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gbdill's review
4.0
This has been a great daily devotional. Each day's devotional is short and simple. Packed full of wisdom, containing nuggets of truth pertaining to all facets of life. Here are a couple of my favorite excerpts:
"Our emotional lives and our spiritual lives have different dynamics. The ups and downs of our emotional lives depend a great deal on our past or present surroundings. We are happy, sad, angry, bored, excited, depressed, loving, caring, hateful, or vengeful because of what happened long ago or what is happening now.
The ups and downs of our spiritual lives depend on our obedience, that is, our attentive listening t o the movements of the Spirit of God within us. Without this listening our spiritual life eventually becomes subject to the windswept waves of our emotions." (page 207)
"How can we embrace poverty as a way to God when everyone around us wants to become rich? Poverty has many forms. We have to ask ourselves, "What is my poverty?" Is it a lack of money, lack of emotional stability, lack of a loving spouse, lack of security, lack of safety, lack of self confidence? Each human being has a place of poverty. That's the place where God wants to dwell! "How blessed are the poor," Jesus says (Matthew 5:3). This means that our blessing is hidden in our poverty.
We are so inclined to cover up our poverty and ignore it that we often miss the opportunity to discover God, who dwells in it. Let's dare to see our poverty as the land in which our treasure is hidden." (pp. 230)
"Our emotional lives and our spiritual lives have different dynamics. The ups and downs of our emotional lives depend a great deal on our past or present surroundings. We are happy, sad, angry, bored, excited, depressed, loving, caring, hateful, or vengeful because of what happened long ago or what is happening now.
The ups and downs of our spiritual lives depend on our obedience, that is, our attentive listening t o the movements of the Spirit of God within us. Without this listening our spiritual life eventually becomes subject to the windswept waves of our emotions." (page 207)
"How can we embrace poverty as a way to God when everyone around us wants to become rich? Poverty has many forms. We have to ask ourselves, "What is my poverty?" Is it a lack of money, lack of emotional stability, lack of a loving spouse, lack of security, lack of safety, lack of self confidence? Each human being has a place of poverty. That's the place where God wants to dwell! "How blessed are the poor," Jesus says (Matthew 5:3). This means that our blessing is hidden in our poverty.
We are so inclined to cover up our poverty and ignore it that we often miss the opportunity to discover God, who dwells in it. Let's dare to see our poverty as the land in which our treasure is hidden." (pp. 230)
juliepe33's review against another edition
challenging
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
5.0
rwaringcrane's review
5.0
Except that he's much older then I and was a gay priest (now dead), Henri Nouwen could have been my true love. He is just so gentle, honest, and dear. He writes simply, from the heart to the heart.
I began reading this Daybook in September of 2015. Occasionally one day's entry triggered all the thinking I could handle for my morning meditation. But often I'd read a week or two at a go.
Because of Henri the words "I am the Beloved" appear over and over again in my journal. Centering on this truth daily -- because I am forgetful, easily distracted, and conditioned to believe that love must be earned -- has kept my from flying to pieces over the last few months. For this and many more bits of wisdom and encouragement I recommend this book.
I began reading this Daybook in September of 2015. Occasionally one day's entry triggered all the thinking I could handle for my morning meditation. But often I'd read a week or two at a go.
Because of Henri the words "I am the Beloved" appear over and over again in my journal. Centering on this truth daily -- because I am forgetful, easily distracted, and conditioned to believe that love must be earned -- has kept my from flying to pieces over the last few months. For this and many more bits of wisdom and encouragement I recommend this book.
iyabo's review
I love this book. I use it daily because it is a daily devotional. Nouwen is part of my formation practice. This book will be part of my daily devotion for many years.
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