Embracing the Mystery: The Sacred Unfolding in Ordinary People and Everyday Lives

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Summary: Embracing the Mystery
Review: "Embracing the Mystery is a spitirually probing and inspiring book that invites readers of all faiths to recognize the presence of the Sacred in the ordinary events of our daily lives. Through the author's stories and personal experiences, we are drawn into a world that is enlightening and captivating. It is a "must read" if you are at all serious about witnessing the Sacred on and in this journey we call life."


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Summary: A book this world needs!
Review: As an American who lives in the Middle East, I crack a hopeful smile. If more people were to read the stories and ideas Ms. Jordan puts forth, perhaps our world, even the region in which I live, would be a more peaceful place.

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Summary: Regaining our spiritual momentum
Review: At the turn of the New Millennium, spiritual leaders around the world spread the message that the Family of Man had reached a higher level of consciousness, if only we'd open our hearts to it. This spiritual awakening crossed geographic, cultural and racial boundaries, and a palpable current of energy ran through our collective consciousness.

Then the 9/11 attacks occurred, and everything changed. The human family was suddenly threatened by fears and anxieties as never before. Hatred has brought us to a dangerous and frightening precipice. How can we reclaim our "lost radiance?" Author Meredith Jordan, with twenty years as a psychotherapist and spiritualist, proposes that storytelling and listening to one another's stories is "a holy act" that can heal spiritual wounds and help us embrace life to its fullest. She urges us to have the courage to become what we should be - not what others want us to be - and to do the "psychic housecleaning" necessary to discover our true selves.

Jordan's book is like spiritual comfort food - a big, warm, cozy quilt of heartwarming anecdotes and advice. The stories she tells and the questions she asks make us think - and reawaken hope in the midst of our fears. She points out how children can teach us to regain our trusting spirit and help us remember what we've forgotten. Be in the present moment, she says. Give thanks for small things. Have compassion for others. These are the things that will help us get beyond fear and inspire us to gently grow toward a deeper relationship with the sacred mystery many people call God.

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Summary: A very helpful approach to spiritual growth
Review: I've found this book useful and inspiring as a guide to strengthen my spiritual life. The personal tone and stories that come from the author's life make the subject very poignant and accessible. The approach is helpful for those who like a good story, but may not have done a lot of reading about spiritual growth. The structure works for everyone and is great for those who want an organized approach to improving one's relationship with the Mystery that is God. Each chapter addresses a subject (like fear) and within each chapter there is an illustrating story and a few relevant questions to inspire further study. The most difficult part of the book is its introduction. I would suggest skipping that and going straight to the stories. Once you've got the tone, go back to the introduction to understand the author's view of what the Mystery entails. The humanity and honesty and that are woven throughout the book lead to some very interesting surprises. The book inspires us to explore our own beliefs more fully.

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Summary: Opens our eyes!
Review: Meredith Jordan does three extraordinary things: she opens our eyes to the numinous that daily surrounds us in our earthly existence; she encourages us, by example, to accept the mystery in our ordinary story; she shows a way to share it, in words or in silence, with others. It's worthwhile following her!

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Summary: I Didn't Want It to End.
Review: Meredith Jordan is a woman of exceptional courage who shares her experiences of risk, loss, and despair in her quest for her personal Truth and understanding of Spirit-or Mystery. As she bares her soul, the reader cannot help but feel her pain and then her peace in her journey to find the answers and life she has dared to seek. I savored this book and didn't want it to end. This is a thought provoking book which challenged me to clarify my own personal understanding of the Mystery.

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Summary: Powerful in its Simplicity-Excellent compliment to 12 Steps
Review: This book has become staple reading during my daily meditation and quiet time! Powerful in its simplicity, EMBRACING THE MYSTERY simultaneously challenges and comforts the reader. It has helped me to look for the face of my Higher Power in every situation - good or bad - and to view each situation in the light of faith and possibility rather than the darkness of fear, doubt and insecurity. I recommend EMBRACING THE MYSTERY to family and friends who are seeking a more meaningful connection to their Higher Power, or God and for those in 12 Step Programs. Absolutely one of the best books I've read in this genre!



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Summary: NOURISHMENT FOR THE JOURNEY
Review: This book offers spiritual nourishment in a form that is challenging and inspiring, but also accessible and real. Everyday experience, as Ms. Jordan opens our eyes to it, is both ordinary and extraordinary. In this volume of meditations, she synthesizes vast stores of spiritual teachings and traditions with stories from her daily life and the lives of others. While always stimulating us to move beyond what is comfortable and easy, Embracing the Mystery is a sustaining companion on our deepest and most exciting journey, that of the spirit.

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Summary: Guidance for all those seeking self knowledge
Review: This is a beautifully written book that the author has obviously put her heart and soul into. The stories that Meredith shares are poignant and are perfect examples for the point that she is making in each writing about the importance of the sacred in our lives. Her book has given me, the reader,the opportunity to open to any story and feel the power of the mystery of spirit and the comfort of such heart felt writing brings me solace and affirmation. There is humor and compassion, empathy and wisdom. I love it!!

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Summary: Great and small moments
Review: What I love about this book is Jordan takes small, simple moments and helps us see the big meanings. I appreciate her style and that she does not pitch a specific viewpoint, just an overall sense of the rightness of things if we really take a good look at them. Lovingly written, this is a book I will enjoy giving as a gift to all my best friends.