RE: BOOKS for which I am grateful...

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Alchemist -> RE: BOOKS for which I am grateful... (5/13/2008 7:44:20 AM)
Juliana Thank you for sharing so generously. "Anam Cara" was John O'Donohue's first book. He essentially left the priesthood, which he had served for nearly 20 years, in order to write this book. I felt he was 'making up for lost time' and that is why the book is so dense with ideas. He had much he felt needed to be said - no doubt prompted by Spirit. And like all great teachers, he showed others how they might find the same inner springs that he had found. Your selection is a great example. Alchemist

J1937 -> RE: BOOKS for which I am grateful... (5/22/2008 4:16:06 PM)
Alchemist, Thank you for responding. I am grateful for Anam Cara, as John O´Donohue brings to life ancient Celtic wisdom, which is of special relevance to us today. Again, I am amazed at how dense with thought the book is. All I can do here is to whet the appetite for reading it of those who do not yet know it. In the chapter "The Human Body is Your Only Home" O´Donohue reminds us that our bodies are taken from the earth: "It is mysterious that the human body is clay... Just as it is an immense privilege for your clay to have come up into the light, it is also a great responsibility. In your clay body things are coming to expression and to light, that were never known before, presences that never came to light or shape in any other individual". In this book we can meet with ideas which have possibly never crossed our minds before. Thus we could see sorrow, moving through us like a dark cloud, like a dark mist over a landscape. It is a mistake to interfere with this movement of feeling, as this emotion belongs more to the clay we are than to our mind. It is wise to let this weather of feeling pass; it is on its way elsewhere. "Essentially, we belong beautifully to nature. The body knows this belonging and desires it... The human body is at home on the earth." Connectedness - "all is one" - is beautifully expressed in what is traditionally believed to be the first poem ever composed in Ireland: I am the wind which breathes upon the sea, I am the wave of the ocean, I am the murmur of the billows - I am the ox of the seven combats, I am the vulture upon the rocks, I am a beam of the sun, I am the fairest of plants, I am the wild boar in valor, I am the salmon in the water, I am a lake in the plain, I am a world of knowledge, I am the point of the lance of battle, I am the God who created the fire in the head. Amairgen To be continued with: "The Body is in the Soul". Juliana ___________________________________ I am in everything and everything is in me.

J1937 -> RE: BOOKS for which I am grateful... (6/17/2008 6:09:20 AM)
Reading is to the mind like running is to the body. If a person wants to exercise their mind, read a good book.’ ~Lamar Cole Much research has been done on reading and its many benefits. Those who read books seem to have a better chance for a successful fulfilling adult life. They tend to have many interests, develop an ability to understand how other people think and feel and tend to be more flexible in their own thinking. One woman who celebrated her 100th birthday put it well: “When I go somewhere I have to go in a wheelchair. But when I read, I can go anywhere, anytime I want. And no one has to help me!” We are about to move into the summer holidays and it’s a time of year when we plan to unwind and relax. A book can be a very important part of that plan. - James MsSweeney Juliana _____________________________ Speak Peace in a World of Conflict

Hope coach -> RE: BOOKS for which I am grateful... (6/17/2008 8:40:32 AM)
Juliana How true that books can transport, entertain, share lives, reach our levels of conciousness and enlighten us....I am finally do some reading as I watch my grandchildren frolic at the pool they are 10 and 12......and there are lifeguards isnt it amazing how when we write there is clarity reading while at the pool with grandchildren.......good books can defocus us from real time or help us escape a situation too.....anyway I finally picked up Eat Pray Love and it is very good....someone also gave me the book The New Earth have not got past chapter 1 yet much differant reading....the important thing is I have not read for pleasure in years and this is a good start thanks for your posts on reading they inspire me... Namaste Hope coach Barbara T

buttington -> RE: BOOKS for which I am grateful... (6/17/2008 5:09:16 PM)
I have gone back to my first love in books, autobiography, after years of a more philosophical kind, and am enjoying them immensely. I've also learnt quite a lot. My two most recent ones have included episodes during the last war. One was called "Beyond Nab End" by William Woodruff. (after first reading "The Road to Nab End") He spent quite a lot of his youth in Germany just prior to the war starting, and it was a very interesting perspective on the lives of ordinary people at that time. The second book was called "A Bag of Marbles" (I've lent it to someone & can't remember the author's name) about 2 Jewish children living in France during the last war, and their extraordinary exploits in keeping alive. Another very interesting and informative book from which I learnt a lot. It's definitely a favourite now. Jude

Imenuff -> RE: BOOKS for which I am grateful... (7/20/2008 12:09:59 PM)
After seeing T.O's recent pictures,I again picked up John O'Donohue's "Beauty, the Invisible Embrace." Below is a short excerpt from the book which so clearly gives credence to the beauty in live. If anyone else has or is reading this book, please add your thoughts. "The experience of the beautiful is an experience of a potentially whole and holy order of things wherever it may be (Hans-Geoarg Gadamer). In Greek, the word for Beautiful is to kalon related to kalein which includes the notion of ‘call’. When we experience beauty, we feel called, called to awaken under the layers of the heart, a forgotten brightness. This is not a call to decadence or self indulgence restricted only to the non suffering. Often it is in the bleakest most difficult turns on the road that we need it most and it is those little glimpses of beauty, whether through nature or through some small human act of kindness and caring, which enable people to endure the most desparate frontiers."

J1937 -> RE: BOOKS for which I am grateful... (8/19/2008 10:36:54 AM)
I have repeatedly thought of my promise to continue sharing insights which can be found in John O´Donohue´s "Anam Cara", in particular his statement that "The body is in the soul". I was surprised to hear this very sentence again in a conference given by Henri Boulad, and I have since pondered on it every now and then. John O´Donohue says, "Western thought has taught us that the soul is in the body. The soul was thought to be confined to some special, small and refined region within the body... When a person died, the soul departed and the empty body collapsed. This version of the soul seems false." He then takes us back to the more ancient way of looking at it: "The body is in the soul. Your soul reaches out further than your body and it simultaneously suffuses your body and your mind. Your soul has more refined antennae than your mind or ego." This has consequences: "In fact, there is very little needed in order to develop a real sense of your own spiritual individuality. One of the things that is absolutely essential is silence, the other is solitude." We know about this, of course. But O´Donohue´s point of view can open a new outlook: "In each person there is a point of absolute non-connection with everything else and with everyone.... It means that we cannot continue to seek outside ourselves for the things we need from within. The blessings for which we hunger are not to be found in other places or people. These gifts can only be given to you by yourself." Juliana ____________________________________________ "In everyone´s inner solitude there is a warm hearth"

J1937 -> RE: BOOKS for which I am grateful... (10/1/2008 2:13:48 PM)
Dear Friends, This morning I started on an inner journey, being guided by a most beautiful and helpful book. Since I feel I should share it with you, let me give a short introduction. It is by Joyce Rupp, has only just appeared, and is entitled "Open the Door. A Journey to the True Self". There is a meditation for each day, continuing through six weeks. Both Edda and Alchemist commented on the author on "Grief and Gratefulness" > "My Blanket of Grief", p.4, on 1/22, 23/08. Her photo and her books can be found on www.joycerupp.com. Juliana _____________________________ Speak Peace in a World of Conflict

buttington -> RE: BOOKS for which I am grateful... (10/18/2008 11:20:51 AM)
Sparrow, with reference to "A New Earth" which you mentioned: My Son has the book. I shall have to ask to borrow it if possible. I do have “The Power of Now” but haven’t read it yet. A friend went on and on about it and I was put off !! If you knew me you would know how resistant I am to change. Perhaps that’s the reason I haven’t read it. Zazen sounds intriguing. I know I would find it hard to stop my butterfly mind and can just manage visualization, although I still find it difficult for any length of time. Love, Jude

lilsparrow -> RE: BOOKS for which I am grateful... (10/18/2008 1:51:28 PM)
Dear Jude . . . I too, am often put off if someone raves to me too much about anything. It can be a book, a movie, a song . . . it doesn't matter. I think it may be because in the past it has raised my expectations, and then I am disappointed. I too, have "The Power of Now", but it's one that is sitting, waiting patiently for me to get to it . . . like the little piles of books that you and Betty and Edda and Juliana all have! I also tend to have a butterfly mind. That's why sitting is such good practice for me. It helps me focus on the now. Have a beautiful afternoon . . . I will too . . . with love . . . sparrow

Thankful one -> RE: BOOKS for which I am grateful... (10/18/2008 4:55:00 PM)
i believe this is for a library this photo took me a while to figure out [image]http://www.storiedmind.com/files/InfiniteStairway1.jpg[/image]

Mygratefulbook -> RE: BOOKS for which I am grateful... (11/5/2008 1:32:39 PM)
My Grateful Book (www.angiedicervo.org) is about a woman's personal journey through life with a grateful attitude. It is the author's personal account of her experiences as address in a prayer-like expression of gratitude. She allows the reader to glimpse at her own struggles and the issues which conflicted and afflicted her throughout the writing of the book. This book is not meant to entertain as much as it enlightens by the author's expression of her own way of dealing with the challenges life presents. From a sociological, psychological and theological perspective, this book is valuable because it provides a personal first hand account of the issues this married mother and business woman dealt with and how she resolved them. As a self-help book, it clearly lays out by example, a healthy, constructive paradigm for dealing with personal problems, deficiencies, and difficulties. I highly recommend this book for what it is, a personal journal of one woman's struggle and her way of dealing with, resolving and acknowledging their conclusion, by being grateful.

J1937 -> RE: BOOKS for which I am grateful... (11/29/2008 1:32:32 AM)
It has only just occurred to me that I have not yet commented on two books by Brother David Steindl-Rast, which I gratefully received as a gift some time ago. I have not put them away on a pile, dear Sparrow, [;)] but looked into them over and over again, always finding something new of great value. The first one is entitled Common Sense Spirituality. The Essential Wisdom of David Steindl-Rast". As Sr. Joan Chittister says in the foreword, "This book is a cry of the soul into the darkness of life that gives substance to faith and reason for hope. We cannot be who we are unless the God who made us is greater than we are with all our smallnesses of judgment and nationalism and sexism and absolutism". There is nothing left to add! The second is a small, nice-looking book with an attractive cover, "Words of Common Sense for Mind, Body, and Soul". It is a collection of proverbs from all over the world, with comments by Brother David. Again, a sentence in the foreword says it best, "Brother David writes for you and for me, for anyone who wants to live a life that is rich in significance and pleasure". Both books can make a great Christmas present. Juliana ___________________________ Common sense is not common. - Sir John Templeton

Thankful one -> RE: BOOKS for which I am grateful... (11/29/2008 1:59:55 PM)
juliana, thanks for the tips on brother david's books he has been so helpful in the past, i'll try and get access to these books i am just now starting to read hellen keller - the story of my life she has been such an inspiring person i wanted to learn more [image]http://www.bischoffgalleries.com/uploads/80_-_Reflection_Giclee_.jpg[/image]

lilsparrow -> RE: BOOKS for which I am grateful... (12/1/2008 8:10:02 AM)
Dear Juliana . . . Thank you for your notes on books. Thanks to the internet I can do a little "impulse shopping" and I have just ordered "Common Sense Spirituality" from Amazon . . . also, as it was waiting for me in my shopping basket I also ordered "Your Soul's Compass" by Joan Borysenko and Gordon Dveirin. Edda had mentioned this last one to me. I don't truly feel guilty for these purchases . . . clothes and trinkets don't interest me much, but watch out re: books and music~~It was rather a splurge, but as L'Oreal says "I'm worth it!" These I think, will be Christmas presents for myself. How good to see you on the forum, Thankful one . . . as always your photographs warm my heart and remind me of the wonder all around us every day . . . even in the small things--actually, sometimes most especially in the small things. I hope your recent disappointment has not overshadowed your shining joy in life. with love . . . sparrow

Thankful one -> RE: BOOKS for which I am grateful... (12/1/2008 3:38:09 PM)
thanks, lilsparrow - your name reminds me of the little beautiful things by the way i finished reading helen keller's story of my life - what a quick, inspirational, honest read... boy, she was a terror until she learned language she locked her parents in their room for hours and laughed, locked her teacher anne in her room and she had to be carried out the window, she tried to hurt and almost killed her younger sister... here's the part of her book that i think many here may relate to Once, when I was puzzled to know why there were so many religions, he said: "There is one universal religion, Helen - the religion of love. Love your Heavenly Father with your whole heart and soul, love every child of God as much as you can, and remember that the possibilities of good are greater than the possibilities of evil; and you have the key to Heaven." window.google_render_ad(); Presidential Medal of Freedom Recipient Helen Keller "The public must learn that the blind man is neither a genius nor a freak nor an idiot. He has a mind which can be educated, a hand which can be trained, ambitions which it is right for him to strive to realize, and it is the duty of the public to help him make the best of himself so that he can win light through work." -- Helen Keller "When one door of happiness closes, another opens; but often we look so long at the closed door that we do not see the one which has been open for us." -- Helen Keller photo below is her winning the presidential medal of freedom [image]http://www.medaloffreedom.com/HelenKeller_JohnFKennedy.jpg[/image] this is a photo of her oscar that she won for her docmentary [image]http://www.medaloffreedom.com/HelenKellerOscar.gif[/image]

lilsparrow -> RE: BOOKS for which I am grateful... (12/1/2008 3:56:46 PM)
That was quick . . . It just seems like the other day you said you were going to read it~ quote: "When one door of happiness closes, another opens; but often we look so long at the closed door that we do not see the one which has been open for us." I love this one Thankful one . . . Thank you with love . . . sparrow

Thankful one -> RE: BOOKS for which I am grateful... (12/1/2008 4:19:57 PM)
lilsparrow, thanks for being you and sharing yourself so generously

Thankful one -> RE: BOOKS for which I am grateful... (12/2/2008 2:57:11 PM)
last night i read ivanhoe it took me three times to get started but then i did enjoy it immensely and could not put it down until i finished it if 1% of the story about how the christian church treated the jews, took from the poor, had a double standard for their actions than that what they prrofessed, and celebrated and encouraged the death of non-christians is true, then there is a need to make sure that does not happen again [image]http://z.about.com/d/phoenix/1/0/9/C/wildflower01.jpg[/image]

lilsparrow -> RE: BOOKS for which I am grateful... (12/3/2008 7:13:32 AM)
Dear Thankful one . . . Over the years alot of damage has been done in the name of God or Allah. The Templar knights, who I had always admired were terrible people who did very little, if anything "Christian". Look at the Crusades, the Spanish Inquisition, our own Salem witch trials . . . all in the name of God. It makes me cringe. You'd think we would have learned by now . . . with love . . . sparrow

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