The things with which we do not want to part may have little or no monetary value. We treasure them not as possessions but as memory banks to retain when life loses its meaning and we feel as unstable as twigs tossing wildly on a stormy sea. These precious keepsakes remind us that life may look chaotic but that there is a plan to it. Keepsakes influence the way we view the connection between what we do and who we are. Each of us has known on some level the longing to be a free spirit whose self-sacrificing ways are worthy of emulation. Without in the least forfeiting the uniqueness of our call, we do what we can to advance the common good. A life like this, full of meaning, makes every keepsake an epiphany of sorts. It proves to us, despite onslaughts of doubt, that there is a hopeful thread binding our lives together. To touch these treasures is to come to the conclusion that we are not masters of our fate but servants of a mystery we may glimpse in time but never fathom totally. Muto has collected brief sayings by classical and contemporary spiritual writers whose words are keepsakes by anyone's standards.As Saint Augustine of Hippo once said, 'Feed your soul in divine readings; they will prepare for you a spiritual feast'. The volumes in NCP's 7 X 4 Series offer a meditation a day for four weeks, a bite of food for thought, a reflection that lets a reader ponder the spiritual significance of each and every day. Small enough to slip into a purse or coat pocket, these books fit easily into everyday routines.
