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Being Esther: A Novel
by Miriam KarmelEightysomething Esther Lustig tells the story of her life in a witty, touching novel that “will linger long in readers’ minds and hearts” (Pioneer Press).“Widowed and in her mid-eighties, Esther checks in with her friend Lottie each morning to confirm that each has made it through the night. But there is no way that she’s going to surrender to her bossy daughter, Ceely, and move into an assisted living facility, which she disdainfully calls Bingoville. In her first novel, Karmel takes an understated and disarming approach to the closing years in the life of a seemingly ordinary woman, imbuing Esther with a subtle but zingy wit and underappreciated intelligence. Esther reflects on her mother’s frostiness and her mother-in-law’s ‘acid tongue,’ her own passion for books, the grinding disappointments and late-blooming joys of her marriage, and Ceely’s harrowing incommunicado years. Brimming with keen observations yet slow to articulate them due to her body’s strange new hesitations, Esther is appalled by how strangers treat her as an ‘object of concerned looks and condescension.’ Karmel’s novel of womanhood, the love and strife between mothers and daughters, marital dead zones, and the baffling metamorphosis of age is covertly complex, quietly incisive, and stunning in its emotional richness.” —Booklist “Being Esther is impossible to put down . . . a wonderful debut.” —Margot Livesey, author of The Flight of Gemma Hardy
Being Formed in Loving Service: St Paul Speaks to Seminarians
by S. J. Father Thomas D. StegmanIn his book Being Formed in Loving Service: Saint Paul Speaks to Seminarians, Father Thomas D. Stegman, S.J. examines the areas of priestly formation (human, spiritual, intellectual, and pastoral) and illustrates how St. Paul, in his life and writings, represents each of these areas. Seminarians and their formators will find this book both helpful and inspirational.
Being Formed in Loving Service: St Paul Speaks to Seminarians
by S. J. Father Thomas D. StegmanIn his book Being Formed in Loving Service: Saint Paul Speaks to Seminarians, Father Thomas D. Stegman, S.J. examines the areas of priestly formation (human, spiritual, intellectual, and pastoral) and illustrates how St. Paul, in his life and writings, represents each of these areas. Seminarians and their formators will find this book both helpful and inspirational.
Being Fully Known: The Joyful Satisfaction of Beholding, Becoming, and Belonging
by Dr. Saundra Dalton-SmithA weaving of biblical wisdom, keen insights into human behavior, and personal reflection prompts, Being Fully Known tackles the negative self-talk and limiting beliefs that leave us stuck in lives that are not our own. The world pressures us to do. God invites us to be. In this freeing book, Dr. Saundra Dalton-Smith speaks to all of us who hold back because we fear vulnerability or rejection. Using her background as a physician, spiritual mentor, and coach, Dr. Saundra helps us bridge the disconnect between the wanting to express our true selves and the beliefs that keep us in fear-based living. Structured with the option to be used as part of a 21-day fast, Being Fully Known blends Scripture, science, and story to offer insights into how we can: discover where we naturally fit rather than forcing ourselves to fit in embrace the fullness of our identity apart from our assumed roles overcome mental barriers that cause us to seek accomplishment over contentment reconnect with the courage to live into what God sees in us experience greater joy in our relationships, career, and creative expression Being Fully Known is a journey toward God-awareness, self-acceptance, and the fulfillment found in knowing we are seen and understood. Step into your God-given, joy-filled identity as you follow the mentoring of the Holy Spirit through this life-changing guide to being over doing.
Being Generous: The Art of Right Living
by Lucinda Vardey John Dalla CostaThis extraordinary little book has the power to heal and foster relationships, console and empower individuals, create community and help save the world by providing a spiritual ecology for our daily lives.Think that's a bold claim? It is, but it's also true. We can all be generous with our money when an occasion like Christmas rolls around, or when disaster strikes as it did with the Boxing Day tsunami of 2004. But Lucinda Vardey and John Dalla Costa say that this kind of giving segregates generosity, and makes it a special activity only for special times. If we're truly going to help this troubled world, as individuals we must investigate other possibilities for being generous as well, by helping those we interact with every day: our children, colleagues, parents, friends and the homeless men and women we encounter when out and about in our cities. We learn that the four most generous words in the English language are "I'm sorry" and "Thank you." We learn that if we ask, "What do you need?" we may be surprised how readily we can provide assistance, and how a single generous act may turn into something that circulates to include many.Lucinda and John are a married couple who have committed-they say "humbly and imperfectly"-to making generosity a central practice in their daily lives. What they refer to as their art of right living, within family, work and community, is both a mode of being and a value that infiltrates all others. Generosity inspires and guides them, and continually tests and teaches them. This book is filled with true stories they've collected about generosity in action. Being Generous is their gift to readers, written to enable and encourage us to follow the generous way.She was famous for her work with the poor in the streets of Calcutta. One day a beggar by the road ran up to her with a small coin-financially worthless to anyone but him. It was his day's take on a long, hot and humid day, and he wanted to give it to her. She pondered what to do. If she took the money then he would have nothing at all, but if she rejected him, it would not only hurt him but insult his generosity. She stretched out her hand-he, who never had the chance to give, could give to Mother Teresa. The joy on his face said everything to her.The Lesson: Saying no to another's offer denies them the joy of giving. Accepting what they wish to give-even if you don't need it-is what practising true generosity is about.--from Being GenerousFrom the Hardcover edition.
Being German, Becoming Muslim: Race, Religion, and Conversion in the New Europe (Princeton Studies in Muslim Politics #56)
by Esra ÖzyürekEvery year more and more Europeans, including Germans, are embracing Islam. It is estimated that there are now up to one hundred thousand German converts—a number similar to that in France and the United Kingdom. What stands out about recent conversions is that they take place at a time when Islam is increasingly seen as contrary to European values. Being German, Becoming Muslim explores how Germans come to Islam within this antagonistic climate, how they manage to balance their love for Islam with their society's fear of it, how they relate to immigrant Muslims, and how they shape debates about race, religion, and belonging in today’s Europe.Esra Özyürek looks at how mainstream society marginalizes converts and questions their national loyalties. In turn, converts try to disassociate themselves from migrants of Muslim-majority countries and promote a denationalized Islam untainted by Turkish or Arab traditions. Some German Muslims believe that once cleansed of these accretions, the Islam that surfaces fits in well with German values and lifestyle. Others even argue that being a German Muslim is wholly compatible with the older values of the German Enlightenment.Being German, Becoming Muslim provides a fresh window into the connections and tensions stemming from a growing religious phenomenon in Germany and beyond.
Being God's Image: Why Creation Still Matters
by Carmen Joy ImesWhat does it mean to be human? This timeless question proves critical as we seek to understand our purpose, identity, and significance. Amidst the many voices clamoring to shape our understanding of humanity, the Bible reveals important truths related to our human identity and vocation that are critical to the flourishing of all of creation. Carmen Joy Imes seeks to recover the theologically rich message of the creation narratives starting in the book of Genesis as they illuminate what it means to be human. Every human being is created as God’s image. Imago Dei is our human identity, and God appointed humans to rule on God's behalf. Being God’s Image explores the implications of this kinship relationship with God and considers what it means for our work, our gender relations, our care for creation, and our eternal destiny. The Bible invites us into a dramatically different quality of life: a beloved community in which we can know God and one another as we are truly known. Includes a discussion guide for personal reflection or group study, as well as links to related video material through the BibleProject.
Being God's Man as a Satisfied Single: Real Life. Powerful Truth. For God's Men (The Every Man Series)
by Stephen Arterburn Kenny Luck Todd WendorffYou may be single by choice or circumstance. You may plan to marry and have a family, or you may sense a call to lifelong singleness. Even so, your situation is God's will for you now. What will you do with it? What will you learn from it? And how will you survive the temptations confronting singles in this world?You know firsthand that single men face unique spiritual and moral struggles. Character is the cornerstone of being God's man as a single in today's culture. To live successfully out of a commitment to Christ, you as a single man must master the issues of sexual integrity, isolation, contentment, spiritual battle, and identity in Christ. Being God's Man...as a Satisfied Single is designed to help you do just that.From the Trade Paperback edition.
Being God's Man by Finding Contentment: Real Life. Powerful Truth. For God's Men (The Every Man Series)
by Stephen Arterburn Kenny Luck Todd WendorffHow satisfied are you with your life? Men like you are finding it tougher than ever to be content with what they have. They compare themselves with others and continually come up short. The soul-gnawing result is discouragement and disappointment. Lasting contentment comes only from a transformation of your mind, emotions, and will. It also takes a personal encounter with the God who can make you content. In Being God's Man by Finding Contentment, you will track this struggle for a new identity through various biblical passages. Like Jacob, you will not be fully settled and content until you lay to rest your past and take up a new identity in Christ. Jacob became a new creature, a man on a mission for the Lord. His struggle was over. He knew why he was here and what he had to do. His life took on purpose and meaning that transcended the striving. Yours can, too. Special Features:·Practical studies facilitate personal encounters with God and other men·Questions encourage genuine reflection and help build godly convictions·"Real Life" case studies show how the truths you discover have worked out in other men's lives·"Standing Strong" section gives you the opportunity to form and express your action steps with God and your group (From the Trade Paperback edition.)
Being God's Man by Pursuing Friendships: Real Life. Powerful Truth. For God's Men (The Every Man Series)
by Stephen Arterburn Kenny Luck Todd WendorffGod's Word is clear about the importance of godly friendships-and how God designs them to complete us spiritually. If you ever hope to win the battles you face in your spiritual journey, you must be connected to godly men.The problem is that many men today act like they don't need friends-and they're paying the price. Risking relationship is not easy for men, but it's a non-negotiable for God's man. When you stand with others who share your spiritual goals, you achieve them faster. That's God's way.Godly friendships create consistency, provide care and support, stimulate healthy confession, produce new connections, and make you complete in Christ. They produce positive changes in your character, convictions, conduct, and commitment to do life God's way.Learn how to build and benefit from friendships with godly men. It starts with Being God's Man...in Pursuing Friendships.From the Trade Paperback edition.
Being God's Man in Tough Times: Real Men. Real Life. Powerful Truth.
by Stephen Arterburn Kenny Luck Todd WendorffDavid was to be the future king of Israel. And yet, as you'll see firsthand in this compelling Bible study, the journey to that goal was filled with dangers, delays, and difficulties. Just like David, every man has a dream of who he wants to become. But getting there is a different story. Hardships and losses can destroy the faith-and even the life-of a lesser man. Many men fail to realize their dreams because they choose comfort over character, image over substance, and escape over endurance. But a man who knows how to embrace hardship and learn to mine it for God's purposes will see his godly dreams come true. Hardships are inevitable. Embracing them is a choice. God's dream for you is at stake. And Being God's Man...in Tough Times will equip you to overcome life's difficulties in the power and wisdom of God.From the Trade Paperback edition.
Being God's Man... by Standing Firm Under Pressure: Real Men. Real Life. Powerful Truth. (The Every Man Series)
by Stephen Arterburn Kenny Luck Todd WendorffHow to maintain your godly boundaries even under pressure.When you're faced with an imminent threat, your body releases adrenaline. Your heart beats faster. Your muscles tense, and all your senses switch to "Go." But what happens when your spiritual well-being is under attack? Do you stand strong in your desire to do God's will...or run for the hills?The path of faith is tough traveling. Fighting to hold on to God's purposes under adverse conditions is inconvenient, impractical, and thoroughly unpredictable. Standing firm under pressure reveals our true convictions about God, about everything. In Being God's Man by Standing Firm Under Pressure you'll examine one man-named Daniel-and his band of brothers who demonstrated how not to compromise under pressure. They didn't let misfortune, temptation, manipulation, intimidation, or even death shake their faith into compromise. Instead, they faced each new challenging circumstance with courage and trust. As God's man, you can, too. Special Features:·Practical studies facilitate personal encounters with God and other men·Questions encourage genuine reflection and help build godly convictions·"Real Life" case studies show how the truths you discover have worked out in other men's lives·"Standing Strong" section gives you the opportunity to form and express your action steps with God and your groupFrom the Trade Paperback edition.
Being God's Man... in Leading a Family: Real Life. Powerful Truth. For God's Men (The Every Man Series)
by Stephen Arterburn Kenny Luck Todd WendorffMore than ever, families are desperate for spiritual leadership. And that starts with you, the husband and father. Are you equipped and ready to assume the role and responsibility God has for you? Being God’s Man…in Leading a Family will help you accept your calling and experience God’s blessing as the spiritual leader to your wife and children. In this study–for individual or group use–you’ll discover the six keys to true spiritual leadership in the home: 1.Deciding: Taking ownership of your own spiritual journey 2.Demonstrating: Modeling a relationship with God 3.Displaying: God’s love in your relationship with your wife 4.Displaying: God’s love in your interactions with your children 5.Daily spiritual leadership through fostering spiritual connections in the home 6.Daily spiritual leadership through serving Being God’s Man…in Leading a Family is the Bible study that could revolutionize not only your life, but also the lives of your wife and children–and impact generations to come in the wisdom and strength of God.
Being God's Man... in The Search for Success: Real Man. Real Life. Powerful Truth (The Every Man Series)
by Stephen Arterburn Kenny Luck Todd Wendorff"I've worked hard to get where I am. I've overcome great obstacles. I've earned it." No one had a greater right to say those statements more than King David. He rose from the fields of Palestine to the palace of power and privilege. He'd made it. But now that he was on top, would he continue to grow spiritually in the midst of his success?Self-sufficiency is a temptation every man faces. But we can't be both self-sufficient and on the move spiritually at the same time. Just as in David's life, God often allows us to experience the consequences of self-sufficiency so that we can rediscover our need for his leadership and empowerment in our lives. In the end, the crushing blows we face serve to humble us...and forge the basis for the next wave of spiritual momentum in our lives.Being God's Man...in the Search for Success will help you-whether in individual or group study-come to grips with the attitudes and actions you must own as you move forward to achieve God's goals for you in life.From the Trade Paperback edition.
Being God's Man...: By Resisting the World (The Every Man Series)
by Stephen Arterburn Kenny Luck Todd WendorffIf you think God's values and the world's values can co-exist, think again. You have to live in this world. But if you want to be God's man, there's a catch: You can't be absorbed or influenced by the world. You have to stand strong as a man of God and resist the world. Men like you who are getting serious about their walk with God feel a deep, intuitive conflict of the soul...where unholy alliances with the world, which were once acceptable, must now be broken. That's not easy. But here's solid, trustworthy guidance for you from men who have been there, too. InBeing God's Man by Resisting the World,you'll take a look at Christ's template of values as revealed in the Sermon on the Mount. Every man who seeks to understand and train in these values will experience a greater connection with God. So forget what you know, focus on these truths, and start living large spiritually. Special Features: ·Practical studies facilitate personal encounters with God and other men ·Questions encourage genuine reflection and help build godly convictions ·"Real Life" case studies show how the truths you discover have worked out in other men's lives ·"Standing Strong" section gives you the opportunity to form and express your action steps with God and your group
Being God's Man...by Claiming Your Freedom: Real Men. Real Life. Powerful Truth. (The Every Man Series)
by Stephen Arterburn Kenny Luck Todd WendorffYou've already been set free by Christ.When are you going to start experiencing that freedom?What does it look like when a man lives out a truly authentic, loving walk with Jesus Christ? It looks like freedom.The Apostle Paul, a man made new by the gospel of Jesus Christ, presents one of the clearest images of the godly man in action. He's committed to a life of faith, focused on the Spirit instead of the flesh, set free to love others. No longer focused on himself, he demonstrates his faith by serving others. You can be that kind of man by claiming your freedom in Christ. Being God's man means being set free to exemplify Christ's love.Being God's Man by Claiming Your Freedom will stimulate personal reflection and honest dialogue with God and other men. The goal is that you will strive to be God's man in every way-feeling his heart for others, and doing his will obediently and joyfully.Special Features:·Practical studies-for individual use or group settings-facilitate personal encounters with God and other men·Questions encourage genuine reflection and help build godly convictions·"Real Life" case studies show how the truths you discover have worked out in other men's lives·"Standing Strong" section gives you the opportunity to identify action steps for lasting change.From the Trade Paperback edition.
Being God's Man...in the Face of Temptation: Real Men. Real Life. Powerful Truth. (The Every Man Series)
by Stephen Arterburn Kenny Luck Todd WendorffAll men are tempted to compromise. But not all men do. Some have learned the secret of being undivided between what they believe and how they actually think and live. They possess integrity. They’ve gained new perspectives on the trials and temptations they face, new tools to help them survive automatic human responses to challenging situations, and new actions which produce humility and flexibility in God’s strength. You can be a man of integrity too. Confession breaks the power of temptation in men of integrity; connection with other men sustains the victory. Being God’s Man…in the Face of Temptationwill help you–whether in individual or group study–confront this pervasive problem in God’s wisdom and strength. And begin to live the undivided life.
Being God's man... by Understanding a Woman's Heart: Real Life. Powerful Truth. For God's Men (The Every Man Series)
by Stephen Arterburn Kenny Luck Todd WendorffHow to be God’s man in relationship with a woman. Few men would ever embark on an important project, a significant career change, or a major athletic challenge without gathering all the tactical knowledge possible to insure a good outcome. Yet, when it comes to relationships with women, most men fail to apply the simple principles that make them successful in other areas of life. It may be easy to get into a relationship with a woman, but it’s not so easy to make the relationship work well. It takes energy. It demands effort. It requires education and understanding. God is available to help. But there’s a catch: God’s man must connect with God’s purposes before he can truly connect with his wife (or wife-to-be). God uses the marriage relationship to promote growth in men’s lives, because it shows us our character gaps and drives us to Him for solutions. If you want true intimacy and connection with a woman, you’ll need to grow up and graduate from God’s school of character. This book,Being God’s Man by Understanding a Woman’s Heart,is the perfect start. Special Features: ·Practical studies facilitate personal encounters with God and other men ·Questions encourage genuine reflection and help build godly convictions ·“Real Life” case studies show how the truths you discover have worked out in other men’s lives ·“Standing Strong” section gives you the opportunity to form and express your action steps with God and your group
Being God's man...by walking a new path: Real Men. Real Life. Powerful Truth. (The Every Man Series)
by Stephen Arterburn Kenny Luck Todd WendorffTake up a new calling. Walk a new path. And experience life's greatest adventure.Will you discover your true reason for living, enter the battle, and become a new man in Christ? Or will you settle for less? To live more purposefully, to experience a full life, to become more, you will have to become someone else and walk a new path.This kind of attitude is what the Navy Seals look for in a man: Rogue warriors. Unconventional. Committed. Guys who will do anything to win the battle and stay true to their new identities. Walking this new path requires men who won't shrink from the battle. In spirit, the Apostle Paul was this kind of a rogue warrior for God's kingdom. He was tough and uncompromising and he held to a code that marked his life. He lived on purpose, not by accident. He surrendered his life and became a support for others. If you choose to become this kind of man made new, unwilling to compromise, then let this great apostle lead the way. Special Features:·Practical studies facilitate personal encounters with God and other men·Questions encourage genuine reflection and help build godly convictions·"Real Life" case studies show how the truths you discover have worked out in other men's lives·"Standing Strong" section gives you the opportunity to form and express your action steps with God and your groupFrom the Trade Paperback edition.
Being Godless: Ethnographies of Atheism and Non-Religion (Studies in Social Analysis #1)
by Roy Llera Blanes Galina Oustinova-StjepanovicDrawing on ethnographic inquiry and the anthropological literature on doubt and atheism, this volume explores people's reluctance to pursue religion. The contributors capture the experiences of godless people and examine their perspectives on the role of religion in their personal and public lives. In doing so, the volume contributes to a critical understanding of the processes of disengagement from religion and reveals the challenges and paradoxes that godless people face.
Being Good: Christian Virtues for Everyday Life
by Michael W. Austin R. Douglas GeivettThis volume offers a fresh, timely, practical look at eleven key Christian virtues: faith, open-mindedness, wisdom, zeal, hope, contentment, courage, love, compassion, forgiveness, and humility. Writing from a distinctively Christian perspective, the authors thoughtfully explore and explain these select virtues, seeking to nurture readers in lifelong character growth and to promote the centrality of the virtues to the Christian faith. Grouped under the headings Faith, Hope, and Love, the chapters each conclude with questions for further reflection. Contributors: Michael W. Austin Jason BaehrRebecca Konyndyk DeYoungR. Douglas Geivett David A. HornerWilliam C. Mattison IIIPaul K. MoserAndrew PinsentSteve L. PorterJames S. SpiegelCharles TaliaferroDavid R. Turner.
Being Here: Prayers for Curiosity, Justice, and Love
by Pádraig Ó Tuama&“What is prayer? It&’s not a passport to heaven. If anything, it&’s a way of seeing here, a way of being here.&” In Being Here, acclaimed poet and theologian Pádraig Ó Tuama offers a thoughtful collection of prayers and essays to focus attention in a world full of distractions. Featuring 31 collects—an ancient five-fold form of prayer—this unconventional devotional invites readers into a daily rhythm of connection and creativity. &“The hope is that you can turn to a prayer with the story of your life, and in the little emptiness you create there, hear something, discern something, feel something that&’s connecting you to other things seeking out connection with you.&” Each day&’s prayers are presented alongside scripture and illuminating literary texts. The book concludes with four incisive essays on politics, community, and the contours of contemporary life as seen through biblical literature. Pádraig also teaches readers how they can embrace poetic form to expand their practice of prayer. In these pages, spiritual wayfarers will find a place to both rest and grow their capacity for curiosity, justice, and love. This is a way of living / That&’s worth living daily.
Being Home: A Book of Meditations
by Greta D. Sibley Gunilla NorrisThrough 40 eloquent prayers and small simple photographs that mirror and interpret the text, Being Home is a celebration of mindfulness. As M. Scott Peck put it, "This is simply the best book I know on the subject of the sacrament of the present moment, and a great work of devotional literature." 43 duotone photographs..
Being Human and a Buddha Too: Longchenpa's Seven Trainings for a Sunlit Sky
by Anne KleinIn writing that sparkles and inspires, Anne Klein (Lama Rigzin Drolma) shows us how to liberate our buddha nature to be both human and a buddha too.This first volume in the House of Adzom series centers on Longchenpa&’s seven trainings in bodhicitta, our awakened mind, the ultimate purpose of our practice and training. Anne Klein&’s original composition masterfully weaves in Adzom Paylo Rinpoche&’s commentary and Jigme Lingpa&’s five pith practices and commentary on the trainings, in keeping with Longchenpa&’s skillful integration of sutra, tantra, and Dzogchen, to resolve our most challenging questions about what awakening involves and how it relates to the truth of our human situation right now. As foundational teachings for Dzogchen practitioners, the seven trainings are framed as contemplations on impermanence, the adventitiousness of happiness and its short duration, the multiple causes of death, the meaninglessness of our worldly activities, reliance on the Buddha&’s good qualities, the teacher&’s pith instructions, and, ultimately, nonconceptual meditation on bliss and emptiness, clarity and emptiness, and reality itself.
Being Human in Islam: The Impact of the Evolutionary Worldview (Culture and Civilization in the Middle East)
by Damian HowardIslamic anthropology is relatively seldom treated as a particular concern even though much of the contemporary debate on the modernisation of Islam, its acceptance of human rights and democracy, makes implicit assumptions about the way Muslims conceive of the human being. This book explores how the spread of evolutionary theory has affected the beliefs of contemporary Muslims regarding human identity, capacity and destiny. In his systematic treatment of the impact of evolutionary ideas on modern Islam, Damian Howard surveys several branches of Muslim thought. Muslim responses to the crisis of the religious imagination presented by the evolutionary worldview fall into four different forms, incorporating traditional and modern notions. The book evaluates the content, influence and success of these four forms, asking how Muslims might now proceed to address the profound challenges which evolutionary theory poses to the effective reconstruction of their religious thought. Drawing fascinating parallels with developments in the world of Christian theology which will help understanding between people of the two religions, the author reflects on the question of how Muslims can come to terms with the modern world. A valuable addition to the literature on contemporary Islamic thought, this book will also interest students and scholars of religion and modernity, the history and philosophy of science, and evolutionary theory.