Customer Reviews

Shelter for the Spirit: Create Your Own Haven in a Hectic World

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

i bought this book thinking this was, yet another, organization book that would turn me from disorganized to organized. .....but it wasn't....it was truly inspiring! no it did not tell me how to organize specific things...like other books. it told me how to make a "home". it told me how to separate the necessary from the unessary belongings in my life. there were spiritual messages but not from one dogma. the author uses suggstions from many cultures for u to choose what works for you. its a truly beautiful book with many beautiful ideas. just reading it made me feel good.

I stumbled onto this book during a search for, of all things, some decorating tips! What a fantastic and fortunate accident. The author delivers warm and wonderful suggestions for simplifying your life, finding joy in your surroundings and remaking your home into a spiritual and supportive environment. Check this out--and share it with others!

I feel like this book has changed me and changed my life - for the better! This book is exactly what I needed in my life at this moment. Victoria Moran has written more than a "how to keep house" book here - she has written a book that can help each of us fully enjoy our lives. She gives wonderful insight on things we can do to change our lives from hectic, frantic, and stressed out to serene and full of joy. Her suggestions are all "DO-able" suggestions - requiring nothing more major than a change of attitude. I am so grateful to Ms. Moran for writing this book - it has touched me deeply and I feel that my life will be much more appreciated from now on. I plan to sit down and re-read this book every year or so from now on to remind myself of what is REALLY important and to keep my priorities in line.

I loved this book so much that I just purchased eight copies to give every single one of my best girlfriends & treasured family members - I wish I could buy a copy for everyone in the whole world!

I went to the bookstore looking for interior deisgn books but I ended up with this book instead. It is much more than how to create space you feel comfortable in -- it is helpful ideas about how to create a home in whatever space you live in. The book also includes advice on how to enjoy everyday tasks -- like cleaning, etc. What a breath a fresh air. I didn't need any interior design books after reading this book. I create my own ideas.

Ann Marie M. Andrews
West Harrison, NY

I enjoyed this book a great deal but read it after I had tackled some other books dealing with homemaking and simplifying your life. The author gives a great overview of how crazy our lives have become and some good general ideas for setting a more sane pace in our homes. I think I was looking for more specific ideas, like those in Home Comforts, by Cheryl Mendelsohn, but this book reinforced the ideas that started me on this path a few months ago. I very much want to pass it on to some friends who have lost sight of the importance of home. I think a great follow-up, for anyone interested, would be Simple Abundance by Sara Ban Breathnach (spelling?). She provides specific actions and steps you can take over the course of a year to achieve the goals Victoria Moran outlines in Shelter.

I got this on tape from the library, and she reads it herself-- it was the most awesome book I ever read (had read to me!) last year! I still haven't topped it this year. I am so impressed, I really loved it. I recommeded that out LLL group get it for our library. We are a homeschooling family, and because we spend so much time in our home (we are like soccer moms, but all day long, in and out, stuff all over!), so the clutter drives me nuts sometimes. Knowing that she too was a homeschooling mom (and single parent at that-- brave mom!) it made me feel better that she could know true clutter and still find her home to be a haven. I would reccomend this as tops to anyone. Good job to the author!

I have read many books on organization and simplifying your life and this is one of the best because of the melding of many spiritual traditions with practical advice. Truly something for anyone.

I have read this book through many times and appreciate the messages every time. It is also a book that I give as gifts to friends (a great housewarming gift) because it is not preachy, it is an easy read, and it gets to the heart of our connection between the outer world and our inner spirit.

I have purchased this book three times and gave copies to good friends. I have one for myself. Home is important and it doesn't depend on having fashionable and dust-free furniture. Whether one is creating a home for one-self, a child, a pet, a family, or any combination, it's the spirit that makes the home. If all you have is peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, invite your friends and make it a celebration.

I read this after thoroughly reveling in her other book, Leading a Charmed Life. This one was more work to get through, since it's not in the one-thought-to-a-page format of Charmed Life.
The ideas appeal (learn to meditate, relate housekeeping to nurturing yourself rather than as a chore, etc.)
The author shows her own struggle to develop her spirit and find a peaceful haven in her home. Too many Americans think that buying stuff will bolster their ego and erase feelings of deficiency. Save yourself a bundle of money and wasted time in the stores. Read some of Moran's books and find more satisfying ways to enrich your life.