Category: Books & Mentors That Changed Me
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Emptiness Alone is prepared for Fulness
Richard Rohr in The Divine Dance is inviting us to rethink both God and ourselves — not as isolated beings competing for importance, but as participants in an eternal flow of self-giving love. At the center of this reflection is the ancient Christian idea of kenosis, the “self-emptying” described in Philippians 2: “Though he was…
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The Divine Dance and Learning to Stop Resisting the Flow
Reflections from The Divine Dance by Richard Rohr Books & Mentors That Changed Me Series There are some books that merely inform us.Others quietly rearrange the furniture of the soul. One of those books for me has been The Divine Dance by Richard Rohr. I have found myself returning again and again to Rohr’s description…
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📖 The Art of Happiness
What I Learned Reading The Art of Happiness by Dalai Lama and Howard Cutler challenged me to rethink something we often assume we already understand—what it truly means to be happy. 🌱 The Purpose of Life One of the most striking ideas is simple yet profound:The very purpose of our lives is to seek happiness.…
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Spiritual Friendship in a Fractured World: Lessons from Aelred of Rievaulx
A Reflection by Roy Pearson This summer, our church reviewed the lives of those who have lived before us as followers of Jesus. We studied some “saints” of the church that we may not remember, like Aelred of Rievaulx. I just read Aelred’s most famous treatise on “Spiritual Friendship”. n the twelfth century, Aelred of…
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Reflections on The Prophet by Kahlil Gibran: A Christian Perspective
by Roy Pearson Introduction:Every generation seeks wisdom that speaks to both the heart and the soul. Kahlil Gibran’s The Prophet has done exactly that for nearly a century — offering poetic reflections on love, work, freedom, and faith. As a follower of Jesus, I recently revisited this timeless masterpiece and found that, while its message…
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🌤️ Illusions by Richard Bach: A Christian Reflection on Reality and Faith
By Roy Pearson ✈️ Introduction I recently read Illusions: The Adventures of a Reluctant Messiah by Richard Bach, a thought-provoking and beautifully written story that invites readers to look at life from a spiritual perspective. While I do not agree with all of the book’s ideas — especially since I am a follower of Jesus…
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Comparing the Teachings of The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari, The Alchemist, Siddhartha, and the Bible
Across time and cultures, people have searched for meaning, purpose, and a deeper spiritual life. Books like Robin Sharma’s The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari, Paulo Coelho’s The Alchemist, and Hermann Hesse’s Siddhartha speak to this human longing. Each explores the journey toward inner peace, enlightenment, and destiny. The Bible, however, offers a unique perspective…
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From a One-Room Schoolhouse to a Lifetime of Learning: A Tribute to Teachers Who Shaped My Life
For the first years of my education, I attended Union School in Greene County, Mississippi — a small, rural school where six grades shared one room, and the seventh and eighth grades were together in another. Looking back, it feels almost like a scene from a history book, but for me, it was simply where…
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Temperance as a Fruit of the Spirit: Lessons from F. D. Maurice and John Stuart Mill
Paul tells us in Galatians 5:22–23 that one of the fruits of the Spirit is temperance—or self-control. This fruit reminds us that Christian maturity is not just about passion or conviction, but about living with balance, restraint, and wisdom that serves the good of others. When I think of temperance, I see how it shone—though…
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Rediscovering the Kingdom: From Adam Smith to F. D. Maurice
When we hear the phrase “the kingdom of God is here now,” many of us imagine a spiritual ideal, a distant reality yet to come. But Jesus’ teaching often emphasized a present, active kingdom — a call for justice, mercy, and love to transform society today. Surprisingly, there’s a historical thread linking this vision of…
The Curious Pilgrim 