"In the Wild Places" Released!

"Walking through the trees, sunlight finding its way to the forest floor amidst the birds singing and the wind whistling, gazing out into blue sky above the rolling hills below — these are the wild places. I have spent a great deal of time here in recent years: walking the dirt trails, wading in the streams and breathing in the rich pine aroma of what I am sure is one of the most beautiful places God created on this earth.

I come here to hear God laughing, calling my name, or giving me a word of encouragement, a sense of the larger picture that I need in order to regain a wider perspective on what is truly important in this life. Out in the fresh open air, I breathe deeply, digging down into the rich soil, now a regular rhythm beating in my life which I have come to dearly treasure. For it is in this place I feel my soul is truly home. This wilderness has become my sanctuary.

In the Wild Places, the third installment of the poetry trilogy, speaks to this larger picture, this deeper sense of who God is outside our church walls, of the Divine light we see shining from our eyes, God’s power pulsating in our every step. It’s a place where nothing is mundane, where everything is sacred, and nothing is left outside the cares of God."

These are the opening words in the introduction of In the Wild Places, released on November 21, 2012. It's the book I have wanted to write for a long time. The words I get to say, the reasons I say them, they are living truths breathed out onto the pages through a lived life, and hopefully, not just by me.

Written over the last seven years, illustrated, finished, and layed out over the last six months, it has been a labor of love filled with delight, struggle, stress, passion, decisions, meetings, and fun. It has truly been an honor to write this book. I hope it speaks to the people who read it. I hope they are challenged, comforted, and encouraged. The wild places are my metaphor for being with a God who can never be caught or understood, only engaged with and encountered. God is wild. God haunts us, calls our names when we least expect it, manages us when we need it, and teaches us what it means to be deeply free. But we can't define God, not in any ultimate truth anyway. We can try to describe God with our words and I do try, but I write knowing God is beyond the words. No matter what expression I choose, I am trying to express the inexpressible and though I know I fall short as we all do, the journey of trying is a remarkable one and full of adventure. And along the way, I hope and pray I have at least pointed to a way of being where we let God be wild, let God be who God is and to live with a wider perspective, able to see more of God's movements in that Divine dance. I can tell you for certain God is personal, God cares, and God loves. Though it isn't always easy for us to see or feel it, these things I know to be true. Even God's love is wild but I have tasted it, it is seared in my mind and out of those experiences, walking in the wildness of God, that is the place from which I lifted my voice, rasised my pen, and released In the Wild Places.

The book is available for sale and I can ship them to you.

Price List:

Poetry Trilogy (Listed in order):
Learning to Fly                        $12.95
In His Eyes                               $12.95
NEW!  In the Wild Places      $12.95

Advent Devotional:
Encountering the Holy                $6.00

SPECIAL!!!
Buy any combination of three or more books in the trilogy such as one of each title , three of one title, or any combination you come up with, and you get each book for $10! Great for gift giving or reading the entire trilogy together.

And if you buy three or more of the books in the trilogy, you get Encountering the Holy: An Advent Devotional for just $5. Thus, you can get all four books for just $35 instead of $44.85!

I am able to ship books anywhere in the US for $3.99. Just add that onto your total. An order form will soon be posted on the publisher's website, there are already poetry samples posted, at SpiritWaterPublications.com, and I am also working on getting the book up on Amazon and at a couple of bookstores. For now, just contact me at katreen16@hotmail.com with what you would like. We'll arrange payment either through Paypal or you can mail me a check. You still have time to order before Christmas!

Praise for In the Wild Places

“In In the Wild Places, Sarah Katreen Hoggatt has provided us with a delightful and refreshing book of poems drawing us into the Wild Places where God’s presence is manifested. I loved its refreshing and deeply personal insights into the nature of God and God’s world. This is a great book for reflection and meditation!”
– Christine Sine, Author of  Return to Our Senses: Reimagining How We Pray.

“In the Wild Places can be likened to the experience of a good glass of wine — the earthy tones, the inebriating metaphors, the way one’s pace is slowed as each sip is imbibed. Every word gives off an aroma that allures the reader down a path — sometimes into the very arms of God and at other times to question the very depth of the soul. This is no ordinary book of poems, but a cellar of poetic maturing wines ready to tantalize our taste buds, give new flavor to our spiritual journey, and allow us to get intoxicated on the deeper meanings of life. Grab a glass, pour generously, and drink deeply — you are guaranteed to find yourself In the Wild Places.”
– Dr. Robert S. Henry, Pastor of Silverton Friends Church, Silverton, Oregon.

“Sarah Katreen Hoggatt’s poems articulate her relationship with God, others, and nature in authentic language and images readers will find engaging and easy to identify with. Her conversational style invites us to explore our own inner terrain imaginatively and honestly.”
– Becky Thomas Ankeny, Superintendent, Northwest Yearly Meeting.

“A gifted and creative author, Sarah’s deep faith will inspire you, deepening your spiritual walk. Excelling in finding God in all manner of places, by studying these poems, we are pulled out of our self-absorption and turned toward being God-absorbed. I find myself humbled and surprised by the insight Sarah shares; this book will be a part of my devotional material as I strive to get closer to God.”
– Rich Stoffan, Pastor of Phoenix First Church of the Nazarene, Phoenix, Arizona.