  Spiritual
This week: The Noticer Edited by: Shannon  
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Welcome to the Spiritual Newsletter. I am Shannon and I'm your guest editor this week. |
| ASIN: B07RKLNKH7 |
Product Type: Kindle Store
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Amazon's Price: $ 0.99
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On August 22 I started reading a book titled The Noticer by Andy Andrews. Amazon.com describes the book as follows:
"Orange Beach, Alabama, is a simple town filled with simple people. But like all humans on the planet, the good folks of Orange Beach have their share of problems--marriages teetering on the brink of divorce, young adults giving up on life, business people on the verge of bankruptcy, as well as the many other obstacles that life seems to dish out to the masses.
Fortunately, when things look the darkest, a mysterious man named Jones has a miraculous way of showing up. An elderly man with white hair, of indiscriminate age and race, wearing blue jeans, a white T-shirt and leather flip flops carrying a battered old suitcase, Jones is a unique soul. Communicating what he calls 'a little perspective,' he explains that he has been given a gift of noticing things that others miss. 'Your time on this earth is a gift to be used wisely,' he says. 'Don't squander your words or your thoughts. Consider even the simplest action you take, for your lives matter beyond measure ... and they matter forever.'
Jones speaks to that part in everyone that is yearning to understand why things happen and what we can do about it.
Like The Traveler's Gift, The Noticer is a unique narrative blend of fiction, allegory, and inspiration in which gifted storyteller Andy Andrews helps us see how becoming a 'noticer' just might change a person's life forever."
I was so intrigued by the story that I Googled the author and found out that much of the story is based on truth: Andy Andrews really did lose both of his parents when he was 19-years-old (his mom died of cancer and his dad was killed in a car accident), he really did live under a bridge, he really did meet an old man named Jones--not Mr. Jones, just Jones, and Jones really did call himself "a noticer." In the book, Jones makes his rounds from a homeless teenager to a grieving widow to a corrupt businessman to a divorcing couple, all the while offering wisdom and advice applicable to us all. I began to consider how his insights could better my own life and relationships. The story was on my mind every waking minute, and I couldn't wait to get back to it.
I finished The Noticer on August 23, less than 24 hours after I started it. I worked that day, and on my lunch break I drove to a nearby stream for a stroll. As I was driving through the subdivision that leads to the stream I saw something out of the corner of my eye and thought, Did I really just see that? No way! so I turned around to get a better look. It was there, alright: someone had scratched "JONES" into one of the wood fences, and I just HAD to memorialize the moment with this snapshot.
Let me reiterate: I've lived in Boise for 11 years. I walk that path every single day that I work. "JONES" wasn't there on August 21, the day before I started the book, but it was there on August 23, the day I finished it.
I was kind of dumbstruck. I posted the photo and the story behind it on my Instagram and Facebook accounts. Some of the responses I received were, "What a neat story," "Wow," "Synchronicity means you are on the right path," "A message from the universe," "Interesting," "That's pretty cool," "Very cool!!!!" "Weird!!!!!" "Oh, Cool!" "Very interesting!" "Love it," "Things do happen for a reason," and "The Noticer likes to be noticed, too. He should thank you for the memory."
Nothing this bizarre, this ... uncanny, has ever happened to me before. Seeing "JONES" etched into that fence has inclined me to notice more, and it's rendered me a little more apt to believe in everyday miracles.
Have you experienced the miraculous? Have you encountered something that just seemed too good or too weird to be true? If so, I'd love to hear about it! Send your responses to me in an email using 1,000 words or less. The author of my favorite entry will receive a Spiritual Merit Badge.
Good luck, and thank you for reading!
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I hope you enjoy this week's featured selections, and please remember to do the authors the courtesy of reviewing the ones you read. Thank you, and have a great week!
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Have an opinion on what you've read here today? Then send the Editor feedback! Find an item that you think would be perfect for showcasing here? Submit it for consideration in the newsletter!
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The following is in response to "Spiritual Newsletter (August 8, 2012)" :
Jeff  says, "Wonderful NL, Shannon! I generally consider myself pretty easy going and don't hold a lot of grudges... but even I struggle to let go of negativity when I'm in a bad place or when it's something that's really hurt me. It can be difficult to let go of those feelings, but once you do, it really is like a weight has been lifted. And I echo your husband's sentiments. I HATE garage sales... going to them and especially hosting them. I've even donated some pretty valuable stuff to the Salvation Army and Goodwill, just to avoid the experience of haggling with garage sale vultures.  " Yeah, I think next time I'll pile everything into the back of my car and haul it off to the Idaho Youth Ranch (IYR is like Goodwill or Salvation Army). It was a learning experience, though: I learned I never want to host another garage sale! 
Mike  says, "Thanks so much for the uplifting comments. I have been flipping a house in another town and have found a lot of stuff to be thrown away. We have to get rid of the clutter if we ever expect to move on. Thanks." Thank YOU for taking the time to read and comment. Best of luck on the flip; I feel your pain. 
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Spiritual: August 29, 2012 Issue [#5213]
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