Traits of a Healthy Spirituality »

Sr. Melannie provides a true reality check to help us determine how we live our faith today. In an engaging style, she defines and describes 20 specific indicators of a healthy spirituality. These indicators: self-esteem, wonder, friendship, courage, tolerance, joy, forgiveness, and the like, are "signs" rooted in everyday life, yet solidly based on Scripture.

Drawing from her own personal experience and that of key spiritual writers, Sr. Melannie demonstrates how to use these "signs" to help judge just where we stand in terms of our Christian spirituality and how much further we can advance on our journey of faith. She offers great inspiration and motivation to individuals who have concentrated on developing their spiritual life, as well as to those who are just beginning.

Because it also features a series of meditations, questions for reflection, and closing prayers, Traits of a Healthy Spirituality can be used for both personal reflection and group sharing.

Introduction 1

Spirituality: Where Are You? 4

Self-Esteem: We Are Saints and Sinners 9

Wonder: Sitting on God's Front Porch 15

Friendship: The "You Too?" Experience 20

Courage: When God Comes as Earthquake 26

Teachability: Prerequisite for Conversion 32

Tolerance: Keeping Our Parachutes Open 38

Joy: Does Your God Know How to Dance? 44

Interdependence: Orange Frogs and Yellow Canaries 50

Perseverance: Can You Wait to Eat the Marshmallows? 56

Freedom: Letting the Goodness Out 63

Love: Six Sure and Simple Statements 69

Generativity: Let There Be Life! 75

Balance: The Role of Work and Leisure 81

Prayer: The Meeting of Two Loves 87

Forgiveness: The Final Form of Love 93

Gratitude: Taking Nothing for Granted 99

Playfulness: Letting God Be God 105

Commitment: Standing For and Against 111

Hope: Taking a Chance on God and the Future 117

Restlessness: Is This All There Is? 124

Bibliography 130