The God Box App is shiny new and ready to welcome your cares

Since The God Box book was published in the spring of 2012, so many readers have told me that they started their own God Boxes. I love hearing stories of children creating God Boxes and married couples joining their prayer and cares in a family box. (And my mother would be thrilled!)  A ‘real’ God box is a constant reminder that we are not in control and that letting go is the first step to finding comfort, hope and relief for life’s worries.

But did you know that many thousands have gone virtual with their God boxes? To help the many busy readers who spend more time on their smartphones than writing things down, we created a special app, The God Box which is free on iTunes.  It’s an easy way to enter notes on the go and save them to your private online God Box or if you prefer, email a message to a friend or post on your social media. And now, we have upgraded the original app to a shiny new 2.1 version that is friendlier to use and works with the most current IOS systems for iPhone and iPad. Check it out! The only thing you have to lose…is the worry you may carry on your shoulders.

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Dear God, Love, Ireland

I’m nearly halfway through my tour of “The God Box, A Daughter’s Story” to ten cities and towns in Ireland and I’ve witnessed something quite remarkable.  Yes, it’s the hundred shades of green and the gorgeous lilting accents and the faces– oh, the  lovely faces of Irish people! But The God Box story has left little footprints across this beautiful country– from Portlaoise to Cork to Kilkenny to Kenmare…in the form of tiny notes filling a simple God Box after each performance.

While the TV news here might bemoan the recent budget or the downside of Brexit or even the contentious US election, the God Box is filled with hope.  What is on the minds and hearts of Irish people? “Please help me find my one true love.” “Please give my grandparents a hug and a cup of tea.” “Please may my mammy get pregnant.” Letters asking for courage, for support, for safety, for comfort, for health.  Many just saying thank you. Most are unsigned, simple petitions written in faith and love.

My mother Mary chose to write notes to her God Box as a way of letting go and releasing her concerns to God’s hands.  Though I lost her in 2006, perhaps she has started a movement here in the country of her great grandfather Thomas Cosgrove.  Perhaps it’s Mary’s way of saying ” hands on…we are always together.”

Onward to Tralee and Limerick, to Sligo, Roscommon, Longford and Dun Laoghaire…hands on. image

 

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A love letter to Ireland

I just returned from one of the most wondrous God Box journeys yet. This month I performed my one woman show The God Box, A Daughter’s Story in Ireland, at theaters in Limerick and Dun Laoghaire just outside Dublin city. Onstage I always learn something new, whether in small US towns, big cities or other countries. And the Irish people were the best of teachers. In the show, I am as fully open as I can be about what it means to love parents with all your heart and then lose a part of yourself when they die. Audiences react in their own unique ways. Some audiences delight me with their hearty laughter at the happiest nostalgic moments, others become quite emotional, and many tell me they look deeply into themselves. Do I love my mother that much? What would I change if I could? Can I face the grief that won’t let go?

In Ireland, I could feel the ‘motherlove’ as delicious and natural as the fresh Irish air. It’s a country of family, an island that feels connected to every neighbor. And Ireland is also a country that knows deep grief and loss. They were what I call a ‘pin drop crowd’ feeling each beat with me through to the curtain call. That’s why it was fitting that The God Box Project paid it forward to this beautiful homeland of mine, devoting all proceeds to support the voluntary efforts of the Irish Hospice Foundation. In this photo, I’m shoulder to shoulder with my new friend Sharon Foley, CEO of the Irish Hospice Foundation whose mission is to strive for best of care at the end of life, for all. My hope is that I can help raise awareness and support in the months to come.

Sharon FoleySharon kindly wrote, “Mary Lou eloquently portrays the life and death of her beloved parents in this powerful production that will pull on your heartstrings. We are proud and delighted to have the support of The God Box Project.” I couldn’t be more grateful to bring my journey of the heart to the country with such a big one.

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FROM @PINTEREST: Mom shining in her garden

Maybe it’s just me, but I feel like Mom’ s light and spirit are shining in her garden in the morning. Peace!

I added the photo of Mom’s garden to my  on @Pinterest here. Join me there.

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FROM @PINTEREST: Love in Blue, Ready to Fly

Presenting the first copies of my upcoming book “The God Box: Sharing my mother’s gift of faith, love and letting go”. They just arrived on Monday night and I am so pleased. A symphony of robin’s egg blue!

This book cover was designed by the fabulous Rachel Cost (graphic designer) and the magical Lissa Lowe (marketing/creative director of the God Box Project).  From the moment I first saw the concept, my heart soared. There is something peaceful about the purity of this blue. This color is all around my home in Pennsylvania—the color on the walls (Benjamin Moore Pure Essence if you’re interested!), a old painted armoire and even the occasional broken eggshell left behind by a baby robin ready to fly.

I have a favorite photo of my Mom and me where we are a rainbow of aquas and blues and green. Our eyes even match the blue. So,  this book says “Mom” to me, even before page one. I hope it will speak the language of comfort and calm and joy to you too.

 

I added the photo of the stack of books to my  on @Pinterest here. Join me there.

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sample chapter
Enjoy a free selected chapter from The God Box.
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reading group guide
Invite your book club to join this engaging conversation about Mary Lou’s book.
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printable mini cards
Share these mini note cards or write notes for your God Box.
Download

mobile app
The God Box app makes it easy to write notes on the go.
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giving back
Ask how Mary Lou can support your local cause with the book and play.
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Come meet Mary Lou and experience The God Box: A Daughter's Story at a venue near you.
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press & praise
View All
  • "A beautiful story of love, faith and family. It reads like an intimate, familiar prayer."
    – ELIZABETH GILBERT, AUTHOR OF "EAT, PRAY, LOVE"
  • "The courage and wisdom from the messages left in her mother’s God Box will inspire you to create a God Box of your own."
    – GAIL SHEEHY, AUTHOR OF "PASSAGES IN CAREGIVING"
  • "What a beautiful and profoundly human book....I will keep The God Box in my heart for a long, long time."
    – LAURA SCHROFF, AUTHOR OF "THE INVISIBLE THREAD"
  • "Mary Lou Quinlan has told the story of her mother in a way that entertains, moves and inspires. The thoughts about life and values will stick with you forever."
    – JIM LEHRER, EXECUTIVE EDITOR OF PBS NEWSHOUR
  • "Mary Lou Quinlan shares her mother’s handmade and heartfelt gift of how to persist, believe and move forward with joy."
    – LEE WOODRUFF, AUTHOR OF "IN AN INSTANT"
  • "In the slips of paper that carry this sweet story forward, we can see the love in our own families and the great possibilities of simple faith."
    – JEFFREY ZASLOW, COAUTHOR OF "THE LAST LECTURE"
  • "A wonderful legacy…Keeping a God Box is an incredibly moving and hopeful ritual that we should all consider adding into our daily lives."
    – REBA, MUSICIAN, AUTHOR, ACTRESS

The God Box App is shiny new and ready to welcome your cares

March 19, 2024
by Mary Lou Quinlan

Since The God Box book was published in the spring of 2012, so many readers have told me that they started their own God Boxes. I love hearing stories of children creating God Boxes and married couples joining their prayer and cares in a family box. (And my mother would be thrilled!)  A 'real' God box is a constant reminder that we are not in control and that letting go is the first step to finding comfort, hope and relief for life's worries. But did you know that many thousands have gone virtual with their God boxes? To help the many busy ...

View More