Blog: Contemplative Perspectives: Become curious, be brave, believe
Your Spiritual Garden: Tending to the Presence of God
A six week daily life retreat
“Experiencing visible results from the earth is immensely gratifying in the fragmentation of today’s world…. This retreat, Your Spiritual Garden: Tending to the Presence of God, is designed to allow you, the retreatant, to discover the life-giving work that can go into daily living for six months or six years when you grow into a deeper relationship with the Master Gardener, God.”—from the Introduction
The Old and New Testaments are rich with garden imagery—it is present in creation, the passion, the resurrection and many parts in between. In our daily lives gardens offer us beauty and respite in the hectic and chaotic world around us. Pegge [Erkeneff] Bernecker’s Your Spiritual Garden: Tending to the Presence of God is a six-week retreat designed to release the inner gardener in all of us. Using Scripture, prayers, meditation, physical and communal activity, as well as participation in the Eucharist, Bernecker teaches us to tend our spiritual garden and ultimately cultivate our relationship with our “Master Gardener.” USD$12.95
God…Any Time, Any Place: the Many Ways College Students Pray
is an inspiring book for people of all ages. A compilation of 85 prayer practices from young adults all over the United States, you will be inspired, challenged, and nurtured as you reflect upon your own prayer practices and discover insights from others. Reflection questions for the reader follow each the eight chapters and are designed to open new ways of thinking about prayer. USD$9.95
5-star review on www.amazon.com “…students from Catholic colleges to send her “little things” they do that nurture their individual, distinctive relationships with God. She aptly describes the offerings as “short paragraphs of grace,” that touched her soul. The book is divided into eight sections, including time made holy, gratitude, and engaging bodily presence, each with a brief introduction and reflection questions.”
Chicken Soup for the Christian Soul 2: Stories of Faith, Hope and Healing
“The short story, One Mother’s Dream (page 72-76) shares my dream of becoming a Mom … and ultimately of becoming a foster-adoptive Mother.” –Pegge Erkeneff
“I slowly learned to understand the gift of being a lifesaver for a young boy–and he became a lifesaver of sorts for me, too, as I grew into fuller maturity, discovering within myself reservoirs of patience and wisdom. My prayer was simple: …”
The short story, One Mother’s Dream is voted as “Our 101 Best Stories” Chicken Soup story and included in the Chicken Soup for the Soul: Christian Kids (page 276-279).
Chicken Soup for the Soul: Living Catholic Faith
Two short stories “Lost and Found” and “Prayer Shawls” included in Chicken Soup for the Soul.
Lost and Found tells the amazing story of Kenai, a Chesapeake Bay Retriever, who survived for nine months, lost and alone in a harsh Wyoming landscape. (pages 157-160)
Prayer Shawls “Threads of belonging weave us together knitting themselves into homes and hearts … bringing courage, consolation, healing, and a deep acknowledgment of the interwoven nature of God.” (pages 219-221)
”Beyond Suicide: Trusting God with Our Broken Hearts” published in Every Day Catholic
“Six weeks after my only child died unexpectedly, the victim of teenage suicide, I sent an e-mail to a friend: “I’m eating chocolate for Lent. That’s a first for me. But I decided that I’m suffering enough and don’t need to add anything or give anything up. I think my son’s unlived life is enough for now.”
‘Take courage!’ (Isaiah 41:6b)
“I refused to wear black to Justin’s funeral. Dressed in a white suit, my neck draped in a brilliant royal blue scarf the color of my son’s eyes, I deliberately chose to defy the darkness, confusion and desolation we were experiencing. I asked God to heal and console us—to send us the Holy Spirit. Nine hundred people stood together that day, bearing witness to faith and hope. Each person’s heart ached. We needed one another. And we needed a God who could help us live with an unfathomable mystery—suicide. We needed a God who doesn’t just make good news from suffering. We needed a God who is the good news.” –Pegge [Bernecker] Erkeneff
Good Words: Inspiration for Catholic Women
“From the rich treasury of Catholic books written by leading Catholic women writers, the editors of St. Anthony Messenger Press have selected words of wisdom to recognize women’s unique spirituality and contributions to our world. These 100 brief inspirations explore women s role in the world and in the church, how we think about our bodies, how we maintain our relationships, and how our spirituality is shaped by our hopes, our dreams, our gifts, our joys, and even our grief.” USD$12.99
Listen: A Seeker’s Resource for Spiritual Direction, published quarterly since 2007, by Spiritual Directors International
Listen assists seekers in a search for everyday encounters with the Sacred. A simple and inviting publication, Listen is published in January, April, July, and October, and includes short articles, book reviews, poetry, and a column “Ask Owl.” Hoot, hoot!
Subscribe free to Listen: A Seeker’s Resource for Spiritual Direction, published by Spiritual Directors International, founding editor, Pegge Erkeneff
Listen to Pegge’s live interview on Catholic BookMarks #614 (April 1-2, 2006) Real Player | Windows Media
Interview with Pegge Bernecker, author of “Your Spiritual Garden: Tending the Presence of God” (St. Anthony Press).
Pegge’s Amazon Author Page Pegge’s writing is published with both names: Pegge Erkeneff and (formerly) Pegge Bernecker