Kirk Byron Jones teaches social ethics and pastoral ministry at Andover Newton Theological School, Newton Centre, Massachusetts. He is a frequent guest speaker and preacher at schools, churches, and conferences around the country. In this soul-stirring devotional resource, his spiritual enthusiasm is evident on every page. Jones presents a practice that has worked for him called Morning B.R.E.W. It consists of Being Still, Receiving God's love, Embracing Personhood, and Welcoming the Day. The author of Addicted to Hurry: Spiritual Strategies for Slowing Down spices up the narrative with quotations from Tilden Edwards, Howard Thurman, Frederick Buechner, and Diane Ackerman. We especially liked this quote by David Whyte in his book Crossing the Unknown Sea.

"A good waking is a waking full of hearing, subtle song, and anticipation: the birdsong outside the house, the luminous tone of the first string light through the shutters, or the sight of your partner's face familiar and slowly coming to life again.

"We should apprentice ourselves to coming awake, and treat it as a form of mastery.

"The threshold of waking, the entry into the day, is the musician's foot lifted to begin the beat."

We also relished the many suggestions that Jones gives for how to welcome the day, including bow before the day, greet the day as a friend arriving at the airport, train station or bus depot, or see the oncoming day as a child sees a parade coming down the street or the circus coming into town. Use his words to jump-start your day with gusto and grace!