The Last Adventure of Life : Sacred Resources for Transition

THE LAST ADVENTURE OF LIFE is an inspirational resource book that presents a fresh look at life, death, grief, and change of every kind. Maria Dancing Heart, a seasoned hospice worker, has compiled her own reflections with a variety of material she has gathered over the years: Inspirtational stories, poetry, scripture, prayers, guided meditations, and alternative/holistic healing methods. These pieces encompass all walks of life to help the reader acknowledge the unity and interconnectedness of all as s/he walks through the changes in life. A specific chapter on grief and an annotated bibliography are also included. More than ever it is time for each of us on the planet to awaken to our mortality and our spiritual nature. We are called to live with deep awareness of how we affect one another and the planet. This book will assist us in our healing - coming into balance - as we become a part of the healing of the whole Earth.

Rev. Maria Dancing Heart Hoaglund was born in Tokyo, Japan, daughter of Lutheran missionaries. She spent her childhood growing up in Japan, attending Japanese public schools through the eighth grade. As a result, she is bilingual and bicultural, and has used her language and cultural skills in a variety of ways through the years. After finishing high school at Canadian Academy in Kobe, Japan, she moved to the United States for college. She graduated from Yale University with a B.A., and later attended seminary and received her Masters of Divinity from Chicago Theological Seminary in 1984.

In 1985 she began parish ministry at Church of the Crossroads in Honolulu, Hawaii, where she was ordained in the United Church of Christ. She continued in parish ministry for ten years, serving a variety of U.C.C. churches in Hawaii and in the Great Northwest.

Maria changed her focus of ministry in 1995 when she began working as a bereavement coordinator for a hospice program in the Puget Sound area. She added spiritual counseling to her repertoire that same year, and continued with this work until earlier this year. Maria also trained in spiritual direction (1994-'97), and serves as a spiritual director and consultant. Because of her broad universal perspective, Maria's ministry has an inter-faith and universal quality. She also continues to preach and perform weddings, memorial services, funerals, and other rituals, sharing her universalist perspective.

Maria self-published her book, "THE LAST ADVENTURE OF LIFE: Sacred Resources for Transition," in July of 2005. She is now promoting her book to help those who are grieving and facing transitions of all kinds, including death.