The myriad events and interactions that make up our everyday life provide a rich opportunity for us to examine our impulses and actions and grow spiritually, according to the Jewish practice of Mussar. Mussar is an eminently wise, practical, and effective way to cultivate awareness, gratitude, personal growth, and ethical action on a daily basis. The path has its origins in Orthodox Judaism but it has become popular with Jews of all affiliations who are interested in a practice that can infuse daily life with more purpose and meaning. This daybook will be an essential companion to anyone who wants to experience this life-changing contemplative practice. Using a "soul trait" such as honesty, courage, enthusiasm, honor, and equanimity as a starting point, each practice page includes: • a teaching that illuminates the trait of the day • an affirmation phrase focused on that trait • a practical exercise to expand our experience of the trait • a space for journaling about experiences with the trait To learn more, visit www.mussarinstitute.org.

Mussar is an illuminating, approachable, and highly practical set of teachings for cultivating personal growth and spiritual realization in the midst of day-to-day life. Here is an accessible and inspiring introduction to this Jewish spiritual path, which until lately has been best known in the world of Orthodox Judaism. The core teaching of Mussar is that our deepest essence is inherently pure and holy, but this inner radiance is obscured by extremes of emotion, desire, and bad habits. Our work in life is to uncover the brilliant light of the soul. The Mussar masters developed transformative teachings and practices—some of which are contemplative, some of which focus on how we relate to others in daily life—to help us to heal and refine ourselves.

It’s easy to feel disheartened when you’re facing dreams that haven’t come true, heartbreak that never seems to end, or financial strains that weigh you down. Maybe you’re wondering if God can still use you with all your imperfections. In the 100 devotions in Everyday Holy, New York Times bestselling author and creator of The Big Mama Blog Melanie Shankle says absolutely yes. If you’re looking for the line that connects the dots, Everyday Holy is for you! Inside, Melanie reminds readers: God uses unlikely, ordinary people to accomplish His divine purposes. God specializes in using everyday acts of faithfulness to change the world around us. God has incomparable spiritual riches for us when we trust in Him. This keepsake devotional includes: 100 devotions, each with a Scripture and inspirational story. Everyday Holy makes a beautiful gift for any friend or loved one for birthdays, Mother’s Day, or the holidays. Or, curl up with it yourself when you want a reminder that the hope you’ve been called to is much greater, deeper, and more powerful than anything we can fathom when we trust in Him.

EVERY MOMENT HOLY, Vol. 2: DEATH, GRIEF, & HOPE, is a book of liturgies for seasons of dying and grieving--liturgies such as "A Liturgy for the Scattering of Ashes" or "A Liturgy for the Loss of a Spouse" or "A Liturgy for the Wake of a National Tragedy" or "A Liturgy for the Weighing of Last-Stage Medical Options." These are ways of reminding us that our lives are shot through with sacred purpose and eternal hopes even when, especially when, suffering and pain threaten to overwhelm us. -over 100 liturgies for seasons of dying and grieving -beautiful leather-bound hardcover -over 20 illustrations by Ned Bustard -silk bookmark -gilded edges

In this “journey of spiritual transformation” (Publishers Weekly) award winning author Rabbi Alan Lew follows the practices and rituals of the Jewish High Holy Days and guides readers through heartbreak, contemplation, and re-birth. There are times in life when we are caught utterly unprepared: a death in the family, the end of a relationship, a health crisis. These are the times when the solid ground we thought we stood on disappears beneath our feet, leaving us reeling and heartbroken, as we stumble back to our faith. The Days of Awe encompass the weeks preceding Rosh Hashanah up to Yom Kippur, a period in which Jews take part in a series of rituals and prayers that reenact the journey of the soul through the world from birth to death. This is a period of contemplation and repentance, comparable to Lent and Ramadan. Yet, for Rabbi Alan Lew, the real purpose of this annual passage is for us to experience brokenheartedness and open our heart to God. In This is Real and You Are Completely Unprepared, Lew has marked out a journey of seven distinct stages, one that draws on these rituals to awaken our soul and wholly transform us. Weaving together Torah readings, Buddhist parables, Jewish fables and stories from his own life, Lew lays bare the meanings of this ancient Jewish passage. He reveals the path from terror to acceptance, confusion to clarity, doubt to belief, and from complacency to awe. In the tradition of When Bad Things Happen to Good People, This Is Real And You Are Completely Unprepared enables believers of all faiths to reconnect to their faith with a passion and intimacy that will resonate throughout the year.

English professor and mother Carolyn Weber tells how her desire to control the events of her life came into contact with God's desire to give her each day as a gift from himself. Join her on a winding path through literature, history and daily life—leading finally to the still, quiet place of the present moment.