BookReviews/SpiritualitySubjects

Good Reads For Your Adventure Travels

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Please Note: The books and Audios reviewed here are my honest opinions. I received these unsolicited and free for promotional purposes, but I simply do not review the ones I do not believe to be review worthy.Reviews By Bonnie & Bill Neely

Jerusalem Always: photographs by Marcelo Bendahan, text by Heidi Gleit is a beautiful coffee table photo book of all ways of life in Jerusalem today, including many historic sites and archetecture. The large format features the full color pictures, making this truly a keepsake of any trip to the Holy Land and a good today overview of the historic city. The photos are surprising in the peaceful happiness displayed on the faces, since we hear so much about war and terrorism in the Middle East. It made me think I might even want to go there after all. The text, in English and Spanish, is brief, enlightening each photo for the viewer. A lovely book and timely of over 176 large format photos on slick paper. (Maestro Books)

Walking Through Illusion by Betsy Otter Thompson is a book you will want to read over and over if you are interested in spiritual matters. The chapters each take a Biblical character and in a Q & A format the author has a dialogue with Jesus about that person and the purpose of the trials or temptations he or she had in life. The situations all are presented in such a way, with Jesus' answers so thought-provoking, that anyone can extrapolate the circumstances to his or her own life. The answers Jesus gives are definitely not what you have been taught in Sunday School but force you to see things from a new perspective, the perspective of eternity, which is not only after this life on earth but also before your spirit entered your body. The purpose of the book seems to be to make us think through what our spirit has chosen and committed to learn in this physical experience and to see that all the Universe conspires to help us learn the lessons we selected for this lifetime. It will take many readings to comprehend these simple illustrations which contain the Great Mystery. An EXCELLENT book.

A Photographer on the Hajj: The Travels of Mohammad 'Ali Effendi Sa'udi (1904-1908) by Farid Kioumgi and Robert Graham is an excellent portrayal of the journey members of the Moslem faith must make at some point in their lives. This journey, 100 years ago, was portrayed in beautiful black and white photos and is quite different, while remaining quite the same as the journey today. Readers will appreciate the difficulties faced as the long road was traversed on foot or with animals before the railway was put into place, with extreme dangers from the bedouins who lost trade due to the opening of that railroad. The book is done by a careful historian who has poured over many records and logs of the period, telling the story of the trek of faith and hommage in an informative and interesting way.

Something You Forgot...Along the Way by Kentetsu Takamori is a book of Wisdom and Learning. It reminded me of the value of Aesop's Fables in my childhood. This little book of 65 very brief and entertaining stories, many of which are about real people, teaches 65 important life lessons of deep, pertinent spiritual and psychological insights and guidelines. These are entertaining enough to capture the interest of children and teens. The book is also for adults, giving sage advice of how to get along in life with more happiness, ease, and friendship. I highly recommend this book.

Hajj by Reem Al Faisal and Seyyed Hossein Nasr Many books have been written through the ages about the experience of Hajj, a deeply religious rite of going within and dedication, which Muslems perform in remembrance of Abraham and as a way of circumventing the world and finding God in deep and total worship. But the journey requires much physically, as well, and makes a huge emotional impact on the pilgrims. This book is different in that it portrays in full page black and white photographs the experience of the Hajj for the pilgrims. Without captions, the pictures speak for themselves, making quite an impact. The pages of text at the beginning of the five units of the book are well written and beautiful in spirit. The sections show Arrival, Pilgrims and Tourists, Makkah, Hajj, and Departure. It is an eye-opening book for non-Muslims and for those intending to take the journey. It is an amazing portrayal of humanity's dedicaiton to spirit.

God Shaped Hole by Veronica Brady, who is with the Department of English and Cultural Studies in the University of Western Australia, has a thought provoking collection of essays and speeches she has made to prominent and important audiences. In these speeches she explores contemporary literary and secular works and gives her perspective on how these point to "Other," as missed by our religious orders and churches of today. She points out that the Aboriginals of Australia have always known and followed this Mystery, which modern society has cast off or ignored or denied. By omitting the spiritual part of our lives, we moderns have created a vacuum, or God Shaped Hole, within us individually and as a society, and we don't know what the discomfort is. She points out how literary works, without naming God, reveal to us the great need in our lives to fill this void by seeking the Mystery. She feels that organized religion of today has missed the opportunity of leading people there because of the degeneration into dogma and meaningless ritual. An astute and deep read.

Sought Through Prayer and Meditation by GenoW. with William G. Borchert is a wonderful meditation guide which is setup to use one of the meditations repeatedly for a week, throughout the year. This Wisdom from the Sunday 11th Step Meetings at the wolfe Street Center in Little Rock, AR, is excellent for anyone on the 12 Step program for addicts. Although I am not an addict, I found each of these meditations to be very applicable to any kind of life's stresses and bad habits. The devotions are heart felt, written from deep experiences, and very helpful for ANYONE. A perfect gift for anyone who is in AA or other addiction therapies.

God Is My Coach: A Business Leader's Guide to Finding Clarity in an Uncertain World by Larry Julian is a life guide for making the right choices and decisions when you are in the "gray zone," in which there seems to be no correct choice or too much temptation to make the right one. These are the times that try people and determine their moral characters. With God as your coach you will have the empowerment and the guidance to face these times courageously and to make the right choices and decisions. You can become a leader for the right when all around you seems in chaos or just plain wrong. The times in which you choose to do the right thing in the midst of the gray testing ground are the tims that make you strong, and you can depend on God to coach you to the right way. This is the book for business leaders tempted to make the buck rather than make the honest decision. This is the book so needed in our times when corruption in business and government leadership has lead to many failures. Choose God for YOUR Coach, to get out of the gray zone and into the light where there is no need to hide or cover up.

The Problem With Women is Men by Charles J. OrlandoThe author is a self proclaimed reformed womanizer who took advantage of many women by using them for his selfish desires until he had a transformative religious experience. Now he has become the perfect husband and wants to share his new joy in appreciating women as equal partners. He has many ideas of how to show your life partner that you respect and love her. He describes how living in this way is much more rewarding in ways that last instead of momentarily using a woman for pleasure or prestige and then forgetting her. This is a good guide for the Promise Keepers groups. Men, take notice. This is a good how to if you are a pig with women! Women, get someone your husband or lover admires to give him this book!

The Luminous Gospels: Thomas, Mary Magdalene, and Philip, By Lynn C. Bauman, Ward J. Bauman, and Cynthia Bourgeault This study of the amazing Gospels discovered in the last century in a jar buried in the Middle East, where they have lain since the early Christian era is a collection of sayings by Jesus to his most trusted and closest companions. The scrolls, although they have pieces missing, have been carefully and thoughtfully translated from the original Coptic, Ancient Greek language, by the authors. The three discussed and pondered the meaning of the texts for years, alone and together. The authors are renowned Biblical and Theological authorities who have written the prefaces to these gospels, illuminating much about the times in which they were written and opening our hearts to a greater understanding of Jesus' teachings and the foundations of early Christian thought. The book is excellent and should belong to any Bible student and Christian, regardless of denomination.

Tibet Caught In Time By John Clarke, Foreword by the Dalai Lama: For anyone interested in the Himalayas or Buddhism, this book is so interesting. It features the collection of photos made by two British diplomats to Tibet in the early 1900's, John Claude White and Sir Charles Bell. Bell lived in Sikkim for two decades and photographed there and the majestic top of the world mountains. He documented life among the Tibetan people as it had been almost unchanged for many centuries before the Chinese occupation. Bell, who came after White, also lived in region for decades and spoke fluent Tibetan. He became a close friend of the 13th Dalai Lama and his family and, as such, was privy to many private events before the Dalai Lama had to seek refuge in India and was able to photograph and describe these occasions. The historic commentaries comprise a special window in time and a place and way of life which are gone. Their photographs and diaries and notes are priceless collections in the Victoria and Albert Museum where Clarke is a curator.

If You Only Knew What You Already Know by Paul Wedding is a book that reminds us of what deep in our hearts we already know to be true: about our real Self, who we are, why we are here in this life on earth, and how we can live happily while giving and receiving love. Paul spent much of his life as a salesman cheating people out of as much as he could with his gift for talking people into things. He spent some years in prison also. Then he had a life changing personal encounter with God, which at first he thought he could reject. The book is one of the ways he turned his life around and began to help people understand that we were really born with this knowledge of how to live life to the fullest and happiest, but we forgot in trying to stay busy, achieve goals, get as many material things as we could, the standard by which the ego measures success. But life is simpler and happier if you trust your inner Being, as Paul explains.

Into The World You Love: Encountering God in Everyday Life By Graeme Garrett. This is a collection of essays in the Anglican tradition in Australia. These works address the necessity of how Christianity can speak to the contemporary world on all continents, not just in the West. As the world grows smaller and major faith traditions are spread to areas they were unfamiliar in past decades and secularity grows ever more prevalent in the culture, the writers are addressing the need for Christianity to expand its appeal by addressing current needs in a contemporary way. The book is ambitious for the average reader and is perhaps better suited for clergy and administrators, especially of the Anglican faith. It is a deeply theological work and Biblically based, well written but not for the average spiritual seeker.

Rainbow Spirit Theology: Towards An Australian Aboriginal Theology By the Rainbow Spirit Elders When Christianity was injected into Aboriginal culture, the missionaries made these simple but wise people feel as if their faith and worship were evil. It has been decades that this feeling has prevailed, and the essence of Christianity and love and faith were misconstrued and lost in the hard feelings that resulted. Now the Aboriginal people who have grown up as children of the new faith have realized the great need is for Christsianity to be explained to their people in a way that blends with the Aboriginal customs and faith, which is very strong in the spirit of faith in life and love and the land and the willingness of the Creator to provide everything in life. This is a book far too long in coming. It is a really interesting read for any Aussie or Christian or traveler in Australia.

When Answers Aren't Enough: Experiencing God as Good When Life Isn't by Matt Rogers In April 2007 the worst massacre in American History occurred on the campus of Virginia Tech when 33 students died at the hand of a student gunman. Matt Rogers is copastor of the New Life christian Fellowship at Virginia Tech and had been there only a year when this tragedy took place. He lost friends whom he had grown to love, and he counselled many students through the terrible time. But he himself had a crisis of faith while going through this. The book asks the hard questions people are afraid to address at the time of a tragedy and he tells the crisis he faced and what helped him through it. It is not the pat answers people use to try to make those grieving feel better, nor the distractions in the attempt to forget. He tells how honesty, love, and escaping to the beauty and peace of nature, and finding God again in his pain helped begin the healing for him and others he reached. The book is written from his heart and from the Christian perspective and is a well written help to those in grief or those wanting to help them.

This Beautiful Mess by Rick McKinley is a book about living in the present world's mess in the way Jesus described the Kingdom of God. Rick is the pastor of Imago Dei Community in Portland , Oregon and he challenges the reader to go beyond the traditional religiousity of churches and get down and dirty among all the people at hand and practice faith and gratitude every day and experience the Kingdom of God at hand in doing so, even in the worst circumstances and among undesirable people.

Heaven Is Real by Don Piper is a sequel to his book Ninety Minutes In Heaven, which you should read first to understand that Don actually died, verified clinically, and 90 minutes later came back into his body and has lived in a very different way since experiencing the reality and wonderfulness of heaven, from which he did not want to return. In this new book he encourages people not to blame God for bad things that happen but to learn from them and trust that there is a purpose. We must get beyond these bad experiences by living in the presence and appreciating each day, while looking forward with confidence (and his declared proof) of what is next.

The Joys of Alchemy by Michael Levy, the "Professional Optimist," who is the author of seven books. Michael's poetry and essays now grace many web sites, journals and magazines throughout the world. Michael's new book "The Joys of Live Alchemy," which we highly recommend, is now available at all bookstores. "Wisdom is the capacity to distinguish between authentic meaning and erroneous meaning, which translates into the adaptiveness to live joyfully in a constantly changing world." In his excellent book, you'll learn ways to do this.

His website is http://www.pointoflife.com/

The Beacon by Beth Tally is a novelette set in The Islands of the Bahamas and the beautiful descriptions make you feel as if you have been there. Told by the youngest child in the family, Rou, the story is one of triumph over a handicap, a community working together, and the love of God coming through friends and family in times of need or despair. The book speaks strongly of Christian faith, and much of it is set around a very special priest. The Beacon on Grand Exuma is an unusual theme and driving force in the book and has much underlying meaning. You and your children will enjoy this little book.

Power of the Soul by John Holland is a beautifully written book about the author (of TV fame) and his struggle with his gift of being a Medium. Always considered odd as a child and from an alcoholic abusive home, he grew up under a great weight of being different, knowing he saw what others could not see. As an adult he traveled to England to study for several years how to use and hone his gift of seeing ghosts and hearing them speak. He dedicated his life and his gift to helping heal others from pain and lonliness. This is a powerful book, beautifully written, to encourage each of us to develop our own God given powers and let our souls speak freely to us and to others. Highly recommended!

Wanting All the Right Things by Shirin Taber is a well written book for Christian women between 18 and 35 years of age. Taber describes the difficult and unfair position this third generation of liberated women have been assigned. It is not only impossible to fulfill all the dreams and rights they were born to but it is unhealthy to strive to. No one can be a high powered executive, a perfect homemaker and mother, a volunteer citizen and a sane and healthy person at the same time. Taber helps women realize and make healthy choices and goals which are attainable without burn out and break down.

My Great Big God by Caron Turk &Andy Holmes

My Great Big God by Andy Holmes and illustrated by Caron Turk is a delightful new approach to a children's Bible. It has wonderful, whimsical illustrations on every colorful page and teaches the best loved Bible stories and principles and teachings in the form of rhymed verse. The verses condense the important messages from Bible stories and Bible heroes into rhythmic, rhyming one page verses which a child can easily memorize and repeat over and over, thus learning deeply the message or lesson in each story. Then the lesson is condensed into a one liner in bold print at the bottom of each page. For example: at the end of the verse about Moses receiving the 10 Commandments (which are in catchy verse, easy to learn) the clincher sentence is "My Great Big God guides me!" The book is terrific for young Christian children and with hard board pages, it will last the family many years. An excellent gift for Christmas, Easter, christenings, baptisms, or for your family.

The Drummer Boy by Ted Dekker is a modern and futuristic version of the treasured Christmas favorite legend of the Little Drummer Boy. The twist is that this futuristic drummer boy lives in a country where Christmas and its sacred birth of Christ stories have been forbidden while the Holiday which replaces it is completely commercial. Of course, the drummer boy is the hero who saves the day. It is a sad tale fromt he perspective of imagining a world so controlled and so commercial...perhaps one that deserves consideration and discussion with your children. This little gift book opens a good chance for that conversation. for Christmas gifts.

LEFT TO TELL: DISCOVERING GOD AMIDST THE RWANDAN HOLOCAUST BY IMMACULEE ILIBAGIZA WITH STEVE ERWIN This book, with its forward by Wayne Dyer, is the amazing true stoy of Immaculee Ilibagiza whose family and school mates and nearly everyone she knew were slaughtered in the Rwandan Holocaust. During a time when everyone was panicked over the revolt and take over by rebels, friends went mad and slaughtered their neighbors in an effort to save themselves. Immaculee, a devout Christian, fled to the home of her priest, who hid her and seven other women in a bathroom, just 4 by 6 feet. There they stayed absolutely silent and unmoving for three months, surviving on the food and water he could slip to them from time to time. They lost more than half their body weight. Immaculee kept sane by reading her Bible and by learning English from a book she requested to be sgled to her. During her horrible ordeal she spent many hours a day in meditation and prayer and always followed the guidance she received, in some cases, directly from God. Her story is both amazing and unbelievably true and will bring you to tears while it establishes deeper faith in your heart. With Wayne Dyer, who arranged to have the book written after just meeting Immaculee, I agree that this book is a MUST READ. Immaculee now works for the United Nations in New York City.

The Day I Died by Steve Sjogren This book, written by a minister, is similar to many others in the near death experiences. However, Steve actually was declared dead and was revived much later and should have had brain damage but did not. His experience of going to Heaven and having to account for all his mis deeds and review and learn from them before returning to life is amazing. In spite of the pain he endures physically and being confined to a wheelchair, he has turned his life into a much more successful and unselfish one and is determined to love others and give of himself in many ways he never did before. He even established a ministry in the dumps of Mexico in a wheelchair.

Finding Jesus, Discovering Self by Caren Goldman and William Dols is a book about passages to healing and wholeness, using passages about Jesus's life the Bible as meditations and illustrations for handling daily problems. The book is written by the unlikely team of Goldman, a Jewish journalist, and Dols, and Episcopal priest. They are excellent writers and bring two different perspectives to each scripture and add guided meditations and questions to answer about your perspective and insights gained. The book is an excellent study, no matter what stage your spiritual development is.

Touched by the Extraordinary by Susan Barbara Apollon is a tender book which give many examples of various ways people experience things beyond normal physical capabilities, offering proof that we are more than our bodies and there is far more to life than meets the eye or other senses. The author calls these extraordinary events "delicious and mystifying and difficult to label and understand." She seeks to validify the experiences sited, to enlighten, and to challenge your belief about what is real. She discusses intuition, NDE's, second sight, sixth sense, dreams, visions, ESP, psychic energy, automatic writing and many other amazing phenomenon. She relates numerous fascinating occurrences of the people she interviewed and sheds light on their meaning, whether coincidence or synchronicity orchestrated by unseen helpers. The book is really interesting and very meaningful for today's world.

101 Exercises for the Soul by Dr. Bernie S. Siegel

101 Exercises for the Soul: "A Divine Workout Plan for Body, Mind, and Spirit" By Dr. Bernie Siegel

is another excellent book by this award winning, best selling author. Siegel reminds us that exercising our soul is as important as exercising our bodies, yet most of us forget or don't know how to do this. It does not require meditating on top of a mountain, or going on a silent retreat, or even attending church, but it does require attention and regular mindfulness. And exercising your soul yields tremendous rewards of living and loving with enthusiasm and joy. In simple exercises Dr. Siegel suggest things you may never have thought to be nurturing your soul and increasing your deep happiness. Such things as keeping your baby picture nearby to admire and appreciate, adopting a pet and playing with it every day, keeping a dream journal, creating a personal altar in your home, facing the fear that has always hindered you and experiencing and embracing it (even doing a daring sport), taking fun or beautiful photographs, or breaking out of your daily rut and doing something fun and unusual. These are some of the simple but joyful things Siegel suggests and then tells how you are nurturing your soul and exercising it in doing these. This is a little book which can be opened to any page and savored, trying the things that appeal to you and leaving the others for someone else. We highly recommend keeping this book by your bed and savoring it like chocolate for your soul by trying one exercise each day.

Secrets of the SIlk Road by Larry Anderson

Secrets of the SIlk Road by Larry Andrews is a fascinating book which details the travels of the author, an engineer invited to China to facilitate and guide the building of a water system. En route he spends time wandering in the Gobi Desert with teachers of ancient Wisdom, as predicted by his own godmother in his youth. He becomes the carrier of some of these secret and sacred teachings to instruct and inspire the West at a time when hope is most needed. The book makes you want to undertake a journey to this most remote and unmodernized part of the world. His "chance" meetings make you wonder if coincidences are really never coincidental. The secret wisdom becomes a living entity as he gets to know the ancient teachers who are desert wanderers. The book is very enticing, well written, an intriguing and beguiling travel book, as well as enlightening. Highly recommended! I could hardly put it down!

HOW CAN I LET GO IF I DON'T KNOW I'M HOLDING ON?“Setting Our Souls Free” by Linda Douty is for the serious Christian who strives hard to dot all the “I's” and cross all the “t's”, attends church faithfully, memorizes Bible verses, keeps a daily devotion time, teaches Sunday school, etc., yet still feels unconnected to God. Douty explains how she tried too hard in her relationships with God, friends, and family and was never happy. This book helps the reader to recognize the areas and situations in which stopping trying will work far better than keeping on repeating the same coping methods which are not working. Ironically, and opposite to what the Western society teaches children, it is not by working at it that we gain joy in relationships but by letting go and being, not by controlling but by appreciating, not by talking prayers but by listening prayers. This book will start you on the road to doing less and accomplishing more! It is an excellent self help guide for learning how to relax into joy and peaceful relationships with yourself, others, and God. An excellent book!

90 Minutes In Heaven by Don Piper with Cecil Murphey

90 MINUTES IN HEAVEN: "A TRUE STORY OF DEATH AND LIFE" BY DON PIPER WITH CECIL MURPHEY

is the amazing experience of the author during and after a car wreck in which he died. He was declared dead by medics and ignored for ninety minutes while they cared for the other victims who were injured. During this time he experienced the bliss of heaven. Don vividly describes his amazing experience and his return to a life filled with physical pain. As a minister, he was able to share his experience and commute his pain in order to help others, especially ones who have had to endure the same excruciating physical treatments for severe injuries. As told by writer Cecil Murphey, Don's experience and the lessons gained are fascinating to read and uplifting to witness. I couldn't put the book down!

A BUSY WOMAN'S GUIDE TO PRAYER BY CHERI FULLER is a traditional guide to daily Christian prayer life. Cheri has many ideas for managing a busy life with a tight time schedule, whether for the executive or professional woman's rigid schedule or the overwhelmed young mother who cannot actually schedule any time rigidly. The author has many ideas of how to manage one's life demands and still find time for the all important prayers, which make each day run more smoothly and help keep stress down. She suggests prayers on the go, constant running dialogue with God and PUSH prayers : Pray Until Something Happens. This is an excellent book for anyone who desires to pray more faithfully and regularly. Many helpful suggestions that can work into any schedule.

TOUCHED BY FIRE: “The Ongoing Journey of a Spiritual Seeker” By Pandit Rajmani Tigunait, Ph.D, is a book that will touch readers deeply. The author is the Spiritual Director of the Himalayan Institute in Pennsylvania and the author of other books. The autobiography of Pandit's spiritual journey his humble childhood in India as the son of a Brahmin spiritual leader to the royalty that were displaced when the British left India. Pandit's father went living as one of the most revered members of the palace to living in a hovel and barely able to feed his family. a young age Pandit had deep yearning of his sould which drove him to do everything necessary to gain the highest level of spiritual and University education possible, even though no one his humble village had ever gone higher than fifth grade. Through many trials Pandit experienced the Divine providing what he needed when he needed it, and his teachers always appeared when the student was ready.His walk is a journey of faith and deep soul searching while he learns to find God not out in the world but within and he experiences the One Divine within himself and learns to see the Divine in every living being. This is a beautiful and inspiring book, and no matter what your religious faith, you'll find yourself learning that God is One, no matter by what name or in what place you worship Him/Her. This humble Hindu teacher has marvelous lessons to teach muslims, Christians, Jews and other faiths: The way to access our individual relationship with the Supreme Being is to learn the disciplines of meditation and faithful daily practice and discipline in personal actions: always humble, and never taking money or boosting ego the spiritual experiences. One of the most deeply moving books I have read.

SACRED WATERS Stories of Healing, Cleansing, and Renewal: Collected and edited by Maril Crabtree, this book has scores of personal stories about experiences with water. Written by numerous writers, the book tells of how water in nature has guided the writers to a deeper understanding of themselves and their place in life. the gentle rocking waters of the womb to the wells of water which we survive to various places beside or in earth's bodies of water to rivers that carry the creamated remains of loved ones, water is our life, not only physically but also emotionally and spiritually. These writers have revealed to the reader widely varied, personal, transformative experiences .Water had inspired in their lives. The stories are inspiring, uplifting, and calming…just as is water. A good book to inspire meditation and renewal.

The Magick of Reiki by Christopher Penczak is a wonderful book for people interested in alternative healing. The author is skilled in the Magick, which he describes as "partnering with the universe to create change" and details ways it is used, called by other terms, in all the great world religions. Penczak is also a deeply spiritual person whose skills as a Master of Reiki are well known. In this book he shows the novice who is serious about learning the art and faith of laying on of hands for healing purposes, how to learn the skills and disciplines required. Christopher is both a practitioner and teacher of reiki and draws his many years of experiences of healing in both this field and magick. His methods go back to the beginning of reiki healing as taught in Japan, and he details not only the disciplines but also the secret symbols that must be learned. With many examples of healing and demonstrating great faith and humility, he teaches in the simplest terms so that anyone dedicated to the practice can learn how to become the empty vessel through which God works for healing beyond anything understood by science. The book is excellent! .

Angel Medicine "How To Heal the Body and Mind With the Help of the Angels" by Doreen Virtue, Ph. D., is another of the prolific author's metaphysical adventures in healing. She is a family of healers with much experience of faith healing. On a recent trip to Santorini Island in Greece she experienced contact with a group of angels called the "Angels of Atlantis" and was transmitted many of their healing formulas and ancient Atlantean knowledge about the healing properties of love and light. The book details her metaphysical and physical experiences in Santorini, the volcanic island which many believe is the location of the ancient Atlantis. Although, most readers will find her fantastic mystical experiences to be beyond belief (and to many a bit wacky), the author has many case histories of healings according to the angelic directions. Doreen also gives the reader detailed instructions of how to entreat angelic intervention in many kinds of healing: finances and automobiles to physical and emotional ills of people and pets. At the end of the book you'll find a very interesting guide to the use of color and crystals for healing. A little too fantastic or simplistic for most people in our Western society, the methods detailed here could be the common medical practices of past or future civilizations

ASK AND IT IS GIVEN: LEARNING TO MANIFEST YOUR DESIRES by Esther and Jerry Hicks is a marvelous book and so very reassuring. If you have prayed and felt your prayers might not get higher than the ceiling, read this different approach that helps you KNOW your prayers, hopes, and dreams are being answered right now in the very right way. All you must do is really practice faith, just as the Bible and other religious books have always told us. But this puts it in lay language and easy to understand and practice and watch for your own signs that you are loved and protected and your prayers are always heard and answered. A good faith builder in an unusual way. .

THE BOOK OF SECRETS :"UNLOCKING THE HIDDEN DIMENSIONS OF YOUR LIFE" by Deepak Chopra, M.D., is one of Dr. Chopra's most recent books and one of his best yet. Dr. Chopra is world renowned as perhaps the foremost leader in mind/body medicine and the creator of The Chopra Center for Well Being in California and is the author of over 35 books. In THE BOOK OF SECRETS the author reveals fifteen secrets of personal transformation to help the reader turn fear, aggression, doubt, insecurity, hatred, and emptiness into their opposites. By learning these secrets of profound wisdom, you will see how your own transformation can and will change the world we live in. We all live in fear at the edge of terror in today's world, but Dr. Chopra emphasizes this is because we do not perceive who we really are and the power of God, the power for good, within each of us. "Who am I?" is the crucial question. In Dr. Chopra's words the answer is "the key to ending all violence, suffering, and lack in the world." The key is to experience on a deep level that "you are not in the world, the world is in you." While revealing the importance and the power we each have as creators of our own and the world's outcomes, the author warns about the pitfalls of "spiritual materialism," transferring values that work in the material world to apply to the world of spirit. When we really get in touch with the invisible domain which all power and wisdom comes, the realm within each of us, we discover the Intelligence guiding the Universe and can connect. These fifteen secrets teach us how. One of the most inspiring and personally valuable books you could ever read.

CRACKING THE COCONUT CODE By Mary Jo McCabe is a tiny book with an enormous wealth of insights and wisdom for seekers who wish to know themselves and overcome their fear of becoming whole. With her clever code, which she says was given to her by The Guides when in trance, she uses the letters of the word "coconut" to help the reader remember her seven points to wholeness and self discovery. When these teachings are implemented through the exercizes she gives we can face our fears and shortcomings and be integrated with our soul, which takes away all the fear of living. The book is easy to "digest" and very helpful to put into practice, even if you are not open minded enough to accept her source of information. She helps people "live what you believe and trust yourself. If you concentrate on doing that, life works for, not against, you."Mary Jo is a well known intuitive interpreter who channels advice The Guides. She is owner of the McCabe Institute where thousands have received life readings and guidance to hearing their soul's inner voice. .

Keys To the Kingdom by Migene Gonzalez Wippler is a book for a theology student or serious seeker willing to delve deeply into the mysteries which hold great revelations. It is a profound theological study of Jesus the Jewish perspective of the Kaballah. Founded on the principles of Moses' communications with God and the writings that resulted in the Torah and Misvah, the Kaballah's Wisdom has been interpreted through symbolic numbers assigned to the Jewish alphabet. The author, a renowned anthropologist and historian is knowledgeable in this esoteric Wisdom as interpreted by Jewish Rabbis and gives an in depth study of the man Jesus who was a Jewish Rabbi. Some of Jesus' teachings and his life, as understood by Christians the descriptions and sayings in the Gospels of the Bible, have led to misunderstandings and mis conceptions of what and who Jesus had to be, according to Jewish Law, during his period on earth as a very wise Jewish Rabbi. As a Christian, I found the book deeply enlightening, and it gave me a far greater understanding of the parables and teachings and the story of Jesus' life on earth. The author presents Jesus as the embodiment of the Tree of Life and as the reincarnation of King David, considered the Messiah in the Old Testament. She shows how Jesus presented himself according to the Old Testament and Jewish Bible prophecies and often quoted them, proving to his disciples and others that he was the Messiah predicted. Every aspect of his life, even his name (in Hebrew Yeshua) foretold, through the symbology and numerology of the Kaballah, his death and its purpose. Very deep in esoteric theology the book is a fascinating and enlightening study for the serious student of any of the three Western religions: Jewish, Christian, and Moslem. The book's ancient Wisdom is fascinating, opening a window of understanding and enormously increasing the faith of a true seeker. The sacred rituals to be performed in utter devotion and reverence are amazing. This book is a treasure. .

SPARKS OF THE DIVINE BY DREW LEDER , FINDING INSPIRATION IN OUR EVERYDAY WORLD is a different kind of daily read and a wonderful way to start your day fully inspired to be all you can be and enjoy your everyday events and encounters as inspirations. Leder takes his inspirations nature, as do many mystics, but he also finds just as deep inspirations daily chores or mechanical objects within his environment. Although a flower, rain, or a beautiful sunset are deep and meaningful experiences that place us in a state of wonder, most of us are so accustomed to seeing these daily gifts as commonplace events, and we don't notice them any more. Leder teaches us to open to every experience and every sight as if we are babies, or an alien another planet seeing these things or events for the very first time. To practice this is something familiar to Zen Buddhists but not so easy for the average person in a busy work a day world. However, no one could be busier than the author, who is a full professor of Western and Eastern Philosophy at Loyola University and also has an M.D. Yale University School of Medicine. He leads workshops, works extensively with prisoners, and has authored many books, and is in demand as a public speaker and for think tanks. In this wonderful book he'll teach you how to turn dish washing, football, pens and pencils, merry go rounds, smells, whispers, and sex into mystical whisperings of your soul to which you'll learn to pay attention and be present, enhancing all of your daily routines and finding peace and joy throughout your life. An EXCELLENT book!

The Gospel of Thomas By Lynn Bauman is a scholarly translation of the gospel that is now known to be the oldest of the written gospels discovered to date. It is not a narrative, as the four canonized Biblical gospels, Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, but contains only the words which, according to "theTwin" who wrote it, are the direct teachings of Jesus, the Rabbi, to his Disciples. This is the Wisdom He imparted only to his close inner circle. Similar to a koan, these cryptic teachings require great thought and are somewhat paradoxical and perplexing. Dr. Bauman, whose academic credentials are numerous, has translated directly the original Coptic Greek of the manuscripts which were only discovered in recent years. Dr. Bauman offers this translation as a thought provoking study guide with inciteful questions to ponder in order to come to your own conclusion as to the meanings of these amazing Wisdom Teachings of Jesus.

The Teachings of Abraham Well Being Cards by Esther and Jerry Hicks is a unique 60 card deck which contain quick reminders to be in the present moment and enjoy your life by conscious good thoughts, which are the only thing you can truly control. Each slick, full color card has an appealing painting of modern style with bright colors and a one line quote for the day. The reverse side of each elaborates on the saying in a couple of quick paragraphs, which have deep meaning. These are wonderful to leave around the house or office to brighten your own or someone else's day. For example, "What's my BIG hurry? (It's all for joy.) All is well." Reverse side says: "What's the big hurry? Youre not ever going to get it done, so what are you reacing toward? Every single activity that you're involved in is for one purpose only, and that is to give you a moment of joy. That's why it all exists. Lighten up. Laugh more. Appreciate more. All is well."

Morning by Morning, A Daily Devotional Guide by Sister Payne is a very personal sharing of one dedicated Christian woman's inner guidance through the difficulties and joys of her daily life. The inspirations she has received can help others find encouragement and faith for each day. Her writing is her heart and her dedication is total. Her experiences, honesty, and warm, loving words will make you laugh and cry. If you choose the fundamental Christian approach and literal Bible interpretation, this is a good devotional book to lead you deeper into your faith. The self published book is available the author at 1614 Clarendon St., Longview, TX 75601

Yoga Anytime, Anywhere by Carol Blackman and Elise Browning Miller is not just another book about how to do yoga exercizes. This one is REALLY designed for people on the go in busy lives who don't feel they have time to take out for exercize. The authors have creatievely presented traditional yoga moves to be done anywhere when you have two minutes or an hour. You can do some of these in the work place, on the plane, in a hotel room, or sitting at your desk! With great emphasis on proper breathing (prana) throughout, the book also has chapters on yoga for regulating your hormones during menstrual cycle relief, pregnancy, and healthy menopause. For when you are tired you'll also find chapters on Energizing Your Whole Body with postures that work "better than caffeine and are completely organic!" There are special poses for stretching and preparing for sports. And finally you'll find techniques for just relaxing and finding balance in your life. Each pose and exercize throughout the book is photographically illustrated, so the book serves well for "do it yourself" and requires no equipment. You'll love this book! A terrific gift for any age, .

Chakra Clearing Awakening Your Spiritual Power To Know and Heal by Doreen Virtue, Ph. D. This is an easy to follow and simply guide to understanding chakras, or energy centers, within our bodies. Dr. Virtue teaches the location and purpose of each chakra and how to open each so that you feel energized and healthy instead of tired and stressed. She has easy to visualize techniques to help you let go of past relationships or problems that keep you tied up inside and she has helpful exercizes to do in order to free yourself through forgiveness of those who have hurt you. The book comes with a CD for Morning and Evening Meditation to Awaken Your Spiritual Power. This is such refreshing and peace giving way to start and end your day. For the BEST gift you could give YOURSELF order this beautiful little book and set aside a couple of hours to read and learn to practice the exercizes. You'll be SO glad you did! .

Power Animals How To Connect with Your Animal Spirit Guide by Steven D. Farmer, Ph.D. Through centuries Shamans have taught people how to find their Spirit Guides and Power Animals, known in some areas as totems. Did you know YOU have Power Animals and Spirit Guides also? In the West in modern times the ability to access this guidance the unseen world has been squelched for years, but now, through books like this, you can learn how to "meet" the guide or guides who have been with you since you were born. You can experience how real they are and benefit enormously in decision making by learning how to contact your Power Animal. Dr. Farmer describes many of the spirit animals and their powers and you'll be led through his writing to determine which is yours. It is a fascinating exploration into the paranormal/spiritual side which we all possess.With the aid of the lovely CD which comes with the book you have your own personal guided sessions of meditation in order to meet and get to know your own Power Animal. When I first closed my eyes I thought this was rubbish, but I was happily STUNNED with the results! You will be too. .

The Unbelievable Truth by Gordon Smith is a very personal and informative exploration of life after death by a man who could see spirits of the departed very early in life. Gordon Smith is a well known medium England who has denied, questioned, tried to hide, and then developed his abilities to communicate with the spirits of the dead. Now he devotes his time to helping people who are in great distress of grief have consolation or directions the Other Side. His powers and abilities have been tested in many different ways scientifically and he has been verified each time as being authentic and not a fraud. He cannot explain how or why he has this ability, but through the deep questions he has asked through the decades he has gleaned much valuable information which is comforting and enlightening and dispells the fears we have about the after world. The documented accounts in this book are fascinating and will give you pause to question your own fears and perhaps to look more deeply at your own denied abilities. A very interesting read that helps us learn about our consciousness, to overcome fears and doubts, and to accept what once seemed beyond belief, knowing that it just might be everyday normal. .

Soul Coaching: 28 Days to Discover Your Authentic Self is by Denise Linn, an internationally known healer, lecturer, and writer. Of Cherokee heritage, Denise has developed a unique system which can take four weeks, or four months to follow in order to really learn who you are at your deepest, most authentic level. She has divided the system into sections that relate to the energizing elements of nature: Air, Water, Fire, and Earth. She guides you through exercizes and suggested goals to clear out the debris of your physical surroundings, your body, and your mind and spirit, using each of these four elements for a week. The book has excellent ideas that are simple and Denise presents them in a positive way that is inspiring so you can get started on the program of self improvement quickly and easily. And following the program faithfully a few minutes each day you'll feel re created in just four weeks, with your entire life and psyche more organized for joy ad success! This is the perfect Christmas gift to yourself or someone else to use as your New Year's program. .

Shortcut to Spirituality, Mastering the Art of Inner Peace by Bob Gottfried, Ph.D. is much more than you would imagine at first glance. We are asked to review so many books and I almost turned this one down because of the title. For years I have been a serious student of spirituality with many masters credits in theology. Because this subject is so dear to my heart and is a subject so very deep that many devotees have spent their lives trying to find the path to peace, I felt it was a sacriledge to try to find a shortcut. I thought it was impossible to think of shortcutting... but how wrong I was! I am so very glad I not only read the book but spent many weeks studying it deeply and experiencing the various practices Gottfried suggests. How do I begin to review a book that has had so much personal impact in my life? Although I still dislike the title, this book is a deeply authentic and dedicated master guide to finding one's own path to deep peace and personal fulfillment through a spirit based foundation and outlook on life, regardless of one's religious affiliation or lack thereof. Dr. Gottfried is the clinical director of Advanced Wellness Programs and Advanced Cognitive Enhancement (ACE) Clinics and a consultant for the Canadian Centre for Integrative Medicine and Global Health Management. He was not a religious person as he set out to discover this Path to deep inner peace in order to help his patients with chronic pain, sleep disorders and cognitive difficulties ongoing stress, so this is a terrific book for even athiests to read. Anyone will reap the benefits of resolving pain the past and learning to focus within and to develop habits that will create personal peace that comes integration of our body, mind, and Spirit. This peace will affect positively those around you and ultimately the whole world. Dr. Gottfried ably tells you step by step how to do this within your own life, not in "preachy or churchy" language but with the knowledge and professional experience of a respected psychologist and the insights and wisdom of personal experience of walking the path he teaches. You could spend thousands of dollars in a counselor's office and not reap as many benefits as you will this book. You could, as I have, spend years studying theology and not find as direct a path to where you yearn to be in your heart. You must read this book! .

A BRIEF ILLUSTRATED GUIDE TO UNDERSTANDING ISLAM by I.A. Ibrahim is a small, full color paper back on slick paper with simple explanations of the beliefs and practices of Islam. In today's troubled world it behooves us all to learn that we worship the same God but just call God by different names, Allah being the one Muslims use. Perhaps with more understanding and tolerance of each other we could stop the killing around the world. You can order the book free

The Mystery of Love by Marc Gafni is a most unusual and fascinating approach to the esoteric teachings of the ancient Jewish Mystics, which apply also to the Christian Old Testament, since it is contains the Jewish Holy Texts. In an, at first shocking, simile Rabbi Gafni explains that the Shachina love is the feminine side of God, and that the Holy of Holies and the Temple of Solomon were filled with male and female embracing figures to demonstrate that to be whole we must be in touch with both our male and female aspects of love. For centuries the great Western religions have divorced themselves the Shachina and embraced only the masculine concept of God. Gafni uses human sexuality to reveal his points of emphasis of the need for us as humans and as Religious Traditions to unite the masculine and feminine in our concept of God and of the world, in order to promote the highest good for humankind and the Earth. This is a beautifully written, thoroughly documented and researched book by a Rabbi of great wisdom, knowledge, and faith. It is a powerful acknowledgement for our times and can have important influence on Wester Faith today. It is great wisdom and insight in pleasant to read text, good reading for a trip or for daily meditation.

Don't Call Them Ghosts! (The Spirit Children of Fontaine Manse) by Kathleen McConnell is not the best written tale, but because it is a true story, you'll find it entertaining, fantastic, and unbelievably convincing. Her family unwittingly bought a haunted house and she bravely "met" the ghosts, promoted friendship and love with them, and they saved her own child's life. For five years she lived with these little spirits of young children, played with them, talked to them whenever her family was not home, and eventually saved them. The story is simply written in nearly diary style thirty years after the events happened, and certified by each member of the family to be true. You'll find it an interesting read if you are not a hard nosed realist! .

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