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Summary: A Journey Towards God
Review: Life, Love and Laughter is a great book for people to read. This book is about a journey towards God. Father Jim uses his Nana's wooden spoon as an example in the book many times. These examples that he gives helps us understand the five steps better. Father Jim does a great job to explain the five steps that are found in the Consciousness Examen.
Father Jim found out about the five steps of the Consciousness Examen when a monk in a monastery gave him the index card which has the five steps on it. He looks at the index card every day, and he keeps it in his bathroom mirror. The Consciousness Examen was written by St. Ignatius of Loyola in 1548. The five steps can be done every day, and it will lead you to a state of holiness. The first step is a prayer for enlightenment. This means that we should pray for a new understanding. With enlightenment we will see God's intense presence with us. The second step is Reflective Thanksgiving. This means we have to thank God for everything that we have, and not keep asking for things that we want. We have to pray because we have a loving and caring family. The third step is Survey of Actions. We have to be able to forgive and apologize when we do something wrong. We always have to be happy and able to apologize when we commit mistakes. The fourth step is Contrition and Sorrow. This basically means we have to recognize our faults and truly be sorry for them. Once you are truly sorry you have to try to not commit the same mistakes. Finally the last step is Resolution for Future. This step real wraps everything up because once we have done the previous four steps we become new people in a special way. This last step means we have to be able to become new people that will grow, accept changes and remain steadfast of what happens to us. The final prayer helps us move through the day filled with joy.
This book was well-written, and Father Jim does a great job to guide you through the book which really is journey towards God. Father Jim uses examples from his life to explain the steps of the Consciousness Examen. The five steps brought Father Jim closer to God, and hopefully it will also help us to grow closer to God. We will feel God's intense presences with us when we are closer to God. The journey helps you to become a better person.
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Summary: Life, Love and Laughter Review
Review: Life, Love and Laughter is Father Jim Vlaun's step-by-step guide to finding God in each of our own lives. His book combines an explanation of the Consciousness Examen with entertaining experiences that many of us can relate to. His humor and enthusiasm can be clearly recognized through his writing, which is one of the reasons his book was such an enjoyable read.
The five steps described in the book were St. Ignatius's spiritual exercises, also known as the Consciousness Examen. They were designed to help those who cannot enter a monastery or convent to live a spiritual life... In other words, for each and every one of us! The steps include Prayer for Enlightenment, or giving thanks to God for the gifts he has blessed us with; Reflective Thanksgiving, or asking the grace to recognize our sins and cast them out; Survey of Actions, or asking account of our souls for the things we have done; Contrition and Sorrow, or asking pardon of the Lord our God for our faults; and finally Resolution for the Future, or asking for the improvement of our actions with the help of God's grace.
This book isn't like every other "self help" book out there. Part of what makes it unique is how it teaches us to know God our Creator, and to know him is to love him. Father Jim Vlaun has a gift for connecting with his audience, and the passion and sincerity he puts into his writing make the words seem to come alive as you read them. This book can truly make a difference in a person's spiritual life- I would recommend it to anybody struggling or questioning their faith, looking to know or find God, or even people who feel they have a strong grasp on their spiritual life.
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Summary: A gift to change your life
Review: In his first book Father Jim explains to us the spirituality of the consciousness examen. While telling us about his life into priesthood he tells us that he uses the 5 steps of the consciousness examen, prayer for enlightenment, reflective thanksgiving, survey of action, contrition and sorrow, resolution for future. These five steps came through to him and changed his life as he went into priesthood and know tells us how it can change societies growth. He roots out human problems and gives excellent examples from his own life on how to fix them.
Father Jim says to find God you must have an enlightened heart and to do this you must be ready for the struggles and tasks God puts in front of you. You must give thanks to God for everything he has given you and not to give in to consumerism. From praying around your dinner table or praying in the church it is always wonderful to give thanks. Father Jim says that is calling us to the future and to be future oriented people to be new. Father Jim shows Jesus as a healer a reconciler and how much he loves us. Father Jim has given this book to us as a gift, a gift to change our lives like it did his.
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Summary: Do you know the 5 steps in the Examen?!?!?!?!?!?
Review: In the book Life Love and Laughter by Fr. James Vlaun, he explains the five steps in the Consciousness Examen. The first step of the Examen is "A Prayer for Enlightenment". This step explains the importance of prayer in our everyday lives. The second step in the Examen is, "Reflective Thanksgiving". In this step Fr Vlaun suggests that we spend time in our day to thank god for our lives, and all that he has provided us with. He says and I agree, "We need to spend more time celebrating the things we have instead of the things we don't". The third step in the Examen is the "Survey of Actions". This step Fr Vlaun says, "It might be the easiest in the Examen, but takes a lifetime to complete".
The forth step of the Examen is "Contrition and Sorrow" In this step God calls us to recognize and do something about all of our regrets in our life. The fifth and final step in the Examen is, "Resolution for the Future". This step tells us to live now and not in the past, live for now and the future. When you finish something new it makes you feel as if you're a new person. You have accomplished something, maybe something thing that you didn't think that you could do, but you did. And for some they get that feeling when they start something new and different.
Reading this book made me look at my life and prioritize what I think is important and what really is. This book was truly an eye-opener.
I hope that other people enjoyed it as much as I did.
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Summary: Life Love and Laughter
Review: In Life Love and Laughter, Father Jim Vlaun explauns the Consciousness Examen. It started when Father Jim was at a seminary and thought God was absent from his life. Then Father Jim went to a monestary retreat. This retreat would change his life. At the monestary retreat Father Jim recieves an index card from a monk. On the card it has five things listed. On the card was A prayer for enlightment, Reflective thanksgiving, survey of actions, contrition and sorrow and resolution for the future. Fr. Jim later found out this was called the Consciousness Examen and that the monk didnt make up, it was by St.Ignatius.
The first step A prayer for Enlighment is spirtually is deeply connected with mysticism and enlightment is something that is hard to grasp or having knowledge or spirtual insight. The second step Reflective Thanksgiving involves spending some moments thanking God for His wonders in our lives and the many gifts we had recieved through His grace and love. The third step Survey of Actions means each moment of life is the moment with the potential for the power of God to break in. The fourth step Contrition and sorrow calls us to visit the regrets of our lives, the regrets of our days together. The final step Resolution for the Future calls us to preserve our commitment to the future.
I think Life Love and Laughter is a good book for teens to read because it helps you get throught the hardships and changes in life through the Consciousness Examen. Also that God excepts us for who we are and to love ourselves as who we are.
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Summary: Life, Love, and Laughter
Review: Life, Love, and Laughter shows the five steps of the "Consciousness Examen." The book also describes how Fr. Jim's life has changed from learning the five steps. When Fr. Jim was in seminarian school he started to lose faith and feel like he was drifting further away from God. Soon after he was sent to a monestary to become closer with Jesus.
The first step-"A prayer for enlightenment" shows Jesus enlightening others by healing sinners, raising the dead, and eating with others. The second step is "Reflective thanksgiving" which shows thanksgiving for the cross and the resurrection. The third step is "Survey of actions" where Jesus heals others, reconciles, and loves others. "Contrition and Sorrow" is the fourth step in which Fr. Jim is forgiven for sins he had commited in the past and learns to love others. The final step "Resolution for the future" describes how to stay close with God and never give up.
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Summary: Life love and laughter
Review: Gabby Atten
John Sureau
Theology 6
30 September 2004
Option 2
Life, Love and Laughter is a book about the five steps of the Consciousness Examen. The five steps are A Prayer for Enlightenment, Reflective Thanksgiving, Survey of Actions, Contrition and Sorrow, and Resolution for the Future. Each step talks about how we can become closer to God. The Consciousness Examen is written by Saint Ignatius of Loyola.
The first step tells us that we need to keep our minds open to be enlightened. We are enlightened when we learn something new about God or even ourselves. The second step tells us that we should be thankful for what we have and that we must battle between the thingdom and kingdom in our lives. The third step tells us that we need to watch our actions because God could be becoming more apart of our lives at any time. We also need to watch our actions so we can try not to sin and try to follow God's examples. The fourth step tells us that when we look back in our lives to our regrets we must not feel over-guilt about it but we should feel sorry and God will forgive us of what we have done wrong. The fifth and final step is Resolution for the Future. This step tells us that we should be future-oriented people and that we must except change in our lives. When we make resolutions they should be realistic and we have to stick with them.
Father Jim explains these steps of the through bible stories and stories of his life. These stories show that we can be closer to God and being close with God is not just for priests and other high religious people. They also show that people do make mistakes but its ok and we can still be religious people.
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Summary: Option #2
Review: I read the book Life, Love, and Laughter by Father Jim Vlaun. I found the book. I found the book to be a good way of connecting actually life to something of religious beliefs. Father Jim explains each step of the Consciousness Examen with bible stories, and life experiences people can relate to. He shows that religious beliefs don't have to be based on just bible stories. He shows you the path of how he choose the life of becoming a priest. He tells you the stories of how he got there and stories of how he lived being a priest. He tells you that living as a priest doesn't mean you live without a family, it just means you don't have a wife and kids-but that doesn't mean you don't have family. He shows life as a priest is a having a close relationship with God. Father Jim tells you stories of when he was a kid from when he was in the at his grandmother's house making sauce to his sisters death. He shows we must have faith in God not only in the good times but also in the bad. He shows you the reader good times and bad times. He tells the stories of Life, Love and Laugher.
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Summary: Life, Love and Laughter - review
Review: Life, Love and Laughter is a great book to read. It is about the Consiousness Examen. Father Vlaun explains the Consciousness Examen very well. He explains all 5 steps: 1: Prayer for Enlightment 2: Reflevtive Thanksgiving 3: Survey of Actions 4: Contrition and Sorrow and 5: Resolution for the Future.Father Jim's stories will just amaze you. He has some funny and unbelievable stories, about his travels, family, and food. Overall this book is a great book. Anyone who is interested should defintly read this book. It will not bore you. When you start reading it, you will want to read more. Father Jim did a great job with it. This book is a definite one to read.
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Summary: Life, Love and Laughter
Review: Life, Love and Laughter is about how to save your spiritual and prayer life in five steps called the Consciousness Examen. The Consciousness Examen was written by St. Ignatius, but Fr. Jim does a great job in interpreting it for us.
The first step is called Prayer for Enlightenment. In this step we ask God for knowledge and spiritual insight. Fr. Jim said enlightenment also comes through life experience.
The second part of the Examen is called Reflective Thanksgiving, and tells us how to be thankful for what we have. Fr. Jim tells us that we can show gratitude by sharing our gifts with others, sharing meals with others, and spending times with others.
The third step, Survey of Actions, tells us how to examin our conscience and reflect upon it.
The fourth step, is Contrition for Sorrow. This step talks about how to make up for your sins.
The last step, Resolution for the Future, is about how to make a promise to try not to sin.
I thought this was a really good book. I found it really helpful in getting in touch with God. This book taught me how to live a great spiritual and prayer life. I think it would really help those who are losing faith and losing touch with God. I found it really meaningful, inspiring, and a great spiritual experience.
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