Books & Spoken Word

Audio books I am listening to and other books or readings I am reading:

AW Tozer’s Sermons on THE VOICE OF ETERNAL WISDOM:
The Hebrew Doctrine of Wisdom 1
God is Wisdom 2
Christianity is a Divine Thing 3

The Words of Jesus of Nazareth by Lee Cantelon It all began with a conversation. Scott C., a good friend of mine, was describing his most recent spiritual journey. He had just returned from the Amazon where he had lived in the jungle, explored tribal spirituality, used hallucinogenic drugs, and nearly ruined his health, all in an effort to satisfy his search for spiritual peace. Having returned to London , he was exhausted and despairing, with so many burning questions left unanswered. During this conversation, I suggested that he attempt to study the words of Jesus. I’ll never forget the look of disappointment that crossed his face. “The Bible?” he sighed. He had been raised in the Church of England, and this experience had left him with no interest in returning. I then promised him something that would become an all-consuming commitment. “I’ll find you a book, one with just the words of Jesus, so you don’t have to read them from a Bible. If I can’t find such a book, I’ll put one together for you.”
The words of Jesus resound with a challenge to a world burdened by greed, self-righteous religion, and pride. The Jesus I discovered spoke a message of humility, one that did not emphasize a vengeful God, but one of love. His words were filled with mercy, compassion, and forgiveness. A new kind of kingdom was being introduced in his words, accessible to all; men, women, Jews, Gentiles, slaves, kings, free, lost, Illuminated, and illiterate. All that was required was that we become “like children” and hold fast to this kind message that offers the stern command, “open your hearts!” How this has become so much dogma, who can understand? And understanding, to recognize his invitation to our right to become “children of God.” Is no great feat. My friend, Rickie Lee Jones, put it this way:
”The words of Jesus remain a ‘soft dream’ that falls night by night, until the soul is ignited with courage. Our hearts, that did not sing until now, are filled with hope that did not yet dare to dream of freedom from poverty and oppression. With faith, what one feels is the Truth, and the truth, while difficult to teach, is immense. It is easy to learn. We have Christ among us, speaking through each of us, if we choose to listen. We have Christ and though there are few words, they are enough, they are enough to last two thousand years. In spite of so much distortion of His will and meaning, they reverberate clearly in the good work of so many Christians who may not even know they are ‘followers.’”

There’s No Such Thing as “Business” Ethics (Unabridged) Best-selling author and expert on leadership John C. Maxwell claims there is only one rule for business. How does a person judge what is ethical? Sometimes it’s clear. You know Enron’s leaders were in the wrong. But is it always easy to see where the line is in your life? What’s the standard? And can it work in all situations? John C. Maxwell thinks it can. When the New York Times best-selling author, successful businessman, and former pastor was asked about his thoughts on business ethics, his response was, “There’s no such thing. There’s only ethics.” Maxwell asserts there’s one ethical standard for all behavior. And you might be surprised by what it’s based on. Did you know that a variation of the Golden Rule exists in every major religion? In There’s No Such Thing as Business Ethics, Maxwell shows how people can live with integrity by using the Golden Rule as their standard (regardless of religion, culture, or circumstances). Along the way, he delves into the desires of the human heart, reveals the five most common causes that get people off track ethically, and teaches how to develop the Midas touch when it comes to integrity.

The Processes: Ask and It Is Given, Volume 2 (Unabridged) Ask and It Is Given, by Esther and Jerry Hicks, which presents the teachings of the nonphysical entity Abraham, will help you learn how to manifest your desires so that you’re living the joyous and fulfilling life you deserve. As you listen, you’ll discover powerful processes that will help you go with the positive flow of life. It’s your birthright to live a life filled with everything that is good, and this audio program will show you how to make it so in every way!

Audio books I have listened to and other books or readings I have read:

Ask and It Is Given, Volume 1: The Law of Attraction Unabridged By Esther Hicks and Jerry Hicks Narrated by Jerry Hicks – Ask and It Is Given, by Esther and Jerry Hicks, which presents the teachings of the nonphysical entity Abraham, will help you learn how to manifest your desires so that you’re living the joyous and fulfilling life you deserve. As you listen, you’ll come to understand how the Universal laws that govern your time/space reality influence your relationships, health issues, finances, career concerns, and more. It’s your birthright to live a life filled with everything that is good, and this audio program will show you how to make it so in every way!

The Pontiff in Winter: Triumph and Conflict in the Reign of John Paul II By John Cornwell Narrated by John Lee – Pope John Paul II is one of the most famous and influential political figures of the world. Now, best-selling author and journalist John Cornwell has written an accessible and provocative portrait of this highly charged figure, focusing primarily on the last five years and the major world events, and scandals within the Church that have impacted the papacy. The result is a thoughtful assessment of John Paul II’s legacy to the Church. In an age when many people see the Catholic Church as an institution in crisis, Cornwell raises the level of debate by posing difficult questions; chief among them is the effectiveness of a system that grants lifetime power to an individual vulnerable to the vicissitudes of aging and illness.

The Diamond in Your Pocket: Discovering Your True Radiance unabridged By Gangaji Narrated by Gangaji – The first major book release from Gangaji, describes our never-ending search to find fulfillment, which, paradoxically, is already present if we will only stop long enough to discover its true source. “I have discovered that it is actually impossible to find happiness,” Gangaji explains. “As long as you are seeking to find happiness somewhere, you are overlooking where happiness is…in your true nature.”

Change Your Thoughts, Change Your Life: Living the Wisdom of the Tao By Dr. Wayne W. Dyer Five hundred years before the birth of Jesus, a God-realized being named Lao-tzu in ancient China dictated 81 verses, which are regarded by many as the ultimate commentary on the nature of our existence. The classic text of these 81 verses, called the Tao Te Ching or the Great Way, offers advice and guidance that is balanced, moral, spiritual, and always concerned with working for the good. In this program, Dr. Wayne W. Dyer has reviewed hundreds of translations of the Tao Te Ching and has created 81 distinct essays on how to apply the ancient wisdom of Lao-tzu to today’s modern world. This work contains the entire 81 verses of the Tao, compiled from Wayne’s researching of 10 of the most well-respected translations of text that have survived for more than 25 centuries.

Become a Better You: 7 Keys to Improving Your Life Every Day (Abridged) By Joel Osteen Is this as good as it gets? Or can you enjoy more of what life has to offer? You can live happily every day, best-selling author Joel Osteen suggests, but you must discover the potential within yourself and learn how to use it to live better and to help others better themselves as well. God didn’t create you to be average. You were created to excel! You have everything you need to fulfill your God-given destiny, and there is no limit to what you can accomplish if you discover how to be a better you! Become a Better You will guide you in the process of uncovering your hidden resources. Addressing such topics as building your confidence, developing better relationships, finding peace within, and staying passionate about life,

Can a Catholic Be a Democrat? By David Carlin author of The Decline and Fall of the Catholic Church in America. That’s a good question, since these days both parties endorse policies or engage in activities that contradict some or many Catholic teachings about abortion, poverty, immigration, war and peace, or other issues of life and justice. But that’s not always been the case.

When I Lay My Isaac Down: Unshakable Faith in Unthinkable Circumstances (Unabridged) By: Carol Kent Sometimes we make sacrifices to help us get ahead, to allow us more time with family, or because we believe in the cause. And then there are sacrifices in which we have no say, “Isaac experiences” as in Genesis 22, thrust upon us without warning or survival instructions. This audio book outlines eight transformational power principles that Gene and Carol Kent learned in the process of facing the news that forever changed their lives.

Becoming a Person of Influence By: John C. Maxwell and Jim Dornan “You can immediately [sense a] spark when you hear John Maxwell and Jim Dornan talk about leadership. Their understanding of influence is like mine for guitars; it’s woven into the fabric of their being.” – (Bob Taylor, President, Taylor Guitars). With influence, you can achieve success at home, work, and in every other area of life.

The Art of Presence By: Eckhart Tolle In The Art of Presence, Eckhart guides you through seven hours of transformational insights that allow “presence to naturally arise” in you. With his one-of-a-kind instruction, you will learn how to ground yourself in the vibrancy of your “inner body” while simultaneously breaking free from the illusion of separation from the outside world.

The Brain That Changes Itself: Personal Triumphs from the Frontiers of Brain Science (Unabridged) By: Norman Doidge The discovery that our thoughts can change the structure and function of our brains – even into old age – is the most important breakthrough in neuroscience in four centuries.

The Shack Mackenzie Allen Philips’ youngest daughter, Missy, has been abducted during a family vacation and evidence that she may have been brutally murdered is found in an abandoned shack deep in the Oregon wilderness. Four years later in the midst of his Great Sadness, Mack receives a suspicious note, apparently from God, inviting him back to that shack for a weekend. Against his better judgment he arrives at the shack on a wintry afternoon and walks back into his darkest nightmare. What he finds there will change Mack’s world forever. In a world where religion seems to grow increasingly irrelevant “The Shack” wrestles with the timeless question, “Where is God in a world so filled with unspeakable pain?” The answers Mack gets will astound you and perhaps transform you as much as it did him. You’ll want everyone you know to read this book!

Revolution: Finding Vibrant Faith Beyond the Walls of the Sanctuary (Unabridged) – World-renowned pollster George Barna has the numbers, and they indicate a revolution is already taking place within the Church: one that will impact every believer in America. For leaders working for positive change in the church, and for believers struggling to find a spiritual community and worship experience that resonates, Revolution is here. Are you ready?

Heaven Is Real: Lessons on Earthly Joy – from the Man Who Spent 90 Minutes in Heaven (Unabridged) – On January 18th 1989, Don Piper died in a car accident. Ninety minutes later, after a preacher prayed over him, Piper came back to life with an extraordinary story. He’d been to heaven. So began the phenomenon of 90 Minutes in Heaven.

NKJV: The Word of Promise – multi-voiced, faithful rendering of the New King James Version (NKJV) New Testament is presented by a diverse, star-studded cast includes Jim Caviezel from movie The Passion of Jesus Christ.

A New Earth (Unabridged), by Eckhart Tolle Building on the astonishing success of The Power of Now, Eckhart Tolle presents readers with an honest look at the current state of humanity: He implores us to see and accept that this state, which is based on an erroneous identification with the egoic mind, is one of dangerous insanity. Tolle tells us there is good news, however. There is an alternative to this potentially dire situation. Humanity now, perhaps more than in any previous time, has an opportunity to create a new, saner, more loving world. This will involve a radical inner leap from the current egoic consciousness to an entirely new one. In illuminating the nature of this shift in consciousness, Tolle describes in detail how our current ego-based state of consciousness operates. Then gently, and in very practical terms, he leads us into this new consciousness. We will come to experience who we truly are, which is something infinitely greater than anything we currently think we are, and learn to live and breathe freely.

Pope Benedict XVI Apostolic Journey to USA

Pope Benedict XVI Encyclical Letter

Failing Forward Abridged By John C. Maxwell, It seems that some people are born to achieve anything they want. Some would say they are lucky, are blessed, or have the Midas touch. But what truly is the reason for their success? Family background, wealth, greater opportunities, high morals, an easy childhood? New York Times best selling author John C. Maxwell has the answer: The difference between average people and achieving people is their perception of and response to failure. Maxwell says that if you are like him, you were never prepared to deal with failure. Coming out of school, he feared it, misunderstood it, and ran away from it. But he’s learned to make failure his friend, and he can teach you to do the same.

What’s So Great About Christianity Unabridged By Dinesh D’Souza, Is Christianity obsolete? Can an intelligent, educated person really believe the Bible? Or do the atheists have it right? In his new book, best-selling author Dinesh D’Souza (What’s So Great about America) investigates both Christianity and atheism and their influences on culture to show why there is, indeed, something great about Christianity. Challenging the assumptions of both believers and doubters, D’Souza demonstrates: how Christianity created the framework for modern science and is compatible with the theory of evolution; how Christianity explains consciousness and free will, which atheists have to deny; and why, against all expectations, Christianity is the fastest-growing religion in the world, while secularism and atheism are on the decline. He argues that, ultimately, you can’t have Western civilization without the Christianity that gave it birth.

The 21 Most Powerful Minutes in a Leader’s Day Abridged By John C. Maxwell, It takes time to become a leader. While some people appear to be born leaders, the ability to lead is actually a collection of skills, nearly all of which can be learned and improved upon. Based on his New York Times best seller, The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership, Dr. John C. Maxwell presents a daily plan to help you grow as a leader in your personal, professional, and spiritual life. Over the course of 21 weeks, you’ll consider characters who positively or negatively modeled the 21 Laws of Leadership – people from the Bible such as Joseph, Joshua, Nehemiah, and Deborah. Leadership is complicated and has many facets – respect, experience, emotional strength, vision, timing, people skills – the list goes on. The good news is that no matter where you are right now, you can reach new, higher levels of effectiveness, and this program can be a vital tool in that process.

The Secret History of the World Abridged By Jonathan Black, Here, for the first time, is a complete history of the world based on the beliefs and writings of secret societies, researched with the help of an initiate of more than one secret society. From the occult roots of science to the esoteric motives behind American foreign policy, this fascinating history shows that the basic facts of human existence on this planet can be viewed from many very different angles. And once our viewpoint has been altered, we will see that secret philosophies are encoded everywhere around us – in great art and literature, in the arrangement of the pips in an apple, in the names of the days of the week, even in the very stories we tell our children.

Confessions of Saint Augustine Unabridged By Saint Aurelius Augustinus, Considered to be the first autobiographical work in history, this timeless book is completely applicable to everyone who has experienced the struggle between good and evil in his own soul. Saint Augustine, born in Constantine in 354 C.E., was raised by a devout Christian mother. He abandoned the Christianity of his upbringing and had an illegitimate son. After hearing the sermons of Ambrose, he began his great internal struggle which led to his conversion in 387 C.E. The Confessions describe his conversion, shedding light on the questions that had troubled him on his way to the Cross. Outside Scripture it is the most famous – and perhaps the most important – of all spiritual books.