Monthly Archives: April 2019

The Four R’s: Unlocking Your Divine Potential

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/40021215-the-four-r-s

A caveat and a disclaimer: I’ve met the author.

A couple years ago I was seeking some touch therapy. I wanted more than a massage—I wanted healing. I wanted someone to push my lymph around and realign my chi. I wanted a man to touch me in a way my husband does not. Not necessarily in a sexual way, but in a therapeutic way. I searched the Internet for hours until I found Tim. He was expensive. The minute I walked into his studio I was charmed. He had an aura about him—a glow of love and contentedness. And he turned out to be a touch genius. I left his studio relaxed, aligned, happy, content, and more in touch with my inner spirit and the divine. And that glow lasted for weeks. I realized it was this guy’s physical touch by which I, in turn, had been spiritually touched. I saved my money and went back for another session. His touch and demeanor were so loving and caring that once again, it made me practically melt. So, I was nosey and asked about his background. That’s when he said he wrote a book. This man with magical hands wrote a book? I was intrigued. I had to prod Tim to give me a link to his website so I could order the book.

“The Four R’s: Unlocking Your Divine Potential” is divided into four parts. In Part 1, Tim tells an engaging story of his life. And he had quite a life—given up for adoption, he lived a comfortable, albeit stiff British upbringing. Like many men, Tim realized he was gay when he was a teenager, but like many young gay men, he was afraid to admit it, and spent the first twenty years of his life in a continual state of social paralysis. But then came his third and fourth decades. And what decades! His story is profound, amusing, exciting, and perhaps disturbing to some. At times I wanted to yell at him for making some poor decisions, yet as I read, I felt sorry for this gentle soul who was quite obviously adrift in life. After all, I too have made some pretty bad decisions over the years, so I couldn’t be too harsh on the guy.

In Part 2, Tim explains his inner journey of how he brought his chaotic life into calm through the four Rs. I won’t reveal them here, and they will make much more sense if you read his story first. But here too, Tim has a powerful story to tell. Tim offers a cogent, logical explanation of how he has made a peaceful, fulfilling, quiet life out of what once chaos and describes how he came to know God. Tim explains his spiritual practice in detail, but it’s easy to understand. His approach is simple and can be practiced in 10 seconds once mastered. Tim’s suggested daily chants, waking routines, and spiritual practices are practical and joyful. His Daily Intention & Request for Assistance would help anyone become mindful and aware, and to live a life “in alignment with love, joy, and gratitude.”

Part 3 of Tim’s book is devoted to applying a spiritual practice to life’s daily routines. Tim covers a lot of territory and explores his answers to life’s big questions, such as what our purpose is, how to apply Tim’s suggested daily practice to money, health, relationships, and world problems. Part 4 contains Tim’s parting words.

I admit I didn’t expect much from this little book when I first started reading it. But it’s a good read. Tim’s story is engaging, and he explains his beliefs in cogent, thoughtful prose. He offers dozens of profound quotes from great philosophers and writers to support his beliefs, and his recommendations for establishing a daily spiritual practice are spot on. No wonder Tim has an aura about him. He’s embodies the joyful spirit that swirls through the universe. Tim’s story is interesting, he’s a beautifully spiritual man, and here he shares how we all can learn and practice how to behave with love and wisdom.

Think of England

Think of England

Think of England by K.J. Charles

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


Andrew Curtis has no money worries, but he was injured in the Boer Wars in South Africa in the first few years of the 20th century. Daniel DaSilva is a flamboyant man of Mediterranean descent. He’s also a British agent. For odd reasons, Andrew and Daniel meet when they are separately invited to stay 2 weeks at a country estate. DaSilva is as gay as anyone could get in those years; Andrew is disengaged from his sexuality. Until they meet. The story and plot are both good; the writing is good, and the character of Andrew is fairly well developed, although I wanted to crack him on the head when he was submitting to oral sex and all he could think about was his reputation. And I was especially ticked off when it took several more chapters before Andrew would even think about going down on another man. I was difficult to be gay any time before the 1980s; author K.J. Charles makes this clear, which only makes you want to root more for Andrew and Daniel.


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