More Praise for Stay by Me, Dear Friend

Joseph Reninger at Zombie Parent's Guide wrote this very nice review at Goodreads.

One of the great challenges of being a Christian is developing your personal relationship with Christ. Like most other relationships, it takes time, commitment, and interest to make progress. The goal is not simply to know the other but to love the other. When people fall in love, they think about each other all the time and want to be together all the time. It's a crazy and wonderful time. That's the way we Christians should be with Jesus, though it is much more tricky because it is so different from a romantic relationship. And it is so much more important.

Julie Davis provides a lot of devotional material to get the reader into that state of intimate friendship with Jesus. This book has, on each page, one or two related quotes, a reflection, and a short prayer. Facing pages have related materials with a shared title over the two-page spread. The reader can read one page if time is short or both pages to get some more depth or different perspectives on the same idea. The format works very well and is not tied down to days of the week or of the year. In the introduction, Davis even encourages readers to jump around. Find something useful or eye-catching or inspiring. The book is divided loosely into sections for different times of day, showing how to be aware of Jesus throughout the day, being present to Him and talking with Him like a good friend. It reminds me of Fiddler on the Roof, where the main character Tevye has a very frank and familiar way of talking with the Lord, which he does throughout his day, asking for help with a problem or complaining about a misfortune or offering advice on how to handle a situation (yes, Tevye gives advice to God!). We could all be more like Tevye and this book helps.

Highly recommended--I read through it quickly to write the review but will use it as a devotional and go through it at the proper pace.

I have long enjoyed Zombie Parent's Guide which has a lot of good book and movie reviews. Be sure to swing by see what's going on.

In the meantime, pick up a copy of the Stay by Me, Dear Friend!

Pick it up at Amazon!

Book Sample — Listening for His Voice

 From my new book, Stay By Me, Dear Friend. Prayer is a conversation and that means listening as well as speaking. These are the first few reflections from fthe first section — Listening for His Voice. It's launching us into new intimacy.

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Jesus at My Side 

My sheep hear my voice; I know them, and they follow me. 

Gospel of John 10:27 

As you can see with the shepherd beside me, he is teaching the lamb his voice as he carries it in his arms. All of them take turns with the shepherd as he holds them close and speaks to them personally. When such care is given and received, the shepherd becomes their intimate provider and protector, establishing a relationship of trust with each one individually. 

Erin Pavlicek, The Lesson of an Irish Shepherd 

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Jesus’ listeners would have had some of this knowledge innately when he spoke of being a shepherd and we being his flock. Thinking of him teaching the lamb to know his voice makes me melt a little. The more I take the time to listen, the more he carries me, the deeper my trust and love grow. 

Here is the firm foundation upon which our daily prayers will grow. How can we hear Jesus? 

Remain with me the whole day, Lord.

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Stay by Me, ... 

 Imagine that this Lord himself is at your side and see how lovingly and how humbly He is teaching you—and, believe me, you should stay with so good a friend for as long as you can before you leave him. If you become accustomed to having him at your side, and if he sees that you love him to be there and are always trying to please him, you will never be able, as we put it, to send him away, nor will he ever fail you. He will help you in all your trials and you will have him everywhere. Do you think it is a small thing to have such a Friend as that beside you? 

Saint Teresa of Avila, The Way of Perfection 

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Saint Teresa wrote The Way of Perfection as a prayer aid for the nuns in her convent. This is the example that made me realize that imagining Jesus at your side wasn’t some kind of New Age idea. It is the fruit of St. Teresa’s lived experience with Jesus. 

 Remain with me the whole day, Lord. 

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... Dear Friend 

 Imagine you see Jesus sitting close to you. In doing this you are putting your imagination at the service of your faith. Jesus isn’t here in the way you are imagining him, but he certainly is here and your imagination helps to make you aware of this. Now speak to Jesus … If no one is around, speak out in a soft voice … 

Listen to what Jesus says to you in reply or what you imagine him to say … 

Imagine that Jesus is by your side all through the day. Speak with him frequently in the midst of your occupations. Sometimes all you will be able to do is glance at him, communicate with him without words. 

Anthony de Mello, Sadhana — A Way to God 

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 Here’s the practical application of Theresa of Avila’s advice about growing close to Jesus. When the priest on the retreat gave me this to read, I had no idea it was grounded in age-old practice. All I knew was that it worked. It certainly keeps my conversations down to earth. 

Remain with me the whole day, Lord.

GET IT AT AMAZON!

MY NEW BOOK! Stay With Me, Dear Friend: In Jesus' Presence Through the Day

How would it feel to be such good friends with Jesus that we could bring up anything and everything — the worries no matter how small, the “wins,” the funny bits, everything strewn through our day? This book is about how to listen for Jesus’ voice and hear it every day as we go about our normal lives. The reflections and prayer prompts in this devotional help you to stay aware of Jesus’ presence while drawing closer in friendship and love.

The painting on the cover shows comfortable, relaxed conversation with Jesus. That's the goal of using these reflections and prayer prompts. They follow an idea shown to me when I went on a silent retreat a couple of years ago. What if Jesus is sitting in the chair next to me? How would I talk with him? Pretty soon it expanded my prayer time — we were chatting familiarly when I cooked dinner, drove to the post office, and walking the dog. In other words, all through the day.

I took to the technique right away, but once I was off the retreat I began seeing all sorts of quotes from the saints that showed this wasn't a new technique at all. Being me, I began collecting those prompts to help me keep it close and personal every day. In no time at all I had filled four small notebooks. 

I wanted everything easier to use and so here's the book I wished for. 

I hope this brings you closer too.

Available on Amazon. Get it here!

I'll be sharing some of the reflections here in the days to come. 

If you like the book, please review it on Amazon, Goodreads,
or wherever else you hang out on the internet!