October 15, 2025 • 45 mins
In this episode of Christian Book Blurb, host Matt McChlery welcomes back author Lucy Rycroft to discuss her new book 'Be Still: 30 Devotions for Those Who Feel Anything But.' The conversation explores the significance of stillness in a busy life, the importance of spiritual formation, and how to trust God amidst chaos. Lucy shares her personal journey and insights from her book, emphasizing practical applications of stillness and the power of small steps in faith. The episode concludes with resources for listeners to deepen their understanding and practice of stillness in their spiritual lives.
Links
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Visit Matt McChlery's website mattmcchlery.com
Visit Lucy Rycroft's website thehopefilledfamily.com
Takeaways
- The journey to stillness often begins with personal chaos.
- God's commands to be still are rooted in understanding our human needs.
- Spiritual formation is about yielding to God daily.
- Trusting God is essential for finding peace in busy lives.
- Stillness is not just physical; it's about inner peace and trust.
- Small steps in faith can lead to significant spiritual growth.
- Practical applications of stillness can enhance daily life.
- God's presence is both with us and within us.
- The importance of community and shared spiritual journeys.
- Less is more when it comes to spiritual disciplines.
Sound Bites
"Why write a book focused on stillness?" "We do not cope with being overwhelmed." "It's about trust."
Chapters
00:00 Introduction to Christian Book Blurb 02:43 The Importance of Stillness 05:35 Spiritual Formation and Trusting God 08:20 Navigating Busy Lives with Stillness 10:49 Insights from 'Be Still' Devotional 13:33 God's Presence in Chaos 16:39 Taking Small Steps in Faith 19:27 Practical Applications of Stillness 21:48 The Author's Personal Journey 24:24 Conclusion and Resources
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:00):
This is Christian Book Blurb brought to you by author and songwriter Matt McChlery Get abehind the scenes glimpse into the lives of some of your favourite Christian authors.
Hear about their books and faith.
Also, why not check out my website, mattmcleary.com.
Hello and welcome to another episode of Christian Book Blurb where we like to encourageyou in your discipleship one book at a time as we meet some amazing Christian authors and
(00:25):
learn about their books, their lives.
and their faith.
I'm your host Matt McChlery, thank you so much for clicking over here and joining metoday.
Now I have the privilege of welcoming back an author to the podcast.
We've had Lucy Rycroft on before, but we are going to be chatting about a book she'swritten, which is all called Be Still.
(00:48):
So we're going to be chatting about stillness and what it is and how to find it and how toactually be.
still.
So let's, in the stillest kind of voice possible, let's welcome Lucy Rycroft back to theshow.
Hi Lucy.
Hi Matt, thank you for having me a second time.
That's great to have you back again with us.
(01:10):
A very different book to the last one we discussed.
I think it was Rehab last time, your sort of Illustrated Children's sort of series that wetalked about last time, but this time it's more kind of adult-focused, isn't it?
Your book Be Still, 30 Devotions for Those Who Feel Anything But.
I love the subtitle, that's great.
(01:30):
So basically the first question's got to be why.
Why write a book focused on stillness?
Yeah, it's a great question.
And the story for me started a few months actually before I submitted the book proposal.
It started in my own personal journey.
I think as a lot of books do, I really felt God nudging me in the realm of stillnessbecause my life just didn't feel still.
(01:51):
You know, that subtitle of the book is very deliberate.
That was my life.
That is my life, really.
And yet I believe the Bible is God's word and it's good in every season.
So if it's good in every season, then how could those commands to be still, those themesof stillness which we see running through scripture, even in other other, you know, when
other languages used, how could that be true in my life, which was so busy.
(02:13):
So I kind of set out on a personal journey in 2024 to try and kind of delve into thosepassages a bit more and work out like, okay, God, you've asked people to be still, you've
asked us to be still, but you've also given me this life, which is
not very still.
So how can I know your stillness in this busy life?
(02:34):
And that's really where it started.
And from there, I had the huge privilege of being able to turn that into a book and sharethat journey with others as well.
Hmm.
It's good to know that you're not some sort of hermit locked away somewhere, just beingstill all the time.
And, know, now you've this book about stillness telling everyone else how, you know, lifeshould be.
(02:58):
Actually, you've written a book in the midst of chaos, looking at stillness.
We could all relate to.
So why is stillness so important for us?
It is in the Bible a lot, but you know,
Why is important?
Yeah, it's in the Bible.
mean, God commands it.
(03:18):
He doesn't usually ask us just to blindly accept what he says.
You know, there's always a good reason behind it.
And so let's look at the good reasons.
Why does he ask us to be still?
Well, God designed us so he knows how our bodies function.
He knows how our minds function.
And we see it in the science, don't we?
The science kind of catches up with scripture that we need to rest.
Our bodies, our minds need rest.
(03:39):
You know, we do not cope with being overwhelmed.
We're not designed.
to be on the go all the time.
So we know that if we don't kind of stop, if we don't take a breather, if we don't pause,we're gonna make ourselves very ill physically or mentally or both.
So there's that.
That's really, really important.
God knows how we best function.
And he set that pattern in creation, didn't he?
(04:00):
Six days of work and one day of rest.
He didn't need to rest.
He did that to model to us that we would need to rest.
He's given us a gift of sleep in the same way.
But I think also there's a deeper sense to stillness, which is not just about beingphysically still, but trust actually, and being patient to wait for God to act.
And when we are not still, when we are leading lives that are constantly busy, often, notalways, but often it is because we want to be in control of our lives.
(04:30):
We don't feel ready.
to hand over things to God.
It's like we want God to be there, but we also need to do all this stuff because what ifhe doesn't show up for us?
What if he doesn't work or act in this situation?
Like I need to just take over and make sure that things get done in my life in the waythat I want them done.
So I think when he says to be still, yes, it's about physical stillness.
(04:54):
Yes, it's about oral stillness, know, and quiet and peace and silence, but it's also abouttrust.
Like, do you trust me to slow down?
Do you trust me to stop and trust me that I will provide for you, that I will provide forthose you love, that I will give you what you need, that your life isn't going to fall
(05:15):
apart when you stop working or whatever it is?
So I think there's that deeper aspect to stillness, which is so, so important and so hard,Matt, for us to get our heads around, I think.
I think it takes a lifetime for us to really kind of learn.
to be trusting God in that way.
And certainly that's my experience, it's not something that comes easily to me.
(05:35):
No, and I think especially in the culture we find ourselves, especially in Britain, itmight be true kind of in other Westernized countries as well.
Maybe, I'm not sure, because I haven't spent much time in other sort of America, whatever.
I haven't actually been to America before.
But I know from conversations with other people from other cultures, they were saying,wow.
(06:02):
the pace of life is just so fast here.
It's so relentless.
It's never-ending.
You always go, go, go at full speed.
You know, when do people actually stop?
When do people actually have time to do anything else other than work?
it was just sort of explaining this aspect of our culture that they've noticed coming froma different culture where
(06:25):
Obviously the pace of life isn't so hectic, which is interesting.
yeah, this idea of stillness kind of, as they say these days, it's different when youthink about it in our context.
Well, we just have so much choice, don't we, in everything.
There was a time many years ago when people believed that labor-saving devices were goingto give us all this free time, and they have, but we filled it to the point where we don't
(06:53):
really feel like we've got a lot of disposable time anymore.
And as the leisure options go up, life becomes fuller and it becomes more complex.
Look at all the activities that our children do these days, for example, for a middleclass.
Westerner, know, the likelihood is if they're a parent that they're running around aftertheir kids because their kids are doing so many more scheduled activities than we were.
(07:19):
There's that.
There's our smartphones, I think, which just fill every available gap in our lives.
You know, who waits for a bus anymore in silence?
No, you pull your phone out and you scroll, you know.
So,
Yeah, there's a lot of aspects to our culture which don't make it very easy to findstillness for sure.
(07:39):
And stillness is one of those, one of many sort of strands of spiritual formation, isn'tit?
What can you tell us sort of more generally, what is spiritual formation and how does thatwork and how does that play out or should play out in the lives of a Christian?
Yeah, that's an interesting question.
I mean, at the heart of it, because spiritual formation sounds quite formal, doesn't it?
(08:03):
It sounds almost like a discipline and a school of thought.
Well, it is, of course, it is a discipline.
But I think, I think really it's at the heart of it, it's very simple.
It's yielding to God every day.
And
doing what he says.
I mean, I'm not saying that's simple.
I'm not saying it's always simple, you know, to discern the will of God.
(08:26):
But I think we also have a habit, especially in our culture of over complicating it andsaying, well, there's got to be this aspect and that aspect and this and whatever.
And we have all these books and resources and podcasts and everything to help us, which isgreat.
But, you know, the danger of that is that it becomes something that is over complicated,that it becomes something that
has a vision and a strategy and a plan and you know and it's and it's not you know Jesussaid follow me it's really simple and I for me at least I think that's been true in my own
(08:58):
life that actually it's when I've just stripped off all the kind of baggage and just kindof gone okay Jesus here I am do what you want what is that tell me please what you want
He just has and it's been a lot more straightforward than maybe I was expecting.
(09:20):
And it's hard to give any other answer really because spiritual formation will lookdifferent for each one of us because we're all individuals, we're all at different stages
of our journey.
Spiritual formation for me today looks different to what it did to me five years ago, 10years ago, whatever.
But we can't go far wrong if
if we have an attitude of submission before God and just literally just saying, right,God, what do want me to do in this moment today?
(09:44):
You know, and I think that's why it's so powerful to hear the testimonies of other peoplein our church congregations and anywhere really.
But I'm just thinking particularly of testimonies I've heard at our church recently of Godworking in people's lives in very different ways to how he's working in my life, you know.
And maybe in very different ways to how I think he should be working in their lives, buthe's working in these wonderful ways.
(10:06):
That's not for me to say, you know, and I love seeing the spiritual journey of others.
I love seeing how God is working, what God is doing in the lives of the people.
So yeah, yield yourself to God because you can totally trust him and just say, what is ityou want me to do next?
And I think he gently leads us in that way when we do.
(10:28):
I like what you said earlier about it's simple really.
Because yeah, we do tend to overcomplicate and something that I've learned, again, I readso many books, especially for this podcast, but some of the stuff I've come through in my
reading and also my own kind of spiritual life is the whole idea of when you're trying to
(10:49):
do spiritual disciplines or spiritual formation, whatever, that actually less is more.
in the terms of subtraction, think subtraction rather than addition.
Yeah.
So, you know, yes, okay, right.
We've got this busy life.
And now we're listening to this podcast.
And now I have to be still.
no, that's something I have to add to my already busy schedule.
(11:11):
I have to add a moment where I have to be still.
Well, no, actually.
think more about, okay, well, what can I subtract?
What could I take away?
And by taking away, know, stillness can sort of flow in that space.
Anyway, I just found it helpful thinking of more of sort of subtraction and simplifyinglife rather than adding more and more complexity.
(11:37):
Anyway, let's get down to your book, Be Still, 30 Devotions for Those Who Feel
anything but so of course you got 30 chapters in there all following obviously a theme andthey're all very well structured and we'll talk about the extra little bits within the
structure a bit later on but let's have a look at day four because you quote a passagefrom Exodus that says the Lord will fight for you you need only to be still
(12:12):
Can you talk us through this verse and indeed the passage that contextualizes it?
Yeah, so it's a really wonderful passage where, you know, very well-known passage in manyways, where the Israelites have left Egypt, they've left slavery, Moses has led them out,
Pharaoh has released them, but then he changes his mind and he comes after them with hisarmy.
(12:36):
And the Israelites see it.
In fact, you know, at the start of the passage, I quote in the book, so this is sort ofverse 10, 11, says, they were terrified.
and cried out to the Lord.
said to Moses, was it because there were no graves in Egypt that you brought us to thedesert to die?
You know, they've got this like sarcastic, like, you know, who doesn't resort to sarcasmwhen they're angry?
they're really like, they're terrified.
(12:58):
And they're like, hang on, you were meant to be leading us out of slavery.
Now we're all going to die.
It would have been better just to die in Egypt.
Why have we gone on this journey?
What's the point of it all?
And Moses answers with these.
confident words which must have come straight from the Lord.
He says, do not be afraid, stand firm and you will see the deliverance the Lord will bringyou today.
The Egyptians you see today, you'll never see again.
(13:18):
The Lord will fight for you.
You need only to be still.
And of course, we know the rest of the story.
We know that they continue to head towards the water because they've got the Egyptian armyon one side, right?
And they've got the Red Sea on the other.
So they're totally trapped.
you're totally trapped there's no like physical way out and their instinct is to fightbecause if they don't fight they're gonna die right but they know they're gonna die
(13:41):
because they can't possibly fight the Egyptian armies or they're gonna drown they justmarch on towards the sea and they're told okay just trust God God's gonna make it all
alright and we know what happens God separates the sea they go through and the sea getsclosed up before the Egyptians can get there and they all drown and the Israelites are
safe it's a wonderful and horrific story all in one
What is really interesting, I think, about this is that when, you this is one of the firstpassages I looked at in my Be Still year.
(14:06):
And because I'm married to a church leader, I get to do cool things like use this Hebrewdictionary.
So I looked at the word for still because it's different, you throughout the Bible.
And that's fascinating.
And it's I'm going to show my ignorance of the Hebrew language here.
Hadash, I'm going to call it.
A Hebrew speaker who's listening can correct me on that pronunciation.
(14:27):
But it is a word actually that doesn't mean physical stillness.
It means oral stillness.
So it's like it's about being silent and it's about holding your peace.
So actually what God is not saying is you don't need to do a thing.
I'll do it all.
Just trust me.
I'll do it.
You're rubbish.
You're so weak and pathetic you humans.
Just don't.
(14:47):
I'll just do it.
I'll just take over here.
He's not saying that.
He's saying you do.
what you can do and what they can do in that moment is walk forward.
That's something they can physically do.
So he's not saying literally stop and do nothing.
He's saying you do what you can do.
But what I don't want you to do is declare war on these Egyptians.
(15:08):
I don't want you to call out.
I don't want you to, you know, shout insults at them.
I don't want you to make a song and dance of this.
I just want you to walk forward in the path I have for you and I will do the rest.
And he does.
And I just think that is a wonderful
Reminder for us when we're facing things that seem impossible when we're facing busynessoverwhelmed chaos Excuse me.
(15:29):
God's not saying to us.
Ha ha, know, you've made this mess for yourself, you know, you've over busied yourself Youknow, you're on your own.
Sorry mate.
I'm out of here until you can sort your life out He doesn't say that but neither does hesay okay.
It's fine Just sit back.
I'll do it all
He doesn't say that either.
You know, it's this wonderful partnership, very, very gracious partnership that God comesalongside us and he says, you do what you can do in this situation and I'll do the rest.
(15:57):
I'll do what you can't do in this situation.
And so I love that passage and I love that reminder to us that God can do the impossibleand often does in many ways in our lives.
It might not be as dramatic as passing the Red Sea, but it feels as important to us inthat moment where we need him.
to do the miraculous and he does.
(16:17):
That's wonderful.
Now in day nine, you've called this entry, even in the midst of chaos.
And it of circles back to what we were saying earlier on, where you're not a monk tuckedaway somewhere being all nice and still and peaceful.
You know what it is to live a life of chaos where you need to find some stillness from Godin it.
(16:39):
and you tell a lovely story in that chapter, all about what life was like when you came tosubmit this very book that we're talking about.
Be still.
Can you tell us the story?
Yes, so I think 2024 was probably the busiest year in my life to date.
And I think March is probably the busiest month of that year.
And March was the month that I submitted this book proposal.
(17:00):
Just personally and professionally, it was crazy.
So we have four kids and we stood on the kind of precipice of March going into monththinking this is going to be crazy.
We had one going in for an operation, we had one going abroad on a school trip.
We had the other two in gym competitions on the same day in different places.
on a weekend when I was not around as well.
You're a church leader as well, Matt, so you know, like weekends away are not really athing, are they?
(17:23):
Like we never go away for weekends because my husband leads a church, we have kids to lookafter, you know, so we never go away for weekends.
And yet I had two weekends in March where I had to be away for different things once withthe kids and once without sort of, you know, large and non-negotiable things, which was
lovely, but also adding kind of stress to that season.
What else do we have going on?
(17:44):
Oh, you might...
My professional life was crazy.
I was in a maternity cover over at BRF heading up the Parenting for Faith team.
I was having to make my first presentation to the trustees.
I hadn't done this before.
Being a maternity cover is really interesting because you're trying to do the job to thebest of your ability whilst also knowing that you're not going to be doing it forever and
that the person who's going to come back and do it is far better at the job than you are.
(18:04):
So I was trying to do my best while she was off, but also feeling really out of my depth.
I actually had two book proposals to submit because I had this one and I had one for work.
I had an eight hour round trip to lead a freelancer speaking team day.
Get that round the right way.
And we were launching a course in that month.
I mean, it was just crazy.
It was like everything that could happen.
All the big things were all happening in that month.
(18:27):
And it was just like, how are we going to get through this month?
And then the icing on the cake in this hugely busy month with no spare time, my
A friend who heads up a music department in a local secondary school persuaded me to comeout of retirement, because I used to be a music teacher before the kids were born, and
apply for a part-time job he had going in his department.
(18:47):
And of course, when was the interview?
March.
everything, you know, I hadn't taught that for 15 years and I had to go and do thisinterview day and teach year eight and teach year 13.
I was like, I've got no idea what's on the A level spec.
I'm so out of date, I'm so out of touch, I've got no resources anymore.
They're all on like, you know, five computers a go where all my resources, like it wasjust, you know, absolutely crazy.
(19:11):
But by the grace of God and only I think because God wanted this to be the case, I gotthat job against all the odds, you know, not because I was experienced, not because I was
the best music teacher on the day, but I think I got it because God wanted me in thatschool to work in that school.
Yeah, the month, all those things went fine in the end.
The book proposals were submitted, the presentation went well, the course was launched,all that is great.
(19:35):
But it was busy and it was so intense and I just felt the hand of God kind of gentlypushing me through that month and helping me get through because it was crazy.
And you also point out the important fact that God isn't only with us in the chaos, buthe's also within us.
(19:55):
And why does this make a difference?
Yeah, that's really interesting because the people reading this psalm, so psalm 46 is theone that people think of when they think of the phrase be still.
God is our refuge and strength, our ever-present help in trouble.
We will not fear though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of thesea.
So it's all about, know, even though the earth is chaotic, we don't have to fear becauseGod is with us.
(20:21):
It goes on to say there is a river whose streams make glad the city of God the holy placewhere the most high dwells Now that holy place for those reading that Psalm initially
would have been Jerusalem, right?
you don't need to fear because God is in Jerusalem and You know God is with you.
That's great when Jesus came and when he told that Temple curtain in two through his deathand then a subsequent resurrection through
(20:45):
His death and now through the Holy Spirit, we have God living in us.
So God is not just in a place, God is now in us, like our bodies are a temple for God.
So we have this incredible internal structure to our souls that the temple would have beenfor God originally, okay?
(21:06):
He would have been in this incredible
structure of the temple, but now he's inside our lives giving us that stability, giving usthat foundational core, giving us that supernatural power that we would not have on our
own.
That power that gets us through these days of busyness in a way that is like eyes up toGod, like trusting God with open hands saying, God, just do with me what you want to do
(21:32):
today in the busyness.
Would things get done in the way that you want them to get done?
So yeah, I find that very encouraging.
is not just with us, but he is within us.
His power is right in us in those moments that seem impossible.
Really good.
In day 27 of the book, Be Still, you talk about the importance of taking small steps.
(21:56):
And I guess when reading a book like this, so full of advice and wisdom, you can getoverwhelmed, can't you, that, you know, we've got to do it all at once.
We've got, we're trying to apply all of these things now.
And we do that in life as well, don't we?
We feel we have to do it all now.
Can you just talk us through this idea of taking a small step?
Yeah, so I don't know who it was who said that it's better to be taking small steps in theright direction than big steps in the wrong direction.
(22:21):
I feel like I've heard that somewhere at some point.
But that's right, isn't it?
And I think there's a lot actually.
Jesus spoke a lot in terms of direction and paths.
He talks about the narrow gate and the narrow path.
And this idea that following Jesus is like a journey, and Paul talks about it as a race.
You're on a track, you're on a lane.
So there was a lot, there were a lot of metaphors, I think, throughout the Bible aboutlife and faith being this journey.
(22:46):
And we want to be journeying towards Jesus at every step.
And sometimes that will be a small step.
But that's the path we want to be on.
Not kind of taking massive leaps in the wrong direction or on the wrong path.
We've kind of veered off.
We don't...
want that we want to be journeying towards Jesus and you know the world is full of voicesand influences who give us timelines that are not from God.
(23:14):
So people will tell us certain things are urgent, certain things are important in life,voices will tell us you know you've got to do this in this amount of time or this is super
important to achieve by this age or that age yeah those voices come at us
from social media, from our friends and family maybe, from school, if we're younger, fromcollege, university, we get these influences.
(23:36):
And at every stage we need to be taking that back to God and going, God, what do you wantme to do?
And when by, like, what's your timeframe for this project or this, this kind of stage inmy life?
And I honestly just think that as we keep going to God with these questions and keep goingto God with the things in our lives, he makes it clear.
He gives us a timeline.
(23:57):
You know, other things in my life that I'm frustrated by?
Yeah, absolutely.
Like I'm the world's most impatient person and I'm, I have a business, the Hopefieldfamily, and there are so many things I want to do with that, it's a ministry business.
There's so many things that I want to do with that business, with that ministry.
I don't have time to do them all as quickly as I want them done.
(24:21):
I want it done now.
I want, I want the website, the ministry to look like
what I have in my head and it won't look like that for some time.
And that's frustrating, really frustrating.
And I can take that frustration and I can be overwhelmed by it or I can take it to God andsay, well look actually, God I'm grateful that you've given me the time that you have
(24:41):
given me to do what I can do.
Because it may not look like what I want it to look like yet, but it's getting there.
Every day it's looking a little bit more like that.
And I think it's that sense of like,
As long as you're going in the right direction, those small steps add up.
Yeah.
And I tell this to people I coach, you know, I'm coaching a Christian writer at the momentand you know, she was getting overwhelmed by this book she's trying to write and I was
(25:06):
like, look, put a 25 minute timer on, you know, and that will be 25 minutes closer to yourgoal.
Having done that 25 minute block of writing than you were anyway, rather than thinkingI've got to write a whole book, just write the next little bit.
Yeah, and maybe if you've done that 25 minutes, you'll find that actually it's easy to dothat the next day as well.
(25:28):
And then the next day and before you know it, you've done a few blocks of 25 minutes andyou're that bit further to your goal than you were before.
So, yeah, I'm a great believer in small steps in the right direction.
good.
continuing this idea of small steps, that brings us nicely to the structure of yourchapters in the book, because at the end of the of the devotional reflection and the Bible
(25:53):
verse, you've got a prayer, a stillness idea, and a reflection.
How do you hope readers should
should use these.
I know because I've already read the introduction but how do you hope readers can usethese?
Could have tested you there, couldn't I?
Yeah, so the prayer idea, yeah, just a couple of prayer prompts, things that God might belaying on your heart as a result of reading the devotion.
(26:18):
I hope that's fairly kind of straightforward to people and obviously, you you don't haveto use my prayer prompts, you know, if God has prompted something else and you're great,
just do that, that's great.
I like prayer prompts rather than written prayer because we all communicate in a differentway to God.
so just giving people those questions and those sort of starts of conversations with God,I hope will lead to a helpful conversation with God for people reading the book.
(26:40):
The stillness idea.
So when I wrote this book, when I started writing it, obviously 30 days, I was thinking ofit as being something people would read across the course of a month.
And to date, unless you're going to be my first, nobody I know has written the book.
has read the book rather in a month, like everybody has taken longer over it.
And I love that because actually by the time I'd finished writing the book, I think Irealized that actually it was probably a bit more dense and a bit more meaty than
(27:07):
something that would be a daily habit.
So the stillness ideas, just to explain to those listening, because I know you know,because you've been a good boy, Matt.
Well done, 10 out of 10 for reading the intro.
The stillness ideas.
There are 30 of them, there's one after each devotion, but the idea is not that you do allof them.
The idea is that you just pick maybe one or two from the book that resonate and work onthose because each one of them could take days or weeks or months even to embed.
(27:36):
So you might read devotion one and think, gosh, yeah, this stillness idea is right out mystreet.
I'm going to try that.
And that's great.
Or it might not be till day 16 that you get that sense of like, this is going to besomething that helps me.
Or you might want to try out each one just for a few days just to see which ones stick.
You know, might want to do it that way.
But definitely don't try to attempt them all.
You will overwhelm yourself.
You can always go back to the book and try a different one once one's embedded.
(28:00):
And they'll be good in different seasons as well.
You might just do one for a few weeks and think, well, that was helpful.
Now I'm going to try something else.
That's fine.
So the stillness ideas are very much, I'll say, optional.
Not as in, I don't think you should do them at all, but just pick.
Yeah, it's a pick and mix.
Yeah, just pick the ones that are going to be helpful for you and try those.
And then the reflect really is just an opportunity to go back and process how thatstillness idea has worked in your life and whether it's been something that's been
(28:28):
helpful.
Is it going to be a habit that you continue or has it just been for the last few days orweeks and now you're going to try something else?
So that, you know, there's no legalism to them.
They're just practical ways that maybe we can embed some of this teaching.
about stillness.
I really like that, that there's a practical element, there's something you can do.
(28:52):
Not necessarily doing all of it, as you say, but because the Bible should spur us toaction.
It should just be, oh, well, that's a nice idea, and then you just stick it on a shelf.
This is what God is saying.
This is what God is...
encouraging us to do.
Okay, well, how do I do this?
Let's actually do it.
(29:14):
So yeah, that's really useful.
Thank you.
And we'll be back just after these chatting a little bit more with the author Lucy Rycroftall about her life and her faith.
So stay tuned.
We'll be back after these.
If you enjoy listening to this podcast, you can help keep it on the web.
All you've got to do is buy me a coffee.
Head over to buymeacoffee.com.
(29:36):
There is a link in this episode's show notes.
So go on, buy me a coffee today and help this podcast to keep supporting Christian booksand authors.
Hello, welcome back to The Christian Book Blurb.
I'm joined today by the author Lucy Rycroft.
Now before the break we were chatting all about her book called Be Still, 30 Devotions forThose Who Feel Anything But.
(30:00):
And we've dug into the book quite a bit and into the whole idea of stillness, but at thishalf of the interview, this side of the interval Lucy, we like to get to know the author a
little bit better.
But because you've been on the show
before, I kind of already have a bit of an insight.
Last time you were on, you mentioned that laundry was your number one hobby.
(30:22):
Is that still the case?
Well, if a hobby is something that you spend a lot of time doing...
Yep, that hasn't decreased.
gets more as your kids get older because they get bigger, their clothes are bigger.
can't get as many them the wash at one time so you end up washing more.
I do do other things.
What else do you do?
I love to read.
I'm part of a book club locally.
I love cooking.
I love hosting, having people around.
(30:43):
Our kids are growing up and quite often have groups of friends around and that's lovely.
So yeah, and I host my own friends as well and church family.
I love sitting down in front of a good comedy show with my husband and sometimes my kidsdepending on what it is.
So we've just enjoyed Friday night dinner with the older two kids.
That's it.
just had us absolutely weeping with laughter.
(31:04):
just hanging out really with the family and walking the dog.
And yeah, I lead quite a kind of normal, boring life, but it suits me.
show that I've just started watching, sort of a lighthearted comedy one on Netflix isKim's Convenience.
I don't know if you've come across it.
I find it absolutely hilarious.
It's a Korean family who owns a corner store in Toronto.
(31:26):
And it's just slightly bonkers, but very, very amusing.
Yeah.
And um
You mentioned last time that board games, you enjoyed playing those.
Do you still play the odd board game?
And if so, which one is sort of the hot favourite at the moment?
Yeah, I don't know if there's one that's a hot favorite.
(31:47):
Oh, I played Monopoly last weekend with my son.
How long did that last?
Well, we were at my in-laws and we had to leave, so I think we gave it a bit of a limit.
I think we played for just over an hour.
That game can go on for days.
Well, I know.
I did warn him.
I thought it was the junior version and it wasn't.
I'd managed to just about wipe him out, so that was a good moment to stop.
(32:10):
We like, we quite like strategy games.
like Azul at the moment and Jewel is a good one.
We like Jewel and it's really fun when your kids get old enough to play the fun games.
know, mean, Orchard Toys bless them, do a great line in games for preschoolers, but it wasreally nice to be able to move off pack lunch or shopping list or whatever those games are
and to move on to some fun ones.
(32:35):
yeah, it's really fun actually having slightly older kids and teens and you get to.
play these fun games with them as well.
Great, great.
And any favorite things to eat?
You say you like cooking.
I love a curry, who doesn't?
Yes, so I would always choose curry for going out or having a takeaway.
I love an Indian.
Chocolate, always, on everything, in everything.
(32:56):
I don't really see the point of desserts without chocolate in, if I'm quite honest.
I've managed to birth a son who loves all the traditional English puddings.
He loves a crumble, you know.
Arctic roll at school, you know, all that kind of business and know, like absolutely.
Yeah.
Where the spoons is going to be as jam.
(33:16):
I that.
I miss that.
must admit I go to a restaurant.
I'm guilty of judging restaurants by their dessert menu.
It's a thing.
That's fair.
know.
But so often these days, I'm so disappointed with what you can get.
There's always a cheesecake and I'm not that, you know, fussed about cheesecakes.
And, you know, one or two other things when I'm saying, give me a sticky toffee pudding,you know, then I'll be happy.
(33:40):
Give me, give me, you know, some of the old traditional stuff.
That'd be great.
But I think they're making a comeback actually.
I think this generation do really like them.
I mean, I'm not a big fan of stewed fruit and I'm not a big fan of hot puddings.
So I'm, I'm, I don't drink tea or coffee.
No, I hate cheesecake.
(34:00):
I will eat a cheesecake, but yeah, I think it's a big disappointment cheesecake.
have to say.
yes, I feel like I'm a disappointment to British culture because I don't drink tea.
and don't like a lot of these traditional British puddings.
I do like a sticky toffee.
I do think there's not much better than a toffee.
A good sticky toffee pudding with some...
Absolutely lovely.
Yeah.
wonderful, wonderful.
(34:21):
So have you got family?
You've mentioned sort of children and that kind of thing.
Yes.
Where are you at in your stage with them at the minute?
Yeah, so I can't remember last time I was on the show.
They were quite a bit younger, I think.
They are now 11 and, 11 up to 16.
So we have twins who are 11, a daughter who is 14 and a son who's 16.
(34:43):
And I'm married to Al.
We live in York.
We have done for a long time, even though I'm not from here.
We have a crazy dog.
is lovely.
It is.
It's hard to move out of York, to be honest.
it's so lovely.
We love visiting there.
And you've got some great place names in York as well.
Like was that?
Whipma Whopma Gate and all those things.
of my kids was, at my kid's school, they call the class names after the street names inYork.
(35:08):
And so my son got to be in Whitmore-Walmergate, which was really fun.
I don't think any of the others ended up in that class, but yeah.
And then they all go and visit their street.
It's the shortest street with the longest name.
So it's literally just a few meters long.
And they all went and had a little photo by the sign, the road sign, which basically takesup half the street.
That's fantastic.
I like the quirky things.
And there's a trail, isn't there, in York where you go and sort of spy sort of cats,little sort of models of cats on the side of buildings and things.
(35:33):
it's great.
It's fantastic there.
And of course, yes, certain famous films that were filmed down certain streets and things.
sure it was was it?
I think that's a myth.
Are you talking about Harry Potter?
Yes.
I think it was modeled on, I think Diagon Alley was modeled on the shambles, I thinkthat's what it is.
I think there's one shot on like the first film I think of the shambles but that's it.
(35:59):
I think I don't know.
I'm no expert, I must say.
Anyway.
We seem to rake in the cash, the tourism cash from the Harry Potter franchise, regardlessof whether or not it was filmed here.
There's always queues of people outside the Harry Potter shop.
and you don't like tea, so do you go to that famous tea room?
Nope,
There's always queues outside when I see
(36:20):
The thing is think when you live in a place and you could go anytime, you sort of think,oh, I'll go anytime, but you don't.
But actually when you live in a place, you know all the other places to go.
If you're visiting York, you're like, we've got to go to Betty's because you don't knowany of the other places.
But actually there are some amazing cafes in York.
It's a real like hive of independent businesses and people in York love their indie shopsand indie cafes.
(36:43):
So there are lots of places I would choose to go.
Betty's is wonderful, but there are lots of places I would choose to go where you don'thave to queue and the food is just as good if not better.
The queue always puts me off.
Anyway, good.
What is the Holy Spirit doing in your life or saying to you at the moment?
question.
feel like I want to just, I've got the wrong book.
I want to open my journal because I'm so bad at remembering anything these days.
(37:08):
God is doing so much in my life but when somebody puts me on the spot I can never rememberand you haven't put me on the spot because you did prepare me by telling me you were going
to ask me this question.
I get that.
I think God has done a really
amazing work in my life over the last three years.
He has led me into a place I never knew I would be kind of in terms of work and ambition.
(37:28):
so I've been very aware of his provision over the last few years, but I have also kind ofbeen aware of his leading and I'm still aware of his leading.
And I think all the things we've been talking about, small steps and trusting that hasbeen very much.
on the forefront of what God's kind of doing in me again this year.
And it feels like a really simple, straightforward thing, like didn't I learn this yearsago?
(37:50):
But for me, it's a, and maybe many of us, it's an ongoing thing of like, can I trust Godin this season?
There are some things he has made very clear to me about the ministry I'm involved in andaffirm to me that that should be kind of going ahead and that's great.
But there are other things he hasn't.
told me and is kind of calling me to trust.
So I think I'm in that season of like, it's exciting because I don't quite know what God'sgoing to do, but I do know I'm in the right place, if that makes sense.
(38:17):
So I'm just kind of trusting Him and trusting that He can work through my weakness, mybusyness, my scheduling, my overwhelm to do what He wants to do in me and through me.
That's great, thank you for sharing that Lucy.
Now just before we come to an end, where can listeners find you on social media?
(38:38):
Have you got a website?
And more importantly, because the show is all about the books, where can people buy yourbook?
Be still, 30 devotions for those who feel anything but.
Yay.
So the best place to find me on social media is on Instagram at The Hope Field Family.
So that's my ministry business as I call it.
(38:58):
So yeah, that's where I am.
And I encourage parents, carers, anyone who has an interest in the spiritual life ofchildren and young people on that platform.
I write weekly emails.
You can sign up for my emails either through my Instagram or at thehopefieldfamily.com.
My website is going to undergo a major rehaul over the next couple of months, I'm hoping.
(39:22):
So by the start of 2025, it should look brilliant.
So you can go to it now, but don't be put off if it looks terrible.
Oh, sorry, 2026, I'm a year behind.
Thank you.
Yes, the start of 2026, it should look awesome.
And it should be a helpful resource for all those who are wanting to support children andyoung people with their faith.
I won't say any more at the moment.
(39:42):
So, yeah, Instagram, website, my Friday night emails just offer encouragement andresources and recommendations of things that help, hopefully, Christian parents and
carers.
I have youth workers on that list.
I have children's workers on the list, church leaders, grandparents, godparents, you nameit.
So I'm targeting parents and carers, but I'm very happy for anyone who is interested inthe spiritual life of children and young people to join me there.
(40:07):
And in terms of my books,
You can find most of on Amazon.
You find all of them on Amazon.
In fact, you can find a lot of them on Eden and you can find them on my website, isthehopefilledfamily.com slash shop.
Wonderful.
Thank you, Lucy.
That's fantastic.
Thank you so much for joining us today.
It's great to have you back here on Christian Bookberg.
(40:28):
Thank you for having me.
been a great conversation.
thank you so much as well for listening to this episode of Christian Book Blurb.
Don't forget I'll be back again really soon, either on the 1st or the 15th of every month,because that's when a new episode is going to drop.
So do join me then, because I'll be chatting with another Christian author all about theirbooks, their lives and their faith to help you grow in your discipleship one book at a
(40:54):
time.
Thanks for joining me, I'll see you soon.
Goodbye.
Thanks for listening to Christian Book Blurb.
with your host Matt McChlery.
Do give it a like, give it a share and let your friends know all about it.
We do hope to see you again soon on another Christian Book Blurb.
This is Christian Book Blurb brought to you by author and songwriter Matt McChlery Get abehind the scenes glimpse into the lives of some of your favourite Christian authors.
Hear about their books and faith.
Also, why not check out my website, mattmcleary.com.
Hello and welcome to another episode of Christian Book Blurb where we like to encourageyou in your discipleship one book at a time as we meet some amazing Christian authors and
(00:25):
learn about their books, their lives.
and their faith.
I'm your host Matt McChlery, thank you so much for clicking over here and joining metoday.
Now I have the privilege of welcoming back an author to the podcast.
We've had Lucy Rycroft on before, but we are going to be chatting about a book she'swritten, which is all called Be Still.
(00:48):
So we're going to be chatting about stillness and what it is and how to find it and how toactually be.
still.
So let's, in the stillest kind of voice possible, let's welcome Lucy Rycroft back to theshow.
Hi Lucy.
Hi Matt, thank you for having me a second time.
That's great to have you back again with us.
(01:10):
A very different book to the last one we discussed.
I think it was Rehab last time, your sort of Illustrated Children's sort of series that wetalked about last time, but this time it's more kind of adult-focused, isn't it?
Your book Be Still, 30 Devotions for Those Who Feel Anything But.
I love the subtitle, that's great.
(01:30):
So basically the first question's got to be why.
Why write a book focused on stillness?
Yeah, it's a great question.
And the story for me started a few months actually before I submitted the book proposal.
It started in my own personal journey.
I think as a lot of books do, I really felt God nudging me in the realm of stillnessbecause my life just didn't feel still.
(01:51):
You know, that subtitle of the book is very deliberate.
That was my life.
That is my life, really.
And yet I believe the Bible is God's word and it's good in every season.
So if it's good in every season, then how could those commands to be still, those themesof stillness which we see running through scripture, even in other other, you know, when
other languages used, how could that be true in my life, which was so busy.
(02:13):
So I kind of set out on a personal journey in 2024 to try and kind of delve into thosepassages a bit more and work out like, okay, God, you've asked people to be still, you've
asked us to be still, but you've also given me this life, which is
not very still.
So how can I know your stillness in this busy life?
(02:34):
And that's really where it started.
And from there, I had the huge privilege of being able to turn that into a book and sharethat journey with others as well.
Hmm.
It's good to know that you're not some sort of hermit locked away somewhere, just beingstill all the time.
And, know, now you've this book about stillness telling everyone else how, you know, lifeshould be.
(02:58):
Actually, you've written a book in the midst of chaos, looking at stillness.
We could all relate to.
So why is stillness so important for us?
It is in the Bible a lot, but you know,
Why is important?
Yeah, it's in the Bible.
mean, God commands it.
(03:18):
He doesn't usually ask us just to blindly accept what he says.
You know, there's always a good reason behind it.
And so let's look at the good reasons.
Why does he ask us to be still?
Well, God designed us so he knows how our bodies function.
He knows how our minds function.
And we see it in the science, don't we?
The science kind of catches up with scripture that we need to rest.
Our bodies, our minds need rest.
(03:39):
You know, we do not cope with being overwhelmed.
We're not designed.
to be on the go all the time.
So we know that if we don't kind of stop, if we don't take a breather, if we don't pause,we're gonna make ourselves very ill physically or mentally or both.
So there's that.
That's really, really important.
God knows how we best function.
And he set that pattern in creation, didn't he?
(04:00):
Six days of work and one day of rest.
He didn't need to rest.
He did that to model to us that we would need to rest.
He's given us a gift of sleep in the same way.
But I think also there's a deeper sense to stillness, which is not just about beingphysically still, but trust actually, and being patient to wait for God to act.
And when we are not still, when we are leading lives that are constantly busy, often, notalways, but often it is because we want to be in control of our lives.
(04:30):
We don't feel ready.
to hand over things to God.
It's like we want God to be there, but we also need to do all this stuff because what ifhe doesn't show up for us?
What if he doesn't work or act in this situation?
Like I need to just take over and make sure that things get done in my life in the waythat I want them done.
So I think when he says to be still, yes, it's about physical stillness.
(04:54):
Yes, it's about oral stillness, know, and quiet and peace and silence, but it's also abouttrust.
Like, do you trust me to slow down?
Do you trust me to stop and trust me that I will provide for you, that I will provide forthose you love, that I will give you what you need, that your life isn't going to fall
(05:15):
apart when you stop working or whatever it is?
So I think there's that deeper aspect to stillness, which is so, so important and so hard,Matt, for us to get our heads around, I think.
I think it takes a lifetime for us to really kind of learn.
to be trusting God in that way.
And certainly that's my experience, it's not something that comes easily to me.
(05:35):
No, and I think especially in the culture we find ourselves, especially in Britain, itmight be true kind of in other Westernized countries as well.
Maybe, I'm not sure, because I haven't spent much time in other sort of America, whatever.
I haven't actually been to America before.
But I know from conversations with other people from other cultures, they were saying,wow.
(06:02):
the pace of life is just so fast here.
It's so relentless.
It's never-ending.
You always go, go, go at full speed.
You know, when do people actually stop?
When do people actually have time to do anything else other than work?
it was just sort of explaining this aspect of our culture that they've noticed coming froma different culture where
(06:25):
Obviously the pace of life isn't so hectic, which is interesting.
yeah, this idea of stillness kind of, as they say these days, it's different when youthink about it in our context.
Well, we just have so much choice, don't we, in everything.
There was a time many years ago when people believed that labor-saving devices were goingto give us all this free time, and they have, but we filled it to the point where we don't
(06:53):
really feel like we've got a lot of disposable time anymore.
And as the leisure options go up, life becomes fuller and it becomes more complex.
Look at all the activities that our children do these days, for example, for a middleclass.
Westerner, know, the likelihood is if they're a parent that they're running around aftertheir kids because their kids are doing so many more scheduled activities than we were.
(07:19):
There's that.
There's our smartphones, I think, which just fill every available gap in our lives.
You know, who waits for a bus anymore in silence?
No, you pull your phone out and you scroll, you know.
So,
Yeah, there's a lot of aspects to our culture which don't make it very easy to findstillness for sure.
(07:39):
And stillness is one of those, one of many sort of strands of spiritual formation, isn'tit?
What can you tell us sort of more generally, what is spiritual formation and how does thatwork and how does that play out or should play out in the lives of a Christian?
Yeah, that's an interesting question.
I mean, at the heart of it, because spiritual formation sounds quite formal, doesn't it?
(08:03):
It sounds almost like a discipline and a school of thought.
Well, it is, of course, it is a discipline.
But I think, I think really it's at the heart of it, it's very simple.
It's yielding to God every day.
And
doing what he says.
I mean, I'm not saying that's simple.
I'm not saying it's always simple, you know, to discern the will of God.
(08:26):
But I think we also have a habit, especially in our culture of over complicating it andsaying, well, there's got to be this aspect and that aspect and this and whatever.
And we have all these books and resources and podcasts and everything to help us, which isgreat.
But, you know, the danger of that is that it becomes something that is over complicated,that it becomes something that
has a vision and a strategy and a plan and you know and it's and it's not you know Jesussaid follow me it's really simple and I for me at least I think that's been true in my own
(08:58):
life that actually it's when I've just stripped off all the kind of baggage and just kindof gone okay Jesus here I am do what you want what is that tell me please what you want
He just has and it's been a lot more straightforward than maybe I was expecting.
(09:20):
And it's hard to give any other answer really because spiritual formation will lookdifferent for each one of us because we're all individuals, we're all at different stages
of our journey.
Spiritual formation for me today looks different to what it did to me five years ago, 10years ago, whatever.
But we can't go far wrong if
if we have an attitude of submission before God and just literally just saying, right,God, what do want me to do in this moment today?
(09:44):
You know, and I think that's why it's so powerful to hear the testimonies of other peoplein our church congregations and anywhere really.
But I'm just thinking particularly of testimonies I've heard at our church recently of Godworking in people's lives in very different ways to how he's working in my life, you know.
And maybe in very different ways to how I think he should be working in their lives, buthe's working in these wonderful ways.
(10:06):
That's not for me to say, you know, and I love seeing the spiritual journey of others.
I love seeing how God is working, what God is doing in the lives of the people.
So yeah, yield yourself to God because you can totally trust him and just say, what is ityou want me to do next?
And I think he gently leads us in that way when we do.
(10:28):
I like what you said earlier about it's simple really.
Because yeah, we do tend to overcomplicate and something that I've learned, again, I readso many books, especially for this podcast, but some of the stuff I've come through in my
reading and also my own kind of spiritual life is the whole idea of when you're trying to
(10:49):
do spiritual disciplines or spiritual formation, whatever, that actually less is more.
in the terms of subtraction, think subtraction rather than addition.
Yeah.
So, you know, yes, okay, right.
We've got this busy life.
And now we're listening to this podcast.
And now I have to be still.
no, that's something I have to add to my already busy schedule.
(11:11):
I have to add a moment where I have to be still.
Well, no, actually.
think more about, okay, well, what can I subtract?
What could I take away?
And by taking away, know, stillness can sort of flow in that space.
Anyway, I just found it helpful thinking of more of sort of subtraction and simplifyinglife rather than adding more and more complexity.
(11:37):
Anyway, let's get down to your book, Be Still, 30 Devotions for Those Who Feel
anything but so of course you got 30 chapters in there all following obviously a theme andthey're all very well structured and we'll talk about the extra little bits within the
structure a bit later on but let's have a look at day four because you quote a passagefrom Exodus that says the Lord will fight for you you need only to be still
(12:12):
Can you talk us through this verse and indeed the passage that contextualizes it?
Yeah, so it's a really wonderful passage where, you know, very well-known passage in manyways, where the Israelites have left Egypt, they've left slavery, Moses has led them out,
Pharaoh has released them, but then he changes his mind and he comes after them with hisarmy.
(12:36):
And the Israelites see it.
In fact, you know, at the start of the passage, I quote in the book, so this is sort ofverse 10, 11, says, they were terrified.
and cried out to the Lord.
said to Moses, was it because there were no graves in Egypt that you brought us to thedesert to die?
You know, they've got this like sarcastic, like, you know, who doesn't resort to sarcasmwhen they're angry?
they're really like, they're terrified.
(12:58):
And they're like, hang on, you were meant to be leading us out of slavery.
Now we're all going to die.
It would have been better just to die in Egypt.
Why have we gone on this journey?
What's the point of it all?
And Moses answers with these.
confident words which must have come straight from the Lord.
He says, do not be afraid, stand firm and you will see the deliverance the Lord will bringyou today.
The Egyptians you see today, you'll never see again.
(13:18):
The Lord will fight for you.
You need only to be still.
And of course, we know the rest of the story.
We know that they continue to head towards the water because they've got the Egyptian armyon one side, right?
And they've got the Red Sea on the other.
So they're totally trapped.
you're totally trapped there's no like physical way out and their instinct is to fightbecause if they don't fight they're gonna die right but they know they're gonna die
(13:41):
because they can't possibly fight the Egyptian armies or they're gonna drown they justmarch on towards the sea and they're told okay just trust God God's gonna make it all
alright and we know what happens God separates the sea they go through and the sea getsclosed up before the Egyptians can get there and they all drown and the Israelites are
safe it's a wonderful and horrific story all in one
What is really interesting, I think, about this is that when, you this is one of the firstpassages I looked at in my Be Still year.
(14:06):
And because I'm married to a church leader, I get to do cool things like use this Hebrewdictionary.
So I looked at the word for still because it's different, you throughout the Bible.
And that's fascinating.
And it's I'm going to show my ignorance of the Hebrew language here.
Hadash, I'm going to call it.
A Hebrew speaker who's listening can correct me on that pronunciation.
(14:27):
But it is a word actually that doesn't mean physical stillness.
It means oral stillness.
So it's like it's about being silent and it's about holding your peace.
So actually what God is not saying is you don't need to do a thing.
I'll do it all.
Just trust me.
I'll do it.
You're rubbish.
You're so weak and pathetic you humans.
Just don't.
(14:47):
I'll just do it.
I'll just take over here.
He's not saying that.
He's saying you do.
what you can do and what they can do in that moment is walk forward.
That's something they can physically do.
So he's not saying literally stop and do nothing.
He's saying you do what you can do.
But what I don't want you to do is declare war on these Egyptians.
(15:08):
I don't want you to call out.
I don't want you to, you know, shout insults at them.
I don't want you to make a song and dance of this.
I just want you to walk forward in the path I have for you and I will do the rest.
And he does.
And I just think that is a wonderful
Reminder for us when we're facing things that seem impossible when we're facing busynessoverwhelmed chaos Excuse me.
(15:29):
God's not saying to us.
Ha ha, know, you've made this mess for yourself, you know, you've over busied yourself Youknow, you're on your own.
Sorry mate.
I'm out of here until you can sort your life out He doesn't say that but neither does hesay okay.
It's fine Just sit back.
I'll do it all
He doesn't say that either.
You know, it's this wonderful partnership, very, very gracious partnership that God comesalongside us and he says, you do what you can do in this situation and I'll do the rest.
(15:57):
I'll do what you can't do in this situation.
And so I love that passage and I love that reminder to us that God can do the impossibleand often does in many ways in our lives.
It might not be as dramatic as passing the Red Sea, but it feels as important to us inthat moment where we need him.
to do the miraculous and he does.
(16:17):
That's wonderful.
Now in day nine, you've called this entry, even in the midst of chaos.
And it of circles back to what we were saying earlier on, where you're not a monk tuckedaway somewhere being all nice and still and peaceful.
You know what it is to live a life of chaos where you need to find some stillness from Godin it.
(16:39):
and you tell a lovely story in that chapter, all about what life was like when you came tosubmit this very book that we're talking about.
Be still.
Can you tell us the story?
Yes, so I think 2024 was probably the busiest year in my life to date.
And I think March is probably the busiest month of that year.
And March was the month that I submitted this book proposal.
(17:00):
Just personally and professionally, it was crazy.
So we have four kids and we stood on the kind of precipice of March going into monththinking this is going to be crazy.
We had one going in for an operation, we had one going abroad on a school trip.
We had the other two in gym competitions on the same day in different places.
on a weekend when I was not around as well.
You're a church leader as well, Matt, so you know, like weekends away are not really athing, are they?
(17:23):
Like we never go away for weekends because my husband leads a church, we have kids to lookafter, you know, so we never go away for weekends.
And yet I had two weekends in March where I had to be away for different things once withthe kids and once without sort of, you know, large and non-negotiable things, which was
lovely, but also adding kind of stress to that season.
What else do we have going on?
(17:44):
Oh, you might...
My professional life was crazy.
I was in a maternity cover over at BRF heading up the Parenting for Faith team.
I was having to make my first presentation to the trustees.
I hadn't done this before.
Being a maternity cover is really interesting because you're trying to do the job to thebest of your ability whilst also knowing that you're not going to be doing it forever and
that the person who's going to come back and do it is far better at the job than you are.
(18:04):
So I was trying to do my best while she was off, but also feeling really out of my depth.
I actually had two book proposals to submit because I had this one and I had one for work.
I had an eight hour round trip to lead a freelancer speaking team day.
Get that round the right way.
And we were launching a course in that month.
I mean, it was just crazy.
It was like everything that could happen.
All the big things were all happening in that month.
(18:27):
And it was just like, how are we going to get through this month?
And then the icing on the cake in this hugely busy month with no spare time, my
A friend who heads up a music department in a local secondary school persuaded me to comeout of retirement, because I used to be a music teacher before the kids were born, and
apply for a part-time job he had going in his department.
(18:47):
And of course, when was the interview?
March.
everything, you know, I hadn't taught that for 15 years and I had to go and do thisinterview day and teach year eight and teach year 13.
I was like, I've got no idea what's on the A level spec.
I'm so out of date, I'm so out of touch, I've got no resources anymore.
They're all on like, you know, five computers a go where all my resources, like it wasjust, you know, absolutely crazy.
(19:11):
But by the grace of God and only I think because God wanted this to be the case, I gotthat job against all the odds, you know, not because I was experienced, not because I was
the best music teacher on the day, but I think I got it because God wanted me in thatschool to work in that school.
Yeah, the month, all those things went fine in the end.
The book proposals were submitted, the presentation went well, the course was launched,all that is great.
(19:35):
But it was busy and it was so intense and I just felt the hand of God kind of gentlypushing me through that month and helping me get through because it was crazy.
And you also point out the important fact that God isn't only with us in the chaos, buthe's also within us.
(19:55):
And why does this make a difference?
Yeah, that's really interesting because the people reading this psalm, so psalm 46 is theone that people think of when they think of the phrase be still.
God is our refuge and strength, our ever-present help in trouble.
We will not fear though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of thesea.
So it's all about, know, even though the earth is chaotic, we don't have to fear becauseGod is with us.
(20:21):
It goes on to say there is a river whose streams make glad the city of God the holy placewhere the most high dwells Now that holy place for those reading that Psalm initially
would have been Jerusalem, right?
you don't need to fear because God is in Jerusalem and You know God is with you.
That's great when Jesus came and when he told that Temple curtain in two through his deathand then a subsequent resurrection through
(20:45):
His death and now through the Holy Spirit, we have God living in us.
So God is not just in a place, God is now in us, like our bodies are a temple for God.
So we have this incredible internal structure to our souls that the temple would have beenfor God originally, okay?
(21:06):
He would have been in this incredible
structure of the temple, but now he's inside our lives giving us that stability, giving usthat foundational core, giving us that supernatural power that we would not have on our
own.
That power that gets us through these days of busyness in a way that is like eyes up toGod, like trusting God with open hands saying, God, just do with me what you want to do
(21:32):
today in the busyness.
Would things get done in the way that you want them to get done?
So yeah, I find that very encouraging.
is not just with us, but he is within us.
His power is right in us in those moments that seem impossible.
Really good.
In day 27 of the book, Be Still, you talk about the importance of taking small steps.
(21:56):
And I guess when reading a book like this, so full of advice and wisdom, you can getoverwhelmed, can't you, that, you know, we've got to do it all at once.
We've got, we're trying to apply all of these things now.
And we do that in life as well, don't we?
We feel we have to do it all now.
Can you just talk us through this idea of taking a small step?
Yeah, so I don't know who it was who said that it's better to be taking small steps in theright direction than big steps in the wrong direction.
(22:21):
I feel like I've heard that somewhere at some point.
But that's right, isn't it?
And I think there's a lot actually.
Jesus spoke a lot in terms of direction and paths.
He talks about the narrow gate and the narrow path.
And this idea that following Jesus is like a journey, and Paul talks about it as a race.
You're on a track, you're on a lane.
So there was a lot, there were a lot of metaphors, I think, throughout the Bible aboutlife and faith being this journey.
(22:46):
And we want to be journeying towards Jesus at every step.
And sometimes that will be a small step.
But that's the path we want to be on.
Not kind of taking massive leaps in the wrong direction or on the wrong path.
We've kind of veered off.
We don't...
want that we want to be journeying towards Jesus and you know the world is full of voicesand influences who give us timelines that are not from God.
(23:14):
So people will tell us certain things are urgent, certain things are important in life,voices will tell us you know you've got to do this in this amount of time or this is super
important to achieve by this age or that age yeah those voices come at us
from social media, from our friends and family maybe, from school, if we're younger, fromcollege, university, we get these influences.
(23:36):
And at every stage we need to be taking that back to God and going, God, what do you wantme to do?
And when by, like, what's your timeframe for this project or this, this kind of stage inmy life?
And I honestly just think that as we keep going to God with these questions and keep goingto God with the things in our lives, he makes it clear.
He gives us a timeline.
(23:57):
You know, other things in my life that I'm frustrated by?
Yeah, absolutely.
Like I'm the world's most impatient person and I'm, I have a business, the Hopefieldfamily, and there are so many things I want to do with that, it's a ministry business.
There's so many things that I want to do with that business, with that ministry.
I don't have time to do them all as quickly as I want them done.
(24:21):
I want it done now.
I want, I want the website, the ministry to look like
what I have in my head and it won't look like that for some time.
And that's frustrating, really frustrating.
And I can take that frustration and I can be overwhelmed by it or I can take it to God andsay, well look actually, God I'm grateful that you've given me the time that you have
(24:41):
given me to do what I can do.
Because it may not look like what I want it to look like yet, but it's getting there.
Every day it's looking a little bit more like that.
And I think it's that sense of like,
As long as you're going in the right direction, those small steps add up.
Yeah.
And I tell this to people I coach, you know, I'm coaching a Christian writer at the momentand you know, she was getting overwhelmed by this book she's trying to write and I was
(25:06):
like, look, put a 25 minute timer on, you know, and that will be 25 minutes closer to yourgoal.
Having done that 25 minute block of writing than you were anyway, rather than thinkingI've got to write a whole book, just write the next little bit.
Yeah, and maybe if you've done that 25 minutes, you'll find that actually it's easy to dothat the next day as well.
(25:28):
And then the next day and before you know it, you've done a few blocks of 25 minutes andyou're that bit further to your goal than you were before.
So, yeah, I'm a great believer in small steps in the right direction.
good.
continuing this idea of small steps, that brings us nicely to the structure of yourchapters in the book, because at the end of the of the devotional reflection and the Bible
(25:53):
verse, you've got a prayer, a stillness idea, and a reflection.
How do you hope readers should
should use these.
I know because I've already read the introduction but how do you hope readers can usethese?
Could have tested you there, couldn't I?
Yeah, so the prayer idea, yeah, just a couple of prayer prompts, things that God might belaying on your heart as a result of reading the devotion.
(26:18):
I hope that's fairly kind of straightforward to people and obviously, you you don't haveto use my prayer prompts, you know, if God has prompted something else and you're great,
just do that, that's great.
I like prayer prompts rather than written prayer because we all communicate in a differentway to God.
so just giving people those questions and those sort of starts of conversations with God,I hope will lead to a helpful conversation with God for people reading the book.
(26:40):
The stillness idea.
So when I wrote this book, when I started writing it, obviously 30 days, I was thinking ofit as being something people would read across the course of a month.
And to date, unless you're going to be my first, nobody I know has written the book.
has read the book rather in a month, like everybody has taken longer over it.
And I love that because actually by the time I'd finished writing the book, I think Irealized that actually it was probably a bit more dense and a bit more meaty than
(27:07):
something that would be a daily habit.
So the stillness ideas, just to explain to those listening, because I know you know,because you've been a good boy, Matt.
Well done, 10 out of 10 for reading the intro.
The stillness ideas.
There are 30 of them, there's one after each devotion, but the idea is not that you do allof them.
The idea is that you just pick maybe one or two from the book that resonate and work onthose because each one of them could take days or weeks or months even to embed.
(27:36):
So you might read devotion one and think, gosh, yeah, this stillness idea is right out mystreet.
I'm going to try that.
And that's great.
Or it might not be till day 16 that you get that sense of like, this is going to besomething that helps me.
Or you might want to try out each one just for a few days just to see which ones stick.
You know, might want to do it that way.
But definitely don't try to attempt them all.
You will overwhelm yourself.
You can always go back to the book and try a different one once one's embedded.
(28:00):
And they'll be good in different seasons as well.
You might just do one for a few weeks and think, well, that was helpful.
Now I'm going to try something else.
That's fine.
So the stillness ideas are very much, I'll say, optional.
Not as in, I don't think you should do them at all, but just pick.
Yeah, it's a pick and mix.
Yeah, just pick the ones that are going to be helpful for you and try those.
And then the reflect really is just an opportunity to go back and process how thatstillness idea has worked in your life and whether it's been something that's been
(28:28):
helpful.
Is it going to be a habit that you continue or has it just been for the last few days orweeks and now you're going to try something else?
So that, you know, there's no legalism to them.
They're just practical ways that maybe we can embed some of this teaching.
about stillness.
I really like that, that there's a practical element, there's something you can do.
(28:52):
Not necessarily doing all of it, as you say, but because the Bible should spur us toaction.
It should just be, oh, well, that's a nice idea, and then you just stick it on a shelf.
This is what God is saying.
This is what God is...
encouraging us to do.
Okay, well, how do I do this?
Let's actually do it.
(29:14):
So yeah, that's really useful.
Thank you.
And we'll be back just after these chatting a little bit more with the author Lucy Rycroftall about her life and her faith.
So stay tuned.
We'll be back after these.
If you enjoy listening to this podcast, you can help keep it on the web.
All you've got to do is buy me a coffee.
Head over to buymeacoffee.com.
(29:36):
There is a link in this episode's show notes.
So go on, buy me a coffee today and help this podcast to keep supporting Christian booksand authors.
Hello, welcome back to The Christian Book Blurb.
I'm joined today by the author Lucy Rycroft.
Now before the break we were chatting all about her book called Be Still, 30 Devotions forThose Who Feel Anything But.
(30:00):
And we've dug into the book quite a bit and into the whole idea of stillness, but at thishalf of the interview, this side of the interval Lucy, we like to get to know the author a
little bit better.
But because you've been on the show
before, I kind of already have a bit of an insight.
Last time you were on, you mentioned that laundry was your number one hobby.
(30:22):
Is that still the case?
Well, if a hobby is something that you spend a lot of time doing...
Yep, that hasn't decreased.
gets more as your kids get older because they get bigger, their clothes are bigger.
can't get as many them the wash at one time so you end up washing more.
I do do other things.
What else do you do?
I love to read.
I'm part of a book club locally.
I love cooking.
I love hosting, having people around.
(30:43):
Our kids are growing up and quite often have groups of friends around and that's lovely.
So yeah, and I host my own friends as well and church family.
I love sitting down in front of a good comedy show with my husband and sometimes my kidsdepending on what it is.
So we've just enjoyed Friday night dinner with the older two kids.
That's it.
just had us absolutely weeping with laughter.
(31:04):
just hanging out really with the family and walking the dog.
And yeah, I lead quite a kind of normal, boring life, but it suits me.
show that I've just started watching, sort of a lighthearted comedy one on Netflix isKim's Convenience.
I don't know if you've come across it.
I find it absolutely hilarious.
It's a Korean family who owns a corner store in Toronto.
(31:26):
And it's just slightly bonkers, but very, very amusing.
Yeah.
And um
You mentioned last time that board games, you enjoyed playing those.
Do you still play the odd board game?
And if so, which one is sort of the hot favourite at the moment?
Yeah, I don't know if there's one that's a hot favorite.
(31:47):
Oh, I played Monopoly last weekend with my son.
How long did that last?
Well, we were at my in-laws and we had to leave, so I think we gave it a bit of a limit.
I think we played for just over an hour.
That game can go on for days.
Well, I know.
I did warn him.
I thought it was the junior version and it wasn't.
I'd managed to just about wipe him out, so that was a good moment to stop.
(32:10):
We like, we quite like strategy games.
like Azul at the moment and Jewel is a good one.
We like Jewel and it's really fun when your kids get old enough to play the fun games.
know, mean, Orchard Toys bless them, do a great line in games for preschoolers, but it wasreally nice to be able to move off pack lunch or shopping list or whatever those games are
and to move on to some fun ones.
(32:35):
yeah, it's really fun actually having slightly older kids and teens and you get to.
play these fun games with them as well.
Great, great.
And any favorite things to eat?
You say you like cooking.
I love a curry, who doesn't?
Yes, so I would always choose curry for going out or having a takeaway.
I love an Indian.
Chocolate, always, on everything, in everything.
(32:56):
I don't really see the point of desserts without chocolate in, if I'm quite honest.
I've managed to birth a son who loves all the traditional English puddings.
He loves a crumble, you know.
Arctic roll at school, you know, all that kind of business and know, like absolutely.
Yeah.
Where the spoons is going to be as jam.
(33:16):
I that.
I miss that.
must admit I go to a restaurant.
I'm guilty of judging restaurants by their dessert menu.
It's a thing.
That's fair.
know.
But so often these days, I'm so disappointed with what you can get.
There's always a cheesecake and I'm not that, you know, fussed about cheesecakes.
And, you know, one or two other things when I'm saying, give me a sticky toffee pudding,you know, then I'll be happy.
(33:40):
Give me, give me, you know, some of the old traditional stuff.
That'd be great.
But I think they're making a comeback actually.
I think this generation do really like them.
I mean, I'm not a big fan of stewed fruit and I'm not a big fan of hot puddings.
So I'm, I'm, I don't drink tea or coffee.
No, I hate cheesecake.
(34:00):
I will eat a cheesecake, but yeah, I think it's a big disappointment cheesecake.
have to say.
yes, I feel like I'm a disappointment to British culture because I don't drink tea.
and don't like a lot of these traditional British puddings.
I do like a sticky toffee.
I do think there's not much better than a toffee.
A good sticky toffee pudding with some...
Absolutely lovely.
Yeah.
wonderful, wonderful.
(34:21):
So have you got family?
You've mentioned sort of children and that kind of thing.
Yes.
Where are you at in your stage with them at the minute?
Yeah, so I can't remember last time I was on the show.
They were quite a bit younger, I think.
They are now 11 and, 11 up to 16.
So we have twins who are 11, a daughter who is 14 and a son who's 16.
(34:43):
And I'm married to Al.
We live in York.
We have done for a long time, even though I'm not from here.
We have a crazy dog.
is lovely.
It is.
It's hard to move out of York, to be honest.
it's so lovely.
We love visiting there.
And you've got some great place names in York as well.
Like was that?
Whipma Whopma Gate and all those things.
of my kids was, at my kid's school, they call the class names after the street names inYork.
(35:08):
And so my son got to be in Whitmore-Walmergate, which was really fun.
I don't think any of the others ended up in that class, but yeah.
And then they all go and visit their street.
It's the shortest street with the longest name.
So it's literally just a few meters long.
And they all went and had a little photo by the sign, the road sign, which basically takesup half the street.
That's fantastic.
I like the quirky things.
And there's a trail, isn't there, in York where you go and sort of spy sort of cats,little sort of models of cats on the side of buildings and things.
(35:33):
it's great.
It's fantastic there.
And of course, yes, certain famous films that were filmed down certain streets and things.
sure it was was it?
I think that's a myth.
Are you talking about Harry Potter?
Yes.
I think it was modeled on, I think Diagon Alley was modeled on the shambles, I thinkthat's what it is.
I think there's one shot on like the first film I think of the shambles but that's it.
(35:59):
I think I don't know.
I'm no expert, I must say.
Anyway.
We seem to rake in the cash, the tourism cash from the Harry Potter franchise, regardlessof whether or not it was filmed here.
There's always queues of people outside the Harry Potter shop.
and you don't like tea, so do you go to that famous tea room?
Nope,
There's always queues outside when I see
(36:20):
The thing is think when you live in a place and you could go anytime, you sort of think,oh, I'll go anytime, but you don't.
But actually when you live in a place, you know all the other places to go.
If you're visiting York, you're like, we've got to go to Betty's because you don't knowany of the other places.
But actually there are some amazing cafes in York.
It's a real like hive of independent businesses and people in York love their indie shopsand indie cafes.
(36:43):
So there are lots of places I would choose to go.
Betty's is wonderful, but there are lots of places I would choose to go where you don'thave to queue and the food is just as good if not better.
The queue always puts me off.
Anyway, good.
What is the Holy Spirit doing in your life or saying to you at the moment?
question.
feel like I want to just, I've got the wrong book.
I want to open my journal because I'm so bad at remembering anything these days.
(37:08):
God is doing so much in my life but when somebody puts me on the spot I can never rememberand you haven't put me on the spot because you did prepare me by telling me you were going
to ask me this question.
I get that.
I think God has done a really
amazing work in my life over the last three years.
He has led me into a place I never knew I would be kind of in terms of work and ambition.
(37:28):
so I've been very aware of his provision over the last few years, but I have also kind ofbeen aware of his leading and I'm still aware of his leading.
And I think all the things we've been talking about, small steps and trusting that hasbeen very much.
on the forefront of what God's kind of doing in me again this year.
And it feels like a really simple, straightforward thing, like didn't I learn this yearsago?
(37:50):
But for me, it's a, and maybe many of us, it's an ongoing thing of like, can I trust Godin this season?
There are some things he has made very clear to me about the ministry I'm involved in andaffirm to me that that should be kind of going ahead and that's great.
But there are other things he hasn't.
told me and is kind of calling me to trust.
So I think I'm in that season of like, it's exciting because I don't quite know what God'sgoing to do, but I do know I'm in the right place, if that makes sense.
(38:17):
So I'm just kind of trusting Him and trusting that He can work through my weakness, mybusyness, my scheduling, my overwhelm to do what He wants to do in me and through me.
That's great, thank you for sharing that Lucy.
Now just before we come to an end, where can listeners find you on social media?
(38:38):
Have you got a website?
And more importantly, because the show is all about the books, where can people buy yourbook?
Be still, 30 devotions for those who feel anything but.
Yay.
So the best place to find me on social media is on Instagram at The Hope Field Family.
So that's my ministry business as I call it.
(38:58):
So yeah, that's where I am.
And I encourage parents, carers, anyone who has an interest in the spiritual life ofchildren and young people on that platform.
I write weekly emails.
You can sign up for my emails either through my Instagram or at thehopefieldfamily.com.
My website is going to undergo a major rehaul over the next couple of months, I'm hoping.
(39:22):
So by the start of 2025, it should look brilliant.
So you can go to it now, but don't be put off if it looks terrible.
Oh, sorry, 2026, I'm a year behind.
Thank you.
Yes, the start of 2026, it should look awesome.
And it should be a helpful resource for all those who are wanting to support children andyoung people with their faith.
I won't say any more at the moment.
(39:42):
So, yeah, Instagram, website, my Friday night emails just offer encouragement andresources and recommendations of things that help, hopefully, Christian parents and
carers.
I have youth workers on that list.
I have children's workers on the list, church leaders, grandparents, godparents, you nameit.
So I'm targeting parents and carers, but I'm very happy for anyone who is interested inthe spiritual life of children and young people to join me there.
(40:07):
And in terms of my books,
You can find most of on Amazon.
You find all of them on Amazon.
In fact, you can find a lot of them on Eden and you can find them on my website, isthehopefilledfamily.com slash shop.
Wonderful.
Thank you, Lucy.
That's fantastic.
Thank you so much for joining us today.
It's great to have you back here on Christian Bookberg.
(40:28):
Thank you for having me.
been a great conversation.
thank you so much as well for listening to this episode of Christian Book Blurb.
Don't forget I'll be back again really soon, either on the 1st or the 15th of every month,because that's when a new episode is going to drop.
So do join me then, because I'll be chatting with another Christian author all about theirbooks, their lives and their faith to help you grow in your discipleship one book at a
(40:54):
time.
Thanks for joining me, I'll see you soon.
Goodbye.
Thanks for listening to Christian Book Blurb.
with your host Matt McChlery.
Do give it a like, give it a share and let your friends know all about it.
We do hope to see you again soon on another Christian Book Blurb.
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If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com
CrimeLess: Hillbilly Heist
It’s 1996 in rural North Carolina, and an oddball crew makes history when they pull off America’s third largest cash heist. But it’s all downhill from there. Join host Johnny Knoxville as he unspools a wild and woolly tale about a group of regular ‘ol folks who risked it all for a chance at a better life. CrimeLess: Hillbilly Heist answers the question: what would you do with 17.3 million dollars? The answer includes diamond rings, mansions, velvet Elvis paintings, plus a run for the border, murder-for-hire-plots, and FBI busts.