The Songbird In My Heart: The Magnificence of Being

by Mark Steven Rhoads

This book is a call to action, a song of grace, whispering softly to anyone listening for the call of inner knowing. For many, the call is so quiet it is perceived as a vague yearning for something more in life. This is the call of the songbird in your heart. This book has a simple intention; to help the reader recognize the simple magnificence of being and point toward the purpose of life. The story is intended to be read on a lazy, contemplative afternoon. It is inspired by the work of Dainin Katagiri, H.W.L. Poonja, Don Miguel Ruiz, Eckhart Tolle and Marianne Williamson.
The story is told within the simple, yet beautiful context of everyday life. While no religious and spiritual traditions are promoted, they are all encouraged and respected. It is the author s sincere hope that the readers accept his challenge to take charge of their spiritual life and find their true nature.
The book is in two parts. The first is The Magnificence of Being, A Simple Message of Grace the story of a journey of self-discovery. The second is Acts of Contemplation, Freedom for a Glad Heart a series of exercises designed to demonstrate the principles of Part I through the reader s own efforts. The book is in full color designed to enhance the reading experience.

Genres: Poetry, Nonfiction, Spirituality

208 pages, Paperback

First published July 15, 2009

About the author

The Songbird In My Heart is a call to action, a song of grace, whispering softly to anyone listening for the call of inner knowing. For many, the call is so quiet it is perceived as a vague yearning for something more in life. This is the call of the songbird in your heart. This book has a simple intention; to help the reader recognize the simple magnificence of being and point toward the purpose of life. It may include the unanswered questions of "Who am I?" and "Why am I here?" For others it may be a simpler question as in "Is that all there is?" We hope and pray the answers are out there, if we only knew where to look.

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Book Review of "Can you hear the call of the songbird in your heart"

Inspired by some of the most prolific and thought provoking spiritual authors of our time, "Can you hear the call of the songbird in your heart?" by Mark Steven Rhoads is an exceptional manifesto of life in these troubled times and the pursuit of our own individual place in the world and our peace of mind. This book is sure to inspire even those who think that they have little or no spirituality in their lives. "Can you hear the songbird in your heart?" will help guide you through our complex existence and manage your life in the modern world we all live in to find your own personal inner-peace.

Rhoads reflects on the works of Dainin Katagiri, H.W.L. Poonja, Don Miguel Ruiz, Eckhart Tolle and Marianne Williamson who each have inspired him in their own way with their thoughtful insight into the, often-times confusing, world that surrounds each and every one of us. Through their inspiration, Rhoads has written a spiritual piece of artwork that can empower you to take control of your spiritual life, thereby taking control of your life.

Even though the message of "Can you hear the call of the songbird in your heart?" can help you deal with the complexities of life, it is written in a simple, almost casual way that invites the reader to sit down, kick off your shoes and wrap yourself around this relaxing and reassuring book. It can become like an old friend who you sit with on a summer's night on the front porch talking about the good-ol' days of years gone by when everything seemed less complicated.

Rhoads will help you find your own unique spiritual self and leave you with a sense of being able to confront and accomplish just about anything that life throws at you. Rhoads has no religious agenda. His approach is not to promote any specific religion or theology. This is not a publication that will attempt to convert you to someone else's vision of what spirituality should be or more importantly, what your spirituality should be. This book allows you the flexibilty to believe what you think is best for your own specific views. You, the reader, and you alone will decide for yourself what Rhoads' message means to you and you will take away only what you feel can be useful to live a better, more spiritual existence.

The book is broken down into two parts with the first part being "The Magnificence of Being, A Simple Message of Grace,” which is a story about Rhoads journey to self-discovery. Part II “Acts of Contemplation, Freedom for a Glad Heart” is a glance into the principles of part I of the book described through a series of exercises enabling you to better understand the message of the author's philosopy.

Rhoads journey to self-discovery and inner-peace is recounted in vivid detail and his unique perspective on life and spirituality is written in a clear and easy to understand voice. He shows a great deal of respect to all religious and theologic disciplines and embraces their message of goodwill, peace and harmony. He then expands on these messages with his own personal life-experience through his spiritual journeys.

The book itself is pleasing to the eye and easy to re

Reviews

[Cheryl · Rating 2 out of 5]

I won an ARC of this book in the Goodreads.com first reads giveaway.

The book has very little real text. You read a paragraph or three and then you have a couple poems and nature pictures. The pictures are very beautiful, but since I'm not big on poetry, the poems just got in my way of reading the text. I eventually just stopped reading the poems. The poems were inserted in specific spots to go along with the text, but for me it would have been better to have the poems in a section all their own.

The first half of the book talks about quieting your mind of everyday thoughts, fears, prejudices, etc. (egoic mind) and opening your "original mind" that doesn't depend on language and only knows peace, happiness, etc. The book also speaks of the value in connecting with nature. These are all great ways of thinking, but most people already know this. Most of us just need help figuring out how to implement these ways of being into our busy lives.

The author lives on a beautiful farm in the mountains of Virginia and started becoming more interested in spirituality after he retired while still in his forties. I don't know about everyone else, but I think it might be a lot easier to commune with nature and search for your spiritual self when you are financially secure, have lots of time on your hands and live in a park-like setting. As for me, I live paycheck to paycheck, have a family to take care of, housework to do, and live in a neighborhood. When I get a moment to go sit on my front porch, the only wildlife that usually graces me with their presence is mosquitoes & other pests that I have to ward off with my flyswatter. If my husband actually gets to retire sometime before we're both dead, perhaps we will sell all of our worldly possessions and go live in the mountains, but until then I can only envy the lifestyle of Mark Rhoads.

The second half of the book contains recommended exercises (Acts of Contemplation) to help you to quiet the egoic mind, but they are very basic and redundant. Some of them instruct you to pick a day that you can wake up on your own without an alarm clock. As you awake you are to try to remember your dreams and write them down. Firstly, this is not a ground-breaking discovery. Secondly, I have an alarm clock that can't be turned off. It's called a two year old child and it is very rare if I wake up before him. Thirdly, I know it is said that we dream every night, but that we just don't always remember them after awakening. I must have a terrible memory because I only have about two or three dreams PER YEAR that I remember!!

There are Acts of Contemplation designed specifically for each day of the week, but each of them differ only very slightly if at all. They involve getting up an hour before you normally would and spending that time listening to nature, saying good morning to those you love silently to yourself, etc.

I would give this book a better rating if I was judging it based on if I agree with the book or not because I totally do. I am giving it only two stars because it didn't contain anything new for me and didn't provide any ah-ha moments. I would love to live away from the hustle and bustle and be able to spend more time in deep thought, but I'm afraid that until my children are grown, there will be little hope for much silent contemplation.

[Chad in the ATL · Rating 1 out of 5]

Mark Steven Rhoads begins The Songbird In My Heart with the edict:


“This book has a simple intention; to point you toward the purpose of your life, to recognize the simple magnificence that is you and to perceive life’s remarkable beauty around you.”


It is a noble purpose, indeed. While the visuals are nice, the format simply doesn’t work. The mix of clunky prose, an extravagant number of rudimentary poems and amateur photos stewed together make it nearly impossible to gain an understanding of what Mr. Rhoads was trying to accomplish. Rather than giving the reader a coherent whole, it ends up as a haphazard scattershot of ideas without any cohesion between them. It’s difficult to get any sense of an overall message, much less any tools to put to use in life. There was beauty in the pictures and verse, but it never took me anywhere. I agree with the basic premise of finding life outside of just work (something I have tried to do in my own life) and I really wish he had driven that point home.

At its worst, this book is somewhat condescending. Rhoads espouses that people shouldn't spend time on goals and jobs and wasting time in a corporate culture. He says that as he stares out of his multi-million dollar ranch home living off of the fortune he made as a corporate CEO. Frankly, it is the ultimate in hypocrisy for him to play the do-as-I-say-not-as-I-do card with this book. Sorry, but it is so much easier to sit and talk about the importance of finding yourself and spirituality when you are retired in your 40s with millions of dollars. Is that in itself a disqualification from being able to preach spirituality? No. But when you criticize others for employing the very methods that you used to get where you are, that is pretty offensive.


I ended up scratching my head at the end wondering what it was that he expected me to do or not do, but I didn't get any answers. The book fails not only to deliver on its promise, but it fails to deliver much of anything. It ultimately read like a man trying to rewrite his own history in a much more appealing light and make everyone forget all the nasty things he did to get rich. As a result, The Songbird In My Heart manages to receive the lowest possible rating of one star. Avoid this book.

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

I won this book from a Goodreads giveaway--thank you for choosing me!

This book is written by a man who is truly at peace with himself and his life. This book is his attempt to help others reach the same goal. The book contains mainly poetry, but also has a bits of religion, science, history and even glimpses into the author's personal life tossed in. Poetry isn't really my thing so I must admit I just glossed over a lot of it. What I liked the best are the photos. Just like me, Mark photographs everything he sees from trees to bugs to the sky to his own dogs. It doesn't matter what is in the photo, it's clear that Mark has the ability to see the beauty in anything and everything, even if it's something that's considered ugly by 'normal' standards. At the end of the book are a series of Acts of Contemplation that involve prayer and meditation. It made me wish I had the patience for meditation!

Though I wasn't particularly inspired by this book, I found it very enjoyable and even peaceful. It's a very lovely glimpse into the author's life.

[Richard Derus · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was a poetry/prose/photographic meditation on the nature of life and the appreciation of the manifold pleasures of nature. It's beautifully produced and charmingly designed.

The author sums up his message on page 141:

"Let me summarize this simple message of grace:
-You were born perfect and present in your original mind.
-You acquired an egoic personality leading to a life subject to false reality, pain and suffering.
-Allow your original mind to be ever present, coexistent with, and observant of your egoic mind.
-This is the purpose of your life, to live in the pure consciousness of your original mind.
-There is nothing else that you need to do, study, remember, memorize or otherwise know."

So if these statements ring your mind and heart like a huge brass gong, you will **love** this book. It's not for Bible-thumpin' Christians. It's not for agnostics or those questioning the need for concepts of spirit. It's a celebratory ode.

Oh, and poetry students should give it a WIDE berth.

[Stephanie · Rating 2 out of 5]

I won this book in the first reads giveaway. The book had wonderful pictures, however, I had a hard time reading this book. Whenever the author started telling a point a poem was inserted and I felt that his point was lost, rather than enhanced. Though this could be that I'm not really a poetry lover that I didn't get it. Also, many times he would start in on some point and leave you a reference to another book to finish that point, without any explanation. This left me very frustrated and nowhere headed towards the purpose of my life.

[Jenny T. · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is a Goodreads "First Readers winner" book!
This is not my usual type of read and I did not find any of the book's suggestions very helpful for myself. The photos were nice, but otherwise I felt like I was reading someone's personal/philosophical journal about how to know yourself better.

[Stephanie Thomas · Rating 1 out of 5]

I won this book and I was very excited to read it. I hate to be brutal but I had difficulty finishing this book and I was relieved to turn the last page.

[Andrea · Rating 3 out of 5]

I didn’t like the book at first, but I finally found a groove and enjoyed it. Format-wise, the poems written in the middle of thoughts was a little disorienting so I would read all the thoughts before returning to read the poems. I didn’t complete all the Opening Acts of Part II either I before decided to “finish” this book. I think I’ll try to incorporate the Acts as part of a daily meditation though. I think was a sweet attempt to share a spiritual journey and wise words by a thoughtful and caring person.

[Erin Sipes · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Songbird In My Heart written by Mark Stevens Rhoads is a sincerely beautiful book written with, "...a simple intention; to point you toward the purpose of your life, to recognize the simple magnificence that is you and to perceive life's remarkable beauty around you." All in all Rhoads accomplishes his intention. The book definately gets you thinking and I did enjoy reading it.


Songbird is a spiritual book whose main purpose is to get you thinking and really becoming more aware and mindful. It is broken down into chapters such as Truth versus Perspective and Seasons of Change. Dotting the authors musing are poems that are meant to correlate with the text. I have to say, they only confused me. I went though and read the book a first time ignoring the prose and then a second time ignoring the text. It seems to me the two aspects would better serve themselves seperated. Both are insightful, imaginative and pensive on their own.


Towards the end of the first part of the book Rhoads seemed to veer off the subject. While I could make a connection between the topic of the chapter and say...the animals that visit his farm, I was surprised that he didn't bring the two together with his own words or impressions. The same goes for the chapter or two that ended up discussing what he plants in his garden and how the animals ate it. (Yes, there is a circle of life, most readers who'd pick up Songbird are already aware of this.) I guess I was just wondering what happened to the thoughtprovoking insights throughout the first few chapters.


The Songbird In My Heart is a good book but I would have to recommend it to someone just beginning their journey into spiritualism and the quest to find a purpose or meaning to life. Rhoads provides a wealth of references and Part 2 of the book, "Acts of Contemplation," are great tools to begin a life more mindful.

[Holly · Rating 3 out of 5]

"The Songbird in my Heart" is a very attractive book. I wouldn't mind having it as a "coffee-table" book since it is nice to flip through and just take in a little at a time. The formatting is very pretty with many photographs of nature interspersed amoung the author's poetry and philosophy.

Mainly, this is meant to be a book on spirituality. I do not believe enlightenment can be found by simply reading a book, however there is power in broadening your view by immersing yourself in different teachings and there were several things in this book that resonated with me. Mr. Rhoads has obviously done a great deal of research on spirituality, he mentions many other books on the subject that he has read and invites the reader to do the same. I believe that he has truely found his own path and I am happy for him. He comes across as exhilarated by his personal journey and excited to share what he has learned with us.

There was really only one thing about the book that I didn't like very much.

It contains poetry. A lot of poetry. If that is your thing then I have nothing but admiration for you. As for me, well... poetry just isn't my thing. I like it in small doses and set to music but I really do not know enough about it to say whether Mr. Rhoads did a good job of it or not. I can say that it did seem genuine. What I mean is that it wasn't pretentious or self-serving as a lot of poetry comes off (at least to me). I guess that I look at poetry like most people look at opera... you know that it is supposed to be a higher form of artistic expression and you probably should appreciate it more but, try as you might, it just isn't your cup of tea.

[Rose · Rating 4 out of 5]

Won this from a book giveaway here on goodreads.

First off, let me just say this is a beautifully bound book. Journal size to sit on your night stand or pop in your bag for a few minutes of contemplation, with glossy, smooth pages.

It is broken into two parts. The first part is titled The Magnificence of Being - A Simple Message of Grace. The second part is Acts of Contemplation - Freedom for a Glad Heart. I have read through the first part once and I've started working through some of the acts of contemplation that strike me and work well with my personal journaling.

The message inside is very simple. It's about being finding peace within and being happy with who you are, what you have, and where you are in your life. It's about emptiness and mindfulness all at once. With a decidedly Western feel in context of pictures, poems and type style, a Eastern message is explored.

I enjoyed Mr. Rhoads writing style and the fact he says he's been on a journey and here is where his explorations have taken him. He is neither presumptuous or preachy. Mr. Rhoads provides additional referenced reading material that he has found interesting and offers his knowledge for the reader to explore and make up his or her own mind.

[Jeremy · Rating 2 out of 5]

I normally don’t read books that contain a lot of poetry, but I won this on First Reads and it was an opportunity for me to read something outside of what I would normally go for.

The purpose of this book is to help you find inner peace; or in other words, to help develop a spiritual awakening within yourself. While I believe that the object of the book is enviable, who wouldn’t want more peace in their lives, I found that many of the ideas were not attractive to me. The second half of the book goes through exercises that can be performed to help develop your spiritual side. Frankly, I didn’t try any of them because they don’t appeal to me. I guess I am not that kind of person. I do consider myself a spiritual person, but not in the ways described in this book. I think I find my own spirituality through doctrine contained in spiritual writing and less in nature and becoming one with your surroundings.

The book is aptly described as one that can be read on a lazy summer day. It is an easy read, and quick to finish, but overall it was not my style.

[Carolyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Overall, I really liked the idea behind this book and it was easy and relaxing to read, with a lot of nice photography. Although the poems were pleasant, there were so many of them that they started getting a bit repetitive. The series of exercises at the end, while a good idea in theory, were also fairly unoriginal and repetitive.

One point that the author kept making that bothered me was that we need to return to our "original minds" and that personality and learned experiences are hindrances. While I understand the benefit of calming our thoughts and relaxing the mind, the author made personality seem like such a bad thing! In my opinion, my personality and my thoughts are part of my own "magnificence of being" and should be celebrated instead of repressed. (I understand that this is a common Buddhist teaching, but found its interpretation here to be a bit off.)

In any case, this book was a good way to spend a couple of peaceful hours just appreciating the natural beauty of life.

[Ellen Beck · Rating 4 out of 5]

Won this in a First Reads giveaway, and appreciate it thank you!

I found this somewhat difficult to read as a 'book'. The pictures of nature were wonderful, the poems were nice, but, it almost seemed this would have been better as two books rather than one.

The first part was about the authors personal journey, and although it was his own experience, it was text/poem/text/poem which was distracting. Perhaps if the poems could have been by themselves it would have been easier.

What I learned,(and liked) was his approach to appreciating things around us. I liked how he appreciates nature and is very in tune with it.

I actually intend on rereading the second part again- it was informative, and some of the exercises were quite good.I am giving it 4 stars just due to the second part being so well written.

[Amanda Coudriet · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was a goodreads first read win. Very interesting book. This book is a simple step kind of guide to help you come to your inner peace. One thing I love about this book is he doesnt push any of his personal views on his readers. He tells you to take your own spiritual steps to enlightenment while guiding you with the puriest of intentions. He give some really great advice and if there is anything you are particuarly interested in he gives wonderful references to books that you can read to continue on that particular view. If I have learned anything from this book it is to live in the now. To take life for its simplest moments. That there is beauty and happiness in the simplest things such as the beat of a birds wings and the simple elegance and wonder of nature. It must be wonderful to live with nature the way he does beauty and serenity at every turn!

[Holly · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was my first giveaway book from goodreads. The author is on a spiritual journey, and is forturnate enough to be retired at a young age, and living on a beautiful piece of property in the Blue Ridge Mountains. I really enjoyed the photos that interspersed the text, and do agree that in general, we have moved too far away from nature.

The message is very simple, and echos other books on the topic that I've read, such as Power vs. Force, and the Tolle series. What I liked about this author's approach was the tendency to make his point, simply and move away, letting you absorb the thoughts while enjoying his poetry and photos.

There is an excellent reading list at the back of the book, and some simple exercises to help you achieve mindfulness, at least temporarily!

Recommended for those on a spiritual journey!

[Tracie · Rating 2 out of 5]

I feel that this is basically two books that are somehow meshed together. The poetry mid-sentance at times was really distracting to me. The base book is stuff that is a good reminder material of things I know and work to incorporate into my life. I would say that I enjoyed the poetry most of the book. I had to finally change the way I read the book -- omiting the poetry in each segment, and then later returning to pick it up. I see how it was meant to support the passages -- but for me it hindered. It is a book that I will have as a "coffee table" style book. One that others can pick up and sift through while they are in my home.

[Khadija · Rating 2 out of 5]

i won this in the Good Reads Giveaway.I found it only okay,but it had wonderful pictures of nature. There was very little text,and a lot of poems. I am not into poems(honestly after a while i just skipped over them),but if you love nature and poems then this is the book for you. As i mentioned earlier the pictures are spectacular,the colors are vibrant,and there is much detail. It is a book for self discovery,and says the pretty standard things,if you read one book on self discovery,you read them all. I rated this book 2/5 stars because the pictures are amazing,and the text was free flowing and easy.

[Sam Kim · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very interesting handbook for those who desire for another life, a life outside their problems and purposes, a life of free air and mind.

An author like Mark Rhoads had truly written a book on spirituality that would help others find their true goals in life and reach for it.

It is a funny/strange feeling that once you read the words of this book, you suddenly feel calm and at peace (as if you are reading it on a bright, sunny afternoon, on your hammock under the shadows of the trees...). That is the true feeling that I had felt.

Thank you Mark Rhoads for writing indeed a book on something that we should all be thinking about when we get older.

[Stacey B. · Rating 2 out of 5]

I won this book in a firstreads giveaway.

The book is a beautiful book. I love the way it looks and feels as I hold it. I had a hard time reading the book from cover to cover. This book to me is more of something to pick a section and read that one section rather than try to read the whole book in order.

I wish that the poems were compiled at the end of each section instead of scattered throught the text.

My favorite part of the book is all of the photographs. They are all very beautiful and I found myself skipping around in the book to look at the pictures.

[Katherine · Rating 2 out of 5]

I probably would not have read this book unless I was awarded it.

In my opinion, the pictures and poems are rather enjoyable, yet it was a very awkward format to read. If it was more in the format of an anthology or a Chicken Soup for the Soul novel, I may have realized what I was getting into before I opened the cover. Instead I found pictures, poems, and guidelines on how to live a good life --- which was not exactly what I was in the market for.

Overall, it was decent but I was definitely not a part of the author's intended audience.

[Rebecca · Rating 2 out of 5]

I won this book on a First Reads giveaway, and although it's not in my nature to read poetry books, I did enjoy the time that I spent reading through the book. When I read the description, I initially thought there might be some sort of storyline, and there wasn't much of one. I think I would have found that more appealing than a collection of poetry, photos of nature (which were nice), and some exercises to enhance one's reflective nature. However, I know just the person who will really enjoy this book (I'm sure if she were rating it, she'd give it at least 4 stars).

[Joel · Rating 2 out of 5]

Well it was OK. I liked the illustrations and the personal experiences that were related by the author. I don't think that the book did a very good job in pointing me "toward the purpose" of my life so the author didn't hit the mark he was aiming for. I see the book a more of a personal revelation of the author's experiences and philosophy rather than a useful guidebook for others. In addition, the poetry didn't really captivate me. The best thing I can say that it is a beautifully illustrated book which just didn't make me very excited.

[Sara · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a beautiful and insightful collection of poetry and thoughts. I really enjoyed the photography and the insightful thoughts. This book is meant to enlighten your mind and open your heart, which is definitely does. I also appreciate some of the exercises sprinkled throughout the book and the texts that were mentioned as places for you to look yourself. It is wonderful to have a book to make you sit back and think and analyze yourself a little. I also appreciated that it was written by a local author.

[Barb · Rating 2 out of 5]

I won this book in a giveaway.

I think this is a beautiful book. I love the way it feels and the look of the cover! I had a hard time reading this book from cover to cover, I think it is one of thoese books that you pick up from time to time to get inspired! A nice end table top book!

I wish that the poems were compiled in one section of the book, and not scattered throught. I love the photo's as they are very beautiful. What a great place to live!

[Amy · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a book that I won on Goodreads. Overall, it was an easy read. I thought the author would have been better off creating just a book of his poetry with the photographs that were used rather than infusing all of the other messages. I understand what he was trying to communicate and respect the message, yet it was sometimes muddled with all of the jumping from the narrative to poetic versus for me.

[Grant · Rating 2 out of 5]

I agree with most other reviewers that the illustrations were nice, and the purpose of the book is admirable. However, not being much of a poetry reader, it was difficult for me to remain interested in the book, or find any concrete, applicable methods for making spiritual changes in my own life.

I do believe there are people out there for whom this book will work wonders. It's just that I am not one of those people.

[Valerie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really enjoyed the photography and poetry in this book but I thought that the author spent too much time explaining his poetry. A line or two for each poem would have been more than enough. Ilooked over the second part of the book and read his "Prayers" but have not tried any of the suggestions he made.

[Cassandra · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a beautifully written book. I enjoyed reading the poetry and found the photos beautiful as well. The overall message to me of the book are to enlighten your thinking and learn to enjoy your current life and blessings. I feel the book found me at the right time in my life and I enjoyed reading it.

[Debbie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I won this book in a first-reads giveaway.

The photography in this book was beautiful.

When I received this book, I decided not to sit down to read it like I would read a novel, so I placed it beside my bed and read a few pages each night. I did not complete any of the exercises at the end of the book, but I did enjoy reading the poetry.