The Enneagram is a system of personality typing that can be a valuable tool for spiritual growth. Perhaps you've heard about it, or have used it in your own journey of self-discovery.
I first came across the Enneagram about 15 years ago, and have continued to find so much to learn from it (in case you're wondering, I'm a type 1 with a 2 wing). It has been a source of wisdom for me in my relationships, my sense of self, and my relationship with God. If you haven't yet discovered the Enneagram, I encourage you to jump in! You can begin with a good book (which I will share about below), or explore online at The Enneagram Institute. Because of my ongoing work in the Enneagram, both personally and with others as a spiritual director, I've read many books on the subject. There are a lot out there, especially as more people discover the Enneagram and interest in it has grown. A common Enneagram question I hear is, "I want to learn more, but where do I begin?" In response, I often find myself recommending the same books over and over again, so I decided to put together a list of my favorites. These are all books I've read and referenced multiple times. I actually wanted to round out the list with a fifth book, but nothing else quite made the cut. These four books are my go-tos. Here is the short list of Enneagram books I recommend (click on the book or title for affiliate links):
Have you explored the Enneagram? What books do you recommend? Please share in the comments!
You might also enjoy reading:
10 Great Books to Ignite Your Spiritual Growth 6 Simple Questions For Self-Reflection How to Use the Wheel of Life
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Sign up for my email newsletter Notes From Larissa!  This is a continuation of "My Spiritual Practices," a blog series highlighting a variety of people through interviews about their spiritual life and practices. I love learning from other people, and in particular, learning how they live out their faith in daily life. Each person being interviewed is sharing an intimate look at their lives. For that, I am grateful. My hope is that these interviews will offer us a snapshot of how different people experience God in their lives, and that they might inspire and guide us in our own unique spiritual journeys. Jen SnyderJen Snyder is a wife to a great guy and mom to three crazy kids! When she is not taking care of her family, she is blogging over at Women Winning Online and helping women figure out what to do AFTER they start their blogs. Specifically how to get blog traffic and monetize their blogs. You can also find Jen hanging out with the ladies in her Facebook group, Women Winning Online.  How do you connect with God? What spiritual practices and rhythms do you have? I connect with God in the early mornings during my devotional time. I also am working on praying often throughout the day thanking God for things or asking for help on something. We also connect with God as a family at mealtimes and in prayer with our kids before bedtime. What daily or weekly spiritual practices are most important to you? My devotional every morning and going to church every week. The sermon and the worship music lifts me up every week! Describe the environment that helps you best connect with God. Quiet time where I have space for it to be just me and God. What tools or resources help you connect with God? My daily devotional Jesus Calling, and the Bible of course. Sometimes there are blog posts about people’s walks with Jesus or their stories that help me too. How have your spiritual practices changed over recent years? I have become much more aware of God and seeing Him truly as my Father that loves me and is on my side. I talk to Him more now. Before I was more going through the motions of praying before I went to bed. When I came to know Jesus more, I realized that I was giving Him my leftovers and I didn’t want to do that. So I have become more intentional about my relationship with God. On days when your schedule changes, are you able to adapt your spiritual practices to fit in with a different environment? Not as much as I would like to! My husband is really good at this and I am trying to learn from him. What people or relationships contribute most to your spiritual growth? My husband is by far and away the biggest contributor to my spiritual growth. From an educational standpoint he knows so much and is able to answer a lot of my questions. We also talk our relationship with God and pray together. Aside from my husband, I am also in a small group of women that meets twice a month. We discuss Jesus and the role He plays in our lives as women, mothers, and wives. What gets in the way of your spiritual growth? Not having the time to devote to learning like I want to. What do you do when you get spiritually stuck? I pray and I pray and I pray. I keep going through the motions and I pray. How do you connect with God through life transitions? I pray a lot. I ask Him for His wisdom and guidance on what to do and how He wants me to follow His will. Whenever I am not sure what to do I always start with prayer. What is one particular way you’ve experienced God recently? The other night I was praying before bed and feeling anxious and worried about our life in general. I simply heard “Have faith. It will all work out.” It brought me so much peace and continues to. When I worry I can think back to that moment. What bit of wisdom from your own spiritual journey do you want others to know? God is not a thing you have to do on your daily to-do list. God is a living entity and He loves you. It is never too late to get to know Him. He wants to be your Father and to take care of you. Let Him. If you enjoyed this post, check out these related posts: My Spiritual Practices: An Interview With Alan Fadling My Spiritual Practices: An Interview With Eddy Ekmekji My Spiritual Practices: An Interview With Cat Moore Want guidance and inspiration for your spiritual journey delivered to your inbox?
Sign up for my email newsletter Notes From Larissa.  Let’s state it clearly: One great idea of the biblical revelation is that God is manifest in the ordinary, in the actual, in the daily, in the now, in the concrete incarnations of life, and not through purity codes and moral achievement contests, which are seldom achieved anyway.” This morning I rolled out of bed, put on clean-ish clothes, and went through my morning ritual of making my pour-over coffee. I fed my almost-2-year-old daughter her breakfast, checked email, and as an afterthought, turned my awareness to God. It was like a silent, "Hey there, God." An acknowledgement of his presence with me, a welcoming him into the ordinary-ness of my day. On mornings like this, when life seems so normal and routine, I am thankful that God is present in the ordinary. I am thankful that God isn't only in the flashy and extraordinary. Because if that were true, my mostly ordinary life would seem to be missing the mark. So I am grateful. But I also recognize that I want more of this. I want to know and encounter more of God in my actual life. So I invite God in. I ask him to help me see him and hear him in the ordinary. After I pray this, my daughter asks for a snack. So we toast some bread, and take our morning snack outside on the porch. We sit together for a while, my daughter is thrilled by the passing airplanes and garbage trucks. Then she turns to me, "Mama, kiss?" She plants a sloppy toddler kiss on my face. And in this moment, I sense God delighting in the moment with us. I wonder how our lives would change if we became more aware of God's presence? How might we react to the interruptions? How would we treat the people we unexpectedly encounter? How would we experience our errands and household chores? I am learning how to welcome God into my ordinary. I invite you to do the same. ACTION & PRACTICE Take a moment to simply be with God. Turn your awareness to his presence with you. Invite him to reveal himself right now. Ask him to help you see and hear him in the ordinary today. How aware of God are you in your daily life? How do you encounter God in the ordinary? Please share in the comments. If you enjoyed this post, check out these related posts: Questions That Lead Us to Transformation How to Pay Attention to the Health of Your Soul Permission to Want and Desire Want guidance and inspiration for your spiritual journey delivered to your inbox?
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WELCOMEHi, I'm Larissa. I am an artist and spiritual director on the island of O'ahu in Hawai'i.
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