Everyday Sacred : A Woman's Journey Home

With simple shifts of perception, each of us can find the sacred in every day. Like the vibrant yet simple quilts that led her to live within the Amish community and to write about the experience in her bestselling book "Plain and Simple," the empty begging bowl is the powerful, inspirational symbol in Sue Bender's "Everyday Sacred." In the tradition of the begging bowl, she discovers a simple, profound wisdom we can all live by. Just as a Zen monk goes out each morning with an empty bowl in his hands and accepts whatever is placed in the bowl that day as his nourishment, so can we start each day afresh and find, at the end of the day that extraordinary things have come our way.

Filled with the people, stories, and experiences that found their way into Bender's own bowl, "Everyday Sacred" teaches us that each step along life's journey is a miraculous opportunity to learn. Whatever we are doing-whether meditating, weeding a garden, serving coffee in a busy coffee bar, or listening to a friend can be done with our full attention and love. It is these small acts that make every day sacred.

"Reading "Everyday Sacred," I felt as if I had spent an evening in lively conversation with Sue, searching for meaning through a variety of experiences, with myriad friends, and finding it at every turn" --Whitney Otto, author of "How to Make an American Quilt"

"It moved my whole being, seeped into my skin. Yes, I said, Yes. And the illustrations! ...They're wonderful." --Natalie Goldberg, author of "Banana Rose"

Sue Bender is an accomplished artist, author, and much sought-after lecturer worldwide.