What stage have you achieved in your spiritual journey?

BOOK REVIEW: Where is God in Your Life?

Do you feel stuck in your quest to know God? Have you been around a person who has such warm and beautiful energy that their pores breathe perfect and radiant peace? Fear does not define any part of their life; they are not driven toward recognition yet they clearly and brightly reflect God and you can’t help but notice them. You may pray, go to a church, and have a great family, but you know you don’t feel satisfied on the same level as your glowing friend.

Where is God in your Life: Three Retreats in Christian Spirituality by Susan M. Provost is a new book available on Amazon. Ms Provost’s book explores the teachings expressed by Janet Hagberg and Robert Guelich and examines the six stages of a person’s faith journey: (1)Recognition of God; (2)The life of discipleship; (3)the productive life; (4)the journey inward and meeting the wall; (5)the journey outward; (6)and the life of love. Ms. Provost challenges that most people can achieve stages one through three within their church community, but there is little support currently available to help a person realize stages four through six. Where is God in your Life and the workshops designed around Ms. Provost’s teachings offer a platform to help people arrive at the final three profound levels when traveling the road to faith.

Mrs. Provost says, “the problem that many people face, who are looking to move forward on their spiritual journey, is where to begin.” You can begin on page one, but Ms. Provost advises before cracking open the first pages of her book that you throw away any notion you may have about a punishing God and open your heart to discover the God of love.

The book includes three different two-day workshops for varying levels of a person’s faith experience (novice to veteran). The main topics include: spirituality, understanding the soul, Christian spirituality, God’s presence, prayer, and spirituality within the community. Where is God in your Life can be read individually or it can be used as the foundation in a retreat setting. Where is God in your Life provides seminar plans that are organized in such detail that the group leader simply needs to show up—the readings, the music, the time schedule, the ice breaker activities (including a crazy one with a roll of toilet paper) are prearranged to achieve an insightful, fun, and structured experience.

Mrs. Provost says that “our culture encourages the need to be constantly in motion,” but she also asserts that “we cannot notice God working in our lives when we do not take the time to stop…these workshops are designed to give those searching for a relationship with God the tools to know where to begin and how to proceed on their spiritual journey…” Mrs. Provost wants you to have the tools to become the radiant stage six person described in the first paragraph; to learn how to surrender to God unafraid and with your eyes wide open.