Category Christian Compassion

Aug 8 2012

“Miracles: 32 Stories”

You know you’re about to embark on a unique book when the cover page reads: “This book may be copied and freely distributed. Its contents belong to God; its work are His glory.” Miracles: 32 True Stories

Miracles: 32 True Stories compiled by Joanie Hileman centers on thirty-two people living in Maine who all were touched by God’s grace. Hileman does an excellent job of capturing everyone’s “voice” and writing their stories as if they are sitting in your living room sharing their lives.

The book is decidedly Christian in philosophy and features many people who were struggling through life and found their way to a better path by becoming followers of Christ. The people portrayed are generally middle class folks living in a small town setting. Some stories are anecdotal incidents such as “The Appointment” where a woman reluctantly keeps a hair appointment during the busy Christmas season. She winds up saving a choking child’s life and the appointment becomes divine intervention.

Other stories are much longer tales of despair and redemption. A sad commentary on our society is how many of the people in this book have struggled with drugs and addictions. They are the lucky ones to have found a way out.

“Losing Matthew”—Barbara’s story covers a thirteen year span about a mother who seriously messes up and loses her son to the foster care system, then to the biological father. I found her story of slow redemption especially moving. There were no instant miracles, but God never gave up on her, either. Barbara found God’s grace many times along the way, even after she stumbled time and again.

There are two suicides in the book. In both cases, family members receive supernatural encouragement to get through a devastating situation.

There’s an authenticity to this book that will undoubtedly resonant with many who will identify with the people who share their stories. Miracles demonstrates that life is not easy, but it can be filled with grace and joy, even in the most difficult of times. When people open themselves to Divinity—in these examples through the Christ Spirit—miracles do happen!

Jan 5 2012

The Healing Light–Still the One

Books become classics for a reason–they stand the test of time. The words of an author long gone from the planet still resonate with new generations. Such a book is The Healing Light by Agnes Sanford.  I first read the book in 1983–the year Agnes passed. It began a life-long exploration for me of healing prayer and learning principles of health.

The Healing LightThe book sat on my keeper shelf for decades, making one house move after another with my family. But I hadn’t read in its entirety in years. I’d moved onto the modern gurus, few of which reside on the keeper shelf. Last month I felt the urge to read it again. Interestingly, in a prayer session with Helen (see Supernal Friends) she said, “There’s a book you haven’t read in a long time. You’re supposed to read it again.” I knew she was talking about The Healing Light.

Published originally in 1947, the book touches on concepts touted by Hay House bestsellers. But before there was Dyer, Deepak or Abraham/Hicks–there was Agnes Sanford. Agnes brings elements of faith to her understanding of energy healing that is often missing in today’s literature. Agnes knew beyond a doubt from whence her power came.

Raised in China by missionary parents and then married for decades to a Protestant minister, Agnes Sanford was a pioneer in the healing ministry of the twentieth century. She taught that prayer is an act of co-creation between God and man. Her references to light, vibration, and scientific discoveries of her day show a mind that captured the whole picture of mind, body, and spirit.

Beneath all her teaching is a connection with the Christ Spirit. Agnes Sanford became the conduit of a healing source far beyond her human capabilities. She taught that anyone can also become such a conduit, given the practice and motivation.

Being an intercessor can be overwhelming. Increasingly, the Supernal Friends get calls to send healing energy to many people dealing with critical situations. One principle in the book that has helped me stay in the healing game is the idea of “bundles.” Nobody can pray for everybody. But, each of us can have certain prayer assignments in our “bundles.” If everyone prays for the people and situations in their individual bundles, the needs will be met.

In my meditation time, I ask for the bundle assignments to be made clear and I send healing energy to the best of my ability. Admittedly, my bundle feels fairly meager compared to the ocean of need in the world. But, I do my part and don’t allow guilt to drag me down for everything I don’t pray about.

The Bundle Concept is a good survival tool to the active healer/mediator.

One of the gals in my bundle who is struggling with cancer told me she has read The Healing Light three times this year. It has been source of spiritual and emotional strength. She’s even dreamed that Agnes Sanford has ministered to her as she sleeps.

When a book offers hope and enlightenment for over sixty years, it’s a classic.

Oct 12 2011

Chiming in on Rob Bell’s LOVE WINS

Love Wins: A Book About Heaven, Hell, and the Fate of Every Person Who Ever LivedOnce in a while a book comes along that gets people all riled up, bringing forth either enthusiastic praise or vehement wrath. Such a book is LOVE WINS: A BOOK ABOUT HEAVEN, HELL, AND THE FATE OF EVERY PERSON WHO EVER LIVED by Rob Bell. Check out the 563 customer reviews at Amazon to get a flavor of the furor.

Bell is the founding pastor of the Mars Hill Bible Church in Grand Rapids, Michigan. He bears a respectable educational pedigree from Wheaton College and Fuller Theological Seminary. So what has he done to cause such a stir? The buzz claimed “Rob Bell says there is no hell.”

To many outside the church such a belief solicits a “So what, who cares?” response. But to the thousands of believers who define their faith on the tenet of eternal damnation unless one makes a public profession of faith in Jesus Christ, them is fightin’ words.

I decided I needed to read the book and judge for myself. This was my first exposure to Bell, who is surely an engaging speaker. The style of the book reads like an interesting sermon series. It begs to be read aloud. The placement of words on the page is often poetical.

For emphasis.

Rather than a pedantic expression of his opinions, Bell asks a lot of questions about the basic beliefs of scores of Protestant churches. He is logical—and disturbing. If God is an “all loving Father,” then how can he cast his children into everlasting fire? Hmmm.

For Bell, the question isn’t so much about what happens “over there,” but what is happening “here.” Is there a hell? Open the newspaper, read about the wars, famine, mass executions in Mexico, the domestic violence, sexual slavery. Hell? Why sure.  It is here and now.

The real question is how to bring forth “Your Will on Earth as it is in Heaven” as envisioned in the Lord’s Prayer. Bell’s answer is coming into relationship with the living Christ. The expansive, can’t-be-contained or-totally-understood Messenger of the Good News.

Bell speaks to the disenfranchised, the people turned off by the fire and brimstone message. He breaks down the dogmatic walls. For those comfortably dwelling within those walls, he is a heretic. For those outside the walls, he offers hope.

May 27 2011

“Tattoos on the Heart,” My Favorite Book

Tattoos on the Heart: The Power of Boundless Compassion

Taylor email 03 Review by Dana Taylor

“His ways are not our ways…but they sure could be.” 

Tattoos on the Heart author Gregory Boyle, aka Father Gregory Boyle, founder of Homeboy Industries and long-time priest of the Delores Mission in Los Angeles, aka “G-dog”, sums up his approach to life in that simple, but profound, phrase. Father Boyle has been honored with numerous awards, including the California Peace Prize, and even brought gang members to dinner at the White House. A bout of leukemia prompted him to finally write a book inspired by his twenty-five years ministering at the ground zero of gangland—Boyle Heights of Los Angeles. Tattoos on the Heart: The Power of Boundless Compassion is my new favorite book and it will take something pretty special to bump it off the top of my list.

It hit me on so many levels.  First, the writing style—there’s a dose of barrio homeboy vernacular to make it real.  A homegirl acting as receptionist answers a bomb threat with “Go ahead and bring that bomb, motherfucka. We’re ready for your ass.” (Christian publishers passed on the book because of those moments.) Then, in the next paragraph Boyle might quote Thomas Merton or a Catholic saint.  He uses so many different colors to paint the palette of his book.

Next, the content is the stuff of inspiring sermons—spiritual lessons couched in anecdotal stories of the homies. Rather than writing a chronological autobiography G (as he most often is called) offers chapters that focus on the gifts of the spirit—Grace, Compassion, Gladness, Kinship. He makes the barrio come alive through the eyes of man who sees the value in people who can’t see the value in themselves. This isn’t a Disney-like portrayal of the happy mean streets. His heart has been broken by the 167 times he’s buried the homeboys because of senseless violence.

 Yet, there is hope because he knows who the Savior is.  He sees Him in every scary, tattooed ex-con who comes through the doors of Homeboy Industries. G knows the Boundless Compassion of God and does his best to pay it forward.

Father Boyle lives among the angry, the marginalized, the under-educated throwaways of society and shows them God’s love. Indeed, his ways are not our ways…but they sure could be.

If you read it, Tattoos might turn into your favorite book also.

Tattoos on the Heart: The Power of Boundless Compassion by Gregory Boyle

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Ever-Flowing Streams: Christ, Reiki, Reincarnation & Me

   “A book not just to read, but to experience”–Tampa Bay Examiner

Available as ebook and paperback at Amazon