Is humanity ready for a transformation of consciousness, an inner flowering so radical and profound that compared to it the flowering of plants is only a pale reflection?
Let's start with the flower, those fragrant beings that would come to play an essential part in the evolution of consciousness of another species -- humans.
Over a million years ago the first flower ever to appear on the planet opened up to receive the rays of the sun. This first flower represented an evolutionary transformation in the life of plants even though the planet had been covered in vegetation for millions of years. The first flowers were a rare and isolated phenomena since conditions were not yet favorable for widespread flowering to occur. One day, however, a critical threshold was reached and suddenly
there was an explosion of color and scent all over the planet. Ever since humans would increasingly be drawn and fascinated by them. They have provided inspiration to countless mystics, poets and artists. Jesus even tells us to contemplate the flowers and learn from them how to live.
Can humanity awaken to a new and enlarged consciousness? Can we defy the pull of materialism and rise above the power of the ego which keeps us imprisoned within our own personality? The possibility of such a transformation has been the central message of the great wisdom teachings of humankind. The great messengers -- Jesus, Buddha and others were humanity's early flowers, yet in their day widespread flowering of humanity was not yet possible and their message became largely misunderstood and greatly distorted. Are we more ready now than at the time of those early teachers?
One of the most powerful components of this book is how Tolle brilliantly characterizes the egoic state and shows the main aspects of the ego and how they operate in the individual as well as in the collective. This is critical in understanding ourselves for two very important reasons: The first is that unless you understand the basic mechanics behind the workings of the ego, you won't recognize it and it will trick you into identifying with it again and again. The second is that the act of recognition itself is one of the ways in which awakening happens. You cannot fight against the ego and win, just as you cannot fight against darkness.
This book is written to awaken, to help bring about a shift in consciousness -- not convince the reader of anything or to add new information or beliefs. If you don't know what awakening means, read this book. Tolle writes that the time has come -- we awaken or die. We are at a crossroads. We no longer have the luxury of living this deep seated collective delusion that lies within the mind of most human beings.
This is Tolle at his best. A powerful book and one that comes highly recommended.
Judith Krantz, posted 12/23/07
Saturday
The Life and Teachings of Jesus -- A Restatement of the Gospels
"The Life and Teachings of Jesus -- a Restatement of the Gospels" is an effort to distill from the scriptures only those verses truly portraying the life and teachings of Jesus. Like an earlier effort by Thomas Jefferson who produced the "Jefferson Bible" in the early 1800's, Author, Preston Thomas uses the New Testament books of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John to make his case that of all human knowledge, the most valuable is to know the truth of the life and teachings of Jesus. "True Christianity is founded on the teachings of Jesus" says Thomas. "If one truly desires to know Jesus and follow the way of his personal religion, this book can be of great value, for herein is presented Jesus' life and teachings in purity and wholeness -- separated from all other Scripture." 11/17/07 ($18.95 -- order from IN OUR OWN WAY, see "order books" on right of blog)
Testimonial: My Story -- Michelle Mrozkowski
After years of struggling through Bible stories and seldom teaching students the real value in scripture, I was introduced to "The Life and Teachings of Jesus". I was profoundly moved by the book and immediately understood its value, particularly to children who were able to grasp who Jesus is and the life he led on earth.
The book is organized chronologically, starting with Jesus birth on through his life. There are many wonderful references and footnotes that help guide the reader's understanding of scripture. Chapters are divided into short, easy to study sections which make for perfect study sessions. When parents come to me with family concerns, I am able to find related scripture that helps them move through problems they face.
I don't teach Sunday school any longer, but I continue to read the book to my children and as a study book for myself. I have given this beautifully bound book to friends and recommended it to book clubs. I have not found another reference, meditation or teaching tool quite like this book and highly recommend it to anyone who seeks to understand the truth of Jesue life and teachings.
Testimonial: My Story -- Michelle Mrozkowski
After years of struggling through Bible stories and seldom teaching students the real value in scripture, I was introduced to "The Life and Teachings of Jesus". I was profoundly moved by the book and immediately understood its value, particularly to children who were able to grasp who Jesus is and the life he led on earth.
The book is organized chronologically, starting with Jesus birth on through his life. There are many wonderful references and footnotes that help guide the reader's understanding of scripture. Chapters are divided into short, easy to study sections which make for perfect study sessions. When parents come to me with family concerns, I am able to find related scripture that helps them move through problems they face.
I don't teach Sunday school any longer, but I continue to read the book to my children and as a study book for myself. I have given this beautifully bound book to friends and recommended it to book clubs. I have not found another reference, meditation or teaching tool quite like this book and highly recommend it to anyone who seeks to understand the truth of Jesue life and teachings.
AMERICA -- We are no Longer Honorable
AMERICA, as the Sioux medicine man Good Horse Nation says, must wake up. To do that, America will have to suffer a most difficult weaning from what is false and destructive about the American Dream.
And when we wake up we will realize that these bereft beings (the power elite) are running the political and fiancial centers of the world, and that no mere human effort will be able to correct this injustice. This is why Divine intervention will be needed; otherwise everyone and everything would be detroyed. Hyperbole? No--simple and honest logic. If nations had nuclear weapons when Rome fell,none of us would be here today to discuss the horrific situation we've gotten ourselves into. Do we really think that when things start to turn sour for our world that force will not be seen as the answer? Does anyone look upon the world scene and not see the progresive danger we are in? America suddenly is the bully of the world using its military might in an agressive, self-serving way rather than as a defensive stronghold of peace. We have lost all respect and goodwill in the eyes of the world's nations. They will accept our money but no longer look to us as a moral force in the world. And yet Americans notice nothing, as long as material goods keep flowing. We have ceased to use our minds to think for ourselves, our opinions are those of the first news report. We take our media and information sources at face value.
Where is the thirst for truth? The prophets have said, "our people are stupid." We see only what we want to see. Our own leaders prepare before us the rudiments for potential exportation of weapons technology to an entire world? When did it become acceptable to export destruction so that our richest people can become richer? Is this acceptable? What do we do? What do we say? The answer is a resounding nothing. History and God will hold America accountable for the deaths of tens of millions of lives. But as long as we still have our cozy lives and our wants fulfilled - we see nothing! And so, not until our toys and possessions are taken away from us will anybody notice that there are a lot of bully's that have moved onto the block. Then will America cry and then will America open her glazed-over eyes. And so, we will finally realize that which we have had ample opportunity to understand; Man needs God to guide his steps! By himself he is a miserable and obvious failure.
(Excerpts from "The Kingdom of Heaven is at Hand by Dr. Edmund Roache) Purchase by clicking right of page or order from Amazon.com)10/20/07
And when we wake up we will realize that these bereft beings (the power elite) are running the political and fiancial centers of the world, and that no mere human effort will be able to correct this injustice. This is why Divine intervention will be needed; otherwise everyone and everything would be detroyed. Hyperbole? No--simple and honest logic. If nations had nuclear weapons when Rome fell,none of us would be here today to discuss the horrific situation we've gotten ourselves into. Do we really think that when things start to turn sour for our world that force will not be seen as the answer? Does anyone look upon the world scene and not see the progresive danger we are in? America suddenly is the bully of the world using its military might in an agressive, self-serving way rather than as a defensive stronghold of peace. We have lost all respect and goodwill in the eyes of the world's nations. They will accept our money but no longer look to us as a moral force in the world. And yet Americans notice nothing, as long as material goods keep flowing. We have ceased to use our minds to think for ourselves, our opinions are those of the first news report. We take our media and information sources at face value.
Where is the thirst for truth? The prophets have said, "our people are stupid." We see only what we want to see. Our own leaders prepare before us the rudiments for potential exportation of weapons technology to an entire world? When did it become acceptable to export destruction so that our richest people can become richer? Is this acceptable? What do we do? What do we say? The answer is a resounding nothing. History and God will hold America accountable for the deaths of tens of millions of lives. But as long as we still have our cozy lives and our wants fulfilled - we see nothing! And so, not until our toys and possessions are taken away from us will anybody notice that there are a lot of bully's that have moved onto the block. Then will America cry and then will America open her glazed-over eyes. And so, we will finally realize that which we have had ample opportunity to understand; Man needs God to guide his steps! By himself he is a miserable and obvious failure.
(Excerpts from "The Kingdom of Heaven is at Hand by Dr. Edmund Roache) Purchase by clicking right of page or order from Amazon.com)10/20/07
Tuesday
"Mobs, Messiahs and Markets: Surviving the Public Spectacle in Finance and Politics" By Bill Bonner and Lila Rajiva
Bill Bonner has long been a maverick observer of the financial and political world. In Mobs, Messiahs, and Markets, Bonner and freelance Journalist Lila Rajiva use literary economics to offer broader insights into mass behavior and its devastating effects on society.
Why is it, they ask, that perfectly sane and responsible individuals turn into an irrational mob? What makes them trust charlatans and demagogues who manipulate their worse instincts? Why do they abandon good sense, good behavior and good taste? Why is the road to hell paved with so many sterling intentions? Why is there a fool on every corner and knave in every public office?
Yale University assistant professor of Psychiatry, Bandy Xenobia Lee, says its time to apply narcissistic behavior not only to people but to nations. It is obvious that, in the world of economics, Americans' delusions of grandeur threaten to ruin them. And in politics, it's worse. Americans are risking their very souls with murderous wars. Lee notes that few nations could have afforded to live in the style to which Americans have become accustomed -- not even Americans themselves. Their paper money is backed by nothing; the economy doomed to slow down, stocks bound to fall and, victims of an excess of enthusiasm and shortage of capital investment.
Yet, most Americans do not doubt themselves. They cannot save a dime themselves, but they offer to save the entire planet based on the way they view the world.
Success has transformed a modest people whose greatest virtue was once minding their own business into a vainglorious race who mind everyone's business but their own. Discounted is the hard work of their fathers and grandfathers who went ahead of them. Dismissed are the virtues of thrift, sound money, limited government and collective modesty.
One day, historians will look back at our era and marvel at how George bush and Tony Blair determined to convert the Iraqis to democracy. To our descendants, it will look like a mad caprice; an act of remarkable faith or delusion, like missionaries showing the heathan the correct posture for copulation.
(see full review: The Daily Reckoning, Weekend Edition, 8/25-26/07)
--This book is currently available at Amazon.com--
Why is it, they ask, that perfectly sane and responsible individuals turn into an irrational mob? What makes them trust charlatans and demagogues who manipulate their worse instincts? Why do they abandon good sense, good behavior and good taste? Why is the road to hell paved with so many sterling intentions? Why is there a fool on every corner and knave in every public office?
Yale University assistant professor of Psychiatry, Bandy Xenobia Lee, says its time to apply narcissistic behavior not only to people but to nations. It is obvious that, in the world of economics, Americans' delusions of grandeur threaten to ruin them. And in politics, it's worse. Americans are risking their very souls with murderous wars. Lee notes that few nations could have afforded to live in the style to which Americans have become accustomed -- not even Americans themselves. Their paper money is backed by nothing; the economy doomed to slow down, stocks bound to fall and, victims of an excess of enthusiasm and shortage of capital investment.
Yet, most Americans do not doubt themselves. They cannot save a dime themselves, but they offer to save the entire planet based on the way they view the world.
Success has transformed a modest people whose greatest virtue was once minding their own business into a vainglorious race who mind everyone's business but their own. Discounted is the hard work of their fathers and grandfathers who went ahead of them. Dismissed are the virtues of thrift, sound money, limited government and collective modesty.
One day, historians will look back at our era and marvel at how George bush and Tony Blair determined to convert the Iraqis to democracy. To our descendants, it will look like a mad caprice; an act of remarkable faith or delusion, like missionaries showing the heathan the correct posture for copulation.
(see full review: The Daily Reckoning, Weekend Edition, 8/25-26/07)
--This book is currently available at Amazon.com--
Dr. Edmund Roache, Author, "The Kingdom of Heaven is at Hand" reports on current political and economic events outlined in his book
"The stage is set to set the Middle East aflame and draw the whole world into World War III. The script is being followed. Watch the details closely. For instance, why does Israel declare war on Lebanon one day and then the next day give away the West Bank and Gaza for nothing in return. None of it makes any sense unless you posit that there is an alternative goal other than what we are all being led to believe."
"Another example is the way we have leaked our military technology on purpose to Chinese "spies" so that they can build up their military and some day use it against us. We do the same with Russia as we turn our backs while they build their arsenal despite knowing that they are cheating on all the armament reduction treaties that we unilaterally continue to disarm ourselves by."
"The American media are controlled by six men -- six!!! We are told what they want us to know -- no more, no less. For example, Ron Paul is of the caliber of an Abraham Lincoln and he is continually ignored despite a lot of support from people who really know what is going on. Also the dollar is circling the drain and everything will get a lot worse economically and financially once it breaks 80, which I think it will do over the next several months. Is the media reporting on the real economic news to help prepare us? Indeed no!"
"Do not be deceived. The American people have been intentionally dumbed down so that many don't even know how to think for themselves and the younger the generation the more clueless we have become."
"Many critical issues that will impact every espect of our lives in the months and years ahead are on the table with little national discussion. For example the seriousness of the drought and a financial crisis that is imminent that could create a depression in the new few years, if not sooner."
"American is ripe for the kill but maybe we can still put up a good fight. As for the Kingdom Book, I fully expect the day to come when it will see it's full use"
(purchase book by clicking "order books" on far right of page)
"Another example is the way we have leaked our military technology on purpose to Chinese "spies" so that they can build up their military and some day use it against us. We do the same with Russia as we turn our backs while they build their arsenal despite knowing that they are cheating on all the armament reduction treaties that we unilaterally continue to disarm ourselves by."
"The American media are controlled by six men -- six!!! We are told what they want us to know -- no more, no less. For example, Ron Paul is of the caliber of an Abraham Lincoln and he is continually ignored despite a lot of support from people who really know what is going on. Also the dollar is circling the drain and everything will get a lot worse economically and financially once it breaks 80, which I think it will do over the next several months. Is the media reporting on the real economic news to help prepare us? Indeed no!"
"Do not be deceived. The American people have been intentionally dumbed down so that many don't even know how to think for themselves and the younger the generation the more clueless we have become."
"Many critical issues that will impact every espect of our lives in the months and years ahead are on the table with little national discussion. For example the seriousness of the drought and a financial crisis that is imminent that could create a depression in the new few years, if not sooner."
"American is ripe for the kill but maybe we can still put up a good fight. As for the Kingdom Book, I fully expect the day to come when it will see it's full use"
(purchase book by clicking "order books" on far right of page)
Wednesday
Critical Mass/The Shift
When a sufficiently large core group of people awaken to a new and enlarged reality, critical mass happens. This new way of thinking spreads almost instantly. What this means is that there will come a time when the new reality will suddenly make sense to the majority of people 'currently' moving through a shift in consciousness.
This new behavior pattern will spread to most but not all. Many will remain
steadfast in their established behavior patterns and resist change. No matter, critical mass is building! It will not be long.
In the early 60s one in 50 adults reached this new awareness. Today, according to extensive surveys more than one in four adults in the US and Europe have taken the leap in consciousness, thus forming the nucleus of the Shift -- a collective transformation consisting of the sum of each individual's step forward.
The paradigm shift is the result of a cosmic cycle which is unfolding slowly but steadily, uplifting humanity. Thus, your greatest service to the world is to development of your own consciousness. 7/15/07
More from: The Shift: The Revolution in Human Consciousness
This new behavior pattern will spread to most but not all. Many will remain
steadfast in their established behavior patterns and resist change. No matter, critical mass is building! It will not be long.
In the early 60s one in 50 adults reached this new awareness. Today, according to extensive surveys more than one in four adults in the US and Europe have taken the leap in consciousness, thus forming the nucleus of the Shift -- a collective transformation consisting of the sum of each individual's step forward.
The paradigm shift is the result of a cosmic cycle which is unfolding slowly but steadily, uplifting humanity. Thus, your greatest service to the world is to development of your own consciousness. 7/15/07
More from: The Shift: The Revolution in Human Consciousness
Saturday
Leading Scholar Andrew Harvey Discusses our World Crises and his Vision for Change ---
I think that there is a great death going on that is obvious now to everybody with half a brain and half a heart. It involves an environmental holocaust that is devastating the environment. It involves the proliferation of nuclear and biological weapons, which threaten millions of people. It involves the escalation of a massive conflict in the Middle East, which is looking extremely dangerous. It involves the dereliction of a whole world through an obsession with technology. It involves a mass media trash and trivialization at a moment when the whole world needs serious, deep, profound inspiration. It involves a pace of life that is so crazy it makes everybody half crazy. I think when you think of all these crises together you see very clearly that we’re in a situation that threatens the life of humanity and the life of the planet.
This would be a complete disaster if there weren’t some Divine meaning to it, and I believe that
there very much is. I think the divine meaning is that this great death is destined to compel humanity to discover its own divine nature and work from the discovery in unity with itself and with nature to rebuild an almost totally ruined world.
So we really deeply need to embrace the truth of this death, and also to see that it is the condition of a great birth, that this great birth is going on right now and it will compel an evolutionary leap. It is a birth in the deep, passionate growth of all kinds of people who are waking up and realizing that there is a potential extinction crisis of the human race, but also realizing that God is in us and that we do have the Divine nature. I think this crisis is to be used by the Divine as a way of crucifying our illusions to being born into the world of Divine humanity, which would give us direct access to unimaginable power. This power is to be used, not for domination and exploitation, but for healing, for tremendous worldwide healing; healing of the divisions, healing of all the separations between all beings.
People who have a deep spiritual connection to the Divine know that they are divine, know that life is divine, the world is divine and they are actually doing things in the real world with real resources out of love for the world, guided by inner wisdom. Those are the people who are going to get through a time of devastating affairs. Those are the people who are going to live the life that will make living here worthwhile. Those people are the “Sacred Activists”.
We are facing unprecedented crises with a largely destroyed psyche. That is why the whole vision of Sacred Activism is so important. It offers a way of inner healing that leads to the desire to act and the knowledge of how to act. You can’t solve all the world’s problems so decide which of them absolutely breaks your heart and dedicate your time to that, because that heartbreak will give you outrage, compassion, passion and energy. Heartbreak is kind of a divine virtue, a divine guide into the depths of your real mission. The holiest impulse behind activism is the passion for justice, to see justice done for all beings. The foundation of a new form of action is a new form of feeling.
I think it is important to be unillusioned, to be realistic, but it’s also very important to understand that there is a tremendous secret in this adventure, the secret of a possible transfiguration of humanity if we go for it with all the passion, truth, humility and deep desire to serve that we can possibly muster. Whatever happens, the only important thing will be to have lived in love, to have lived in the Divine energy, to have given everything that one could possibly give to other beings to make this unendurable situation durable.
This would be a complete disaster if there weren’t some Divine meaning to it, and I believe that
there very much is. I think the divine meaning is that this great death is destined to compel humanity to discover its own divine nature and work from the discovery in unity with itself and with nature to rebuild an almost totally ruined world.
So we really deeply need to embrace the truth of this death, and also to see that it is the condition of a great birth, that this great birth is going on right now and it will compel an evolutionary leap. It is a birth in the deep, passionate growth of all kinds of people who are waking up and realizing that there is a potential extinction crisis of the human race, but also realizing that God is in us and that we do have the Divine nature. I think this crisis is to be used by the Divine as a way of crucifying our illusions to being born into the world of Divine humanity, which would give us direct access to unimaginable power. This power is to be used, not for domination and exploitation, but for healing, for tremendous worldwide healing; healing of the divisions, healing of all the separations between all beings.
People who have a deep spiritual connection to the Divine know that they are divine, know that life is divine, the world is divine and they are actually doing things in the real world with real resources out of love for the world, guided by inner wisdom. Those are the people who are going to get through a time of devastating affairs. Those are the people who are going to live the life that will make living here worthwhile. Those people are the “Sacred Activists”.
We are facing unprecedented crises with a largely destroyed psyche. That is why the whole vision of Sacred Activism is so important. It offers a way of inner healing that leads to the desire to act and the knowledge of how to act. You can’t solve all the world’s problems so decide which of them absolutely breaks your heart and dedicate your time to that, because that heartbreak will give you outrage, compassion, passion and energy. Heartbreak is kind of a divine virtue, a divine guide into the depths of your real mission. The holiest impulse behind activism is the passion for justice, to see justice done for all beings. The foundation of a new form of action is a new form of feeling.
I think it is important to be unillusioned, to be realistic, but it’s also very important to understand that there is a tremendous secret in this adventure, the secret of a possible transfiguration of humanity if we go for it with all the passion, truth, humility and deep desire to serve that we can possibly muster. Whatever happens, the only important thing will be to have lived in love, to have lived in the Divine energy, to have given everything that one could possibly give to other beings to make this unendurable situation durable.
The "Kingdom of Heaven is at hand" presents the most challenging and far reaching presentation of comparative prophecy to date.
This is a book of revelation and inspiration to the reader whose life's work is a search for truth. It is also a "must read" for those who seek to understand and interpret current world events and the future of humanity.
This is not a book based on prediction. Is is a scholarly work that challenges the reader to take a hard look at the relevancy of true prophecy and the value of one's spiritual heritage running through the centuries to the barren times of a materialistic age. It is a unified interpretation of the Old Testament Prophets, the Dead Sea Scrolls, 1 Enoch and the Urantia Book. The author also weaves together the work of 20th century prophets Emily Dickenson and Walt Whitman.
Words of true prophecy often have past, present and future connotations. Reverence for the source of prophecy is the key to its study. The prophets of old have foretold our current age and the future of humanity and offer the most complete understanding of our troubled world that exists today.
This book has been in manuscript form since 1999 and was published in 2004. The true test of prophecy is the march of time and the historical events that are unfolded in our lives. So far the tenets and explanation provided by this book are passing the test of time with remarkable accuracy.
The length of the book is mostly accounted for by the generous presentation of quoted material from the various sources discussed. The careful reader will develop a broad understanding of all the sources discussed and his efforts will be duly rewarded with a new found understanding of the human condition and the confusing world in which he lives today.
When crisis of enormous magnitude someday arises this book will be a beacon of sanity amidst the crumbling paradigms and toppling walls of a civilization gone awry.
This is not a book based on prediction. Is is a scholarly work that challenges the reader to take a hard look at the relevancy of true prophecy and the value of one's spiritual heritage running through the centuries to the barren times of a materialistic age. It is a unified interpretation of the Old Testament Prophets, the Dead Sea Scrolls, 1 Enoch and the Urantia Book. The author also weaves together the work of 20th century prophets Emily Dickenson and Walt Whitman.
Words of true prophecy often have past, present and future connotations. Reverence for the source of prophecy is the key to its study. The prophets of old have foretold our current age and the future of humanity and offer the most complete understanding of our troubled world that exists today.
This book has been in manuscript form since 1999 and was published in 2004. The true test of prophecy is the march of time and the historical events that are unfolded in our lives. So far the tenets and explanation provided by this book are passing the test of time with remarkable accuracy.
The length of the book is mostly accounted for by the generous presentation of quoted material from the various sources discussed. The careful reader will develop a broad understanding of all the sources discussed and his efforts will be duly rewarded with a new found understanding of the human condition and the confusing world in which he lives today.
When crisis of enormous magnitude someday arises this book will be a beacon of sanity amidst the crumbling paradigms and toppling walls of a civilization gone awry.
Friday
Order the book containing the Jesus Papers, Jesus A New Revelation today!
ORDER THIS BOOK ABOUT THE COMPLETE LIFE OF JESUS --- THE LOST YEARS TO THE CRUCIFIXION. A MOMUMENTAL WORK THAT REVEALS TO US THE TRUTH ABOUT THE WAY JESUS LIVED HIS LIFE AND THE REVELATION TO THE WORLD OF THE FATHERHOOD OF GOD AND THE BROTHERHOOD OF MAN. A MUST READ!
Jesus, during the course of his final prayer with his apostles, alluded to the fact that he has manifested the Father’s name to the world. And this is truly what he did by the revelation of God through his perfected life in the flesh. When JESUS had finished his earth life, this name of the Father had been so revealed that he enlarged the living revelation of the name of God to all generations. Jesus lived for all of humanity.
Jesus – A New Revelation retells the story of Jesus’ life, revealing truths which have been lost for over 2000 years. It is a unique and extraordinary book in that is was revealed to us by celestial authors in who maintain that “this is the recital of the events as viewed by those who saw them as they really occurred, free from the limitations of partial and restricted human vision.
The history of the life of Jesus was first published in the final 76 papers of the Urantia Book. The Michael Foundation in l999 extracted these papers and published Jesus – A New Revelation for readers primarily interested in the life of Jesus. Mo Siegel (see below), Founder of Celestial Seasonings Tea Company, movingly gives testimonial to the Urantia Book and why this book was lifechanging. In his testimonial he says about the Jesus papers: “Before I read the Urantia Book I loved the story of Jesus in the New Testament but always felt disappointed that it covered only a few years of his life. When I read the section abut Jesus I was profoundly moved: Jesus – both human being and the Son of God – came alive in the most superbly written biographical literature that I have ever come across. It made me far more respectful and appreciative of my childhood training in both Judaism and Christianity. Simply put The Life and Teachings of Jesus transformed my life to one of doubt to one of faith, from one of insecurity to one of trust in God – with Jesus as the lens through which God becomes visible. As a spiritual adventurer, I was thrilled that the Jesus I begun to learn and know built on the Bible, and then took me a hundred miles further.”
Mo Siegel, Founder of Celestial Seasonings Tea Company, Provides His Testimonial on the Book the Most Changed His Life
My Testimony
by Mo Siegel
Thanks to the influence of my father and grandfather I grew up curious about religion and in quest of deeper spiritual meaning. I was especially interested in the relationship between science and religion and troubled by the apparent conflict over the subject of evolution. The more I read on religion and science the more I was convinced that science reflected the divine nature of God rather than contradicting it. The more I read, the more urgent the need to understand how the world was the way it was.
At the age of 19, I discovered The Urantia Book and have been reading it ever since. The book presents a logical story of physical and social evolution. It is for me the bridge between science and religion that I had been searching for.
I found the foreword to the Urantia Book utterly confusing but kept reading anyway. What followed was a fascinating intellectual and spiritual adventure that shook up everything I thought I knew. The first two parts of the book describe God, the Trinity, the organization and structure of the Universe, life on other worlds, life after death, angels and other personalities and heaven. When I read part three I thought I had won the lottery. That section deals with the origin and history of our world and ending with the birth of Jesus.
The Urantia Book devotes 875 pages on the magnificent life and teachings of Jesus. It includes the missing years of his life from age 1 to 12 and then from age 13 to approximately 30 --- not chronicled in the Bible.
Before I read the Urantia Book I loved the story of Jesus in the New Testament but always felt disappointed that it covered only a few years of his life. When I read the section about Jesus I was profoundly moved: Jesus --- both the human being and the Son of God ---came alive in the most superbly written biographical literature that I have ever come across. It made me far more respectful and appreciative of my childhood training in both Judaism and Christianity. Simply put the life and teachings of Jesus in section four of the Urantia Book transformed my life to one of doubt to one of faith, from one of insecurity to one of trust in God --- with Jesus as the lens through which God becomes visible. As a spiritual adventurer, I was thrilled that the Jesus of the Urantia Book built on the Bible, and then took me a hundred miles further.
The Urantia Book has been life changing, for it has made me examine my values and commit myself to doing something worthwhile with my life. Like all businesspeople, I have had to make choices every step of the way. My materialistic side could have easily hardened me, but the ideals I internalized from the Urantia Book kept pushing me to choose good over greed and to care about the people I worked with as well as the people who bought our products. In fact those ideals were the inspiration for the uplifting quotes we print on the side of our tea boxes and on our tea bag tags from the company I founded many years ago -- the Celestial Seasonings Tea Company.
The most valuable thing the Urantia Book has done for me is to make God real. After reading and absorbing the book I slowly grew to trust that every part of God has been implanted in our minds to guide us and show us the way.
When I first heard people discussing The Urantia Book, they said it was a revelation, written not by human beings but by angels, which I thought was the goofiest thing I’d ever heard. I ended up reading it in spite of all that. After I read it for the first time, I was not concerned about who had written it or how it had been written. It was too powerful!
I had wanted bold; I found bold. I wanted spiritual adventure, and I was on the ride of my life. I was searching for truth and the book was loaded with it. Since that time, I have looked into it deeply and cannot find any author associated with the book. But that is not the point because I love what it says. I am a much better person because of The Urantia Book’s teachings.
by Mo Siegel
Thanks to the influence of my father and grandfather I grew up curious about religion and in quest of deeper spiritual meaning. I was especially interested in the relationship between science and religion and troubled by the apparent conflict over the subject of evolution. The more I read on religion and science the more I was convinced that science reflected the divine nature of God rather than contradicting it. The more I read, the more urgent the need to understand how the world was the way it was.
At the age of 19, I discovered The Urantia Book and have been reading it ever since. The book presents a logical story of physical and social evolution. It is for me the bridge between science and religion that I had been searching for.
I found the foreword to the Urantia Book utterly confusing but kept reading anyway. What followed was a fascinating intellectual and spiritual adventure that shook up everything I thought I knew. The first two parts of the book describe God, the Trinity, the organization and structure of the Universe, life on other worlds, life after death, angels and other personalities and heaven. When I read part three I thought I had won the lottery. That section deals with the origin and history of our world and ending with the birth of Jesus.
The Urantia Book devotes 875 pages on the magnificent life and teachings of Jesus. It includes the missing years of his life from age 1 to 12 and then from age 13 to approximately 30 --- not chronicled in the Bible.
Before I read the Urantia Book I loved the story of Jesus in the New Testament but always felt disappointed that it covered only a few years of his life. When I read the section about Jesus I was profoundly moved: Jesus --- both the human being and the Son of God ---came alive in the most superbly written biographical literature that I have ever come across. It made me far more respectful and appreciative of my childhood training in both Judaism and Christianity. Simply put the life and teachings of Jesus in section four of the Urantia Book transformed my life to one of doubt to one of faith, from one of insecurity to one of trust in God --- with Jesus as the lens through which God becomes visible. As a spiritual adventurer, I was thrilled that the Jesus of the Urantia Book built on the Bible, and then took me a hundred miles further.
The Urantia Book has been life changing, for it has made me examine my values and commit myself to doing something worthwhile with my life. Like all businesspeople, I have had to make choices every step of the way. My materialistic side could have easily hardened me, but the ideals I internalized from the Urantia Book kept pushing me to choose good over greed and to care about the people I worked with as well as the people who bought our products. In fact those ideals were the inspiration for the uplifting quotes we print on the side of our tea boxes and on our tea bag tags from the company I founded many years ago -- the Celestial Seasonings Tea Company.
The most valuable thing the Urantia Book has done for me is to make God real. After reading and absorbing the book I slowly grew to trust that every part of God has been implanted in our minds to guide us and show us the way.
When I first heard people discussing The Urantia Book, they said it was a revelation, written not by human beings but by angels, which I thought was the goofiest thing I’d ever heard. I ended up reading it in spite of all that. After I read it for the first time, I was not concerned about who had written it or how it had been written. It was too powerful!
I had wanted bold; I found bold. I wanted spiritual adventure, and I was on the ride of my life. I was searching for truth and the book was loaded with it. Since that time, I have looked into it deeply and cannot find any author associated with the book. But that is not the point because I love what it says. I am a much better person because of The Urantia Book’s teachings.
The Life and Teachings of Jesus, by Preston Thomas
Preston Thomas is the founder of The Einstein School in Charlottesville, Virginia.
The Life and Teachings of Jesus is the result of a nine year effort to concentrate the Bible verses associated with Jesus into one volume. Each occurrence of his life is treated individually, and then arranged in a chronological sequence. Thus, it presents Jesus’ life and teachings as they actually took place, from birth through death and resurrection. This format promotes a better understanding of Jesus’ real life and hisoriginal gospel of the kingdom.
Helpful explanatory notes are generously supplied.
The book includes an exhaustive index so that readers can quickly find what Jesus said
concerning any topic. It also includes a list of
Jesus’s parables, miracles, and teachings that outline his philosophy of living. This beautiful bonded leather edition makes an attractive and meaningful gift. Now offered at $18.95 plus shipping and handling.
Preston Thomas writes, "My idea for this project had its roots in an event that took place many years ago. My grandmother was dying; she was bedridden, but alert. I searched for good words, meaningful words, that I could read to her in an effort to help her be prepared to leave this life and enter into the next. I settled on a small book called The Sayings of Jesus. It contained only the teachings of Jesus; I knew that his words would be the best words I could find.
"My hope also is this book will be used and read often in search of help, guidance, and inspiration that only Jesus' matchless life and teachings can provide. My suggestion is to read only a small portion (one chapter or one section) each day. Let the words sink in, and make it a priority to maintain regular daily reading. Simply running these words and teachings through our minds can have a very positive effect. Following Jesus' guidelines for living provides direction and stability, while transforming our lives."
Helpful explanatory notes are generously supplied.
The book includes an exhaustive index so that readers can quickly find what Jesus said
concerning any topic. It also includes a list of
Jesus’s parables, miracles, and teachings that outline his philosophy of living. This beautiful bonded leather edition makes an attractive and meaningful gift. Now offered at $18.95 plus shipping and handling.
Preston Thomas writes, "My idea for this project had its roots in an event that took place many years ago. My grandmother was dying; she was bedridden, but alert. I searched for good words, meaningful words, that I could read to her in an effort to help her be prepared to leave this life and enter into the next. I settled on a small book called The Sayings of Jesus. It contained only the teachings of Jesus; I knew that his words would be the best words I could find.
"My hope also is this book will be used and read often in search of help, guidance, and inspiration that only Jesus' matchless life and teachings can provide. My suggestion is to read only a small portion (one chapter or one section) each day. Let the words sink in, and make it a priority to maintain regular daily reading. Simply running these words and teachings through our minds can have a very positive effect. Following Jesus' guidelines for living provides direction and stability, while transforming our lives."
You've Got to Read This Book!
Do you remember the "Chicken Soup for the Soul" cocreator, Jack Canfield? He has a marvelous book that I think anyone searching for meaning in written text should consider buying and reading. It is a book aptly titled, You've Got to Read This Book, 55 People Tell the Story of the Book That Changed Their Life. Also to be included as coeditor is Gay Hendricks who also coauthored Conscious Loving. Several of the contributors and their books that are of particular interest include the following:
Lois Capps: The End of Poverty: Economic Possibilities for Our Time, by Jeffrey Sachs
Stephen Covey: A Guide for the Perplexed, by E.F. Schumacher and Man's Search for Meaning, by Victor Frankel
Rafe Esquith: To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee
Michael E. Gerber: 100 Selected Poems, by e.e. cummings
John Gray: The Science of Being and Art of Living, by Maharishi Mahesh Yogi
Doris Haddock (Granny D): Peace Pilgrim
Jim MacLaren: The Passion of the Western Mind: Understanding the Ideas That Have Shaped Our World View, by Richard Tarnas, and of course,
Mo Siegel: The Urantia Book
The book is a great introduction into the notion that by reading books and meditating upon their contents, comparing ideas between authors, genres, and time periods; we can change our consciousness for the betterment of ourselves and our world. Reading and allowing ourselves to be molded by the written word seems, at times, to be lost on Western civilization. This book gives us hope for change and a glimpse of the type of understanding that radically alters the individual's course of destiny.
Lois Capps: The End of Poverty: Economic Possibilities for Our Time, by Jeffrey Sachs
Stephen Covey: A Guide for the Perplexed, by E.F. Schumacher and Man's Search for Meaning, by Victor Frankel
Rafe Esquith: To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee
Michael E. Gerber: 100 Selected Poems, by e.e. cummings
John Gray: The Science of Being and Art of Living, by Maharishi Mahesh Yogi
Doris Haddock (Granny D): Peace Pilgrim
Jim MacLaren: The Passion of the Western Mind: Understanding the Ideas That Have Shaped Our World View, by Richard Tarnas, and of course,
Mo Siegel: The Urantia Book
The book is a great introduction into the notion that by reading books and meditating upon their contents, comparing ideas between authors, genres, and time periods; we can change our consciousness for the betterment of ourselves and our world. Reading and allowing ourselves to be molded by the written word seems, at times, to be lost on Western civilization. This book gives us hope for change and a glimpse of the type of understanding that radically alters the individual's course of destiny.
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