A New Book: The Golden Silence

My goal is to have my book, “The Golden Silence: Moments with God at Vina Monastery,” finished with my whole-book edit this coming Monday. I’m reading through it right now with my red pen in hand. I hope to have a copy ready to drop by the monastery for Abbot Paul Mark to take a look through. I am hopeful that it will meet with his approval. He already knows it’s coming.

This has been such an interesting experience. I have greater appreciation, respect, and awareness mixed with insights, understandings, and knowledge in areas once foreign to me. It is a thrill to make new discoveries.

This book is similar to my last book with its prayers and contemplations, but this time I take on other difficult subjects like abuse in the church, people dealing with their pasts, and “religious” barriers that stifle and inhibit the church. I also talk about the need for rain in Calif. and prayer.

This is a very “real” read. I may lose some friends over this one, but I hope not. It must be understood within its context. You have to go zoom outside before you attempt to look in. I guess it sounds like a riddle. I’ll leave it at that.

THE INVISIBLE STRING (Devorss & Co., 13th reprinting, 2000)

A children’s book for Valentine’s Day. This pretty little story has a big message. Love connects us whether we are together or not. We are joined by an invisible string no matter how far we are apart in distance or when there is loss of a loved one. Love is real and remains forever even when there is separation by miles or unfortunate circumstances. This is a good book to teach children the steadfastness of love. The truth in this book brings comfort on many levels. I first heard it mentioned in a talk by an elderly monk in a monastery. He said, “When we tug on our end of the string; God tugs on His end in reply.” That is where I first learned about The Invisible String and decided it sounded like a classic and worth purchasing. Seeing its Amazon ratings and reviews–and its many reprintings, I believe this is true. An excellent book to talk about parents or grandparents who are unable to live in close proximity.