The world’s great religious and philosophical traditions often include poignant testimonies of spiritual turmoil and healing. Following episodes of harrowing personal crisis, including addictions, periods of anxiety and panic, and reminders of mortality, these accounts then also describe pathways to consolation and resolution. In Making Peace with the Universe, Michael Scott Alexander reads diverse classic religious accounts as masterpieces of therapeutic insight. In the company of William James, Socrates, Muslim legal scholar turned mystic Hamid al-Ghazali, Chinggis Khan as described by the Daoist monk Qui Chuji, and jazz musician and Catholic convert Mary Lou Williams, Alexander traces the steps from existential crisis to psychological health. He recasts spiritual confessions as case histories of therapy, showing how they remain radical and deeply meaningful even in an age of scientific psychology. They record the therapeutic affect of spiritual experience, testifying to the achievement of psychological well-being through the cultivation of an edifying spiritual mood. Mixing scholarly learning with episodes from his own skeptical quest, Alexander demonstrates how these accounts of private terror and personal triumph offer a model of therapy through spiritual adventure. An interdisciplinary consideration of the shared terrain of religion and psychology, Making Peace with the Universe offers an innovative view of what spiritual traditions can teach us about finding meaning in the modern world.

This book was not intended to be about me. It is a memoir, yet, I truly do not consider myself so significant that anyone would want to read my memoirs. It consists of stories throughout my life that have been significant because of the lessons learned. If not for the belief that I am here as a student, in this University called Earth, with the ultimate goal of evolving spiritually, then life in and of itself would be an existential purgatory. I write to teach. The paradox is that we are alone in this journey called life, yet we are never truly alone. We are all connected. Embrace the Lessons speaks to a Universal truth that acknowledges that the purpose of the human experience is to grow as spiritual beings. I share with you my personal stories of transcendence, in the hopes that you will become open to your own. You are invited to open yourself to the lessons that Life has to offer. Embrace the Lessons is a look inside one womans journey to remain on the path of healing and transcendence. Much of this book was written over the course of three decades. It is packed with insight and inspiration. It is thought provoking, heart-felt, and entertaining. It is written for you. It is written to inspire you to engage in frequent acts of courage and stamina in order to awaken to your own personal growth and transformation. Awaken to your Teachers. Listen, watch, and observe the many forms in which they appear. Fear not. Open your mind and heart in order to Embrace the Lessons.

Log Home Living is the oldest, largest and most widely distributed and read publication reaching log home enthusiasts. For 21 years Log Home Living has presented the log home lifestyle through striking editorial, photographic features and informative resources. For more than two decades Log Home Living has offered so much more than a magazine through additional resources–shows, seminars, mail-order bookstore, Web site, and membership organization. That's why the most serious log home buyers choose Log Home Living.

How can teachers incorporate drama into the curriculum? What drama activities are especially successful? How do teachers know when students are learning in, through and about drama? Teachers who are new to drama, or those wishing to refresh their knowledge and ideas, should find practical answers and guidance in this text. The book introduces the work of Cecily O'Neill to demonstrate the entry points to drama lessons, the pre-texts, and how educators need to introduce lessons with challenging material. He then uses the work of David Booth to highlight one aspect of drama - storydrama - and how it can be used as an effective learning medium across the curriculum.

I am writing this book to tell about my life, relatives, pets, famous friends, people, food, and my travels. I hope the reader finds it interesting and humorous. I feel that I have had an interesting and great life so far. I do hope that I will have many more good times on this Earth.