The US Review of Books commends “Soul Road: The Journey Home” by J.R. Canuel because the book “could easily enhearten and encourage others to begin their own journey”
You and I have been blessed with the priceless gift of being able to communicate with God. However, it can be difficult to worship God at times. God can seem distant at times. We don’t always recognize God’s goodness. However, when we fully pause and be in His presence, we discover that he is always worthy of praise, always accessible, and always good.
Barbara Bamberger Scott of the US Review of Books affirmed that J. R. Canuel, a devout Christian author, has compiled a year’s worth of poetic hymns for spiritual reflection in his book, “Soul Road: The Journey Home”. Each contribution is accompanied by a Bible verse that supports it. The works given have the “sound” of songs, with significant repetition and rhyme, allowing the reader to envisage them as a congregational sharing opportunity. Nonetheless, each one has a unique ability to reach into certain life situations due to its subject matter.
“His Beautiful Light,” for example, speaks of healing a broken heart, while “Goodbye” asks the reader to be born again by leaving all sin and doubt behind. The author requests God for comfort for his audience in various poems, such as “Always”: “I pray the grace of our Lord Jesus, / To be with you now.” The year of the book starts with a request for the Holy Spirit to “now live within.”
Meanwhile, November, the month of Thanksgiving, offers a number of commemorative thankfulness phrases, such as “So How Can I Ever Thank You”: “Only by Your salvation / I’m alive, yes I’m alive!” Christmas imagery and hopes abound throughout December, and the year ends with a promise: “I will Meet You with All the Angels.”
We don’t always know what to say to God. We’re confident that we can tell Him anything. However, there are times when we can’t manage to arrange our emotions, package them neatly, and offer them to God. God, on the other hand, isn’t searching for clean, tidy packages. He’s only interested in our hearts. These offered poems are like prayers that will help you connect with God when things are difficult.
Here’s an excerpt from the review written by the US Review of Books’ Barbara Bamberger Scott that highlights:
“Canuel’s call as a writer is on full display in this work. He is careful to credit several companions with contributing special impetus and inspiration for composing this year-long trek down the eponymous “Soul Road.” His skill as a spiritual wordsmith is apparent in every entry, and readers will sense through these rhythmic ruminations the writer’s struggles and triumphs as each new day dawns. His book could easily enhearten and encourage others to begin their own journey, with this volume as a daily guide.”