Bücher von Christine Valters Paintner

Be inspired by the writings of ordinary Christians who chose to renounce the world in order to individually follow God's call. Insightful commentary and historical background illustrates how you can use this wisdom in your own spiritual quest.

The poems in Dreaming of Stones are about what endures: hope and desire, changing seasons, wild places, love, and the wisdom of mystics. Inspired by the poet's time living in Ireland these readings invite you into deeper ways of seeing the world. They have an incantational quality. Drawing on her commitment as a Benedictine oblate, the poems arise out of a practice of sitting in silence and lectio divina, in which life becomes the holy text. No stranger to poetry, Paintner's bestselling spirituality titles have often included poems. In this first exclusively poetic collection, she writes with a contemplative heart about kinship with nature, ancestral connections, intimacy, the landscape, the unfolding nature of time, and Christian mystics. It can be read for reflection to spark the heart and to offer solace and inspiration in difficult times. BreathThisbreathingin is a miracle,this breathing out, release,this breathing in a welcome tothe unseen gifts which sustain me eachmoment, this breathing out a sweet sigh,a bow to my mortality, this breathing ina holy yes to life, this breathing outa sacred no to all that causesme to clench and grasp,this breathing in is arevelation, thisbreathing out,freedom.

Whether you want to start a contemplative prayer practice or deepen your experience of lectio divina in new ways, you are invited to savor the gifts lectio divina has to offer your heart and spirit.

Lectio divina, which means sacred reading, is an ancient contemplative practice of listening deeply to the voice of God in sacred texts. Drawing on her own experience as a monk in the world, Christine Valters Paintner breaks open the movements of this spiritual practice. She makes them accessible to the contemporary reader.