Memorial Day Thanks

      

Kevin and I both have a number of family members and friends who have served in the armed forces over the years.  We would like to thank all of them for their dedication to serving and protecting our country.
   
May God bless all those who are mourning the loss of loved ones and may He protect all of those who are in harm's way, and give their families courage to continue on.
    
Lord, guide us closer to You in all areas of our lives.  Help us not lose hope no matter what situation we find ourselves in or how severely we are tested in mind, body, and/or spirit.  Jesus, we trust in You. Amen. 

Tell Me the Truth, though It May Be Daring

     In many ways, it’s human nature to want to keep our failures, guilt, shame, insecurities, and struggles away from others.  To some extent we do that with every single person in our lives, at least I do.  I hide some facet of who I am (or at least I think I hide it), so that someone isn’t as likely to judge or reject me, like I assume they would if only they knew some of my deepest darkest secrets.

     In a sense there’s truth to the statement that you’re only as sick as your secrets.  Those things which we are too ashamed, horrified, embarrassed, humiliated, afraid, or traumatized to talk about with others or even be honest with ourselves about, are most likely the areas in our lives where there are deep-seated lies and a measure of stronghold over us because of the fear of being exposed. 
     There have certainly been times after I have shared something incredibly personal that I have worried that person betray my trust.  Most often I have feared that the more people find out about me and the better they get to know me, the more likely they will be

The Freedom to Refuse Love

I am often reminded that God gives us the freedom to refuse love when I spend time with my family.  Over the years, there have been times when I have hardened my heart to family members whose own pain and insecurities at different periods mirrored those I kept deeply hidden in order to cope. 

     
To those whom I kept at a distance, it probably seemed that I was judging them.  Sometimes that’s precisely what I was doing, being hyper-critical of others as well as of myself.  Other times, the true motivation was hidden even from me.  In order to continue putting one foot in front of the other when I believed so many lies about myself, God, and others, I’d push people away.  
     
Anyone who made it virtually impossible for me to remain undisturbed, especially emotionally or spiritually, I attempted to keep from getting too close.  I didn’t want to have the pain and hurt I was feeling be triggered or exposed by what they were going through.  I also feared what might happen if I was honest about what I was thinking and feeling.
  
Harsh criticism, judgment, and subsequent rejection were/are a few of my most prominent fears.
     
I offer my feelings of rejection, humiliation, and inadequacy to Christ on the cross.  He alone understands the depth of the pain each one of us has gone through.  He’s the only one who hasn’t walked away for a time or forever when we have been nearly consumed by suffering in mind, body, and/or spirit.  

As hurtful as it is to find out that the homemade gift I spent days working on is in the back of a closet or that the letter that I spent hours composing carefully and prayerfully was never even opened, I know the rejection of God’s unconditional love has to be the most excruciating.  Nothing I’ve said, written, made, done, or could do would ever match or even begin to express the magnitude of love God has for each one of us.  
     
His gifts of unlimited love and true sacrifice through the Incarnation of Jesus Christ, His life, Passion, Crucifixion, and Resurrection are the only unblemished offerings that exhibit the virtues of selflessness and charity, mercy and forgiveness at their best.  I find myself wanting more than anything else to be able to love others as God loves us, at the same time that I see how each and every one of my attempts has and will fall short. 
     
The best I can ever do is to accept God’s love for me, so I am able to pass it on to others.  This has been one of my greatest stumbling blocks.  I can so easily see and even feel the love God has for others.  I often have no trouble at all sensing that the Lord is at work in and through others. 
     
Though I’m undoubtedly still my own harshest critic, I have had quite a bit of feedback over the years about who I am, what I say, write, do, stand for, etc. from my family members.  I’m most definitely guilty of spending more time judging people than loving them, myself included, so it’s not a huge surprise that same tendency is true of others close to me.          
      
I sometimes feel a bit uneasy when I get together with relatives, as their criticism of me seems to be the most poignant and the most hurtful. A number of times my attempts to reach out to them have been met with silence, which can sting as much as outright rejection. 

     
Lord, open our hearts to Your Love, so that it may pour forth in abundance over all those whose lives we touch.  Give us the courage to be vulnerable, especially when we are most likely to be rejected, keeping in mind that all love given in Your name can be used for the salvation of souls in time and eternity.  Amen.

Note to Readers:  The title and subject matter of this piece were inspired by the daily mediation by Henri Nouwen with the same name, which you can read in its entirety here.  For several months now, I have been receiving daily meditations by Henri Nouwen, e-mailed to me by the Henri Nouwen Society.  Henri Nouwen is definitely one of my absolute favorite authors, so when I discovered that I could have reflections taken from the many remarkable books he wrote during his life, I immediately subscribed.  (You can subscribe to his daily meditations by clicking here to sign up.)

Dogmatics in Outline

    The academic title and the no frills cover disguise what has to be one of the most beautiful explanations of the Apostles’ Creed I’ve ever read.  Through this series of lectures delivered by German professor and theologian Karl Barth in the summer of 1946, the reader is taken into the mysteries discussed in the Apostles’ Creed, or the “Christian Confession,” as Barth refers to it.  

      So often we place limits on God, based on our own limitations and prejudices, on the narrowness of our own minds, and then we get stuck spiritually, unable to break free from the jail cell we’ve created.   Dogmatics in Outline often made me feel as if my mind and soul were expanding as I read it.  The bars of the jail cell I’ve constructed over the years were being bent back or even broken in half.

  Another time I was acutely aware of this sort of epiphany-like occurrence while reading was when I took a Philosophy of Religion course many years ago.

     Though I know God is much bigger than humans can ever explain or fathom, Barth’s explication of the Creed helps to emphasize the magnitude of the Lord, that has been and always will be well beyond our grasp.   Through a close examination of the words of the Creed and how they are developed through Scripture, the reader is given an opportunity to comprehend on more ethereal and visceral levels a prayer and confession of faith that sums up the most significant aspects of Christianity.   

     My mom raved about Karl Barth's Dogmatics in Outline, one of the books that she was assigned to read for one of her Master’s courses.  She liked it so much that she gave both my sister and me copies of the book this past Christmas.  For a number of reasons, God’s seen fit to inspire me to read certain books at the right time, so that’s why I didn’t pick up this one until May. 

     I highly recommend this book to Christians everywhere.  I feel quite certain the lyrical quality of the language and the vastness of God’s Power and Presence will draw you in, make you think, and lead you to a deeper life of prayer, preaching, and living out the Gospel.

     For more information or to order a copy of this masterpiece, click here.

 

Kids, Cook-outs, and Cartwheels

In case you were wondering, the answer is yes, I can still do a handstand and a decent cartwheel. This past weekend, I was reminded of some of the staples of my childhood: Dad cooking out on the grill, playing very intense games of tag, sneaking candy to satisfy my permanent sweet tooth, and doing handstands and cartwheels until I was either too dizzy or too tired to stand upright. 

    
Kevin and I were invited to a cook-out last Sunday held by our favorite love-lines (as opposed to bloodlines) family. It was a delightfully fun blend of good food, drinks, playtime in the backyard, cute kids, and humorous adults. We enjoyed burgers hot off the grill, pulled sodas from the cooler on the deck, sat around and talked. We had an assortment of indoor and outdoor athletic pursuits and recreations to choose from: including bocce ball, soccer, tag, ping pong, foosball, and free-ranging gymnastics.

    
Kids have always challenged me to grow in all possible ways. Last Sunday was no exception.

It’s been a while since anyone has asked me if I could do a cartwheel at least in a persistent and adorable enough way that I would be the least bit inclined to attempt one. Leave it to the six-year-old who convinced her mom to let her change out of her pastel Easter dress into her teenage uncle’s shorts and a T-shirt so she could do cartwheels to challenge me to perform such a feat.

    
At first, I sidestepped her challenge by saying it probably wouldn’t be a good idea for me to try doing one after so many years. After all we were in a highly visible to everyone on the deck and a number of neighbors area of the yard. Everyone in their family knows Kevin and I don’t drink, so I couldn’t blame any really-embarrassing failed attempts on being intoxicated.

    
Once another person in my age-range (rather than the six year old’s) began attempting handstands and cartwheels, I threw caution to the wind, tucked in my shirt, and joined them. It was fun! I remembered how to do both acrobatic feats from my youth. I could even offer the other aspiring tumblers a few pointers once I got back into the groove.

    
Also amusing is that Kevin missed the whole thing, because he and the guys had moved their bocce ball game from the back to the side yard.

    
Lord, thank You for the gift of children, family, and friends who bring so much joy, help us grow in so many ways, and challenge us often to become the best, most fun, silliest, and most loving version of ourselves. Amen.

Soulprint: Discovering Your Divine Destiny

Soulprint: Discovering Your Divine Destiny has a number of qualities I appreciate in a good spiritual book. Batterson uses Scripture, but then goes beyond what exactly is written in the Bible to create an even more true-to-life scenario to consider when looking at how God sees us, how others see us, and how we see ourselves. A variety of references and comparisons from different disciplines such as art, nonfiction books, psychological theories, and the author’s own life experiences make the insights into David’s life, his God-given uniqueness, and integrity that much easier to apply to our own lives.
 
Clearly Batterson is well-read, has a polished writing style, and the wisdom to know that there’s always room for improvement and ways we can each become more Christ-like. A very admirable trait of this book is that the author has the courage and humility to show the ways in which he has struggled with some of the same pitfalls as David.
   
Instead of coming across as an expert who has it all figured out and has appeared to show the rest of us how it’s done—I believe Christ already did that—Batterson illustrates the humanity, fragility, and vulnerability of the human spirit. Through concrete examples from his own life and ministry, he shows how and why we owe to the Lord to be true to the image we’re made in—God’s image.
   
The discussion questions in the last chapter are great for digging deeper to discover your “soulprint.” There are many questions that would be wonderful to consider and pray about, perhaps even journal on. The proposed group activities seem like they would be ideal for intimate group discussions.
    
To find out more about Soulprint or to order your copy, click here. I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review.

Set Free to Love

Set Free to Love shows the powerful, life-changing effects of reading and studying John Paul II’s Theology of the Body. Through a series of stories from people of different ages, stages, vocations, and with quite varied life experiences, the reader is given some valuable insights into the teachings of the theology of the body and how they have completely changed the way many view the human body, sexuality, marriage, celibacy, and how God intends for us to glorify Him through these gifts.
    
The implications of the Biblical interpretations in Man and Woman He Created Them: A Theology of the Body by John Paul II has revolutionized the way men and women see and treat themselves and others. My primary reason for reading this book after already having read and been thoroughly impressed by the masterpiece by Pope John Paul II is that the rather long tome is easier for me to recommend than it is for others to purchase and commit to reading cover-to-cover.
    
I was right in figuring that this book would serve as a good introduction and inspiration to delve into the true source of such wisdom, insight, and revelation into God’s creation of man and woman. The true stories contained in it definitely give a sufficiently intriguing look into the teachings of the theology of the body and how they have transformed many people’s thoughts, actions, lifestyles, even their career paths to be more in line with God’s will and unconditional love.
    
Now, I have found, Set Free to Love, a well-written and thought out 84 page book to recommend as a sample that will entice those serious about Bible study, God’s view of and love for creation, and/or the teachings of the Roman Catholic Church to put the time and effort into reading and learning more about the theology of the body.
    
This review was written as part of the Catholic book reviewer program from The Catholic Company. Visit The Catholic Company to find more information on Set Free to Love. They are also a great source for serenity prayer and baptism gifts.

The Seven Levels of Intimacy

Matthew Kelly’s done it again. He’s provided readers with an honest, open, and attainable process for improving all of our relationships. In The Seven Levels of Intimacy: The Art of Loving and the Joy of Being Loved, he talks about the purpose of life being to become the best version of ourselves and encourage others to become the best version of themselves.
   
After having read his book A Call to Joy and listening to the Lighthouse CD by the same name as well as the CD entitled Becoming the Best Version of Yourself, I’d heard many of his basic principles of personal growth already.     

As the title suggests, this book focuses on the varying levels of intimacy we have in relationships. Kelly includes a number of questions he invites readers to journal on as part of envisioning and creating concrete goals to improve our relationships, particularly with those most vital in our lives.
    
I am hoping my husband will read the book as well. The two of us have sat down and discussed dreams and goals in the past, but it’s been inspiring to have such a wonderful reminder of how important it is to continue making goals, sharing our dreams as individuals and as a married couple seeking to glorify the Lord through our covenant.
    
Much of what Kelly has written I’ve read or heard elsewhere, but the lessons are such fundamental ones for bringing about personal growth and strengthening relationships that we often glaze over them for more complex ideas and techniques.
    
This book serves as a good reminder of why we need to simplify our lives, reevaluate our purpose in life, and the priority we give to our relationships.
    
From a literary point of view, this isn’t a lyrical prose masterpiece. The language is plain, simple, and frequently repetitive. At times, it made me think of the Gospel of John or Gertrude Stein. From an English major/copy editor perspective, there’s much more that could be done to make this book grammatically and typographically the best version of itself.
    
I’d recommend reading this book. It’s a good refresher of the basics and invites the reader to take the time to learn about and from past and present relationships, then dream and consider for a bit what your ideal would be. Put that ideal on paper along with the small, attainable, measurable goals you will discipline yourself to do in order to improve your relationships and become the best version of yourself.

You can purchase this book here.
   
I wrote this review of The Seven Levels of Intimacy for the Tiber River Blogger Review program.  Tiber River is the first Catholic book review site, started in 2000 to help you make informed decisions about Catholic book purchases.  I receive free product samples as compensation for writing reviews for Tiber River.

Healing Life's Hurts Through Theophostic Prayer

   I became interested in Theophostic Prayer when a friend of mine and her family who are Charismatic Catholics talked with me about it in the context of being a powerful method for healing. My friend shared with me the experience she had during her first Theophostic Prayer session, and I immediately wanted to hear more about the ministry which focuses on prayer as a means of mind renewal and experiential healing of lie-based beliefs with the Holy Spirit’s Truth.
     My friend’s father, who is a trained spiritual director and one of the leaders of our parish’s Charismatic Prayer Group, loaned me two books on the topic of Theophostic Prayer. The first book entitled Healing Life’s Hurts through Theophostic Prayer was written by the developer of this ministry, pastoral counselor Dr. Edward M. Smith. Theophostic is a word that comes from two Greek words Theos (God) and Phos (light). “These two words describe God illuminating a previously darkened area of one’s mind and thoughts with His truth. Theophostic Prayer Ministry is God’s true Light, the Spirit of Christ bringing divine truth experientially into one’s historical life experiences.” (pg. 10)      The thinking behind this method of prayer and healing is that oftentimes our present reactions and emotions to experiences also include those from our past, whether we’re conscious of it at the time or not. Because we have this emotional baggage from the past that we carry with us, we react to current events in our lives in certain ways. Dr. Smith has found that by identifying the earliest memory when the emotion or thought process first was experienced, that healing can come through prayer and inviting the Holy Spirit to come and heal the pain caused by the lies the person came to believe at that time by replacing them with His Infinite Truth.
     I find this idea quite intriguing. I have been acutely aware for years that many of my childhood experiences have heavily influenced my reaction to people, places, and circumstances in my present life. Though I can go back through what I thought and felt at the time and logically think through my current reactions and where they came from, why they don’t really make sense in the present situation, etc. I still held on to many of the lies I came to believe about God, myself, and others during those traumatic events. It makes sense that freedom and healing come when, through prayer, we open ourselves to having the lies we’ve believed replaced with the Truth that comes to us from the Holy Spirit.
     Far from being a one-time cure for all your problems, Dr. Smith emphasizes that Theophostic Prayer Ministry is a process that helps us to heal deep emotional pain throughout life. We will inevitably have people, situations, places, and events that will trigger our memories. The most troublesome emotions we experience can often be traced back to a particular memory in our lives when we first adopted what we can now identify as being a lie-based belief. Our behavior since that time reflects the belief is still deeply ingrained in us. Only through prayer, identifying the lies, and through God’s grace accepting the Truth that comes from the Holy Spirit are we likely to be healed on a level deep enough that the memory remains, but the raw pain it caused us and the lies we came to believe at the time are replaced.
     Since reading Healing Life’s Hurts Through Theophostic Prayer and experiencing my first Theophostic Prayer Session with ministers who were trained by Dr. Smith himself, I have become even more interested in studying and using this method of healing.

A New Chapter: Theresa's off to College

My sister Theresa and I on the day of her high school graduation.

I’m still having trouble wrapping my mind around the fact that my youngest sister Theresa moved into her dorm room at The Ohio State University yesterday. I can’t honestly say it feels like just last week when Mary and I were out trick-or-treating with our neighbors when our baby sister was born. It feels like it was a long time ago, but it’s really strange having her go off to school.
   
This has been an interesting few weeks as the two little guys I nannied for had their first day of kindergarten, and my youngest sister who in many ways I was like an “other mother” to, especially when she was little, is off to college. I feel like I should go pull out the photo albums, look at the baby pictures, the toddler years, and marvel at how much she’s grown, how some things have really changed and how others have remained the same. Maybe I’ll wait and do that once my mom gets home from helping Theresa get settled in her dorm room, so we can ooh, aah, and reminisce together.    
It doesn’t feel all that long ago that Theresa was visiting me for a long weekend in the fall of 2002 while I going Hollins University. She was in fifth grade at the time, and was the same age/grade I was when she was born. We’re eleven years and five days apart. You can only tell us apart in some of our baby pictures because of the people and furniture around us.
   
She’s gone from being a Rebel, the mascot of her high school, to a Buckeye. Hopefully this switch from having a mascot that’s a troublemaker to one that’s simply a deciduous tree will be a smooth one.

Here are some excerpts from the letter I gave her before she left:

I honestly believe you’re going to be one of the people who really gets the most out of college in all areas. You’ll have fun making friends, come into your own as a dancer, find out what it’s like to live on your own, and figure out more about who you are at your core.
     
It’s okay and perfectly normal if you find yourself missing your friends, your room, your mom, and perhaps once in a great while even your sisters. It’s quite likely that the people around you will feel that, too, sometimes. Give yourself time to get used to living in a new place, making new friends, and taking college courses. It’s okay to feel whatever you feel about your new surroundings, new classmates, etc. In many ways, college is like the people closest to you, it will bring out the best in you and at times it will bring out the worst. It’s the whole wherever you go, there you are thing.
     
You went over to Europe and traveled around, enjoyed exploring, learning new things, had fun shopping, and got to do some adventuresome things, though you really enjoyed the family feel of being on the farm and having a big Sunday dinner and a grandmamma to fuss over you. You’re an adventuresome, upbeat type, so you’ll make this transition pretty smoothly, I’d imagine.
     
The more time you spend talking and hanging out with your new friends instead of talking to, texting or e-mailing your friends back home, the faster you’ll feel comfortable there and get into a new groove. The people you became close friends with in high school are going to grow and change, just like you will, but you’ll still be able to reconnect quickly during breaks and things when you’re all back in Richmond, because you’ve had so many years you’ve known each other.
    
Lord, please use these next four years of her life to draw her ever closer to You, help her to see the beauty she possesses inside and out, and develop the gifts and talents You have given her to glorify You. Amen.

Conjectures of a Guilty Bystander

     Once again I’ve been led to pick up a book that my favorite brother in Christ loaned me a while back at exactly the time God knew I would most benefit from reading it. I enjoyed reading Thomas Merton’s autobiographical work Seven Story Mountain as well as his other books on spiritual reflection and contemplation, so I figured I would like this book as well. Though unlike Merton’s other works in terms of format, some of the subject matter, and even writing style, I loved this work of his as much as his others.
     This piece includes a number of beautifully poetic snapshots of nature I’d classify as the prose poem equivalent of haiku in terms of subject matter and spiritual insight. There are a number of reflections from daily life occurrences, current events Merton processed and commented on through thoughtful prose, and some interesting commentary on works by writers and philosophers—those who were Christian, atheist, or agnostic. I found myself literally laughing out loud at some of the situations and observations Merton included about life in the monastery, modern day politics, religion, and the unusual, sometimes ridiculous antics of humans in general.
     I marked a number of pages, because I want to return to the nuggets of wisdom found on them. I like that it is such a mix of musings on the world, some serious, some humorous, some lyrical and concise, others thoughtful and opinionated.
     Even the title of the book is perfect for it. Conjectures of a Guilty Bystander lets the reader know right away that this is a collection of assumptions, naturally containing all of the author’s biases and religious, political leanings. While calling into question the blind acceptance of all technology as being good for the human race and signs of progress, he invites us to a deeper appreciation of nature, a new way of looking at the roles of machines in our lives, and gives us a view from the perspective of someone who was largely cut-off from mainstream media, though clearly affected by the mainstream thinking, current events, moral quandaries, and politics of his time.
     I highly recommend reading this book. You can purchase it at Amazon here.

Quiet Desperation

Most men lead lives of quiet desperation...                                                  

                                                                                      -Henry David Thoreau

Many circumstances have led me to believe that many people really do lead lives of quiet desperation. I’ve often been surprised to find out that someone I see regularly is going through a major personal or family crisis. Most of us have been taught to hide any impression of being stressed or depressed. Put aside fear or indecision, and forge ahead with a purpose. Never let them see you sweat…or sigh, give up, give in, quit. Big girls don’t cry. That which doesn’t kill you makes you stronger. Blah, blah, blah.

I know I was schooled in the art of living the lie that everything was fine when really it wasn’t. Early on, we’re taught to get ahold of our emotions and stifle them or bury them when it isn’t considered appropriate to express them. When growing up, we learned to do this not only when we were in the grocery store and wanted candy we’d been told we couldn’t have, but also when in front of a group of our peers whose teasing only escalated if we became increasingly upset. When company came, we were told to be on our best behavior, meaning not embarrassing our parents by saying or doing anything that would reveal our true nature and upbringing wasn’t by any means Mary Poppins kind of picture perfect.

  
If almost every one of the family members and friends I am close to has one thing or another going on in their lives that is a crisis or could easily become one, then it makes me think that’s also the case with people I don’t know very well.
  

For many years, I was convinced that I shouldn’t say anything about what I experienced or how I felt because other people wouldn’t understand, wouldn’t care, and/or wouldn’t believe me. Most of their families seemed normal. I assumed my friends weren’t worried about the effects of workaholism, alcoholism, depression, or co-dependency on a family. I was right. Some of them weren’t worried about any of those things; instead, they were concerned about cancer, separation, divorce, finances, physical and/or emotional abuse, drugs, and death.

  
Now that I’ve learned more about human nature, I know adults are particularly adept at putting on a mask that tells everyone life’s just fine even when that couldn’t be farther from the truth. Some people’s masks are more elaborate, sophisticated, deceptively calm, sickeningly sweet, or duplicitously attractive than others. I’ve found, lately, mine, which used to be several inches thick, has begun to wear thin—perhaps because I’m sick of keeping so much in. If I’ve fooled all of the people some of the time, then I bet you have, too. What if I take off my mask and you remove yours?

The Screwtape Letters

I love this creative approach to addressing how God calls us and how the Satan attempts to deter us from answering His call. This classic work of fabricated written correspondence between Screwtape, an experienced devil, and his young apprentice Wormwood proves to be a very telling look into the psychology of temptation, deceit, and evil.
    
Screwtape advises Wormwood to do the exact opposite of what a Christian would do. He discourages all the fundamental practices and beliefs which strengthen a Christian’s relationship with God and with other believers.
   
C. S. Lewis’ use of satire is brilliant and at times very funny. What better way to advise Christians on the faith than to create a correspondence between two devilish sorts discussing ways to break down a believers trust in God?
    
In some ways, this unusual approach can have the effect of making a deeper impact than some books which attempt to preach and teach from on high what is necessary to grow in the spiritual life. The Screwtape Letters requires the reader pick out on his/her own the undertones and the implications of the author’s true intent rather than having each point and practice to use or from which to abstain plotted out in detail and hammered home.
   
As many people who have worked with rebellious individuals of any age know, sometimes the most effective way of getting them to do what is best happens to be to forbid them from doing what you don’t want them to knowing full-well that will make that option all-the-more appealing.
   
You can purchase this book here.
   
I wrote this review of The Screwtape Letters for the Tiber River Blogger Review program.  Tiber River is the first Catholic book review site, started in 2000 to help you make informed decisions about Catholic book purchases.  I receive free product samples as compensation for writing reviews for Tiber River.

Freedom

This collection of twelve stories about how the Theology of the Body can transform lives was an amazing first taste for me of the power within Pope John Paul II’s sermons. In preparing for a Catholic Writers Conference, I read several newly-released Catholic nonfiction books, checked out a number of Catholic websites and periodicals and found that many of them mentioned something about the Theology of the Body. This piqued my curiosity, so I ordered the very large tome Man and Woman He Created Them: A Theology of the Body by Pope John Paul II. I knew I wouldn’t have enough time to read it before the conference, so I chose to read Freedom to see how this much talked about treasure could be applied to people’s lives today.
   
Through telling the stories of twelve people with very different lifestyles and circumstances, the reader is shown how Pope John Paul II’s insight into the holiness and goodness of the body can and has completely changed the thinking and behavior of men and women. What’s rather phenomenal is that the collection of sermons making up the Theology of the Body discourse as it is now commonly called were written about twenty years before they became popular to study and teach.
   
It’s likely that a wave of change will wash over a greater number of Catholics through books such as Freedom which show the benefits of learning about the Theology of the Body by showing the benefits of those who already have embraced such wisdom and applied it to their lives in a book whose length and reading level is more modern, not quite so technical and academic.
   
This book serves as a great introduction and interest-raising step into the Theology of the Body. You can purchase this book here.  I wrote this review of Freedom for the Tiber River Blogger Review program.  Tiber River is the first Catholic book review site, started in 2000 to help you make informed decisions about Catholic book purchases.  I receive free product samples as compensation for writing reviews for Tiber River.