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Among Friends: Stories from the Journey
"This book is my Midrash."With these words, Father Jim draws us into his life story, full of laughter, tears, and service. "Among Friends" is a compilation of short stories and insightful lessons experienced on his many travels as a clergyman and motivational speaker. Whether recounting his sobering flying experiences, the time he met the pope, his encounter with the "Weed Man," or his "lead foot," Father Jim teaches us lessons through powerful storytelling. As he takes us along on his journey from getting kicked out of seminary to hosting celebrities, such as Dolly Parton, Harry Connick Jr., Martin Short, Bill Cosby, and former first lady Laura Bush, at his small Kentucky parish, Father Jim shines a light into the corners of the human heart to expose our need for God and the love He alone can give us. You will laugh, cry, and be taken aback by his honesty. In all, Father Jim shows us what it means to love God, love others, and live life Among Friends.
160 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2014
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 31 reviews
December 7, 2022
Fr. Sichko is an entertaining evangelist. We all need to appreciate and run with all the “God-incidences” in our daily lives. Fr. Jim Sichko definitely does. There are so many mini miracles in our daily lives, but our eyes need to be opened. We need to be open to responding to God’s call. Fr. Jim is a delight.
April 28, 2014
First of all, I am quite pleased to recommend an inspiring,witty, and thoroughly enjoyable read. All too often, I have negatives to report--even when reviewing Christian books. Although I am not a Catholic, there is nothing alarming, disturbing, nor inappropriate in this book. I noticed a few minor theological issues, but they are honestly not worth mentioning (okay, I guess I mentioned it, didn't I?). This is a not a "preachy" book in any way. I believe that everyone can find something that will enhance their lives and Christian faith in this easy-to-read book. I do recommend reading it as Father Jim encourages the reader to--read one chapter at a time. I read it straight through, and I believe that I missed some of the gems along the way.
I suppose I truly connected with this book for the simple reason that Father Jim has a classical music background. I sincerely hope that he releases another book that chronicles his journey to the priesthood because I would read that in a heartbeat! I cannot imagine giving up a classical vocal career for the priesthood. (Then again, I couldn't be a priest, and I don't have a classical vocal career.)
I was sent a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. I was not financially compensated, and all opinions are 100 percent mine.
I suppose I truly connected with this book for the simple reason that Father Jim has a classical music background. I sincerely hope that he releases another book that chronicles his journey to the priesthood because I would read that in a heartbeat! I cannot imagine giving up a classical vocal career for the priesthood. (Then again, I couldn't be a priest, and I don't have a classical vocal career.)
I was sent a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. I was not financially compensated, and all opinions are 100 percent mine.
August 31, 2018
This little volume includes funny stories that are entertaining and teach life lessons, including that priests are also imperfect (and sometimes drive way too fast). It's a good reminder that people are fallible and that the important thing is to try.
December 17, 2019
Nothing special about this book for me, as you can tell by how long it has taken me to get around to finishing it.
A book about father Jim’s stories from his life journey, the places he went, the people he met. I did find a few quotes to carry with me though.
A book about father Jim’s stories from his life journey, the places he went, the people he met. I did find a few quotes to carry with me though.
June 4, 2017
DNF = did not finish
I guess I was looking for Father Mulcahy from MASH.
I guess I was looking for Father Mulcahy from MASH.
May 4, 2020
It was ok
April 24, 2024
An easy and entertaining read full of funny stories about Father Jim Sichko's life. I enjoyed the two or three hours it took me to finish it.
July 2, 2024
Among Friends
Fr Jim tells great stories even when they are sad. I have truly enjoyed both of his books. Can't wait for number 3
Fr Jim tells great stories even when they are sad. I have truly enjoyed both of his books. Can't wait for number 3
April 21, 2025
Fathers tells several good stories. We were reading it on a plane flight from Rome, Italy back to the U.S. it made the ten hours go faster.
March 3, 2018
Inspirational stories to live by and use as meditation. Thank you, Father Jim. I keep "Among Friends" close to me on my bookshelf.
March 15, 2017
Fr Jim Sichko and his inspiring stories.
October 13, 2014
Among Friends, by Father Jim Sichko, was an interesting and inspirational book. Father Jim provided some wonderful “God stories” and advice without being too preachy. I think this book would be a great way for a non-Christian to learn a little bit about Christianity while still being entertained by an amusing memoir. The book offers some insight into several well known bible verses and explores some basic tenets of Christianity. It's also a book that pretty much any Christian could easily learn from and appreciate. I enjoyed most of the stories Sichko told about some of the celebrities he met while doing fundraisers for his church. I also liked some of the more general stories he told.
One thing that bothered me about the book was the tone with which he told his stories. Just when I thought he was sounding really arrogant and pompous (and not at all what I imagine a clergyman should be like), he would reel himself in and start sounding very humble. Then, just when I was finally getting the idea that he was actually a humble guy, he would say something else that made me think he was a little too full of himself. This truly annoyed me to no end. I felt like I never actually got to know the “real” Father Jim.
I was also quite bothered by the fact that he got kicked out of seminary, but he (and we) never knew why. Did he really, truly never find out why? Even if those in charge never told him why (and that fact alone is difficult for me to believe), I still wonder...did he honestly not have a clue about why this happened? The whole thing is just so incredibly hard for me to believe. If he made a mistake, he should just own up to it and include it in the book. We are all human, and we all make mistakes. But if they really never told him why he was getting kicked out of seminary...I can't imagine why he would still want to be a part of that religion. That is just how I feel personally, and so it was hard for me to really relate to some of his decisions.
For all the negative aspects of the book, there are at least as many positives. I read the book in one day on the beach. So it is a quick read, and fairly entertaining. I also think it could be read slowly and digested more fully and more carefully by those who choose to do so. This is, in fact, what the author recommends doing. The book provided some entertainment and enjoyment as well as some inspiration. I would give this book a solid three stars, and I would certainly be willing to read anything else Father Jim comes out with in the future. I would like to take another shot at learning who the real man behind the stories is.
*Many thanks to Netgalley for providing me with a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
One thing that bothered me about the book was the tone with which he told his stories. Just when I thought he was sounding really arrogant and pompous (and not at all what I imagine a clergyman should be like), he would reel himself in and start sounding very humble. Then, just when I was finally getting the idea that he was actually a humble guy, he would say something else that made me think he was a little too full of himself. This truly annoyed me to no end. I felt like I never actually got to know the “real” Father Jim.
I was also quite bothered by the fact that he got kicked out of seminary, but he (and we) never knew why. Did he really, truly never find out why? Even if those in charge never told him why (and that fact alone is difficult for me to believe), I still wonder...did he honestly not have a clue about why this happened? The whole thing is just so incredibly hard for me to believe. If he made a mistake, he should just own up to it and include it in the book. We are all human, and we all make mistakes. But if they really never told him why he was getting kicked out of seminary...I can't imagine why he would still want to be a part of that religion. That is just how I feel personally, and so it was hard for me to really relate to some of his decisions.
For all the negative aspects of the book, there are at least as many positives. I read the book in one day on the beach. So it is a quick read, and fairly entertaining. I also think it could be read slowly and digested more fully and more carefully by those who choose to do so. This is, in fact, what the author recommends doing. The book provided some entertainment and enjoyment as well as some inspiration. I would give this book a solid three stars, and I would certainly be willing to read anything else Father Jim comes out with in the future. I would like to take another shot at learning who the real man behind the stories is.
*Many thanks to Netgalley for providing me with a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
December 5, 2016
"If I can leave with you a final thought, it would be this: life is too short to just live it half-awake. Even worse, sometimes we see life as a burden, a drudge, or an endless array of misery. Don’t get me wrong, life is tough. It can cripple you and leave you full of grief. Yet, at its core, life comes from the Father above who holds everything in His hands.
Since your life doesn’t belong to you, maybe you should use it to serve God and to serve others. Then you can live among friends, and have the real community you crave in the deepest places of your heart.
That is what Christ died for, and His gift to you.
Take it. Run with it. Love it. Serve with it, and, at the end, be able to hear those words from the Master: “Well done, good and faithful servant.”"
A collection of stories that might even serve as a non-conventional devotional, sort of. Catholic priest father Jim has experienced some truly interesting things and encounters and shares them with his readers with a quite big dose of a humour and even bigger dose of pointing to God. Life is full of small and bigger miracles and one can learn from every moment to see God´s face closer and to become more and more like Him.
The stories are gentle and honest, presented in non-preaching and non-treatening way - more like invitation to enter/continue on the way with God. I would recommend the book to any Christian or a person of good will as an invitation to go deeper in the search for a meaningful life.
And a very personal YAY for coming from a Slovak heritage! ("Even though I was born in Pittsburgh, I grew up in Orange, a small town in Southeast Texas. I was raised in a Slovak/Italian Catholic family.")
Since your life doesn’t belong to you, maybe you should use it to serve God and to serve others. Then you can live among friends, and have the real community you crave in the deepest places of your heart.
That is what Christ died for, and His gift to you.
Take it. Run with it. Love it. Serve with it, and, at the end, be able to hear those words from the Master: “Well done, good and faithful servant.”"
A collection of stories that might even serve as a non-conventional devotional, sort of. Catholic priest father Jim has experienced some truly interesting things and encounters and shares them with his readers with a quite big dose of a humour and even bigger dose of pointing to God. Life is full of small and bigger miracles and one can learn from every moment to see God´s face closer and to become more and more like Him.
The stories are gentle and honest, presented in non-preaching and non-treatening way - more like invitation to enter/continue on the way with God. I would recommend the book to any Christian or a person of good will as an invitation to go deeper in the search for a meaningful life.
And a very personal YAY for coming from a Slovak heritage! ("Even though I was born in Pittsburgh, I grew up in Orange, a small town in Southeast Texas. I was raised in a Slovak/Italian Catholic family.")
May 3, 2014
4 STARS
I liked how easy to read and understand the stories that Father Jim tells. I am not Catholic but can learn from him. Some of the Catholic terms were unfamiliar too me but did not interfere with the stories and life lessons Father Jim was teaching. He reaches out to others. He shares his faults very honestly. I smiled a lot with this book. He shares his trials, his miracles, his faith.
One thing he has been sharing is having a set of fundraisers for his church that was in debt. Part of the money raised would go to the debt and the other to other charities. He share experiences with Regis, Dolly Parton, Bill Cosby and even Donny Osmond. He even told his experiences with the Mormon Missionaries at the concert. I enjoyed hearing his stories and experiences. It is very entertaining but also faith promoting.
The more we learn about other religions and learn to respect our differences, and find what we have in common makes for a better world.
I would read other books by Father Jim. He is easy to like and admire, while being very human.
I was given this ebook to read and agreed to give honest review of it in return.
I liked how easy to read and understand the stories that Father Jim tells. I am not Catholic but can learn from him. Some of the Catholic terms were unfamiliar too me but did not interfere with the stories and life lessons Father Jim was teaching. He reaches out to others. He shares his faults very honestly. I smiled a lot with this book. He shares his trials, his miracles, his faith.
One thing he has been sharing is having a set of fundraisers for his church that was in debt. Part of the money raised would go to the debt and the other to other charities. He share experiences with Regis, Dolly Parton, Bill Cosby and even Donny Osmond. He even told his experiences with the Mormon Missionaries at the concert. I enjoyed hearing his stories and experiences. It is very entertaining but also faith promoting.
The more we learn about other religions and learn to respect our differences, and find what we have in common makes for a better world.
I would read other books by Father Jim. He is easy to like and admire, while being very human.
I was given this ebook to read and agreed to give honest review of it in return.
October 11, 2014
This is a great book, and it was easy to read and it was so hard to put down. I was supposed to read it one chapter at a time, but it was so interesting, i read the whole book in one day. I enjoyed the stories that Father Jim told in the book about the experiences he had with different celebrities that performed at his fundraisers. I loved the way how he reflected on different life experiences he had to go through. Father Jim is a good priest, i am so thankful that he didn't give up on his calling of being a priest when his old diocese let him go. He was supposed to experienced that chapter in his life, because everything happen for a reason. I love the story of his mom giving someone C.P.R., and also the story of the mouse and the other animals that didn't want to get involved, just like he said in the book" Our lives are woven together for a reason.
May 18, 2014
You’ve gotta love a book written by a priest with help from a horror-fiction writer and an art thief turned life coach. Which is its own endorsement of the book: it just goes to show that inspiration is available from the most unlikely sources if we just take care to recognize it.
Full review at http://fernweh428.wordpress.com/2014/...
Thank you to Premier Digital Publishing and NetGalley for the copy I received in exchange for a review.
Full review at http://fernweh428.wordpress.com/2014/...
Thank you to Premier Digital Publishing and NetGalley for the copy I received in exchange for a review.
April 17, 2015
This is a great book that is deceptive in its simplicity. In the stories of his encounters with people- great and small Father Jim teaches about God, Love and life. Read the book as he suggests, a chapter at a time- with time in between to think about what he is saying and you will get a LOT from this book. It's a comforting yet challenging book that will heal your heart in ways you didn't even know it needed healing.
June 13, 2015
I have seen Father Jim Sichko in person. He came to our church. He was a dynamic speaker. Now he is also a dynamic writer. He told many stories but interspersed within the stories was a guide to Christian living. Everything he spoke of as guidelines was straighforward and concise. He gave me a lot to think about and also a lot to act on in his book. While he has a Catholic message, there is a lot to be gained from this book by any Christian person.
June 12, 2014
A collection of life stories from Father Jim Sichko, a Catholic priest in Lexington, Kentucky. I this is a great book because the stories are funny and entertaining yet give great lessons of faith without being preachy or holier than thou. A great read for not only Catholics but Christians of all denominations. I highly recommend this book.
January 26, 2015
This isn't normally the type of book I read. I had read a book by Jonathan Ryan, and based on his writing, I wanted to read this when I saw he was involved with this. I am glad I gave it a chance. Father Jim and his stories are engaging to read. He does a great job of sharing his personal experiences and how they relate to the message he is imparting.
July 7, 2014
I found this to be a great read with humor, humility, and I was pleasantly surprised to find he was the priest of the church I attended in college. He was there after I was gone but it was a connection.
September 11, 2014
Father Jim's book that he calls his "Midrash" is both entertaining and inspiring. I suggest reading a chapter at a time as both meditation and Christian example of how to live and love life on earth, preparing for our ultimate goal.
October 11, 2013
Make sure to add to
Books (Besides the Bible) Recommended for Christian Readers
In Listopia
Books (Besides the Bible) Recommended for Christian Readers
In Listopia
November 2, 2013
Clearly written by a motivational speaker, which isn't necessarily a good or bad thing. Full review 3/20/14 at http://rannthisthat.blogspot.com/2014...
April 28, 2014
Great short read of real life situations to make you realize you can serve God daily without even really trying.
April 3, 2014
I disobeyed a priest.
Father Jim says you shouldn't read this book straight through. I pretty much did, and it was excellent. A great balance of humor and wisdom.
Father Jim says you shouldn't read this book straight through. I pretty much did, and it was excellent. A great balance of humor and wisdom.
June 10, 2014
I just love Fr. Jim. Funny stories with important messages.
June 9, 2014
A perfect balance of spirituality and humor. I enjoyed his stories, the lessons, the reflections. A good book, good message.
June 30, 2014
Incredible book
it is truly a great read. funny and full of reminders of how much God loves us. Thank u Fr. S
it is truly a great read. funny and full of reminders of how much God loves us. Thank u Fr. S
February 21, 2016
Loved this book
Displaying 1 - 30 of 31 reviews