References for my upcoming memoir – From Religion Reorientation to Faith

As I prepare to share my memoir I am reviewing numerous books that I’ve read. The following books are written by authors that I respect. As you can see, I am not taking my religious reorientation lightly. This list of some of my favorite books will give you and idea of how my journey has carried me through to where I am today. Who knows where tomorrow will take me.

Entering the Castle an Inner Path to God and Your Soul by Caroline Myss. Caroline Myss is an internationally renowned motivational teacher, spiritual instructor, and popular theologian.

Immortal Diamond. the Search for Our True Self by Richard Rohr.

Fr. Richard Rohr is a globally recognized ecumenical teacher bearing witness to the universal awakening within mystical and transformational traditions. A Franciscan priest of the New Mexico Province and founder of the Center for Action and Contemplation (CAC) in Albuquerque, New Mexico, his teaching is grounded in practices of contemplation and lived kenosis (self-emptying), expressing itself in radical compassion, particularly for the socially marginalized. Fr. Richard is the author of numerous books, including The Naked Now, Everything Belongs, Adam’s Return, Breathing Under Water, and Falling Upward.

Do I Stay Christian, a Guide for the Doubters, the Disappointed, and the Disillusioned by Brian McLaren

Brian McLaren, a former college English instructor was a pastor for twenty-four years. Now an author, activist, public theologian, and frequent guest lecturer for gatherings in the United States and around the world, his work has been covered by Time, Newsweek, USA Today, The New York Times, The Washington Post, CNN, and many other media outlets. He is a faculty member of The Living School at the Center for Action and Contemplation.

Love Wins, a Book About Heaven, Hell and the Fate of Every Person Who Ever Lived by Rob Bell.

Rob Bell is the founding pastor of Mars Hill Bible Church in Grand Rapids, Michigan. He is the author of the bestselling Velvet Elvis, Sex God, Jesus Wants to Save Christians, and Drops Like Stars. A graduate of Wheaton College in Wheaton, Illinois, and Fuller Theological Seminary in Pasadena, California, Bell speaks to large crowds around the world and has appearing a a pioneering series of short films called NOOMA.

Leaving Church, a Memoir of Faith by Barbara Brown Taylor.

Barbara Brown Taylor’s Leaving Church, met with widespread critical acclaim including the New York Times, USA Today, NPR’s Fresh Air, and others. Taylor spent fifteen years in parish ministry and was named one of the twelve most effective preachers in the English-speaking world by Baylor University in 1996. She became a professor of religion at Piedmont College in 1998 and also teaches spirituality at Columbia Theological Seminary.

What’s So Amazing About Grace? by Phillip Yancey.

Phillip Yancey serves as editor-at-large for Christianity Today magazine. He has written twelve Gold Medallion Award-winning books and won two ECPA Book of the Year awards for What’s So Amazing About Grace? and The Jesus I Never Knew. Four of his books have sold over one million copies each.

The Kingdom, the Power, and the Glory , American Evangelicals in an Age of Extremism by Time Alberta.

Tim Alberta is an award-winning journalist, best-selling author, and staff writer for The Atlantic magazine. He formerly served as chief political correspondent for POLITICO. In 2019, he published the critically acclaimed book, “American Carnage: On the Front Lines of the Republican Civil War and the Rise of President Trump” and co-moderated the year’s final Democratic presidential debate aired by PBS Newshour.

Everything Happens for a Reason, and Other Lies I’ve Loved by Kate Bower

Kate Bowler is a Canadian academic and writer from Winnipeg, Manitoba. Bowler is currently an associate professor of the history of Christianity in North America at Duke Divinity School.

The Untethered Soul, The Journey Beyond Yourself by Michael Singer

Michael Alan “Mickey” Singer is an American author, journalist, motivational speaker, and former software developer

The Road Less Traveled, a New Psychology of Love, Values, and Spiritual Growth by M. Scott Peck

Morgan Scott Peck (1936–2005) was an American psychiatrist and best-selling author who wrote the book The Road Less Traveled.

Adventures in Prayer: How to Reach for God’s Helping Hand by Catherine Marshall.

A beloved inspirational writer and speaker, Catherine Marshall LeSourd’s enduring career spanned four decades, six continents, and reached over 30 million readers.

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I raised three children as a single mother before I remarried. In 2007 I founded SMORE for Women, a nonprofit whose goal is Single Moms, Overjoyed, Rejuvenated, and Empowered. I’m also a Certified Professional Coach and my stories have been published in several Christian books and magazines. My book, Living Learning Loving is available on Amazon.  My Website.