This user-friendly book blends theory and practice, gently and concretely taking the reader through the first steps of contemplative prayer. Armchair Mysticbegins with the necessary details of time and place to pray, then presents the maturation of the prayer life in four stages: Talking at God, Talking to God, Listening to God, and Being with God. Step-by-step exercises throughout the book provide concrete examples of how to use the concepts discussed. Armchair Mysticwill prove invaluable to individuals and small groups who are new to contemplative prayer, or who wish to deepen their experience of it. This updated edition includes a new preface and afterword from the author.

Many of us do not trust our own thoughts, feelings, and desires when it comes to discerning God’s will. Instead we look outside ourselves to determine what God wants from and for us. In God’s Voice Within, spiritual director Mark E. Thibodeaux, SJ, shows us how to use Ignatian discernment to access our own spiritual intuition and understand that the most trustworthy wisdom of all comes not from outside sources, but from God working through us. God’s Voice Within is intended for people who know that there is more to the spiritual life than they are currently experiencing and are ready to take the next step in their walk of faith by making effective discernment—specifically Ignatian discernment—a daily practice. Ultimately, God’s Voice Within teaches us to discern what is at the root of our actions and emotions, which in turn allows us to respond to God’s promptings inside us rather than unconsciously reacting to life around us.

Pastors and others who want to develop their skills as teachers of prayer and spiritual practices will find in this book not only wisdom for themselves but easily accessible lesson plans, enabling them to share Vennard's insights with others while infusing the activities with their own spirit and creative ideas. Through this book, readers' hearts are made ready to explore the wonder of strengthening their relationship with God through prayer.

Human lives—and human issues—run the gamut from addiction and anger to weariness and worries. God, I Have Issues is a gentle call to prayer in the midst of our good and bad times, trusting our problems and joys to a God who wishes to share them all with us. Each "issue" opens with a Scripture passage (and lists others that are related) and contains a reflection, "prayer pointers" and "words to take with you."

The Enneagram is like a mirror, reflecting dimensions of ourselves that are sometimes hard to see. In this helpful guide, spiritual director and Enneagram teacher Alice Fryling offers an introduction to each number of the Enneagram, with questions and meditations to lead you into deeper self-awareness and reveal how you can experience God's love more abundantly.

Mystics are not popular amongst the orthodox of any religion. In fact, almost every one of the religious leaders who founded world religions began their careers as mystics who spoke about what they had seen, and were promptly declared heretics. Just think of the Buddha, of Jesus, or of Muhammad. All of them were heretics, all of them were mystics, and all of them changed the way we view reality. Once the mystical vision hits you, you realize that everything you thought you were is a lie, that the universe you thought you were living in is gone, and that all the rules and structures by which you ordered your life are meaningless. It is disorienting and painful. There is no lazy man's path to enlightenment, because once enlightenment hits, the lazy man no longer exists, and the luminous being which has taken his place is beyond recognition, even to himself.

Following the example of St. Ignatius, we believe that praying the Examen will lead to a better life. The 500-year-old daily practice of honest self-assessment and reflection is a founding principle of Ignatian spirituality. What we don’t know is if St. Ignatius ever felt like changing it up a bit. Jesuit speaker and author Mark Thibodeaux, SJ, is confident that St. Ignatius wouldn’t mind a little flexibility in his prayer. Join Thibodeaux as he guides you through new and unique versions of the Examen, totally flexible and adaptable to your life. In ten minutes, you can tailor your daily prayer practice to fit your personal and situational needs, further enhancing and deepening your meditation. Reimagining the Ignatian Examen—the only book of its kind—will lead you through a fresh and stimulating reflection on your past day, your present state of being, and your spiritual desires and needs for tomorrow.

Prayer in Nursing: The Spirituality of Compassionate Caregiving examines the role of prayer in the life of a nurse from a variety of perspectives, including: the history of prayer in nursing, the importance of prayer in contemporary caregiving, caring nurse-patient relationships, and the connection between prayer and a healing ministry. To encourage the practice of prayer, each chapter begins with a meditation and ends with a prayer reflective of a nurse's spirituality.