MSI Press Blog

  What Is a Spiritual Memoir? A spiritual memoir is not a sermon. It’s not a self-help manual or a theological treatise. It’s a story—your story—told through the lens of spiritual awakening, searching, questioning, or transformation. At its heart, a spiritual memoir traces the arc of a person’s inner life. It explores how beliefs are formed, challenged, and reshaped over time. It may include moments of doubt, crisis, revelation, or quiet clarity. It often begins with a question—spoken or unspoken—and unfolds as the writer seeks meaning in the midst of ordinary or extraordinary circumstances. 🌀 What Makes It “Spiritual”? Spiritual memoirs aren’t confined to religious experiences. They might center on nature, art, illness, caregiving, grief, or recovery. What makes them spiritual is the presence of longing—for connection, for truth, for something beyond the self. They often wrestle with mystery, paradox, and the unseen forces that shape our lives. Some spiritual memoirs are ove...

  The MSI Press study guide series is a set of documents/posts prepared by authors to help readers take a deeper dive into and personal look at various MSI books.  Today's study guide is meant to accompany  A Believer-in-Waiting's Firs Encounters with God  by Elizabeth Mahlou. Book Description: A Believer in Waiting’s First Encounters with God invites readers into the intimate, often mysterious world of a modern-day mystic. In this powerful spiritual memoir, the author shares true stories of divine encounters, mystical experiences, and contemplative awakenings that bridge the physical world and the spiritual realm. From moments of awe-inspiring hierophany to quiet revelations born of suffering and unknowing, this book offers a unique perspective on what it means to encounter God in everyday life. Each chapter explores deep spiritual themes—good and evil, light and darkness, surrender and transformation—all woven together by the steady thread of God’s unconditional l...