Here is a collection of journaled essays leading to the inevitable belief in theological fatalism, aka Theofatalism. They include arguments from theology, psychology, politics, geology, technology, sociology, economics, history, cosmology and more. With this belief system, you can feel good inside no matter what happens outside. It may take several readings to get it, but anything worthwhile requires effort. The work relies upon religious scriptures and the analytical psychology of Swiss psychiatrist Carl G. Jung (1875-1961). The Chartres Labyrinth is used as the symbol for the walk of life that each of us is given. We leave the source at birth and meander around on earth through stages of growth and decline to return to the source when our life work is done. You don't have to search for your purpose in life, because you cannot avoid it. Essays in Part I discuss contemporary issues of life, and Part II focuses on the Jungian personality factors in aging. The scriptural evidence points to the will of God in every aspect of every life of every species on earth, i.e., immaculate immanence. This is not the manmade god in holy books, but the prime mover in the universe - generator, operator, destroyer - GOD. God above Gods. Don't believe in God? Never fear; God makes atheists and agnostics, too. That is the message of this book. The Psalm says, "You saw me before I was born and scheduled each day of my life before I began to breathe. Every day was recorded in your book!" (Psalm 139:16, NLT). Nothing from atoms to galaxies can happen outside the will of God. Ergo Theofatalism.

This book is a memoir of one Christian man's struggle to survive the ultimate form of suffering when he realized it was God causing his suffering. After growing beyond the lifestyle of his immigrant parents, his life collapsed watching his wife die untimely at age fifty-two. Death of a spouse is rated the highest stressor on the Holmes-Rahe scale of stress, a primary predictor of pending illness related to losses and other life changes. Although the resulting grief is considered to be a normal human reaction, it can be life-threatening. Unless you have watched your spouse die, it is almost impossible to explain in words how it makes you feel. When the traditional faith of his family provided no comfort, he searched for a new belief that could make life worth living when it seemed there was no reason to go on. Although he was a deacon and Sunday school teacher, this widower had to reach beyond the church to find a pathway through depression to serenity and contentment when his traditional life was destroyed. In our culture, widowers are expected to absorb their loss and to go on with life as though nothing happened. He wants readers to know that something great happened and how it changed his life. His struggle to live when life was not worth living led him through career challenges, loves and losses on the way to discovery of a new belief system that accommodates the world as it is. His journey to recovery may be unusual and his conclusion may be shocking, but it could help other widowers to know there can be resurrection from hell.

Better Living, Better Dying Reconciling Freedom and Surrender in Aging The aging baby boomer generation born from 1945 to 1965 poses a real challenge in aging services for themselves and their families. Many of them are not well prepared for the challenges coming their way. Neither are their children. Most people are so busy being human "doings" they have overlooked developing as human beings. You are never too old to begin the adult self-development lessons in this book, but it becomes more important during the second half of life. Maybe it is true that you cannot put young heads on old shoulders but perhaps you can put older heads on old shoulders. Eventually, freedom must transition to surrender as the inevitable changes during aging take over. It takes special resilience to walk through the final portal to whatever comes after, and these instructions help to pave the way. Each person must take the walk of life they are given, but if you begin with the end in mind the trip can be a grand adventure with a happier ending. This book is chock-full of information and instruction for lifelong self-care based on professional research and therapy compiled by an accomplished senior who also is an experienced researcher and writer. As such, the work is more practical and less theoretical, although it is based in many professional sources. Organized into lessons and homework assignments, it goes far beyond the usual content of most self-help books dealing with aging and mortality. They address needs of the whole person that you are: physical, spiritual, mental, emotional and social. With this lifelong self-development, you can feel better inside no matter what happens outside right up until the end. Now, who would not want that?

Baby Boomer Lamentations is a book of honesty for all seventy-six million baby boomers born from 1946 to 1965. It is not about the health, wealth, and happiness in old age that we see in those sleek magazines about retirement. Instead, this is an exploration of the metaphysics of aging in America, something unpleasant to contemplate but inevitable. The fact is that aging baby boomers and their families who are not prepared for the changes that are coming will have to meet them anyway. So you better have a firm and reliable belief system to handle the impact of this new reality the aging baby boomers now are imposing on the American economy. Author Lewis Tagliaferre brings a lifetime of personal experience from the untimely loss of his wife and the recovery process in his own family to this book. His is a different, contrarian perspective on life that employs many different approaches for attaining human maturity including psychology, religion, science, and anthropology. The result is the development of the five principles of Theofatalism to help baby boomers meet the challenges of aging in America. The principles of Theofatalism were developed from spiritual encounters in Sedona, Arizona. Aging is like walking a labyrinth where there is no choice but to take the pathway that is perhaps provided by God, the almighty One.

Labyrinths and labyrintine borders have been around for a very long time. In fact, they have been used outside of formal religion as a ritual object to express spiritual values for at least 3500 years in countries all over the world, including China, India, the Holy Land, Ireland, Southern Europe, Scandinavia, pre-Columbian America, and England. They can be found at Neolithic and Sardinian and Hopi rock art sites, in Hindu temples and Taoist shrines, bordering Minoan frescoes, and in Roman mosaics. They have been incorporated into Roman Catholic and Episcopal cathedrals, Protestant churches, and in New Age retreat centres. They have been carved into rocks, turf, and wood; engraved in metal; laid out in stones; woven in reeds; set in tiles; painted and drawn. In other words, the labyrinth is a nearly universal form and comes as close as we can to an archetype. An archetype is a symbol that appeals to us at an unconscious level. We don’t have to struggle with its meaning intellectually. Its symbolic meaning is somehow ingrained in us, part of our very nature. As a result, it may appeal to us without our even understanding why. It is always risky to talk about the meaning of such an archetypal symbol. We know that it must carry a wealth of meaning to appeal to so many different sorts of people over such a long stretch of time. But we can, tentatively, explore some of its meanings if we stay aware that we can never really plumb all of its riches.

If you are the primary caregiver for a parent, spouse, child, sibling, or a friend or neighbor or expect that you will be, you need this book. If you are reading this book cover, it probably is because you have not found the resource you really need to care for yourself as you serve a care consumer who needs your personal support. This book is not about that person; it is about YOU. While there is no greater calling than to care for a loved one, it can be chaotic and challenging to your well-being. If you take a plane trip, you know they tell you in case of emergency to put on your own facemask first before taking care of others. Some people call it self-love. This book is chock-full of information and instruction in self-care based on professional research and therapy compiled by an experienced caregiver who also is an experienced researcher and writer. As such, the work is more practical and less theoretical, although it is based on many professional sources. It goes far beyond the usual content of most self-help books with a format organized into lessons and homework assignments. They address needs of the whole caregiving person that you are""physical, spiritual, mental, and emotional. With this self-development, you can feel better inside no matter what happens outside. Now, who would not want that?

Providing a historical and modern context for the unique spiritual discipline of walking a labyrinth, Travis Scholl weaves his own journey with a prayerful study of the Gospel of Mark, guiding readers to powerful encounters with God, even in the midst of quiet solitude, repetition and stillness. These 40 reflections are ideal for daily reading—during Lent or any time of the year.

The user-friendly, interfaith guide to making and using labyrinths--for meditation, prayer and celebration--updated, revised and expanded A labyrinth is a circuitous path that people have used as a form of prayer and meditation for thousands of years--a path that is being rediscovered as a spiritual tool in our own day. There are now thousands of labyrinths in North America, made of stone, cement, sunflowers, grass or canvas; indoors and outdoors; in Christian, Pagan and even nonreligious settings; and adaptable for use by people of all spiritual backgrounds. This guide explains how the labyrinth is a symbol that transcends traditions, and how walking its path brings us together. Here is your entry to the fascinating history and philosophy of the labyrinth walk, with directions for making a labyrinth of your own or finding one in your area, and guidance on ways to use labyrinths creatively for: Prayer - Stress reduction - Meditation - Commemorating personal or family milestones - Faith rituals - Celebrations of all kinds Labyrinths--a twenty-first century method of approaching the sacred--are a spiritual practice more ancient than Stonehenge or the ruins of Troy. This practical and inspiring guide will help you to explore them.

Mindful Living is designed to help you more fully celebrate each moment of your life. Twelve specialists from the Miraval resort—ranging from exercise physiologists to chefs to spiritual healers—bring their expertise to chapters centered on the key tenets of the Miraval philosophy, such as balance, joy, and developing the ability to overcome obstacles. This book brings Miraval to the reader and is designed to be helpful for both those who have never visited and regular guests of the resort. Through recipes, exercises, meditations, and spa treatments, readers are shown a wide variety of practical ways to implement the changes they desire. While the topics addressed in Mindful Living may seem broad, they are held together through the concept of mindfulness. Mindfulness is the ability to live in the present, using simple tools like the breath to help you remain focused, calm, and capable of making the kind of decisions that will lead to a better life. Just as life is a journey, so is Mindful Living, moving through the months of the year and encouraging you to get the most out of each stage of the cycle.

In order to deliver optimum educational opportunities to learners, higher education institutions must utilize emerging innovations and resources. By doing so, they can begin to develop more student-centric pedagogies. Adult Education and Vocational Training in the Digital Age is an authoritative reference source for the latest scholarly material on the use of recent technologies to facilitate and optimize classroom environments for adult learners. Highlighting relevant andragogical, organizational, and institutional issues, this book is ideally designed for professionals, educators, upper-level students, administrators, and academics interested in emerging research on digital classrooms.