Customer Reviews

Just as You Are: Opening Your Life to the Infinite Love of God

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Fr. Paul Coutinho S.J., with his book "Just as You Are", has added a whole new dimension to my life. Being a "cradle Catholic" and what one may consider "faith filled" for over 70 years, I was surprised and delighted after reading this book. I can't remember ever doubting God's love for me, but now I see and feel His love in an entirely new light. God is no longer just "out there" for me. I am actually experiencing Him as my "beloved". In sharing his personal experiences and telling inspiring stories enhanced by his Eastern heritage, Fr. Paul Coutinho has stimulated a new and glorious union with the Divine. I'm in love!!!!! I have found new romance in my life. Personalising God's love for me, allowing Him to seduce me and finding God in unlikely places has added a youthful excitement to each and every day. Suddenly the whole world looks brighter. Each person I encounter is more precious and more beautiful. With Fr. Paul Coutinho's genius and incredible ability to verbalize the outppouring of the Holy Spirit, I have found a thrilling liberation, deep appreciation, admiration and pure joy in each new day.

Reading this book left me feeling ever more aware of God's infinite love for me. Fr. Paul speaks of God's love with tremendous insight and compassion. It it very personal. I feel understood and accepted in my struggles as I journey on my spiritual path. I have an increased sense of confidence that my romance with God will allow me to live life more fully as a Divine heir.

I have Paul Coutinho's book "How Big is Your God" as well as "Just as You Are". These books are wonderful for meditation time as well as being informational. Paul shares his spiritual journey with us but he does not try to convert us to his point of view. His eastern approach is refreshing and has put me in touch with a loving Creator. I give this book to many people but I do not give away my personal copy.

Fr Paul Coutinho's treasure of a personal story how he encountered God's pure love which early Christians described as Agape. Fr Paul's frst book, How Big is Your God, hints at the elements of this love, but never explores the kind of mouth opening and awestruck at the depth and purity of his encounter with God's direct and personal love. A type of love so deep and pure that it crushes our hearts with emotion. Perhaps this is why God protects us from all but incidental direct connection to His light and Holiness. Our hearts could not withstand the depths of His true love without being prepared.

For many years I have searched for a contemporary narrative explaining and exploring this pure love. Perhaps because so few people have reached this vision, and it is so intensely personal and overwhelming, nay make that life changing, to have a personal encounter with God's light of purelove, that this book is so cherished and treasured. In so ways, there is very little religion here. It is pure Christian Spirituality in the finest sense of the word.

I highly recommend that reader's coming at this subject without a direct personal spirtual encounter may want to read the companion books How Big Is Your God, before jumping into "Just as You Are". They stand apart, but reading the other book first gives one the true sense of Fr Paul's personal encounter of the divine and his writings to explain the depth of his own sprituality and love of God. I pray that Fr Paul continues to write for many years. I am decidely waiting for the third books of this series. An amazing man and an amazing priest!

When I finished reading Just As You Are, my initial inclination was to buy numerous copies to give to friends/family who would benefit from Paul Coutinho's words. That never works, so all I could do was be grateful that this book had been written, that I had read it, and allow God to take over.

Coutinho is honest in revealing his personal journey towards falling in love with the Divine. He reveals how he came to love himself by discovering his mantra: I am precious, beautiful and important; and finding his true identity, seeing himself created by and in God, based in Sacred Scripture. He began to fall deeper in love with God, with himself and with others. Most importantly for the reader, Coutinho leads her toward practical and believable ways of being in a romance with God, and an understanding of prayer and its role.

One of my favorite lines is this: "Being so in love with the Divine that lives in us, we are able to accept ourselves at the core of our being, with our light and our shadow, with that which is bright and that which is dark, with our strengths and our weaknesses--and we feel good, we feel happy to be ourselves. We don't want to be anybody else." (Page 151)

Just As You Are is full of good, great news. In 2008, Coutinho's last book, How Big Is Your God? received the Eric Hoffer Book Award in the category of Self-Help/Spirituality. Just As You Are is also worthy of this honor.

Excellent book with powerful truths and guidance for a more personal spiritual relationship with God and self. Easy to read and grabs one's attention to want to do what he is talking about.

This is a very special book; easy to read by an author who keeps his words simple yet brings all the truths to our heart and mind. He shows us the way to incorporate the love of God into our heart and soul in an ongoing relationship with Him and the Holy Trinity. In so doing, he helps us to understand the vital need for all people to spread this love so that we recognize our common human bonds and the possibility of real love and peace in our lives and the lives of our fellow beings. He brings forth the knowledge that God is for all of us in whatever way we choose to celebrate Him; whether it be Muslim, Christian, Jew, or any faith. God is in us all.

This book gets right to the point and says what I have been wanting to hear for years

Fr. Coutinho just has a way of getting down to the basics of spirituality. Both of his books have touched me and given me ideas for improving in my spiritual life and drawing closer to the Divine Presence.

This book is fantastic. It is such a refreshing look at Christianity. There is a strong Eastern influence in the philosophy which adds to its richness. For anyone struggling with the limited nature of the institutional church, this book will be a breath of fresh air.