MSI Press Blog

  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...

  Excerpt from  A Believer-in-Waiting  by Elizabeth Mahlou.  To the Reader My first intent was to call this book Hierophany and Contemplation because that is how my life with God has unfolded. However, the more time I have spent writing this book, the clearer it has become that a simpler title would serve better. That is when I remembered the appellation given to me by friends in Jordan a few years ago: believer in waiting. They refused to accept my professions of atheism and chose instead to view me as a lost lamb whom God would scoop up sooner or later, which, indeed, God did. Along with scooping me up, God gave me the task of writing. Although I did not gunderstand what that task was to encompass, I did know that this writing was not to be more of the professional books I publish but rather writing for the glory of God and especially for those who might also be lost lambs, believers in waiting, souls chased by the Hound of Heaven, or whatever other label one ...

  Dr. Elizabeth Mahlou, author of Blest Atheist , her conversion story (abbreviated here ), says she had two goals in the writing of this book. One, perhaps obvious, to any reader was to continue her conversion story after the immediate first weeks. The second, not obvious to any reader not in her personal circle, was the telling of a true story of evil, one that greatly disturbed her and some of her closest friends and one that was played out on a deeply spiritual level that is seldom discussed because many, if not most, people do not encounter such things, or if they do, do not recognize the spiritual warfare going on.  Elizabeth changed all the names and other details, such as location, professions, and organizations involved in this spiritual battle, which forms the hidden core and major prompt for this book--something the casual reader, or even perhaps the more intuitive reader, would notice. For those involved in the warfare, however, it did not matter that names were ch...

  Recently released - the audiobook for A Believer-in-Waiting's Firs Encounters with God  by Elizabeth Mahlou. A Believer in Waiting's First Encounters with God allows readers an entrée into the world of what might be called a modern-day mystic, a world where spirituality, contemplation, hierophany, and miracles unite. Good, evil, suffering, darkness, unknowing, and the unconditional love of God are the leitmotifs that bind the author's experiences from the physical world to the spiritual realm. For more posts about Dr. Mahlou and her books, click  HERE . Paperback copies of this book can be purchased at the  MSI Press webstore   at 25% discount with coupon code FF25. Want to buy this book and not have to pay for it? Ask your local library to purchase and shelve it. Sign up for the MSI Press LLC monthly newsletter (recent releases, sales/discounts, awards, reviews, Amazon top 100 list, author advice, and more -- stay up to date)   Follow MSI Press on ...

  Recently released: E-book version of A Believer-in-Waiting's First Encounters with God : congratulations are offered to author Dr. Elizabeth Mahlou . Book description: A Believer in Waiting's First Encounters with God allows readers an entrée into the world of what might be called a modern-day mystic, a world where spirituality, contemplation, hierophany, and miracles unite. Good, evil, suffering, darkness, unknowing, and the unconditional love of God are the leitmotifs that bind the author's experiences from the physical world to the spiritual realm. Paperback available at 25% discount with coupon code FF25 at MSI Press webstore . For more posts about Elizabeth and her books, click HERE . LLC newsletter Follow MSI Press on  Twitter ,  Face Book , and  Instagram .   Interested in publishing with MSI Press LLC? Check out information on  how to submit a proposal . Interested in receiving a free copy of this or any MSI Press LLC book  in exchange for...

This excerpt comes from the section of A Believer-in-Waiting's First Encounters with God that talks about God's protection even while being an atheist. Puerto Rico Not only do I feel protected, but also I have no explanation for why I am here today other than having been protected in the past. Whether it is dreamily walking in front of cars—growing up on a Maine farm without much in the way of roads probably contributes to that habit—or being placed in harm’s way due to my occupation, I seem to escape injury regularly.        In 1980, my reserve unit had been called to active duty in Puerto Rico to replace sailors who had been attacked, wounded, and killed on the way home from the night shift at a military post. My unit, considered one of the most ready in the reserves at that time, was activated to fill in the decimated ranks until those wounded returned to duty and those killed replaced. I left my graduate studies and university teaching p...

  Excerpt from A Believer-in-Waiting's First Encounters with God --  The Letter I once wrote a rather nasty note to an interim priest. He said something negative about our previous parish priest during Mass, in the presence of that priest, something that was not true and clearly hurt our former priest’s feelings. It was an attempt by the interim priest to make a joke, but it fell flat. The inappropriateness of it stirred feelings of indignation within me. (There we go with judgment! Who am I to judge? Yet I did!) I decided to write an irate letter, something that is generally out of character for me when it comes to priests. I highly value all the priests in my life and am grateful for them and to them, and I certainly do not expect them to be perfect. In this case, though, I was certain that I had the high road, and I explained all my concerns to the interim priest in four written pages! As I folded the letter to mail it, I felt a twinge out of nowhere, a strong feeling tha...