River Of Light

“Despite the obvious contradictions, complexity, and apparent randomness that assault any human being day after day, everything is somehow nevertheless connected, orchestrated. The universe is filled with meaning.... In Jewish mysticism, the river is a metaphor for the Holy Oneness that unifies all creation. Just imagine it: a sacred stream, luminous and ubiquitous, a river of light.” —from the Preface to the Anniversary Edition This is an invitation to wade into a deeper spiritual consciousness. Taking us step-by-step, Kushner helps us to allow “the river of light”—the deepest currents of consciousness—to rise to the surface and animate our lives.

A deeply heartfelt weave of reflections and poems about what it means to live the creative, expressive life. “I cherish the wisdom and embrace the practices offered in this luminous book.” —Mirabai Starr, author of Caravan of No Despair and Wild Mercy “Meaningful art, enduring art—and the transformative process it awakens—keeps us alive,” writes Mark Nepo. With Drinking from the River of Light, this bestselling poet and philosopher will lead you on a journey to discover just how art and authentic expression can bring our deepest truths to bear in the world. In this collection of interconnected essays and poetry—covering subjects ranging from the importance of staying in conversation with other forms of life to a consideration of how innovators such as Matisse, Rodin, and Beethoven saw the world—Nepo presents a lyrical ode to the creative urge that stirs in each of us. Whether it’s the search for a metaphor to reveal life’s beauty or the brushstroke that will thoroughly capture the moment, Drinking from the River of Light examines what it means to go “. . . beyond the boundaries of art, where the viewer and participant are one.” Here you will discover: The importance of openly embracing the full scope of your emotionsThe need for raw honesty and self-exploration in educationWhy a new perspective always waits only a “quarter turn” awayThe importance of staying in constant conversation with other creative voicesThe crucial difference between giving and getting attentionConcrete guidelines for respectful peer reviewWhat it means to channel the sound of your innermost being—and the universe In Nepo’s words, “This book is meant to be experienced and journeyed with.” Including dozens of journaling prompts and personal exercises meant to enliven the reader’s creative instincts, Drinking from the River of Light traces the search for our most essential selves and the importance of the life of expression to bear witness to the sorrow, depth, and joy of life.

This little book is a collection of essays on discipleship and community, and one story, written for the Spiritus Christi community in Rochester, New York. Taken together, these essays become the story of one woman's inner journey through mid-life. Beginning at a time when the author still had children at home, the essays move through her time in seminary and her work at St. Joseph's House of Hospitality, the Rochester Catholic Worker, as she explores God's call and learns that life after children is full and rich after all. Profits from the sale of this book will benefit the Spiritus Christi Mental Health Ministry.

Growing up in a conservative, middle-class family in Texas, Claire Myers Owens sought adventure and freedom at an early age. At twenty years old, she left home and quickly found a community of like-minded free spirits and intellectuals in New York’s Greenwich Village. There Owens wrote novels and short stories, including the controversial novel The Unpredictable Adventure: A Comedy of Woman’s Independence, which was banned by the New York Public Library for its "risqué" content. Drawn to ideals of selfactualization and creative freedom, Owens became a key figure in the Human Potential Movement along with founder Abraham Maslow and Aldous Huxley, and became an ardent follower of Carl Jung. In her later years, Owens devoted her life to the practice of Zen Buddhism, moving to Rochester, NY, where she joined the Zen Center and studied under Roshi Philip Kapleau. She published her final book, Zen and the Lady, at the age of eighty-three. Friedman’s rediscovery of Owens brings well-deserved attention to her little known yet extraordinary life and passionate spirit. Drawing upon autobiographies, letters, journals, and novels, Friedman chronicles Owens’s robust intellect and her tumultuous private life and, along the way, shows readers what makes her story significant. With very few role models in the early twentieth century, Owens blazed her own path of independence and enlightenment.

Beautiful and original, this book brings together all Monet's paintings of his beloved river Seine and sets them in biographical context using a wealth of photographs. 50 black-and-white and 50 color photographs.

After Katie Andrews stumbles into a magical world below Paris with glowing jewels and talking fireflies, she and her sister must work together to solve an ancient mystery and overcome the evil wizard who has stolen the kingdom's light.

Three-time Caldecott Honor Artist Molly Bang and National Science Award-winning professor Penny Chisholm present a stunning, accessible explanation of the Earth's water cycle and its global effects. With stunning artwork and compelling scientific explanation, Bang and Chisholm have brought forth a masterpiece that is critically relevant in this environmentally tumultuous time. How does the sun keep ocean currents moving and lift fresh water from the seas? What can we do to conserve one of our planet's most precious resources? In this newest book in the award-winning Sunlight Series, readers learn about the constant movement of water as it flows around the Earth. As the water changes between liquid, vapor, and ice, Sunlight powers all living things, ensuring that life can exist on Earth.Perfect for any reader--young or old!--this is an invaluable addition to all classrooms, libraries, and at-home collections.