Studies show that roughly one out of two marriages end in divorce. One of the reasons for this is couples today are not prepared for all—the good and bad—that may happen in marriage. Are you prepared? Author and blogger Jackie Bledsoe outlines the seven stages, or seven rings of marriages, that will equip couples for all stages in marriage. He challenges couples to keep moving through each stage for a lasting and fulfilling marriage. Through The Seven Rings of Marriage, readers gain a deeper appreciation of what marriage is, and get a clear picture of what may lie ahead in their marriage. Diligently go about making your marriage everything you and your spouse hoped for, and more! The seven rings are: Ring #1—Engagement RING Ring #2—Wedding RING Ring #3—DiscoveRING Ring #4—PerseveRING Ring #5—RestoRING Ring #6—ProspeRING Ring #7—MentoRING Visit http://jackiebledsoe.com/7rings/ to learn more about The Seven Rings of Marriage, and get additional resources.

An absorbing and seductive fantasy novel that sweeps the reader into a world of warmth and beauty.

The aim of this book is to explore how medieval life was actually lived - how people were born and grew old, how they dressed, how they inhabited their homes, the rituals that gave meaning to their lives and how they prepared for death and the afterlife. Its fresh and original approach uses archaeological evidence to reconstruct the material practices of medieval life, death and the afterlife. Previous historical studies of the medieval "lifecycle" begin with birth and end with death. Here, in contrast, the concept of life course theory is developed for the first time in a detailed archaeological case study. The author argues that medieval Christian understanding of the "life course" commenced with conception and extended through the entirety of life, to include death and the afterlife. Five thematic case studies present the archaeology of medieval England (c.1050-1540 CE) in terms of the body, the household, the parish church and cemetery, and the relationship between the lives of people and objects. A wide range of sources is critically employed: osteology, costume, material culture, iconography and evidence excavated from houses, churches and cemeteries in the medieval English town and countryside. Medieval Life reveals the intimate and everyday relations between age groups, between the living and the dead, and between people and things.

Each ring is illustrated with one or more black and white photograph, with 500 superb colour photos of the most important pieces. Major trends in ring design are outlined, and explanations and anecdotes are given on many of the individual rings. Supplementary images provide additional visual reference for the historical context. This deluxe book introduces the finest, most exhaustive private collection of finger rings in the world: the Hashimoto Collection. Organised chronologically by culture, it begins with the Ancient Mediterranean World, and progresses

In these studies Gary Vikan has opened new perspectives on the daily life and material culture of Late Antiquity - more specifically, on icons and relics, and on objects revealing of the world of pilgrimage, the early cult of saints, and marriage. He contextualizes these familiar categories of object in the patterns of belief and ritual extracted from contemporary texts and the objects themselves, in order to understand their meaning within the everyday lives of those by whom and for whom they were made. The studies give a nuanced delineation of the inherently ambiguous boundary between conventional religion and magic, noting repeatedly those instances wherein the two are invoked in the same breath (and by way of the same art object), toward the same end. From this historically constructed matrix of art, belief, and ritual, the author derives an anthropologically defined paradigm of charisma and pilgrimage (applied in one essay, as an intriguing parallel, to deconstructing the world of a contemporary secular "saint," Elvis Presley).

PERience through seasons of grief and her daughter’s unexpected health issues, weaving in stories of other couples who have stayed together through infidelity, terminal illness, loss, infertility, addiction, and, in an unusual twist, even the journey of an arranged marriage. These couples have found connecting points that allowed them to stay in love and defeat the rising divorce statistic. Ultimately, every married couple has seasons of struggle, which can either bring a couple together or push them apart. With lighthearted candor, Dancing in the Kitchen reveals to readers how to cultivate connection with their spouse in the hard seasons and stay in love for a lifetime.

Acclaimed by Publishers Weekly as "a classic reference, dizzying in its breadth," this volume explores the themes underlying ancient mythology, philosophy, and religion. Hundreds of entries range from esoteric elements of Islamic and Christian history to arcane rituals practiced by Druids, Freemasons, alchemists, and other secret societies. 16 pages of color plates, 100 black-and-white illustrations.