No comments about Eric Liddell: Gold Medal Missionary (Heroes of the Faith).

5 comments about Dancing in the Water of Life (Merton, Thomas//Journal of Thomas Merton).

1. This book illustrates vividly the calms and the storms of living out a life of commitment.There is enough content in the book to effectively encourage the persevering christian who seeks to deepen his or her relationship with Jesus Christ.Notations on the daily life in the monastary,and the relationship Merton had with his fellow monks and superiors,serves to illuminate the fact that here we have no "plaster saint", but man in all his frailty! Merton calls us,through this book,to live out our indiviuality with respect to the tradition from which we come. There is suberb referencing to all literature mentioned throughout the text,and the introduction summarises well the events in Merton's life to which these journals belong.If you are a Christian ,then this book will surely give you the thirst to deepen your relationship with Jesus,through prayer.



2. Thomas Merton has become, since his absurd death,many thingsto many people. Only with Pope John Paul II, in my estimation, has such a varried and vocal sparring been going on for legacies and interpertations{I actually do not know who will have the more influential leagcy. My guess is merton.}In this, the 5th volume of these magnificent diaries, Merton has begun the transition to hermit,such as it was.Much of the published writings from this period have the smooth polish of an editors hand. Not so with these entries. Merton still writes,to borrow a phrase from Ross Mcdonald, like a slumming angel,and his nuggets of insight into his own foibles, that of his brethren{his abbot, of course, comes off no better here than the previois volumes}comes through almost painfully at times.. His reading list is so varied and prodigiois, that coupled with his correspondence, I cannot fathom how he found time to write,never mind pray,and meditate . Herein I think is the true genius,a word that has become so commonplace that it has lost its power.Mertons powers of concentration must have been extraordinary,his ability to focus on the thing at hand, without losing interest in momentary gifts{the fire-light reflecting through a glass jar of honey, the sound of deer scurrying about in new fallen snow.]The Thomas Merton I encountered here is an adult,believer,long discarding the triumphialism of the newly converted,grwing more at peace. Of course, we know how this part of the journey ends,so reading this again with that in mind makes it all the more pointed,and still retaining its power. HAving read all 7 volumes, I look foward to re-reading them for I believe them to be that good, and certainly worth the time, effort and cost.



3. This fifth volume of Merton's Journals hits a home run, an analogy Thomas Merton would probably relish. I've read volumes 1 through 5, and here Merton hits his stride. The diarist in Merton contributes nearly everything within his vast sight and makes it important and touching. The lengthier review on this page covers the base ground admirably. One of the really interesting aspects of these journals is the inadvertently given bibliography of Merton's own reading material, everything from Elias Canetti to Barth to D. T. Suzuki! These volumes give us a whole and uncompromising look at Merton's innermost sensibilities, apparent in his formal oeuvre, but turned over and examined like a winter leaf in these journals. I think the various editors of these volumes, a different editor for each, deserve high praise for the consistency of tone in their editing, one volume to the next; a job done wisely and well. It is as well a tribute to the consistency of Merton's path over the years. He was a true monk, an authentic thinker in the best tradition, and a heck of a writer. When Thomas Merton writes, he never loses that clear-sky-with-stars timbre of voice, spending his real humility like gold, and awakening all the sleeping people. The more I read these journals the more I miss him. Noble and unforgettable.



4. This, the fifth of Thomas Merton's complete journals, covers Merton's move to becoming a full-time hermit, the fulfilment of a deep desire for solitude that had haunted Merton from his earliest days at Gethsemani. It begins in August 1963 when Merton was living as a part-time solitary and traces the gradual expansion of the amount of time he was allowed to spend at the hermitage until he was allowed to take up full-time residence there in August 1965. This volume concludes at the end of 1965 allowing us to see Merton's reflections on his first few months as a hermit.

   Some parts of this journal will already be familiar to readers as it contains journal entries that were prepared for publication by Merton in the journal A Vow of Conversation, as well as his account of his visit to meet the Zen scholar Suzuki and an early version of Day of a Stranger. Having said that, over half of the material in this journal is previously unpublished and even those parts previously published can read quite differently in their unedited form. Vow leaves the reader with the impression that Merton had effortlessly made the transition to life as a full-time hermit whereas, in Dancing, this transition appears far from easy and a visit from his former novice Ernesto Cardenal brings to the surface the instability Merton experienced with the move.

   Dancing in the Waters of Life begins with a masterful introduction by Robert Daggy which highlights the central movements in this volume - Merton's move to the hermitage, his movement into his middle years with increasing health difficulties, and his continuing efforts to work out the paradoxes in his life. At times in this journal we see Merton at his most free and yet, almost in the next sentence he can be highly introspective and obsessed with certain aspects of his life. This tension runs throughout this volume and, as Daggy points out, accounts "for the highs and lows, the joy and the despair, the enthusiasm and the carping." (xii-xiii.) Merton's own sense of this continuing movement in his life, of the dance, comes over clearly in a passage he wrote in January 1964: "The need for constant self-revision, growth, leaving behind, renunciation of yesterday, yet in continuity with all yesterdays...my ideas are always changing, always moving around one center, always seeing the center from somewhere else. I will always be accused of inconsistencies - and will no longer be there to hear the accusation." (67.)

   Dancing allows us the most direct contact with Merton of any of the journals yet published. The difficulties of this period which Merton writes about, the tensions, his continuing ill health and his coming to terms with middle age and the absurd world of the sixties can make this volume sound like the ravings of a man obsessed with himself. Yet there is a fine balance here between the madman and the prophet, as was frequently the case with the prophets of the Hebrew Scriptures. When one considers Merton's other writings of this time - Emblems of a Season of Fury, Seeds of Destruction, The Way of Chuang Tzu, Gandhi on Non-Violence, along with such classics essays as "Rain and the Rhinoceros," and his "Message to Poets" - it is the stature of the prophet which becomes evident and this journal gives us an intimate insight into the dynamics of the prophet.

   In this journal we can see the sources to which Merton was turning for his own spiritual and intellectual nourishment. Of particular interest to Merton in this period are Rilke, Barth, Bultmann, and Sartre. The Church Fathers, scripture and the religious writings of other traditions are all evident along with a growing awareness of his natural surroundings, brought about partly through a growing closeness to nature and its rhythms in his life at the hermitage: "Came up to the hermitage at 4 a.m. The moon poured down silence over the woods, and the frosty grass sparkled faintly. More than two hours of prayer in firelight...Sweet pungent smell of hickory smoke, and silence, silence." (93.)

   Although not as intensely involved in the peace movement as he was earlier in the sixties Merton's awareness of the issues confronting it is clearly still evident as is his grasp of a wide range of national and international issues - race relations and civil rights, the space race, American politics, Viet Nam and the effects of the Vatican Council.

   In all the journals of Thomas Merton references can be found to the various anniversaries that were important to him. In this journal the dominant such date is his fiftieth birthday. Throughout this journal Merton makes references to a variety of health problems and his fiftieth birthday provides the occasion for an extended reflection on his life connecting his present self with various moments in his life from Oakham, through Cambridge and Columbia to Gethsemani concluding "Why go on? Deo gratias for all of them." (199.) As he approaches middle age Merton is more able to see the unity of his life and discovers, in the midst of his vulnerability, a new sense of happiness which he had not experienced previously writing "Lay in bed realizing that what I was, was happy. Said the strange word `happiness' and realized that it was there...And I was that." (177.)

   This is a journal full of movement, from Merton's daily journeys between the hermitage and the monastery, through his frequent visits to Louisville, to his first ever return visit to New York since entering Gethsamani. There is also the movement of his restless spirit, of his continuing debates with the abbot, the church and the wider society. The rhythm of this movement gives it at times the feeling of a dance, one in which Merton dances very lightly, touching on spiritual masters down through the ages and calling his reader to undertake the same dance in their own life and to join in the general dance of creation.




5. The journals of Thomas Merton give us a unique insight into the day-to-day life of a truly extraordinary person and they demonstrate how Merton progressed in his own thinking and spirituality. This volume is particularly insightful because it covers the time during which Merton's hermitage experience became a reality. The daily entries detail the construction of the little concrete building on the hill overlooking the Abbey of Gethsemani first as a conference center where Merton would meet with various visitors, including members of other religious denominations, then as a place where he was allowed to go occasionally for his own spiritual privacy, next as a spot where he could live as a semi-hermit who would spend a day-and-night or two away from the abbey, and finally as Merton's permanent home when he became a full-time hermit. This journal reveals Merton as less frustrated than he appears in the previous volume, in part it must be presumed because Dom James, his ! abbot, seems to have become more sensitive to his desire for greater solitude. It is during this period that Merton reaches his 50th birthday and he writes on several occasions of impending death, almost as though he were anticipating that he would live only a few more years. Reading the daily life of Thomas Merton in his own words, in entries that he did not necessarily intend for viewing by others, provides the very best portrait of this truly complex, this inspired and inspiring man who was and would continue to be the greatest spiritual voice of the 20th century.

5 comments about Gianna (Living Books).

1. This is a compelling story about the life and survival of an aborted child. Anybody with doubts about when life begins, should read this book. I was must distraught to read how much a baby goes through while being aborted. Giana remembered the burning sensation. Whether we want to hear it or not, it's real and the information is out. This book is hopeful about life and it's a possitive story. It's a good, quick read. You won't put it down. It will make you feel good, possitive and hopeful. Enjoy!



2. This book provided a great in sight from a surviver of an attempted abortion. It was a joy to read.



3. This is just an amazing book! I can't believe how far Gianna has come. It makes you want to hug her and tell her how brave of a person she is.



4. Hi! I'm Jessica Shaver and I wanted to respond to a couple of readers' comments.
   
   Yes, Gianna was really aborted. The abortionist was Dr. Edward Allred, who lives in Southern California. After thirty years of doing abortions in many locations--150,000-160,000 a year, he told me--he recently sold his business. He and I have talked about Gianna's abortion in 1977 and he says back then doctors did not have the technology to be sure how far a long a pregnancy was. So he "guess-timated" and did not use enough of the saline solution to kill her. Abortion is still legal in this country till birth.
   
   Gianna will be 30 this year (2007) and is still happy to be alive. She is based in Knoxville, TN and sings and speaks around the world.
   
   I hope you will be interested in my new book about abortion--a novel called Compelling Interests. I'd be glad to know what you think about it. (I also have a novella out, New Every Morning, under my new name, Jessica Shaver Renshaw.)
   
   Thank you for your comments!
   
   Jessica Shaver



5. This book doesn't contain the best writing I've ever seen, but it still tells the story of a remarkable young woman. Obviously, the abortion doctor's name could not be used for legal reasons, but the documents that came to Gianna's adoptive mother, combined with the "from the horse's mouth" information from Gianna's birth mother are all the evidence that a reasonable person could expect to find in a situation such as this.
   
   But Gianna's story isn't just about whether abortion is the killing of a human being or not; a great deal of her story is about forgiveness, love, and determination.
   
   Gianna is an inspiration because she's a survivor, because she's not afraid to speak her mind, and because she "walks the walk," in addition to "talking the talk."
   
   Definitely worth reading.

5 comments about Gifted Hands.

1. The book documents the early life and rise to medical stardom
   of Dr. Benjamin Carson- a now famous neurosurgeon. The volume
   begins with the childhood experiences and upbringing of Ben
   and his brother Curtis. Ben tended to cram his studying at
   the last minute. Nevertheless, he did well in grammar school.
   Later, he would struggle in a marathon study session to
   achieve a 97 in chemistry.
   
   Ben attended Yale University and proceeded to the
   University of Michigan to study medicine. He skipped a
   General Surgery rotation to go straight to a Neuroscience
   residency at Johns Hopkins University.
   The volume contains a series of memorable pictures depicting
   Dr. Carson MD as a neurosurgeon.
   
   The presentation describes some very complicated surgical
   procedures; such as, the hemispherectomy on the
   patient Miranda. The procedure was lengthy and complicated
   in this particular case because a part of the brain matter
   had to be extracted. Ultimately, the procedure was successful
   due to the skillful surgical manipulations of Dr. Carson
   and a concept known as plasticity. The concept deals with
   the ability of the brain to attain a similar mathematical
   dilation or shape despite pressure deformation during surgery.
   The patient was speaking shortly thereafter.
   
   Brain diagnostics and surgery can be a complicated
   undertaking due to a number of factors including the lengthy
   time in surgery and extensive bleeding. Diseases of the brain
   can have very technical distinctions; such as, cerebellar atrophy
   and Marchiafava's disease. The presentation documents just how
   far brain surgery has come through advances in the
   art of surgery. The book makes a very interesting read for a
   wide constituency of the general public and especially
   medical practitioners.



2. This book is not well written--it's irritating how the order of happenings is jumbled, particularly concerning Dr. Carson's earlier life--but it's an interesting read about a fascinating person and his work. For those who think Dr. Carson comes across as arrogant--I think anyone who does what he does has to have a certain amount of arrogance!



3. This is an excellent read for young adults onward. Interwoven in all of Dr. Carson's stories is a testament to what GOD can do. Dr. Carson was child by societal standards was not supposed to succeed. He was raised in a single parent home with a mother who battled mental illness yet he overcame struggles by focusing on what he could do as opposed to what he couldn't do. This book will truly inspire you to be the very best in your God led profession. Awesome!!!



4. Amazing, this man knew what he wanted to do at an early age, with his Mother's hard work, he was able to fulfill his dream.



5. This book has not only allow me to change my outlook on life, but I have also developed a more positive attitude towards myself. This is a very inspiring book and I wish there were more books on the market like it. These are the books children should be reading in class to help build their self-esteem.

3 comments about Molder of Dreams.

1. Guy Doud was 1986 teacher of the year. Hailing from Brainerd, Minnesota, he writes of his difficult experiences growing up and how his teachers and peers affected him.

   Doud demonstrates that teachers are the molders or destroyers of dreams. All of us, then, are teachers and we are letters to others simply by our actions.

   As teachers, we can write letters of hope and encouragement or failure and distress, on the hearts of those we meet.

   Doud challenges the reader to ask whether they want to be remembered for a letter that is positive or negative.




2. This book was recommended to me after I was selected as high school teacher of the year for our school district. Being a Christian and an educator, I was so inspired by the feelings of this wonderful author and person. Doud shares his personal feelings about his students and his passion for teaching. It is easy to see how he eventually became national teacher of the year. I recommend this book to anyone who has a desire to make a difference in the field of education. It is truly inspiring.



3. I first saw Guy Doud's video Molder of Dreams a few years ago, and I was in awe of the passion he has for his career and for the students he reaches. I read this book after seeing the video and was gripped even more intensely by reading a more detailed account of some of the experiences his video touches on. Doud refers to himself as a 'feeler' in his field therefore trying to reach beyond just the 'three R's' of schooling. Doud is an excellent write and is an expert at touching heartstrings through his words. I was at the point of tears and laughing out loud at different places throughout this book. This is one of those books I've read several times--especially when I've gottne frustrated with the teaching courses I'm taking to become a teacher. I can't wait to read Doud's other works.

1 comments about Horses Like Lightning: A Story of Passage Through the Himalayas.

1. I previously visited Lomonthang in 2006, and will return this September 2008. Dr. Craig's book is a personal treasure of mine. Amplifying and enriching my insights, experiences, and appreciation of new friendships acquired during my travel to this remote, fragile, and culturally endangered region, "Horses Like Lightening" represents the very best of the travel memoir. Her writing combines qualities of personal integrity, open-heartedness, and intellectual acuity-a deeply satisfying combination for this reader. In "feeling" Mustang through the author, I was often reminded of The Buddhist poet Milarepa's "Song of the Galloping Horse of a Yogi", particularly the lines: "...In the temple of my breast, At the summit of the traingle of my heart, The horse which is my mind flies like the wind, He gallops on the plains of great bliss..."
   An intimate, eloquent, and fully dimensional accounting of a remote and wild beauty, teetering on the edge of great cultural transformation. Highly recommended.

No comments about Paul, Least of the Apostles: The Story of the Most Unlikely Witness to Christ.

4 comments about The Journey of Private Galione.

1. This was a great book! I usually take two weeks or more to read a book, but I read this one in a week. It's the story of a soldier who followed his heart and wound up saving a lot of Holocaust victims, and also found the German's super secret rocket manufacturing facility. The story has been kept quiet for over 50 years because the soldier was made to take an oath not to reveal it. I am extremely glad that this man's daughter decided to write his story and let the world know of his discovery.



2. this was a great book! While you definitely have to be into history a little bit to enjoy the book the amazing glory that is given to God is wonderful! Definitely would recommend it to others.



3. I am a lover of history. This book is packed full of it. I learned things I never knew had happened. I recommend this book to those who love history and want more knowledge about World War Two and the Holocaust.



4. I really enjoyed the book, couldn't put it down. God has a purpose for our life, and it was awesome to read how God used Private Galione in World War 2. Mary Nahas did an excellent job writing her dad's story. The ending of the book was my favorite part. To God be all the glory!!

5 comments about Caught Up into Paradise.

1. I want to respond about the posting here: "False Prophet Alert!"
   
   Richard Eby never wrote that Christ told him he would be caught up in the rapture of the church and not experience death. Eby felt that it could be true, just as Kathryn Kuhlman did. Just because he was sorely mistaken doesn't mean that what he shared about his life and what he saw in heaven (and hell) was not true. It is natural to trust that what people tell us is true, to the best of their ability. Don't throw the baby out with the bath water. EVERYONE is guilty from time to time of making false ASSUMPTIONS. Have mercy, people. Especially Christians. We have no excuse to be so judgemental with the motives of others.



2. I personally heard this man speak at a full gospel business mens meeting about 20 - 22 years ago in Cedar Falls, Iowa. I have never seen such humility in a man. I bought his books and read them and then shared them with friends. His story is a documented account. It can be verified. You need to read both Tell them I'm coming again and Caught up in Paradise. They will change your life.
   
   Steve Eastman Missouri



3. I actually read this book for the first time some 20 years ago. At the time I was skeptical, but I kept reading. I can't say that I believed all it, but I was inspired by every word. When I finished reading, I purposed to live a life of faith where I was waiting for, and expecting the workings of a Supernatural God to invade my pitiful life. Let me say that God has been faithful! Today I am chronicling my own supernatural experiences for my kids in hopes that as the times grow more difficult they too will be inspired. Until that time, I will give them a copy of this book because we all need a Supernatural God who builds in us, words of testimony!



4. Caught Up Into Paradise is a true story. It tells of many interesting facts that has happened in his life. He is a Christian man named Richard that lives in a world of sin. It is so amazing to learn from what he went through. He is blessed in so many ways. One part of the book he tells how he died when he fell off of a balconey and came back from being in heaven and tell how it was for him. This is just one miracles out of many he has had. In this book he is testifing of all the miracles that has happen in his life.
   I really enjoyed this book. It was so interesting and rally helps you inhance your faith in God. I think Richard E. Eby did a great jpb writing all the details. I think Caught Up Into Paradise is a great book because I learned so many things about my religion I didnt know.
   I thind Caught Up Into Paradise is a great book for anyone to read. It really gets your attetion and you want to see what other miracles are ahead.



5. It is amazing how dense people are - even more incomprehensible how vicious and unloving people are - - Dr Eby never said Jesus was coming back during his ( Eby's ) lifetime, Doc claimed that Jesus told him that he would not be able to reach all the people he would like for him to reach before His ( Jesus ) returned - Doc Eby is still reaching out to people through the ministry of books and tapes and the Lord of Glory is waiting - delaying - His return out of love and mercy in hope that more of the mean spirited will get to read all of Dr Eby's books and discover what a kind and loving person he was and what a miracle he is in surviving the horrors of this life to live to a ripe old age ! We have much to learn from Doc Eby yet and we need to find some of his videos for duplication and distribution so we can see what he really did have to say ! Full Gospel Business Mens Association may have some of Doc Eby's videos ? Doc Eby is one of the first I wish to meet, after Jesus !

1 comments about Fanny J. Crosby: An Autobiography (Hendrickson Biographies).

1. As it was not me who received the books and cd of Fanny Crosby, I am unforuneately unable to give them a rating. My mother was the person that recieved the books and cd of Fanny, and to my knowlege they have helped her with what she originally needed them for and is pleased with them. The rating I have given you on her behalf is only an estimate as I don't know what she would put herself. Sorry for any inconvenience and thank you for your business.
   Sincrerly Sharon Vanderpool