Books
The Praying Life: Seeking God in All Things
Nothing is more remarkable than an ordinary life, quietly transformed by prayer. This is the life that Deborah Smith Douglas chronicles—and invites readers into—in this lovely collection of essays and poems. Drawing from events as simple as breakfast with a five-year-old and waiting in line at the post office, Douglas shows how a loving relationship with God can be nurtured in small ways every day.
“Without my ever really intending it,” she writes, “my own life—as a wife and mother, daughter and friend—has taught me to see God hidden in the ordinary, to watch God under the surface of things as a fisherman watches for fish.”
The book is divided into four sections: essays on ways of praying, on healing, on spiritual companionship, and on fruitfulness.
Woven into each of these pieces, along with reflections on the author’s experiences, are suggestions for readers who want to watch for God in their own ordinary—and unique—lives.
“Deborah Douglas’ collection of essays and poems offers good theology, good wit, good pastoral common sense…. This is a book to savor, to learn from, to delight in, to treasure”
~The Living Church
“In this insightful, beautifully written book Deborah Smith Douglas shares what she perceives as the essence of the praying life—an awareness and recognition of God’s presence that leads to self-giving. The book is a lovely and inspiring collection of essays and poetry.”
~Santa Fe Theologians
“This vision of God in the mundane forms the basis for Douglas’ volume of beautiful essays and poems….This, and many other ordinary incidents Douglas recounts, is what can come from openness to God’s love, itself a form of prayer.”
~The Plain Dealer
“Luminosity characterizes this thoughtful, inspiring volume. Essay after essay reminds me of the clarity of a trumpet’s lofty note.”
~St. Anthony Messenger
“When I finished reading The Praying Life, I put it down reluctantly and have found myself picking it up frequently to revisit passages that especially illuminated my life. The author’s description of her own daily life with its fragmentation, it busyness, and her aging body speak to the depths of my soul. For all who know that these things will not change, but who seek to be transformed by God in the midst of them, this book will be a welcome companion.”
~Weavings
From recent five-star Amazon.com reviews:
Best Spiritual Guide: “Recommended by a friend. We have been using this book for a Prayer Group. It has been so meaningful for all of us. Each time we meet we cannot wait to get to the book discussion. I would recommend this book to anyone who is searching in their spiritual life.”
Great resource: “Great resource for personal devotions and lends itself well for use in group settings. I especially rely on this book to illustrate lessons and presentations for church gatherings.”
Pilgrims in the Kingdom: Travels in Christian Britain
Pilgrims in the Kingdom offers spiritual reflections written from sixteen of the most significant Christian sites in the United Kingdom. Beautiful black-and-white photos by Joan Myers enhance each chapter. Join Deborah and David as they visit these sites and reflect on the lives of faithful Christians associated with each place:
Iona and Saint Columba
Oxford and C.S. Lewis
Norwich and the Lady Julian
Aldersgate Street and John Wesley
Pleshey and Evelyn Underhill
Pendle Hill and George Fox
Lindisfarne and Saints Aidan and Cuthbert
Canterbury Cathedral and Thomas Becket
Olney and John Newton
Whithorn and Saint Ninian
Bemerton and George Herbert
Edinburgh Castle and Saint Margaret
Little Gidding and Nicholas Ferrar & T.S. Eliot
Coventry Cathedral
St Bueno’s in Wales and Gerard Manley Hopkins