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From the Heart: An honest look at life and faith
by Rob ParsonsFrom the Heart brings together a rich selection of articles by Rob Parsons, one the UK's best-loved Christian authors. Most of these were written for his monthly column in Premier Christianity magazine where he shared his thoughts about some of the things that matter to him most. As far as possible, they have been kept exactly as they were when he wrote them.Rob's reflections on the joys, challenges, doubts and fears of everyday Christian life are layered with warmth, humour and messages of hope and encouragement. But it's not all sweetness and light: there are some things that not only make him sad, but angry.Topics include:- Nasty Christians- Dare to be Vulnerable- Deal or No Deal?- Disappointment with God- God's Will According to Cyril- Worry Wars- The Strugglers' Group'From the Heart is searingly honest and wonderfully encouraging. I absolutely loved it!' - Cathy Madavan, author of Irrepressible
From the Heart of a Child and Other Lessons to Live By
by Bill O'HearnFrom the Heart of a Child, a book that Dennis Waitley characterized as "Inspiring... a message that will help readers soar to the heights of their true potential, " was written by Bill O'Hearn to touch the heart of the child within all of us. <P>Here is a small, rich volume of thoughts, motivations and lessons in life that help remind us of what to expect from ourselves, and of the grace we earn from reaching higher than our horizons.
From the Heart of Chenrezig: The Dalai Lamas on Tantra
by Glenn H. MullinThe lineage of the reincarnated line of Dalai Lamas has held primary spiritual authority and, until recently, temporal power in Tibet since the beginning of the fifteenth century. The translations in this book represent a curated set of their writings specifically on tantra, the advanced path of Tibetan Buddhism in which practitioners use a variety of methods and techniques to directly overcome delusion and conflicting emotions. If one has the proper training in sutra and tantra, it is said that the path to enlightenment can be traversed swiftly. Glenn H. Mullin, one of the foremost translators of the Dalai Lamas, has selected key texts from eight of the Dalai Lamas that clearly elucidate the proper understanding and context of the tantric system in this lineage.
From the Heart of Tibet: The Biography of Drikung Chetsang Rinpoche, the Holder of the Drikung Kagyu Line age
by Elmer R. Gruber Dalai Lama"The story of Drikung Chetsang Rinpoche's life," notes the Dalai Lama, "encompasses a remarkably broad range of Tibetan experience over the past fifty years." This is the story of a young boy, born in 1946 to inherit the role of high-ranking lama. When the Chinese army invaded, his family escaped the country, but he and the other monks in his monastery were rounded up by soldiers and sent to an indoctrination school. After surviving almost two decades of the Cultural Revolution in Tibet, during which time lamas and aristocrats were persecuted and jailed, Chetsang Rinpoche walked out of Tibet alone and found his way to Kathmandu, Nepal. Eventually, after living as a refugee and an immigrant, he fully took on leadership of the Drikung lineage by founding the Drikung Kagyu Institute in India. Since then the teachings of this lineage have spread around the world after nearly being lost.
From the HERMITAGE
by Alberto Esteban De EmaúsMonastic life in the world today is perhaps as never before, a testimony of trust in the providence of God. In what way can we understand the act of consecrating life to prayer and work in a world that is continually desacralized. The brightness of the fleeting glares with vehemence; Infiltrated in the technological revolution has come the exacerbation of consumption and the alienation that results from it. In big bands of the population the sense of the sacred is lost. Communicated more than at any time in history, we exchanged mere fatuities; Today that particular verse, which says Vanity of vanities, is all vanity! (Ecclesiastes 1,2). That is why, whoever becomes a monk or a nun today, gives special testimony of faith in the living presence of Jesus Christ. He claims to have seen something that is not in sight. That person in the midst of the multiple mirages has noticed something that escapes the majority. In the history of spirituality it has been called "Experience of the Presence". Those who in the second decade of the 21st century embrace the religious life, particularly the monastic, have heard the peculiar voice of the inner desert. It is a deep silence that draws them to the deep heart. They have been fascinated by God through various contingencies. Some were first seduced by prayer and quiet steps resounding in the cloister, others fraternal life in communion of works, to those from beyond them perhaps invited, the lectio, personal communion with the sacred writing. As a beloved niece said before her first profession: "... I was so refreshed by the joy of the nuns!" No mistake. Many still impress the joy without purpose of a life recovered in the essential. Be the writings that follow here for you, as an act thrown into becoming, a gesture of hope and recognition to the Spirit of God that encourages you as a soft breeze where w
From the Holy Mountain
by William DalrympleIn the spring of A.D. 587, John Moschos and his pupil Sophronius the Sophist embarked on a remarkable expedition across the entire Byzantine world, traveling from the shores of Bosphorus to the sand dunes of Egypt. Using Moschos's writings as his guide and inspiration, the acclaimed travel writer William Dalrymple retraces the footsteps of these two monks, providing along the way a moving elegy to the slowly dying civilization of Eastern Christianity and to the people who are struggling to keep its flame alive. The result is Dalrymple's unsurpassed masterpiece: a beautifully written travelogue, at once rich and scholarly, moving and courageous, overflowing with vivid characters and hugely topical insights into the history, spirituality and the fractured politics of the Middle East.
From the Inside Out: The Rural Worlds of Mennonite Diarists
by Royden LoewenHistorian Royden Loewen has brought together selections from diaries kept by 21 Mennonites in Canada between 1863 and 1929, some translated from German for the first time. By skillfully comparing and contrasting a wide cross-section of lives, Loewen shows how these diaries often turn the hidden contours of household and community "inside out." The writers featured were ordinary rural people: young women and grandmothers, rural preachers and landless householders. They include a teenaged boy who immigrated from Russia to Manitoba in 1875 as well as a successful merchant, a traveling evangelist, and a devout, conservative church elder. An elderly grandfather recounted the daily circuit of his children's homes, while 19-year-old Marie Schoeder wrote of her literary aspirations, her "secret hope" that some day she would "write things that have a real worth, things that are worth printing, and things that other folks would love to read and pay for." From the Inside Out also contrasts diaries from two distinct Mennonite communities in Canada. The Swiss-American Mennonites in Waterloo County, Ontario, faced rapid urbanization, while the Dutch-Russian Mennonites in southern Manitoba maintained their more rural environment. The diaries mirror their writers' preoccupations with work and weather, but they also reveal a communityís social structure and round of activities such as weddings, funerals, and worship services. In the process of diary-keeping, the writers sought to make sense of a dynamic and often unpredictable world. Reading what they chose to record is to learn much about their culture. Their writings provide glimpses of their lives, their collective mindset, and their history as a people.
From the Jewish Heartland: Two Centuries of Midwest Foodways
by Ellen F. Steinberg Jack H. ProstFrom the Jewish Heartland: Two Centuries of Midwest Foodways reveals the distinctive flavor of Jewish foods in the Midwest and tracks regional culinary changes through time. Exploring Jewish culinary innovation in America's heartland from the 1800s to today, Ellen F. Steinberg and Jack H. Prost examine recipes from numerous midwestern sources, both kosher and nonkosher, including Jewish homemakers' handwritten manuscripts and notebooks, published journals and newspaper columns, and interviews with Jewish cooks, bakers, and delicatessen owners. With the influx of hundreds of thousands of Jews during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries came new recipes and foodways that transformed the culture of the region. Settling into the cities, towns, and farm communities of Ohio, Indiana, Wisconsin, Michigan, Illinois, Missouri, Iowa, and Minnesota, Jewish immigrants incorporated local fruits, vegetables, and other comestibles into traditional recipes. Such incomparable gustatory delights include Tzizel bagels and rye breads coated in midwestern cornmeal, baklava studded with locally grown cranberries, dark pumpernickel bread sprinkled with almonds and crunchy Iowa sunflower seeds, tangy ketchup concocted from wild sour grapes, Sephardic borekas (turnovers) made with sweet cherries from Michigan, rich Chicago cheesecakes, native huckleberry pie from St. Paul, and savory gefilte fish from Minnesota northern pike. Steinberg and Prost also consider the effect of improved preservation and transportation on rural and urban Jewish foodways, as reported in contemporary newspapers, magazines, and published accounts. They give special attention to the impact on these foodways of large-scale immigration, relocation, and Americanization processes during the nineteenth century and the efforts of social and culinary reformers to modify traditional Jewish food preparation and ingredients. Including dozens of sample recipes, From the Jewish Heartland: Two Centuries of Midwest Foodways takes readers on a memorable and unique tour of midwestern Jewish cooking and culture.
From the Jungles to the Cathedrals: The Captivating Story of Juan Carlos Ortiz
by Juan Carlos OrtizEl Dr. Juan Carlos Ortiz, cuenta la historia de cómo paso de las selvas a las catedrales. A través de sus páginas, el describe como a pesar de venir de un hogar y familia sencilla y un padre alcohólico, Jesús, en la forma de dos misioneras, toco a la puerta de su hogar. Aunque su madre no quería perder tiempo en “tonterías” su decisión de recibirlas dio un giro inesperado a su hogar. Jesús suplió todas las necesidades, permitiendo así que una imposibilidad de estudio para él y sus cuatro hermanos se convirtiera en realidad. Es así que el Dr. Ortiz empieza a servir a Dios y da comienzo a su vida ministerial. La influencia de grandes líderes internacionales como Tommy Hicks, marcaron su vida y su llamado. Tiempo después, Ortiz presidió como pastor principal una de las catedrales más importantes de Estados Unidos, la “Catedral de Cristal”, en California, Estados Unidos.
From the Library of C. S. Lewis: Selections from Writers Who Influenced His Spiritual Journey
by James Stuart Bell Anthony P. DawsonDiscover great truths from C. S. Lewis's mentors C. S. Lewis was perhaps the greatest Christian thinker of the twentieth century. He delighted us inThe Chronicles of Narnia, intrigued us inThe Screwtape Letters, mystified us in The Space Trilogy, and convinced us inMere Christianity. His influence on generations of Christians has been immeasurable. But who influenced C. S. Lewis? What were the sources of his inspiration? Who were his spiritual mentors? Who were his teachers? Drawn from Lewis's personal library, annotations, and references from his writings, the selections in this book bring us into contact with giants such as Dante, Augustine, and Chaucer, as well as introduce us to more contemporary writers such as G. K. Chesterton, Charles Williams, George MacDonald, and J. R. R. Tolkien. Over 250 selections provide a vast array of inspiration from those who have shone forth as messengers of light in Lewis's own thinking, writing, and spiritual growth. A rare glimpse into the intellectual, spiritual, and creative life of one of literature's great writers,From the Library of C. S. Lewisis a treasury of insight and wisdom. From the Hardcover edition.
From the Maccabees to the Mishnah
by Shaye J. D. CohenIn this new edition of a best-selling classic, Shaye Cohen offers a thorough analysis of Judaism's development from the early years of the Roman Empire to the formative period of rabbinic Judaism. Cohen's synthesis of religion, literature, and history offers deep insight into the nature of Judaism at this key period, including the relationship between Jews and Gentiles, the function of Jewish religion in the larger community, and the development of normative Judaism and other Jewish sects. In addition, Cohen provides clear explanations concerning the formation of the biblical canon and the roots of rabbinic Judaism. Now completely updated and revised, this book remains the clearest introduction to the era that shaped Judaism and provided the context for early Christianity. The Library of Early Christianity is a series of eight outstanding books exploring the Jewish and Greco-Roman contexts in which the New Testament developed.
From the Material to the Mystical in Late Medieval Piety: The Vernacular Transmission of Gertrude of Helfta's Visions
by Racha KirakosianThe German mystic Gertrude the Great of Helfta (c.1256–1301) is a globally venerated saint who is still central to the Sacred Heart Devotion. Her visions were first recorded in Latin, and they inspired generations of readers in processes of creative rewriting. The vernacular copies of these redactions challenge the long-standing idea that translations do not bear the same literary or historical weight as the originals upon which they are based. In this study, Racha Kirakosian argues that manuscript transmission reveals how redactors serve as cultural agents. Examining the late medieval vernacular copies of Gertrude's visions, she demonstrates how redactors recast textual materials, reflected changes in piety, and generated new forms of devotional practices. She also shows how these texts served as a bridge between material culture, in the form of textiles and book illumination, and mysticism. Kirakosian's multi-faceted study is an important contribution to current debates on medieval manuscript culture, authorship, and translation as objects of study in their own right.
From the Monastery to the City: Hildegard of Bingen and Francis of Assisi (Past Light on Present Life: Theology, Ethics, and Spirituality)
by Roger Haight, SJ, Alfred Pach III, and Amanda Avila KaminskiThis volume brings together texts of the twelfth-century Hildegard of Bingen and the early-thirteenth-century Francis of Assisi to represent religious spirituality after the Gregorian Reform and just prior to or simultaneous with the formation of universities in Western Europe. In an extraordinary way, Hildegard embodies monastic theology and spirituality and provides a contrast to the new thing that would be created with the study of theology in the new Aristotelian idiom of the universities. But equally in contrast to the Benedictine Hildegard, the thirteenth century witnessed a renewed enthusiasm for a more literal following of Christ in a life of penitence and poverty. This is a life of dependence, not on a superior and enclosed community but on the compassion of society at large. Francis would join this movement on his own terms, attract a following, and gradually formulate a spirituality that sent signals of the need to reform individual lives and the institutions of the Church. These two authors, then, are not joined here because of any shared similarity but to help illustrate two quite different spiritualities that animated the lively European twelfth and thirteenth centuries.
From the Monastery to the World: The Letters of Thomas Merton and Ernesto Cardenal
by Thomas Merton Ernesto CardenalThomas Merton and Ernesto Cardenal were both poets and priests, wholly committed to a life of spiritual contemplation which was never far from the gritty work that lead them to risk life and reputation in order to raise worldwide consciousness concerning issues of social justice and the abuse of human rights. From the Monastery to the World collects the complete correspondence between these spiritual men and dedicated activists, translated into English for the first time.The letters in this book, written between Merton and Cardenal from 1959–1968, give us fascinating insights into the early spiritual and political awakenings of eventual Sandinista and exponent of liberation theology Ernesto Cardenal, who was then a novice leaving the Trappist Monastery in Kentucky where he first met Merton. While making the long trip home to Nicaragua to build a utopian artist's commune on the Island of Solentiname, Cardenal rubs elbows with some of Latin America's greatest writers and artists of that time.In From the Monastery to the World, Cardenal is still a hungry pupil, years away from becoming the internationally renowned poet–statesman and Nicaraguan Minister of Culture. Here we see the poet and monk Thomas Merton as a wise, patient, and sometimes even humbled mentor, during the years when he was still shaping and collecting the raw materials for such writings as: "The Way of Chuang Tzu", "Raids on the Unspeakable", and "Conjectures of a Guilty Bystander".Merton and Cardenal's correspondence grants readers an audience to conversations between two men deeply connected by their vigorous endeavors toward spiritual freedom, voracious intellectual appetites, and artistic exploration despite the cultural differences, language barriers, and geographic distances which divide them.
From the Occult to Christ: A Journey of Faith
by Pam ShellWe are living in the end times, and the greatest harvest known to man is fast approaching. The New Age Movement is infiltrating the American church at an alarming rate, and many Christians are turning away from God through deception and discouragement. This easy-to-read book talks about the deceptions of the New Age Movement and substantiates every fact with Scripture. It describes first-hand experience regarding a life free from the occult and persevering faith in Jesus Christ. Throughout this book, you will be given specific faith-building tools that are realistic, doable, and will prepare you to endure any trial.
From the other side of the moon
by Asma ElferkoussIt is always easy to feel misunderstood, to be out of step with your environment, and never to be in your place .Sometimes it takes time and a lot of experience to understand why this is so, why people do not feel the same feeling as us, why they do not perceive what seems obvious to us. It’s not because they don’t want it, It’s because they can’t do it because it’s "From the other side of the moon"
From the Shahs to Los Angeles: Three Generations of Iranian Jewish Women between Religion and Culture
by Saba SoomekhGold Medalist, 2013 Independent Publisher Book Awards in the Religion categorySaba Soomekh offers a fascinating portrait of three generations of women in an ethnically distinctive and little-known American Jewish community, Jews of Iranian origin living in Los Angeles. Most of Iran's Jewish community immigrated to the United States and settled in Los Angeles in the wake of the 1979 Iranian Revolution and the government-sponsored discrimination that followed. Based on interviews with women raised during the constitutional monarchy of the earlier part of the twentieth century, those raised during the modernizing Pahlavi regime of mid-century, and those who have grown up in Los Angeles, the book presents an ethnographic portrait of what life was and is like for Iranian Jewish women. Featuring the voices of all generations, the book concentrates on religiosity and ritual observance, the relationship between men and women, and women's self-concept as Iranian Jewish women. Mother-daughter relationships, double standards for sons and daughters, marriage customs, the appeal of American forms of Jewish practices, social customs and pressures, and the alternate attraction to and critique of materialism and attention to outward appearance are discussed by the author and through the voices of her informants.
From Theology to Theological Thinking (Richard Lectures)
by Jeffrey Bloechl Jean-Yves Lacoste W. Chris Hackett"Christian philosophy" is commonly regarded as an oxymoron, philosophy being thought incompatible with the assumptions and conclusions required by religious faith. According to this way of thinking, philosophy and theology must forever remain distinct.In From Theology to Theological Thinking, Jean-Yves Lacoste takes a different approach. Stepping back from contemporary philosophical concerns, Lacoste--a leading figure in the philosophy of religion--looks at the relationship between philosophy and theology from the standpoint of the history of ideas. He notes in particular that theology and philosophy were not considered separate realms until the high Middle Ages, this distinction being a hallmark of the modern era that is coming to an end. Lacoste argues that the intellectual task before us now is to work in the frontier region between or beyond these domains, work he identifies as "the task of thinking." With this argument, Lacoste resets our understanding of Western Christian thought, contending that a new way of thinking that is at once philosophical and theological will be the lasting discourse of Christianity.
From These Roots: Bringing Light, Hope, and Transformation to Atlanta's Inner City—A Journey of Two Brothers
by Jeff DeelPart memoir, part inspirational, Jeff Deel&’s From These Roots tells of his sometimes michievous childhood as the son of a holiness preacher and the change of heart and events that led him as an adult to work alongside his brother, ministering to the lost and forgotten people of Atlanta&’s inner city.Through Jeff&’s stories from his own past, along with those of the countless transformations he has witnessed at City of Refuge, readers will see how being a follower can be just as important as being a leader. Jeff Deel has lived in the shadow of his older brother, Bruce, for his entire life. He wouldn&’t have had it any other way. While being the sons of a holiness preacher, they still found ways to get into their fair share of mischief, with older brother Bruce taking on the role of &“leader&”—for better or worse. Yet Jeff never questioned his place as his brother&’s follower and supporter—for better or worse. Then came adulthood and Jeff&’s turbulent search to find himself. Through a series of failed occupations and the desire to avoid ministry at all costs, Jeff was predictably led right back to his brother&’s side. This time, instead of finding mischief, Jeff and Bruce worked together building the City of Refuge in Atlanta. Through their work, COR has welcomed thousands upon thousands of individuals who have found themselves in dire straits, whether as victims of abuse and sex trafficking, or as people whose own choices have thrust them to rock bottom. Jeff and Bruce have found their experience watching their parents minister to the least of these and teaching them what it means to offer a person dignity, love, and hope, prepared them more than they ever could have realized.
From This Day Forward: Five Commitments to Fail-Proof Your Marriage
by Amy Groeschel Craig GroeschelShouldn't there be more to marriage than flipping a coin to see if it will last? Is it possible to grow more in love with the person you've committed your life to? Would you like to guarantee that your marriage will last? Craig and Amy Groeschel offer singles pursuing marriage and couples at all stages of marriage five commitments to fail proof their marriage, From This Day Forward.
From This Day Forward
by Irene HannonIt was an offer she couldn’t refuse…After a frightening ordeal, Cara Martin needs a safe haven, and her estranged husband, Dr. Sam Martin, offers to share his home. Live with Sam? The man she’d married became a stranger long before their separation broke her heart. Yet when she arrives in his small Missouri town, Cara discovers the workaholic surgeon has become a general doctor who cares about people...cares about her. Can they possibly love, honor and cherish each other again, from this day forward? Originally published in 2007
From This Day Forward
by Irene HannonIt Was A Shocking Proposal. . . But Cara Martin had to say yes. After a frightening ordeal, she needed a safe haven, and her estranged husband, Dr. Sam Martin, offered to share his home. Live with Sam? The man she'd married had become a stranger long before their separation had broken her heart. Yet when she arrived in his small Missouri town, Cara discovered the workaholic surgeon had become a general doc who cared about people. . . cared about her. Could they possibly love, honor and cherish each other again, from this day forward?
From this Day Forward: Rethinking the Christian Wedding
by Kimberly Bracken LongWeddings have become a billion-dollar industry, with the average cost of a wedding estimated at $30,000. Taking into account dramatic shifts in attitudes toward marriage in recent years, many pastors are confused and frustrated about their role. This book offers a foundational understanding of marriage for today's North American church. Exploring current sociological analyses of marriage and the history of Christian marriage rites, Kimberly Bracken Long suggests that the church rethink its involvement in weddings and offers a distinctively Christian understanding of marriage. Today's church, Long contends, needs to reinterpret classic biblical metaphors and expand the range of scriptural sources that inform our understanding of marriage. Long also looks closely at each element of the wedding service and what makes a marriage liturgy faithful, inclusive, and sensitive to pastoral concerns. She provides practical suggestions for music and Scripture during wedding services as well as guidance on how to respond faithfully to those who are divorced or divorcing. Packed with constructive pastoral wisdom, From This Day Forward—Rethinking the Christian Wedding delivers a practical theology of marriage that will be of help to clergy, seminarians, and others interested in this topic.
From This Day Forward Study Guide: Five Commitments to Fail-Proof Your Marriage
by Craig GroeschelIs it possible to have a great marriage? Yes, but it is not likely if you treat marriage like everybody else does! In this five-session, video-based small group study, New York Times bestselling author and pastor Craig Groeschel gives you five commitments to make in order to fail-proof your marriage. You know the stats, and they are horrifying. 50% of marriages don’t make it. What other area of your life are you satisfied with 50% odds against you? The choices you make each and every day determine not only your relationship with God but also the quality of your marriage. The decisions you make today will determine the marriage you will have tomorrow. In this five-session study, you will discover five commitments that will absolutely fail-proof your marriage. If you make these commitments, you can and will have the marriage God wants you to experience. Seek God Fight Fair Have Fun Stay Pure Never Give Up If you and your spouse will earnestly choose to do all five of these things, you’ll discover a richer, deeper, more authentic relationship and a more rewarding, more passionate love life than you could have ever imagined. Don’t be a statistic. Don’t be average. Let’s get you that marriage that you always wanted. Starting right now—from this day forward.
From This Life to the Next: Everything You Want to Know About Heaven
by Judson CornwallUnfortunately heaven has become more of an enigma than an anticipated destination. Although you may have seen many depictions of glorious heavenly scenes in movies and heard awe-inspiring testimonials of near- and after-death experiences, you may still be apprehensive about the afterlife.Heaven is no longer a mystery Culled from Cornwall&’s extraordinary teachings over years of ministry, From this Life to the Next challenges many preconceived ideas about heaven. It claims that the moment of stepping from this life into the next should not be one we dread or fear because Jesus said that He would be there to meet us, and His presence will be our joy. Your pressing questions about heaven will be answered such as:Is heaven a real place?What is heaven like?Where is heaven, and how do we get there?What will my body look like?Will I recognize loved ones?REMOVE THE FEAR OF DEATH and the afterlife and rekindle the excitement to one day meet Jesus and dwell in His presence for eternity.