A L.I.F.E. Blueprint
Diana Cornelius
(Reviewer - Rev. Marie D. Jones)
2002 One Mind Publishing
ISBN: 0970212402

Spirituality Designed for the Non-Religious. A professional interior designer teaches powerful & inspirational tools to redesign our inner spiritual life.

Associate Reviewer Rev. Marie D. Jones writes:

There are a zillion spiritual books on the market that document someone's journey from traditional, organized religion to a more personal moment of awakening of spirit & self-enlightenment. Rarely does a book in this category have a new & interesting angle, but Diana Cornelius' A L.I.F.E. Blueprint: Spirituality Designed for the Non-Religious does just that, serving up a delightful & empowering read that both illuminates & inspires. Using her background as an interior designer, the author realizes that the spiritual quest is much like doing over your house or a specific room, & this makes a wonderful metaphor for the shifting of consciousness that she herself experiences along her own spiritual path.

From her teenage years spent going to her local church just to befriend a popular girl with a cute older brother, to her growing desire to find her own spiritual path, to her painful divorce from a man who refused to let her be herself, & an often intimidating new life as a single woman, Diana Cornelius shares her struggles & joys, her hopes & her fears as she comes in contact with guides & signals from a Universe bent on directing her towards her true path -- including a powerful paranormal event that literally changed the course of her entire life in one night.

Once she gives in to the growing evidence of this newly remodeled life awaiting her, strange & awesome events occur with greater & greater frequency, pushing her towards enlightenment & self-actualization, especially after she discovers the teachings of Ernest Holmes & The Science of Mind. As her concept of religion changes into a concept of personal spirituality, she begins to understand God not as the old man with beard of childhood days, but as L.I.F.E. itself (the acronym is revealed in the book -- no spoilers here!).

The book is divided into four sections, the first being the author's personal story, which is told with warmth, wit & honesty. This sets the stage for the following three sections, all of which are largely devoted to spiritual & metaphysical concepts, ideas, exercises & examples from which the reader can glean wisdom & inspiration. What is really fun about the structure of the book is the way the author uses interior design terminology to describe the spiritual process -- from the Preliminary Plans of the first section, through the Design Development stage of coming up with a personal life plan, to the Plan Check stage where approval is sought, to the final Blueprint Submitted stage, where the spiritual journey culminates with the official stamp of approval.

Filled with New Thought & metaphysical concepts, including the Five Step Prayer used in Religious Science churches, & plenty of modern physics research that correspond with her spiritual understandings, Diana Cornelius' A L.I.F.E. Blueprint is a perfect tool for encouraging personal introspection, authenticity & awareness, & should be on the bookshelf of anyone who desires to design or just remodel their own spirituality -- & create an interior that reflects the truth about who they are.

Do catch my Interview with Diana Cornelius.
(07/18/04)

Rev. Marie D. Jones
2004©Marie D. Jones
A RebeccasReads.Com Associate Reviewer

Reviewer's Bio:
Marie Jones is a New Thought minister, author of Looking For God In All The Wrong Places & a widely published writer of inspirational essays, gift books, short stories & magazine articles. She is also a screenwriter, & has produced a children's storybook video series for Gigglebug Farms Productions. she holds a Masters Degree in Metaphysical Studies & is a licensed pastoral counsellor.