But what is it that has made these people turn their back on the formal, structured religions that encompass the majority of the Western world? In our modern, high-pressured world, many of us fail to take notice the sheer beauty of the natural world surrounding us. In many ways, this is a travesty: the world we live in today seems so completely distant from the one our ancestors lived in, a world where humans and nature were at one, their existence intertwined in the natural cycles of life. Wicca is a new way of life, a religion that takes you back to a more simple time, before the invention of the high-tech gadgetry we see all around us. You will learn to live and appreciate the natural world that surrounds you, celebrating the intricate changes in the seasons and everything they bring — from the bounties of the Summer harvest, to the cold and darkness of the Winter months, as Mother Nature rests in preparation for the next explosive cycle of life that Spring brings. Wicca is a re-incarnation of the very earliest religions, long pre-dating Christianity. Wiccans celebrate and share many of the same beliefs that these early people held, and try to embrace their way of life, all while remaining fully-functional in today's modern world. Getting Started as a Wiccan If you’re sold on this new, exciting, peaceful way of life, that’s great! Good to have you on-board. Unfortunately, and despite this commitment, this is where many people get stumped. One of the biggest questions I hear would-be Wiccans ask: “how do I start practicing Wicca?” The truth is, there is no right answer. If you endeavour to learn as much as possible about this religion, follow the core principals (for example, the Threefold Law), and revere the natural world surrounding you, as far as I’m concerned, you’re a Wiccan. If you’re just starting out, I’m sure this vague answer is of little help to you! That’s why I set out to write this mini-series of books, titled Practicing the Craft. In this particular book, you’ll learn everything you need to know about Wicca traditions – including covens, circles, solitary practitioners, and eclectic witches. Wicca Covens and Other Traditions Practicing magic isn’t compulsory for Wiccans, however many people are inevitably attracted to the religion by the potential to positively change their lives for the better. As such, spellwork is one of the most discussed parts of being Wiccan. If you want to start practicing magic, it can help to join like-minded individuals – also known as a coven. Covens allow you to be a part of a small Wiccan community. They meet regularly to perform rituals, especially on important Wiccan dates – notably the sabbats and esbats. As well as a sense of community, covens are also one of the best places to accelerate your learning. In this book, we’ll be looking at everything you need to know about covens – including the history of covens, their structures, and how to join one. Don’t worry, though – not everyone wants to be part of a coven, and that’s perfectly fine, too. In this book, we’ll be discussing all of your options, including circles and the solitary path. We'll also look at the main Wiccan traditions: Gardnerian, Alexandrian, and Dianic, as well as a handful of less common traditions.

    While the various contributors to this collection all travel for different reasons, one thing is for certain—they come back with stories. Whether traversing the Arctic by dogsled, attending a surreal film festival in North Korea, or strolling the streets of a fast-changing Havana, their insights into the world and the human condition are illuminating and enthralling, providing an answer: This is why I like to travel.The Best American Travel Writing 2016 includes Michael Chabon, Alice Gregory, Paul Theroux, Dave Eggers, Helen Macdonald, Sara Corbett, Stephanie Pearson,Thomas Chatterton Williams, Pico Iyer, and othersBILL BRYSON, guest editor, is the best-selling author of A Walk in the Woods;  A Short History of Nearly Everything; One Summer: America, 1927; The Road to Little Dribbling; and numerous other books. JASON WILSON, series editor, is the author of Boozehound: On the Trail of the Rare, the Obscure, and the Overrated in Spirits; Spaghetti on the Wall; and the forthcoming Why Wine Matters. He has written for the Washington Post Magazine, The New Yorker, the New York Times, and many other publications, and has won awards for Best Food Column from the Association of Food Journalists four times.

    For John Piper, this impact is very personal. He does not just admire and trust Paul. He loves him. Piper gives us thirty glimpses into why his heart and mind respond this way.Can a Christian-killer really endure 195 lashes from a heart of love? Can a mystic who thinks he was caught up into heaven be a model of lucid rationality? Can an ethnocentric Jew write the most beautiful call to reconciliation? Can a person who lives with the unceasing anguish of empathy be always rejoicing? Can a man's description of the horrors of human sin be exceeded by his delight in human splendor? Can a man with a backbone of steel be as tender as a nursing mother?If we know this man--if we see what Piper sees--we too will love him. Paul's testimony is a matter of life and death. Piper invites you into his relationship with Paul in the hope that you will know life, forever.

    

    Bernard Haisch contends that there is a purpose and an underlying intelligence behind the Universe, one that is consistent with modern science, especially the Big Bang and evolution. It is based on recent discoveries that there are numerous coincidences and fine-tunings of the laws of nature that seem extraordinarily unlikely.A more rational concept of God is called for. As astrophysicist Sir James Jeans wrote, "the Universe begins to look more like a great thought than like a great machine."Despite bestsellers by Christopher Hitchens, Richard Dawkins, and Sam Harris that have denounced the evils of religion and proclaimed that science has shown that there is no God, The Purpose-Guided Universe shows how one can believe in God and science.

    

    Adler, in his discussion, extends and modernizes the argument for the existence of God developed by Aristotle and Aquinas. Without relying on faith, mysticism, or science (none of which, according to Dr. Adler, can prove or disprove the existence of God), he uses a rationalist argument to lead the reader to a point where he or she can see that the existence of God is not necessarily dependent upon a suspension of disbelief. Dr. Adler provides a nondogmatic exposition of the principles behind the belief that God, or some other supernatural cause, has to exist in some form. Through concise and lucid arguments, Dr. Adler shapes a highly emotional and often erratic conception of God into a credible and understandable concept for the lay person.

    Did you ever ask yourself: “Who am I? What am I? Why am I?”You are a mystery.The world about you is a mystery.Now, you can understand!

    Along the way, however, we tend to encounter the same perplexing questions again and again. Some are cosmic enigmas that have always tested the human mind: What is my purpose in life? What happens after I die? Others are puzzles presented by daily life in modern society: What, if anything, justifies assisted suicide? What is my personal responsibility to the homeless? According to Lama Surya Das, one of the foremost Western Buddhist scholars and teachers, the more we seek to resolve these mysteries, the more fully we live.Along with his own personal beliefs, the author presents a variety of thoughtful points of view representing different schools of Buddhism, other religions, spirituality in general, and pragmatism. The Big Questions challenges readers in the most stimulating and thoughtful way to formulate individual, authentic responses to life’s big questions.

    

    This is a classic example of a PSYOP a psychological operation, a mission to change what you believe by feeding you information that is inaccurate, incomplete, or an outright lie. This PSYOP is one of many by entities who've been at war with God since the Garden of Eden. The Bible calls them gods. God Himself calls them gods. But we've been taught that they're imaginary, so we stumble around the battlefield completely unprepared to defend ourselves. In The Great Inception, you will learn: How we know the war between God and the gods is real *The importance of mountains and the holy mountain where the final battle will be fought *Why the Tower of Babel was not in Babylon and the real reason God stopped it *Where God led His heavenly army to battle the chief god of the Canaanites *The true identities of Satan and Apollyon, king of the demons in the abyss *The mystery behind what God meant when He told Abraham about the sin of the Amorites *Why the Red Sea crossing was a literal battle between God and Ba`al (and why a Canaanite god was in Egypt in the first place) *Connects Titans of Greek mythology, the Nephilim of Genesis 6 with people who fought Israel from the time of Moses to the present *Jesus did battle with the rebel gods *How the moon-god of ancient Babylon influences world events today *Where Armageddon will be fought (it s not where you think) *Possible end-times scenario that includes the most diabolical double-cross in history Combining research from scholars of ancient history, languages, archaeology, and Bible prophecy, Derek P. Gilbert shows that the Bible is anything but a boring list of thou-shalt-nots; it's an epic tale of a war between God and the rebel gods who want to usurp His throne before He can restore humanity to His holy mountain and the place we once had in the divine council.

    With bracing candor, the brilliant, charismatic, and uncompromising author of the bestselling Infidel and Nomad argues that it is foolish to insist, as our leaders habitually do, that the violent acts of Islamic extremists can be divorced from the religious doctrine that inspires them. Instead we must confront the fact that they are driven by a political ideology embedded in Islam itself.Today, Hirsi Ali argues, the world's 1.6 billion Muslims can be divided into a minority of extremists, a majority of observant but peaceable Muslims, and a few dissidents who risk their lives by questioning their own religion. But there is only one Islam, and as Hirsi Ali shows, there is no denying that some of its key teachings—not least the duty to wage holy war—inspire violence not just in the Muslim world but in the West as well.For centuries it has seemed that Islam is immune to historical change. But Hirsi Ali is surprisingly optimistic. She has come to believe that a Muslim "Reformation"—a revision of Islamic doctrine aimed at reconciling the religion with modernity—is at hand, and may even already have begun.Partly in response to the barbaric atrocities of Islamic State and Boko Haram, Muslims around the world have at last begun to speak out for religious reform. Meanwhile, events in the West, such as the shocking Charlie Hebdo massacre, have forced Western liberals to recognize that political Islam poses a mortal threat to free speech. Yet neither Muslim reformers nor Western liberals have so far been able to articulate a coherent program for a Muslim Reformation.This is where Heretic comes in. Boldly challenging centuries of theological orthodoxy, Ayaan Hirsi Ali proposes five key amendments to Islamic doctrine that Muslims must make if they are to bring their religion out of the seventh century and into the twenty-first. She also calls upon the Western world to end its appeasement of radical Islamists—and to drop the bogus argument that those who stand up to them are guilty of "Islamophobia." It is the Muslim reformers who need our backing, she argues, not the opponents of free speech.Interweaving her own experiences, historical analogies, and powerful examples from contemporary Muslim societies and cultures, Heretic is not so much a call to arms as a passionate plea for peaceful change and a new era of global tolerance. As jihadists kill thousands, from Nigeria to Syria to Pakistan, this book offers an answer to what is fast becoming the world's number one problem.

    Carefully rendered reproductions of Giger's best paintings are accompanied by his own commentary. 70 color illus. 75 b&w illus. 25 b&w photos.

    A hilarious collection of poetry by dogs- perfect for lovers of literature and pups alike.

    It not only provides an orientation to the world of the Old Testament but also builds a bridge between the original audience and modern readers, demonstrating why the ancient message is important for faith and life today.Old Testament Today goes beyond basic content to help students understand what the Scriptures mean and how to apply them personally. Similar to the acclaimed NIV Application Commentary, this text takes the reader section by section through the Old Testament using a progressive, three-step format:• Original Meaning presents the details of the content, focusing on the story line, historical background, and literary information that address the original setting and audience.• Bridging Contexts focuses on theological perspectives and on issues of the author’s purpose and the universal message of the text, building a bridge between the original audience and today’s audience.• Contemporary Significance develops an understanding of the relevance of the Old Testament writings to today’s Christian, showing how they can be applied in personal faith and practice.The image-rich full-color design gives Old Testament Today a strong visual appeal. A wide array of charts, sidebars, illustrations, photos, and supplemental materials complement the body of the text, helping students to easily comprehend the literature, theology, and history of the Old Testament.