God Moments
Unexpected Encounters in the Ordinary
by Andy Otto
This title was previously available on NetGalley and is now archived.
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Pub Date Apr 07 2017 | Archive Date Jun 14 2017
Description
Where do you seek God? Are you waiting for him to appear in a monumental, life-altering event?
In God Moments, Catholic blogger Andy Otto shows you how to discover the unexpected beauty of God’s presence in the story of ordinary things and in everyday routines like preparing breakfast or walking in the woods. Drawing on the Ignatian principles of awareness, prayer, and discernment, Otto will help you discover the transforming power of God’s presence in your life and better understand your place in the world.
Otto found God’s presence in surprising moments during his life—when, as a Jesuit novice, he taught children in Jamaica and also as he discerned the call to marriage with his wife. By combining elements of Ignatian spirituality with the lessons that came from his experiences, Otto identified three practices that helped him find God in all things:
Awareness—Gain an understanding that God is present in the ordinary messiness of our lives such as battle with depression or sharing in the struggle of a friend.
Prayer—Develop a prayer life using Ignatian practices such as asking for a morning grace and examining how your prayer was answered at the end of the day. That way you can focus on a personal relationship with God that finds everyday physical activities such as making a meal as an opportunity to talk to him.
Discernment—The more you are aware of God’s presence and draw closer to him in prayer, the better you can learn how to plug into God’s narrative of the world in a way that enables you to participate in the divine story through the use of your gifts and talents.
With God Moments as a guide, you’ll have a better understanding of how to seek personal wholeness in the reality of God’s presence in the ordinary and learn to accept his invitation to participate in his transformation of the world.
Features & Benefits
Andy Otto is a growing presence in Ignatian spiritual circles, writing for Busted Halo, Ignatian Spirituality, and his own blog, God in All Things.
This book will appeal to those who are interested in the Ignatian practice of “seeing God in all things.”
A Note From the Publisher
Otto earned a degree in communications from Curry College in 2006 and spent almost three years as a Jesuit seminarian before discerning marriage. He earned a master’s degree in theology and ministry from the School of Theology and Ministry at Boston College in 2015.
Otto created and edits God In All Things and he also founded the website Ignatian Resources. He previously worked as programming and acquisitions coordinator at CatholicTV. He has contributed to Busted Halo, America magazine, Millennial Journal, and EcoJesuit. Otto and his wife, Sarah, live in Chico, California.
Advance Praise
“Andy Otto brilliantly and simply helps all of us discover a God who wants to relate to us in the ordinary messiness of our day-to-day lives. Easily accessible yet profound and inspiring, this book is a modern-day spiritual treasure.”
Rev. Dave Dwyer, C.S.P.
Director of Busted Halo
“I'm an avid reader of Andy Otto's blogging observations about the spiritual life. Finally, we have a book that focuses on a theme close to the heart of his writing: a God who is found in all things. Andy draws us to look lovingly at a God who is always already looking lovingly at us. God Moments is a book for those who are unsure about how to discover God, but might find themselves drawn like a magnet to Christian faith.”
Tim Muldoon
Catholic theologian at Boston College and
author of The Ignatian Workout and Six Sacred Rules for Families
“God Moments is inviting and inspiring. Whether Andy Otto is invoking It’s a Wonderful Life while reflecting on the power of Ignatian prayer or sharing stories from his own journey of discernment, he takes the spiritual and makes it practical. This engaging book will help you recognize God in all things and use that knowledge to become the person you were created to be.”
Ginny Kubitz Moyer
Author of Mary and Me and Random MOMents of Grace
“In an earnest and accessible way, Andy Otto gives us a trademark, joy-filled take on Ignatian spirituality. God Moments is equally compelling and nourishing to any reader seeking a closer relationship with God.”
Matt Weber
CatholicTV host and author of Operating on Faith
Available Editions
| EDITION | Other Format |
| ISBN | 9781594716478 |
| PRICE | $14.95 (USD) |
Featured Reviews
Eva L, Educator
We so often feel that there is a divide between out 'God life' and our 'real life'- the moments during our quiet time, or when we are at church at worship can feel do far removed from the 'real' business of life, when we're parenting or working or cleaning or what ever; doing the things that we 'need' to do. Our spiritual life can and should be enmeshed with every moment of our day, but this is easier said than done! Andy Otto helps us to bridge the gap between these two lives- a gap that doesn't really exist at all, but we need this book to remind us of that fact, and give us pointers on how to be mindful of God as we live our daily lives. Highly recommended.
Kathleen J, Reviewer
I was given this book by NetGalley in exchange for a honest review. Thank you. Beautifully written and well worth he read. Highly recommend.
Lisa S, Reviewer
I went to a service in Exeter's beautiful cathedral last Easter where I listened to a brilliant service partly about finding God in the moment. It was an extremely cultured presentation, however, and a bit difficult at times. I would like to read it!
This book is a clearer and simpler extension of the subject and not just for Catholics, although it is certainly written from a Catholic perspective and based on St Ignatius's system of prayer. The most important principle of Ignatian spirituality is finding God in all things. helps readers to do that and uses anecdotes to show how this has helped him during his life.
Many suggestions in God Moments involve using steps. For example, Otto lists the way to make an important decision using Ignatian spirituality. He also writes about St Ignatius's famous Examen in detail, explaining all the stages required to complete this each day. I found the firs part of this very helpful - asking God for a grace in the morning. It's certainly a lovely and soothing way to start the day when you remember to do it!
Many religious books are quite heavy and boring, I am sorry to say. This one is well-written, profound and interesting, and I actually enjoyed it!
I received this free ebook from Net Galley in return for an honest review.
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Jodi Picoult; Jennifer Finney Boylan
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