If one chooses to ''swim, upstream'' and claim for oneself how one will encounter life, then one is not a victim. One is there own person. And the possibilities for joy, love and freedom in this life can be touched. " (Page ???, I do not know the numbering. This is a quote found in the meditation Swimming Upstream and the Realness of Faith.) John Ruiz has written a set of meditations on scripture passages that spell out a deep faith. He invites the reader to enter into the stories he tells, and to recognize the action of God present in a life attuned to that Presence. He points to "the living presence of God who is continually Breathing God''s spirit and life into God''s word." This results in practical lessons for daily living that can be drawn from these bible verses. Jody Crowley Beers Spiritual Coordinator at the Monastery of Saint Benedict Center in Madison, Wisconsin.