Upon My Soul

Soul is a word in common use, yet it is rarely understood. What is your soul up to? Dr John Stewart’s book encourages you to reflect on your own life journey and enjoy these soul rewards -- a more balanced life, enjoyment of nature, managing big and small changes, facing inevitable ageing and death, accepting the mysteries of life, enhancing sexual enjoyment, knowing the soul of your family, finding soul friends, and knowing where you are going through reflecting on your past.

This is an inspirational text. Inspirational in the sense of challenging the reader to access their own life arch and the places where the numinous divine has touched that life, challenged it and prodded it to its own unique greatness and gift. This soulful little volume invites you to take it to bed and it will be waiting for your eager return when you wake up. John paints his own unique story-skin as a vibrant memoir legacy of his highly unique and Personalist life journey. And, maybe best of all, this book likes to pun, make jokes, and poke fun at itself. --Terrill L. Gibson, Ph.D.

In his long and creative life, John Stewart has had many successful careers: as a pastor, executive director of three new non-governmental organizations, pastoral therapist, Christmas tree farmer and author. In each of his careers a main focus was on the training of volunteers who would assist professionals in a variety of community services. Since his retirement in 1986 he established and managed Santa’s Realtree Farm, a company through which he marketed his trees in New England. His first book Emotional First Aid Manual is a support tool for volunteer helpers. It was co-published with the Canadian Mental Health Association. Following some revisions the book was published in Great Britain under the title Helper’s Handbook. At the age of ninety he has a few projects in his bucket list. He would like to return to New Zealand and Australia to reflect on his former experiences there. He is planning to paddle and portage a 116 kilometre long canoe trip around the Bowron Lakes circuit in Central British Columbia.