“These beautiful reflections transport you immediately to that particular bench, and are a perfect invitation to take a moment & sit in the silence with the Sacred!” Rev. Ingrid L. Scott — Doctoral Candidate “If you ever feel the need to sit with the Divine, pick up this book. It will comfort that desire as surely as the beckoning bench supports the weary traveler. I recommend the experience!” Rev. JoAnn Barrett — GatheringOfLight.org “In this book, Barbara offers us a beautiful invitation - to take a moment to tune into our soul, trusting that the circumstances of this moment perfectly support us at the depth of our being.” Rev. AnnE O’Neil, Author — If You Want the Rainbow, Welcome the Rain “The simplicity of your insights reflects the depth of your journey. I felt welcomed into your space and challenged to sit for a while.” S. Patricia Griffith, Co-Founder, Mercy Haven, Inc. “This book is the perfect companion for anyone looking to start a meditation practice. The simple way Barbara incorporates park benches into a daily meditation practice is genius! I loved how each meditation was a simple re-frame of the world around me. Grab this book to get your daily dose of spirituality and serenity.” Christine Egan, Author — The Healthy Girl’s Guide To Breast Cancer Sitting in the Silence is a compilation of photographs of benches that I have taken over many years. Later, as I learned how to draw within through meditation, I searched the pictures and wrote what “sprung up” from my sitting.

In Thundering Silence Thich Nhat Hanh presents the early teachings of the Buddha on not becoming so attached to his teachings that we don’t see reality clearly anymore and become stuck in notions and ideologies, however noble they may be. These teachings can liberate us from the prisons of our mental constructions and allow us to enjoy life fully and be a resource for others. Near the end of his life, the Buddha declared, "during forty-five years, I have not said to encourage his disciplines not caught by words or ideas. Thich Nhat Hanh calls this "the roar of a great lion, the thundering silence of a Buddha". The attitude of openness, non-attachment from views, and playfulness offered by the Buddha in this sutra is an important door for us to enter the realm of Mahayana Buddhist thought and practice. In Thich Nhat Hanh's commentaries he makes use of such classic Buddhist allegories, as The Raft is not the Shore, and The Finger Pointing at the Moon and demonstrate the practical applications of these teachings in everyday life. This revised edition contains new material based on Thich Nhat Hanh’s more recent teachings. The new material makes commentaries on the Sutra on Knowing the Better Way to Catch a Snake more accessible and broader in scope.

When senior detective Saul Catchpole takes his family to a production of the Mikado, he has no idea that soon he will be investigating a gruesome murder on the stage and finding out that within the operatic society things are seldom what they seem. Soon the enquiry is delving into the history of several members of the cast with surprising results. Not only does it challenge him and his team, as he introduces a new second in command, but within his own family, unexpected things are happening, when his brother, Jake, rediscovers a long-lost love in one of Saul's acquaintances.

Internationally renowned artist Makoto Fujimura reflects on Shusaku Endo's novel Silence and grapples with the nature of art, pain and culture. Showing that light is yet present in darkness, he uncovers deep layers of meaning in Japanese history and finds connections to how faith is lived in contexts of trauma.

The legacy of Billy Graham's ministry continues. This first-ever devotional book from Will Graham, grandson of renowned preacher Billy Graham, includes devotions that lead a longing soul to understand God's message of love and redemption. Each devotion includes stories centering on the life-changing power of a relationship with God, including themes such as prayer, sharing your faith, the willingness to obey God's promptings, and many other important topics. Each entry will include a scripture selection, a personal story, a corresponding quote from Billy Graham, and Will's teaching, a prayer, and a question to ponder. There are Graham family photos and photos of important events in Billy's ministry included throughout the book. Redeemed will appeal to anyone young or old who loves Billy Graham and who is looking to continue his legacy of faith.

Based on a phenomenally popular blog post, a simple and counterintuitive approach to finding true joy When Luminita Saviuc, founder the PurposeFairy blog, posted a list of things to let go in order to be happy, she had no idea that it would go viral, shared more than 1.2 million times and counting. Based on that inspiring post, this heartfelt book gives readers permission to give up--that is, to let go of the bad habits that are holding them back from achieving authentic happiness and living their best lives. Lessons include: · Give Up the Past · Give Up Your Limiting Beliefs · Give Up Blaming Others · Give Up the Need to Always Be Right · Give Up Labels · Give Up Attachment Simple yet wise, and informed by the author's own inspiring personal journey, this liberating little book presents a fresh twist on happiness advice: take a step back to reflect, and give yourself permission to let things go. Includes a foreword by Vishen Lakhiani, New York Times-bestselling author of The Code of the Extraordinary Mind and founder and CEO of Mindvalley.

Are we living the good life—and what defines 'good', anyway? Americans today are constructing a completely different framework for success than their parents' generation, using new metrics that TEDWomen speaker and columnist Courtney Martin has termed collectively the "New Better Off". The New Better Offputs a name to the American phenomenon of rejecting the traditional dream of a 9-to-5 job, home ownership, and a nuclear family structure, illuminating the alternate ways Americans are seeking happiness and success. Including commentary on recent changes in how we view work, customs and community, marriage, rituals, money, living arrangements, and spirituality, The New Better Off uses personal stories and social analysis to explore the trends shaping our country today. Martin covers growing topics such as freelancing, collaborative consumption, communal living, and the breaking down of gender roles. The New Better Offis about the creative choices individuals are making in their vocational and personal lives, but it's also about the movements, formal and informal, that are coalescing around the "New Better Off" idea-people who are reinventing the social safety net and figuring out how to truly better their own communities.