I am still reading this along with other books, & am enjoying it

If you’re secretly thinking __‘what should I be doing with my life?’__ or even ‘is what I do enough?’ then this book is a must-read. Sheridan is a writer who manages to __give space for those big questions of our identity and purpose, especially for those over thirty__ and offers gentle wisdom and refreshing spiritual perspective. The real joy of the book is how he does this: through a memoir of walking and talking with his friend along a pilgrimage path in the North East of England, walking in the steps of Saints Hild, Bede and Cuthbert, learning from their wisdom and mistakes. __Part travelogue, part memoir, part exploration of saints, and part Christian practical wisdom, it’s all masterfully woven together and beautifully written.__This felt like a precious and timely gift to me. __Outstanding memoir – highly recommended.__

Not only could I not put Sheridan’s book down, but I have found myself thinking about it on and off since I finished. Themes of pilgrimage really capture my imagination, so I loved engaging with Sheridan and DJ’s fascinating journey that retraced the steps of St Cuthbert. 'The Making of Us' has left footprints all over my heart and I have enjoyed feasting on its many transformative ‘take-away meals’. Here is one of my favorites from page 168… "For those on the path of God… all we’re told is that ultimately we will be like him. Our body with his nature. Our personality with his character. Ailments gone, afflictions over. Gifts glistening. Sins taken away. Our faltering candle of virtue turned into a furnace of other-centeredness making us the God-shaped selves he’s always intended. Until that day, and to the extend we yield to it, we are being drawn toward that future self. Step-by-step we go, one notch of radiance to another. Becoming more like him, and so becoming our true selves." I totally recommend 'The Making of Us' as a faithful guide for the broken hearted, the weary pilgrim and the confused traveler – you won’t be disappointed where it will lead you! Lynda Wake Author of 'Heartbreakingly Beautiful'

I was really looking forward to this book. I've heard Sheridan speak (he's a great speaker), I can relate to some of his story, and I am also fascinated by Northumbria, Lindisfarne Gospels and the local saints. Sheridan & his friend are walking from Lindisfarne to Durham. Along the way Sheridan records the conversations, which mostly relate to what do they do when dreams fade and life doesn't work as planned. We are often told to follow our dream and vocation, and work out what God wants. However many times what we think is the path God sets before up ends up at a brick wall. Often in church this is quietly overlooked and can be seen as failure, but Sheridan and DJ discuss how we can approach this. It is a fascinating mix of the story of their walk and the shadow of the early Christians of the regions, a look back at their lives and how they coped when life when in a different direction to what was planned/hoped for, and what we can learn to help us redsicover our true purpose. It is particulalrly appropriate for me at the moment as it resonates with my situation at present. I can also think of friends in similar situation so will be recommending this book.

I was so keen to read The Making of Us as I’ve long been a fan of Sheridan Voysey, having listened to his fabulous radio program Open House for many years and having read several of his previous books. The topic of this book, which is all about how beautiful things can emerge when life doesn’t go as planned, resonates with me as I know my life hasn’t always gone as planned. Sheridan takes us on a beautifully descriptive journey as he and his friend DJ walk in the footsteps of St Cuthbert on their pilgrimage to Lindisfarne. Along the way DJ & Sheridan have deep conversations and what they share and discuss is very real and raw as they seek wisdom and understanding. I loved so many things that Sheridan said, but one so important reminder is that our one great calling is to love God and love others. When one stream ends, go back up the river and simply love those standing before you. And when we can’t become what we want to be, we can still become who we’re meant to be. I believe we all can identify with life not going as we planned and there is wisdom to be found in this book for us all. Don’t hesitate! Read it now and discover the gems inside! I listened to the audio version of the book as I love Sheridan’s familiar voice... I recommend this as a great way to listen to the book!

If life hasn’t always gone just as you wished or planned (and whose has?) this might just be the book for you. Sheridan and his friend go on a pilgrimage from Lindisfarne Island to Durham Cathedral mostly on foot. The description of their travels is fascinating. However, what I love about the book is how they frankly and honestly discuss how they feel about life’s events, memories, where they are now and where they are going. I found their discussions on how God has been involved and how they have handled the ups and down of life very encouraging and challenging. It’s a very enjoyable read as well as being thought provoking. I’m sure that any reader will find hope and encouragement in its pages. I received a complimentary copy of this book, but this is my own fair and honest review.

I was expecting a great book and instead I got a masterpiece of writing, which as all great books do for me, made me a voracious reader. My expectations were met by me being not only able to understand about the author's knowledge of early English church history and how the pieces of the story fit together, but also in the way that I saw into his heart for people. This book has made me fall in love with his natural curiosity for getting to know people. Having previously had a career in radio amongst other things, in which he did an great job, I can clearly remember how he would welcome his guests and encourage them to say how they feel. This book has taught me a lot. I’ve gained more of an understanding about saints and religion in England than I had previously. I’ve thought more about my current life situation, and how things could be changed or improved. The reflection guide and creed are also something I am glad to see. They have challenged me to seriously question my thoughts on things like dreams, gifts from God and encouragement, and loss and grief. I love the imagery used to describe the pilgrimage itself, it really made me want to be there as well. Reading the conversations between Sheridan and DJ reminds me of good conversations I’ve had with close friends before. This book is for people who love reading about Christianity and its history in England, people who enjoy walks around villages and towns in and around the area where the pilgrimage occurred, to people who love castles and other monuments and to those who like reading books that help reflect on new paths and journeys in life. This book isn’t just for the recommended target audience, everyone from young to old can learn something from this book, that they may have never heard anywhere else. After all, when life doesn't go as planned, who else do we become?

Sheridan shares the remarkable story of his journey so far. As I read and engaged with his story, my own story came alive too. Sheridan has a wonderful gift of sharing the most vulnerable experiences with honesty about the despair, desperation and sadness that is part of being human. Sheridan also expresses so beautifully how God works to transform our lives; bringing light into the darkness, truth to expose lies, and an overflow of love that smothers feelings of inadequacy, loneliness and insecurity. You will be captivated by Sheridan's story and it will help you to find your place in God's story. I received a free copy of this title, but this is my own fair and honest review

This is a beautifully evocative, poetic book – but it is more than that. The author and his friend took a life-changing pilgrimage, and invite us readers to go on it too. Sheridan has already written about the pain of infertility in the book Resurrection Year, which is an incredibly poignant and honest account of his and his wife Merryn’s journey that has helped hundreds of couples facing similar heartache. In the end, they relocated to England for Merryn’s work, which necessitated Sheridan giving up a successful career in radio broadcasting. In Australia he was known – here in England, he has had to start from scratch all over again. It hasn’t been an easy journey for Sheridan, and he has wrestled with the big questions of identity – such as ‘who am I when everything has been taken away from me’? It was this sense of not being sure of what his place was that fuelled Sheridan’s plans for the pilgrimage, in which he and his friend DJ walked from Lindisfarne to Durham in order to soak in the history, walk where other pilgrims have walked and finally see the Lindisfarne Gospels. As they travelled, Sheridan wrote journal entries and he has beautifully recaptured the essence of the landscapes they travelled through, as well as the hardships along the way, through his writing. The journey may have been painstaking at times – so has the process of writing the book afterwards. It has taken four years for Sheridan to complete it, as he has allowed himself to dig deeper into God and himself in order to find the answers he was seeking. If you have ever faced the pain of not knowing who you are, and struggled to believe the identity that God has spoken over you through the Bible, then this book could really be life-changing for you too. Having been on a similar heart wrestle myself, I know how painful, but deeply rewarding, it can be when you truly discover that being a child of God’s really iseverything. I heartily recommend this beautiful book.

Not only was this book food for my soul, but it was nourishing and life-giving. It spoke to me on a deep level whilst also being an easy read (perfect for this busy Mum of 4 living life in Africa). But don't let the phrase 'easy read' put you off.....Sheridan weaves deep truth and important reflections into the journey of his pilgrimage. It is a book you can read and re-read. I read some paragraphs and pages multiple times as I was stopped in my tracks; almost compelled to reflect on what I was reading and knowing this could (& would) change me. I have read other of Sheridan's books and his message is important, even essential, for our culture that measures so much on external values and appearance. This book, for me, was like breathing-in lungfuls of cool fresh air and exhaling deep. Buy this book, make a large mug of your favourite beverage, grab a blanket and begin your own journey as you follow Sheridan on his. Enjoy and breath deep.