My name is Sandra. I am 41 years old. I am South African born but living in Ireland with my husband, who is Italian, and an 18 year old son. I am a radiographer/mammographer by profession and enjoy travelling, hillwalking, swimming and just going for walks in the natural environment. I am a member of RCIA (rite of christian initiation of adults), which has only recently started up here in Wicklowtown. I started searching for gospel reflections on the internet for a particular meeting with the RCIA members when I first stumbled on the Creighton Online Ministry site. It was in doing the Daily Reflections that I came across the reader's project involving How Big Is Your God. So here I am ready and as excited as a child in a candy store to start this journey.

My name is James. I am a Human Resources professional by trade. For most of my life I have called Australia home, but I have also experienced living in the Middle East and India. Consequently I have had some rich experiences in life, none more so than that of being father to two young adult sons who are my pride and joy and with whom I share a passion for sport, especially cricket and tennis, music, photography, geneology, nature and a love of travel and adventure. A few years ago I was in a fatal car crash which almost claimed my life, too. It caused me to re-think my values and priorities. In my search for meaning I came across the Daily Reflections site of Creighton University which in turn led me to this wonderful opportunity, nay a gift of prayerful reading and reflection which I am so looking forward to being a part of. Did He lead me to the well? I think so! I hope so!

My name is Joan and I am a native New Yorker, currently living in Manhattan's Chelsea area. I work in tourism marketing, which has given me the opportunity of traveling around the world, especially Asia. I am a Cradle Catholic, but lately I have been struggling. Not with my faith and spirituality, but with the big "C" Church. I don't know if that is because of recent changes in my parish, or lack of certain changes in Mother Church. Despite this, my relationship with God continues to grow, and is definitely the most important thing in my life and grows more precious to me each day.

I began my spiritual journey (or at least my awareness of it) when I joined a Jesuit parish about 16 years ago. The greatest influence in my life has been doing the Spiritual Exercises, the first time in my parish with a weekly meeting with a spiritual advisor; the second time on the Creighton website, where I was fortunate to be part of an online sharing group with Andy and Maureen. I am active in my parish, where I am a Eucharistic Minister and lector, as well as chair of the Spirituality Committee. I am a huge fan of Anthony DeMello, and delighted to find similarities in Paul Coutinho's writing. I am looking forward to sharing this journey with my worldwide fellow pilgrims, as we endeavor a deeper experience of the Divine.

My name is Lindy and I'm from Rock Hill, South Carolina. I am approaching 50 with a husband and 3 growing sons, 17, 14,12. My undergraduate degree is in English and I have an MBA. I have been Christian all my life, first growing up in a Protestant home and later converting to the Catholic religion near my oldest son's first communion. I am part of the Bible Study Fellowship group, which is a wonderful study. I hope to be very productive and vibrant and make a contribution outside my home in my 50's. Maybe this discipline will help.

My name is Adele and I live in the small town of Rothesay, New Brunswick in eastern Canada. My husband and I are the parents of two adult children and grandparents of two wonderful boys, ages 8 and 10. We winter in Florida where the availability of daily Mass and open churches throughout the day are a huge blessing. When in Canada, we take care of our gransons during their summer vacation while their mother works. We love being able to do this. In addition, I volunteer one day a week at our beautiful Catholic book store in Saint John.

My faith is central to everything I do and the thought of an opportunity to learn more and grow in my faith by reading this book and sharing insights with others drew me like a magnet. Thank you for this opportunity.”

My name is Bob. I live in Newport News, Virginia. My wife and I have been joyfully married for 36 years and have raised two sons. I work in the Science Directorate of the NASA Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia. I am a lifelong Catholic and have been involved in various ministries since becoming an altar server at the age of 9. Currently I serve our parish as a catechist in our RCIA process. I feel that involvement with people and community is the key to developing our spiritual lives and so this opportunity looked like a means to bring some new ideas to share in ministering to our inquirers, candidates, catechumens and other catechists in our initiation team. I look forward to beginning this journey with all of you.

I am Isake. I live on the western coast of the bigger island [Viti Levu] of the two main islands of the Fiji Group. I am a single male parent and have four children aged 28, 23, 19 and 11. I work for Fiji’s international airline, Air Pacific Limited, and have been with it for over 12 years. I conduct a weekly scripture sharing session with members of our St. Michael’s parish here at Nadi Town and we have been doing this over the last 26 months. We use quite a lot of reflections from the Centre for Liturgy at St. Louis University and Living Space [Sacred Space] Websites and we share the readings for the upcoming Sunday. The people who join me at these meetings include parents and many young adults who enjoy learning a little more about the Word. We gather and pray, share the scripture and pray again and sing on these occasions and we greatly look forward to our Parish Priest’s homily on the Sunday Readings we share on.

I wanted to be part of this initiative because my experience has been spiritually uplifting and the sharing of scripture has provided me a better perspective of our human limitations and I am able to work on my boundaries with the help of the awesome God that I take much for granted in making a difference to those I serve.

My name is Hamish Currie and I am a Roman Catholic priest from Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, Canada. I have been pastor in urban and rural parishes, have worked as an Addiction Therapist in inpatient and outpatient settings, and have just completed a term as Past-President of The National Federation of Priests Councils (Canada). I am a musician, a potter, a gardener and an avid reader. Abundantly blessed, I desire to be more responsive to God and the promptings of the Spirit within. It is a new and exciting experience to reflect and share with others in this reading group.

Linda, who lives in Canada's beautiful Okanagan Valley, has 20 years experience helping people produce excellent writing. She and a Chicago buddy write a weekly online media column whose mission is to have fun in the conviction that under all the fluff and stuff human beings are all the same. Linda's other endeavors included teaching of religious education, where she integrated real life experiences to bring alive scriptural teachings to her students. Creighton's reading group is one more way for her to share God's action.

My name is Sue. I am a single Woman in my forties. I am British and live in a town close to London. I come from an ecumenical background as I was brought up as an Anglican and moved into the Roman Catholic Church in my twenties. I have some Theological and Pastoral training and I worked as an ecumenical chaplain for a number of years. I am currently working with children with special educational needs and I will complete my training to be an Religious Education teacher next year. I love the ‘great outdoors’ and this picture shows me enjoying a day out with friends at Windsor where our queen has one of her homes.
I also enjoy music mainly classical and traveling. I am looking forward to reading Paul Coutinho’s book and sharing my reflections. I have been looking at daily reflections for a number of years and I have been stimulated by the reflections of others. It will be a privilege to contribute some of my own reflections and read those of others. I also think it will be a discipline throughout the month of October which will encourage and challenge us to grow in our relationship to God.

My name is Rosalie. I was born on the island of Malta of an Italian mother and a Maltese father. I lived in Italy & Switzerland for a number of years and now have been in the U.S. for 30 years. I am a psychotherapist and love my work! I see 25-30 clients a week. I have been married to Dick for 23 years. I love to travel, cook , exercise & read. My faith journey is very important to me. The Lord has blessed me in many ways and I wish to continue deepening my spiritual life. Reason also why I wish to be part of this group. Thanks for giving me this opportunity.

I am so excited to take part in this reading group and join others who also have a love for reading and sharing their thoughts and reflections. I look forward to seeing how big God really is in all of our lives.

I am Mary, from Vellore, Tamilnadu, India. I am married and am a recently retired Prof of Pathology. My husband, son and daughter and their spouses are also doctors. We stay on the campus of the Christian Medical College where the others continue to work / study.
At the moment am not taking up professional work outside home to have time for the family before our children finish training and leave for other parts of India next year. We are members of the CSI church [Anglican]. I would like to set aside time to join this group and share in making God more real in everyday life . This experience I hope, will make me define and articulate my faith and my understanding.

My name is MarySue Occhiuzzo and I live in Tallahassee, Florida. I am a lifelong Catholic and take great joy in the celebration of the Eucharist and in my Catholic faith. However, many people who I have dearly loved for many years chose to express their spirituality in other faith traditions or even in no tradition at all. Yet, they have a deep spirituality I cannot deny. I think of the poem of the seven blind men feeling an elephant for the first time. Each argued their own perception was the reality of the elephant. I do not want to limit the reality of God to only what I can perceive, I want to expand my reality to include the perceptions of others. Certainly God is bigger than what my feeble brain, heart and soul can imagine. I look forward to sharing and growing with each of you and learning what is in your heart and on your mind.

My name is Cathy and I am from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. I am 25 years old, I have been married for three years, and I have two daughters. I stay at home with my children, and I teach private percussion lessons. My husband and I just recently received Bachelor of Music degrees from West Chester University and are starting a small business teaching private music lessons and tuning pianos in our community. My husband also just started teaching music at our parish's school and works part time at UPS. I enjoy praying with others and finding God in all things. Some of the things in which I often find God are music, movies, reading, writing, cooking, the outdoors, and my family. I am very excited to be a part of this reading group because I really enjoy reading, sharing God with others, and hearing others' reflections about God in their lives.

My name is Jack. I was born on the feast of St.Teresa of Avila in1917 in a blue-collar section of Philadelphia. I graduated from the first free Catholic high school in the city. That completed my formal education since the great depression left no funds for college. I went to work for the local utility for the next fifty one years and retired at age seventy. I remember watching Archbishop Fulton Sheehan on TV and discussing it with non-catholics at work. His revelation of the natural law tied in with the Baltimore catechism taught by Sr.Mary Rose, SSJ. My personal Faith was secure but I never felt satisfied with the lack of Evangelzation on my part.

My name is Vicki. I live in Saint Louis, Missouri. I have been a Catholic all of my life and I have a strong desire to have a deeper relationship with God. I am a stay at home mom of three wonderful (most of the time! lol) children. I belong to a faith sharing group at out parish with a group of fantastic women who only enhance my spiritual growth. I look forward to being a part of the "How Big is Your God?" Group.

My name is Sharon and I live in Lee’s Summit, Missouri. I have a beautiful daughter, a wonderful son-in-law and a charming grandson who thankfully live in a small suburb close to me. For the past five years I have been actively seeking God and the Daily Reflection has been very helpful to me in this process. I offered to be part of this reading group because I want to experience an even deeper relationship with God and to share the journey with others. I think that we learn and grow in our faith by sharing our thoughts about God with others and listening to their viewpoint.

My name is Ken. I live in Tonganoxie, Kansas, which is about thirty miles west of Kansas City. I am in my 33rd year as a business professor at Kansas City Kansas Community College. My wife is in her 35th year as an elementary school teacher. I attend daily Mass and pray the rosary and morning and evening prayers each day in addition to readin Scripture. I have used the Creighton spirituality website many times and enjoy it greatly. When I saw that they were asking for some volunteers to take part in a reading group about a book on spirituality, that was very appealing to me. I am just trying to make progress on my path in this life and thought that this would be a good opporunity to try something a bit different and to share the experience with others who are also on the path.

My name is Mary M. and I am a Sister of St. Joseph. I am originally from New York, and have been living in Pittsburgh for the past 15 years. I am currently in the process of splitting my time between New York and Pittsburg to help in the care of my elderly mother. I am a critical care nurse and am a huge fan of anything that comes out of Creighton! I had a profound experience of grace the year before last when I did the 19th Annotation online. My life is lived out of the Ignatian Exercises, and when I read of this offer it felt like an invitation from God. I am excited to be able to read what I am sure will be a wonderful book, and to share with others and be enriched by the insights of others. What a lovely grace!

My name is Pat. I live in Dallas, Texas with my husband. We have 4 grown children and 9 grandchildren. Faith is my number one value and it permeates all I am and do. Roman Catholicism is my religion of choice. I love that it is the same wherever I am in the world and I travel a lot. Image Anew is the name of the international image and communication company I built beginning in 1983. As a professional speaker/trainer I work to enable persons to recognise their value, discover their purpose and communicate this by the way they look, act and speak. I am trained as a spiritual director and will be directing Ignatian Retreats. As an avid reader I love to share the ideas and thoughts and stories books present. You can be assured that I am ready, willing and able to be an active part of this group. I am also a fan of Paul Coutinho, S.J. so it is easy for me to discuss his stories and approach.

My name is Kathy and I live in Tustin, California. I was born in California and have lived here all my live. My heritage is German, and on my father's side of the family I'm only a second generation American. I am 61 years old, and work in the Worship and Music Ministries Department of a large Lutheran Church.

I love to read, to learn, to discuss, to share, to debate - NOT argue. I like having my thoughts, learning and beliefs challenged so I am stretched to look at them again through new eyes. I have been a part of the Barnes and Noble online book groups for over three years and have enjoyed sharing readers' gleanings, whether from fiction or non-fiction. My education has been in music, both performance and history, and in the area of spirituality, with courses of study at Fuller Theological Seminary and the Art of Spiritual Direction Program offered by the Sisters of St. Joseph, Orange, CA and Loyola Marymount in Los Angeles, CA.

My God continues to become bigger with each encounter I have with Him directly and through others. There are so many wonderful avenues that so many others use. I'm prepared to be awed - and to borrow.

I am Mary H. - an American but have been living in the Netherlands, near Maastricht, for the past five years. Church is a very different experience over here, much more of a private matter than in the US. Most weeks, we go to an English language Mass in the crypt of the local cathedral. Interesting...but that's about it. I have missed the sense of community. The Creighton daily reflections website has been my "connection" for the past several years and I am very grateful for it. I have always been involved in the life of the church, even in the midst of struggles with the faith. A couple of years ago I discovered a Jesuit retreat house in Belgium and have been attending their school of contemplative prayer. Fantastic! Wonderful! But in French I can only enter in to a point. So, I am looking forward to sharing my faith and sharing in others' faith journey through this reading group.

I am married with four children and one son-in-law. I love to cook, travel, read, knit and take long walks in this beautiful South Limburg countryside. I have just stopped working and am taking some quiet time off before starting a Master's program in Library Science in January. Perfect timing for this book group. God's timing, perhaps?!

I'm Catherine, and I live in Dorchester, Massachusetts. I am married 25 years and Ihave 2 daughters, ages 21 and 16.
I have been a member of St. Mark's parish for over 7 years.I am a Eucharistic Minster and I schedule the Eucharistic ministers. I am a leader of an adult faith formation group and I am currently enrolled in a lay ministry program at St. John's Seminary in Brighton. It is called, MAM ( Masters of Arts in Ministry). I heard about Creighton from one of my formation leaders who is graduate from Creighton's program for lay ministry. I am looking forward to being apart of the reading group.

My name is Danny. I grew up and graduated H.S. in Texas and will always consider it home. I, my wonderful wife and three beautiful daughters now live in Colorado Springs, Colorado. I retired in September from the USAF after 22 years. I am a cradle Catholic with a booming voice. I feel God gave this gift/cross to me to be a voice for HIM. I am really driven to know more about the Church and love apologetics. I do not read a lot but love talks on CD. This is a chance to for me to step out and grow.

My name is Freya; I am 61 yrs old and live in Warwickshire, England, which has many connections with Shakespeare. I have recently returned to the Church after a three year intense foray into Zen Buddhism and I have also practiced Transcendental Meditation on and off for 30 years. Since returning to the Church I have increasingly realized how Buddhist teachings/spirituality can inform a greater understanding of traditional Christian spirituality. Over the years I have discovered that Jesuits are one of the religious orders who are prepared, more than most, to explore “outside the box” and I have enjoyed the writings of Jesuit authors such as Gerard Hughes, Anthony de Mello and Robert Faricy.

I’m Annette who lives on a farm in North Central Missouri, about thirty miles north of Columbia. About a month after retiring in July, I volunteered to coordinate our parish confirmation program. When I found out the requirements of the program would take my life, and realizing I had no background working with teens, I became consumed by my inadequacies and fears. Then I saw the Online Ministries' ad for the fifty people who would read How Big Is Your God? I thought that perhaps this book and the program could make my God big enough to rescue me from me.

My name is Jean and I live in Greenbelt, Maryland. I was born almost 69 years ago on Thanksgiving Day and I’ve been a Pilgrim ever since. I am a deaf person retired, from almost 30 years of teaching undergraduate psychology at Gallaudet University in Washington, D.C. I am also an R.N. And I am a member of Christian Life Communities in permanent Diaspora.

I recently completed a Certificate in Spirituality from the online program at Saint Thomas University in Miami, Florida. I have been graced with the privilege of accompanying someone and supporting another through Annotation 19 using the Creighton online materials.

I have been really blessed in the past with annual Ignatian retreats at Guelph, Ontario, Canada and by being guided through a Annotation 19 retreat. I hope to continue sharing the great blessings and support I have received from so many people’s graced contemplation in action.

I currently live with a certified hearing dog and enjoy nature, reading, friendships, beginning Tai Chi and attempts at mindfulness.

I happily chose to join this book discussion because we still too often encounter explicit and implied church teaching, preaching and practice affirming what Rahner has described as the “god not worthy of belief”. My own life and prayer experiences have taught otherwise. It is a gift to be able to continue sharing with others in the area of spirituality. I also see it as a Eucharist of sorts, thanksgiving to and with the online Body of Christ so wonderfully expressed by the Creighton website participants and readers. Let us continue to live in His love.

My name is Sandy and I live in Cincinnati, Ohio. I have been a social worker for Catholic Charities 38 years, helping people to grow in their knowledge of themselves, so that they might experience God more fully in their lives. Spiritual growth is important to me, and I am more aware of what I "don't get" about faith and God, than what I "do" (get). I offered to be a part of the reading group because I think it will help me in being more aware of God's activity in my life as well as stretching me to grow in my faith and sharing it with others. I am married, to Pete, and enjoy cooking and eating, exercising, reading, and playing the piano. I am a Lector and Eucharistic Minister at St. Xavier Parish, where I also write the Prayers of the Faithful for Sunday Mass, and serve on the Parish Council. I look forward to meeting the other readers who are part of this group.

My name is Mary A. I am 86 years old, live alone and have just had successful right hip replacement. God has blessed me many times over, most recently with the care and love of children, grandchildren, siblings, friends, neighbors, home health care people and doctors and nurses. I am not a great thinker but would like to join your group in reading the book How Big Is Your God. Thank you.

My name is Isabel. I live in a city in the east part of The Netherlands near the German border.
I read about this initiative to start a reading group. I am interested in taking part. I was not brought up with a religion. Now as a 44 year old I am discovering my relationship with God by listening to "pray-as-you-go" and "daily reflections". I think reading, reflecting on this book and sharing that can help this process. The sample chapter also helped me to see the difference between a religion and my personal relationship with God which gives me freedom.

As with all things, those people, that spirit moved on, passed. The parish no longer has that kind of verve. I am now struggling financially, having been divorced, laid off from a good paying job, and fretting over a really old mother (97). I know, I KNOW, that God's spirit is no less with me now than at the time I was given so much. However, it is a real struggle for me to truly experience that feeling, that awareness. At the suggestion of a friend, I started reading the daily reflections on the Creighton website. It provides sustenance.

Just the title of the book, How Big is Your God, struck me when I read it. I thought - ah, the way to freedom. Perhaps, this time in my life is a gift so I will truly seek the kingdom of God and find it in my own soul - and not in finances, success, whatever. I have no less respect for the exigencies of finding work and having a decent wage. But I would like to experience this period of my life with the grace of knowing God even more deeply, deepen my faith and hope and not have all those wonderful teachings of the Gospel be a mere intellectual reflection - I want to experience it. I suspect this book will help me get there

My hope is that my participation in this group will lead me to recognize some of the ways in which I’ve become limited in my views – in the ways I think about God – and that I will begin to grow beyond those limits. Sharing my ideas – putting my thoughts into writing – will push me to be more reflective and to clarify my thoughts. I am very much looking forward to reading the ideas of the other group members and to learning and growing from their thoughts and experiences.

I am an 85 year old widow named Brenda and I live in Santa Rosa, California. The idea of this reading group appealed to me because I am finding myself struggling with my faith. I am a former elementary school teacher and administrator. My life has been full of spiritual classes, daily Mass and Scripture study. In my retirement years, I have taught Scripture and have written some of the lessons, but now I need something more.

We moved from Missoula, Montana, where I was part of a Jesuit parish that has been very active with the Exercises since 1994. I am a Spiritual Director for the SEEL retreat, directing the 19th Annotation. Billings does not have a Jesuit parish or the SEEL program here. We do have one Jesuit Priest here who is the Hospital chaplain. Little by little, I have been offering the 19th annotation retreat. I recognize that I can only accomplish this by the grace of God and the guidance of the Holy Spirit. I don’t know what He has in store for us as we take these baby steps to begin this program here. I just know that I believe and trust that He is the ultimate Director and the ultimate guide for us.

I'm Crystal and I live in California. I became a Catholic about ten years ago after being an agnostic most of my life, but it wasn't until I made Creighton University's Online Retreat for Everyday Life a few years later that I had a conversion experience. Since then I've been working on a relationship with Jesus/God - it's a continuous struggle, given my doubts both about God and myself, but it means a lot to me. I think the book/reading group will be helpful.

My name is Tricia. I live in San Antonio, Texas.
I am a proud member of the newest parish in San Antonio, which is "The Shrine of St. Padre Pio". My family and I were at our first Mass (in the elementary school cafeteria, where I teach) almost 7 years ago and have enjoyed every step along the way in building our faith community. The ACTS retreats have been a huge part of our parish and family life and I'm hoping that I can work on the "A" for Adoration and the "T" for Theology through this reading group. I'm doing pretty well with the "C" for Community and the "S" for Service, since there's always somewhere to help in a new parish, and lots going on with an amazing group of people. I am very blessed!

My name is Marj. I live in Eureka, Illinois -- a small town of 4,500 about 3 hours southwest of Chicago. I have been married for 34+ years to Jim and am the mother of 7 -- 4 grown, 1 in college and 2 teens at home. I am proud of being a "Cradle Catholic" and of my religious education through me local parish growing up. I spent 20 years involved in religious education programs in my parish and diocese. My husband and 3 of my children introduced me to Jesuit Education and Ignatian Spirituality. When I was looking for ways of growing spiritually, I found Creighton Collaborative Ministries. I have started my reading the reflections there almost every morning for years. This chance to interact with others seems like a good next step. I think I will learn so much from the others in the group! Not only that, but the title of the book, How Big Is Your God?, really sold me as I have thought a lot about the limitations we put on God.