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If you’re ready to go deeper, we’ve got our favorite resources listed for you.  Sibyl, being the voracious reader that she is, has a knack for recommending the best books and movies to keep you moving along on this amazing inner spiritual journey.  Sharon and Rebecca have a few favorite resources as well. We’ve got great partners and colleagues that support us as we develop these materials, we’ve got their links for you, too.

Browse through the links below and see what piques your interest.  Who knows what God may have in store for you?


Articles
These are some are articles that have been written to help you better understand the various aspects of  Listen to My Life, Life Story, the Spiritual Journey or ones that we just liked reading!  Click on one to read or print!

Guidelines for Listening by Sharon Swing & Sibyl Towner
This article describes how to listen when you are engaged with others in a Listen to My Life experience. Click here to read the article.

3-Way Listening by Sharon Swing, Sibyl Towner & Susan Shadid
This article describes how to listen to another's story, to the Holy Spirit and to yourself. Click here to read the article.

Cycles of Grace by Sharon Swing
Although this article was written for Christians in the workplace, its implications for those interested in spiritual growth, mentoring and life story work is immense.
Click here to read the article.

Your Highest Calling by Sharon Swing
Could it be that wherever situation you are in today might be your “highest calling?” It is our job to look for the divine appointments with people and divine encounters with God in the context of our everyday lives, regardless of our profession. Read more about your highest calling by clicking here

God Sized Dreams by Sharon Swing
Do you down-size your God-sized dreams? Read Sharon’s thoughts on God-sized dreams and ponder the questions that she asks by clicking here.                       

A Christmas Story – A Devotional by Sibyl Towner
This is the story of the Christmas that Sibyl asked her husband for the “perfect gift” and how that helped her really understand her deepest longing. 
To read her devotional, click here.

Getting Caught by Your Calling by Dan Allender
It’s not a to-do list, a job, or a wish list. Instead, your calling is to reveal God through whom
God uniquely created you to be. So how do you know what your calling is? Look at the stories and themes of your life and how they reveal God….

To read Dan’s article,
click here http://www.mhgs.edu/Files/Documents/VFE-1-0/Your-Calling
To see Dan Allender’s conferences, click here: www.mhgs.edu/conferences

Enough by Sibyl & Dick Towner
Here Sibyl discusses, “So when is enough, enough?” On the surface it would not seem
difficult to come up with an answer.  From a survival perspective, “enough” is food, water and shelter. From a biblical perspective, we could say “enough” is whatever God provides….click here to read.
Enough was first published in FullFill magazine.  Go to www.FullFill.org for more information.

Listening to My Life by Sharon Swing
This article was written for Irving Bible Church in Irving, TX for their magazine, Chatter.
Sharon explains how her life story offers her solid experience on which to base her faith in God for the present and for the future. Click here to read.

Leadership Network’s Women’s Initiative Position Paper by Alexis Wilson
Alexis discusses in this article how Leadership Network is seeking to create a tool to help women in the halftime of their lives discover what God has planned for them in the second half and how they used Listen to My Life in the process. Click here to read.

Shaped by the Story by Barbara Horkoff Mutch
Read Barbara’s article as she discusses: What does story have to do with spiritual formation and What kinds of stories are important? Click here to read.

This article was first published in a magazine called Conversations: A Forum for Authentic Transformation. It was found in the Spring 2005 Volume 3.1 edition.  If you like this article and you would like to read more, visit www.conversationsjournal.com and join the conversation!

Listening the Other into Free Speech by Mary Sharon Moore
Listening lies at the heart of spiritual direction. Yet what are we really listening to, and what
are we listening for? And what do we hope to gain from all our listening? Partly, it’s
the freedom to be heard. 

To read this article posted by Spiritual Directors International, click here: http://www.sdiworld.org/uploads/o8/W9/o8W9teUFCDFdSzpAeCq4Hg/Listening-the-Other-into-Free-Speech.pdf

Books

Wow, we have so many books that we could recommend, but we have narrowed it down to our favorite ones.  We have a Top Seven list as well as a recommended list categorized by each of the Listen to My Life maps!   Please note, we don’t necessarily agree with all of the theology that each of these books might suggest, but we still recommend them.  These books have helped us stretch and grow on our journey to a deeper relationship with God and others.

Click here to download the recommended reading list.

Movies

We also recommend movies that make us laugh and cry.  Click here to download a list of them.

Selected Scriptures

We really recommend reading the WHOLE bible, but these are some of our favorite scripture passages for each of the Listen to My Life maps. Click here to download our recommended scripture reading list.

Blogs

We have several Blogs that we would like to recommend.
First, we have our own blog, click here to read all about it: http://oneLifeletters.blogspot.com

Rebecca Madden has her own blog.  In it, she shares real life stories about the activity and presence of God in her ordinary life. Check it out! http://thestorynextdoor.blogspot.com

Jay Madden’s blog is about cultivating environments for transformation in the Barrington, IL community where he serves as Area Pastor for Willow Creek Community Church.  Click here to read his blog: http://barringtonneighbors.blogspot.com/

Sherry Surratt of Leadership Network has stories and discussions around Women Who Lead – helping women realize their leadership potential through the discovery of their gift, their voice and their calling.  Click on this link to read: http://www.sherrysurratt.com/

Cheri Hudspith, a Listen to My Life facilitator, writes reflective thoughts in her blog and shares books that she recommends.  Check it out: http://beloved-daughter.blogspot.com

Websites

Leadership Network
Leadership Network’s mission is to identify, connect and help high-capacity Christian leaders multiply their impact.  They have helped us do just that by hosting Listen to My Life retreats, and introducing us to extraordinary people across the country. We are forever grateful for their support! To learn more about their organization, go to www.leadnet.org.

Willow Creek Association
Willow Creek Association’s vision is that each church would reach its full redemptive potential.  Their mission is to envision, equip, and encourage Christian leaders to build prevailing local churches. To learn more about their organization, go to www.willowcreek.com.

Willow Creek Community Church
Sibyl Towner, Sharon Swing and Rebecca Madden are members of Willow Creek Community Church in South Barrington, IL, so we highly recommend their teaching and classes. For more information, visit www.willowcreek.org.

Beautiful Faith
We experience Beautiful Faith when God turns what we see as ugly, painful or insignificant into something "beautiful". The mission of Beautiful Faith is to encourage and empower women to share their stoies of Beautiful Faith with others around the world. Visit www.beautifulfaith.org to share your faith and connect with others.

Hungry Souls
Hungry Souls is an organization that nurtures men and women who are hungry for God.
They often host retreats and workshops that would be of interest to those who have experienced Listen to My Life.

Sibyl Towner and Karen Mains, a founder of Hungry Souls, have been friends for years, and they are a part of a covenant group that helps them to listen and be responsive to God.  To read more about their offerings and the Hungry Souls’ newsletter, check out their website: www.hungrysouls.org.

Margaret Feinberg
Margaret Feinberg is the author of many books, and she has been named one of the “40 under 40” shaping Christian publishing.  Sibyl Towner and Sharon Swing were delighted to meet Margaret and her husband, Leif, while hosting retreats in Texas.  They found them to be kindred spirits. To check out her books and speaking engagements, go to www.margaretfeinberg.com.

Monvee
Monvee is a new website that helps you know how you’re wired and how you best connect with God. Check it out at www.monvee.com.

The Transforming Center
The mission of the transforming center is to seek to shape and care for the souls of pastors and leaders, equipping them to guide their churches and organizations to become spiritually transforming communities that discern and do the will of God in their settings. Read about their retreats and other offerings, at  www.thetransformingcenter.org.

 

 

 

Sibyl Towner

I have been mentored by many people through the books they have written.  As I turned pages, these great minds and souls have met me for hours of teaching and led me toward knowing God and knowing myself more deeply.”

               
               
 

 

 

options for experiencing LTML