Courtney Ellis - Happy Now: Let Playfulness Lift Your Load and Renew Your Spirit

Im afraid that serious, humorless grown-ups like me wont immediately think they need this book. But they would be wrong. This book breathes fresh air into stale, windowless lives ever committed to hustle and hard work. With warm and witty storytelling, Courtney Ellis lead us into the good news of the kingdomthat its a playful, joyful place. What a gift her words are, especially for dark and difficult days.

Jen Pollock Michel ,
award-winning author of Surprised by Paradox
and A Habit Called Faith .

Courtney Ellis offers a rare, timely combination of sound theology, personal transparency, accessible style, and sharp wit. The world needs more writers like Courtney, and readers need more books by her.

Karen Swallow Prior ,
author of On Reading Well: Finding the Good Life
through Great Books

My wife Maile and I are always talking about how important whimsy and playfulness are when it comes to writing and creativity, so when I saw the subtitle of Elliss book, I couldnt help but smile: Let playfulness lift your load and renew your spirit? Yes, please. As a firstborn child who holds seriousness in high regard, I need the freeing and joyful message, and playful applications, this book has to offer. But dont we all? Seriousness has taken over our lives in the form of somber religion, stern politics, and pessimistic outlooks. Elliss book arrives at just the right time, and her kind and easygoing voice makes this book a joy to read, the first step on the road to a more creative, whimsical, and playful life.

Shawn Smucker ,
author of The Weight of Memory

This isnt a book to read for mere intellectual satisfaction. It is a book whose principles I plan to further incorporate into my own life and into the life of my family. Let us follow in Courtneys footsteps as she follows in Jesuss footsteps.

Marlena Graves ,
author of The Way Up is Down: Becoming
Yourself by Forgetting Yourself

Great news: you dont have to abandon your responsible, grown-up self in order to invite playfulness back into your life! Fun, curiosity, and wonder are absolutely essential to our well-being, and Courtney Ellis has written the step-by-step guide to experiencing more of all three, right where you are, every day.

Melissa Camara Wilkins ,
author of Permission Granted: Be Who You Were
Made to Be and Let Go of the Rest

Jesus said that the way of faith is becoming like a child, and in Happy Now Courtney Ellis shows us how. Through honesty, wisdom, and humor, Ellis invites us to practice the healing, renewing posture of playfulness. Maybe faith actually was
always meant to include fun.

K. J. Ramsey ,
licensed professional counselor and author of This Too
Shall Last: Finding Grace When Suffering Lingers

This book is brilliant! Deep, light, entertaining and practical. It is truly an invitation into a more joyful and God-filled way of life.

Anna Woofenden ,
author of This is Gods Table

Once again, Courtney Elliss pastoral care and deep wisdom is woven throughout her writing in such a way that invites us to navigate life with intention and care, to not bypass the heaviness of life, and to remember the value of playfulness in our lives.
What a timely gift Happy Now is as a gentle reminder to
reconnect with the practice of play!

Holly K. Oxhandler , PhD, LMSW,
Associate Dean for Research & Faculty Development, Garland School of Social Work, Baylor University

With Happy Now , Courtney Ellis demonstrates that taking God seriously means embracing the possibility for delightand sheer funhe placed in our hearts. Absorbing this wonderful book, I kept asking how the church might look and live if we believed Elliss words. What if they knew we were Christians by our play? Read on and catch the vision.

Aarik Danielsen ,
Fathom Magazine columnist

Can you imagine God playing? What about dancing, singing, and laughingwith you? During times of suffering, we need Gods smile more than ever. Faithful, encouraging, hilarious, and heartfelt, Happy Now reminds you that playfulness can be holiness.

Catherine McNiel ,
author of All Shall Be Well

A witty and wise guide, Courtney Ellis urges us to consider the positive influence of play on our mental, emotional, and spiritual health. With self-deprecating humor, she artfully welcomes those of us paralyzed by seriousness to embrace whimsy and delight.

Leslie Verner ,
author of Invited: The Power of Hospitality in an Age of Loneliness

Courtney has the gift of taking subjects in which I dont naturally excel (motherhood, uncluttering, playing) and showing me how to do them both on purpose and with purpose. Happy Now is a field guide for the journey of learning to play, written by a funny friend who keeps it real while maintaining a pastors focus of what actually is real. God wants us to enjoy our lives, and Courtney gives us a thoughtful exploration of how to do so.

Rebecca Cochran ,
cohost of the Woven podcast

Courtney has done it again! In her third book, she returns with her combination of humor and humility, to share with her readers a personal struggle, how she overcame it with Gods help while at the same time making a very personal struggle relatable to everyone whether they are in her same boat or not. As someone who struggles with productivity over playfulness, Im thankful
for Courtneys gentle encouragement and practical advice on
how to renew my spirit through play.

Rebecca Peet ,
cohost of the Woven podcast, certified Enneagram coach

Happy Now is a gorgeous, imaginative, and liberating reminder that God is not only concerned with our holiness but with our enjoyment of him and his good gifts. Courtney demonstrates how playfulness enriches our soul, mind, body, and spirit.

Alicia Akins ,
author of Invitations to Abundance

Courtney Ellis does it again! Happy Now is equal parts hilarity, honesty and holy invitation. Her antics at a twenty-two-dollar spin class will make you cringe and laugh out loud at the same timeafter all, Ellis relishes in making real the everyday messiness and joy of her life, while simultaneously daring the reader to join the God of playfulness in the greatest yes and of all.

Cara Meredith ,
author of The Color of Life

With humor and grace Courtney Ellis reminds us in Happy Now that God uses playfulness in our lives to enrich our faith in Christ and deepen our relationships with others.

Kristine Aragon Bruce ,
Associate Pastor of First Presbyterian Church of Grand Haven

Happy Now is a delightful exploration of the transformative
power of playfulness. Courtneys accessible invitations give permission to have fun, get silly, and enter into the abundant freedom God desires for you.

Stephanie Jenkins ,
Author of Field Guides for the Way

Once again, Courtney Ellis has yanked back the curtain we so often erect between the sacred and mundane. With a spirit of whimsy, she beckons the reader to join her on an adventure of playfulness, insisting that God is present in the giggles and gaffes. Ellis serves as a trusted guide on the road to happiness, accompanying the reader through the intersections of Scripture, psychology, and humor. If you are weary and worn, Happy Now will lead you to the One who restores and refreshes
through the gift of play.

Stephanie Lobdell ,
author of Signs of Life: Resurrecting Hope out of Ordinary Losses

Happy Now offers a much-needed deep breath of fresh air and light. Whatever extraordinary challenges you have faced in the past two yearsillness or financial crisis, loss of a loved one or a clinical anxiety diagnosisintroducing playfulness into your life
is bound to be soul medicine of the best, most accessible kind.
Let Courtney coach you into a life space punctuated by moments of joy rather than stress and exhaustion, inspired by the playful God who created us in his own image. In order to thrive in our overly serious culture, creating a lifestyle of playfulness is not