Lodi native shares her experiences in photos in effort to unite

Jun. 22—When Devine Home & Garden displayed the photographic work of Joyce Radmonovich inside the store14 years ago, it inspired the Lodi native to embark on a larger project.

Radmonovich, a retired teacher who started Spectrum Learning Center 20 years ago, decided she wanted to feature her photography in a book.

She began traveling the world with a friend, taking photos of historic, beautiful and interesting places she thought would be perfect for her project.

Then, she began writing notes to accompany the photos, a collection of meditation passages of sorts. that evolved into collecting passages and quotes from a multitude of philosophers, teachers and poets, as well as the Bible.

Soon, the idea to create one book transformed into four separate editions of "A Daybook for One in All Now."

"They all work together as one whole-year book," she said. "What we decided to do — because that would be a pretty thick book, and an expensive book — was to turn them into seasons, which works just as well."

Radmanovich said each season-themed book offer its own blessing or gift.

As an example, the Fall Daybook would present passages relating to the harvest or Thanksgiving, and the Winter edition would present something related to Christmas and the birth of Jesus Christ's consciousness. In addition, the Spring book would be about renewal and the Resurrection, while summer would represent growth, she said. Each book is about is about 110 pages representing each day of the season, and features quotes or passages from T.S. Eliot, Mahatma Ghandi, William Shakespeare, or Corinthians.

"I wanted to integrate spiritual practices throughout the world into one united 'here we are,' and that we all need to follow the 'Golden Rule," she said. "

The books feature spiritual teachers and philosophers from different eras and parts of the world, essentially conveying the same message. "That we need to unite, integrate, keep our diversity, but also unite that diversity into stewardship to work together to save this poor planet."

Radmanovich said the current state of division among people and groups also inspired her to create the books.

She said she was tired of certain groups stating they were better than others, or that one side was right and the other was wrong.

Her books, she says, are aimed at helping two groups, or two people, become one.

Each book is $24.95 on Amazon, or for $12.50 on Amazon Kindle at tinyurl.com/Radmanovich.