New Radiance Reviews
December 2002

Bits and Pieces to Ponder:
Inspirational Guide for the New Millennium
by R. Lance Sheridan
Bedside Books, 2002

Despite a rather stilted writing style, particularly in the introduction and in the longer "pieces" of his "Inspirational Guide for the New Millennium", R. Lance Sheridan has composed an interesting collection of thoughts for us to ponder.

Many of the sentiments expressed of course are not new, as writers throughout the ages have  offered us their reflections on how best to deal with life's many challenges. The concept of a compilation of one author's maxims or observations is not new either, but still refreshing and useful in this day and age.

The one that resonated with me the most was "Each of us carries a burden that belongs to no one else." This is an honest, heartfelt attempt to provide us with both meaningful and sometimes playful "bits and pieces" for us to think about for each day of the year.

Cry of the Hawk for Her Beloved:
A Woman's Healing Journey to
Higher Consciousness
by Janna Lynn
Seven Directions, 2002

The author, Janna Lynn, lived most of her life in New Mexico until her recent relocation to South Florida. Her novel's protagonist, Teri West, also spends much of her life in New Mexico and finds herself at the end of the book on a pilgrimage of sorts to South Florida. The story itself chronicles about thirty years of Teri's life, and is divided into three parts.

The first section entitled " Life's Illusions" describes Teri's childhood with her brother Kris and their father and step-mother, her early marriage and divorce, and her subsequent years as a flower child in the sixties. "Life's Illusions" is of course taken from Joni Mitchell's song of the same name and its lyrics accurately reflect Teri's understanding of life up to this point in time.

Part Two, called  "A Journey with my Soul" begins with a powerful quotation: "It's not the life you live that matters, it's the courage that you bring to it." We follow Teri's attempts to become more self-enlightened, more self-aware, as she leaves her former life behind and explores both Eastern and North American Indian philosophies and undergoes numerous vision quests.

In the final section, we witness Teri's attempt to find peace with her life which has by now largely become one of pain and loss. She has reached the dark night of the soul and reaches out to come out on the other side, to be reborn, if you will.

Although I appreciate that it is the author's intention to show how Teri does achieve this, the credibility of such enlightenment is ultimately marred by the pedestrian style of writing throughout. Ms Lynn seems to be feel comfortable in her descriptions of Teri's visions  but is unfortunately out of her depth when it comes to narrative style and there are numerous instances of a lack of proper editing. The novel has promise in terms of its content, but would immeasurably profit by a deft hand with detail and conversation and a knowledge of what to include and what to leave out.

Spiritual Awakenings:
On Becoming Your Higher Self
by Pat Cross
CasAnanda Publishing, 1997

Spiritual Awakenings has twenty-six short chapters which can be likened to mini sermons. This is not surprising since the author is an ordained Science of Mind Minister. She is also a lecturer, counselor, workshop facilitator and monthly contributor to the Tampa Bay New Times Naturally magazine.

Her book does not "preach" in the conventional sense, however, and she herself states that her pages "reflect only my own spiritual awakenings and it is not my intention that the contents of this book should be construed as the only way."

Indeed, she makes it clear throughout her work that the answers we need always lie within ourselves and she questions our human tendency to look to others to tell us what to do. She also makes it clear that "what we focus on  expands and becomes our experience" and that  our biggest stumbling blocks to spiritual freedom and joy are "habits, habits, habits and more habits, embedded deep, deep within the soul." So very true.

Rev. Cross is an enthusiastic proponent of releasing the negative past and negative thought patterns so that we may live more fully in the joyful present. Not easy to do, but a worthy and necessary goal. There are many helpful reminders here that are written by someone who seems very much in tune with her own life and her life's purpose.