Sometimes a pause is good for the soul. It gives us the chance to regroup, reflect, and refocus on God. In Pauses for Lent, Trevor Hudson offers a beautifully minimalist book in which he focuses on one word for each day of Lent. You are invited to pause, focus on the word, read a scripture and a brief meditation related to the word, and then offer a prayer. Pausing in this way will help you carve out time for God and refresh your spirit even in the midst of a busy life. You may find yourself sensing God's presence in a new way and discovering that God wants to meet you in the midst of your life as it is, muddles and all.

In this beautifully minimalist book, Trevor Hudson focuses on 40 single words one for each day of the season of Lent. Each brief meditation pairs the word for the day with a scripture verse, brief insight, and a thought or action for the day. Each pause for Lent will refresh and challenge readers.

With over 25,000 copies sold of the hardcover version, this paperback edition of Macrina Wiederkehr's bestselling book,Seven Sacred Pauses: Living Mindfully Through the Hours of the Day, invites readers to learn how to pray the hours through the practice of consciously pausing at the seven sacred moments of each day, making their daily passage through time a more sacred pilgrimage. Using scripture, poetry, reflections, personal stories, and quotes from a rich array of spiritual teachers for many religions, Wiederkehr helps readers become more attuned to living in the present moment and develop a kindred spirit with the rich tradition of the sacred hours. Seven Sacred Pauses is a wonderful gift to those who seek to find balance in their busy days and to bring the practice of the Divine Hours home to their own hearts.

Taking time to pause for a few minutes each day can help us maintain balance in our lives, especially during the Advent and Christmas seasons. In this simple yet not simplistic book, Trevor Hudson focuses on one biblical word of wonder for each day of Advent. His insightful reflections on the word for each day invite individuals and groups to a deeper understanding of Advent. Hudson also briefly explores the lives and thoughts of 4 significant characters in the Christmas story, encouraging us to immerse ourselves in the dramatic story. He offers a simple daily practice that helps us become involved in the Advent drama. Hudson's minimalist approach and conversational writing lead us to discover how we can open our hearts and lives more generously to God.

Many of us spend our lives searching for something to satisfy our deepest longings. Yet we will never find complete satisfaction in human relationships, possessions, or personal power. As Saint Augustine wrote, "Our hearts are restless until they find their rest in you [God]." Lent offers us the opportunity to deepen our friendship with God. The idea of being friends with God may intimidate some, but the authors of this book provide practical tips for developing a closer relationship with God. Set aside at least 15 to 20 minutes each day to spend with God, the introduction suggests. Read the scripture texts and reflections, and pay attention to what they evoke in you. Then talk to God about your thoughts and feelings just as you would to your best friend. During Lent Jesus invites us to spend time with him and to renew our friendship with him. This encouraging book reminds us that we are beloved children of a God who deeply desires friendship with us. The meditations help us realize that through friendship with God, we will satisfy our hearts' yearnings.

Rohr's meditations on the daily readings of Lent are not for the sake of mere information, or even for academia (although the author hopes it will satisfy both), but for the sake of our transformation into our original "image and likeness," which is the very image of God. What always and finally matters for all of us is encounter! Father Rohr begins each meditation with a single title or phrase that sums up the point. Then he offers the meditation followed by key passages from the readings. He ends each meditation with a Starter Prayer that invites you to self-disclosure and to enter the wondrous divine dialogue with clarity, insight—and holy desire! "There are two moments that matter. One is when you know that your one and only life is absolutely valuable and alive. The other is when you know your life, as presently lived, is entirely pointless and empty. You need both of them to keep you going in the right direction. Lent is about both. The first such moment gives you energy and joy by connecting you with your ultimate Source and Ground. The second gives you limits and boundaries, and a proper humility, so you keep seeking the Source and Ground and not just your small self."—From the Introduction

How do you prepare for Pentecost? As followers of Christ, we are invited to become Easter people filled with the Holy Spirit. The Resurrection is the center of the Christian faith. Without it there would be no Christian story, Christian church, or Christian way of life. Did you know that the Christian calendar sets aside a season of 50 days between Easter and Pentecost? The Easter season, sometimes called Eastertide, includes our Lord's ascension and leads to the Day of Pentecost, when Christians remember the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on Jesus' first followers. Have you ever taken 50 days to deliberately walk the path from Easter to Pentecost? Trevor Hudson writes, "If we are willing to take the time to pause, the season of Eastertide can become a time punctuated with precious moments of encounter with our risen Lord." Pauses for Pentecost offers 50 brief meditations that guide you to reflect on a biblical word and scripture passage, then do a simple daily practice. The daily practices do not take much time, and they are designed to let the new life of the Resurrection and the power of Pentecost flow into your life. Discover how to open your heart and mind more fully to the joy of Christ, the presence of God, and the power of the Holy Spirit.