"Living in the Sacred Now" is filled with poignant reflections that reveal the mystery of giving all of yourself to what God has for you in the present moment while waiting patiently for the promise of what lies ahead. Thomas candidly shares personal stories that help readers see that it is the present moment in which they truly experience the sacred, shaping hand of God.

A “profound and inspiring” collection of ancient indigenous wisdom for “anyone wanting the healing of self, society, and of our shared planet” (Peter Levine, author of Waking the Tiger: Healing Trauma). A Penobscot Indian draws on the experiences and wisdom of the First Nations to address environmental justice, water protection, generational trauma, and more. Drawing from ancestral knowledge, as well as her experience as an attorney and activist, Sherri Mitchell addresses some of the most crucial issues of our day—including indigenous land rights, environmental justice, and our collective human survival. Sharing the gifts she has received from the elders of her tribe, the Penobscot Nation, she asks us to look deeply into the illusions we have labeled as truth and which separate us from our higher mind and from one another. Sacred Instructions explains how our traditional stories set the framework for our belief systems and urges us to decolonize our language and our stories. It reveals how the removal of women from our stories has impacted our thinking and disrupted the natural balance within our communities. For all those who seek to create change, this book lays out an ancient world view and set of cultural values that provide a way of life that is balanced and humane, that can heal Mother Earth, and that will preserve our communities for future generations.

Long ago we humans used a form of communication and sensing that did not involve the brain in any way; rather, it came from a sacred place within our hearts. What good would it do to find this place again? This is a book of remembering. You have always had this place within your heart, and it is still there now. It existed before creation, and it will exist even after the last star shines its brilliant light. At night when you enter your dreams, you leave your mind and enter the sacred space of your heart. But do you remember? Or do you only remember the dream? Why am I telling you about this "something" that is fading from our memories? What good would it do to find this place again in a world where the greatest religion is science and the logic of the mind? Don't I know where emotions and feelings are second-class citizens? Yes, I do. But my teachers have asked me to remind you who you really are. You are more than just a human being, much more. For within your heart is a place, a sacred place, where the world can literally be remade through conscious cocreation. If you really want peace of spirit and if you want to return home, I invite you into the beauty of your own heart. With your permission, I will show you what has been shown to me. I will give you the exact instructions to the pathway into your heart where you and God are intimately one. It is your choice. But I must warn you: Within this experience resides great responsibility. Life knows when a spirit is born to the higher worlds, and life will use you as all the great masters who have ever lived have been used. If you read this book and do the meditation and then expect nothing to change in your life, you may get caught spiritually napping. Once you have entered the light of the great darkness, your life will change -- eventually, you will remember who you really are.

Winner NATIONAL JEWISH BOOK AWARDS in Contemporary Jewish Life & Practice Myra H. Kraft Memorial Award A crucial new lens on repentance, atonement, forgiveness, and repair from harm—from personal transgressions to our culture’s most painful and unresolved issues American culture focuses on letting go of grudges and redemption narratives instead of the perpetrator’s obligations or recompense for harmed parties. As survivor communities have pointed out, these emphases have too often only caused more harm. But Danya Ruttenberg knew there was a better model, rooted in the work of the medieval philosopher Maimonides. For Maimonides, upon whose work Ruttenberg elaborates, forgiveness is much less important than the repair work to which the person who caused harm is obligated. The word traditionally translated as repentance really means something more like return, and in this book, returning is a restoration, as much as is possible, to the victim, and, for the perpetrator of harm, a coming back, in humility and intentionality, to behaving as the person we might like to believe we are. Maimonides laid out 5 steps: naming and owning harm; starting to change/transformation; restitution and accepting consequences; apology; and making different choices. Applying this lens to both our personal relationships and some of the most significant and painful issues of our day, including systemic racism and the legacy of enslavement, sexual violence and harassment in the wake of #MeToo, and Native American land rights, On Repentance and Repair helps us envision a way forward. Rooted in traditional Jewish concepts while doggedly accessible and available to people from any, or no, religious background, On Repentance and Repair is a book for anyone who cares about creating a country and culture that is more whole than the one in which we live, and for anyone who has been hurt or who is struggling to take responsibility for their mistakes.

Life as a pastor's wife offers meaningful opportunities to play a significant part in God's work, to witness and participate in the beauty of changed lives. Yet it also carries the potential for deep wounds and great conflict that can drain the joy out of service. Is it worth it? Oh, yes, says Kay Warren, wife of Pastor Rick Warren and cofounder of Saddleback Church. It is more than worth the risk--it's a sacred privilege. Drawing on more than forty years in ministry in every possible size church, Kay provides encouraging principles and life lessons, along with intimate personal stories, that will give readers the confidence needed to lead and live well. Pastor's wives learn to - accept who they are - adapt to change - help their children survive and thrive - protect their private lives - deal with criticism - live with integrity - develop an eternal perspective Whether she is excited, struggling, or feeling broken and tired, every pastor's wife will find hope and encouragement for their calling in Kay's warm and wise words.

The Sacred Now presents a contemporary Jewish spiritual philosophy that is founded in both the Jewish tradition and a commitment to contemporary culture. It synthesizes the sensibilities of Kabbalah, philosophy, and secular spirituality. While the great timeless questions that humanity has asked itself remain unchanged, humanity’s responses to these questions evolve over time. As society changes and our knowledge of the universe changes, our spiritual and religious life naturally must also evolve if we intend to remain engaged in the world around us. The Sacred Now examines the state of Jewish spirituality today, proposing orientations and practices geared toward cultivating consciousness of the Divine. It discusses the relationship of spirituality and religion, examines the functions of both structure and freedom in developing a lifestyle with a strong spiritual focus, while remaining cognizant that it is the practice more than the theory that ultimately matters.

A chaplain and long-term survivor of AIDS demonstrates how acceptance of death through spiritual awareness can make life more fulfilling and provides poetry, prayer, and quotations for inspiration.