When the heavens open on the small river town of Occoquan, Virginia, the streets flood and a candle shop is swept away. A Methodist pastor named Harley Camden witnesses the destructive deluge and then discovers, in the debris, a dead man with a crude carving of Satan’s claws in his back. Harley is drawn into the mystery of what caused the flood and who killed the man, while diving into questions of good and evil, body and spirit, humanity and the environment—especially questions about the change in climate that now threatens life around the globe. He discovers that there is a spiritual dimension to every social issue, whether it be the violence of Central American gangs or the racism that leads a black businessman to make a fateful choice. When the windows of the heavens open, surprising truths are revealed about how people can coexist in an interfaith, multicultural community, and how humans can establish a sustainable relationship with the natural world around them.

This collection is a combination of romantic, philosophic, mystical, and spiritual poetry written to warm even the coldest of hearts. They come from a very inspired place that speaks of a great desire to understand ourselves. The elusive butterfly in all of us, that out of its innate curiosity to learn and experience things by necessity, transforms itself. They also speak of the unique place that we all share in the divine tapestry we call life and how we are all intimately connected. The poems reflect on the betrayal and hypocrisy that we all inevitably encounter on our journey through life. Most importantly, a message of hope and joy runs through them, so that we are always reminded that even in our darkest moments, the light of truth and love has never abandoned us. The book also shares some of the stories that inspired and motivated some of the poems. They run the gamut, from gut-wrenching tearjerkers to deeply impassioned pleas for universal kindness to the whimsical frolic of a playful little child. Included is a section titled Musings on Life. These are philosophic perspectives intended to be life lessons for the reader. Its been said that not all men are masters, but all masters have been men. Along that same line of thinking, the author feels that although not all philosophers are poets, all poets are philosophers.

Have fun with faith using Shout to the Lord for grades K–5! This 64-page book features 20 psalm-based craft projects that teach the joy of living a life of praise. Each project includes a mini-lesson and a prayer. The book also includes ideas for how to use each craft as a daily reminder to praise the One who is worthy of all our devotion! This book includes hands-on projects, easy-to-follow instructions, a materials list, and reproducible patterns and templates.

A “brilliant and fascinating” (Eben Alexander, MD, author of Proof of Heaven) exploration—rich with powerful personal stories and convincing research—of the many ways the living can and do accompany the dying on their journey into the afterlife. In 2000, end-of-life therapist William Peters was volunteering at the Zen Hospice Project in San Francisco when he had an extraordinary experience as he was reading aloud to a patient: he suddenly felt himself floating midair, completely out of his body. The patient, who was also aloft, looked at him and smiled. The next moment, Peters felt himself return to his body…but his patient never regained consciousness and died. Perplexed and stunned by what had happened, Peters began searching for other people who’d shared similar experiences. He would spend the next twenty years gathering and meticulously categorizing their stories to identify key patterns and features of what is now known as the “shared crossing” experience. The similarities, which cut across continents and cultures and include awe-inspiring visual and sensory effects, and powerful emotional aftershocks. The book is filled with “moving and tender” (Jack Kornfield, PhD, author of A Path with Heart) tales of spouses seeing their loved ones reach the other side after decades together and bereaved parents who share their children’s entry into the afterlife. Applying rigorous research, Peters digs into the effects of these shared crossing experiences impart—liberation at the sight of a loved one finding joy, a sense of reconciliation if the relationship was fraught—and explores questions like: What can explain these shared death experiences? How can we increase our likelihood of having one? What do these experiences tell us about what lies beyond? And, most importantly, how can they help take away the string of death and better prepare us for our own final moments? How can we have both a better life and a better death?