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A Testament of Devotion
by
Thomas R. Kelly,
Richard J. Foster (Introduction)
4.23 · Rating details · 1,091 ratings · 88 reviews
Since its first publication in 1941, A Testament of Devotion, by the renowned Quaker teacher Thomas Kelly, has been universally embraced as a truly enduring spiritual classic. Plainspoken and deeply inspirational, it gathers together five compelling essays that urge us to center our lives on God's presence, to find quiet and stillness within modern life, and to discover the deeply satisfying and lasting peace of the inner spiritual journey. As relevant today as it was a half-century ago, A Testament of Devotion is the ideal companion to that highest of all human arts-the lifelong conversation between God and his creatures.
I have in mind something deeper than the simplification of our external programs, our absurdly crowded calendars of appointments through which so many pantingly and frantically gasp. These do become simplified in holy obedience, and the poise and peace we have been missing can really be found. But there is a deeper, an internal simplification of the whole of one's personality, stilled, tranquil, in childlike trust listening ever to Eternity's whisper, walking with a smile into the dark." (less)
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Paperback, 144 pages
Published August 2nd 1996 by HarperOne (first published 1941)
Original Title
A Testament of Devotion
ISBN
0060643617 (ISBN13: 9780060643614)
Edition Language
English
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Jun 13, 2013Scott Jeffries rated it liked it
I didn't know what to expect when I first opened Thomas Kelly's A Testament of Devotion. I knew the book was listed among the best in Christian spirituality but I didn't know anything about the book.
I didn't know that Kelly was a Quaker and that the essays within the book were taken from talks that he gave. I didn't know how much my favorite Christian writer, Dallas Willard, was influenced by Kelly.
I also didn't know that I would need to read it more than once to fully appreciate it. The first time I read it, I was underwhelmed and slightly disappointed in the overtly Quaker teaching. I mean, I am a Baptist, and any talk of the light within makes me think of Shirley MacLaine and "woowoo" New Age stuff. But then I read it a second time and appreciated it so much more. I began to take in some of the rich passages that were inspiring and convicting. For example, he mentions that "complete obedience" is our goal not "amazing revelations." I particularly liked his discussion of having the "simplicity of the trusting child." And Kelly's explanation of the "Holy Now" was excellent.
Finally, I really appreciated his moment to moment approach to the spiritual life. Highly influenced by Brother Lawrence's The Practice of the Presence of God, Kelly detailed the experience of connection with God in the midst of everyday life. This is a very good point and one that gets completely ignored in Evangelical circles who never seem to take the spiritual life beyond morning BIble study and prayer.
I don't know if I would recommend this book to a young believer but for a seasoned disciple looking for a challenge to live "the other half," this book would be much better than 90 percent of what is coming out of Christian bookstores.
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Nov 07, 2012Elizabeth Andrew rated it really liked it
Shelves: spirituality
Friends recommended this book when they heard my 2012 New Year's resolution was to not be overwhelmed by life. A good dose of Quakerism is a nice antidote. I can't say Thomas Kelly led me to calm and simplicity, but he did offer me understanding: "For, except for spells of sickness in the family and when the children are small, when terrific pressure comes upon us, we find time for what we really want to do." With a small child, yes, living a focused life of service can be hard.
While his language and theology are old fashioned, Kelly's faith nonetheless inspires me:
I am persuaded that religious people do not with sufficient seriousness count on God as an active factor in the affairs of the world. “Behold, I stand at the door and knock,” but too many well-intentioned people are so preoccupied with the clatter of effort to do something for God that they don’t hear Him asking that He might do something through them.
…For the Eternal is urgently, actively breaking into time, working through those who are willing to be laid hold upon, to surrender self-confidence and self-centered effort, that is, self-originated effort, and let the Eternal be the dynamic guide in recreating, through us, our time-world. 71-74.
I want to pray unceasingly, as Kelly describes. The joy of spiritual community he portrays seems impossible to me, but I want it nonetheless. Most of all, I want to face this complex world with profound trust. I'm grateful for the guides that help me on this journey. (less)
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Apr 14, 2012David Woods rated it really liked it
Recommended to David by: Jeramy Williams
Shelves: religion-spirituality
This is the third or fourth Quaker author I have read that I have really enjoyed. Foster, Trueblood, now Kelly. Kelly actually took over a post for D. Elton Trueblood at Haverford College! I loved Trueblood's book "New Man for Our Time". Back to this book, it was a great collection of Kelly's writings on simply living in the Spirit, living in the presence of God, a lot in the vein of Brother Lawrence.
There is a 25 page biography written by a friend and colleague at the end of the book that I would have read first, so I would recommend doing so. I enjoyed the biography much also. This book, and others such as Severe Mercy always make me romantically wistful about life in the "Greatest Generation". Such a romanticized vision is not too healthy, but in multiple books of this time, as in this one, there is talk of small fellowship meetings, usually around a fire, with readings, philosophical discussions, prayer, joint quite time, etc. Something which I can't seem to duplicate here in this day. Maybe we can't sit quiet together, or reading together sounds like a waste of time to us in our multitask society. I also enjoy hearing of these great minds writing and receiving letters. Something that has been lost with the internet.
Back to the book itself, As Doug Steere, the author of the little Kelly biography says: "these devotional essays are gathered here w/o any of the cutting or clipping or critical revision which Thomas Kelly would certainly have given them had he lived. They are all written on the same theme and often develop an identical aspect, but always with some fresh illumination." There does feel to be a lot of repetition throughout, but that's okay. Go into this book knowing what it is, a collection of his writings, mostly on living in the presence of God, and you if that is what you seek, you will benefit from it.
In living in God's presence Kelly speaks of the work it takes to get to where you can spend "every moment behind the scenes in prayer, offering yourselves in continuous obedience". We will fail all the time, but he is encouraging when he says simply say a quick word of repentance, ask for help, and start again! "The crux of religious living lies in the will, not in transient and variable states". (less)
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Nov 28, 2011Jeremy rated it it was amazing
Shelves: christian-life
This book is the perfect follow-up to Brother Lawrence's The Practice of the Presence of God. While we learn from Brother Lawrence that an abiding presence with God is possible, we learn from Kelly how to acquire it, what it costs, and what fruit will be born from it.
This is a very quick read, but should be savored and re-read.
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Apr 01, 2019Rhiannon Grant rated it really liked it · review of another edition
Shelves: theology-and-philosophy, quakerism, library-wb, liberal-quaker-theology
A Quaker classic for a reason, this contains lots of clear articulations of things Quakers often say - enough that it can be hard to pick out what is uniquely Kelly about it other than the intensity with which he experienced the spiritual processes he describes. His close relationships to some other Quakers of the period, especially Jones and Steere, and to influential non-Quaker sources (including Whitehead, William James, and some contact with Japanese and Indian philosophy), are visible as well as his own religious experience. (less)
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Jun 15, 2010Dave Peterson rated it it was amazing · review of another edition
At my high school graduation, some friend or relative (I don't know who) gave me a copy of "A Testament Of Devotion" by Thomas Kelly. I read this and was touched by the spirituality of the writing. He wrote of "The Light Within":
"Deep within us all there is an amazing inner sanctuary of the soul, a holy place, a Divine Center, a speaking Voice, to which we may continuously return. Eternity is at our hearts, pressing upon our time-torn lives, warming us with intimations of an astounding destiny, calling us home unto Itself."
I gave away my copy but bought it again recently and still enjoy reading parts of it.
(less)
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Dec 08, 2017Nathan Albright rated it it was amazing
Shelves: challenge2017
I must admit that I am not all that familiar with Quaker spirituality except for my criticism of its inveterate pacifism and pietism which for various reasons has formed an important influence on the Church of God. This book is a well-regarded example of an ecumenical and mystical approach to Christianity that is particularly popular in our hectic age [1]. I would not say that this is a bad book, exactly, more like it is a book that is not easy to understand or relate to. The author is a Quaker who appears to be somewhat driven and it is difficult to take claims that he lived with a peace and tranquility within him during his short life seriously. Rather than viewing him as a hypocrite and discounting this book entirely, I tend to see this book as an expression of the author's hopes and aspirations to be a force for peace of not only a military kind but also a more personal kind, even if I have serious doubts that the author was a model exemplar of his ideals and the ideals of his faith tradition.
This particular book is a very short one, made up of a few short chapters that the author had written but not had the chance to edit and refine shortly before his death. It is striking that it is these unrefined chapters in a book that even with an extensive biographical note lasts barely more than 100 pages are what made the author well-known and well-regarded within Christian mystical sources, but looking at the essays one can get some idea why this happened. For one, these essays show a broad-minded view of the view of meditation in other traditions and engage the larger body of books about prayer and meditation that are generally well-regarded by Christian mystics. The author also manages to discuss how we become more calm and more at peace with God and others by self-examination and reflection rather than trying to shape our world for our own convenience or think that merely changing our environment will change our mentality and approach to life. In a subtle way, these essays on the light within, holy obedience, the blessed community, the eternal now and social concern, the simplification encourage the reader to take responsibility for the way that we live and how we relate to others. They avoid a narrow focus on social issues while pointing out that in our search for the kingdom of heaven we are not to neglect the mundane matters of life on earth.
There is much to appreciate in a book like this. One can doubt, as I doubt, that the author is a fitting model of his worldview, but I suppose if I ever wrote a book about peace and tranquility and not being too rushed that people would be just as eager to doubt that I really understood what I was writing about. In a case like this, it is probably best to take what is written and to look at it on its own without trying to judge the messenger. And on those grounds, this book does have a lot to offer in the way that it demonstrates the tension that Christians of all stripes feel about the pull of self-reflection and personal spirituality and the realization that as believers we are part of the larger body of Christ, as well as the tension between looking forward to God's Kingdom while also trying to do what we can to ease the plight of those who suffer in this present evil world. As these tensions are a universal aspect of Christian experience, this book is a thoughtful one that places these concerns as part of a context of practical mysticism, something not too esoteric a concern for many people with able minds and sensitive hearts to the way that life goes on down here.
[1] See, for example:
https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2017...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2017...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2017...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2017...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2017... (less)
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Jan 21, 2018Bryan rated it it was amazing
This book is simply a phenomenon that every believer ought to read. One of the deepest and most moving books I've ever read. The brevity of the book adds to its power. The only drawback I can think of is when it frequently seems to promote the Quaker way, almost as though they only have promoted the primacy of centering the inner life upon the Presence of God. In a book with such a potent universal message and applicability, it was a bit of a distraction and possibly even a bit of an error. But given the overall positive content of the book, I still give it the highest rating even in light of that very slightly negative element. Of course, I don't know much about the Quaker way. I do find it extremely interesting that such a "denomination" exists for the very purpose of centering the Christian life, in its inwardness and outwardness, inwardly. And so I'm still thinking about that. I also did find shades of Bonhoeffer's views of discipleship leading to responsible "social action" which added to it's value for myself, being quite interested in Bonhoeffer. At any rate, read it and I'm sure you will find it quite the incentive for "working at" centering life in the Eternal. (less)
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Feb 13, 2018Bradley rated it it was amazing
I absolutely love(d) this book. It’s a very short and quick read, though the grammar is old English so you’ll have to reread quite a bit to pick up what’s he is trying to say. It has encouraged me tremendously to know that the struggle of finding time for devotion was the same for those in the 1940s as it is for us today with more technology. It’s not an issue of the amount of time we have but the amount of desire we have to spend the time with our Heavenly Father. It’s a convicting book but encourages that hunger for more inside to know it is possible to grow closer. It’s just growing that desire.(less)
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Dec 09, 2017Gloriamarie rated it it was amazing
Shelves: bible, christianity, quaker-spirituality
This timely book should be a MUST READ for anyone who claims to be a Christian. Wonderful book. Do yourself a favor and read it. No wonder this is considered a classic. I am Episcopalian and I loved it. Loving Jesus and responding to the Holy Spirit are the most important things anyone can ever do.
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Mar 26, 2018Grace rated it it was amazing
Shelves: absolutefavorites
This book has contributed as much as any book ever has to my conception of God as near and accessible. It is nourishment for the soul who longs to stay in constant communion with the Trinity. Kelly's words strike a chord deep within my heart. I am so thankful for this book!
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Apr 06, 2019Lynda rated it really liked it
Kelly’s writings and essays give one much to contemplate regarding the Light within, our response to that Center and the world. Published after his death in 1941, the concepts continue to speak to my condition today.
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Mar 19, 2018Elise rated it really liked it
This classic spoke gently to my soul and reawakened the desire for such sweet intimacy with the divine Center. So, so good. And I appreciated the chance to experience a Quaker perspective.
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Feb 11, 2019Chris Halverson rated it really liked it
I wish Kelly had lived longer, he is a quite thoughtful man.
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May 20, 2013John rated it liked it
This little book came to my attention via the author's fellow Quaker and spiritual teacher, Richard Foster--for me, a longtime guide to the spiritual life.
It's a book that says good things in the rhetorical style of mid-twentieth-century university-educated divines (I think Elton Trueblood especially), a style not everyone enjoys but I generally do.
What makes this book particularly powerful, because poignant, to me is to read it in the light of Kelly's own career. It is sketched at the end, but it makes a huge difference to how I hear his voice when I know about the crushing disappointment and humiliation he suffered professionally.
So perhaps you'll want to read it once as "just" a spiritual book. But then consider re-reading it in the light of the biography, and sentences will now jump out at you and touch your heart in new ways.
I rate the book at only 3 stars, though, because in my view it gets decidedly less interesting and less helpful in the second half. But even that part has good stuff.
A quote or two: "Religion as a dull habit is not that for which Christ lived and died."
"Self-renunciation means God-possession."
"The high and noble adventures of faith can in our truest moments be seen as no adventures at all, but certainties." (less)
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Apr 12, 2014Noel Walker rated it really liked it
Shelves: school
A little dated (written in 1941) but still a rich introduction to "Life from the centre." Kelly is prophetic when he writes that "we are bowed down with burdens, crushed under committees, strained breathless, and hurried, panting through a never ending program of appointments. We are too busy to be good wives to our husbands, good homemakers, good companions of our children, good friends to our friends, and with no time at all to be friends to the friendless." (p. 112) Kelly perscribes a return to life from the centre. We imagine that the complexity of our lives comes from the complexity of our environment but Kelly says this isn't so. We bring the complexity in our over busy hearts. The point is even more convincing when you consider that this was written over 70 years ago. Life is always busy when "we are not skilled in the inner life... that is where the roots of our problem lie." (p. 114)
I find it remarkable how all these writers from different centuries, (Augustine, Brother Lawrence, Kelly and others) describe a reflective life is such a similar way. A very convicting and encouraging book. (less)
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Mar 13, 2014Rachel rated it it was amazing
Shelves: 2017, 2014, 2018, 2019
I cannot express enough how much I treasure this book. God has used it to encourage and challenge me in so many ways. Kelly has helped me find words for the restlessness in my spirit- to help me pinpoint what I have been looking for.
It has amazed me over the past year how many times I have been reading certain passages of Scripture, and then read an excerpt or chapter from this book and felt Kelly confirming so many things that the Lord was speaking to me about in His Word.
I know this book will be one that I will return to in years to come. Highly recommend.
My love for this book only grows with each reading. I have started compiling a list of books to purchase to send with my children when they leave home, and this book will definitely be on that list. The last chapter is my favorite- I keep underlining more each time I read it. It will probably all be underlined eventually.
One of my all time favorite spiritual readings.
No matter how many times I read this, there is always some new nugget that emerges. A word that challenges and inspires me. I am so thankful that God led me to this book. (less)
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May 30, 2013Linda rated it it was ok
Shelves: church-book-of-the-month, renovare-book-club
I joined the Renovaré USA book club this summer and just finished A Testament of Devotion by Quaker Thomas Kelly. This is not a book I would typically read and, honestly, I didn't find it nearly as thought provoking or powerful as others in the club discussion threads did, but it did have a few good takeaways. I particularly found the end of the book to be thought provoking. it was a good reminder that how we spend our time should always reflect what is most important to us but it points out that instead we all too often get too caught up in our busy schedules, our obligations and commitments and the things we think we should be doing or think we need to be doing. Sure, people will always find a way to squeeze in time for the things they want to do or the people and things that matter to them but it makes you really stop and think....if someone looked at your life right now what would they say was most important to you? Is it the same as what truly is? If you enjoy a philosophical read and are interested in growing spiritually, this book would be a good choice for you. (less)
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Sep 16, 2016Kristin rated it really liked it
Shelves: religious-spiritual
This book is a collection of essays appropriately named "A Testament of Devotion". There is some overlap in concepts, but the essays to build on one another and explore new territory as well.
Kelly argues for the mental habits of inward organization. He states that theologies and symbols and creeds are inevitable, transient and become obsolescent. The heart of religious life is in commitment and worship not reflection and theory. The earlier essays speak to the earlier issues...how to turn toward a new direction and build new habits. The later essays deal with timeless problems, such as the need for simplicity, our preoccupations with our own efforts, our superficial relationships and our obsessions with the past and future, vs now.
I would definitely re-read this book. It strikes me as one that would have a new impact in a new moment in time. (less)
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Apr 03, 2010William Knox rated it it was amazing
Shelves: being
s mainly the simplicity and passion with which Kelly writes. It helps that these are excerpts of talks given by him intended to inspire his audience.
So if you're looking to add some meaning to life, just read through these pages. There are less than 90 of them so you can finish it off in a day, which I would recommend for maximum impact.
One word of warning it's written in a Quaker/Christian context, so it those assumptions don't mean anything to you or bug you, just substitute something that you feel does move your life. If you haven't found anything yet, just act as if you have and you can't fail to be washed along by one of the simplest and most inspiring spiritual boks around.
It (less)
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Jul 26, 2012Paul rated it it was amazing
Excellent book by a Quaker author. Clearly a person of deep faith. I found the ending chapters of the book most meaningful. It addresses how to balance a new kingdom reality in the current Earthly kingdom.
Just one of many jewels from the book:
"The hard-lined face of a money-bitten financier is as deeply touching to the tendered soul as are the burnt-out eyes of miner's children, remote and unseen victims of his so-called success. There is a sense in which, in this terrible tenderness, we become one with God and bear in our quivering souls the sins and burdens, the benightedness and the tragedy of the creatures of the whole world, and suffer in their suffering and die in their death." (less)
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Jun 10, 2013Michael rated it it was amazing
I read this book in the '80s, and it was one of my first steps toward Quaker Meeting (which I first attended regularly in the mid-90s. It's short, and the spirit of Kelly radiates on every page.
When I sit on committees for clearness for the purpose of membership, I ask the potential member, "Have you read Kelly's Testament of Devotion?" If the person says no, I walk out and I say, "Come back when you're serious."
I really don't do that, but on each successive clearness committee I say that I did ...more
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Feb 21, 2013Sean rated it it was amazing
Thomas Kelly was a Quaker missionary who died too young in 1941. Testament of Devotion compiles fives essays that are meant to urge us to center our live's on God's presence. In our busyness, we can live a life centered and consumed by God's presence.
An excert: "But what is the content and aim of this yearning Love, which is the Divine Love loving its way into and through us to others? It is that they too may make the great discovery, that they also may find God, or, better, be found by Him, that they may know the Eternal breaking in upon them and making their lives moving images of the Eternal Life." (less)
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Jun 07, 2016Missyjohnson1 rated it really liked it
This book will require re-reading. Very deep and thoughtful. I discovered right away that I could not plow through it in a couple of days. I was deceived by the small number of pages that it would be a "quick read". Not in the least. I would read a sentence or two and have to stop to think about what was said and how it manifested in my life or more specifically how it did not. even though it was written in the 1940's, it is very appropriate for today and will continue to be so. Thus the example of enduring truths. (less)
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May 01, 2016Joshua Lawson rated it it was amazing
Shelves: spirituality
Thomas Kelly gives us an exceptional glimpse into a life lived "from the Center." Unique for its Quaker perspective, A Testament of Devotion is a must-read for any and all who desire to practice the presence of God. In his own words:
"Life from the Center is a life of unhurried peace and power. It is simple. It is serene. It is amazing. It is triumphant. It is radiant. It takes no time, but it occupies all our time. And it makes our life programs new and overcoming. We need not get frantic. He is at the helm. And when our little day is done we lie down quietly in peace, for all is well." (less)
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Apr 21, 2012D'face rated it did not like it
This book just didn't do it for me. I understand that it is a classic of Quaker mysticism, but I guess I was looking for something more practical, applied to which I could relate. To me it seems very similar to the work of Watchman Nee which I read many years ago. He emphasises the importance of creating a spiritual sanctuary within us and within our daily business lives, and recognising our own relationship to God. It did inspire me to look into the writings of Brother Lawrence, so I will head there next and see how I get on. (less)
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Jun 15, 2013Karyl Savageau rated it really liked it
Actually, I finished this book long ago and am only now updating my GoodRead page.
This book fit in with others along the way to encourage my attention, apprehension and increasing awareness of God as the center of my life.
It is so easy to slide into busyness or mindlessness which encourage forgetfulness.
This book is able to promote one's heart to remember how deeply loved each of is by the King of Heaven, and that makes me (at least) able to rest there and love more easily.
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Sep 04, 2007Jon rated it it was amazing
Recommends it for: someone wanting to advance deeper into the contemplative life
Shelves: prayer, practical-discipleship, spiritual-formation
It's possible to become the kind of person who can say yes or no to needs and requests with a quiet, unhurried confidence, coming out of a place of peaceful quiet within. These kind of people don't get any less done, but they seem to do only what they really need to do, and are not bothered by the rest. This book inspired me to pursue the life of abiding in Christ more deeply. What a great testimony from a man who struggled long and hard to become very holy, and by many accounts really did.
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Dec 26, 2010Jesse rated it it was amazing
One of my absolute favorites... I reread over and over. Thomas R. Kelly's description of mysticism through every day action, drawing on the teachings of Brother Lawrence and personal continual revelation, provides me with valuable lessons in listening to what God would have me do. I love this collaborative work with the Great Creator... it inspires me to be center more, listen more fully, and move with the Spirit humbly and attentively through each day.
