Endorsements

The Heart of the Journey

The Book

“I always want to learn from someone's life’s work, particularly if that learning can shape my own spiritual journey. That's what Beverly Peterson's book feels like, while reading: learning from a master who has put in decades of practice to develop practical ideas and tools for healing and transformation that go well beyond the simplistic or cliché.”

Mark Oestreicher
Speaker, author, founder of The Youth Cartel

“From the very start I felt myself being immersed in the warm waters of a deep love, allowing my pains, griefs, confusions, and weariness to be washed, rested, and healed. Beverly’s generous heart, formed through her wounds, the vacancies of love and security in her own upbringing, and transformed by a life long-lived in the presence of God allows her to be the perfect guide for us on this journey of our own transformation and healing. She reminds us that ‘God uses the pain and suffering of our lives to spiritually form us,’ and shows us how to directly enter into the love and presence of God where all healing takes place.”

Beth Allen Slevcove
Hospice chaplain, spiritual director and author of Broken Hallelujahs: Learning to Grieve the Big and Small Losses of Life

“Beverly Peterson is a master teacher and communicator. She willingly shares personal life stories which introduce us to the ways God reveals His love for her and us, through scripture, mentors, and spiritual practices. I encourage you to choose to read this book and live a deeper life.”

Bryan Toth

“Beverly shares her personal journey towards wholeness and friendship with Jesus in a way that empowers me to make space to know myself and my creator more authentically. I am encouraged and emboldened to follow her lead, and pleased that others have will have that opportunity, as well.”

Jennevieve LaHaye

“God is always inviting us to MORE depth, intimacy, and soul satisfaction in relationship with Himself. Without a vision for the beauty of what is possible for us as Christ-followers, we often find ourselves prey to addictions, hopelessness, and fear. Beverly leads us through a journey of envisioning all that God has to offer, identifying the barriers that keep us from accessing the fullness of life with Him, and engaging in practices that guide us to wholeness and healing. I highly recommend The Heart of the Journey as a tool for discipleship and mentoring, as well as the road to move beyond what each one of us even thought possible in our experience of life with God. Invest in the journey! You won't regret it!”

Linda Noble
Author of Before the Sex Talk: A theology of the Body Approach for Parents and Mentors and discipleship director at Journey Community Church, La Mesa, CA

“This phenomenal book is filled with many engaging spiritual practices that draw one into an intimate relationship with God. Beverly’s heartwarming stories reveal how God heals our wounds created by life, slowly transforming us into our authentic true selves. Engaging in this journey will gently create a heart full of love, joy, and peace, along with the freedom to be the person God created you to be.”

Anne Richardson
Spiritual director and author of Not Alone: Transforming Trauma and Accompanying Survivors

“The Heart of the Journey is a must-read for anyone seeking a more intimate, abundant relationship with God, and with a willingness to come into the fullness of who we are in relationship to Him. Bev’s powerful, transparent, and often vulnerable storytelling from her own lived experience breathes life into the valuable teachings and practices embedded in each of the chapters, making them both relatable and applicable. This book is an ideal and insightful textual companion that will serve as a roadmap for followers hungry for a deeper understanding of God, not only for the seasoned disciple, but for those taking their first steps on the journey towards wholeness and spiritual transformation.”

Barbara Cope, MAT, MSW, LCSW

Heart of the Journey

Class offered at Journey Community Church (2007 - 2017)

“I was at a place in my spiritual journey where I felt a lack of zeal and excitement about my faith. I was encouraged by a mentor to join the Spiritual Practices group at my church led by Beverly and her husband Elroy. Drawing from scripture, tradition, and her appreciation for the arts, Beverly's kinesthetic teaching methods and spiritual formation practices nudged me from a surface-level faith into a realm that was more receptive to interacting with the Spirit of God. It's no wonder that those who take her workshops and classes often return again and again. Engaging with these practices give us a taste of the fullness of life with God and our journey towards wholeness.”

Damian Ludwig

“Attending Heart of the Journey was empowering and life-changing! I learned how deeply and unconditionally God loves us. Through the Prayer of Examen, I was able to trust the process of being vulnerable with God and with others on the journey with me.”

Becky Toth

“Heart of the Journey helped me connect with God in ways I had never experienced growing up in church. It allowed me to better embrace God’s unconditional love and acceptance in deeper and truer ways.”

Kevin Carlin

“I took the Heart of the Journey class with Bev at the beginning of my understanding of spiritual formation. Already a believer with a strong intimate relationship with Jesus, and a solid foundation in doctrine and theology, this class introduced me to the possibilities of creating space to experience Jesus in new ways. As I learned spiritual practices and ways to enjoy my relationshi9p with God and myself in creative and imaginative ways, I grew and had new skills to continue joyfully loving and living life with God.”

Rikah Thomas
Artist, biblical counselor, life/writing coach,
and author of God, Church, and Me

“I was blessed to take this walk with Bev as my teacher and mentor. I had the privilege of attending and working alongside Beverly Peterson in multiple Heart of the Journey classes. This class led me to a deeper and more purposeful walk with God. She used centuries-old, as well as uniquely-crafted spiritual practices to give me a framework to understand myself and God at a deeper level.”