Adventure Awaits: How to Interpret Your Desires and Hear God's Voice

Kimberly Novak reviews Stacey Sumerau's book about discernment and learning to follow God's call, no matter where He leads.

Adventure Awaits: How to Interpret Your Desires and Hear God's Voice

By Stacey Sumerau

Published by Ave Maria Press

As a young girl, I was always fond of seeing the Catholic Sisters in their habits and dresses, and once or twice, I imagined what I might look like dressed in the same attire. However, the thought of my becoming a nun never crossed my mind. I only wanted to look the part. I laugh now as an adult looking back on those memories, and I am happy and content with where God has placed me in life. My faith and relationship with God have taught me that even in the hardest times, God’s plan for my life is a true blessing.   

Having many friends who have answered the call into religious life, I am grateful for men and women who have taken discernment seriously and allowed God’s voice to lead them onto their rightful path.  I am equally thankful to all those who have discerned that religious life was not where God was calling them. However, He was calling them to a holy life and a sincere relationship with God the Father. 

In her book, Adventure Awaits: How to Interpret Your Desires and Hear God’s Voice, Stacey Sumereau, Catholic author, speaker, podcast host, and past Broadway actor, shares her story of discernment and navigating the path of God’s voice in her life.  

“For I know the plans that I have for you,’ declares the LORD, ‘plans for prosperity and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.” Jeremiah 29:11(NASB) 

A Journey of Self-Discovery

Stacey takes the reader on her journey of self-discovery as a young adult, discerning between nudges from the Spirit and the burning desires of her heart. Her story is laid out beautifully, capturing each milestone and celebrating the highs while not overlooking the importance of every low point.                                             

The chapters are laid out in order of her life experiences and are shared in a way that the reader can easily insert their own experience, taking Stacey’s prayerful suggestions to heart. For me, the bonus was the journal prompts at the end of each chapter, guiding the reader into a prayerful dialogue with God.  

As I got deeper into Stacey’s story, memories of similar feelings in my own life experiences came flooding back. Even though our stories were completely different, the emotions and thirst for God’s voice were the same. Adventure Awaits is a must-have guide in the spiritual library of anyone looking to strengthen their relationship with God or discern God’s calling in their life.  

As a spiritual director, I can see using the journal prompt sections with clients to engage in conversations further and add more thought to their prayer. This section in itself is a bonus for those who accompany others in their walk of faith.  

If God seems to be telling you to do something, discussing it with a spiritual advisor can help you determine whether the message is something to be acted upon or ignored-that is, whether it comes from God, the devil, or your imaginative inventing. (chapter 4) 

I highly recommend Adventure Awaits: How to Interpret Your Desires and Hear God’s Voice as a guide into discernment and discovering how God chooses to allow you to hear His voice. I would describe this book as suitable for ages 16 and up, or those feeling a strong nudge into the discernment process.  

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Copyright 2025 Kimberly Novak
Images: (top) detail from cover