Make Room for God: Clearing Out the Clutter [Paperback]

Susan K. Rowland (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 30, 2007

If you feel lost in our cultural wilderness, in clutter, collecting, consuming, working, worrying and waiting for something better, I wrote this book for you. I have been lost, too. God has shown me a way out. This book is a bit of bright orange paint pointing to the path toward home. Let s walk it together.
From the Introduction

Susan Rowland shares with us her time- and experienced-tested methods that will help us simplify and unclutter our lives, and most importantly, our spirits. She tackles everything from how to let go of the extra stuff we just can t seem to live without to the feelings of discontent, disconnect, anger, jealousy, abandonment and bitterness that seem to equally possess us.

In five comprehensive sections Self-Care Without Clutter, An Environment Without Clutter, Productivity Without Clutter, A Spirit Without Clutter and A God Without Clutter Rowland takes us on her own journey of self-discovery and self-simplifying. She reveals how she de-toxed from the societal pressure to do constantly and to have insatiably, and most importantly, how, in the process of letting go of so much clutter, she became stronger, healthier and more spiritually cleansed with plenty of room for God.

Editorial Reviews

Review

...a live-in life coach that is ready to serve you anytime, doesn t have to be fed and doesn t require a room of its own. --Catholic Book Award 2008

About the Author

SUSAN K. ROWLAND received her B.A. in pastoral ministry from Walsh University, North Canton, Ohio. She was a reporter and feature writer for The Catholic Exponent, the diocesan newspaper for the Youngstown, Ohio, diocese. She is a freelance writer, speaker and adult catechist in Mesa, Arizona, and the proud mother of three sons Anthony, Matthew and Michael. Make Room for God earned a second place Catholic Book Award for first-time author of a book from the Catholic Press Association of the United States and Canada. She is also the author of Healing After Divorce: Hope for Catholics.

Product Details

• Paperback: 130 pages
• Publisher: St. Anthony Messenger Press (January 30, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0867167785
• ISBN-13: 978-0867167788
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.5 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #924,184 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

33 of 33 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Journey Out of Depression, April 30, 2007

By 

Carol Blank (USA) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Make Room for God: Clearing Out the Clutter (Paperback)

In the year 2000, the author found herself alone and deeply depressed, her life "collapsing under the clutter." The self-help books she consulted were of some use, but missing the element of faith. Over time, with the help of friends, a spiritual director, and a Christian psychologist she was able to change her perspective about the meaning of life. In Make Room for God, Rowland shares the lessons she learned as God led her out of the clutter. "This book is a bit of bright orange paint pointing toward the path home," she writes.

She encourages us to approach the lessons as a journey, beginning with an overall read, then returning to topics of special interest, spending up to 40 days on each. She urges patience with self and God, making small changes, and celebrating accomplishments.

The book is formatted in nineteen chapters divided into five sections on getting rid of clutter in relation to (1) self-care, (2) our environment, (3) productivity, (4) our spirit, and (5) our relationship with God. Most chapters close with suggested activities. For example, Kicking the Worry Habit includes directions for making a "God jar" to hold little notes about worries we are handing over to God. The creativity exercise is a list of ten simple things we could do now to release more creativity in our lives. To get the juices flowing, Rowland provides a dozen or so ideas such as repotting a plant, writing a letter by hand, and making soup.

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars informative, May 19, 2008

By 

S. Armstrong "reading mom" (Jasper, IN USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Make Room for God: Clearing Out the Clutter (Paperback)

This was an easy read. It has a lot of informative, good suggestions to make your life simpler and focused on what is most important.

5.0 out of 5 stars Glad I Found and Bought This Book, July 27, 2011

By 

J&J - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Make Room for God: Clearing Out the Clutter (Kindle Edition)

I was almost hesitant to purchase this book because of the low ratings other reviewers gave that I didn't understand why. As soon as I purchased the Kindle version of Make Room for God: Clearing Out the Clutter, I immediately skimmed through it, lingering in sections I found helpful or relevant to me, and reminded myself to read again in detail from the beginning. I think this is one book I'll be referring to quite often. Lately I've been leaning towards a more minimalist lifestyle and had always been in search of a book about decluttering, simplicity and time management that's also Catholic and this seems to be what I was looking for. The book is organized pretty well and addresses just about everything I expected I would need advice on simplifying (often wishing for more on the subject but of course, the author kept it simple). I liked the Evacuation Game she uses to help decide which things to get rid of that we don't need or love. I never really understood how to keep the Sabbath, but this book explains it in detail. I really like how she starts the book with removing clutter from our physical environment before tackling the clutter that hinders our emotional and spiritual atmosphere. Just like the book's title says, once the physical clutter is cleared, only then can we find more time for things that really do matter like our health, relationships, and most importantly, God. I've been struggling with finding time for prayer as well as my loved ones because of all the clutter around me but I think with the help of this book if I read from beginning to end and follow everything suggested, I'll finally have the simple life I've been longing for.