Wednesday, February 16, 2022

Even Silence is Praise

   ~ I received no compensation and opinions are 100% my own or my family. ~





Synopsis:  Are you curious about biblical Christian meditation? Through stories, practical advice, and helpful prompts, Rick Hamlin guides Christians to center their minds and hearts on God as they seek to hear the still small voice above all the noise and chaos in the world.

Rick Hamlin has been unpacking the power of prayer in Finding God on the A Train and Ten Prayers You Can’t Live Without and the special Guideposts book, Prayer Works. In this new book, you will discover

  • how meditation has deep Christian roots that go back for millennia,
  • how it can be used to live more authentically and let go of anxiety,
  • how to love more generously and find God’s will in your life, and
  • how to grow in compassion, forgiveness, and acceptance.

The steps are simple, and at the end of each chapter Hamlin offers specific exercises to enhance your practice.

“If anyone wishes to come after me, he must deny himself and take his cross daily and follow me,” Jesus said to his followers. Meditative prayer offers a rich resource to do just that. Silence speaks volumes and becomes a tool for all Jesus followers.


One (or more) Sentence Summary: I was interested in reading Even Silence is Praise because over the past two years I have felt so much unnecessary thoughts and concerns are clouding my head. I think most of has been there or are still there. I am not one that can sit still, I do not like silence and I prefer to be around people. So as you can imagine quieting my brain down and meditation is a very hard thing for me to do, however, I wanted to make an effort. 

Even Silence is Praise has Meditative Moments at the end of each chapter which I found extremely helpful in my journey. One of my favorites is meditate for a minute.....even I can do this. My other favorite was called make your own movie. Here I picture myself sitting at Bass Harbor Lighthouse (Acadia National Park) on the rock just breathing. This brings me peace. Oddly enough, when I was getting my masters and U of Maine, I would often go out to Bass Harbor Lighthouse and make my way to the rocks (now there are paths and stairs) and sit watching and listening to the activity in the harbor. I always felt so much peace there. The picture of Bass Harbor Lighthouse is used on several books for a reason.

I am still struggling with mediation but will continue to try it and eventually it will come. I need to realize silence is okay and re-energize from that silence. 

As a last note....today is my mother's birthday and she would have been 79. I lost my mother in 2006 and believe this post is her doing not this day. She is telling me to slow down, pray, reflect and appreciate the silence....go meditate.
Check out other reviews sponsored by TLC Book Tours:

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A long-time editor at Guideposts magazine, Rick Hamlin is a frequent contributor to all Guideposts publications. He often writes about his prayer journey and has hosted numerous prayer events for the Guideposts community, in person and on social media. A busy husband, father, magazine executive, and lay leader in his church, he stresses how prayer and meditation can be a natural part of everyday life. He grew up in Southern California but has lived most of his adult life in New York City, where he and his wife sing in their church choir. In addition to his nonfiction—most recently Pray for Me—he has authored several novels, including Reading Between the Lines. Rick blogs regularly at guideposts.org and has published several op-eds in the New York Times.

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