Meditations Books

Watch For The Light: Readings For Advent And Christmas

Dietrich Bonhoeffer, John Donne, Meister Eckhart, T.S. Eliot, Gerard Manley Hopkins, C. S. Lewis, Thomas Merton, Archbishop Romero, Henri J.M. Nouwen, Philip Yancey

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 14 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Loved it!! 5 out of 5 stars.
4 of 4 people found this review helpful.

I love that this series, including "Bread and Wine:Readings for Lent and Easter," because it challeneges our complacent culture-dictated experience of Advent and Easter. This is not a feel-good book, it is a faith-building book. Be prepared to be shaken up and for God to meet you in a new way.

I bought copies for my friends and family. Everyone loved it!

The diversity of authors come together in surprising unity. This broadened my perspective and made me want to find books written by the individual authors. I also loved that the authors are from all points in history and geography. An experience like this is what all of us in the US need.

Company on the Journey 5 out of 5 stars.
2 of 2 people found this review helpful.

Like a kid counting down the days until Christmas, I took a spiritual journey by reading the days until Christmas. My guide, Watch for the
light. Cheaper than a real journey...no stops for gas , no waiting in line. Pop open the book's cover and begin to read. Some funny stories, some poetry, some known authors and some not so well known, all leading the way to Christmas. When Christmas comes, you will be ready.

Simple Abundance: A Daybook of Comfort and Joy

Sarah Ban Breathnach

Amazon Price: $16.32 List Price: $24.00 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Grand Central Publishing Amazon Marketplace: 1606 new & used starting at $0.01

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 193 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

This book features 366 essays penned from a woman's perspective. Sample topics include gratitude, harmony, self-nurturing, positive body image, the importance of scented linen closets, and many others. Each essay sports a pithy quote from (surprise!) the likes of Kahlil Gibran. Viewed uncritically, it's hard to argue with Simple Abundance's earnest admonitions to appreciate life, in all its messy imperfect excellence. And the fact that serenity and happiness are each in dreadfully short supply can excuse some of the treacly writing. But Breathnach sometimes lapses into what can only be described as her "Martha Stewart on Prozac" voice, and the results are aggravating to the extreme: "If you've been hesitant to strike up a reciprocal relationship with your guardian angel, don't be." Fans of guardian angels will greet these feel-good essays every morning with the rising sun, a cup of mint tea, and a bluebird chirping on the windowsill, and be happy. Skeptics will prefer their coffee very black.

Valley of Vision: A collection of Puritan Prayers & Devotions

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 93 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Worth Much, Much More 5 out of 5 stars.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.

These prayers and devotions are wonderfully written. Passionate and thought provoking. Many phrases will remind you of scripture. I read them over and over and discover new morsels to digest. I have given copies to my friends. I carry it right next to my Bible.

Spiritually uplifting 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

The prayers of the Puritans are incredibly inspiring and beautiful. The combination of a close relationship with God and their command of the English language make these prayers powerful and enlightening. They show a depth of spirituality rarely experienced today and are an example and learning experience to all Christians. They touched my heart and life.

Valley of Vision 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

I love this book of Puritan praises and prayers. If you appreciate poetry, you will love Valley of Vision. It is so deeply written and humble and very refreshing to find what you feel put exactly into words.

Puritanism at its Best 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

The Puritans were know for their deep devotion to God. This little leather bound book is a wonderful insight into that devotion. Over 360 pages of excerpts from their written prayers.

Come, Thou Long-Expected Jesus: Experiencing the Peace and Promise of Christmas

Nancy Guthrie

Amazon Price: $12.99 List Price: $12.99 By: Crossway Books Amazon Marketplace: 2 new & used starting at $12.99

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 2 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

An anthology of Advent readings collected from the writings and sermons of 22 classic and contemporary theologians and Bible teachers.

Between purchasing presents and planning travel, enjoying holiday pageants and attending parties, it is all too easy for Christmas to silence the sacredness and crowd out a quiet anticipation of the season’s truths. So when editor Nancy Guthrie decided she wanted a reflective book of Advent readings that would help her pause and consider the riches of Christ come to earth, she embarked on what she calls “a sacred adventure,” putting together such a collection herself.

The result—this special volume—draws from the works and sermons of classic theologians such as Whitefield, Luther, Spurgeon, and Augustine, and from leading contemporary communicators such as John Piper, J. Ligon Duncan, Randy Alcorn, John MacArthur, Francis Schaeffer, R. C. Sproul, Skip Ryan, and Joni Eareckson Tada to beckon you and your family into the wonder of Jesus’ incarnation and birth.

With its high view of Scripture and its focus on the gift of Jesus, this lovely book is sure to ready your heart and mind for a fresh experience of “Immanuel, God with us” this and every Advent season. Open the cover and discover what Christmas was meant to be…

Open the Door: A Journey to the True Self

Joyce Rupp

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 3 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Open the Door by Joyce Rupp 5 out of 5 stars.
6 of 6 people found this review helpful.

I am using this book with a group of 8 women. They pray with the material and then we meet once a week to discuss it and use the group sharing ideas in the back of the book. Would highly recommend it.

Open the Door: A journey to the true self 5 out of 5 stars.
4 of 12 people found this review helpful.

Certain type of people can enhance their prayer life with this type of well thought out format like this book.

Editorial Review:

The long-awaited book from best-selling spiritual guide Joyce Rupp, creatively leads readers to explore how the image of the door can guide them in a process of discovering their true self.

Joyce Rupp brings new life to the ageless spiritual image of the door, weaving insights from East and West with the wisdom of contemporary spiritual writers, poets, and novelists in a practical format that is just right for contemporary readers. Structured as a daily prayer guide for everyday use over six weeks, each day offers a thematic reflection, a guided meditation, an original prayer, a thoughtful question, and a related scripture quote. A built-in guide for small groups makes this the perfect resource for groups of all kinds as well as individuals.

God With Us: Rediscovering the Meaning of Christmas

Scott Cairns, Emilie Griffin, Richard John Neuhaus

Amazon Price: $19.77 List Price: $29.95 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Paraclete Press (MA) Amazon Marketplace: 14 new & used starting at $12.00

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Subjects -> Religion & Spirituality -> Christianity -> Holidays -> General
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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 5 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

The best gift I received this Christmas 5 out of 5 stars.
7 of 7 people found this review helpful.

I discovered this book while doing some last minute shopping on Christmas Eve day. I was experiencing that familiar feeling of "missing" Christmas again this year. I found it again in this book. It has inspired me to celebrate the 12 Days of Christmas for the first time. The readings are timely, thought provoking, prayer inspiring, and quite simply BEAUTIFUL! I'm already looking for copies to give as gifts for next year. I hope the authors are planning on a similiar collection for Lent and Easter. I would order it sight unseen.

Editorial Review:

God with us. This is the meaning of the Incarnation. This is the meaning of Christmas.

When we cut through all of the sentiment and marketing to the spiritual richness and vitality of Christmas, we not only discover who God is, but who we are as human beings.

When we become adults, and the wide-eyed wonder of childhood has passed, we need to replace what was once magical with something much more meaningful.

Now is the time to put first things first, and seek silence, if only for a few precious minutes a day. Now, ever more intently, we are to watch and listen for God.

God With Us is a companion for those who want to experience Christmas as the early Christians once did, set in the larger context of Advent and Epiphany. Through daily meditations, scripture, prayer, illuminating history and fine art, we experience what saints have glimpsed through the ages - the wonder of God made flesh.

Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind (Shambhala Library)

Shunryu Suzuki

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 140 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

If you are going to read on book on Zen...Right Here 5 out of 5 stars.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.

I can't count how many times I have read this book. this book is the rudder in my life.

Editorial Review:

A respected Zen master in Japan and founder of the San Francisco Zen Center, Shunryu Suzuki has blazed a path in American Buddhism like few others. He is the master who climbs down from the pages of the koan books and answers your questions face to face. If not face to face, you can at least find the answers as recorded in Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind, a transcription of juicy excerpts from his lectures. From diverse topics such as transience of the world, sudden enlightenment, and the nuts and bolts of meditation, Suzuki always returns to the idea of beginner's mind, a recognition that our original nature is our true nature. With beginner's mind, we dedicate ourselves to sincere practice, without the thought of gaining anything special. Day to day life becomes our Zen training, and we discover that "to study Buddhism is to study ourselves." And to know our true selves is to be enlightened. --Brian Bruya

Seven Sacred Pauses: Living Mindfully Through the Hours of the Day

Macrina Wiederkehr

Amazon Price: $12.89 List Price: $18.95 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Ave Maria Press Amazon Marketplace: 42 new & used starting at $11.00

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 8 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Making the Ordinary Sacred 5 out of 5 stars.
4 of 4 people found this review helpful.

Seven Sacred Pauses is a wonderful spiritual tool to help us remember the sacredness in each hour of the day. Macrina Wiederkehr has lived the monastic rhythm of the days and is able to give lay people the opportunity to recognize and honor the Divine all around us. I really find her meditations very helpful and can easily adapt them to the seasons of my life. I have given it as gifts and use it various groups from my prayer shawl ministry to EFM class. Velma Frye's accompanying CD is a terrific addition and the songs/chants serve as a shorthand to remembering the meditations.

Editorial Review:

Author and retreat leader Macrina Wiederkehr opens the monastery door and invites readers to come in and learn how the practice of consciously pausing for prayer at the seven sacred moments of each day can make their daily passage through time a more sacred pilgrimage.

Using scripture, poetry, reflections. personal stories, and quotes from a rich array of spiritual teachers, Wiederkehr helps readers become more attuned to living in the present moment and develop a kindred spirit with the rich tradition of the sacred hours. Seven Sacred Pauses is a wonderful gift to those who seek to find balance in their busy days and to bring the practice of the Divine Hours home to their own hearts.

Traveling Light: Releasing the Burdens You Were Never Intended to Bear

Max Lucado

Amazon Price: $10.19 List Price: $14.99 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Thomas Nelson Amazon Marketplace: 62 new & used starting at $5.91

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 73 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Traveling Light 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

This is the best book I have read. It deals with the common burdens of life and how to hand them over to God. I thought it was so good I bought the large print book as well for my Grandfather to read.

Editorial Review:

From beloved award-winning author Max Lucado comes Traveling Light, refreshing words wrapped around the biblical passages of the 23rd Psalm to reenergize weary spiritual travelers. In his inimitable, pastoral voice that both soothes and exhorts, Lucado gently unpacks the verses of the psalm while helping readers lay down the burdens of doubt, anxiety, perfectionism, and fear. "You can't enjoy a journey carrying so much stuff," Lucado writes. "Why don't you just drop all that luggage?" Lucado mixes personal transparency with his trademark humor, offering uncomplicated counsel. Change your focus. Make time for rest. Know you are not alone. Be humble. Trust God. It's only when we set down our "luggage" and let God carry it for us, says Lucado, that we are free to share grace, offer comfort, and help lift the load of others. As you read Lucado's words and work through the study questions, you'll find your own load feeling a little lighter. --Cindy Crosby

A Year with C. S. Lewis: Daily Readings from His Classic Works

C. S. Lewis

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 23 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

Beloved author C. S. Lewis is our trusted guide in this intimate day-by-day companion offering his distinctive and celebrated wisdom. Amidst the bustle of our daily experience, A Year with C. S. Lewis provides the necessary respite and inspiration to meet the many challenges we face in our lives. Ruminating on such themes as the nature of love, the existence of miracles, overcoming a devastating loss, and discovering a profound faith, Lewis offers unflinchingly honest insight for each day of the year.

These daily meditations have been culled from Lewis's celebrated Signature Classics: Mere Christianity, The Screwtape Letters, The Great Divorce, The Problem of Pain, Miracles, and A Grief Observed, as well as from the distinguished works The Weight of Glory and The Abolition of Man.

Throughout this elegant daybook the reader will find poignant biographical com-mentary about C. S. Lewis's life that offers a remarkable portrait of Lewis in the context of his work. As each day unfolds, we embark on a path of discovery with a friend by your side. A Year with C. S. Lewis is the perfect com-panion for everyone who cherishes Lewis's timeless words.