You can get this book in the standard pocket-sized version for only $1.99. If you buy 50 or more — for, say, a parish, a group, or a really big family — the price drops to 99 cents a copy. What a deal! It’s perfect for carrying in a purse or a pocket. Easy to take with you so you don’t miss a day. You can also get a large-print version for only $5.95, which is really nice if you prefer to keep this in your personal prayer space or on a nightstand and like a book with a little more heft. You can get the e-book for only 99 cents, if digital is more your speed. And you can get any of those variations in Spanish. Something for everyone. (Order soon so there are no issues with potential shipping delays, as has been common during COVID.)

This is my fifth book of seasonal Scripture reflections for Liturgical Press. I want to thank all those who have journeyed through past Advent, Lent and Easter seasons with me. I hear from so many of you, and I am so grateful for your emails, letters, comments, and observations.

If you go to the Liturgical Press website, you can get a taste of what’s inside this year’s book. They have the introduction and the first two reflections posted HERE.

Here’s an excerpt from the introduction:

“It’s easy to think, as we begin yet another Lenten journey, that we know the drill. We’ve been here before; we know what’s coming. But the truth is that Scripture is a living thing, always new. I know this firsthand because every time I sit down to write a Lenten reflection about a Scripture passage I’ve heard or read too many times to count, something jumps out at me and makes me say, ‘How did I not notice that before?’ We hear every Scripture reading differently depending on where we are on our life journey, our spiritual journey, or maybe just what side of the bed we woke up on that day. God meets us where we are, and, if we’re paying attention, we can hear God, see God, recognize God in unlikely places, in stories we think we know. When we take time to listen for the still small voice, a scene, a sentence, a word calls out to us as if surrounded by blinking neon lights along a dark
highway, and we are found, even if only for a few minutes…

“…To be honest, there were many days when I sat down with a set of Scripture readings and could not imagine what I might have to say that could be helpful to you. But, after sitting with the Scriptures, reading and rereading, taking them for a walk, sharing a cup of coffee with them as the sun rose outside my window, something always found its way off the page and into my heart, like a delicate shoot pushing through the cold, hard earth of winter into the warmth and light of spring.”

If you begin this journey with me on Ash Wednesday, which falls on February 17, we will be awaiting the delicate green shoots of spring by the time we wrap up on Easter Sunday, April 4. For some — like my family and friends in my old stomping grounds in Austin, Texas — spring will be pushing toward summer at that point. For those of us in the northeast, snow could still be on the ground. Regardless of geographic location, however, we will all have traversed the desert of Lent and Holy Week to emerge into the lush landscape of Easter and resurrection. I would be so grateful if you’d let me walk with you.

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So that beautiful blossom you see here? We all know what’s just on the other side of surrender. Blossoming, beauty, transformation. The same is true for us, if we trust the process. This week, can you loosen your grip and let go enough to begin the transformation. It doesn’t have to be all at once. Even just a small loosening will allow your petals to unfurl. Blossom today, right where you are planted.

And now, on to the rest of our show.

Bookshelf: I always have multiple books going, usually a few different types. I can only read one novel at a time, and at this point that novel is The Magician’s Assistant by Ann Patchett. This book has been sitting on my bookshelf unread for years. Not sure why. But, last week, when I was going remote camping, I needed something light and okay to get wet, so I decided that was the book. I’m loving it, but I’ve always loved Ann Patchett. (If you haven’t read State of Wonder, go get it and dive in. So amazing.) I am also just starting Mary Karr’s The Art of Memoir, which I picked up at at Dove & Hudson used books in Albany recently. It had been on my Amazon Wish List for years. Now it’s on my nightstand. I’ve become a big fan of memoir in the past couple of years. I can’t imagine I’ll ever write one, but I’m intrigued by how others do.

Soundtrack: I haven’t been listening to a ton of music lately, but when I do it’s often the new Taylor Swift album, Folklore. It’s a beautiful album. Even if you’re not typically a Swiftie, it’s worth checking out. I also tend to listen to a lot of spiritual music that verges on weird. Okay, it’s straight up weird. Wahe Guru by White Sun is one of my current favorites. I find it so soothing. Sometimes I just tell Alexa to play it while I’m making the bed or getting dressed. Calms my nerves. Now, what I AM listening to regularly, are my latest Audible selections. I just finished I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou — and read by Maya Angelou. Powerful, poetic, painful. If you have never read this book, I highly recommend listening to Maya tell her story. I’m following that up with Present over Perfect by Shauna Niequest. Another beautiful book, one I wish I would have written. As the title suggests, it’s about being present in our own lives in a very God-centered way. I may buy the hard copy after I finish the audio version.

Viewfinder: So much beauty out there in the world, despite the challenges we all face, individually and collectively, these days. I cannot get enough of the Rose of Sharon in my backyard and the birds and bees flying around and entertaining me on a full-time basis. Here are a couple of shots from the yard:

Menu: Lots of fresh produce this time of year, so that means lots of good meals, some cooked over a campfire. (A special kind of awesome.) Just yesterday I made Giambotta, which is the Italian version of Ratatouille, a vegetable stew chock full of summer goodness: eggplant, zucchini, green beans, fire-roasted tomatoes, mushrooms, onions, and garlic, of course. Oh and lots of fresh basil torn up and thrown in at the last minute. You can serve it over crusty bread, over rice or couscous, or over pasta, as was our preference (big surprise). Here’s a photo of the end result:

GPS: We did not get to do a family vacation this year due to COVID, so that was a great disappointment, but I was lucky enough to be able to catch a few days of mother-daughter camping with Chiara up in the Adirondack Mountains. We spent one day at Pyramid Life Center before heading to a remote camp site nearby. What makes it remote? We have to bring all our gear in by canoe and kayak. We paddle everything across the lake, firewood included, and set up camp in a beautiful little spot where we can listen to the loons as we sleep in our tent at night, float around in crystal clear water, read as we swing in a travel hammock or sit by the fire, and generally forget the real world. There is zero cell service, which is a beautiful thing. And I get to spend quality time with my daughter and another mom-daughter duo.

Datebook: Some good news on the datebook front. Finally after months of quarantine and social distancing. The retreat I’m leading at Pyramid Life Center in September is ON. I have nine people signed up so far. Room for about 10 more while maintaining social distance requirements. Stillpoint: Creating Calm amid the Chaos will be offered Sept. 11-13 at the always beautiful Pyramid Life Center. It will be semi-silent (silent breakfasts and evenings after closing talks). There will be an opportunity for kayaking, hiking, collaging, journaling, praying, talking, and, above all, resting and renewing. The cost is only $150 and that includes the retreat, rustic accommodations, and all meals, all in a socially distanced setting. Below is a photo from my recent visit to Pyramid and one from a previous retreat. Sign up HERE if you’re interested (just scroll down in the dropdown until you see Stillpoint), or shoot me an email if you have additional questions.

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Bookshelf: So this weekend I thought I’d thin out my book collection. It didn’t take long for me to remember that there’s a very good reason my book collection is out of control: I love them all!!! Even the ones I never finished, or haven’t yet picked up. Almost all of my books have some sort of story or connection attached. It was a favorite book during college, it was the book that got me to expand my writing, it was the novel that sucked me in and changed me forever, it was the spiritual book that introduced me to new places in my soul. Bottom line: No books were harmed during this exercise. In fact, I had two more books arrive via Sunday USPS delivery: Rewilding: Meditations, Practices, and Skills for Awakening Nature, which may have been an overreach on my part since it looks very outdoorsy and challenging, and One Degree Revolution: How the Wisdom of Yoga Inspires Small Shifts that Lead to Big Changes,” which looks like the perfect complement to my yoga teacher training and life in general during this time of isolation. I’ll let you know if I tackle any of the fire-stoking, shelter-building and trail-blazing in Rewilding. If you don’t hear from me for a while, send a search party. I’m lost and completely ill-equipped to forage for food (another activity in this book).

Now Playing: This isn’t really playing now, because I’ve already seen it, although it’s free for viewing during the pandemic, so I might watch it again, and I highly recommend it for anyone who loves silence or wants to learn to love silence: In Pursuit of Silence, a meditative exploration of our relationship with silence, sound and the impact of noise on our lives. You can watch it free HERE. I loved this so much that I then purchased Notes on Silence by Cassidy Hall and Patrick Shen. It’s so marked up with neon pink post-it notes, the pages are more marked than unmarked. Check it out, and let me know what you think. And if you try these and want more, go check out the podcast Encountering Silence, which is what I used to listen to as I drove to and from work — back when I used to have to leave the house to work.

Soundtrack: Although music is a staple here in the Poust House, this week I have to share with you the Audible book I am devouring: What to Remember When Waking: The Disciplines of an Everyday Life, by poet David Whyte. I ended up with this book because Audible recommended it for me. I had never heard of it before and clicked the “purchase” button because I figured, Why not? It sounded pretty good. Oh, it is SO much better than good. It is beautiful, astounding, heartbreaking, soul-filling, mind-stretching… I could go on. I plan to buy the print book, because see above adjectives, but if you are going to give this book a try, by all means, go with Audible. His reading of this book is as good as the writing of this book. I actually found myself weeping at one point when the author read one of his poems about his daughter and the slant of light on her palm as he carried her. It is a gorgeous book that I believe I’ll come back to again and again whenever I need a dose of beauty, peace, inspiration, and perhaps a nudge toward transformation. Go buy it. You won’t be disappointed.

Viewfinder: My camera is usually pointed at something we’re serving up for dinner or something spotted in my yard. It’s that kind of pandemic. Maybe that will change in the not-too-distant future. Let’s hope. But here’s a quick glimpse of what I’ve been seeing and snapping this week:

Menu: Lots of good food happening over here, but this was definitely one of the highlights: a nutella-strawberry crepe whipped up for me by Olivia. It was unbelievably delicious, and I am unbelievably spoiled.

GPS: I have not left the premises since the April 29 outing I posted about here last week. How crazy is that?!? Still locked down. Although I have to admit that I am pretty content living within the confines of my house and yard and slowing down long enough to soak up the everyday beauty all around me. Not that there aren’t also everyday annoyances, but, overall, I’m pretty lucky to be locked down in such a beautiful, comfortable spot with my whole family at home. #grateful

Datebook: Coming up on May 23 is my 200-hour Yoga Teacher Training midterm. I have not taken a midterm since I graduated from college in 1984. The struggle is real, especially when anatomy is involved. But, I’m chugging along, taking practice tests, reading and re-reading and trying to remember where the heck the “h” goes in every Sanskrit word. Is it after the “b” and “v” but not after the “d.” I’m working on it folks, getting closer every day. I am so excited to be shifting back into forward motion on this training and to know that maybe certification and registration as a yoga teacher is not that far away. This goal has been a long time in the making.

See you next week. Stay safe, stay happy, stay true to you.

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Sometimes I hop on Facebook and I see my book looking back at me from someone else’s page. My heart swells with gratitude. Here are two from just this week, one from a nearby parish and one from a local deacon.

We have a little more than two weeks left before we wrap up this journey. Thanks again to those who are reading and praying with me day by day. I am in the final stages of proofing the book of reflections for Lent 2021, so keep an eye out for Not By Bread Alone, which will be out in the late fall, although the pre-order link is already up on the Liturgical Press website.

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I can tell you that from my perspective — as a writer and a pray-er — this particular book of reflections was a real gift. We tend to focus so intently on Lent each year and then, when Easter arrives, our spiritual focus dissipates. This book gives us a chance to center on the readings of the Easter season, mainly from the Acts of the Apostles, and to dwell on stories that may not be as familiar or are at the very least stories we have not spent a lot of time with in quiet prayer.

The great news is that this book is so reasonably priced they’re practically giving it away. It’s only $2 per copy for the pocket-size version. If you prefer or need large print, that’s only $5.95. It’s also available in Spanish and as an eBook. AND, if you order in bulk, the price is chopped in half. For orders of 50 copies or more, the books are only $1 each. This is perfect for parishes, retreat centers, or folks who want to donate a batch to a program or parish.

You can order directly from Liturgical Press by clicking HERE.

Amazon seems to be out of stock but I’m hoping that status will change soon, so you can check there as well. But Liturgical Press is your best bet at this point.

Here’s a “blurb” for my previous reflection books from Liturgical Press:

“Mary DeTurris Poust has a peculiar gift for finding the common experiences with which we can all identify and rendering them into profound meditations that are both consoling and instructive…” — Elizabeth Scalia, author of Strange Gods: Unmasking Idols in Everyday Life

The post New book of reflections available now! appeared first on Not Strictly Spiritual.

MARY DeTURRIS POUST

Background: Born and raised in Pearl River in Rockland County. She graduated from Pace University. Her husband, Dennis, and their children, Noah, 19, a freshman at Le Moyne College, and daughters Olivia, 15, and Chiara, 10, who attend Bethlehem public schools, live in Delmar where they are parishioners at St. Thomas the Apostle Catholic Church. She’s director of communications for the Roman Catholic Diocese of Albany.

Your resume includes reporter, editor, columnist, author and blogger. You’ve switched hats in your new job.

It’s the culmination of everything I’ve done professionally over the past 32 years, not only as a writer but as a public speaker, retreat leader and commentator of Catholic issues. Dealing with the media is my favorite part of my job, because I’ll always be a journalist at heart. I love to find an interesting story in the diocese and get it out there in the secular press: Good news with a capital g and a lower case g. I do sometimes miss being a full-time writer.

Continue reading HERE.

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If you missed the show, you can catch up here. And if you go to Allison’s website, you can catch an entire week of shows devoted to my books — Everyday Divine on Tuesday, Parenting a Grieving Child on Wednesday, and Walking Together on Thursday. Here’s the show:

The post Talking everyday prayer, grief, friendship and more appeared first on Not Strictly Spiritual.

Here’s what some others have said about it in their Amazon reviews:

“A few months ago, I spied a book I knew I just had to read. Cravings: A Catholic Wrestles with Food, Self-image and God by Mary DeTurris Poust. The word WRESTLES leaped from the cover and spoke to my heart. Yes, wrestle, struggle, and sometimes even get pinned. For years, I have been held to the mat by my cravings, and more specifically the emotions that were tied so closely to them. I requested the the book from  Ave Maria Press (*review of books received from publishers always welcomed never expected and never influenced). After I finished the introduction, I decided to blog my journey, when I reached chapter 3, and read that I should be consider keeping a journal, I know I was on the right track with Cravings! More importantly, I knew I was on the right path to finding a new peace and place with food, my own self-image and yes, even God.

“It has not been the a fast tracked trip to weight loss that I had hoped, maybe that is because Cravings IS not a book about losing weight or even gaining weight, it is about shifting our thoughts from mindless to mindful consumption of food. I CANNOT recommend this book enough- TRULY LIFE changing!”
_______________

“Cravings will leave you satisfied.” This book addresses issues with food, low self-esteem, spiritually, emotionally, and physically. Shows you ways to improve your life with food and God. Prayer, mindfulness, and meditation are essential for all of us as we walk this path.”

________________

“Outstanding journey as to why we crave food and what we are really looking for.”

________________

“A meditative and contemplative approach to eating. I enjoyed this book very much, especially the monastic elements and information. It inspires me to slow down and cook real food despite being a busy working mom.”

Here’s a helpful graphic to get you started while you wait for your copy of Cravings to arrive. You can print it out in copies of two or five to share with friends and family:

Cravings set of two bookmarks

Cravings set of five bookmarks

Happy New Year!

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When I was on retreat at St. Mary’s on the Lake earlier this month, my retreat leader, Paulist Father Tom Ryan, took a few of us on a hike across the beautiful property along stunning Lake George, including a long-abandoned outdoor Stations of the Cross path cut into the woods behind the chapel. I hadn’t even noticed it on my first two trips down to the lake, but there it was — overgrown, falling down, forgotten, sad. At least that’s how it seemed to me at first. And all I could see was potential.

This would make a great Eagle project for a Catholic Scout in the diocese, I announced, envisioning the path cleared and smoothed, fallen trees removed, wooden crosses refurbished. I could see it filled with local perennials and pretty statues and prayer benches. I made a mental note to find a contact person who could take up the cause when I got home, ever in search of something else to add to my To Do list.

Two days later, after lots of quiet reflection and prayer, journaling and silence, I wandered back to the pathway for some moving meditation. I had just started The Soul of  a Pilgrim: Eight Practices for the Journey Within by Christine Valters Paintner, and I was going to try an exercise she calls “Visio Divina,” sacred seeing. The challenge is to use a camera or iPhone to capture a scene that speaks to you in much the same way that Lectio Divina, sacred reading, attempts to illuminate a line or phrase from Scripture that carries a special message. And so I set out to see what might speak to me from the piles of branches and faded placards nailed to trees.

As I started onto the path, looking at it with the eyes of interior peace rather than exterior progress, I saw something very different. I was moved by how beautiful the path was in all its ramshackle glory. There was something so fitting about a Way of Sorrow feeling sorrowful, feeling broken and betrayed.

The faded signs and lonely chair, the crumbling stone stairs and fallen trees, the hollowed out trunks and tangled roots seemed to cry out: My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?

Walk with me down the path now and see what speaks to you. If you can, go out into your own neighborhood one day this week and try to see it with new eyes. Maybe even bring your camera and capture what speaks to you. Leave a photo post in the comment section, if you like.

A leaf out of season greets me on the start of the path

Second station with Mary in the distance

Prayer chair in the wilderness

Sorrowful mother

Stairway to heaven

A dead tree that seems to cry out with sadness

Crucified

Nearing the end of the trail

The chapel awaits at the end of the path

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If you missed the show, you can listen to the podcast here:

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