Archive for the ‘Spirituality’ Category

Tattoos on the Heart – Father Gregory Boyle, S.J.

Friday, July 16th, 2010

 

Hardcover: 336 pages
Publisher: Lucasbooks (March 24, 2009)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0345509064
ISBN-13: 978-0345509062
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Recently a minister friend of mine posted this quote from Leonard Cohen: “There’s a crack in everything; it’s how the light gets in.” He then proceeded to open a discussion by asking people to “share a crack / fault / wound of your own life, but also try to catch a glimspe of the gold that sparkles from with it…” When I read Tatoos of the Heart I had that conversation in mind, and briefly that describes the whole topic of this book. It’s about the wounded. Some wounded very deeply, and how they manage through love and compassion, to let the light shine.

This book is about Father Gregory Boyle, S. J. (Society of Jesus), a Jesuit Priest in Los Angeles.  Father Boyle started a program for gang members in his neighborhood.  The program covers things from job training, to tattoo removal, education, mental health and general counseling.  Throughout the book, Father Boyle presents the good and the bad.  Some of the tales you find yourself laughing along with him, while others you feel the depth of his pain.   It’s not just about him though, it is about the gang members, how they try to change, and sometimes despite the changes, their past catches up to them.  It’s also about the compassion.  The love of Christ to accept everyone, and to drop the walls that allow us to exclude this person or that person because they don’t fit our ideas of what Christlike behavior is. 

I absolutely loved this story, and love what Father Boyle is accomplishing in these lives.  There is some stronger language, some strong events, due to the content of these stories.  I think young readers might have trouble, but anyone over 14 or 15 should have no issues with it, and parents shouldn’t be wary of letting their teenagers read it, or reading it themselves.  I’d recommend that you do read it.  It definitely gives you a different impression of the “gang life” then you get from the nightly news, or from the movies.  These are the stories of real boys and young men, some who had their lives snuffed out before they had a chance to live them, but even in those cases, those who knew Father Boyle found love even if briefly.

About the Author:

Fr. Gregory Boyle – best known as Fr. Greg by all who meet him — was born in Los Angeles, one of eight children. His father, a third-generation Irish-American, worked in the family-owned dairy in Los Angeles County and his mother worked to keep track of her large family. As a youth, Fr. Greg and several of his siblings worked side by side with their father in the dairy. After graduating from Loyola High School in Los Angeles in 1972, he decided to become a Jesuit and was ordained a priest in 1984. 

He received his BA in English from Gonzaga University; an MA in English from Loyola Marymount University; a Master of Divinity from the Weston School of Theology; and a Sacred Theology Masters degree from the Jesuit School of Theology. 

Prior to 1986 Fr. Boyle taught at Loyola High School and worked with Christian Base Communities in Cochabamba, Bolivia. He was appointed as Pastor of Dolores Mission in the Boyle Heights neighborhood of Los Angeles in 1986 where he served through 1992. He then served as Chaplain of the Islas Marias Penal Colony in Mexico and Folsom Prison, before returning to Los Angeles and Dolores Mission. 

Homeboy Industries traces its roots to “Jobs For A Future” (JFF), a program created in 1988 by Fr. Greg at Dolores Mission parish. In an effort to address the escalating problems and unmet needs of gang-involved youth, Fr. Greg and the community developed positive alternatives, including establishing an elementary school, a day care program and finding legitimate employment for young people. JFF’s success demonstrated the model followed today that many gang members are eager to leave the dangerous and destructive life on the “streets.” 

In 1992, as a response to the civil unrest in Los Angeles, Fr. Greg launched the first business (under the organizational banner of JFF and Proyecto Pastoral, separated from Dolores Mission Church): Homeboy Bakery with a mission to create an environment that provided training, work experience, and above all, the opportunity for rival gang members to work side by side. The success of the Bakery created the groundwork for additional businesses, thus prompting JFF to become an independent non-profit organization, Homeboy Industries, in 2001. Today Homeboy Industries’ nonprofit economic development enterprises include Homeboy Bakery, Homeboy Silkscreen, Homeboy Maintenance, Homeboy/HomegirlMerchandise, and HomegirlCafé
This year, 2008, marks the 20th Anniversary of the work Father Greg began. Homeboy Industries, now located in downtown Los Angeles, is recognized as the largest gang intervention program in the county, and has become a national model.
 
See the Homeboy Industries site here. All the author’s net proceeds from this book will aid Homeboy Industries, and at the site you can also make donations.

*Disclaimer* A special thanks goes out to Nilki at Condor Book Tours for a review copy of this book.

You can discuss it here or join my facebook page and discuss it there.

Spirit – Andrew Feder

Wednesday, June 23rd, 2010

 

 

Paperback: 356 pages
Publisher: AuthorHouse (January 14, 2010)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1449023142
ISBN-13: 978-1449023140
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Characters:

Randall Lender – Spiritual Icon
Sandy Petea – Public Defender
Johnny McKenzie – Murder Suspect
Rachel Lender – Teenage daughter of Randall Lender
Ali – Randall’s spiritual mentor
Dark Wizard – Evil cleric

Plot:

Have you ever heard of Astral Projection?  Of course you have.  Some call it an out of body experience, and express seeing a tunnel of light.  Astral projection is the ability, some believe we possess, for our spirits to leave our bodies at will.  During this out of body phase, our spirits can go anywhere, without limits.  Past, future, or other planets.

Randall Lender has made a reputation for upsetting everyone.  Liberal, Conservative, Religious.  And now the “Church” wants to stop him.  He’s the main protaganist of the story, and knows how to astral project.  But the first time he tries it, things don’t go quite as expected.  He wakes up in the body of Johnny McKenzie, a mob hit man.  The problem is when he wakes up in Johnnie’s body, he’s covdered in blood, a disemboweled woman lies next to him, and the cops are knocking on his car door. 

Randall/Johnnie is assigned a public defender, Sandy Patea.  He must convince her he’s telling the truth, that he’s really Randall Lender, but will he be able to convince her?

Review:

First the bad (but not too bad), some of the dialogue in the beginning was a little strained, and weird.  There were also many grammatical errors, I thought, sprinkled throughout the book.  Most could have been typos.  After a while though, I didn’t pay too much attention to this.  There were some sections that I felt were unneccessary to the story, and couldn’t have been handled in a different manner.  For the good.  This was a really good story on spirituality.  I loved Randall’s views on “God”, love, and spirituality vs. organized religion.  One section goes over a previous speech of his, and reading that it was like “Hey, That’s how I feel about things”.  So it was a pretty accurate characterization for me. 

The characters were somewhat realistic, but started bordering on fantasy characters at one point.  Let’s just say some characters start recognizing their spiritual gifts and it’s manifested in unusual ways.

If you lean more towards the spiritual side of life, and don’t get offended by people speaking out against “religion” as an organization, then I think you’d enjoy this book.  It covers many concepts, such as Astral Projection, Deja’ Vu, Telekinesis, etc.  There is strong language and situations, so I’d recommend this for adults, or older teens.  But I didn’t see anything that would offend any religious group itself, just the idea of organized religion.  So check it out if you get the chance, and drop me a line and let me know what you thought.

*Disclaimer* A special thanks goes out to Rebecca at Cadence Marketing Group for a review copy of this book.  It in no way influenced my review.

You can discuss it here or join my facebook page and discuss it there.

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Review: Happiness at Work – Srikumar S. Rao, Phd.

Wednesday, May 12th, 2010

 

 

Hardcover: 256 pages
Publisher: McGraw-Hill; 1 edition (March 8, 2010)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0071664327
ISBN-13: 978-0071664325
Order from here:
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It’s a situation we’ve all been in. Sometimes our jobs just seem to grind on us. In this book, Dr. Rao attempts to lead the reader in how they can obtain happiness at work. Some of it is practical advise. Many times it gave me a lot to think about.

One instance that caused a lot of thought was about the proof of existence. The author used the example of Gold. A golden ring has two parts. One part is the tool that made it, the other is the gold it was made from. You then ask yourself what made up the gold? This keeps going further and further back. The end result he says could be traced to The Big Bang, creation, or whatever you choose to call it. The idea is that if there were a creator, what material did he make the world out of. The answer turns out to be himself. The conclusion then, that we are all part of the same creator.

Many things he uses stories for. Another story involves a hotel analogy. Our bodies are just temporary facilities where our spirits stop by to rest. Problems that plague us aren’t really problems, unless we perceive them as such. Our mental attitude towards things determines if we are happy or not, outside that there is no such thing as bad things. In fact, he recommends dropping the “bad” tag altogether when describing things.

I think this book was very helpful. While reading it, there were often times where I just had to stop and ponder the ideas he presented. I didn’t find any that were impractical, and some actually seemed like they’d help. So if you want to try to achieve a little more happpiness at work, or most importantly just in life, then give this book a shot. The interesting thing is that most of his ideas, though it says at work, can be applied to every day life.

See an article on this book here.

*Disclaimer* A special thanks goes out to Julie at FSB Associates for a review copy of this book.  It in no way influenced my review.

You can discuss it here or join my facebook page and discuss it there.

Review: Naked Being – J.M. Harrison

Wednesday, May 12th, 2010

 

 

Paperback: 145 pages
Publisher: O Books (April 16, 2010)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1846943035
ISBN-13: 978-1846943034
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Believe nothing just because a so-called wise person said it
Believe nothing just because a belief is generally held
Believe nothing because it is said in ancient books
Believe nothing just because it is said to be of divine origin
Believe nothing just because someone else believes it
Believe only what you, yourself test and judge to be true.
–Siddhārtha Gautama aka Buddha (563-483 BCE)

So begins the opening pages of the Naked being. Now dear reader, despite where your minds may be going, this book actually has nothing to do with being naked. I know there are some who will be disappointed. What the book is about, is stripping your mind/self down to the barest essence. As one of the quotes in the book, from Chief Seattle, says, “Man did not weave the web of life – he is merely a strand in it. Whatever he does to the web, he does to himself.” The premise is that we are all connected, and that by stripping away misconceptions about self, we can find that connection.

The book is written as a series of ideas. I think it works best when you take the ideas and think and meditate on them. It’s not a book you can read cover to cover, and say “Oh, I get it now, I just need to do this.”. I didn’t have any Eureka moments, but can see where this book would be helpful to some. It’s a fairly thin book, running at 145 pages. If you are one of those wanting to get in touch with yourself, and connect better with others, than this book might possibly help you. Check it and see what you think.

*Disclaimer* A special thanks goes out to Catherine at O Books for the review copy.  It in no way influenced my decision.

You can discuss it here or join my facebook page and discuss it there.

The Dalai Lama’s Little Book of Wisdom “The Essential Teachings” – His Holiness The Dalai Lama

Tuesday, March 23rd, 2010

 

 

Paperback: 400 pages
Publisher: Hampton Roads Publishing (April 1, 2010)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1571746285
ISBN-13: 978-1571746283
Order from here:
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There have been some great spiritual leaders in the world. I wasn’t around for Gandhi. Being the son of a Baptist Minister exposed me to Jesus. And the Dalai Lama I discovered on my own. In this book they cover the teachings of the Dalai Lama through various subjects, here are some examples:

  • Contentment: Joy and Living Well – “Humans have the potential not only to create happy lives for themselves, but also to help other beings”.
  • Facing Death and Dying – “I think at the time of death a peaceful mind is essential”.
  • Dealing with Anger and Emotion – Having those who are enemies, or don’t agree with us gives us practice in patience and tolerance.
  • Giving and Receiving – “When people in a big town or city feel lonely, this does not mean that they lack human companions, but rather they lack human affection.
  • Transforming the Mind – Here he discusses how our mental attitude can affect things such as physical health. 
  • Transforming through altruism –  Two aspects to altruism – One is for enlightenment, the other is working for the welfare of others.  One way to do this is to think of strangers as a close friend, family member, etc.
  • Transformation through insight – Recognize all sentient beings as your equal
  • Eight Verses on Transforming the Mind – Here are eight verses that a person can meditate on to help transform the mind.
  • Compassion – The Basis for Human Happiness – “There are a number of qualities which are important for mental peace, but from the little experience I have, I believe that one of the most important factors is human compassion and affection: a sense of caring”.
  • There are many helpful ideas of wisdom.  One thing I appreciate about the Dalai Lama is he doesn’t feel the need to force you to be Buddhist.  He states in this book and others that you should take what helps you or works for you, leave what doesn’t.  I think if we were able to do this with all religions, a lot of the problems we face globally might begin to disappear.  I feel that a person can be Christian, or Jewish, or Muslim, but still learn from the leaders of other religions.  I know the Dalai Lama’s teachings speak to me at times, particularly times of great stress.

    This book is a small, thick book.  It’s pretty quick to read with very short paragraphs.  If you are going through rough patches in your life, or know someone who might be, then check this book out, it might provide a little bit of wisdom that will help.

    *Disclaimer* A review copy of this book was provided by Bonni and Rosemary at Redwheel Weiser.  Thanks go to them for this book.  It didn’t affect my review in any way.

    You can discuss it here or join my facebook page and discuss it there.

    How to Achive a Heaven on Earth – Edited by John E. Wade II

    Tuesday, February 16th, 2010

     

    Paperback: 320 pages
    Publisher: Pelican Publishing (January 11, 2010)
    Language: English
    ISBN-10: 1589805976
    ISBN-13: 978-1589805972
    Order from here:
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    I will try to love and help create a heaven on earth,” so begins the premise of How to Achieve a Heaven on Earth.  The author breaks the book down into 10 sections:

    • Peace – This section contains various essays on working toward Peace discussing things such as Gandhi’s views on Peace, the U.N.s work in Darfur, etc.
    • Security – These essays contain among other things, looks at our fuel crisis and the war on Drugs.  The authors of these 2 particular essays seemed to make a lot of sense.  The section on Fuel choices covers Flexible fuel.  In Brazil, for instance, more that 80% of their new cars are flexible fuel vehicles.  A flex fuel vehicle can run on not only gas, but other things such as Ethanol and other fuels.  They state that by reducing our use of oil, and increasing the use of other fuels, we accomplish two goals.  One goal, is that the oil rich countries, some of which sponsor terrorism, would no longer have the financial resources.  The other benefit would be that poverty stricken countries that can produce corn and other fuel sources, would increase their sales of these products, and thus manage to lift themselves above the poverty levels.   In the War on Drugs, the basic premise is that much of our crime problem is due to the illegality of drugs.  These drugs, it’s argued are going to be purchased regardless.  By removing the illegal aspect, you cut down on costs for imprisonment and you break the profit motive for the dealers/importers.  The largest percentage of drug abusers in the U.S. are White, while the largest percentage of those incarcerated are African American.  I thought this was an interesting concept, but for both I am still trying to see how they could be carried out.
    • Freedom
    • Democracies
    • Prosperity – Some interesting essays here as well, one of them was on The Grameen Bank, a bank who makes loans to the poorest people living in the poorest countries.  What I found interesting was that they have almost a 98% payback.  People think if you make loans with no collateral, that the person would just take the money and run, but it didn’t seem to be the case here.
    • Spiritual Harmony
    • Racial Harmony – These essays look at racial issues.  One looks at Nelson Mandela, rather than have hatred about his treatment, he chose to rise above it and work for harmony among people.
    • Ecological Harmony – These essays are about all the different ways we can help out in Nature.  It’s not all Tree Hugging, save the cute Fuzzy animals stuff, but covers things like the Joy of Gardening, and how supporting your local farmer’s market, is not only healthier, but economically sound.
    • Health
    • Moral Purpose and Meaning

    It’s kind of hard to review a compilation of essays.   Sometimes the essay is a little more powerful than other times.  That was the case here.  There were many, where I found myself wishing a group of my friends had the book to discuss the ideas.  There are many essays in here that would make great group discussion topics.  While some seemed far fetched, they never failed to make me think.  I think it’s a book that everyone should read.  It doesn’t matter whether you’re conservative or liberal, Democrat or Republican, Foreign or Domestic, you’ll find something in this book that will give you ideas on how you can make a difference in the world.  Creating a Heaven on Earth isn’t about a Utopian society, that can never happen.  But we can work on how we relate to the people and the world around us.

    NOTE: If you click on the Amazon link above and purchase a copy of this book, our personal payments will be given to Soldiers of Love a charity formed by the author. In addition, half of all the editor’s royalties will go to this charity.

    Here’s an Excerpt from the book, Thanks Julie:

    10 Ways to Achieve a Heaven on Earth

    The underlying trends toward a heaven on earth are often obscured by the “noise” of the day, pessimism and cynicism. But I believe that with God’s enduring, steadfast love humankind will ultimately reach a heaven on earth. The ten elements that I believe are essential in this quest are as follows:

    1) Peace:
    The major keys to peace lie in our ability to prosper and spread democracies worldwide. Going beyond toleration to respect of all loving faiths is also critical. Advancing to general acceptance and appreciation across racial lines will build peace within and between nations.

    2) Security:
    We must strive to gain security from terrorism and crime. It is critical that we stop radical Islamics. History is replete with fanatics such as Hitler who somehow gain power with genocide and aggression. Recognizing the danger and acting internationally through winning minds and hearts without letting up on international pressure are essential to a victory over terrorism. For example see Paul Marek’s powerful essay, “A Look at Radical Islam” and James K. Glassman’s persuasive contribution, “How to Win the War of Ideas.”

    3) Freedom: Freedom is prized by all humans whether they currently possess it or not. Implicit in the democratic ideal is that free individuals will generally act in their own best interests. And the sum of a free society’s actions will allow a greater whole than with nations who repress its people.

    4) Democracies:
    Democracies worldwide in the long run would be the best kind of government for reaching and enjoying a heaven on earth, for they empower the individual and ultimately societies to make good choices. History has shown that democratic governments are less likely to make war with one another. Additionally, they discourage tyrants who are corrupted by power. Democracies provide for the orderly transfer of power. However, we must realize that elections don’t necessarily produce the best leader in every case.

    5) Prosperity:
    Capitalism tempered with democracy and free, fair trade can lead to worldwide growth and wealth, which can benefit each of us and all of us to the degree that our own talents and resources permit. Preparation and opportunity go hand in hand with self-discipline and hard work. Each of us must strive for financial literacy and make it our business to know what we own. We have a responsibility beyond ourselves in our wealth. We are not meant to love money, but to treat it with respect and be generous toward worthy ends.

    6) Spiritual Harmony:
    We must move beyond religious tolerance to real respect among all the world’s loving spiritual beliefs and practices. Even differing beliefs can lead to similar values, which in turn may lead to behavior that is acceptable to God. Loving religions teach us how to live our lives and how to cope with our own mortality. God’s enduring, steadfast love will empower us here, just as I firmly believe that love will allow all the other elements.

    7) Racial Harmony:
    While the lack of racial harmony goes back to ancient times, that certainly doesn’t mean that we can’t overcome this obstacle. Our nation has moved forward largely by peaceful means over recent decades, including the election of an African American president. Many other nations have also advanced in this march toward racial harmony. In our country we owe much of this nonviolent racial progress to Martin Luther King, Jr. See “Where Do We Go From Here?” in that great leader’s own words. The Golden Rule is especially important in treating others with respect.

    8) Ecological Harmony: We must tend to the world’s God-given environment — emphasizing natural beauty and perpetual conservation. Concurrently, we must achieve a balance between those worthy goals and the necessity of rescuing those in abject poverty as well as maintaining all nations’ economic progress.

    9) Health:
    Technology and medical science are vital to advance the health of the world’s population. Additionally, our own physical, mental and spiritual habits must embody disciplines that promote good health. Death is inevitable until God acts to prevent it, but wholesome, active behavior can result in longer and longer lives as medical science, our habits and economic means progress.

    10) Moral Purpose and Meaning:  Moral purpose and meaning is perhaps the hardest element to achieve. We do not always do the right thing day by day. Our DNA and environments are not perfect. We have weaknesses that can result in horrors such as the Holocaust. But our flaws do not mean that a nurturing environment can’t lead to success after success until God finally takes over and pulls us out of the misery of our human condition.

    When you consider the above, think about this excerpt from the New Testament, Matthew 19:26, “with God all things are possible.”

    The above is an adapted excerpt from the book How to Achieve Heaven on Earth: 101 insightful essays from the world’s greatest thinkers, leaders and writers edited by John E. Wade II. The above excerpt is a digitally scanned reproduction of text from print. Although this excerpt has been proofread, occasional errors may appear due to the scanning process. Please refer to the finished book for accuracy.

    Copyright © 2010 John E. Wade II, editor of How to Achieve Heaven on Earth: 101 insightful essays from the world’s greatest thinkers, leaders and writers

    *Disclaimer* A review copy of this book was provided by Julie at FSB Associates.  Thanks go to her for this book.  It didn’t affect my review in any way.

    You can discuss it here. So now it’s your turn readers, tell me how you think Heaven on Earth could be achieved? Let’s try to keep it non-political, and just look at issues.

    Be The Change – Ed and Deb Shapiro

    Monday, November 23rd, 2009

     Be The Change

    Hardcover: 352 pages
    Publisher: Sterling Ethos (November 3, 2009)
    Language: English
    ISBN-10: 1402760019
    ISBN-13: 978-1402760013 
    Order from here:
    amazon
     
     
     

    Meditation. The word tends to bring thoughts of New Age hokum to people’s minds. If you’d asked me a few years ago, I would’ve thought so as well. I always perceived it as boring. Who wants to sit there for 10 minute, an hour, or any extended period of time and do nothing. However, I’ve always kept an open mind on everything, and did so on this subject as well. I’m glad I did.

    Ed and Deb Shapiro have written 15 books on many areas, chiefly among them meditation. They’ve taught meditation for 25 years. This book, while not the full meditation training guide I expected, is very informative. It’s written in a collaborative style. People such as Patch Adams, Ellen Burstyn, Jane Fond, and many others contribute stories and ideas on how meditation has helped them in their lives. Some of these stories can be very sad and emotional.

    The book itself is broken into four parts:

    Part 1 is an introduction to the principals. It tended, at least for me, got me comfortable with the idea of meditation. It defined what it was, how people used it, and how it was beneficial, not just to the individual, but to the world. Change is a concept that has been talked about a lot, but while this is in a way the same change the President talked about, it isn’t about a change in politics. It is more about a change in ourselves, how we relate to the world, and do so through meditation.

    Part 2 spends time showing how we are all connected. The authors at one point use the example of our hands. If we cut the left hand and the right hand does nothing, then the whole body could die, but by working together it survives. Part of meditation is taking time to reflect on this connection among all of us, or even among our own systems. I actually experienced something along this line a few years ago. I was on a ventillator for Pneumonia. I was miserable and wanted the machine disconnected. However, number for heart rate, or breathing rate kept getting in the way. Finally I began concentrating fully on those areas. Eventually I was able to keep the rates within the range to disconnect the machine. The nurses said they had never seen anyone get their rates to respond that quick. I didn’t think so at the time, but after reading this book I think I was unknowingly using meditation techniques.

    Part 3 covers how meditation has been beneficial in business. Companies such as Google have meditation training for their employees. It cuts down on stress, reduces absenteeism, and increases productivity. One story relates how a person went in to train a group of Wall Street type executives. When the person announced a few minutes without an agenda, it seemed to send a sense of panic through some of the participants. It seems they weren’t used to working without an agenda.

    Part 4 puts all of the information and techniques discussed into practice. While there are practice meditations in various places of the book, they seem pretty sparse. This section teaches you how to begin with controlling/concentrating on your breathing. From there it moves on, from working on our own inner problems, to wishing the best for the outside world, including those we aren’t crazy about.

    I’ve seen some people who are concerned that this subject interferes with their religious beliefs. However, reading it I saw just the opposite. It didn’t tend to relate to any particular deity, but rather to communicating with our inner selves, and extending that to the deity of our choice.

    I’d really recommend this book. If you’re stressed or anxious, want to change the world, or just change yourself, you’ll find something in this book you can use. Pick it up when you get the chance. I think you’ll like it. You can visit their website at: http://www.edanddebshapiro.com/

    A Thank you to Julie at FSB Associates for the review copy.

    You can discuss it here

    *DISCLAIMER* A copy of this book was provided to me for review. This in no way influenced my review.