Everyday Sacred: A Woman's Journey Home

The Story

Returning home from the Amish, Bender struggled to apply the peaceful wisdom and simplicity she learned from them to her hectic life. Then one day she heard the story of the begging bowl and instinctively knew it had much to teach her: each day a Zen monk goes out with an empty bowl in his hands; whatever is placed in the bowl will be his nourishment for the day. So, too, Bender discovered, if we approach each day afresh, with our bowls waiting to be filled, we will find at the end of that day that extraordinary things - some so small we may be tempted to overlook them - have come our way. Everyday Sacred is filled with the stories, the people, and the experiences that filled Bender's bowl - a 'connect-the-dots record of my search for the sacred in everyday life'. From the simple act of clearing off her desk to enjoying a perfectly prepared cappuccino to realizing she can only do three of the thirteen things on her to-do list, Bender finds that each step along one's journey is a place to learn.