My Monastery Is a Minivan - Where the Daily Is Divine and the Routine Becomes Prayer
By Denise Roy
35 stories from a Real Life
If we have the eyes to see and the ears to hear, wisdom can be found in even the simplest of ordinary moments—driving 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.'
Pages: 224, Size: 5 x 8
Reviews
'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.'
- 7/15/2001 By Publishers Weekly'Affirming and energizing, reading this book feels like a mini-retreat from the stresses of the endless demands of parenting. you don't need to drive a minivan to appreciate Roy's astute humor and insight into the sacredness of daily life.'
- 10/1/2001 By Spiritual Book Associates book club
'This is the kind of book that makes you want to grab all your friends and say, 'You've got to read this!' This collection of inspirational stories will lift your spirits and soothe your soul. Denise Roy's minivan wisdom invites you to discover the sacred right smack in the middle of ordinary life.'
- 7/3/2001 By Steve and Patt Sasso, authors, 10 Best Gifts for Your Teen
'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.'
- 7/3/2001 By Rabbi Nancy Fuchs-Kreimer, author, Parenting as a Spiritual Journey
'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 you eyes and your heart wide open to the sacred, this is a book for you.'
- 7/3/2001 By Oriah Mountain Dreamer, author, The Invitation and The Dance
'This book's practical, home-front spirituality has sparked enthusiasm among readers and those who've met [author Denise] Roy. Marleas Smith, 41, PTA president at John Sutter Elementary School in Santa Clara, Calif., says, 'It's a down-to-earth, honest-to-goodness book about life and how to live it well.''
- 1/27/2002 By South Bend Tribune
