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Reviews of interesting books the author has read that might be of interest to her readers.

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Book Talk with Lisa Deam

THIS WEEK Lisa Deam’s new book, 3000 Miles to Jesus was launched. I asked her a few questions about this book. I wondered why she wrote it. It’s not your average book. Her answers lay the groundwork for reading about spiritual pilgrimages.

1. What is a spiritual pilgrimage?

A spiritual pilgrimage is a journey we take in our life of faith, for
example through prayer or following God’s ways in our life. We may not
always be able to take a physical pilgrimage (hello, pandemic), but we
can still walk with God every day.

2. Why did you write this book?

When I began reading about pilgrims’ journeys in the Middle Ages, I was
reminded of several Scripture passages about pilgrimage. The book of
Hebrews, for example, says that God’s people are travelers who are on
their way to a “better country” (Heb. 11:13-16). I wrote 3000 Miles to
Jesus to help us better understand our pilgrim identity and to encourage
us on our walk of faith.

3. How does the subject apply to your life?

I find it very meaningful to think about my life as a pilgrimage, a
sacred journey. It helps me remember that God has prepared a place for
me, and that every day I take steps that bring me closer to my forever
home. When I’m feeling discouraged or lost, I try to pause and refocus
on this heavenly destination. My life isn’t aimless. Despite all my
mistakes, I know I’m walking with God on the path he’s set out for me.

4. What prepared you to write this book?

To write 3000 Miles to Jesus, I spent a lot of time reading the travel
accounts of medieval pilgrims. I wanted their experiences and voices to
shape the book, because they’re wonderful examples of faith and
perseverance. There are so many great pilgrims’ stories that I could
have included hundreds more in the book!

5. What do you hope will be the readers take-away?

I want readers to come away encouraged that even though our journey of
faith is sometimes difficult, we have so many reasons to be hopeful. We
know where we’re headed in life, and we never walk our road alone. We
travel with one another, with our ancestors in the faith, and above all
with God. God is waiting for us at the end of life’s road and walks with
us the entire way.

. . .

THANKS: A hearty thank you to Lisa Deam for sharing this information with us. I truly appreciate her helpfulness and her message. I am including a short bio and links to her sites, and where you can purchase her book.

Lisa Deam, Author

BIO: Lisa Deam is an historian and an award-winning writer in Christian spiritual formation. She’s the author of 3000 Miles to Jesus: Pilgrimage as a Way of Life for Spiritual Seekers (Broadleaf 2021). Lisa lives in the Charlotte, North Carolina area.

I encourage you to treat yourself to something different that’s out of the ordinary, like this book. You might even take yourself to Lisa’s blog site,The Contemplative Writer. I’m a contemplative writer so I now follow her on social media and receive her posts in my email inbox.

SITE LINKS:
www.lisadeam.com
www.thecontemplativewriter.com

BOOK LINKS:
Broadleaf Books:
https://www.broadleafbooks.com/store/productgroup/1951/3000-Miles-to-Jesus

Amazon:
https://www.amazon.com/3000-Miles-Jesus-Lisa-Deam/dp/1506461638/ref=sr_1_2?crid=1AWCUN7QP8B0I&dchild=1&keywords=3000+miles+to+jesus&qid=1607091736&s=books&sprefix=3000+miles+to+jesus%2Caps%2C161&sr=1-2

goodreads:

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/55182403-3000-miles-to-jesus

My Book Review of 3000 Miles to Jesus is here. When you click on the title in the review, it will take you to the book on Amazon.

3000 Miles to Jesus: Pilgrimage as a Way of Life for Spiritual Seekers by Lisa Deam (Broadleaf Books, 2021)

TODAY Lisa Deam is launching 3000 Miles to Jesus. Soli Deo gloria. This book starts where it should by giving glory to God. I read this book in little chunks at a time. Sort of like reading about Ignatian Spiritual Exercises, I needed time to absorb what I was reading to get its quality. Lisa Deam unpacks for us the pilgrimages of a handful of medieval travelers on their way to the Holy Land, to the very places where Jesus walked, ministered, and was crucified. Like with any real life adventure, I learned how rigorous, risky, lonely, and costly it was for these pilgrims intent on seeing it through to the end. “Our medieval travelers were slow-movement philosophers way before the modern era. For pilgrimage, true pilgrimage, is always slow. It takes the time it needs,” writes Deam. Pilgrimages commence in stages as do our own spiritual pilgrimages. Preparation and trust in God are necessary for putting both feet in the same direction to move forward toward our pilgrimage’s fulfillment. Sometimes you pause for awhile, to wait and pray, like the pilgrims waiting for a boat to take passage across the sea to the shore of the Holy Land. Then to wait a couple weeks more until authorities let them debark. Even then, not with freedom to go where they wish, to pursue at will, but within the confines of the authorities’ directives and guides. Oh the joy, though, when their quest brings them to the path of our Lord, where they are moved to worship. We are welcomed to make our own spiritual pilgrimage as we follow the path of those who have gone on before us. I enjoyed the topic and the presentation. Illustrations and quotations enhance this book.