Winter Selections

This winter we're going to try something a little different for our book selection. Instead of choosing one book, we're going to go with two----one for the women and one for the men. Equal Opportunity Spiritual growth!

For the women, we've selected Choosing Beauty: A 30-Day Spiritual Makeover for Women by Gina Loehr. As we well know, we live in a world that focuses almost exclusively on youth and physical beauty. Every year, women spend millions of dollars on beauty products and treatments. Of course, there's nothing wrong with wanting to be pretty, but real and lasting beauty comes from within. This book is designed to help women develop the virtues that let us reflect that inner beauty.

There are some online resources that you may be interested in exploring to enhance your experience of reading this book. The Catholic Book Club Podcast has an ongoing series of chapter-by-chapter discussions. And an interview with the author is available on the Catholic Spotlight Podcast. There is also a transcript of the interview if you would prefer to read the interview.

Now, for the men we've chosen Be a Man! Becoming the Man God Created You to Be by Fr. Larry Richards. You may already be familiar with the author of this book. He is a popular speaker and retreat leader and has his own daily radio program on Relevant Radio. He is a straight-talking, highly motivating personality who has impacted the faith of thousands. If you would like to learn more about Fr. Richards, you can visit the website for his foundation, The Reason for Our Hope.

There are also several audio and video segments available online. If you do a search on YouTube, you'll find several listings for Fr. Richards. You can also listen to an interview on the website for Ignatius Insight.

At a time of year when many of us are making resolutions for the New Year, I hope that you'll resolve to join others in our parish and read these books. Pick one up for yourself, buy one for someone else, and pass them around. I think that you'll find them both to be thought provoking and inspirational in your own spiritual journey.

During the entire month of December, you can order both books at a special discount rate of 20% off the retail price. So hurry in and get your copies today.

Any feedback on your impressions of either of these books is welcome. Enjoy!