Always We Begin Again

Revised 15th Anniversary Edition Edition Foreword by Phyllis Tickle This book holds timeless appeal for readers who hunger for a meaningful and creatively balanced framework for life. It offers a simple blueprint, based on the Rule of St. Benedict, to order one's time and create physical and inner space, to step back from the demands and pressures of the moment, and to step into a place of peace. While strict adherence to the Rule may be possible only in a monastic setting, its bedrock, the ordering of each day, is accessible to seekers of any creed or of no creed at all. The brief readings and meditations in this small book offer a bridge between a busy day and a moment of restorative and blessed silence. "The original edition emphasized thankfulness, and this revision emphasizes loving-kindness... It continues to be my hope to put the wisdom of the Rule to work in my life, and when I fail (as I do consistently) to begin again." -From the Preface

None of us wants to be sidelined, stuck, shamed, or silenced. But the difficulties of life have a way of putting us in a corner, and we don't know how to move forward. We see brokenness in our communities, our relationships, and our spirits. It's so easy to blame ourselves or our circumstances, to get bogged down in discouragement and toxic thinking. But that's not what we were meant for, and that's not how God wants us to live. Leeana Tankersley has good news if you're struggling: each new day is an opportunity to begin again. In her warm tone and with her signature humor she offers 100 short readings to encourage and motivate you to begin again in your relationships with God, your family, your friends, and yourself. Because there is always a hand reaching toward you, there is always grace available, and there is always a chance to begin again.

The Benedictine Way is a mentality, an attitude characteristic of the monastic life. It consists of certain elements that are essential to the life: continual prayer, lectio divina, community life, the opus Dei, work, separation from the world, and the specifically Benedictine vows of obedience, stability and conversatio morum. These elements are necessary means for monks and nuns on their road to union with God. While the book was intended originally as a basis for the formation of novices and juniors in monasteries, it also provides material for renewal and re-formation for older monks and nuns. It can also be used by Benedictine oblates or by any lay Christian who is hungering for prayer and wants instruction on how to pray. Benedictine prayer is simple and direct, and anyone who wants to return to the sources of Christian spirituality will easily appreciate The Benedictine Way. —From the Introduction

Drawing on the Bible's wisdom, counselor Hersh reveals the secret to enduring life's heartaches and still coming up living wholeheartedly, loving with abandon, and daring to hope and believe.

What happens when life begins to trip us up and failure starts creeping in? Many of us just keep on doing the same thing, hoping for different results. Some of us look for escape, to find a way out of the mess we feel that we've created. But neither enduring nor escaping is ultimately what we need. The answer is to allow ourselves to begin again, every day, in every part of our lives. Through engaging, lyrical prose, Leeana Tankersley shows women how to forgive themselves, develop new and healthier patterns of living, and do away with resentment and regret. Her life-giving words will free women who are feeling stuck and allow them to clear out the debris to make room for what God wants to do in their lives. To begin again is to open the window, even a crack, to let the breeze of grace come in. It is a call to stop running from our fears. To take one small step toward becoming the brave women we were made to be.

"Words that come from the heart enter the heart, an ancient rabbinic proverb instructs us. The words in this book come from the heart--mine and the hearts of others. I pray that you will find within them a spark that will ignite the flame of hope and the passion for healing that lies within us all." Naomi Levy was a spirited fifteen-year-old when her father was murdered in a senseless holdup that destroyed not only his life but her trust in a loving God. Healing took a long time, yet from her struggles with grief, anger, and depression, she forged the wisdom that made her, at twenty-six, a beloved rabbi--and now makes her book a miracle of honesty, recovery, and compassion. Where do we find the strength to meet tragedy? Can we rekindle hope? Innocence? Faith? The answers, illustrated with many moving, true stories drawn from Rabbi Levy's experience and the lives of her congregants, provide sanity, peace, and a safe harbor where we can heal and grow. Remember: "Death is a great tragedy. But to die while we are still living, that is the greatest tragedy of all."

Practice spirituality in a culture where work has become a religion. This collection of real-life examples offers refreshing stories of everyday spiritual practices people use to free themselves from the work and worry mindset of our culture. Drawing from the experiences of others, it shows you how you too can refocus and enrich your daily life with spiritual practice, including: Finding a haven for inspiring reading at a coffeehouse Singing during the morning commute to work Prayerful walking at home and on business trips Mindful eating and other deliberate experiences of God's goodness Full of insight and inspiration, Finding Time for the Timeless will help empower you to see how even your busiest workweek can include spiritual habits and routine.

"Julia Cameron has inspired millions with her bestseller The Artist's Way. Now at the age of sixty-five, she shows her contemporaries how retirement can be the most creative and fulfilling stage of life yet. For some, retirement is a day to work toward with anticipation. Others approach retirement with greater ambivalence. While the newfound freedom is exciting and filled with possibility, the idea of retirement can also be very daunting. You are in a unique position to explore yourself and your desires from a place of experience. But the line has been drawn in the sand: The life that you have known has changed, and the life to come is yet to be defined. This book is a twelve-week course aimed at defining--and creating--the life you want to have as you redefine--and re-create--yourself. Filled with essays, tools, and exercises to be done alone or in groups, this toolkit will guide and inspire retirees wishing to expand their creativity. This fun, gentle, step-by-step process will help you explore your creative dreams, wishes, and desires--and quickly find that it's never too late to begin anything"--