Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal on Monday called for spiritual awakening to face the modern day challenges brought about by science and technology as well as for establishing peace in society.

He said science and technology has brought about remarkable progress in today's world and with this progress comes challenges, which calls for spiritual awakening among people to lead a happy and healthy life.

"There is a strong need for spiritual realization among people to establish peace, harmony, brotherhood and friendship in society. People must work in such a way that inspires others to contribute to societys well being and motivates the younger generation to be disciplined, honest, committed", Sonowal said.

The chief minister said this while inaugurating the newly-constructed temple complex of century-old Sri Sri Nabagraha Smashan Niramuhia Shiva Temple in Guwahati.

Sonowal said society must instil human values among the young generation for a better society.

Education Minister Siddhartha Bhattacharjya, Industry Minister Chandra Mohan Patowary were present on the occasion.

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'Spiritual realization must to face modern days issues' - Deccan Herald

[Source: @Luminaric via Twenty20]

The beginning of each new year is a natural time to set goals for the year ahead and assess your progress over the last year. Do you remember what resolutions you set for yourself 12 months ago? Did you succeed in keeping them? Hopefully, you wrote them down or remember them clearly enough.

Maybe you were committed to them and accomplished them all, or maybe they were just momentary wishes that you werent ready to work toward. Or, maybe you did well on some and not so well on others. Either way, they all represent something about the person you want to become.

And now, 12 months later, it is time to reassess those goals and to either recommit or revise your vision for yourself. It is time to look back and ask, Who do I want to become? How can I move toward my highest self?

To take stock of the past year, and to help you plan better for the coming year, it is helpful to take a trip back through time. The purpose of this exercise is to see yourself objectively, without judgment, so that you can grow even more in the coming year. Here are some steps you can follow:

Sometimes, I hear people bemoaning the fact that time is passing and that they are getting older. But, the passing of time is actually a great gift because it is yet another tool that has been placed here for the sake of your souls growth. Without it, the world and our lives would be stagnant, incapable of movement or growth. So be sure to celebrate well during this New Years seasoncelebrate who you have been, who you are now, and who you will become.

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Your Spiritual Year in Review: Looking Back to Look Forward to Growth - Patheos

Sisyphus Brewing$10

A lot of comedians come at religion like, Oh religion is stupid, but I try not to do that, he says. I poke fun at it, but I still believe in it.

Asmus graduated from the University of Wisconsin in Madison with a degree in religious studies the same month he started his standup comedy career. While some may say (himself included) that getting his degree was a waste, given his choice of career, Asmus has figured out how to use his extensive religious knowledge to become one of the most unique voices in comedy.

This weekend, the Woodbury native will record his debut album, The Prodigal Little Bitch, at Sisyphus, where he plans to air out his religious hot takes.

Ill be reading from the Bible or whatever, he says, laughing.

He isnt joking, however. Religion is something that really shapes the world in incredible ways, and people dont really know enough about it, Asmus says. I wanted to learn about all of the religions, and then I realized theyre all really the same fucking thing.

Though he says that he genuinely considered seminary school after graduation, his main motivation for pursuing a degree in religion was much less holy.

It was mainly just that I was really drunk and high in college and needed something to do while I continued to live my bizarre, lazy lifestyle.

The decision to choose comedy over the cloth has proven worthwile to Asmus, having been selected as a New Face performer at the prestigious Just For Laughs Festival in Montreal, and having his jokes showcased on Foxs Laughs and Kevin Harts LOL Network on Sirius XM. Despite his accolades, Asmus says the choice to finally record an album is more about the need to move forward than celebrating his past.

I had a huge backlog of material that Im kind of sick of telling, he admits. It loses vitality, and I dont want it to start to seem robotic. I want to get it out and prove that I wrote it so no one can steal it.

For those who have had enough religion during the holidays, Asmus says his show wont be all hellfire and brimstone.

I get really interested in religion and write jokes about it for a while, and then I completely lose interest and write jokes about sex or weed for a month, he deadpans. The religious stuff will be the second half, but the first half will have plenty of other stuff, too.

As for the future, Asmus says he has plans to bring his religion-heavy comedy to next years Edinburgh Fringe Festival, and hopes to have material nailed down for another album over the course of the next year. But dont necessarily hold him to those dates just yet.

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Comedian Geoffrey Asmus plans to get spiritual, swear, and record an album at Sisyphus - City Pages

We created this piece together to represent a rebirth of the spirit. The dark wings represent the bad times, their fading away is how she moved forward, Capozzi captioned on Instagram with pictures of the tattoo in progress. The light from within represents the inner strength necessary for the change and the doves, pulling her up symbolize the reach of an higher state of consciousness.

As fans know, Lovato began her spiritual journey after being baptized in the Jordan River in October. I am an American singer. I was raised Christian and have Jewish ancestors, she captioned images from the experience on social media at the time. Spirituality is so important to meto be baptized in the Jordan river the same place Jesus was baptized Ive never felt more renewed in my life.

The Grammy-nominated stars new tatt also comes after she officially broke things off with her model boyfriend Austin Wilson, for reasons still unclear.

Photo: Getty Images

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Demi Lovato Celebrates Her Spiritual 'Rebirth' With New Tattoo: See The Ink - iHeartRadio

Its the season for stories about giving and receiving, stories about family and relationships, stories about light in the darkness and miracles and warmth. Arent those stories wonderful? They make it all sound so simple, dont they?

Its the season for stories about giving and receiving, stories about family and relationships, stories about light in the darkness and miracles and warmth. Arent those stories wonderful? They make it all sound so simple, dont they?

One of my favorite holiday stories is O. Henrys The Gift of the Magi, about a young couple struggling to get by and determined to give each other Christmas gifts that show how much they love each other. Della sells her prized possession, her beautiful long hair, in order to get the money to buy a watch chain for Jim. She doesnt know that Jim has sold his prized possession, his pocket watch, in order to get the money to buy hair ornaments for Della. When they realize what each of them has done, they simply sit together in silence, and the narrator tells us that these two foolish children are also among the wisest, like the magi, those wise kings who brought precious gifts to lay before a baby in a humble stable.

In these times of so much division, so much fear and anger and self-protective tactics, its hard to want to be that kind of foolish wise person. Its vulnerable, to imagine giving up something you treasure and maybe discovering that your recipient has done the same and therefore destroyed the whole point of your gift.

Unless youre focusing on the wrong point.

I remember sitting in a church service a while ago, thinking that that particular service was not at all my cup of tea, even looking around a little as I wondered if I could sneak out without being obvious. As I looked around, though, what I noticed more than an escape route was that some friends of mine were sitting a few rows away, rapt, deeply moved. And I thought, OH. THIS is what the service is about for me this morning. The reminder that its not all about me, that I share this congregation with lots of people who are dear to me and have different needs than I do. Was it foolish of me, to settle back into my seat? Or wise?

The poet Yehuda Amichai writes, From the place where we are right, flowers will never grow in the spring. I wonder: If it ever happened that everything went perfectly according to my plans, if I took no risks and had no surprises and got what I wanted, would flowers grow there? If I never had to sacrifice anything, would I remember how much I care for the person Im giving to?

Maybe the wisdom of the foolish children in O. Henrys story is their willingness to say to themselves, I love my partner so much that Im a little in awe of the love we share. Im surprised by it sometimes, and I want to live up to that love. I know Ill make mistakes, and I know its important to keep trying.

I read one of those How to survive family gatherings articles a few years ago, and this article suggested one simple practice: When someone is ranting and railing on a topic where you disagree, listen and calmly say, I hear you. I believe that this is your experience. My experience is different can I tell you about it?

Can you imagine doing that? This act that says to someone in your family, I love you enough to open my mind to your perspective. I love you enough to take the risk of telling you mine. Its a risk. Im willing to take it.

We need more and more ways to practice being in relationship now, because its not as easy as it used to be. It takes so much courage to give up what we prize, even a little bit. But for the gift of the flowers that grow in the spring, I believe we can keep trying, keep risking, keep learning to be wise.

The Rev. Monica Jacobson-Tennessen is pastor of First Parish Church Unitarian Universalist of Kingston. Spiritually Speaking is presented by members of the Plymouth Area Interfaith Community Alliance.

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SPIRITUALLY SPEAKING: To give like the magi - News - Wicked Local

Read: The hero who betrayed his country

Some in London accept that Macron has a point. One senior British official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the dynamics at play, told me NATO did need to address the strategic challenges set out by the French president and said the alliance would benefit from more leaders prepared to think as deeply as Macron. Still, the official said, Macron had no real answers to the questions he had posed, dismissing as a joke his call for Europe to take over the role played by the U.S. as the guarantor of the Wests security.

There is no realistic scenario in the foreseeable future in which a combined European force can match the U.S.s military strength, political will, and operability. The regions emerging military capacity remains painfully weak and is likely to remain so, British officials who spoke with me said. Macron was kidding himself if he thought otherwise, even if his analysis of the problem was accurate.

Old heads argue NATO goes through cycles of self-doubt and introspection. One official said there were massive rows every 10 years or soand the protagonists, as today, are usually France and the U.S., while the Brits and Germans watch on, urging calm. Thats still true, the official said.

Yet the very fact that the world moves on also means NATO cannot stand still. Throughout the Cold War, while the alliance had a clear enemy, there were fierce arguments about the merits of first-strike policies and the use of tactical nuclear weapons. The end of the Cold War saw fresh challenges regarding expansion of the alliance, and ethnic cleansing on its doorstep.

Read: Why we stand with NATO

Former British Foreign Secretary Malcolm Rifkind told me NATOs current problems needed to be put into perspective. The French have a history of saying things that will shock NATO, he said. France always likes to be different. Some of what Macron has said is justified, and it is overwhelmingly because of Trump.

Former U.S. Secretary of State Henry Kissinger has suggested that the effect of Trumps presidencynot his intention, but his effectcould be to shock Europe into standing on its own feet. It would be ironic if that emerged out of the Trump era, Kissinger said, in an interview with the Financial Times. But it is not impossible.

American frustration with Europe did not start with Donald Trump and will not go away should he fail to win reelection next year. The challenges posed by both the U.S. and French presidents are here to stay.

In Robert Gatess farewell speech to Europe as Barack Obamas defense secretary in 2011, he warned of a growing difficulty for the U.S. to sustain current support for NATO if the American taxpayer continues to carry most of the burden in the Alliance. He noted with what appeared to be almost despair that Britain and France could not have carried out the 2011 intervention in Libya without the support of the United States.

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The Spiritual Disunity of the West - The Atlantic

As the birthplace of the New Thought movement, with its significant ties to witchcraft, New England is home to a variety of religion and spirituality publishers, many of which delve into the occult and metaphysical. From Red Wheel Weiser (RWW), which has published books on new age topics since 2000, to Buddhist press Wisdom Publications, publishers in the region are taking advantage of some industry trends and the mood of the country to boost sales.

Instagram has become an increasingly useful way to discover both authors and readers, and the social media platform is having an impact on the kinds of books being published, according to several of the publishers in New England. Its more important to us now, and its very helpful to get the word out, says Daniel Aitken, CEO and publisher of Wisdom Publications.

The photo-centric social networking site has also contributed to the surging interest in witchcraft today, according to Michael Kerber, publisher of RWW. The press is ramping up its Instagram presence to promote its deep backlist of books on witchcraft. In part because of Instagram, Kerber says, he is looking for a whole new generation of authors for a whole new generation of readers. In this vein, next fall RWW will publish a yet-to-be-titled book on the Wheel of the Yearthe annual cycle of pagan festivalsby Temperance Alden, who has nearly 70,000 Instagram followers.

Audiobook sales have been steadily growing over the past several years, and religion and spirituality titles have benefitted from the interest in digital audiobooks. Christian publisher Paraclete Press launched its first five audio titles last month and will release a total of 20 audiobooks during its 20192020 publishing season. Likewise, the mind-body-spirit publisher Inner Traditions is aggressively promoting its newly launched audiobooks program, and the publisher will do more titles with simultaneous print, e-book, and audio publications in 2020.

Each New Englandbased publisher interviewed by PW is looking to 2020 with a strong sense of optimism. Jon Sweeney, publisher and editor-in-chief at Paraclete, says the press will continue to publish books that reflect an ecumenical view of Christianity, including Cloud Devotion by David Robinson (Jan. 2020). The book of devotions is based on the medieval classic The Cloud of Unknowing.

Wisdoms Aitken notes he has launched a variety of multimedia products since taking the helm in 2016. These include a podcast and the Wisdom Academy, an online collection of courses and lectures. The nonprofit press, which publishes books on Buddhism as well as mindfulness, also recently launched a subscription-based membership program that allows users to access all Wisdom books, videos, lectures, and more. Its sort of Netflix for meditators, Aitken says.

U.S. Games Systems (USGS), which has published tarot, divination, oracle, and inspiration decks for over 50 years, has benefited from a change in the publics mind-set regarding tarot readings, according to Lynn Araujo, the companys director of communications. Its come out of the shadowsthe media has changed, people from all religious backgrounds are using it for exploring issues, and theres been a shift in perspective, she says. Anything that can be used as a tool for self-knowledge is a good thing.

USGS offers artist-drawn tarot cards related to nature, animals, and more. Among its bestselling decks are the Herbcrafters Tarot, about creating rituals, and the Spiritsong Tarot, which incorporates the wisdom of animals. Moving forward, USGS is branching out into areas of self-help and conscious living, Araujo says. Life today is so fast-paced and public, people need to get back in touch with themselves and their inner lives, rather than their outer lives, she notes. People are looking for quiet momentsthats what these decks messages are bringing.

Having sold the imprint Conari Press to Mango Publishing last month, Kerber at RWW plans on increasing title output, revitalizing backlist titles, and publishing more broadly into the mind-body-spirit category in 2020. Next year is a big year for us, he says.

Amy Newmark, publisher of Chicken Soup for the Soul, reports a positive year for the self-help publisher, due in large part to what she refers to as the mood of the country. People are looking for books that give them hope, Newmark says. Theyre so worn down by the divisive politics and nasty stuff going on in Washingtonthey want a refuge and a reminder that people are inherently good, even when that behavior isnt reflected in Washington.

The company, which Newmark says is heavily print oriented, relies on high-impact book cover designs and placement in big box stores such as Walmart. Coming in 2020 are Chicken Soup for the Soul: Be You, which emphasizes female empowerment, and Chicken Soup for the Soul: Believe in Miracles.

John Haysv-p, director of sales and marketing at Inner Traditions (IT)cited what he calls a self-care movement in American society that is helping drive sales for the press. People are more interested in alternative therapies and herbal remedies, he says. The opioid crisis has turned many off of unnecessary pharmaceuticals and onto our categories.

IT is publishing Crystal Basics by Nicholas Pearson (Feb. 2020), a step-by-step guide to cleansing, charging, and activating the healing properties of crystals. And in April, Scripting the Life You Want by Royce Christyn will combine the law of attraction and New Thought methods with daily journaling practices.

Return to main feature.

A version of this article appeared in the 12/02/2019 issue of Publishers Weekly under the headline: Spirituality Publishers

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Reading the Signs, Spreading the Word: New England Spirituality Publishers - Publishers Weekly

METAIRIE, La. In late September, shortly after theNew Orleans Saints' Week 3 win over the Seattle Seahawks,Demario Daviswalked toward his stall in the Saints' locker room and noticed a white envelope on the black leather seat.

Davis knew it could be any number of things, including a fine. So when he slid the envelope open and read what was inside, he wasn't surprised he was beingdocked $7,017 for a uniform violation.

The piece of clothing that caused him to get fined? Yeah, that was a surprise.

"I was like, why did I get fined?" Davis told Yahoo Sports on Friday. "And they were like, it was a fine for my headband. And I was like, 'What? I got fined for that?'"

Davis' custom gold headband inscribed with "Man of God" in large block letters has special meaning for the 30-year-old linebacker, a deeply religious man with a track record of good works and social consciousness as long as his mounting on-field accomplishments.

He knew the NFL had a stringent uniform code the league prohibits players from "wearing, displaying, or otherwise conveying personal messages" during gameday events, and it actually pays people to watch each game closely for violations but he was surprised he was being docked for the headband, nonetheless.

"I had been wearing it all year, even since the preseason," Davis recalled with a chuckle. "And I was like, Yo, that's crazy that I just got fined for repping what I believe in."

Davis says he didn't necessarily feel he was being slighted by the NFL for the fine he thinks it was just enforcing the policy that was in place. Nevertheless, he went to his agent, who told him they could appeal on the grounds Davis didn't fully understand the rule and the headband wasn't visible on the field. His agent also asked Davis if he planned on wearing it again, to which Davis saidhe did not, since he wasn't intentionally trying to buck the rule.

Saints outside linebacker Demario Davis on the sideline during a preseason game against the Jets in late August. (Photo by Rich Graessle/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

But something funny happened before the appeal was ruled upon; the reason for Davis' fine went viral. Fans caped for his cause, the NFL endured criticism, and the support Davis got on social media and via snail mail was ridiculous.

"My locker used to be, like, full of stuff," Davis told Yahoo Sports. "And I still get stuff, of people just like thanking me for repping my faith and being strong."

Davis thinks that enormous amount of fan supportplayed a role in the league's decision in early October to rescind the fine, one that Davis did not see coming.

"Yeah, most times they don't overturn something like that," Davis said. "So I just like to think that was the power of God working behind the scenes, man."

And when it did, Davis sensed an opportunity to back up the headband's meaning through his actions. So he donated the entirety of the $7,017 fine, plus the $30,000 generated from the sale of the $25 headbandson his Instagram pageto St. Dominic Hospital in Jackson, Mississippi, where his mother once worked.

Two months later, Davis says he has sold nearly 9,000 headbands, totaling nearly $150,000 in profit which when you consider the equal-matching grant given to the hospital, which is hoping to expand its emergency department brings the total donations to a mind-blowing $300,000.

"It's crazy, it's amazing," Davis told Yahoo Sports, shaking his head at his locker on Friday. "God is good. Three-hundred thousand dollars, man? Come on, man!"

In retrospect, Davis realizes he shouldn't be surprised at the way this has turned out.

"That's just the power of God, man he takes negative situations and use them for positives," Davis said. "You notice like, people in the bibleGod doesn't look for the best or the biggest; he looks for the person who has been counted out. God is the king of taking bad situations and turning that into a positive."

Story continues

Davis knows plenty about that. In his youth, he struggled with marijuana and alcohol, and found himselfin jail for three days a decade agoas a freshman at Arkansas State after an arrest for stealing groceries from a Walmart. Davis' college coach gave him another chance, and it was an ensuing conversation with the team chaplain that helped him look at his life differently.

"He helped me understand that we are all born with a bad heart, and that ruined my misconception we all have a good heart," Davis said. "Like, we all like to think we're good people at the end of the day, but what I realized is, no, we're all messing up and doing bad stuff because we're really bad and we need a new heart. But God will give you that."

Since then, Davis says he has devoted his life to, in his words, "being a billboard for Christ" with his actions. A year ago, Davis a member of the NFL's Players Coalition pushed for a bill that restored the right to vote to convicted felons in Louisiana (which was eventually signed into law), and in March, hehelped raise money for Flint, Michigan, to combat the water crisis that has received national attention.

Demario Davis holds a turkey leg as he heads off the field following a victory against the Atlanta Falcons at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on Thanksgiving. (Photo by Carmen Mandato/Getty Images)

In August, he helpedpay the bail of an immigration activistin California, and just this week, he teamed up with defensive end Cam Jordan and other teammates to present a $50,000 grant to a charter high school in New Orleans that's dedicated to teaching students skills they need in the tech industry.

What's more, on Sunday he'll be wearing a custom pair of Jordan XI cleats with the NFL's approval, thanks to the league's "My Cause, My Cleats" campaign touting the nonprofit he started with his wife in 2013 called "Devoted Dreamers," which is dedicated to giving kids the tools they need to be successful spiritually, mentally and physically.

"I remember coming up, the guy I looked up to was selling drugs, chasing girls, trying to prove they were the baddest, and that's the type of things that I chased after," Davis said. "So [I want] to show them, man, that you can still be cool and relevant and love God, love your family, be an upstanding man in the community and play ball and not feel like that's corny. Giving them something positive to emulate, that's what it's about."

For all of Davis' good works, the fact remains his celebrity took the biggest turn this fall thanks to his Pro Bowl-worthy play on the field he's in the midst of a career year and his "Man of God" headband flap with the NFL. When people see him on the street in New Orleans now, they notice who he is.

"They'll be like 'Oh man, that's the man of God right there!'" Davis recalled with a laugh. "That happens all the time, and they'll ask me where they can get the headbands."

Davis, a team captain for the Saints, loves the fact that people recognize him for being associated with his faith. But it's a position that comes with a great sense of responsibility.

It helps keep you accountable," Davis said.

And while he no longer wears the "Man of God" headband on the field (in accordance with NFL rules), he's always got something on his body that reminds him of his purpose. On this Friday, he's wearing a black rubber "Man of God" wristband, in addition to a cross around his neck.

Davis insists his faith is not about objects, it's about acts. He figures that if "Man of God" is written on his forehead by the way he lives his life, he doesn't even have to rep the headband on the field for people to know what he's about.

"I'mma rep God by action," Davis said. "People know me, they know I'm a man of God, and I think that's the most important branding. Anybody can put a headband on, anybody can wear a cross or some type of object, but when it's written on your heart, when it's written on your body without you even having to say anything, people can see it. And I think that's the most important thing."

More from Yahoo Sports:

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The NFL tried to fine the Saints' Demario Davis for his 'Man of God' headband. Here's what happened next - Yahoo Sports

Hedge funders looking for an edge, politicians on the rise, billionaires with a spiritual side... They are all seeking a little extra intel - and top spiritualists claim to be able to help them out. But can they?

It's not easy to get time in the diary of Los Angeles-based medium Fleur - so famous in the States that she goes solely by her Christian name. In fact, her clients usually have to wait a year for an hour's phone consultation.

Twenty nine years old and with a penchant for Prada, Fleur was training to be a doctor until she decided to give in to her spiritual calling, and her uncannily accurate predictions - along with celebrity clients such as Lana Del Rey and Emma Roberts - have helped...

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How the super-rich harness their spiritual side (with a little help from LA spiritualists with lengthy waiting lists) - Telegraph.co.uk

Over on the Double, Toil & Resist blog, Courtney Weber has an excellent piece titled Gods, Path, And Magick: You Dont Have To Know. Its well worth your time to read the whole thing heres a brief excerpt:

Am I doing this right?

The short answer: I dont know.

The longer answer: Nobody does.

Witchcraft is a mystery. It will always feel a bit elusive.

What is true of witchcraft is also true of Paganism, polytheism, and life in general. Choosing between the many spiritual paths is hard enough. When you get to the point that youre working off the map it gets exponentially harder. Courtney expresses the key point in her conclusion:

Accept uncertainty as part of the process.

Shrug.

Laugh.

And keep going.

Ive been in this situation myself, on more than one occasion. Ive learned a few things along the way, things that may be helpful to you.

And if Im being perfectly honest, some things I need to hear again.

There was a time not so very long ago when changing your religion was virtually unthinkable. The vast majority of people followed the religion of their parents and grandparents before them, whether that religion was Evangelical Christianity, Roman Catholicism, or ancient Celtic Paganism. Today we have more religious choices than ever before, and changing your religion is far more acceptable than in the past.

But change is always hard, and trying to find the right path is even harder. Our era has seen the rise of seekers people who are seeking the right path for them. Its common to see people trying different versions of Christianity or Buddhism or Paganism or some other religion.

This trying on period is good and even necessary. But at some point we all need to make a decision. We need to pick a path and start walking it. If you wait for a Sign From Above theres about a 99% chance youll be waiting till you die.

Remember that its only the fundamentalist versions of Christianity and of Islam who insist that finding the right path is of ultimate importance. The rest of us realize you can live a good life in any religion. If you choose wrongly (i.e. what doesnt work for you), then you can try something else later.

But youll never find your way until you get started on your way.

Choose.

And here I mean your ancestors of spirit the people who walked this path before you.

Modern Pagans dont have the seemingly-endless resources that our Christian friends have. Our movement is relatively new. Those of us who are re-creating or reimagining the religions of our pre-Christian ancestors may have even less.

But we have something. We have 300 years of Druidry. We have perhaps 70 years of Wicca. There are people worshipping the Gods of the Egyptians, the Greeks, and virtually every pantheon known to humanity. Find them. Read their books, listen to their priests, talk to their participants.

Find what other people on your path are doing, so you dont have to figure it all out by yourself.

Go far enough and eventually youll get to the point where you do have to figure it all out by yourself, or at least, with the help of a very few co-religionists. But take advantage of the experience of those who came before you for as long as you can.

The Dalai Lama meditates for 4 to 5 hours a day. Professional basketball players shoot free throws every day. The essentials of any art or skill need continual practice.

For those of us on a Pagan path, this is prayer, meditation, offerings, contemplation, and academic study. Its embodying the virtues of your deities and expressing Their values in this world.

These practices are always essential, no matter how far you go. They keep you connected to your path, and to the Gods and spirits who share it with you.

This has been just about the hardest part of my journey. I like big, elaborate projects with detailed plans and precise timelines. Most times we dont have them. When Ive asked about them in prayer and meditation and even in divination, Ive been told do the work I gave you. When its done Ill give you something else.

Doing routine, ordinary things builds skills and experience skills and experience that will likely be needed down the road, even if you dont know how or when just yet. Sometimes doing one thing requires learning new skills in a second area that may come into play in a third.

Do the work in front of you.

Traveling alone is hard. Traveling alone when you dont know where youre going is even harder. But you dont have to do it alone.

In this era of social media, finding other people who are doing more or less the same thing youre doing is simple. And you dont have to form a coven or a religious order to work together. Just having someone who shares your religious orientation and especially your commitment to your path can be a tremendous advantage. Im fortunate to have a strong local polytheist community, but Ive also got friends and colleagues around the world who I can e-mail or even call when I run into situations where Im experiencing something I dont completely understand.

Find others who are doing more or less the same thing youre doing.

And if you do end up forming a coven or a religious order or a priesthood or something along those lines, so much the better. Thats not necessary, but finding the others is pretty important.

Many times when you dont know where to go or what to do next, its because the Gods and spirits who are leading / pushing / dragging you along cant be heard over the roar of your mundane life. Take regular time to slow down and listen.

Most times this means meditation. Not Zen-style emptying of the mind (though that can be helpful) but rather a contemplative meditation, where you set an image or other representation of a deity in front of you, contemplate Them and Their stories, and then listen for Their voice.

Other times it means divination, especially when youve got a specific question and you need an answer.

And dont forget to use your mundane eyes and ears. Sometimes the opportunity youre looking for is right in front of you, but you have to recognize it so you can say yes.

Keep a regular spiritual journal. I find it helpful to write through difficult issues finding just the right words forces me to think carefully about what Im doing and why.

Perhaps more importantly, keeping a journal provides a record of your experiences and your thoughts about them. This can be helpful for those who come after you, especially if you end up becoming one of the others that someone else finds in their own search.

And its always good to look back and see how far youve come. Many times we get so caught up in routine work and the crisis of the month that we dont notice our own progress. A journal lets you look back and see where you were, so you can appreciate how far youve come.

Im not one to shrug and laugh Im more likely to worry and complain. But either way, Courtney Weber has the right idea keep going.

About 10 years ago I had no idea where I was going. I had finished the OBOD course, I was a leader in a local Pagan group, I was writing a blog, and I had been to a few large Pagan gatherings. But I felt stuck. I said some prayers of desperation and what I heard was just keep moving.

And so I did, though to be perfectly honest it was more because I couldnt figure out anything else I could do than from any sense of duty to follow instructions.

It took a while the rest of 2009, all of 2010, and into 2011. And then shortly after Beltane 2011, things broke through and I havent slowed down since.

Be careful what you ask for you might get it.

Ive had other periods where I felt stagnant, or more frequently, where I knew I needed to do something but couldnt figure out exactly what. Or how. But the things Ive talked about here have kept me going, and I expect theyll continue to do so until Im ready to take up permanent residence in the Otherworld which I dont think will be any time soon.

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Finding Your Way Without a Spiritual GPS - Patheos

The stress of the holidays, combined with the colder months, tends to leave us all feeling like we need a reset. And with the year its been, we certainly wouldnt judge you for feeling a little off your game as 2019 comes to a close.

What better way to end the year and begin the new decade than cleansing the energy in your space, centering yourself with meditation and setting some healthy intentions? Get your self together mind, body and spirit with these 7 spiritual gifts that will have you feeling like a brand new you.

Monika Strigel Aziza Meditation Pillow

Whether you center yourself through prayer or a few moments of quiet meditation each day, this floor pillow is the perfect way to comfortably reset.

White Sage Smudging Wand

Burning sage also known as smudging is an ancient spiritual ritual used for purification, calming and clearing any negative energy. Black-owned wellness brand Blue Sage Eco Boutique can help you safeguard your space with these white sage smudging wands.

"Let Your Fears Make You Fierce" By Koya Webb

Everyone experiences fear in life--fear of failure, fear of ridicule, fear of the unknown. In this book, celebrity holistic health coach and yoga instructor Koya Webb shows how you can shift from fear-based living using breathing techniques, yoga, meditation, journaling, mantras, prayer, and more.

"My God vs My Enemies" Sweatshirt

When life's got you down, throw on this hoodie and remember who s in control!

Prayer Bracelet

In our busy and sometimes hectic lives, we need reminders to center ourselves through prayer.

Palo Santo Smudging Sticks

Palo Santo literally means "Holy Wood," which is why this smudging stick is perfect for lifting your spirits high. When burned, it produces an enriching aroma which increases your personal vibration when preparing for meditative therapy.

Intention Candles

These handmade candles, each with a gemstone hidden inside and its own message of intention, are musts for anyone looking to be more mindful and present in their everyday lives

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Get Your Mind, Body And Soul Ready For 2020 With These 7 Spiritual Gifts - Essence

Under Construction: Working with the Architectby Neil OBoyle (SPCK, 8.99)

The literary conceit behind this book is an original one. Author OBoyle takes the idea of revamping your home, from the garden and front hall up to the bedroom, and gives it a spiritual twist.

Most of us will have worked with either a builder or an architect on such a domestic scheme. We may even be still waiting to get into one beforeChristmas. Well, you know what architects are like. But OBoyle suggests that working with the, so to speak, divine architect of all things is both the same and quite different, and presents problems we may not want to face.

Written from an evangelical point of view some of OBoyle remarks may make one wonder. He writes: In the west we do not face torture or imprisonment for our beliefs. The likelihood is that you will never face any external problems as a result of being a Christian.

Where has he been living? Many people and not just religious people find that if they hold any views which seem contrary to those most widely held in the West find themselves abused, and indeed imprisoned.

But no-one reads a book of this kind to agree with everything the author says. But reading what we dont agree with should not hone our dislike of someones ideas, but make us think about what we believe, not just about the state of house, or what we should believe, but perhaps why we should disbelieve other things. For many of us the state of our disbelief seems as much in need of examination as the state of our beliefs.

Related

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Renovating your spiritual home - The Irish Catholic

Sitting in a dark room alone in a quiet pre-Civil War house, surrounded by a few acres of land and with an aversion to being exposed to the mid-November Hudson Valley winds whistling at the un-caulked corners of my window, I find comfort in the familiarity of this kind of isolation.

Its been four years since I wrote the screenplay for The Wolf Hour, my movie starring Naomi Watts which is coming out in theaters on December 6, and Im feeling an explosion of gratitude and relief at seeing it realized and finally being unleashed to the world. The road to finishing any film is long and hard (and fun) and now feels as good a time as any to look back at some of the events that led me to this moment and how an extremely cut-off period of my life led to a spiritual crisis and ultimately a creative breakthrough.

Set near the start of the notorious Summer of Sam in mid-1977, The Wolf Hour is about self-imposed isolation. Naomi Watts plays June Leigh, a once-relevant writer of the late 60s whos fallen from grace and has physically and spiritually barricaded herself in a dilapidated South Bronx apartment. When an unseen antagonist begins incessantly ringing her door buzzer, she starts to unravel and further isolate herself from the world.

The Wolf Hour is not an autobiography, but it was specifically inspired by a period of time when I was living in an absurdly tiny fifth-floor tenement apartment in New Yorks Chinatown and, for just shy of a year, almost always kept my phone turned off, disconnecting from friends and family. Id taken too much time off between projects and my struggle to find self-relevance again led me to a period of self-destruction when I perhaps drifted a little too far from shore.

Id begun my professional creative life when I moved to New York City in the summer of 2001, just four months before 9/11. That day, I watched on TV as the studio I worked in just two blocks from the World Trade Center was partially destroyed as the towers collapsed onto it. I would normally have been in the office that morning, but an emergency trip had me on a flight to Europe instead. The impact of this all was devastating. All the optimism and excitement of moving to the city and starting out my life as an artist was clouded over by the specter of violent death, toxic air, uncertainty and fear. Being creative was now the last thing on my mind. I had thoughts of joining the military, learning jujutsu, finding any outlet for my anger, but that passed, slowly but surely, and I started to channel my emotional response into creative outlets. I went on to write my first feature, Two Gates of Sleep, a film that focused on a fragmented memory from my childhood in Louisiana and Mississippi.

In the leadup to directing Two Gates, another major catastrophe struck. Hurricane Katrina hit just days after Id left New Orleans, and wiped out virtually all the locations I had written the film for. I was left wondering if perhaps all this destruction was somehow following me, challenging me. It took another three years before the film got made, but it had come at such a high cost strained and ruined relationships, a second-guessing of every decision, of not having lived up to potential. Essentially, everything an experienced director warns about in the postpartum of a first film.

When Two Gates of Sleep premiered at Cannes (six years after I had started working on the film), something changed: I experienced a moment of real happiness and achievement. But the exuberance and validation was too much, too soon. My head exploded, my ego ran rampant and I drifted away from my creative life for a time. Touring the festival circuit with a film is a trip; meeting professional peers and getting wasted with them in foreign countries, staying in luxury hotels, and crowds of people clamoring to get the first glimpse of what youve made. It was all intoxicating, but when it was over, I felt hollowed out. I was broke from not working for over a year and perpetually hungover. The prospect of pulling the car back onto the interstate with an empty tank of gas felt almost Sisyphean.

Through some shady Craigslist hustling, I found the only accommodations I could afford at the time, that tiny Chinatown apartment. I struggled to even fit my small mattress within the confines of its walls and due to the lack of space, I decided to get rid of most of my things. This purge was actually a relief. It felt good being back in NYC, but something was off. I found I didnt want to speak to anyone. When I did step out to buy groceries, I found solace in the relative anonymity of the alien bustle of Chinatown. At night, screaming voices in Mandarin would come through the walls and the strange smells of boiling fish-head soup and dim sum wafted up to my top-floor perch, where I would sit all night out on the fire escape watching drunken people fighting and crashing into garbage cans way down below. Years had passed since I had written anything meaningful. Again, I found myself uncertain if I should continue forward with my work.

I dont know when it happened, but an idea suddenly appeared, jotted down in my notebook next to an empty bottle of bourbon. It read: A woman is tormented by unworldly noises through her intercom but cant leave to check them out. I stared at the practically illegible words, unsure when I had written them. I started to write. It wouldnt stop coming, page after page, day after day. It just flowed out of me in a way I had never experienced before. Sometimes its that simple. A spark. No context, no plan, no narrative. Just a sketch of a thought. I had no intercom or buzzer in this apartment, but this is what was written down in my book. All I could do was lean in and let it take me over.

I began to do some research on shut-ins. I found a story about the Collyer brothers, who over the 1930s had crammed their East Harlem apartment with so much junk that it took police 10 hours to dig them out after neighbors complained of rotting stink. Officers finally found both brothers: Homer Collyer was buried under junk, dead of starvation and heart disease; his brother Langley Collyer was inside a two-foot-wide tunnel made of drawers, bed springs, newspaper and rotting books a boobytrap meant for intruders had fallen in on him, crushing him to death. I could only think about Homer starving to death, his apartment so thick with junk that if he had been screaming for help Im certain they would have gone unheard; trapped on a deserted island in the middle of one of the most populous cities in the world.

I looked over at my floor; on it were the several books and small desk I had found on the street over the past months and brought up to my tiny room. I shuddered. This was a known pattern, a pathology and I was now in its early stages. When would I start making my own boobytraps? It seemed like just a matter of time. I was nearly finished with a draft of the script, but I quickly started making moves to get out of my apartment. I scraped together what I could and reconnected with friends and family, extremely grateful to find they hadnt yet given up on me. I found love, got married, moved into a much better apartment, and my movie The Wolf Hour got made.

So here I sit alone again at the tail end of another festival run, writing a new script. This time in the woods, surrounded by deer and turkey instead of bustling Gotham. But this time its different; I dont struggle to write anymore, I dont go for more than a day without reaching out to people. I dont seek solitude out of fear or alienation, but out of a practical need to work without interruptions, though I do still grab the occasional piece of junk off the street. Ideas come faster now than I can commit them to paper and I cant help but think that after everything that has come to pass to get to this point, it might just be time to accept that it may get easier from here.

The featured image shows Alistair Banks Griffin directing Naomi Watts on the set of The Wolf Hour.

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On the Spiritual and Physical Boobytraps of a Creative Life - Talkhouse

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The Alter Rebbe will now conclude that meditating on the concepts appearing in the blessings of theShemaleads a Jew to the proper realization of theShema attaining an ardent love for Gd.

,

When the thinking person will reflect on these matters in the depths of his heart and brain, then assurely aswater mirrors the image of a face,

When the love likened to water mirroring the image of a face takes effect in a person, so that Gds manifest love for His people arouses in him a corresponding love towards Him, then:

, , , ,

his soul will spontaneously be kindledwith love for Gd,and it will clothe itself in a spirit of benevolence, willingly to lay down and resolutely to abandon all he possesses,for it will no longer be of major importance to him,in order only to cleave unto Him, and to be absorbed into His light with an attachment and longing, and so forth, in a manner of kissing, and with an attachment of spirit to Spirit, as has been explained earlier.

Just as kissing involves not only the cleaving of mouths but also a communion of breaths, so too does spiritual unity involve the union of mans spirit with Gds: mans spirit becomes one with Gds.

But how does the attachment of spirit to Spirit take place?I.e., what measures are to be taken if one seeks to desire to only cleave to Him?

: ,

To this end it is stated,soon after the phrase, with all your heart, and so on:14And these words shall be... upon your heart.... And you shall speak of them....As will soon be explained, this refers to immersing oneself in the study of Torah and speaking words of Torah.

, ,

As is explained inEtz Chayim,the union of kissingwhich incorporates the union of the attachment of spirit to Spiritis essentially the union ofChaBaDwithChaBaD the union of mansChochmah, BinahandDaatwith Gds;that is, concentration in the Torah,which unites mansChaBaDwith the intellect of above, i.e., Torah,

,

while the mouth, as the outlet of the breath and its emergence into a revealed state, represents the category of speech engaged in words of the Torah,

By speaking words of Torah as it is written, And you shall speak of them the spirit emerges into a revealed state. Thus, the union of spirit with Spirit is mainly brought about by ones immersion in Torah study. The reason for this follows:

for,15By every word that proceeds from Gds mouth does man live.

The mouth is thus the outlet of the breath. However, since what is crucial isunderstandingTorah, for through this the union of spirit with Spirit is effected, why must oneutterthe words in order to arrive at this love?

The Alter Rebbe now addresses himself to this question and says, that while it is true that for man himself i.e., the divine soul cleaving to Gd is attained chiefly through understanding Torah, yet this only suffices for the divine soul. In order for the divine plan to be realized, i.e., that Gdliness be drawn down upon the animal soul as well and into the world as a whole, one mustspeakwords of Torah. This is because physical words are uttered by the animal soul, which in turn is affected by them.

Since a person has the strength to speak because he receives physical nourishment, it follows that when he utters words of Torah, Gds ultimate intent of drawing down holiness into this physical world is realized, and the whole world is filled with His glory.

(Understandably, this selfsame reason applies not only to speaking words of Torah, but also explains whymitzvotare to be performed with the physical body and utilizing objects of the material world, for it is through them that Gdliness is manifest in the animal soul and in the material world as a whole. Here, however, the matter under discussion is Torah knowledge. In this instance, although nothing can unite the divine soul with its Source more completely than the contemplation of Torah, it is nevertheless necessary for one to utter the words of Torah as well, in order to draw down Gdliness into ones animal soul and, indeed, into the whole material world.)

However, one does not fulfill ones obligation by meditation and deliberation alone,

I.e., onesobligationis not fulfilled thereby, even though such deliberation leads to the lofty union of his soul with Gd in a manner of the cleaving of spirit with Spirit.

, ,

unless one expresses the words with his lips, in order to draw the [infinite] light of the blessedEin Sofdownwards even unto the vivifying soul which dwells in the blood of man, whichin turnis produced bythe intake of food fromthe mineral, vegetable and animal [worlds].

That is to say: Eating and drinking produce the blood in which the vivifying soul is clothed, and Gdliness is drawn down into all the above-mentioned worlds when one speaks words of Torah.

, , ,

One thereby elevates them all the vivifying soul, and the mineral, vegetable and animal worlds to Gd, together with the entire universe, and causes them to be absorbed in His blessed Unity and light, which will illumine the world and its inhabitants in a revealed manner,in the spirit of the verse that says:16And the glory of Gd shall be revealed so much so, indeed, thatallfleshshall see it....

_____

FOOTNOTES

_________

14.Devarim6:6-7.

15.Devarim8:3.

16.Yeshayahu40:5.

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Tanya, your road to spiritual health - Arutz Sheva

Mara Taverna,1 Pascal O Berberat,2 Heribert Sattel,1 Eckhard Frick1

1Department of Psychosomatic Medicine & Psychotherapy, TUM School of Medicine, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany; 2Medical Education Center, TUM School of Medicine, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany

Correspondence: Eckhard FrickDepartment of Psychosomatic Medicine & Psychotherapy, Klinikum rechts der Isar, Technical University of Munich, Munich, GermanyEmail eckhard.frick@tum.de

Objective: Teaching about spirituality and health is recommended by the American Association of Medical Colleges and partially implemented in some US medical schools as well as in some faculties of other countries. We systematically surveyed Medical School Associate Deans for Student Affairs (ADSAs) in three German-speaking countries, assessing both projects on and attitudes towards Spiritual Care (SC) and the extent to which it is addressed in undergraduate (UME), graduate (GME), and continuing (CME) medical education (in this article, UME is understood as the complete basic medical education equivalent to college and Medical School. GME refers to the time of residency).Methods: We executed a cross-sectional qualitative complete online-survey, addressing ADSAs of all accredited 46 medical schools in these countries. Anonymized responses could be analyzed from 25 (54.3%).Results: No faculty provides a mandatory course exclusively dedicated to SC. Fourteen medical schools have UME courses or contents on SC, and 9 incorporate SC in mandatory classes addressing other topics. While most of the respondents indicate that spirituality is important for (a) the patients for coping and (b) for health care in general and thus, support the teaching of SC in UME, only half of them indicate a need for an SC curriculum in UME. Even if funding and training support were available, only a few of the respondents would agree to provide more of the sparse curricular time.Conclusion: A majority of the participating medical schools have curricular content on SC, predominantly in UME. However, most of the content is based on voluntary courses. Despite acknowledging its importance to patients, ADSAs and medical teachers are still reflecting on the divergences in patients and doctors spiritual orientations and its consequences for implementing spirituality into the medical education.

Keywords: medical education, spiritual care, hidden curriculum, existential, religious

This work is published and licensed by Dove Medical Press Limited. The full terms of this license are available at https://www.dovepress.com/terms.php and incorporate the Creative Commons Attribution - Non Commercial (unported, v3.0) License.By accessing the work you hereby accept the Terms. Non-commercial uses of the work are permitted without any further permission from Dove Medical Press Limited, provided the work is properly attributed. For permission for commercial use of this work, please see paragraphs 4.2 and 5 of our Terms.

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A Survey on the Integration of Spiritual Care in Medical Schools from | AMEP - Dove Medical Press

Madam The truth about spiritual warfare and why its important to pray.

Spiritual warfare is real. But dont worry, God is with you! Everything that occurs in the visible, physical world is directly connected to the wrestling match being waged in the invisible.

The effects of the war going on in the unseen world reveal themselves in our strained and damaged relationships, emotional instability, mental fatigue, physical exhaustion and many other areas of life.

ALSO READ: Destruction shows mankind is its own enemy

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Many of us feel pinned down by anger, pride, comparisons, insecurity, discord, fear and the list goes on. But the overarching, primary nemesis behind all these outcomes is the devil himself. We also have a need for spiritual vision for an understanding of who are in Christ, and all that entails.

God has provided us with everything we need to win the spiritual battles we face, emphasising that we need to know that, believe it, and act upon it. The enemys attacks are always wrapped in the packaging of deception, always designed to manipulate the truth about God, and about your value in Him.

Consider your areas of greatest strength and greatest weakness. Keep a close eye on both of these areas and safeguard yourself through prayer.

Marina Smal

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[LETTER] The truth about spiritual warfare - Newcastle Advertiser

War (noun) 1. a state of open and declared armed hostile conflict between states or nations

2. a state of hostility, conflict, or antagonism Merriam-Webster Dictionary

I give up. I surrender. Better yet, can we just declare a truce in the so-called War on Christmas?

Yes, its back, like that ugly Christmas sweater Uncle Jack always wears to the party. Like the 24-hour Christmas movie marathon thats been running on the Hallmark TV channel since July 5th. Like the Christmas decorations that show up on the shelves at the local CVS the day after Halloween. I hope and pray every December that this yearly chapter in the culture wars might just fade away, but no such luck.

This war stubbornly and annoyingly returns every December.

Politicians from the President on down declare that the war is on, that we fight because some want to threaten treasured holiday traditions. We cant say Merry Christmas anymore! We cant sing Christmas carols in school anymore! We cant go to Macys or JC Penney for a Christmas sale anymore because they now have the gall call it a holiday sale! We go to Starbucks and their annual holiday cup says Merry Coffee! We have to call the Christmas parade the Holiday parade!?

Forgive me for not getting all huffed and puffed up about this attack on Christmas. I mean, I kind of know Christmas, and really well. I have been in the business of Christmas, of preaching Christmas and teaching Christmas and declaring Christmas for more than 30 years as a local church pastor. Id like to think that if there was an actual war on the sacred traditions of my faith or on the birth story we so love or the hymns we so enjoy singing in December: Id know it.

In three-plus decades, not once have my religious freedoms around Christmas been threatened or taken away, not for me, not for my church, not for one person of my faith that I know. Not once have folks complained to me that they cant put a candle in the window or sing Silent Night or set up a home nativity set or light Advent candles or serve the poor on behalf of a poor little boy born some 2,000 years ago.

Yet still the war rages on in places like Charleston, West Va. The mayor of that city recently decided to rename the Christmas Parade down there the Holiday Parade, in her words, to make it more inclusive and reflective of the religious diversity in that place. Not everyone celebrates Christmas as a holy day or even a holiday, right? Is it really such a bad thing to recognize this truth?

Apparently, yes, at least according to the aggrieved and angry and rage-filled folks who overwhelmed the mayors office with nasty phone calls and filled up her Facebook page with diatribes and threats of recall, who so overwhelmed her with fierce opposition that she relented and went back to the old name for the parade.

As one group of red-hot righteous state senators wrote in a press release protesting the mayors decision, Radical liberals in Charleston want to eliminate Christ from our Capitol Citys annual Christmas Parade [they] renamed the longtime Christmas Parade to Winter Parade and banned the Freedom of Religion for parade participants in an outright assault on our Constitution. We are calling on Mayor Goodwin and her liberal allies to end this madness and allow our citizens to freely and fully exercise their Freedom of Religion with a CHRISTMAS PARADE.

Wow. Its hard to know how to respond to such a harsh screed. I can see why the Mayor finally gave up and surrendered.

Heres the irony of this whole war. Its being waged on behalf of one who is called the prince of peace by those who embrace that religious tradition. One whose birth was heralded by a choir of angels, who sung for all to hear, of Peace on earth and goodwill to all people. The war is being fought in the name of one, whom some believe, came not for the kings or the politicians or the power brokers but instead to love the least of these: the poor and the lonely and the war torn and the orphans and the widows and the lost.

If you think about it, a war on Christmas is actually against everything Christmas is supposed to mean. So, my advice: ignore the war. Its more heat than flame, more smoke than fire, and more bluster than truth.

A war? No. But peace? Yes.

I surrender.

The Rev. John F. Hudson is senior pastor of the Pilgrim Church, United Church of Christ, in Sherborn (pilgrimsherborn.org). If you have a word or idea youd like defined in a future column or have comments, please send them to pastorjohn@pilgrimsherborn.org or in care of the Dover-Sherborn Press (Dover-Sherborn@wickedlocal.com).

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Spiritually Speaking: Surrender to peace in this war on Christmas - Wicked Local Walpole

Theres a strong tradition of religious sleuths in mystery writing Brother Cadfael, Father Dowling and Rabbi Small for example. In each case, the detective relies on his religious training to get to the bottom of a criminal puzzle, usually a murder.

Father Fortis, a Greek Orthodox contemplative, is clearly in this mold. In this latest mystery by David Carlson of Franklin College, the priest again teams up with his longtime friend, Detroit homicide detective Christopher Worthy, to solve a complex case.

The pair are called back to Albuquerque, New Mexico, site of a previous novel, to help unravel a case involving the husband of the local police officer who assisted them in that previous mystery.

Sera Laceys husband, Freddie, is suffering from PTSD following his latest Army tour in Afghanistan. He is accused of murdering a fellow soldier who served with him. But he is in a near catatonic state and cannot defend himself. Meanwhile, Laceys son is in jail due to actions reflecting his own frustration over Freddies condition.

While Worthy pursues the criminal case in dogged, police work fashion, Father Fortis is able to break through to Freddie, which triggers a series of events that ultimately lead to a dramatic confrontation.

The stories of the husband and son are intertwined, and the investigations move forward in tandem. About midway through the novel, Sera is assigned a missing person case involving a teenage runaway. This case, too, becomes part of the mysterys web and figures into the ultimate resolution.

Given the authors background in philosophy and religion, rather than criminology, its not surprising that the sections involving Father Fortis are the strongest. Carlson effectively describes how the priest relies on and utilizes his faith to unravel the mystery. He also writes with great compassion about Freddies condition and treatment.

Carlson describes the New Mexico scenery effectively, with enough detail to give the novel a real sense of place.

In all, the novel is a relatively quick and enjoyable read. But it is the religious aspect that sets this work apart from scores of other police procedural mysteries.

About the book

Title: "In the Clutches of the Wicked"

Author: David Carlson

Pages: 213

Price: $14.95

Publisher: Coffeetown Press

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Mystery novel blends spiritual with the procedural - Daily Journal

I was on my way to New York City to go to a conference last weekend. I needed a coffee and decided to stop at Dunkin' Donuts. Now, visiting a doughnut shop is dangerous for a guy who is always watching his weight. What's worse was the fact that I was in the mood for something sweet.

As I looked at the offerings, I fought off the temptation to grab a double chocolate glazed treat. I decided I'd stick to the plan. I was going to get my hot coffee. Then I looked at the menu board. Suddenly a warm feeling came over me. Before I knew what was happening, I ordered a Coffee Coolata with just a bit of whipped cream.

I fell in love with Coolatas back in spring 2011. That's the year I began my ministry in Westerly. As I drove back and forth on Route 2, I would often stop at Dunkin' on the way. I'd treat myself to one of these special frozen coffees. I couldn't figure out how a coffee drink could taste so good by just adding a bit of whipped cream.

I figured frozen coffee couldn't be that bad for you. So I drank those Coolatas all summer long. A strange thing happened. By the end of summer I noticed that all my pants were getting a little tight around the waist. It didn't make sense. I was a lifetime Weight Watcher. I'm always counting points. I rarely went over my daily allotment.

I mentioned it to Priscilla, my Weight Watcher leader at the time. She laughed out loud. She said, "How many points are you counting for that drink?" I told her I was counting it like a black coffee and adding zero points. She said, "Look it up." I was shocked. It was 25 points without the whipped cream. Suddenly it all made sense.

Little mistakes or oversights can add up. It doesn't take much for us to get off course. Just ask a boater. While out on the Watch Hill Fire rescue boat last summer, one of the department members told me that a few degrees here or there could end up causing our ship to run aground. You have to be alert and keep your eyes open.

Life is filled with detours that distract us and lead us into uncharted waters. Most of the time we don't even realize we are in danger. We just do what we do, like I did with the Coolatas. It is the little things that often lead us astray. We need to keep our eyes on Jesus. We need to listen to the sound of his voice.

That what the Apostle Peter did when he got out of the boat and began doing the impossible, walking on water. The truth is that amazing things happen when we walk with Jesus. We do far more than we think we are capable of. Even more, he will never lead us astray or let us go off course. So keep the faith. Follow Jesus.

The Rev. Cal Lord, of Norwich, is the pastor of Central Baptist Church of Westerly. Reach him at calstigers@gmail.com.

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Spirituality: If you stick with Jesus, he'll keep you on course - Norwich Bulletin

Spirituality is the resolution to every problem and our personality should be unbiased, truthful, transparent, far sighted and loving said Rajyogini BK Veena Didi at lecture on Shrimad Bhagwat Geeta in daily life at Mansarowar auditorium of State Assembly on Thursday.

She said Shrimad Bhagwat Geeta should not be seen at religious book only as it provides holistic view of life.

Like Shrimad Bhagwat Geeta is axial point of epic Mahabharata our heart is door to salvation and bondage.

For refinement of heart knowledge of Shrimad Bhagwat Geeta is supreme and its assimilation makes every doing as worship.

The only path to development is shedding ego and selflessness. Shrimad Bhagwat Geeta is the special source of managing stress.

There would be no clash in life if every work is done with remaining devoted, happiness and dedication. Shrimad Bhagwat Geeta saves from been repulsive and invigorates resilience, responsibility and decision making capability.

Behan Aakriti of Prajapati Brahmkumari Kendra emphasized on the importance of meditation and practiced meditation along with the participants.

Addressing the programme lecture Deputy Speaker Hina Kaware said message of Shrimad Bhagwat Geeta is indispensable and brings truth and prosperity in public life.

Principal Secretary State Assembly AP Singh said that Shrimad Bhagwat Geetas knowledge is contemporary in present context. All practicalities of management of life are present in Shrimad Bhagwat Geeta. No religious book other than Shrimad Bhagwat Geeta is helpful in keeping heart pure, solving clashes and helping to deal any situation in life.

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Spirituality is resolution to every problem: Veena - Daily Pioneer