40-Day Journey with Parker J. Palmer

This book is truly phenomenal. Each day's reading is "short", so you could spend as little time as 5 or 6 minutes reading it. But the readings are so profound that you could spend an hour thinking, praying and journaling with it. Most of the Palmer readings focus on paradoxes. Things like the concepts of "abundance" and "scarcity". They are simple yet powerful concepts, that cause me to think of them for days after I've read them. But the accompanying scripture passages and prayer suggestions are also very powerful. There have been passages used here that are so appropriate to Palmer's writings; and they have given me new inspiration, insight and perspective on the scripture itself. I can't recommend this book highly enough. It will be a devotional that I will read, and re-read.

I started this journaling exercise as part of a church study group, but when that group ended I followed through to the end. At times I found Parker Palmer so eclectic that it was difficult to grasp his intentions. Other times I felt he was arrogant to the point that I intentionally tried to undercut his purpose. Other times he hit the nail right on the head. This book has an essay for each day, the theme of the day, if you want to call it such. It then has a reading from Psalms, some questions to contemplate, another scripture reading, and finally the journal questions. Palmer says you can answer any or all of these questions. I suppose you could answer the contemplative questions as well if you like to journal. Since I've never kept a real journal before, it was odd to see my thoughts on paper like this. But the more I got used to it, the more I reflected upon each day. Keep in mind when I was frustrated with Palmer I tended to be curt and rather unkind. Other times I wrote more than a page of feelings and thoughts. This book is a good way to get in touch with your own feelings on life, death, hopes, dreams, all sorts of different emotions we all encounter throughout our lives.