My Monastery Is a Minivan: Where the Daily Is Divine and the Routine Becomes Prayer by Denise Roy

From the Publisher

Stories of finding wisdom in the everyday . . .

If we have the eyes to see and the ears to hear, wisdom can be found in even the simplest of ordinary momentsódriving to work, getting children ready for school, or sitting with a child on our lap. As Denise Roy brilliantly shows in thirty-five stories that celebrate the holiness of ordinary moments, God is in the noise as well as in the silence.

A mother of four, a wife, and a psychotherapist, Roy often finds herself juggling some combination of work, kids, and minivan. But if she can let herself "sink like a stone in the stream of living," she can see that even in the mundane moments of life, grace and spirit exist. Or, as she puts it, "the sacred is in the monastery as well as in the minivan."

About the Author:
Denise Roy is a mother of four, a psychotherapist, a spiritual director, and the founder of FamilySpirit, an organization that nurtures spirituality in families. She received her master of divinity from the Jesuit School of Theology in Berkeley, California. She and her family live in the San Francisco Bay Area, where she spends a good deal of time in her minivan.

Publishers Weekly

As a young woman, Denise Roy seriously considered a cloistered religious life, but ultimately decided to forego the nun's habit in favor of the crazy but joyful world of marriage and motherhood. Now a psychotherapist and mother of four, Roy shares spiritual tips in My Monastery Is a Minivan: 35 Stories from a Real Life, from Loyola Press. "Most of this book was written either in the middle of the night in my bathroom or in the middle of the day in our living room, where toys and soccer bags and an occasional kid surrounded me," she notes. Roy says that it's one thing to think and pray about forgiveness; it's quite another matter to put it into daily practice as a parent. These personal anecdotes are humorous and heartfelt; many parents will applaud her wise decision to find spiritual wisdom in the quotidian realities of washing dishes and tripping over Legos. Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information.

What People Are Saying

Beth Wilson Saavedra
"Denise highlights the magic in seemingly ordinary events and reminds us to pay attention to the sacred lessons contained within them."
—Beth Wilson Saavedra, author, Meditations for Mothers

Nancy Fuchs-Kreimer
"I was thrilled to discover a soul sister in Denise Roy. This book will be a wonderful companion to any parent, whatever their faith tradition."
—Rabbi Nancy Fuchs-Kreimer, author, Parenting as a Spiritual Journey

Oriah Mountain Dreamer
"The humor and honesty of Denise Roy's writing pulled me in right away. If you are not a saint but an ordinary man or woman hoping to live the joys and trials of daily life with your eyes and your heart wide open to the sacred, this is a book for you."
—Oriah Mountain Dreamer, author, The Invitation and The Dance

Diane Dreher
"My Monastery Is a Minivan reminds us that moments of grace can come when we least expect them. Simple and profound, Denise Roy's spiritual memoir illuminates the challenges of family life with the glow of mindfulness. For a refreshing blend of insight and inspiration, read this beautiful book."
—Diane Dreher, author, The Tao of Inner Peace and Inner Gardening

Steve Sasso
"Denise Roy's minivan wisdom invites you to discover the sacred right smack in the middle of ordinary life."
—Steve and Patt Sasso, authors, 10 Best Gifts for Your Teens

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