, I found myself highlighting more and more of these elegant word pictures, wishing for more. Imagine my delight when she tells us she has been secretly working on a book of poetry and prayers! The Book of Common Courage does not disappoint. Following the same framework of her previous book, she layers in gorgeous images, heart piercing truths, and a tapestry of blessings that you can wrap around your aching soul. It is both gritty and honest about this world’s reality, while also beckoning us to hope just a little bit longer. It feels like love letters from your best friend who has run the gauntlet, and promises you can make it through, too. If your mind and soul are a bit battered, if you are looking for a kind, authentic word that doesn’t ring hollow, this book is for you.

If you are a fan of Cole Arthur Riley’s Black Liturgies, you will find a similar spirit here, no doubt due to both authors facing the reality of chronic illness in a capitalist culture. It’s so delightful to see modern female mystics emerge as powerful voices as we continue to begin a new decade. The book design is a poem all on its own; from the cover, to the bookmark ribbon, to the lovely photographs inside taken by the author (adults need picture books too!) to the unique new book smell. This book is the perfect gift for any occasion that requires courage…religious holidays, graduation, or for some of us, getting up and brushing our teeth in the morning. If physical books are not accessible to you, the author narrates her audiobooks so you can hear her delightful voice read the lovely lines. Ramsey’s foray into poetry is a lovely new addition to the canon of protest art. Even for those of us who find the Christian Bible heavily triggering, the Jesus you meet on these pages is the good shepherd from Psalm 23, not a strange white male Santa in the sky. Using various accessible translations, your eyes will roam different passages accompanied by photographs of the American west. Having rebellious, unconquered wilderness hold hands with words originally spoken by a Brown marginalized Jewish person is subversive on its own. But the author takes it a step further as she dialogues with the verses in her own poetic responses heavily impacted by her training and practice as a trauma informed therapist. Like the words of Jesus, there is no language of empire here. Only invitations to abundance and abiding Love. It is not easy these days to find a book that you could give to both your stalwart evangelical loved ones and your mystic lovers of the Divine, but this is it. Because, as the author says: “Poetry can penetrate our layers of self-protection. Beauty can call us into resurrection. Like words on the edge of a cliff into death, Goodness and Love can pull us back from the ledge.”

Many times throughout our lives, we go through things we don’t have words for. And often during those times we want to cry out to God for ourselves or others but feel we cannot. Having a book like K. J. Ramsey’s The Book of Common Courage on hand gives the reader a series of prayers and poems that lend expression to those difficult experiences. Instead of demanding that one spiritually bypasses the vulnerabilities and weaknesses that come from being a human in this life, Ramsey’s words continually provide a keen understanding that soothes the soul. Just like Ramsey’s previous works, this is a book you’ll want to have multiple copies of, one for yourself and one or more to share.

Beautiful is my favorite way to describe this book. The words are beautiful and the photos and layout are beautiful. But it isn't a cover up the hurts with something pretty sort of book. It is honest about the pains of life, of living in bodies that don't always do what we want and people who should care for us harming us. I do not have a chronic illness and haven't been abused by a spiritual leader like the author, but these words met me in my own pain and gave me words to pray. One of the things I learned from Ramsey's previous book, The Lord is My Courage, is that trauma can take away our words. I've been in a season where I couldn't create a lot of words, and beautiful prayer books like this have helped me to pray and rest!

10/10 recommend for anyone, honestly, but especially for those who need to hear compassion from the lord. I am disabled and I've experienced hurt by the church. Psalm 23 has felt like true north for me for a long time, even when people overused it or made it trite. This book feels like true north: it walks through Psalm 23, while adding more truth along the way. Encouraging, honest words are shared by a woman suffering just as much as I am, needing the truth just as much as I do, and using discernment and creativity to speak God's heart and make it known. Not to mention, it is absolutely beautiful. Buy it for yourself, buy it for your friends. Heal in community with a path laid out for you in hope.

KJ Ramsey's newest book, The Book of Common Courage, is filled with hope, comfort, and words of peace. The author shares a depth of love and compassion for each of us, whether we've been affected by trauma, experience life-altering grief, or just are in a period of hopelessness. The words are crafted with joy, hope, and encouragement for the reader to see not only that there are many out in the world who can help to carry your burdens, but ultimately, our source of Hope is in the Lord. God says in His word that He will always be present with us, in moments of sorrow and fear. KJ's book filled with the aesthetics of beauty of God's creation, found in her photography, poetry, and prayers, will uplift you and fill you with an inescapable feeling of solace and delight. I highly recommend this book stay on your currently reading shelf, as you will want to reference it daily as a personal reminder to you of God's goodness, as well as a resource in caring for others.