The Woman's Book of Spirit. Sue Patton Thoele

       Nourishment for the Soul's Journey

      I've been a serious fan of Sue Patton Thoele's warm and sage advice since I first encountered her book The Courage to Be Yourself over a decade ago. And I've used her wise admonition to “live gently with yourself and others” ever since I first heard her say it. I am proud to name her as one of my teachers of the spirit, and honored to be asked to invite you into this book.

      One of the things I love most about Sue is that she is so real. She knows what it's like to have the best intentions in the world and blow it—and not just once. In her books, she exposes her own warts, and pokes kindly fun at herself and at life, thereby helping us lighten up too. It's part of learning to be gentle, I suspect she'd say.

      She's also aware of what it's like to have a busy life, a life full of work obligations, household duties, and childrearing responsibilities. She knows we women tend to put ourselves last on our list. She also knows how vital it is that we give ourselves our own attention, if only for a few precious minutes a day.

      That's what's so wonderful about The Woman's Book of Spirit. Written in a series of short meditations, it allows us to connect more deeply to ourselves and to the divine in a way that fits into our whirlwind lifestyles. I love to hold a question, open the book at random and read the message I happen upon. I always find some kind of sustenance and support.

      For years, I have been pondering Albert Einstein's question: is the universe friendly? As the world gets more scary (or at least appears to, what with hurricanes and tsunamis and terrorist threats and who knows what other challenges), I sometimes struggle with feeling isolated in a hostile world. The Women's Book of Spirit helps me remember that I am not alone. That I am—and so are you—being held aloft by loving hands.

      Sue calls that force the Sacred Feminine Voice. I think of it as the power of love. I know that each of us, no matter our circumstances, is being called upon to manifest that love wherever and