In Thought Word And Seed

In this brilliantly crafted essay collection, Tiffany Eberle Kriner weaves together literary criticism, nature writing, and memoir to explore what grows when we plant texts in the landscapes of our lives. The first time Tiffany Eberle Kriner walked the parcel of land that would become Root and Sky Farm its primary crop seemed to be chaos. Industrial agriculture practices had depleted the fields, leaving them littered with the detritus of consumerism and rural poverty—plastic deck chairs, bags of diapers, endless empty cans of Monster Energy Drink. In this landscape, she meets Virgil and Charles W. Chesnutt, where her close readings of their works intersect with her efforts to create “a just and sustainable community farm.” From her sixty acres in northern Illinois, Kriner reads James Baldwin, Zora Neale Hurston, T. S. Eliot, William Langland, and others. She weaves reflections into the warp and woof of her life: coaxing growth from neglected land, embracing the frustrations and joys of family life, reckoning with racism in a small town. Along the way she cultivates an awareness of interdependence and mercy as they appear in the particulars of her rooted life. Connecting culture, ecology, faith, and literature, In Thought, Word, and Seed invites readers to cultivate fruitful conversations between literature and the environments in which they live.

"[The story of] a young prince who grows up giving and receiving seeds (words). He faithfully plants and waters those seeds daily, until they grow to become very powerful trees. Later, with the help of a friend, he is able to cut down and uproot the bad ones and then replant good seeds in their place"--Preliminary page.

Are you happy with where you currently are in life? Do you want more out of life? Do you seek to be fulfilled and have a greater sense of purpose and understanding? Most people don't realize that their thoughts, words, and actions determine their future. You are where you are right now in life, good or bad, because of everything you've thought, said, and done in the past. The purpose of this book is to simplify seven key biblical principles to help the reader discover and understand that they have control over their future. However, the key to understanding these biblical principles is to awaken the spirit within in order to live an emotionally stable, blessed, and prosperous life. We live life through the seeds we plant each day in our thoughts, words, and actions. - Begin to understand the true power and importance of your thoughts, words, and actions, and the role each plays in manifesting your future. - Have a clear understanding of certain biblical principles, that as Christians, we cannot ignore if we truly wish to live a faith filled abundant life. - Learn that everything comes from God and that developing a relationship with God is the key to everything. - Be drawn closer to God and have a new perspective in your thinking with an open heart and a clear mind. - More importantly, awaken your inner spirit to the simple truths that God has laid out for every one of us to live by.

The Seed and the Soil explores the power of the Bible that brings about God’s transforming and liberating purposes, as well as its power as an often oppressively misused text. Characterised by a wide variety of storytelling, this book is accessible to all that read it. What People are saying about the book! Reading Pauline Hoggarth's book, one is aware that everything she writes is deeply rooted in her own life of engagement with Scripture and in her wide experience of the Bible's impact in many different cultural contexts. She is refreshingly open about both the difficulties many people have in engaging with Scripture and the difficulties Scripture itself presents. Richard Bauckham Emeritus Professor of New Testament Studies, University of St Andrews My shelves are full of books about reading the Bible, but Pauline’s new book is outstanding. It is fresh and thoughtful, grounded in personal reality and clearly the fruit of a lifetime of international ministry and friendship, and deep engagement with God’s Word. To those beginning with the Bible, Pauline passes on a wealth of practical insights, and more seasoned readers will be challenged to think more widely and more wisely. Revd Jenny Petersen Faith at QMUL [This] is a more than worthy addition to our bulging library. However, this isn’t a comfortable, intellectually stimulating book about the background to the Bible or some arcane aspect of biblical theology; it is a challenging book about engaging with Scripture . . . If someone were to ask me to recommend books to help them with reading the Bible, I would have no hesitation in suggesting How to Read the Bible for All Its Worth for help in understanding the text of the Bible and The Seed and the Soil: Engaging with the Word of God as a help in letting the Bible get under your skin and transform your thinking and actions. Eddie Arthur Kouya.net Speaking with a depth of pastoral sensitivity and cultural insight, this immensely powerful book is grounded with an understanding of the difficulties encountered by many Christians reading the Bible today. The writer's passion to help others identify and overcome their own challenges includes questions for personal reflection. Amy Roche CMS Mission Partner and Research Student at Durham University

THE CHRONICLES OF THE SEED In the Gospel of Mark, the fourth chapter, Jesus asked two questions that should have stopped us in our tracks. However for years I read right past this without a second thought. Jesus asked his disciples the following questions when they wanted an explanation about the parable of the sower. "Do you not understand this parable? How then will you understand all the parables?" It was as if Jesus said STOP! Do not go any farther until you completely understand the essence of the parable of the sower. Just before this Jesus says "To you it has been given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God; but to those who are outside, all things come in parables", suggesting that this is a great mystery that is not for everybody, but you (His disciples) have the privilege of knowing and understanding this mystery. Finally He gives the key to this great mystery, "The sower soweth the Word". In other words, the Word is 'The Seed'. The Word is the Seed that all other seeds proceed from. The Word of God was here before any other seed. John 1:1 says, "In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God, and the Word was God".

When Dylan Fielding, celebrated contemporary visual artist, becomes Br. Thomas Augustine, novice at Our Lady of the Pines monastery, he finds delight not only in the shock his choice causes everyone around him but--to his own surprise--in the rhythms of the life itself. Shortly before he solidifies a lifelong commitment to the community, a traumatic encounter with an abusive priest plunges Thomas Augustine into terror and doubt. Reeling and uncertain, he reaches out to his friend, rival, and former lover, Angele Solomon, with hopes that she can help him to speak the difficult truth. As she attempts to advocate for her friend, Angele must ask how the scars left by their common past-as well as newer harms-can ever be healed or transcended. The wider inquiries demanded next will transfigure how both of them picture a range of human and divine things: time and memory; art and agency; trust and responsibility; and what it might mean to know real freedom.

The Future Is in a Seed You are the one who shapes your future! No matter how you’ve lived up until now, your past cannot derail your future because God’s potential lives in you! In Shaping Your Future, author and teacher Barry Bennett explains that God has entrusted each of us with the ability to grow our own future...

Kevin Cashman, one of the world's leading executive coaches, takes readers on a transformative journey to a new way of leading and a new way of living "Once you start reading Awakening the Leader Within, you won't set it down. Cashman doesn't let you off the hook until you contemplate how you will live your life differently." —Tom Debrowski, Executive Vice President, Worldwide Operations, Mattel, Inc. Awakening the Leader Within guides readers through the Six Seeds of Growth, which Cashman has used to help thousands of business leaders change their personal and work lives for the better. He draws on his renowned executive coaching techniques in order to lead the reader on a path to self-discovery and personal betterment. Based on the premise that you need to grow the person in order to grow the leader, this inspirational and interactive story centers on Benson Quinn, a CEO facing a deluge of personal and professional crises. As Quinn confronts the defining moments of his life, the reader learns valuable lessons about authentic and purposeful leadership, applicable at home as well as in the boardroom. At a time when issues of business ethics crowd the headlines-causing many leaders to question whether profit should be a leader's only goal-the practical applications of this book are more timely than ever. Awakening the Leader Within has been endorsed by more than thirty CEOs, thought leaders, and bestselling authors. Kevin Cashman (Minneapolis, MN) is the founder of LeaderSource, the nation's premier executive coaching consultancy. He has been featured in publications such as The Wall Street Journal, Fast Company, Harvard Management Update, and Human Resource Executive. He has also been a contributing editor to Executive Excellence magazine.