In this book Thich Nhat Hanh, the renowned Zen monk, author, and meditation master, distills the essence of Buddhist thought and practice, emphasizing the power of mindfulness to transform our lives. "Mindfulness is not an evasion or an escape," he explains. "It means being here, present, and totally alive. It is true freedom--and without this freedom, there is no happiness."

Based on a retreat that Thich Nhat Hanh led for Westerners, this book offers a range of simple, effective practices for cultivating mindfulness, including awareness of breathing and walking, deep listening, and skillful speech. "You Are Here" also offers guidance on healing emotional pain and manifesting real love and compassion in our relationships with others.

This book invites busy women and men to connect with deeper longings for self-fulfillment as they navigate the stressful demands of daily life. Thought-provoking reflections by the author are followed by practical exercises for a weekly study over a year of many aspects of life experience. Most of us feel scattered a lot of the time. Like the dismembered Egyptian god Osiris, we are spread out all over our personal world. Finding Time for Your Self offers help to bring ourselves back together again and learn how to re-member ourselves, not by withdrawing from the world but by being engaged right in the middle of our daily life. Fifty-two reflections on familiar life situations help the reader stay inwardly alive and present to meet lifes many challenges -- to pause and reflect at any moment of the day. They are followed by practical exercises that offer day-by-day experiments to assist in finding a more balanced sense of ourselves in the midst of outer activity. The old Shaker song "Its a gift to be simple" tells us that the solution is in the turning, until "by turning, turning, turning we come 'round right." When we turn away for a short time from activities, goals and commitments -- and toward the inner self -- we discover a world that is just as active and full of surprises as the outer one. Turning our attention to the world within allows us to reconnect with that person who we essentially are, in the depths of our being.

In "God's Eye View," Tommy Tenney explores how worship lifts us up to see the trouble we face from God's perspective instead of being trapped in an earthly, time-bound viewpoint. The higher we go, the smaller our problems seem. Tenney also teaches the Principle of Magnification: The closer you get to something, the bigger it appears. In other words, worship not only "shrinks" our problems; it also magnifies God in our lives and to others.

Worship doesn't really change our problems; it just minimizes their influence over us as we focus on God. He doesn't promise to remove all of our circumstances, but God does assure us that in His presence and from His perspective--we can see things as they really are and not how they appear to be.

In the book of Revelation John was instructed to "behold the Lion," but from an earthly perspective John saw only the Lamb. The heavenly perspective reveals that the Lamb is the Lion, the babe of Bethlehem is the "ancient of days," and the dragon is really a weakened lizard. God's eye view is higher than man's.

Higher than a bird's eye view, higher than a man's eye view is God's eye view.

Why do we travel? Ostensibly an act of leisure, travel finds us thrusting ourselves into jets flying miles above the earth, only to endure dislocations of time and space, foods and languages foreign to our body and mind, and encounters with strangers on whom we must suddenly depend. Travel is not merely a break from routine; it is its antithesis, a voluntary trading in of the security one feels at home for unpredictability and confusion. In "Bewildered Travel" Frederick Ruf argues that this confusion, which we might think of simply as a necessary evil, is in fact the very thing we are seeking when we leave home.

Ruf relates this quest for confusion to our religious behavior. Citing William James, who defined the religious as what enables us to "front life," Ruf contends that the search for bewilderment allows us to point our craft into the wind and sail headlong into the storm rather than flee from it. This view challenges the Eliadean tradition that stresses religious ritual as a shield against the world's chaos. Ruf sees our departures from the familiar as a crucial component in a spiritual life, reminding us of the central role of pilgrimage in religion.

In addition to his own revealing experiences as a traveler, Ruf presents the reader with the journeys of a large and diverse assortment of notable Americans, including Henry Miller, Paul Bowles, Mark Twain, Mary Oliver, and Walt Whitman. These accounts take us from the Middle East to the Philippines, India to Nicaragua, Mexico to Morocco--and, in one threatening instance, simply to the edge of the author's own neighborhood. "What gives value to travel is fear," wrote Camus. This book illustrates the truth of that statement.

Enhanced by the author's storytelling approach, this book features Jephthah, an obscure character of history. Although Shakespeare, Josephus, and Handel wrote about him and his daughter, Jephthah's tale, a tantalizing drama for the stage, is largely avoided by those who should know it best. Some personalities are obscure because little is known about them. Others slip into obscurity because of controversy about the facts that are known. While Samson, despite his less-than-stellar conduct, remains a household name even among those who have sketchy Bible knowledge, Jephthah's story is familiar only among those who debate its elusive questions. Cheerleaders on Jephthah's team are few. Disputes arise at the mere mention of Jephthah's name and his vow. Because his daughter's decision is misunderstood at best, one might reasonably ask why more than an entire Bible chapter is devoted to the story. Is it wise to make a vow?

In recent decades, Malaysia has been profoundly changed both by forces of globalization, modernization and industrialization and by a strong Islamization process. Some would argue that the situation of Malay women has worsened but such a conclusion is challenged by this study of the everyday religious practice of pious women within Kuala Lumpur's affluent, Malay middle class. Here, women play an active part in the Islamization process not only by heightened personal religiosity but also by organizing and participating in public programmes of religious education. By organizing new forms of collective ritual and assuming new public roles as religious teachers, these religiously educated women are transforming the traditionally male-dominated gendered space of the mosque and breaking men's monopoly over positions of religious authority. Exploring this situation, the book challenges preconceptions of the nature of Islamization as well as current theories of female agency and power.This title challenges preconceptions of the nature of Islamization. It counters common representations of Muslim women as victims. It is a refreshing contribution to discussions on women's religious agency that challenges current theories of female agency and power.

In this ground-breaking book, the Dalai Lama advises us to gain familiarity with the process and practices of death so that, when we are physically weak, our minds can still be focussed in the right direction, and in the right manner. Advice on Dying cautions us not to fall under the influence of the mistaken belief of permanence. We should not think that we have a lot of time in this life, because there is a great danger of wasting our lives in procrastination. He suggests we meditate on our lives, and on the indefiniteness of the time of death. For, though the time of our death is uncertain, death itself is certain...In this empowering and positive book, His Holiness brings new inspiration to a subject that we, in the West, have long ignored to our detriment. It is only by taming our minds and fully facing the end of our lives, that we can fully live in the present moment.

Now a" New York Times "Bestseller

As a college student he spent 16 days in the Pacific Ocean with five guys and a crate of canned meat. As a father he took his kids on a world tour to eat ice cream with heads of state. He made friends in Uganda, and they liked him so much he became the Ugandan consul. He pursued his wife for three years before she agreed to date him. His grades weren't good enough to get into law school, so he sat on a bench outside the Dean's office for seven days until they finally let him enroll.

Bob Goff has become something of a legend, and his friends consider him the world's best-kept secret. Those same friends have long insisted he write a book. What follows are paradigm shifts, musings, and stories from one of the world's most delightfully engaging and winsome people. What fuels his impact? Love. But it's not the kind of love that stops at thoughts and feelings. Bob's love takes action. Bob believes "Love Does."

When "Love Does," life gets interesting. Each day turns into a hilarious, whimsical, meaningful chance that makes faith simple and real. Each chapter is a story that forms a book, a life. And this is one life you don't want to miss.

Light and fun, unique and profound, the lessons drawn from Bob's life and attitude just might inspire you to be secretly incredible, too.

Endorsements:

"If this book does not make your heart beat faster, book the next flight to Mayo Clinic " --Bill Hybels, Senior Pastor, Willow Creek Community Church, Chairman, Willow Creek Association

"Bob Goff is a one-man tsunami of grace, a hurricane of love. He doesn't just talk about change, he really is change, as Love Does chronicles in such a vivid way. Yet, "Love Does" doesn't leave you feeling like you want to celebrate its author, it awakens a sense deep within that you, too, have an outrageous role to play in God's unfolding story or rescue and repair." --Louie Giglio, Passion Conferences/Passion City Church

"An interesting and compelling story (with Young Life roots) that ends with a practical challenge and punch: 'love does' and God can use you to do it " --Denny Rydberg, President, Young Life

"Every once in a while someone like Bob Goff shows up to remind us that some things matter a lot more than others. Love Does has a kind of 'north star' effect that will push you to refocus your life and energy on what is most significant. It doesn't just invite you to respond with your God-given potential, it invites you to become a part of what God can do beyond your potential." --Reggie Joiner, Founder and CEO of Orange

"We liked the book a lot. Mostly, the balloons on the cover. The rest was pretty good too. Lots of stories about how God helps us." --Aedan, Asher and Skye Peterson ages 13, 12 and 9

"This may look like a book. It's not. It is an invitation to enter into the greatest adventure you have ever known--your life as it was meant to be lived. Hang on " --Michael Hyatt, Author, "Platform: Get Noticed in a Noisy World, "MichaelHyatt.com

"Bob's ability to love people brings contagious hope and inspiration wherever he goes. The power of love showcased in this book will surely touch the hearts and souls of many people. Read Love Does and find a friend in one the world's best hidden secrets, a person who shows how love can create connection and make a difference--even across oceans." --George Tsereteli, Deputy Chairman of the Parliament of Georgia (former Russian Republic)

"There are some nasty rumors out there about treasure. Mostly that's it's buried and needs discovering. Or has to be mined. Or can only be located with a map and a big X. Not so, says the life of Bob Goff. Living from the center of your heart doesn't have to be complicated or elusive. Love just wakes up in the morning and gets busy loving. The treasure is sitting right there next to the pancakes. About 5 pages in, I knew my life and I were gonna have words." --Nicole Nordeman, Mother and Musician

In this volume, Trevor Leggett presents three texts translated from Japanese and compiled to illuminate the three ages of Zen in Japan: the warrior Zen of crisis and war in the thirteenth century; the feudal Zen of eighteenth-century samurai officials and finally the modern Zen found in 20th-century Japan.

Acclaimed church leader, blogger, founder and chief strategic officer of The Unstuck Group, Tony Morgan unpacks the lifecycle of a typical church, identifies characteristics of each phase, and provides practical next steps a church can take to move towards sustained health. Think about your church for a moment. Is it growing? Is it diminishing? Is it somewhere in between? Acclaimed church leader, blogger, and founder and chief strategic officer of The Unstuck Group, Tony Morgan has identified the seven stages of a church's lifecycle that range from the hopeful and optimistic days of launch, to the stagnating last stages of life support. Regardless of the stage in which you find your church, it carries with it the world's greatest mission-to "go and make disciples of all the nations . . ." With eternity at stake the Church should be doing most everything within its power to see lives changed forever. The Church should strive for the pinnacle of the lifecycle, where they are continually making new disciples and experiencing what Morgan refers to as "sustained health." In The Unstuck Church, Morgan unpacks each phase of the church lifecycle, and offers specific and strategic next steps the church leader can take to find it's way to sustained health . . . and finally become unstuck. The Unstuck Church is a call for honest an assessment of where your church sits on the lifecycle, and a challenge to move beyond it.

David Adam has been captivated by the beauty, wonder and holiness of Lindisfarne since first glimpsing its fairytale castle from the train as a young boy. In this absorbing volume, he shows the island's human face, revealing how Lindisfarne and its people have responded to trial, tribulation and triumph in the course of a long and vibrant history. This tiny place witnessed one of the last stands of the 'British' Celtic peoples against the invading Anglo-Saxons in the 6th century. It has been the home of saints and scholars, most notably St. Aidan and St. Cuthbert, and famously produced the medieval masterpiece known as the "Lindisfarne Gospels". Less familiar to readers, perhaps, will be that the island experienced the first recorded Viking invasion in 793, and was involved in the 17th century Civil War and the 18th century Jacobite Rebellion. Today its ruined 11th century Priory and 16th century Castle - later redesigned by the great English architect Edwin Lutyens - draw pilgrims and visitors from all over the world. Wherever you walk on Lindisfarne, the past impinges on the present...In relating afresh many of the island's legends and stories, David Adam's lovely volume affords the reader a wonderful sense of all there is to discover, just beneath the surface.

Despite the wonders of the digital world, people still go in record numbers to view drawings and paintings in galleries. Why? What is the magic that pictures work on us? This book provides a provocative explanation, arguing that some pictures have special kinds of beauty and sublimity that offer aesthetic transcendence. They take us imaginatively beyond our finite limits and even invoke a sense of the divine. Such aesthetic transcendence forges a relationship with the ultimate and completes us psychologically. Philosophers and theologians sometimes account for this as an effect of art, but How Pictures Complete Us distinguishes itself by revealing how this experience is embodied in pictorial structures and styles. Through detailed discussions of artworks from the Renaissance through postmodern times, Paul Crowther reappraises the entire scope of beauty and the sublime in the context of both representational and abstract art, offering unexpected insights into familiar phenomena such as ideal beauty, pictorial perspective, and what pictures are in the first place.

The purpose of this book is to guide you step by step through my plan for effective prayer. You will discover your unique, God-given level of prayer power and God will release the prayer anointing upon your life, says Dr. Larry Lea. You'll discover exciting new insights into Jesus' model prayer that will create a newfound joy in your prayer life. Dr. Lea can help you reach your full spiritual potential and to better fulfill your God-ordained purposes and destiny in life. A perfect selection for groups studying prayer.

The revival of 1904-05 had a profound effect not only on Wales, but also on many other nations. This volume of 21 academic papers from the centenary conference in 2004 explores the local and international impact of the revival as well as previous eighteenth and nineteenth-century Welsh revivals. Contributors include David Bebbington and Mark A. Noll.

The 2,500 year old Yi-jing or I Ching, translated as the 'Book of Changes', is an ancient Chinese work of divination and prophesy. Dating from the 4th century BC, it is traditionally consulted by performing complex routines of dropping bundles of dried grass stalks. The particular patterns formed when six stalks are dropped are represented by 64 symbols called hexagrams, which show every possible combination of broken and unbroken stalks. The Book of Changes tells how to interpret the hexagrams to decide which is the best approach or action in a given situation. I Ching: The Ancient Chinese Book of Changes features the 64 hexagrams and their successive interpretations, including the Judgment, written by King Wen in the 12th Century BCE, The Commentary and The Image (both attributed to Confucius, 6-5th Century BCE), and The Lines, written by King Wen's son. Accompanying The Lines are present-day interpretative texts. Beautifully produced in traditional Chinese binding and with a timeless design, this book will allow anyone fascinated by the traditional philosophies of the East to follow in the footsteps of Confucius and use the I Ching to predict their destiny.

When Ziske's klezmer band is invited to play at a wedding in Pinsk, they arrive to discover many of the people in the town very sick. But tradition says that if two orphans get married in a cemetery a miracle may happen, so Ziske sets his mind to finding the perfect couple.

First published in 1967, this book gives some of the fruits of the author's study of Tikopia ways of thought as the result of three field expeditions. Most Polynesians became Christians more than a century ago but Tikopia had a substantial pagan population until quite recent years. This book of essays describes rites and beliefs of a people who still maintained their traditional institutions remote from civilization. Studies of totemism, of magic and of beliefs in the fate of the soul in the afterworld, not only throw new light on Polynesian attitudes but also contribute some novel ideas to the interpretation of standard theoretical problems in social anthropology. Studies of rumour, suicide, and a new essay on spirit mediumship, also provide links between social anthropology and psychology. A general review based on the author's visit in 1966 describes the modern position after the adoption of Christianity.

A beautiful and practical guide to Lunar Abundance -- working with the phases of the moon! Lunar Abundance is a holistic self-care practice that uses the moon phases as a natural timekeeper, each month beginning with a New Moon intention. This reflective journal will guide you on the path of putting it into practice to achieve joy, peace, and purpose. It includes: Profiles of the 8 moon phases and how to work with their natural ebbs and flows Dozens of writing and reflection prompts Guidance on intention-setting, with real-world examples and tips to get the most out of them Wellness and motivational affirmations A DIY yearly view of the moon cycles, with fill-in space to chart cycles according to your time zone. Filled with inspirational photography and graphics, this workbook is perfect for any woman seeking holistic wellness and unique inspiration to feed the mind, body, and spirit.

The first book-length introduction to an exciting new interdisciplinary field written by an internationally recognized leader of the Contemplative Studies movement This is the first book-length introduction to a growing and influential interdisciplinary field focused on contemplative practice, contemplative experience, and contemplative pedagogy. Written by an internationally recognized leader in the area, Introducing Contemplative Studies seeks to provide readers with a deep and practical understanding of the nature and purpose of the field while encouraging them to find a place of their own in an increasingly widespread movement. At once comprehensive overview, critical reflection, and visionary proposal, the book explores the central approaches and issues in Contemplative Studies, tackles questions and problems that sometimes go unaddressed, and identifies promising new developments. The author also discusses contemplative pedagogy, an experiential approach to teaching and learning informed by and expressed as contemplative practice. This is a major introduction to a fast emerging interdisciplinary field that will be invaluable to those interested in the area. * The only comprehensive introduction to the emerging, interdisciplinary field of Contemplative Studies * Written by a distinguished leader in the Contemplative Studies movement who is founding Co-Chair of the Contemplative Studies Group of the American Academy of Religion * Informed by ten years of research and practice, the book explores the field s varied approaches and expressions * Offers critical reviews of trends which will create discussions both within and outside the Contemplative Studies * Liberally illustrated with both images and charts Introducing Contemplative Studies is a must-read for advanced undergraduates, graduate students, teachers and scholars in Contemplative Studies, as well as anyone who is curious about contemplative practice, meditation, contemplative experience, contemplative pedagogy, contemplative science, and, of course, the exciting field of Contemplative Studies generally.