Notes From A Blue Bike: The Art of Living Intentionally in a Chaotic World by Tsh Oxenreider ~ A Christian Life Book Review and Giveaway

Notes From A Blue Bike: 

The Art of Living Intentionally in a Chaotic World

Tsh Oxenreider

Nonfiction / Christian Life

Inside the flap:

In a sense, it all started with a bike, a powder-blue cruiser with chrome fenders and a wire basket.

To Tish Oxenreider, this birthday gift represented a promise made with her husband--"that we'd try, with all our collective might, to make a new and better life that actually aligned with our values."

In another sense, the blue bike was simply one more milestone in a quest begun years before to live more simply, more fully, and more purposefully. This memoir traces the family's journey from an urban high-rise in Turkey to the congested city of Austin, Texas, and finally to a small town in Oregon. It chronicles false starts, changed minds, periods of chaos and boredom, doubts and dilemmas--but also moments of surprising and transcendent grace as the Oxenreiders gradually learn to live the life they have chosen:

• buying less and enjoying more
• changing their approach to food, work, travel, education, and entertainment
• discovering the grace and the sanity-saving joy of the "80/20 principle"
• fostering global awareness and a sense of curiosity and adventure in themselves and their children
• learning to live with partial and imperfect solutions without losing sight of what matters 
• seeking out emotional, spiritual, and physical revival
• creatively planning and pursuing a life they can believe in

Full of practical hows and compelling whys, Notes from a Blue Bike emerges as far more than a memoir. It's a gentle but persuasive manifesto--an invitation for readers to strike out on their own journeys toward an on-purpose, values-based lifestyle.

You may never own a blue bike. But the message of Notes from a Blue Bike--that you can choose your life and find grace along the way--will resonate in your heart and mind long after you've finished reading.

My thoughts:
I enjoy reading books about other people's journeys. I find it interesting to read about their thought processes on topics that I am interested in. I love to tag along with them through the pages of a book as they navigate through life's obstacles. 
In Notes from a Blue Bike we get to literally travel the world with the Oxenreider family. The story begins in 2008 with them living in a small apartment in Izmir,Turkey. The culture is completely different from Austin, Texas where they are originally from. The language is different, the shopping is different, and the relationships are different. Tsh shares her struggles and triumphs in this beautiful place that will wind up leaving a lasting impression on their family.
Eventually the family settles down in small town Bend, Oregon and that's where the real work begins. They moved to Bend to try and capture some of the simpler aspects of living in a small town. But they quickly realize that location doesn't necessarily mean simplicity. Instead they begin to make intentional choices that lead their family in the direction that they desire.
The memoir is broken down into parts entitled Food, Work, Education, Travel, and Entertainment. In each of these sections Tsh shares her family's journey through intentional choices to arrive at a simpler lifestyle. If you are a follower of Tsh on TheArtOfSimple.net you will especially enjoy reading and getting an inside peek into the everyday life of her and her family. 
Connect with the author:

www.TshOxenreider.com

www.TheArtOfSimple.net

Facebook

Twitter ~ @tsh

Instagram

Pinterest

The Giveaway:

We are thrilled to offer one of our readers a copy of the book Notes from a Blue Bike. The giveaway is open to U.S. residents and will run through midnight on Tuesday, July 29, 2014. You must be at least 18 years old to enter. The winner will be contacted by email and will have forty-eight hours to claim the prize. If unclaimed, a new winner will be drawn. The winners’ entries will be verified. Please enter the contest using the Rafflecopter form below. All entries are optional.
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