When Joe Kittinger finally came to a halt, he found himself in a paradoxical world of preternatural colour where the sun blazed from a sky as black as pitch. A few minutes on the very border of space were enough to persuade him to throw himself form his open gondola with relish.

This is an collection of numerous poems from Sonja's inspirational and religious thoughts.

On August 16th 1960, Joe Kittinger went up in a balloon. And kept going. This is the story of an incredible journey, but beyond that it is the history of man's unfolding relationship with the sky. When Joe Kittinger finally came to a halt, he found himself in a paradoxical world of preternatural colour where the sun blazed from a sky as black as pitch. A few minutes on the very border of space were enough to persuade him to throw himself from his open gondola with relish. escape the confines of the earth and find out exactly what lies beyond the beautiful blue dome of the sky. In the process, it overthrows the universal myth, enshrined in the West in the legends of Icarus and the Tower of Babel, that the realm above the clouds is strictly for the gods. A thousand years from now, when people look back on the roots of the Space Age, this is where it will all seem to have begun.

“Yearning to Touch the Sky” is an amusing fable about one single individual’s search for a place to inhale and exhale freely. It is a tale about a painstaking journey to a new state of mind. The fictional story touches as a corollary on issues of race, class, sex and heterosexism. The author, Grover of America, calls for the birth of a new existence….a spiritual rebirth. He says; “we are part of the past and a part of the future, but because of our short memory, we have become prisoners of the present, prisoners of the market, afraid of listening to the wisdom of our ancestors.” This is a cry in the dark…against anachronistic colonialists, fanatical neo-liberals, racists, right neo-radicals and religious fundamentalists of whatever color. It is an appeal against the perversion of violence and a plea for respecting human uniqueness and the heterogeneity inherent in human societies.

Some secrets have shadows as long as the redwoods are tall. In the early 1920s, the accelerating destruction of the California redwoods is more than nature-loving Marion Baker can bear. Throwing herself headlong into the work of the Save the Redwoods League, she is shocked to learn that Frank Duncan, a man she's grown to love, is the son of one of the area's worst timber barons. Though devastated by the betrayal, she realizes this could also be an opportunity--if only she can convince him to help preserve her favorite grove from his father's greedy grasp. Is her love strong enough to persuade him to save these precious trees? Or will Marion choose to sacrifice her beliefs to keep Frank by her side? Nearly fifty years later, in 1972, polio survivor June Turner is deeply proud of the legacy her great aunt Marion has left as a redwood warrior. And despite her disability, June is determined to prove herself capable as a ranger at the recently established Redwood National Park, even if it means taking to the trails with her crutch in hand. What better way to carry on the family tradition of preserving God’s magnificent creation? When aspiring film student Adam Garner approaches June to help make a documentary about Marion's life, she swiftly grabs the opportunity to spread her aunt's worthy reputation. That is, until they unearth a secret that might shatter the family legacy. In the scramble for answers, June may lose not only her family pride but also her own dreams. Karen Barnett's beautifully crafted split-time novel, set against the majestic backdrop of a beloved national park, immerses the reader in history that feels as fresh as if it happened yesterday.

We are more mature with all the experiences and knowledge that we have acquired. The problem is, we focus on what we lack rather than what we are perfect and complete. There is nothing wrong with analyzing our weak points and working on them but what we overlook in the areas where we are best, perfect, and complete. There's a story about eagles, eagles live to be sixty to eighty years old. After reaching his forties, he goes into exile for nearly 100 days until the climax where he begins to pluck all his feathers and break his claws, the beak hitting the rocks. It starves for the next 100 days without any food until new feathers, beaks, and claws sprout. He resuscitates himself, lives newborns for the next 20 to 40 years. We, humans, are social animals who learn to live from the animals and birds around us. Let's practice like how an eagle works to resuscitate itself in our way to focus on the physical aspects while spending more time on our health through regular exercise, good nutrition, and disciplined life. Let's not be demoralized by age ... Age is just a number. Let's work on the positive side of improving and upgrading our skills. *Stay Hungry Stay Foolish* Let's live every moment of our life and have fun like this is going to be the last day of our lives, but keep learning every moment as if we are going to live like an immortal forever. Remember that reaching quarantine is not a curse but a blessing in disguise. Did you know that lions only succeed in a quarter of their hunting attempts - which means they fail 75% of their attempts and only succeed 25% of them? Despite this small percentage shared by most predators, they do not despair in their pursuit and hunting attempts. The main reason for this is not because of hunger as some might think, but it is the understanding of the "law of wasted effort" which was instinctively incorporated into animals, a law in which nature is ruled. Half of the fish eggs are eaten ... half of the baby bears die before puberty ... most of the world's rains fall in the oceans ... and most tree seeds are eaten by birds. Scientists have found that animals, trees, and other forces of nature are more receptive to the law of "wasted effort". Only humans think that the lack of success in a few attempts is a failure ... but the truth is: we only fail when we "stop trying". Success is not about having a life without pitfalls and falls ... but success is about overcoming your mistakes and going beyond every step where your efforts have been wasted waiting for the next step. If there is one word that sums up this world, it will simply be: start over. Always be inspired.

To Touch the Sky contains Willis Barnstone's translations of some of the most inspiring writing of world literature: ten mystical and spiritual poets spanning three thousand years.