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Roll Around Heaven: An All-True Accidental Spiritual Adventure
Chronicling nearly two decades of Jessica Maxwell's all-true accidental spiritual adventure and lled with astonishing stories, witty insights, and breathtaking revelations, Roll Around Heaven will surely inspire each reader to embrace the power of the divine in his or her own life. An adventure writer by trade, Jessica had never given God a second thought until, as she describes it, "He/She/It grabbed me by the ear, marched me into the divine principal's office, and told me to quit goofing off and start paying attention." On her amazing journey, Jessica travels the globe on magazine sporting assignments, only to end up talking about God with Islamic women in Dubai, chasing away evil spirits in a Himalayan hotel, and receiving Celtic revelations on the holy isle of Iona. Jessica soon learns that her earthbound goals are mere day hikes compared to her soaring ascent to heaven on earth. Spiced with humor, rich with original insight, tart with irreverence, and sweetened with compassion for the modern pilgrim, Roll Around Heaven offers readers a perfect recipe for spiritual success in a chronically baffling world.
292 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 14, 2009
25 people are currently reading
84 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 31 reviews
March 11, 2019
I was so excited with the concept of the author’s becoming a believer. At the beginning the author easily held my interest with her spiritual adventures and was well on her way to a four star rating. However, as the book went on it became disjointed and I quickly lost my willingness to try to track the multitude of spiritual roads less traveled. Political references, although few, were off-putting. There were still sufficient personal stories to hold my interest until the end but not enough to rate it higher.
May 29, 2014
I read this years ago. This was a book with little nuggets of 'ah ha' that I enjoyed. What I really enjoyed was meeting the author, that was a true gift.
May 3, 2019
Het boek lag al een poos bijna uitgelezen naast mijn bed. Het is een wonderlijk boek over religie, aura's, en allerlei spirituele zaken waarvan je je regelmatig achter de oren krabt.
August 10, 2010
Jessica Maxwell’s exuberant prose tumbles across the page like a whitewater raft, carrying the reader through the rapids, shallows, twists and turns of a pretty amazing life journey. This book has everything one could want: drama, adventure, romance, irreverent humor, spirituality and deep wisdom all woven through with magic… and it’s all true!
Have you ever had a coincidence, synchronicity, or –go on, say it – a miracle that changed your life? Well Jessica had a whole slew of them. The first few amazing happenings, like seeing her just-deceased father’s face in the clouds, caught her attention. Being a dyed-in-the-wool skeptic, however, it took a lot of effort and persistence on the part of the universe to nudge, badger and slam her onto the path back to God, enlightenment, Source, whatever you want to call it.
Roll Around Heaven describes the sometimes painful, but always amazing and even miraculous experiences that moved her from being militantly anti-religious to becoming what her spiritual mentor calls a holy woman – a mentor she calls the Holy Pig Farmer, and yes he does farm pigs.
Like many stories of personal transformation, it started with a cosmic 2 by 4 delivered squarely to the ego by 9/11. Work dried up, she lost her house, her marriage was down the pan...you know, everyday life. Being a journalist specializing in nature and adventures in far-flung places, Jessica was curious and open to experiences of all kinds. When something as weird as personalized cloud formations happened, she was determined to understand how and why. This fierce need to know magnetized some amazing teachers to her, including a handyman, a rabbi, swamis, gurus, ministers and a golf-playing Indian mystic.
She began to be able to see auras, like the aura of a major league pitcher extending out to the batter before striking him out and winning a playoff for the Seattle Mariners. Spanning dimensions of space and time, she was visited by orbs, angels and the energy bodies of Jesus, Ganesh the Hindu God, and a delightful centegenarian spinster who had just passed. She discovered first hand the incredible healing power of prayer, and the ineffable bliss of connection to all that is.
The fascinating thing about this journey is how universal were both her questions and the answers that presented themselves. It brought her back to a perception and love of God that would be at home in any religion true to its original spirit. The message of the book is that we are all brothers and sisters, and we can all know the bliss of God within if we just show up and ask. It is a message that is not preached, but shared as by an intimate friend, and given wings by wit, eloquence and a generous spirit.
Have you ever had a coincidence, synchronicity, or –go on, say it – a miracle that changed your life? Well Jessica had a whole slew of them. The first few amazing happenings, like seeing her just-deceased father’s face in the clouds, caught her attention. Being a dyed-in-the-wool skeptic, however, it took a lot of effort and persistence on the part of the universe to nudge, badger and slam her onto the path back to God, enlightenment, Source, whatever you want to call it.
Roll Around Heaven describes the sometimes painful, but always amazing and even miraculous experiences that moved her from being militantly anti-religious to becoming what her spiritual mentor calls a holy woman – a mentor she calls the Holy Pig Farmer, and yes he does farm pigs.
Like many stories of personal transformation, it started with a cosmic 2 by 4 delivered squarely to the ego by 9/11. Work dried up, she lost her house, her marriage was down the pan...you know, everyday life. Being a journalist specializing in nature and adventures in far-flung places, Jessica was curious and open to experiences of all kinds. When something as weird as personalized cloud formations happened, she was determined to understand how and why. This fierce need to know magnetized some amazing teachers to her, including a handyman, a rabbi, swamis, gurus, ministers and a golf-playing Indian mystic.
She began to be able to see auras, like the aura of a major league pitcher extending out to the batter before striking him out and winning a playoff for the Seattle Mariners. Spanning dimensions of space and time, she was visited by orbs, angels and the energy bodies of Jesus, Ganesh the Hindu God, and a delightful centegenarian spinster who had just passed. She discovered first hand the incredible healing power of prayer, and the ineffable bliss of connection to all that is.
The fascinating thing about this journey is how universal were both her questions and the answers that presented themselves. It brought her back to a perception and love of God that would be at home in any religion true to its original spirit. The message of the book is that we are all brothers and sisters, and we can all know the bliss of God within if we just show up and ask. It is a message that is not preached, but shared as by an intimate friend, and given wings by wit, eloquence and a generous spirit.
August 5, 2011
I picked up this book without really reading the backside to see what it was about because I thought it would be about a woman exploring all different types of spirituality, which it sort of is, but it's mostly about her experience becoming a Christian mystic of sorts. I'm not even sure if "Christian mystic" is the correct term to use. Please forgive me if I'm way off-base.
At first her experiences seeing things in the sky, seeing auras, seeing spirits, etc. made me feel a tad uncomfortable. I'm not really sure I believe those things exist, but as I continued to read, Jessica Maxwell grew on me and I started to believe what she was saying. That is, I believe that she truly believes she can see auras sometimes, that she saw her father's face in the sky, etc. For someone who grew up thinking that if people claimed to see auras or ghosts or spirits, they were headed straight for the loony bin, it was definitely an interesting book that forced me to think about the way I have always perceived people who can predict the future, see auras, etc.
I'd recommend this to people who like Anne Lamott. Lamott's not into seeing things and healing people through touch per se, but both Lamott and Maxwell are quirky, likeable, liberal, white Christian women who write about their faith and lives in a very open, honest manner.
At first her experiences seeing things in the sky, seeing auras, seeing spirits, etc. made me feel a tad uncomfortable. I'm not really sure I believe those things exist, but as I continued to read, Jessica Maxwell grew on me and I started to believe what she was saying. That is, I believe that she truly believes she can see auras sometimes, that she saw her father's face in the sky, etc. For someone who grew up thinking that if people claimed to see auras or ghosts or spirits, they were headed straight for the loony bin, it was definitely an interesting book that forced me to think about the way I have always perceived people who can predict the future, see auras, etc.
I'd recommend this to people who like Anne Lamott. Lamott's not into seeing things and healing people through touch per se, but both Lamott and Maxwell are quirky, likeable, liberal, white Christian women who write about their faith and lives in a very open, honest manner.
September 25, 2010
I finished this book a long time ago but wasn't sure what to put for my review at that time. Now that I've reread bits and thought about it more, I know that I really liked this one. At first the author comes off as woo-woo, seeing things (people) in the sky, but so many things she writes about are true - how negative energy affects us, how negative people (even from the past) can have a terrible hold on us, how to be open to all sorts of spirituality. Lots of good advice on how to get started on the path of finding true spirituality for yourself as well. I hope to meet the author in person someday! Highly recommended.
August 19, 2010
Despite some of the political non sequiturs sprinkled throughout this book, I felt that it started off pretty strong as the author described her transformation from a nonbeliever to believer. However, I felt that things kind of derailed in the second half of the book, with the author seeming to simply promote all things "spiritual" willy-nilly. I suppose the best aspect of the book was simply the retelling of the spiritual experiences that she had. Several of them actually provided real insight, and I was glad to have read them.
December 1, 2009
I have just finished reading Ms Maxwell's book I now call RAH for the second time. I had to wrestle it away from a neighbor I loaned it to, but I will reloan it to Sara and let her finish it! I ordered six books to take and gift to some dear friends this Friday for a Christmas brunch my husband is attending as well. We are sooooo looking forward to our friends enjoying the true and wide breath of Rolling Aroung Heaven as a surprise! Well, they know we will bring something special but watch out!
December 2, 2009
Martin McKeown thoughts after reading Roll Around Heaven:
"Jessica Maxwell packs more into a sentence than any writer I know. Plus, she sees things I saw, but didn't know I saw, until she writes about them. It's like going to see a painting done by a great painter, after you've seen the object painted; you took it all in, but you only saw about a third. The painter, if he or she is good, shows you all the stuff you took in but didn't see."
"Jessica Maxwell packs more into a sentence than any writer I know. Plus, she sees things I saw, but didn't know I saw, until she writes about them. It's like going to see a painting done by a great painter, after you've seen the object painted; you took it all in, but you only saw about a third. The painter, if he or she is good, shows you all the stuff you took in but didn't see."
December 30, 2009
It seemed like two different people wrote this book. The first half of the book was fascinating and I couldn't wait to finish. The author takes you through her early life and the religious or spiritual values that she held (or not). Then about midway through, she does a total flip flop and I felt like a Bible thumper had hit me over the head with the Bible and had cleverly disguised a spiritual adventure into a full-blown fundamentalist sermon.
November 12, 2011
A fresh, engaging approach to expanding your spiritual connection(s) arrives here with this reading. I enjoyed the humor and the inclusive attitude that there are many paths to your God-spirit, not one sole, correct way to enter the realm.
The adventures testify that "there is NO coincidence". The end of the book has suggestions to guide you in your connection with bliss and joy. Read it! You'll love it too.
November 29, 2013
Ok, even though this is my sister's best book ever, and even tho' she is my sister, this is the most hilarious, inspiring spritual books for the new age soul! We read the chapter on India outloud on the veranda of Kathy Kathmandu's marble palace in Nepal, all of us shrieking with laughter. A must read. Jessica, how did you get so funny?? V
Merged review:
A must read!
Merged review:
A must read!
March 16, 2010
Do yourself a favor and read this book, especially the chapters on Hinduism, Buddhism, Islam, and even Native American spiritual traditions. This writer finds the sweetness in all of them (including real Christianity...) Roll Around Heaven is the most spiritually progressive book I've ever read. A must-read for the 21st Century.
April 27, 2010
This is rollicking and humorous spiritual quest that resonates with me because of the author's ecumenical views. I'd have loved it if she'd expanded the last section on where to go from seeking to connecting to the divine.
June 10, 2010
You can't help but like this person, the author, but I found the book ultimately kind of boring, more exciting to have your own experiences of the magic of the essence of life touching you than to read about it.
January 14, 2011
enjoyed this interesting look at spirituality and mysticism. I liked seeing things that are familiar to and things that fit with me...which I think is what she hopes for all of us...Less enthralled with the epilogue..
February 1, 2011
I was very interested to read about a non-religious person's spiritual awakening, especially because I am very religious. What was thought provoking was realizing that she has learned to ask God for help much more often and with more faith than I usually do.
November 12, 2009
Like Anne Lamott? Try this!
January 26, 2010
Jessica's mystical experiences are amazing.
March 31, 2010
Jessica's shares an amazing spiritual adventure in her book and she is so funny too! You feel like it could happen to anyone. Can hardly wait for more magical experiences...
March 29, 2010
A rollicking good read, even for a non-spiritual person, like me. Jessica Maxwell usually writes non-fiction adventure stories, with a generous does of humor. This has to be one of her best works.
November 28, 2011
A lovely personal journey through life discovering the adventure of spirituality. Inspiring, fun and of course well written!
December 27, 2011
I genuinely liked this book. It is a signpost foe me as I stumble down my path.
July 30, 2012
A very fun and thought provoking book. Glad I read it and I'll look for other books of hers.
June 24, 2013
This is an entertaining romp by a very talented author. While I can't believe every experience she describes, I can give a thumbs-up for her sincere, humorous account.
November 26, 2009
Love these spiritual adventure tales!
January 4, 2010
I loved this one! It's an adventure we travel right along with her, and one worth taking IMO.
January 9, 2011
I am really, really enjoying this book. I would recommend it to anyone who has every asked, "Why?"
September 12, 2011
I loved this book!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 31 reviews