"Diane Sharon uses the tools of structuralist literary criticism to uncover social and theological patterns in the literature of the Hebrew Bible. After providing a brief framework for understanding the approach used in her study, she demonstrates that the social activity of eating and drinking, when accompanied by other literary motifs, is part of a pattern portending the establishment or condemnation of a cultural entity. This pattern she refers to as the Pattern of Destiny." "In addition to defining the "destiny pattern," Sharon shows that the "direction" of the eating and/or drinking event provides clues regarding the nature of the destiny portended: whether the event will turn out to the positive or negative for the individual or cultural entity is signaled by clues within the eating/drinking event, sometimes in opposition to the surface structure of the text in which these clues are embedded." --Book Jacket.

Depressed, out-of-work, out-of-confidence political lawyer E. Everton is walking in a restricted, forested area in Virginia when he encounters three objects he can only describe as "moving statues." In an overpowering, almost comically loud voice, they begin telling him preposterous things: That within a few years most of humanity will be dead; that they would like to offer everyone a dying wish; that he should "tell others". Though they prove that, in an odd way, they can grant wishes, they are not remotely interested in explaining who they are, what their motive is, how they operate, or how mankind is supposed to perish. As E. reluctantly takes on the task of "spreading the word", he is unwillingly drawn into the halls of power, tapped by the forces of would-be revolution, and enmeshed in an impossible romance. As E.'s journey progresses, thousands of lives begin to change, and even the ancient concepts of death and salvation take a strange, twisted turn.

Couples Connecting: Prerequisites of Intimacy identifies the cultural and personal attitudes that impede commitment and impair intimacy, from the culture of narcissism to the fear of following destructive family patterns. This essential guide gives you the therapeutic tools to work with clients who don't know how to build a lasting love. Couples Connecting offers you practical techniques and case studies, as well the theoretical underpinnings to deal with this crisis of intimacy.

In The Real Middle-Earth, explore the magically enchanting early-English civilization on which Tolkien based his world of The Lord of the Rings. Tolkien readily admitted that the concept of Middle-earth was not his own invention. An Old English term for the Dark Age world, it was always assumed that the importance of magic in this world existed only in Tolkien’s works; now Professor Brian Bates reveals the vivid truth about this historical culture. Behind the stories we know of Dark Age kings and queens, warriors and battles, lies the hidden history of Middle-earth, a world of magic, mystery and destiny. Fiery dragons were seen to fly across the sky, monsters haunted the marshes, and elves fired poisoned arrows. Wizards cast healing spells, wise trees gave blessings, and omens foretold the deaths of kings. The very landscape itself was enchanted and the world imbued with a life force. Repressed by a millennium of Christianity, this belief system all but disappeared, leaving only faint traces in folk memory and fairy tales. In this remarkable book Professor Brian Bates has drawn on the latest archaeological findings to reconstruct the imaginative world of our past, revealing a culture with insights that may yet help us understand our own place in the world.

Our Spiritual Destiny: Manifesting New Bodies discusses the ways that evolutionary forces are continuing to unfold through all gradations of life. It explains the purpose of human life as the expansion of Consciousness in matter through ongoing body development. We have the choice to fulfill this purpose consciously at an accelerated pace by changing and raising the matter of our bodies to a level of our divine essence. Utilizing the capacities of our Higher Selves within an initiatory framework of growth and transmutation, we can actively participate in our body development, thereby helping to expedite the manifestation of new bodies. The following are passages from various chapters in the book: From Alignment Clarification: Many of the ancient wisdom traditions, sacred religious texts and modern-day writers have all alluded to some form of physical transcendence, life extension or the raising and refinement of the physical body. From the past, each culture, religion or entity has its own interpretation and language of what the stories mean or symbolize and how they apply to the present day. I believe that many of these references relate to physical ascension, physical body perfection or physical immortality. All include the same premise that our bodies are of a nature and essence which enable their transformation. From Our Journey into Matter: I have come to see all of creation as a work in progress, gradually working its way towards fulfillment. Through evolutionary forces, matter is continually being prepared to express ever-higher aspects of Consciousness in our physical life. It may not always seem like it, but I also believe we are important agents of change for the expansion of consciousness in the world. Our immortal human spirit repeatedly reincarnates within humanity with increasing experience to help unfold and expand a higher plan for matter. However, our main problem with this task is that by taking physical form in matter bodies we cannot remember our divine origins in the inner, unseen realms. From Remembering: Some religious scholars suggest that the essence of all sacred material is somehow buried deep within our being. If this is true, then helping us remember must be the intent and purpose of all divinely inspired sacred books, spiritual literature and cultural myths in the world. Somewhere in our Being or Higher Self, we already know the purpose of physical life in matter. As evolution progresses and our consciousness expands through time, we are incrementally working towards remembering this purpose. From Spiritual Orientation and Alignment: For most of us, the physical demands of our daily lives capture our conscious attention and vital energies. This happens gradually within our ritualized patterns and daily activities. Through this physical focus and orientation, the crystallizing force in matter constructs barriers within our consciousness and bodies that maintain and reinforce this alignment. Because of its compelling and coalescing nature, our life energies are drained through attachment to the form and routine of our lives. As a result, we usually feel and believe we have little left over to devote to our spiritual development. From Health and New Body Alignment: Most people have grown up with a body-centered identity. Everything about living in the world seems to condition us to identify with this orientation. The realities of physical life throughout history have encouraged us to strengthen, build up or perfect our natural body in one way or another. This alignment has ensured the survival of our species. Even today in our modern world, we continue to value the attributes of physical strength, fitness, and vitality as the ultimate experience of a good life. From the standpoint of our present bodies and our collective beliefs about them, this orientation is helpful and necessary. However

Are you fulfilling your purpose? Have you turned your troubles into triumph? Are you a woman of God’s destiny and power? With passion, grace and biblical integrity, Earma Brown lays out a map to God’s destiny and purpose for women. WOW! Women of Destiny book 2 of the WOW! Women Series is filled with insightful encouragement for women pursuing God’s destiny and purpose for their lives. Inside WOW! Women of Destiny you will discover how to: Seek God’s presence not just the gift and receive patience with the process. Develop a spirit of readiness to seize all your opportunities when they come. Fuel your passion with your troubles Discover passion that points to God’s purpose Stop the Destiny thieves sent to kill your Dreams and Receive God ordained purpose that leads to power Prepare a plan that leaves a legacy in women from generation to generation? Candy Lightner was considered a normal housewife with children. So what caused her to almost single-handedly change a nation’s complacent thinking about drinking while driving? Her 12-year old daughter, Cari was killed by a drunk driver. Armed with a passion to help other mothers face similar tragedies, she formed MADD (Mothers Against Drunk Driving) and in the process turned her troubles into triumphs. Book II of the WOW Women Book Series is an inspiring celebration of women and men from modern times and history who took or are laying hold of their destiny and making a difference in their family, church, community and world. The author’s personal experiences, cemented with biblical scripture will encourage you to overcome modern day challenges in the church, in society, as well as balancing God’s call to destiny through victorious home life and community. Down to earth and inspiring, WOW! Women of Destiny book two of the WOW Women Series is not only for women’s groups. This book is a must read for Christian men and women alike seeking to empower their wives, sisters, mothers and daughters to fulfill their passion, purpose and power, even their destiny in God’s Kingdom. For more about the WOW Women Books and other WOW! Women resources, visit Earma at http://wowontheweb.com Click Here To Read Sample Chapter!

For over a hundred years, demography has been at the heart of the Zionist project, reflected in the goal of creating and maintaining a Jewish majority in Israel and in ensuring the physical continuation of the Jewish people. Demography continues to be an essential issue in the current struggle between Israel and Palestine. Yet in academic discourse, demography is treated as a minor, largely technical side-issue in the social sciences, with little theoretical consideration given to population processes as social processes. Israel's Destiny: Fertility and Mortality in a Divided Society brings together important recent work in this area. The contributions to Israel's Destiny focus on the influence of religion, religiosity, nationalism, and ethnicity on fertility and mortality in Israel.Israel's Destiny is divided into four sections: the first focuses on fertility, particularly Israel's apparently high birth rate when compared with other countries with a similar standard of living; the second looks at patterns of nuptiality and contraception and the way marriage patterns are shaping group boundaries; the third looks at mortality, particularly among men; and the fourth looks at social policy effects of the demographic process.The main focus is that differential reproduction of the population by national and ethnic group, as well as social class--through fertility and mortality--and the social structuring of the population--through marriage patterns--are critical elements in the creation and evolution of Israeli society. The editors' introduction places all these studies in a wider perspective of current demographic research. The volume provides a concise population history of the state of Israel to help the reader put the studies in their proper local and historical context.

A study of the civilizations of the Zuni Indians, the natives of Dobu, and the Kwakiutl Indians.

There is a mechanism to all ‘probabilities’ in life, which we call God’s will. This mechanism has its own energy and patterns of possibilities. Those, who succeed, decipher this mechanism and the patterns, which are there for anyone to see. We attain success and excellence, as we align our personal energy with this energy of the cosmic mechanism. God’s will is then in linearity with our wish.