In a Nutshell: Jesus said: "Unless you change and become like children you will never enter the kingdom of heaven " (Matthew 18:3) In this edifying paperback, Timothy Mooney explores the cultivation of childlike qualities that can enrich and deepen our spiritual lives. He begins with trust and ends with transformation. This resource challenges us to get in touch with our childhood self and to cultivate its continued spiritual rebirth through awe, wonder, joy, and resiliency.

About the Author: Timothy J. Mooney is a Presbyterian minister, visual artist, and spiritual director. A pastor for more than 25 years, he currently leads the Community of ONE, a worshipping community in the heart of urban Denver, and offers retreats on spirituality and spiritual formation throughout the United States. Much of Mooney's artwork has been created for liturgical settings. His work can be seen at www.timmooneystudio.com.

Sum and Substance: What are the spiritual qualities we need to nourish in the midst of life? Among them are humility, seeing as God sees, discerning the gifts of desire and emotion, reclaiming the beginner's mind, practicing forgiveness, listening to the body, laughing, and playing again. To bring these qualities alive on a day-to-day basis, we need a childlike soul filled with energy and high spirits.

Quotes to Go:

• "Deep play allows one to feel quintessentially alive, heartbeat by heartbeat, in the eternal present. The here and now becomes a pop-up storybook, full of surprises, in which everything looms. It returns us to the openness of childhood."
— Diane Ackerman

• "When we can uncover our deepest longings for intimacy, pleasure, creativity, and self-understanding, life yields illumination and happiness. Far from being a burden, our desires themselves become a path to blessing."
— Irwin Kula

• "I am mentally preparing myself for the five-year-old mind. I want to come down to their physical limitations and up to their sense of wonder and awe."
— Shinichi Suzuki