The Devil in Pew Number Seven

My little sister, Brittney, brought me a book the last time I saw her demanding I read it. She is quite an avid reader and there is no way I could ever keep up with her. However, I had to take her advice this time and I couldn't put this one down.

This is an unbelievable true story. All I can say is, "Wow". Thanks for the recommendation, Brit. I finished it today and I am still processing. Wow.

I highly recommend...

... this book.

I was given this book for Christmas in 2007 by a dear friend and mentor. It's beautiful. There are two prayers - morning and evening - for each day of the month and a special morning and evening prayer for Sunday. This past November, I began an attempt to read at least one of the daily prayers and each day that I actually do, I am that much more blessed. John Baillie's gift of words attune my soul to the presence of God. Often, I remember one short phrase from the prayer for that day and repeat it throughout the day. What a blessing. I highly recommend this book of prayers and leave you with the phrase I will carry with me today:

"In loving let me believe and in believing let me love; and in loving and in believing let me hope for a more perfect love and a more unwavering faith, through Jesus Christ my Lord."

Sacred Companions: Part IV

Spiritual Direction


I first heard this term in college when a mentor referred to having an appointment with their spiritual director. I was mystified. I had never heard of such an appointment, much less such a person. This chapter is incredibly helpful if you have never heard of spiritual direction, or if you just want to know more about what it is. On the first page of the chapter, David Benner refers to spiritual direction saying, "it is highly relevant to every Christian who takes the spiritual journey seriously." 


If this strikes you as hard as it did me, I suggest reading this book to learn more about spiritual direction (which does not necessarily have to be with a professional).

Chapter 4: Demystifying Spiritual Direction

"When Jesus promises that where two or more people are gathered in his name he is present with them, that means the conversation of two is actually a conversation of three." (p. 94)


"Attunement to God's presence is the core of prayer and the royal route to a deeper relationship with him." (p. 95)


"Self-absorbtion is the great enemy of attunement to God." (p. 96)


"... surrender to God's love is surrender to his will. Apart from a surrender to his love, obedience will remain an act of duty, never an expression of devotion." (p. 96)


"As creatures of a Creator God, we stand in relationship to him whether we ignore him, protest his unreality or surrender to his loving will and Spirit." (p. 105)


Other portions of this chapter are completely unquotable because the reader must see the stories in context. This chapter has given me a much more inclusive understanding of spiritual direction as well as real examples and ideas from people who are on the same journey that I myself seek.


*If you have ever read this book, please feel free to leave your favorite quotes as comments! I would love to see what spoke to you in each of the chapters.

Sacred Companions: Part III

This chapter felt a little long for me, but I am no quitter. Actually, that's not true. It's embarrassing how many books I have started and not finished. I am trying to do better and I am so thankful to be reading this book WITH a dear friend. If it were not for her, I may not have as much perseverance. Yet another reason why "sacred companions" do so much for our souls. I highly recommend reading this book with a friend so you can discuss it together, not to mention the encouragement received just from knowing you are not alone, even in something as small as story time.

Chapter 3: The Ideals of Spiritual Friendship

"The principal reason friendship is so undervalued is probably that too few people have ever experienced a significant, enduring friendship." (p. 61)

"Love. Friendships involve a bond of love, never simply an obligation of love." (p. 65)

(From C.S. Lewis) "...those who are going nowhere can have no fellow travelers." (p. 66)

"Honesty... It confronts illusions and dares to risk temporary discomfort by calling us to truth." (p. 69)

"Love cannot ignore things that are self-destructive in the loved one." (p. 70)

"... honesty is not just something friends try to practice. It is also something they delight in experiencing." (p. 71)

"... friendships do not tend to remain static. They evolve or devolve- grow or shrink." (p. 73)

This last one was hard for me because I know it's true. I want to remain close to everyone I care about. But how can that be? It's one thing to "keep in touch" through email and facebook, but to hold close friendships with everyone I have ever cared about would take away time I give to being a wife and mother. I have recognized different kinds of friendships in my life:
- My closest friends- we remain involved in each other's present lives,
- My close past friends who I treasure our memories together yet that was then and no longer do we hold the friendship,
- My close past friends that we can pick up where we left off in the few and far between sparks of our busy lives that allow us the relive our friendship in the very moment.

I am thankful for each of these relationships in their own special way.

*If you have ever read this book, please feel free to leave your favorite quotes as comments! I would love to see what spoke to you in each of the chapters.

Sacred Companions: Part II

This chapter was written for me. The following portions underlined in my book left me saying, "Ouch" quite a bit.

Chapter 2: Hospitality, Presence & Dialogue

"... what the person does is secondary in importance to who he or she is. Being must precede doing." (p. 46)

"Spiritual friendship is not primarily a matter of doing certain things. Often, in fact, it is precisely the opposite of doing- not interrupting, not attempting to solve problems, not prematurely or inappropriately advising, not assuming that what has worked for us will work for others. Stated positively: spiritual friendship is a gift of hospitality, presence, and dialogue." (p. 46)

"... soul friends show hospitality by making space in their lives for others." (p. 46)

"... one of the biggest challenges I face in being present for others- being still within my own soul. Stillness is the precondition of presence." (p. 47)

"Soul hospitality is also a gift of safety. Think of feeling safe enough with another person that without weighing words or measuring thoughts you are able to pour yourself out, trusting that the other person will keep what is worth keeping, and with a breath of kindness, blow the rest away." (p. 48)

"Love is th motive for the gift of presence that the soul host offers others." (p. 48)

"Apart from real love for real people, we will always be dealing with secret (or not so secret) impatience, judgmentalism, disgust, resentment, envy or anger. Real people require real love if we are to give a gift of genuine presence." (p. 49)

"[Presence] also demands I stop analyzing what I am hearing or rehearsing how I will respond." (p. 50)

"To be present to you means that I must be prepared, temporarily, to be absent to me." (p. 50)

"It's so tempting to believe that faking presence is an acceptable alternative to offering genuine presence. But it isn't. And at some level of awareness the other person will always recognize the difference." (p. 51)

"Presence does not demand perfection." (p. 51)

"If I genuinely bring myself to a relationship, I must be prepared to be changed by it." (p. 52)

"When we treat others as objects, even for benevolent reasons, we rob them of their humanity." (p. 55)

"How could I fail to treat Christ with respect? How, then, can I fail to treat a person in whom Christ is present  with the same respect? Respect is the foundation of dialogue, and Christians have a unique resource for offering it: eyes of faith that allow us to see those we encounter as deeply loved by God and bearing his image." (p. 56)

*If you have ever read this book, please feel free to leave your favorite quotes as comments! I would love to see what spoke to you in each of the chapters.

Sacred Companions: Part I

A beautiful friend introduced me to this book. 

I am loving it! I have been a little spiritually slow lately; this book is reviving a direction in me that I have been wondering hopefully, looking for connection and companionship. 

In the preface, the reader is advised to take on this book with a pen ready to underline. I recommend this book to you, but I will also be sharing here on this blog my underlined portions. Although, it will be hard to not just copy and paste the entire chapters.

Chapter 1: The Transformational Journey

"The distant land to which we are called is not heaven. Nor is it some external, physical place. The distant land is the new creature into which Christ wishes to fashion us- the whole and holy person that finds his or her uniqueness, identity and calling in Christ." (p. 26)

"God doesn't want me to become more loving. He wants me to absorb his love so that it flows out from me." (p. 34)

"Thomas Merton reminds us that the root of Christian love is not the will to love but the faith to believe that one is deeply loved by God." (p. 34)

"The goal of the Christian spiritual journey is not to become less human and more divine; it is to become more fully human. Salvation in not to rescue us from our humanity; it is to redeem our humanity." (p. 35)

"Spirituality is the response of spirit to Spirit." (p. 42)

*If you have ever read this book, please feel free to leave your favorite quotes as comments! I would love to see what spoke to you in each of the chapters.

The Shack

late last night i finished reading The Shack, by William P. Young. i found it to be a great fiction story divulging into tough questions of God's involvement in tragedy. although, i am not willing to put a blank slate of approval to all the theology depicted, i found it an amazing read that changed my perception of the relationship God wishes to have with his created. Young's depiction of God's relationship with nature made my heart sing.

seeing how i just finished, it is hard to tell how, or if it will, influence my idea of the theodicy problem. it's important to note that this work is becoming quite controversial book.

at any rate, i recommend it!!!




here are a few reviews (both pro and con):
The Ooze
Christianity Today
Greg Boyd
USA Today