Introduce yourself!

[Mantheprince]

Seriously...brown team; Clinical Psychologist:NSA Usa.

[Peppermill]

When I wanted to post the item on John Hus below, I looked for something comparable to the Book Nook or similar general interest threads on other boards, but I haven't thought of anything clever from either traditional religion or mythology.  Perhaps someone else's brain cells are firing better today and can give us suggestions or will start a thread.

Anyway:  John Hus

July 6, 1415: Jan Hus burned at the stake
Czech religious reformer Jan Hus, whose criticisms of the church anticipated the Reformation by more than a century, was convicted of heresy at the Council of Constance and, on this day in 1415, was burned at the stake.

[Peppermill]

I suppose possibilities could be "Lucifer's Den" or perhaps the "Lion's Den," but I think something out of mythology might be more neutral and fun.

Still in brainstorming mode -- without much rain or snow!

P

[Peppermill]

Another general conversation item:

Vivekananda
Hindu spiritual leader and reformer Vivekananda—who attempted to combine Indian spirituality with Western material progress, maintaining that they supplemented and complemented one another—died this day (July 4) in Calcutta in 1902. 

[Laurel]

He turned 500 yesterday, July 10.

[SandyNathan]

Hi, everyone! This is my first BN post. I’m getting involved with the BN.com community. Looks like it has lots to offer. Hopefully, I’ll have something to offer back. I just spent half an hour writing a nice intro to myself, hit some key, and it disappeared. Arghh!

Maybe that means make it shorter.  Okay. I come from a "deep thinking" family––my dad kept books by Spinoza and Immanuel Kant on his bedside and actually read them. He discussed the BIG TOPICS at the breakfast table and encouraged thought that pierced social and religious norms. I think being of 100% Icelandic stock fueled his iconoclastic nature and drive.

We occasionally attended the local Presbyterian or Lutheran churches, but my religious experience was formed more on the back of my horse riding through the redwoods of the San Francisco Peninsula's coastal range more than anywhere else.

My personal philosophical inquiry was jumpstarted when a drunk driver killed my dad when I was 18. Life handed me a koan to last a lifetime: Why should someone with such an exemplary life get mowed down so brutally? Why did my life fall to shreds afterward?

I was at Santa Clara University at the time. At the time, they required all graduates to minor in philosophy. Those courses saved me. I ended up 2 short of a philosophy major (actual major was economics) and a life's direction.

Fast forward through a couple of advanced degrees, three or four careers, kids, and marriage. A 34-year meditation practice, study of Eastern religions, and an MA in counseling informed my search.

In 1993, I found out something that rocked my world. Healing from it took all my energy. In 1995, I was patched up enough to attend a meditation retreat. I worked as hard as I could, doing all the practices to my utmost. I left feeling renewed and ready to go again.

A couple of days later the retreat’s real fruit manifested: I had an experience worthy of Hollywood special effects studios. I felt like a lightning bolt struck my right temple and passed through my head, complete with blue and white lights. It left behind the plot of a book.

I wrote nonstop for nine years after that, completing book draft after book draft. Quite a flood. I’ve got two books out now, both dealing with spiritual/religious topics. I guess I did something right; between them, my books have won ten national awards.  I’ll put product links on them.

Right now, I’m totally enthralled with Diana Galbadon’s Outlander series. And I loved the Twilight series. Quite a departure for someone whose favorite author is Halldor Laxness, the Icelandic Nobel Laureate. Look at my library for more books.

I’m going to attempt to put a couple of product links to my books FYI.

Numenon 

Numenon: A Tale of Mysticism & Money won the 2009 Silver Nautilus Award this spring. The Nautilus Award recognizes distinguished books that socially conscious  and promote planetary healing. The Dalai Lama and Deepak Chopra are also winners. “Bill Gates meets Don Juan” summarizes it.  Numenon has won three other national awards.

Stepping Off the Edge 

Stepping Off the Edge was my first published book. A contemporary spiritual companion helping people get over things like eBay addiction, infatuation with rock starts, and other people trying to destroy them. It’s won six national awards.

Best wishes to all. I’d better get back to working on Numenon’s sequel.

Sandy Nathan

[caroline1008]

Hello,

I live near Toronto, Canada and currently attend a Presbyterian Church where I help out with PowerPoint.

[rainspirit]

sandy-you have so many great things that have happened to you! the books, you have done a wonderful job of!  especially all the rewards, and, the reward of sitting down and writing them, to have them published.  that is a great accomplishment!  keep going, good luck, and great job!

rainspirit 

[rainspirit]

hi all-i would like to know if there were any possible way to put the newest replies, or even to be able to sort the dates on this group.  it's so hard to find the recent replies, as they are all jumbled together!  if anyone has a clue, please let me know!  email is:  rainspirit57@hotmail.com

please put:  sorting out replies in the subject line so it's not thrown into the spam box.

any help would be greatly appreciated!  i do like this little group, but not much going on in it. always too quiet!

[SandyNathan]

Thanks for the good words, rainspirit! Once those inner walls were shattered, not doing what I've done would have been harder than doing it.

Thanks for the encouragement.

Sandy Nathan

[iheartvolleyba…]

Haha...... Hey...Awesome 2 meet u... I am in 7th grade and i'm from Virginia... I really like Christian Dating books as well as Christian Fiction for girls. But my favorite book really tops out as my bible... I love reading it!!! I have grown up in church most of my life... Now even more than ever I am extremely involved in my youth group and serving at church. I really love singing praise because I love to express myself through music(: TTYL God Bless Your Day!!!!!!!!!

[rainspirit]

hi again all!  never mind my last post about the dates. i've got it fixed! i guess i just had it all messed up!  

now, about me & finally able to at least go to our first meeting at Church.  it had been quite a few months where i wasn't able to at least go to our Sacrament meeting.  i had finally, after 4 years of praying, and 4 years of fighting the SSDI people, i had finally gotten my disability. the day i had gotten the phone call, i think i had cried for about 15 minutes, and right after i had gotten off the phone, called my husband at worked, and we thanked God over, and over, and over! i had tried for a long time to at least go to our first meeting, but the bones wouldn't cooperate, only about once a month.  i had a long talk with a woman from our Church, and she suggested to at leasty TRY for the first one, then if i was having what i call a "good" day, try for the Sunday school class. just sitting in the chairs or the pews for an hour was really getting the best of me.  i have DDD, DBD, arthritis and bone spurs (those are the worst diseases, & there are lots of others!), so it makes it really hard for me to do much!  i haven't been to the Relief Society meetings in, i couldn't tell you how long, and i really miss that class, also.  we've been studying about the Prophet Joseph Smith, and since i can't stay for all the classes, i had read, and re-read the whole book. you might say i'm way ahead of a class i can't get to!  that's fine, though, because it gives me a chance to read a lot of the books that others haven't even gotten to yet!  i have read the entire Bible, the Book of Mormon, so now, i'll just read different Verses, or parts of the different Books, and it really does make me feel better!  after the 4 years of troubles, there isn't a person on this planet that can tell me that prayers don't work, because they most certainly do!!!!  lol, sorry if i've bored anyone, looks like i've started my own novel!  hope everyone is having a good weekend!

[_mOonSeeKer_]

Hello, my name is Arvie. My religion is Reformed Baptist.I don't read any christian books, except the Bible. That's all..

[Joseph_F]

Hi there Arvie. What non-Christian books do you read? Do you read books about any other religions?

[scarletshark]

Uh, hi, I'm still trying to figure my way around this place and trying to communicate correctly. So, hopefully this gets where it is supposed to. 

My name is Heather. I'm 25 and a writer, reader, wife, Christian, friend, nanny, and on and on. I enjoy meeting new people and learning of other beliefs.

I don't have a lot of extra time to get online but I'll try to check in from time to time to see what people are discussing.

I'm currently reading the Bible from front to back (which of course takes forever) and at the same time I'm reading The Stand by Stephen King. So I've walloped myself, eh?

[_mOonSeeKer_]

---

Joseph_F wrote:
Hi there Arvie. What non-Christian books do you read? Do you read books about any other religions?

---

I mostly read fiction..but not like twilight or harry potter, cause I'm not allowed, mainly because the author of harry potter is satanist (and it's against our religion), and twilight is about vampires.(i think it's against our religion too, not so sure though.) I don't read books about other religions, cause i'm not allowed too...lol, I'm not allowed to so many things..,  but to tell you the truth I don't fret about it or something...lol

[Lima_Bean]

Elo-

I'm new to the forum and wanted to introduce myself.  As you can see I go by Lima Bean.. don't ask me why- perhaps because I had some for dinner the other night?  Doesn't matter, but I do enjoy reading especially about spirituality and Christian teachings.  I hope our conversations can lead us all into a more meditative and introspective view while we help each other grow in faith and love.

God bless and see you in the threads!

[ZorinaVA]

Hi,

I just published a book on spirituality and how we connect with Nature and the divine. It is available on B & N website.

Author: Zorina Alliata
Book Title: "Anamnesis"

Short description: "Anamnesis" is a novel about two friends who are fighting their own demons. They figure out that faith brought them together for a higher purpose. Their journey is funny, crazy, maybe a bit controversial, and sometimes heartbreaking.

I would love to hear some comments about the story. Thank you!

Zorina Alliata
zorinaalliata@yahoo.com

Anamnesis 

 

[BNManager]

Hello,

I am a bookseller in Ohio.  I aslo an a preacher. I love to read, talk abolut books and learn what people think and why.  I hope this will be a entertaining and educational place to hang out.

Dan

[ilovebooksOH]

Hi my name is Hope .im reading Outrageous grasce by Dwight K. nelson i like this book but i dont love its kind slow 

I love to read books by Max lucads i have other books by others but hes the one i like the most to read

                  Thank you