Sensible Shoes: A Story about the Spiritual Journey (Sensible Shoes Series)

Very impactful
I bought this book for a book club. I couldn’t have known how much I would love it. Or how greatly it would impact me. I throughly enjoyed each of the characters and related to them each in a different way. The spiritual journey is beneficial without being cheesy. They do discuss childhood wounds and current life circumstances and there are some trigger warnings probably necessary for some, but they would spoilers, so I won’t list them here. With that said, they handle everything in this book with care and it isn’t graphic even with the topics that might be triggering. And I will say that I am not referring to sexual assault so in that regard this book is safe. Anyway, the social worker in me had to say that part (and that is a disclaimer for the whole series).This book will make you think and make you feel and gives you an opportunity to read for leisure or read and stop along the way to participate in the exercise it offers.This is the first book I have ever highlighted. Ever. I normally don’t like to highlight books (even text books all through college), but there were so many great bits of wisdom and quotable moments I wanted to remember that I would suggest you have your Bible highlighter (so they don’t bleed through) ready.I will return to the highlighted parts over and over and I will remember this series forever. You can read the first book alone, or any of them alone if you wanted to, but I suggest the whole series. I ready this entire series over the summer. Everyone I have recommended it to has loved it. And one of my coworkers read the whole thing in a week (on vacation so she didn’t do the journey part and plans to read again). The second book is background story without tasks throughout. The last two books have less exercise or reflection questions, but still offer a little bit for the people that missed that in the second book.I could write a novel about how much I loved this book and how the Holy Spirit used this book in ways I will never forget. I personally went through a lot while reading this series and this book was always right on time with the wisdom I needed.This book is amazing. And although I am a Christian, I normally don’t read Christian fiction.If you don’t want to learn more about faith and don’t want to hear about faith as a basis, then this book isn’t for you. I encourage anyone to read it regardless of your religion, but just know that this book isn’t preachy, but it is definitely faith based.

Interesting journey
The journeys are thought provoking.

A very well written piece of work but one that I wouldn’t constantly refer to (it’s a combo of fiction with spiritual formation) so buy it then give it away, which is what I’m planning to do.

I’m so very grateful for this story, for the fact that it’s book 1 in a series of 4 books, and for the author — a spiritual director, pastor, and pastor’s wife, herself. She writes from experience in soul journeying with women and watching them undergo deep transformation. Before she wrote this series she met with a group of ladies regularly for 5 years, sharing the spiritual direction path that readers are introduced to in book one.Don’t let the words “spiritual direction” fool, intimidate, or turn you off, should you not be familiar or warm to this practice. Basically think: being real, finding ‘safe people’ to be open, true and your real self with, and encountering the massive beauty of grace — the grace of the Gospel — as the real self finally or fully opens up. And should you come from a church background that values objective doctrine over subjective experience, don’t for a minute think that that will be sacrificed on the slippery slope of emotional truth or vulnerable openness. It won’t.In it’s rightful place and way (remembering this book is neither a church service nor a seminary course) some of the strongest tenents of our Christian faith are upheld and exampled beautifully within these pages. Without an ounce of preachiness no less! You will be neither disappointed nor offended with what you find here, if you are at all open to God, to His amazing gospel, or to deep honesty within yourself.Whether your own life (via characters you will almost certainly be able to identify with) resembles in some way the exceptionally well put together Charissa, the intimidated and hidden Meg, the broken and life-toughened Mara, the driven and productive Hannah, or not, you will undoubtedly find yourself becoming “good friends” with these characters or with those who mentor or direct them. And perhaps longing for a touch of the deep grace that they each are on the pathway to discovering.If you like Ann Voskamp’s vulnerability mixed with her deep pursuit of Christ (The Broken Way) or enjoyed Jan Karon’s lovely Mitford village people, you will undoubtedly be thrilled with what you find here among this clan of unlikely friends who meet on a spiritual retreat. And then live their sad, pretentious, proud, or falsely contented lives out before us, to learn from. And possibly to heal alongside.If I had my way, I’d be buying copies for every female friend and acquaintance I have, near and far. I’m scheming! They are that good. AND that important.Sharon G. Brown writes with a deep understanding, a good mind, and a gifted pen. Simply WONDERFUL! And if you read and love the books as much as many other women (and a few men too) do, make sure you visit the author’s website or FB page (personal and author sites) as you’ll find opportunities to connect with her there. Having sat under a full week of her OUTSTANDING conference presentation this summer, I can assure you, you’ll likely want to do the same!

I liked this book much more than I expected. I know the characters are fictional, but I still cried as I read their stories. They are not unlike people I have known, an I could relate in some way to each of them. It was so interesting to walk through their individual responses to what they were learning. Loved it, and it gave me lots of food for thought and self-examination.