"الله وحده هو فقط من يستطيع ان يسكن هذا المكان العميق بداخلك.."
كتاب رائع ،عميق جداا وبيوصل لاعماقك بطريقه سهلة،تفكير مختلف ،مقنع ومعاش،وبيعبر عن النفس البشرية واحتياجاتها العميقة من خلال تجارب حقيقية
..يستحق القراية جدااا

This short devotional wrapped me in unconditional love and peace. Such sweet reminders and encouragement. I love Henri Nouwen’s outlook on faith and the gracious love of God for us!

“Your future depends on how you decide to remember your past.”

Potent Quotables:

Often love is offered to you, but you do not recognize it. You discard it because you are fixed on receiving it from the same person to whom you gave it.

The great challenge is living your wounds through instead of thinking them through. It is better to cry than to worry, better to feel your wounds deeply than to understand them, better to let them enter into your silence than to talk about them.

One of the most profound and personally significant books I've ever read.

This book was a perfectly timed read for me. Coming back from Uganda, I am feeling a lot of the same things that Nouwen describes as he reflects on his time in L’arche community. This book is raw and real - a true picture of vulnerability with one’s self. The entries were genuine journal entries that his close friends encouraged him to publish years later. When you read them alongside his other works, like In the Name of Jesus and The Prodigal Son, we see the hope and glory of God so clearly. Definitely a book that I will keep on my bedside table, referencing it often and digesting it slowly.
Everyone should read it!

I've been meaning for some time to read Henri Nouwen, a Christian writer I've always associated with profound spirituality, intelligence and wisdom. This book might have been a weird one to start with, but it does make me want to read more of his work. It's a journal he kept during one of the lowest periods of his life.

"Within me there was one long scream coming from a place I didn't know existed, a place full of demons."

It was written for his eyes only, short entries he calls "spiritual imperatives" that he wrote after therapy sessions. The journal was not published until years later when friends convinced him to share it.
I read a few of these "imperatives" each day, highlighted a lot, but in searching my notes, I don't know how much I can share that will make sense out of context. I did like this way of thinking about suffering.

...real healing comes from realizing that your own particular pain is a share in humanity's pain.

And I liked what he said in his conclusion.

There is hardly a day without some dark clouds drifting by. But today I recognize them for what they are without putting my head in them!

I saw a bit of overlap in ideas with Pema Chodron's When Things Fall Apart, which I read earlier this year, and I found that interesting. This is definitely from a Christian point of view, and some segments resonate more than others, because he was also writing from the perspective of a spiritual leader.
I'm glad I read it, and that it's in my kindle library so I can revisit my notes.

'Do not read too many of these spiritual imperatives at once! They were written over a long period of time and need to be read that way...

Too much salt might spoil it, but a little at a time can make it tasty!'

I took Nouwen's suggestion to heart - never rushing. It was worth it. For the discouraged or those of us who often sense a distance from God, Nouwen's words continually reminded me that I am not alone.

Ok I feel like this deserves 3.5 stars maybe. Honestly, I liked it! It’s a thought-provoking read and puts words to certain feelings and situations I haven’t been able to pinpoint. However, it’s not written like your average novel, but rather it’s like poems or imperatives. Now don’t get me wrong - I lovvvee me some poetry but this book writes in a kinda feel-good way while lacking the spiritual depth. Not sure if that’s the best way to describe it but I guess I prefer books where I’m learning something about God’s character or Scripture. Overall, I liked it and would recommend but maybe it just wasn’t my type of book!

Henri Nouwen is one of my favorite authors. I resonate quite a bit with his introspective nature and keen awareness that this world is not our home. I enjoy his thoughts about solitude, community, dependence, and a variety of other relationship dynamics.

The first Nouwen book I started with was Return to the Prodigal Son, and that book moved me greatly in examining the depth in such a seemingly simple/short parable. Subsequently, many of my friends urged me to read this book as some of the notes inside led to the creation of Return to the Prodigal Son.

I liked how short the notes were, never going on longer than 3 pages. Despite their shortness they covered a good amount of thought on a variety of conditions one feels in a time of anguish and wrestling with God. Nouwen does a great job of sharing his wrestling and his internal feelings on the page without neglecting to encourage himself first and lastly the reader of God’s goodness and to continue to pursue him to find healing.

"The Inner Voice of Love" by Henri Nouwen is a deeply introspective journey through anguish and self-discovery. Nouwen, a Catholic priest, reflects on his own struggles with loneliness, insecurity, friend rejection, and the search for meaning. The book explores the notion that embracing our vulnerabilities and wounds can lead us to a place of freedom and inner peace. Nouwen's candid and heartfelt writings offer insights into the universal human experience of suffering and the transformative power of self-compassion. Through his spiritual reflections, Nouwen guides readers towards finding solace within themselves and connecting with a sense of divine love that can heal even the deepest wounds.