books

1. Sabbath - Wayne Muller writes a beautiful book about the importance of rest, retreat and renewal. He brings in stories from all different spiritual paths and points out that all religious institutions sanction and support rest as a natural part of the life cycle. Mirroring nature, which is about the only thing that is perfect, and alternating cycles of activity and rest is critical to the survival of any living being. If you work too much or are on the "go" all the time, I urge you to read this book!

2. Success Intelligence - I saw Robert Holden speak at the Hay House Conference in Tampa this fall and I fell in love. Yes, he is quite charming, but I fell in love with his work... the notion that we need to define success for ourselves clearly so that it can help direct the other decisions we make in our lives. I am still working through this one chapter by chapter and enjoying journaling to questions like "What are your wisest thoughts about success? What is your wisdom trying to teach you? And if God had one thought for you today, what would it be?"

3. Love Your Self, Live Your Spirit - Sonia Choquette cracks me up! Her humorous stories remind me of the power of connecting with our intuition which is available to us always. Here's my story of connecting with my intuition: When I sat in her audience recently, I knew that she gave her products away during her sessions. I set a clear intention at the beginning of the event that I would love to receive her newest book as a gift. Sure enough, her spirit "heard" my spirit's request and when she called "this is for the lady in the green!" I jumped up with a knowing grin and gratefully accepted her gift!

4. Home with God - When Eric's Dad got sick with cancer earlier this year, this book practically jumped off my shelf begging to be read. Neale Donald Walsch's dialog with God in this extraordinary book helped me to look at death and dying in a whole new light. It was comforting, uplifting and above all, empowering. The message is one of deep, abiding love. Anyone facing the death of a loved one - or who has concerns about your own mortality - should read this book.

5. Waiting for Daisy - the subtitle is "A Tale of Two Continents, Three Religions, Five Infertility Doctors, an Oscar, an Atomic Bomb, a Romantic Night and One Woman's Quest to Become a Mother." That pretty well describes Peggy Orenstein's journey in a nutshell. Another friend struggling with fertility challenges (who is now blissfully pregnant with twins!) recommended I read this book this summer.  I even read parts of it out loud to my husband who nodded his head saying "yes, honey, you do that. yes, honey, you do that too!" It made me not feel so crazy and it made me feel connected to other women who have been on this road before me. Anyone who has a deep desire to create a family and has had to follow the road less traveled in the pursuit of the dream will really connect with this book.

So those are my picks for 2008. What are yours? Please comment...

Neale Donald Walsch's Home with God ~ In a Life That Never Ends literally sprouted legs and packed itself in my suitcase a few weeks ago for a weekend trip. Eric & I have been dealing with grief and loss the past few months with the death of a friend, the serious illness of a close family member and the transition from leaving our beloved Asheville to our new home in beautiful Tallahassee. It's all left me searching for answers to questions I didn't realize I had.

One of my best friends has been bugging me to read this book for two years now. I am finally ready to receive it. One of the primary messages I have received from this book is that if we can learn to accept death and not fear it, then we can fully embrace life.

I have done a lot of underlining and dog-earing this book but the "100 Word Formula for All of Life" is worthy of sharing here.

Hope is the doorway to belief, belief is the doorway to knowing, knowing is the doorway to creation, and creation is the doorway to experience.

Experience is the doorway to expression, expression is the doorway to becoming, becoming is the activity of all life and the only function of God.

What you hope, you will eventually believe, what you believe, you will eventually know, what you know, you will eventually create, what you create, you will eventually experience, what you experience, you will eventually express, what you express, you will eventually become.

This is the formula for all of life. It is as simple as that.

Thoughts? Comments? Was this as powerful for you as it was for me when I first read it? You can read more about Neale Donald Walsch and his work here.