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Saturday, September 01, 2007
My Journey into The Wide Open Spaces of God
Julie encouraged me to write a bit about my journey and book that was just released through Abingdon Press called The Wide Open Spaces of God. My publishing journey began three years ago when my husband and I left the staff of a mega church over some very painful experiences. Underneath the conglomerate of issues was the issue of women in ministry. (Imagine that!)In the end, my husband (one of 13 pastors) left with me out of a conviction that he believed too much in my calling to watch me stiffled. (Yeh--he pretty much rocks!)

Because we didn't see this coming, we were devastated. For a few months we moped around in a fog. Then through a friend, I had the opportunity to submit some things I had written to a publisher. Along with them, I pitched the idea for this book. That got the ball rolling and, though I didn't publish with the original contact, I received an offer from Abingdon. It took a year to get an offer and a year-and-a-half to finally publish. I've been pleased with the experience.

I would love for any of you emerging women to pick up a copy and let me know how it reads for you. Here is a little bit about my book and a short excerpt.

It describes a framework that will help you make some sense of your own journey, especially some of the more surprising and disruptive intervals. I use the metaphor of 8 different landscapes as the framework, each of them rooted in a biblical story or character, and each describing a time when our life feels as though we are navigating a particular terrain. Sometimes we feel like we are in a desert, or a valley of darkness. Other times, we are on a quest--climbing a mountain. Still other times we've found our way home, like we're in the Promised Land or a green pasture. We learn that each landscape can be transforming if we consent to be shaped by God through it.

Here is an excerpt from the introduction:
"The Wide Open Spaces of God is an invitation to open up our lives to a bigger God and a bigger life. It is a summons toward a more expansive life, one that is characterized by a keen awareness and responsiveness to God's presence and grace embedded in the terrain of our personal journey. Through the varied terrain of life-its peaks and valleys, twists and turns-we have the opportunity to encounter God and discover who he created us to be. We learn that all of life is the context through which God shows up and reveals himself and transforms us through the very nature of life's contours."

Thanks for reading! Please visit my web site http://www.wideopenspacesofgod.org/ or blog http://peregrinejourney.blogspot.com/
Warmly, Beth Booram
 
posted by Beth Booram at 6:25 PM ¤ Permalink ¤


3 Comments:


  • At 9/02/2007 03:08:00 PM, Blogger Deb

    I have added your book to my wishlist... and hopefully will read it soon.

    d

     

  • At 9/04/2007 06:13:00 PM, Blogger Anne

    Beth, this looks beautiful. I love the images on your site that represent the different seasons and wide open spaces. I'll be wish-listing this too. Thanks for inviting us in!

     

  • At 7/29/2008 09:58:00 PM, Blogger rohan

    Well knowing that western girls are very beautiful and they've got the looks its not that easy to statue their picture on spot
    ------------------------------
    Garrett

    Wide Circles

     
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