From The Publisher
n addition, it often takes a month or more for our review team to thoughtfully consider books and prepare reviews. Our New on Our Shelf feature will allow us to showcase four to five times as many great books each month than we have been able to, and with minimal delay. "In Review" editor Steve McCardell is working to reengergize the section. I expect that you'll find exciting enhancements in the coming months. The Message and the Messenger:
StarWatch
Hearing the Call
The Glory of God
The glory of God is the shattering realization that everything is always perfect. The glory of God is the inherent perfection of all things at all times, in all places, through all circumstances. Even earthquakes, disease, and bloody warfare: that’s all the glory of God too. The glory of God is the inherent perfection of all things as they are. You see, from an absolute perspective, the eye of the self sees only God and makes no distinctions whatsoever. Heaven and hell, good and evil, everything known and unknown, seen and unseen are all recognized only to be different expressions of that one incomparable mystery beyond name and form. Beyond all pairs of opposites, the glory of God is all there is: just absolute incomparable perfection.
Building an Interspecies Bridge
Basil and Berries: A World of Flavor Under the Sun!
Our black currants and raspberries have ripened and are tucked safely into a carboy, fermenting a new batch of wine for the dark days of winter ahead. Black currant, Ribes nigrum, is a musky little berry from the old country, revered for its health-giving properties yet somehow forgotten in today’s gardens. This small bush bears abundant clusters of rich, tart, dark black berries and can be tucked into almost any yard.
Reverse Metaphor: Communicating with the Unconscious MInd
Finding myself in a steamy, tangled jungle, I crouched beneath a banana palm. The large leaves overhead sheltered me from the gentle mist that hid the predawn sky. Sounds of nature rose about me: the croaking of frogs; the charming squawk of the macaws, parrots, and toucans; and the constant buzzing of insects.
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We launch a new feature in our "In Review" section this month: New on Our Shelf. Here, we present a short "snapshot" of great books that we believe best match the interests of our readers. Each week, we receive dozens of new titles. From that pool, we choose books and CDs for review. Sadly, we only have enough space for a handful of reviews each month, and many worthy books are simply passed over.
I met Neale Donald Walsch at a small church in Bend, Oregon in 1995. The book he’d written had touched my life profoundly, and I was anxious to see the man who claimed that he actually talked to God, although in my mind it seemed not so preposterous. I was actually beyond wondering if he really thought he was conversing with God; I just cared that the material he was receiving was so transforming and magical. Having imagined him quite differently, I was rather surprised by the author's scraggly beard, Birkenstocks, and poncho. At that time in my life, I would more readily move into judgment and appraisal and easily allow appearances to dictate my thought about who or what someone was. In this case, I suppose I was expecting someone more, well, John Irving-esque.
By adding the universal year 2000 (2+0+0+0=2) to the 8th month of August, we come up with the vibration of 10/1. The 10/1 month is a time for new beginnings. It is a particularly good month for initiating any new projects that require you to pull from your creative energies. Take some time this month to reflect on how you can bring more joy and meaning to your work. If you have wanted to begin a new project that you are really passionate about, now is the time to tune in to how you can make it happen.
A warm September sun scattered diamonds across the dark blue surface of the Thames as I wandered along the Victoria Embankment, a beautiful stretch of river near Waterloo Bridge. Upstream, HMS Wellington, a square-rigged ship from another era, rode peacefully at permanent anchorage, while over my shoulder the gray dome of St. Paul's Cathedral was just visible on Ludgate Hill, its resonant bells tolling the afternoon hours. The breeze gusting down Chancery Lane sent dry leaves skirling on the red brick surface beneath my feet, and as I walked, I kept my right hand in the pocket of my windbreaker, turning over a small metal knight I bought in the United States before departing for London.
What is the glory of God? What is the defining expression of that which transcends yet includes all things?
Imagine that you are six to eight inches tall, live in the wild, and have never seen humans, the inside of a house, or modern appliances such as vacuum cleaners or blow dryers. Now imagine that you are skilled in martial arts, possessing the ability to utilize the weaponry at your disposal. Suddenly you find yourself trapped in a barred enclosure you can’t escape from and removed from the community you live in, the area you are familiar with, and the other members of your species you know and love. In fear, you strike out at everything that moves, drawing blood and cries from those who have captured you. Your fate hangs in the balance.
After the sun’s zenith back in June, things really started to warm up. Berries and those sun-loving Mediterranean herbs kicked into high gear and collected solar energy for months of fine dining and remedial assistance ahead.
It wasn’t long before I found myself on a precipice overlooking a dark and brooding ocean. The waves were furiously crashing against the broken stones that lay below me. Distraught and afraid, I momentarily considered plunging headlong into the violence, but thought it better, instead, to lie down and rest my weakened body. Sprawling limply against the earthen floor, I drifted into a restless sleep.