Religious aspects of sexuality, gender and relationships Books

Book SynopsisA fully illustrated Kama Sutrafrom the extraordinary and rare art collection of Lance Dane.Trade Review"Gives us the dazzling artwork from museums and private collections worldwide... fascinating...sex has not changed in over 2,000 years." * Lois Mark Stalvey, Red Rock News, January 28, 2004 *"A new, gorgeously illustrated edition of the famous Hindu Classic." * Erotic Review, Dec/Jan 2004, Issue 58 *"It is not, in fact, a pornographic work, but a book depicting the art of living for the civilized and refined citizen, finding its expression in the sphere of love, eroticism, and the sensual pleasures of life. . . . Rather than calling the Kama Sutra pornography and hiding it on the highest shelf of their bookcases, Western readers should see it as the expression of a refined, sophisticated people on the art of love." * Audrey Chaix, Vulpes Libris, Jan 2010 *Table of ContentsThe Complete Illustrated Kama Sutra Preface to Kama SutraIntroduction to Kama SutraBook 1--General Principles Study of the Shastras Dharma, Artha, Kama Study of Arts, Sciences Man about Town Nayikas and MessengersBook 2--Love-Play and Sexual Union Sexual Union The Embrace The Kiss Pressing and Nail Marks The Bite Sexual Vigor and Intensity Striking and Spontaneous Sounds Donning the Male Role Oral Congress Beginning and End of CongressBook 3--Courtship and Marriage Betrothal and Marriage Instilling Confidence in the Bride Courting a Maid Behavior of a Couple Kinds of MarriageBook 4--The Wife Duties of a Wife Senior and Junior WivesBook 5--Seducing the Wives of Others Characteristics of Men and Women Getting Acquainted Ascertaining Emotions Duties of a Go-between Behavior of a King Conduct of Ladies of the Inner CourtBook 6--The Courtesan Beguiling the Right Man Living as his Wife Acquiring Wealth Reconciliation Special Gains Gains and LossesBook 7--Secret Lore, Extraneous Stimulation, and Sexual Power Beautifying the Body Regarding Virility

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Book SynopsisGod designed men to seek out adventure. But, somewhere between childhood and the struggles of yesterday, most men lose sight of those dreams. Fear not: bestselling author and counselor John Eldredge is here to teach men that there''s a better way to live.In this updated and expanded edition of the timeless bestseller Wild at Heart, Eldredge unpacks man''s search for validation, the need for the development of courage in his soul, and the call to live a life of adventure.Using discoveries from his own life and backing them with scripture, Eldredge reminds men that although their childhood passions, dreams, and desires may start getting buried under deadlines, pressures, and disappointments, it doesn''t have to be this way.In fact, God made men to embrace a life of courage, adventure, and freedom. He created men to take risks and find true purpose and belonging.Wild at Heart invites men to experience wholehearted

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Book SynopsisReimagining the story of Eve, Sarah Jakes Roberts draws lessons from Scripture and from her own life that show women how to use the mistakes of their past to overcome the challenges of today.

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Book SynopsisA paradigm-shifting book, arguing that, far from supporting male privilege, the Qur'an actually encourages the full equality of women and men.Trade Review`This is an original and, at times, ground-breaking piece of scholarship.' John L. Esposito, University Professor and Founding Director of the Alwaleed Center for Muslim-Christian Understanding, Georgetown University; `[A] brilliantly executed work . . . A new generation of scholar-activists . . . will take cues from such a study to open up interpretations and modes of Islamic praxis that will resonate with the avowedly non-repressive divine intentions for Muslim and other faith communities worldwide.' Arab Studies Journal; `Barlas's thesis is irresistible: the Qur'an itself has a very positive view of women whereas patriarchal culture caused the various interpreters of the Qur'an to read their own biases into the text to justify the oppression of women. Barlas quotes from a smorgasbord of Islamic scholars, resulting at times in a choppy read that drowns out her own more appealing voice. The opening chapter is bogged down in such quoting, and also in excessive worrying over her critics on either side of the debate. Despite these flaws, this book is loaded with interesting facts about Islam that may even surprise Muslims' Publishers Weekly; `A refreshing read ... a unique analysis that underscores the exclusively the role of women in Islam' New Arab

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Book SynopsisA deep exploration of the regenerative and magical secrets of sacred masculinity hidden in familiar myths both ancient and modern• Reveals the restorative fungi archetype of Osiris, the Orphic mysteries as an underground mycelium linking forests and people, how Dionysus teaches us about invasive species and playful sexuality, and the ecology of Jesus as depicted in his nature-focused parables• Liberates Tristan, Merlin, and the Grail legends from the bounds of Campbell’s hero’s journey and invites the masculine into more nuanced, complex ways of dealing with trauma, growth, and self-knowledgeLong before the sword-wielding heroes of legend readily cut down forests, slaughtered the old deities, and vanquished their enemies, there were playful gods, animal-headed kings, mischievous lovers, trickster harpists, and vegetal magicians with flowering wands. As eco-feminist scholar Sophie Strand discovered, these wilder, more magical modes of the masculine have always been hidden in plain sight. Sharing the culmination of eight years of research into myth, folklore, and the history of religion, Strand leads us back into the forgotten landscapes and hidden secrets of familiar myths, revealing the beautiful range of the divine masculine, including expressions of male friendship, male intimacy, and male creative collaboration. In discussing Dionysus and Osiris, Strand encourages us to think like an ecosystem instead of like an individual. She connects dying, vegetal gods to the virtuous cycle of composting and decay, highlighting the ways in which mushrooms can restore soil and heal polluted landscapes. Exploring esoteric Christianity, the author celebrates the Gnostic Jesus of the Gospel of Thomas, imagining the ecology that the Rabbi Yeshua would have actually been referencing in his nature-focused parables. Strand frees Tristan, Merlin, and the Grail legends from the bounds of Campbell’s hero’s journey and invites the masculine into more nuanced, complex ways of dealing with trauma, growth, and self-knowledge. Strand reseeds our minds with new visions of male identity and shows how each of us, regardless of gender, can develop a matured ecological empathy and witness a blossoming of sacred masculine powers that are soft, curious, connective, and celebratory.Trade Review“If we want to locate the underlying source of our civilization’s headlong rush to destruction, we must dig deeper than capitalism, deeper even than the Western worldview, until we encounter the bedrock of patriarchy. In this exuberant tableau of resurrection, Strand reveals how even our most archetypal myths have been molded and devitalized to fit the patriarchal straitjacket, and Strand lays the groundwork for a regenerated masculinity--one that is liberated to explore life-affirming possibilities grounded in the deep wisdom of long-buried ancient lore.” * Jeremy Lent, author of The Web of Meaning *“Sophie Strand’s beautiful and poetic book is a game changer. With The Flowering Wand as a tool, it is possible to rewrite the mostly traumatizing patriarchal narratives Western males so often base their identity in and reconnect them with the underlying story of a cultural and natural deep history of mutual transformation with other beings beyond all modern binaries.” * Andreas Weber, biologist, philosopher, and author of Enlivenment: Toward a Poetics for the Anthropoc *“Sophie Strand writes with the urgency of a prophet and the musicality of a bard. Weaving myth together with botany, history with theology, her virtuosic linguistic skeins would do her beloved mycorrhizae proud. In The Flowering Wand, the masculine appears as lover, as partner, as inspirer, as friend. This is a book important in its joy, powerful in its love--exuberant in its curiosity. Taking us by the hand, Strand leads us into a garden of delights: tarot cards, ancient scriptures, Shakespearean comedies, sky gods, the Minotaur, the Milky Way. Strand holds the gates of wonder open and love comes flowing out. These are the birth waters breaking. Rejoice! The masculine is reborn.” * Amanda Yates Garcia, author of Initiated: Memoir of a Witch *“A magnificent weave of ecology and myth--it is evident there’s some pretty rich dirt, culturally speaking as well as actual dirt no doubt, under the fingernails that have written this lyrical journey. A book filled with magical insight, revealing Strand’s wondrous curiosity and impressive learnings of the complex relationships between humans and nature.” * Sam Lee, musician and author of The Nightingale *“The wisdom in this book is almost beyond expression. Sophie Strand’s The Flowering Wand reveals the full potency and profligacy of myth.” * Manchán Magan, author of Thirty-Two Words for Field: Lost Words of the Irish Landscape *“Sophie Strand’s work is a must-read for lovers of mythology and the Earth. Her work is poetic yet practical. It’s whimsical and transportive, yet it’s describing the world around you, inviting you back home to the reality of this mystical life and world we inhabit.” * Annabel Gat, author of The Astrology of Love and Sex and The Moon Sign Guide *“The Flowering Wand is a ‘wild thing’ and seeks out other forms of recombination and transformative fusion and gives them life. The surprising conclusion is, we humans have always been more-than-human. Are you wild enough to find out why?” * Glenn Albrecht, Ph.D., philosopher and environmentalist *“Sophie Strand’s new book offers a luminous exploration of the radical mythic underpinning of the masculine narrative. Here the autocratic sky gods and sword-wielding dominators of people and landscapes are replaced by a dynamic ensemble of dancers, lovers, and liberators. Strand reminds us how these actors--from the Minotaur to Merlin--inspire people of all places and genders to break out of the straitjacket of patriarchal control and become more embodied, protean, dramaturgical, and emergent in our lives. Get entangled!” * Charlotte Du Cann, author of After Ithaca: Journeys in Deep Time *“Sophie Strand’s words embody both the chthonic depth of well-myceliated soil and the crystals, sharp with insight, among its hyphae. In The Flowering Wand, Sophie remediates the ground of western culture by rerooting the divine masculine--in all its fertility, magic and imagination-- back into the earth. Through Sophie‘s richly seeded prose and deep scholarship she shows us how reclaiming this fertile, soporific energy--an energy that lives within us all--can help heal our connection with the Animate Everything and nourish the re-flowering of the world.” * Asia Suler, author of Mirrors in the Earth *“Readers will feel the words in this book tendril around their hearts and minds, forming adaptive connections and creating conversations with the ‘Animate Everything’ in the wilds of their everyday worlds. Myths that stay the same don’t survive, Strand tells us; she waves a wand toward the earth and summons up vital wisdom for our time.” * Gavin Van Horn, author of The Way of Coyote *Table of ContentsIntroduction The Sword or the Wand PART 1Back to the Roots1 Sky, Storm, and Spore Where Do Gods Come From? 2 The Hanged Man Is the Rooted One Thinking from the Feet3 Between Naming and the Unknown Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night4 The Minotaur Dances the Masculine Back into the Milky WayMyths Need to Move5 The Moon Belongs to Everyone Lunar Medicine for the Masculine 6 Becoming a HomeThe Empress Card Embraces the Masculine 7 Dionysus Girl-Faced God of the Swarm, the Hive, the Vine, and the Emergent Mind 8 Merlin Makes Kin to Make Kingdoms A Multiplicity of Minds and Myths9 Joseph, Secret Vegetalista of Genesis Plants Use Men to Dream 10 Actaeon Is the King of the Beasts From Curse to Crown11 A New Myth for Narcissus Seeing Ourselves in the Ecosystem 12 Everyone Is OrpheusSinging for Other Species 13 Dionysus as LiberThe Vine Is the Tool of the Oppressed 14 Rewilding the Beloved Dionysus Offers New Modes of Romance 15 Grow Back Your Horns The Devil Card Is Dionysus PART IIHealing the Wound 16 Let Your Wings DryGiving the Star Card to the Masculine 17 Tristan and TransformationEscaping the Trauma of the Hero’s Journey 18 Boy David, Wild David, King David The Land-Based Origin of Biblical Kingship 19 Coppice the Hero’s Journey Creating Narrative Ecosystems 20 Merlin and Vortigern Magical Boyhood Topples Patriarchy21 Parzifal and the Fisher King The Grail Overflows with Stories 22 Sleeping Beauty, Sleeping World The Prince Offers the Masculine a New Quest 23 Melt the Sacred Masculine and the Divine Feminine into Divine Animacy The Sacred Overflows the Human 24 Resurrect the Bridegroom The Song of Songs and Ecology as Courtship 25 OsirisThe Original Green Man 26 What’s the Matter? A Mycelial Interpretation of the Gospel of Mary Magdalene 27 Knock upon Yourself The High Priestess Wakes Up the Masculine28 The Kingdom of Astonishment Gnostic Jesus and the Transformative Power of Awe 29 Healing the Healer Dionysus Rewilds Jesus 30 Making Amends to Attis and AdonisNo Gods Were Killed in the Making of This Myth 31 The Joyful Rescue Tolkien’s Eucatastrophe and the Anthropocene 32 Sharing the Meal Tom Bombadil Offers the Masculine Safe Haven 33 The Gardeners and the SeedsHealing the Easter Wound Conclusion A Cure for Narrative Dysbiosis Acknowledgments Notes Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisBarbara Hughes encourages women to joyfully pursue a disciplined life of godliness through insightful reflections on Scripture, wise questions for self-evaluation, and helpful suggestions for direct application. Newly redesigned.

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Book SynopsisThe Marriage Course, developed by Nicky and Sila Lee, is held over seven sessions. It offers any couple the tools to build a strong and healthy relationship that lasts a lifetime.

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Book SynopsisBring greater satisfaction to your relationship in every way--emotionally, spiritually, and physically--whether you''re preparing for your honeymoon or are empty nesters looking for a new spark.Are you wondering if there''s more to your sex life than the status quo? Or maybe you have questions about your upcoming marriage that aren''t exactly appropriate for the rehearsal dinner? This edition of The Good Girl''s Guide to Great Sex from tell-it-like-it-is blogger and speaker Sheila Wray Gregoire has been completely updated and expanded to include new research from surveys of more than twenty-five thousand people. With humor, stories, and highly practical ideas, Sheila helps you: See how God intends sex to unite couples physically, emotionally, and spiritually--and how to overcome roadblocks in each area Understand more about your two bodies and how they were meant to go together

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Book SynopsisFind the healing and hope you long for when you take time to experience God''s presence each day.Incorporate a new rhythm for those days when life feels too hard through the daily practice of receiving and releasing—receiving God''s encouragement, instruction, and truth to start your day and releasing to God all that''s weighing you down at the end of each day. He''ll set you on a path toward healing.In her newest devotional, New York Times bestselling author Lysa TerKeurst helps you stay connected to God and continue loving others even in the middle of discouraging, disappointing, or even devastating circumstances. Experience 50 days of morning and evening devotions complimented with beautiful color photography of significant locations where Lysa has worked through her own healing. Each devotion contains: a Bible verse to start your day a statement of truth to remember throughout your

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Book SynopsisAt the core of every man''s true purpose and lasting success is a singular pursuit: seeking the heart of God. This practical, easy-to-use devotional equips men--in just a few minutes each day--to pursue God and build a life-changing relationship with him.Every man yearns for a life of meaning and purpose. Every man wants to use his strengths and abilities to achieve something that matters. But no pursuit compares with seeking--and finding--God himself. And yet, many Christians struggle to find the time and resources to connect meaningfully with God in this age of busyness and distraction.This devotional is here to help. In this accessible devotional, popular Bible teacher and YouTuber Daniel Maritz equips men with the tools they need to start their day right. Each daily reading combines a Bible passage with a short devotional that speaks to the issues and questions men face, providing spiritual strength, encouragement, and inspiration. And the applicat

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Book SynopsisGuides parents in evaluating young men seeking their daughter's hand, assists young women in understanding the only kind of man they should consider marrying, and teaches young men how to grow in biblical manhood.

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Book SynopsisIf you ever wonder, Is this all there is to sex? or I wish I knew how to help my wife enjoy this more, you''ll appreciate this straightforward, helpful, and faith-based advice on how to have a better sex life.Based on groundbreaking surveys of more than twenty-five thousand people, this highly practical, research-based book shows guys how to rock their wife''s world. The Good Guy''s Guide to Great Sex from popular marriage blogger and speaker Sheila Wray Gregoire and her husband, Dr. Keith Gregoire, will help you: Discover what your wife wants most from you in the bedroom Realize what can derail a couple''s sex life and how to get it back on track Find healing from past trauma, previous relationships, and porn addiction Understand your own sex drive and how to keep it revved Learn the secrets to giving your wife the mo

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Book SynopsisAre you ready to be blessed beyond what you can ask or imagine? Lysa Terkeurst will equip you to hear and recognize God’s voice and discover the incredible opportunities He’s already placed in front of you as you learn to say yes to His call.

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Book SynopsisIn Gospel-Shaped Marriage, Chad and Emily Van Dixhoorn give a concise assessment of the biblical design for marriage while offering practical advice for married life from a grace-filled perspective.

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Book SynopsisAccording to the Bible, Eve was the first to heed Satan''s advice to eat the forbidden fruit and thus responsible for all of humanity''s subsequent miseries. The notion of woman as the Devil''s accomplice is prominent throughout Christian history and has been used to legitimize the subordination of wives and daughters. In the nineteenth century, rebellious females performed counter-readings of this misogynist tradition. Lucifer was reconceptualized as a feminist liberator of womankind, and Eve became a heroine. In these reimaginings, Satan is an ally in the struggle against a tyrannical patriarchy supported by God the Father and his male priests. Per Faxneld shows how this Satanic feminism was expressed in a wide variety of nineteenth-century literary texts, autobiographies, pamphlets, newspaper articles, paintings, sculptures, and even artifacts of consumer culture like jewelry. He details how colorful figures like the suffragette Elizabeth Cady Stanton, gender-bending Theosophist H. P. Blavatsky, author Aino Kallas, actress Sarah Bernhardt, anti-clerical witch enthusiast Matilda Joslyn Gage, decadent marchioness Luisa Casati, and the Luciferian lesbian poetess Renée Vivien embraced these reimaginings. By exploring the connections between esotericism, literature, art and the political realm, Satanic Feminism sheds new light on neglected aspects of the intellectual history of feminism, Satanism, and revisionary mythmaking.Trade ReviewFaxneld's book is essential reading for anyone interested in biblical reception, the history of Christianity, Western esotericism, literature, the history of feminism, and history of art. It is also highly recommended for contemporary satanists, witches, and pagans—and those who want to understand them—as a clear exposition of the history of Satan that consequently sheds light on his relationship to these new religious movements. * Caroline Tully, Reading Religion *... the assemblage here is as provocative for scholarship as the original voices were to their cultures. Consider, for instance, Faxneld's observation that The Woman's Bible was "a project on which several female Theosophists were among the collaborators." This alone should motivate multiple future studies. Anyone interested in the history of feminist thought (and its villainization) should read this book. * Spencer Dew, Denison University / The Ohio State University, Religious Studies Review *an authoritative, wide-ranging analysis of a discourse long considered too outlandish to merit much scholarly attention. Bridging literary and religious studies, it reclaims legions of fascinating she-devils to argue persuasively for Satanic feminism as a daring and culturally significant rewriting of Christian myth. * Dawn Coleman, History of Religions *Satanic Feminism is strongly recommended to all those interested in understanding the crucial role of Satan in theWestern cultural imagination. ... The author does not restrict himself to a specific focus on Satanism, but interconnects several fields of study, including Western esoteric studies. ... Faxneld's volume goes far beyond prior works on the history of intellectual Satanism. * Michele Olzi, Aries *Table of ContentsI: Introduction II: Woman and the Devil: Some Recurring Motifs III: Romantic and Socialist Satanism IV: Theosophical Luciferianism and Feminist Celebrations of Eve V: Satan as the Emancipator of Woman in Gothic Literature VI: Witches as Rebels Against Patriarchy VII: Subversive Satanic Women in Decadent Literature and Art VIII: Lucifer and the Lesbians: Sapphic Satanism IX: Becoming the Demon Woman: Rebellious Role-play X: Mary MacLane's Autobiographic Satanic Feminism XI: Sylvia Townsend Warner's Liberating Devil XII: Conclusions Bibliography

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Book SynopsisTwo titles in one volume on developing your child as a whole individual and ultimately sharing your spiritual life. The internationally acclaimed bestseller How to Really Love Your Child and the companion title How to Really Know Your Child in one volume. This omnibus provides parents with the skills they need to help their child develop emotionally, intellectually and spiritually, to identify their child's unique character and to know what they are like as a parent.

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Book SynopsisThis intimate and honest book addresses the root causes of purity issues. Many who have given in to the power of peer pressure and the lure of distorted cultural values will find hope and courage to start over again.

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Book SynopsisEvery blessing, every breakthrough, and every miracle can be traced back to the prayers that were prayed by you or for you. Join Mark Batterson, New York Times bestselling author of The Circle Maker, as he equips you to become an extraordinary influence in the lives of your children through one simple practice: praying for them.Praying Circles around Your Children combines timeless scriptures with stories of parents just like you, which will revolutionize your prayer life and give you a new perspective on the power of prayer.Along the way, Batterson shares five biblically backed prayer circles that will not only help you pray for your kids, but also pray through your kids.In Praying Circles around Your Children, Batterson will give you the tools you need to: Create prayer lists that are unique to your family Turn your family circle into a prayer circle

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Book SynopsisIn The Power of a Praying® Woman Book of Prayers, Stormie shares with you her most-loved prayers for women in this collection ideally sized to keep in purse or pocket for quick conversations with God about your heart, life, and walk with Him.

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Book SynopsisIn a culture where picture-perfect models and career-driven women define beauty and success, popular bloggers and writers uncover the secrets of God-defined womanhood, lasting worth, and true fulfillment.

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Book SynopsisAll couples deal with anger. How they respond to it makes all the difference in their relationships and their lives. In From Anger to Intimacy, couples learn how to:· resolve conflict, hurt, and pain in a healthy way· overcome feelings of anger, frustration, and rage· learn how to forgive and nurture a forgiving spirit· craft the perfect apology· break sexual addiction and heal after an affair· and much moreThis life-changing book is now available in trade paper.

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Book SynopsisIn a culture of distorted love, sisters and speakers offer real-life stories, biblical truths, and down-to-earth advice to help single women break free from false views of romance and uncover God's vision for lasting love and satisfying relationships.

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Book SynopsisA guilt-free guide that strips away the myths you''ve believed about motherhood and offers you a new way to think--about your kids, yourself, and being the mom you''ve always wanted to be.A recent Barna study stated that 80 percent of mothers are stressed out, 70 percent are tired, and 56 percent are overcommitted. This book is for them: every mom who feels overwhelmed, worried, stressed, overstimulated, tired, and strung out by all the demands of taking care of little--or not-so-little--humans.Bestselling author, life and business coach, and mom of five boys Alli Worthington believes too many moms have neglected to take care of arguably the one person who matters most: themselves. In Remaining You While Raising Them, Alli shares guilt-free, often hilarious, empowering, and research-informed advice to help you: Intentionally care for yourself--spiritually, emotionally, and physically--amidst the demands of motherhood Drop thTrade ReviewAs a young mom, I constantly feel crushed by advice. There is always more I could be doing, as social media is ever ready to remind me. For moms of this generation, shame looms large, so when I first opened this book, I was nervous. Thankfully, my fears were instantly relieved. This book is good news for mothers. It is a lighter way to parenting with impact. With her signature wisdom and humor, Alli offers herself as the most generous mentor. I so enjoyed reading this book, and you will too! Sharon Hodde Miller, author of The Cost of ControlFrom the moment I opened this book, my heart felt a huge relief and a big dose of encouragement. Alli has such a way with words--she makes you laugh, she's relatable, and she shares wise truths in a gentle but firm way. If you've ever felt like you're failing your kids or that you just don't have what it takes to do this motherhood thing well, Remaining You While Raising Them is just the book you need to feel less alone and be infused with practical truth and inspiration to keep on keeping on. Crystal Paine, New York Times bestselling author, host of The Crystal Paine Show, and founder of MoneySavingMom.comI'm a stepmom of two, and the expectations--from not only others but also myself--were crippling. Before Alli wrote this book, she coached me on balancing work, family, and purpose, all while modeling being a great mom. She lived out the principles in this book and now is sharing them to bring freedom to women. I'm grateful for this resource that will help others in the way she's helped me. Bianca Juarez Olthoff, pastor, host of the We're Going There podcast, and bestselling author of How To Have Your Life Not SuckIf you're a mom who can't remember who she was before motherhood, get this book now! Remaining You While Raising Them is an encouragement for any mom who wants to feel confident and fulfilled in not just her parenting but her own life too. Christy Wright, author of Business Boutique, Living True, and Take Back Your TimeIn Remaining You While Raising Them, Alli Worthington has given us a fresh look at what it really takes to be a good parent. With wisdom, humor, and compassion, she dispels exhausting and unhelpful motherhood myths and shows us that the best way to mother our children is to first learn how to mother ourselves. Dr. Alison Cook, therapist and author of The Best of You and Boundaries for Your SoulMothers are stressed and anxious, constantly wondering if they're doing a good enough job. We tell ourselves lies and make unreasonable expectations of ourselves. This makes us miserable. We need help in order to help ourselves. This is exactly what Allie does in this book. She pinpoints the source of our misery and gives us practical ways to make wonderful changes. If you want to enjoy motherhood again and lower your stress level, read this book. Among the pages you will find a wonderful transformation. Meg Meeker, MD, author of the national bestseller Strong Fathers, Strong DaughtersMy one complaint about this book is that Alli didn't write it sooner. I had to go through the hard-fought journey of mothering four boys to gain some of these truths. You have the gift of Alli's wisdom and her excellent research to guide you in healthy mothering. Her help comes in a consumable, mom-friendly way. These chapters are relatable, to the point, and easy to grasp. Heather MacFadyen, host of the Don't Mom Alone podcast and author of Right Where You BelongThere's not a mom alive who doesn't need this book. Remaining You While Raising Them is a true one-stop-shop manual for the mom who wants to love her kids well but needs to love herself a bit better. Thanks, Alli Worthington, for giving us real help to take the pressure off. Lisa Whittle, bestselling author, podcast host, and speakerThis is the book I needed when I first became a mom, and it's the one I will keep revisiting for many years. If you're looking for a new narrative surrounding motherhood, you'll find it here. Alli speaks from a place of hard-earned experience, yet her voice is full of compassion and encouragement that we, as mamas, need. I can't wait to see the thousands of moms stepping into a place of thriving and freedom as they apply the wisdom within these pages. Hannah Brencher, author of Fighting Forward and Come Matter HereYes please. This book is exactly what I've been looking for as a new mom. Alli's words have inspired me to ditch old ways of thinking and embrace my style of motherhood while cheering on others who are doing the same. I'm tearing through this book, highlighting things, texting quotes to my friends, and writing Alli's reminders on the back of my hand. Alli, thank you for this. Stephanie May Wilson, author and host of the Girls Night podcast

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Book SynopsisThe first step-by-step guide to the techniques of Kaula Tantra, the practical yogini path to enlightenment. Written in the 8th century by the sage Matsyendranatha, the Kaulajnananirnaya Tantra records the secret erotic and magical practices of the Yogini Kaula tradition, a tradition focused on practical methods for attaining enlightenment. Although the text contains roughly 60 practices, it was written in a “twilight language” that obscures the secret principles that make the techniques work. It is the role of a master to awaken the initiate to the esoteric meaning of the practices within the text. Revealing the practices and secret principles of Kaula Tantra with permission from his Himalayan tantric yogini master Lalita Devi, Daniel Odier explains each erotic and magical technique of Kaula in depth. Providing a complete translation of the Kaulajnananirnaya Tantra from Sanskrit, he connects each practice to the text by Matsyendranatha and offers vivid stories of his initiation into the practices. He explores techniques from the complete mystical method that the yogini have been transmitting directly for millennia, such as how to open the nadis, the body’s energy channels. He details Kaula techniques for acquiring siddhis—magical powers such as the ability to hear far away things or appear in several places at once—as well as sacred protection and black magic practices. The author explains how the Kaula practices are related to the 8 Red Goddesses, who can each be found within the 8 chakras and each represent a different aspect of the Royal Path of Shakti. He shares a system of illuminating visualisations to integrate the body of the practitioner with vibration (spanda) and consciousness until there is no difference between the inner world and the cosmos. Presenting the first step-by-step guide to the techniques of Kaula Tantra, Odier details the practical yogini path to enlightenment and offers a direct transmission through the liberating power of the written word.Trade Review“The illuminating visualizations give readers a viable spiritual path to face and overcome disease, difficulties, and even death and to truly taste the amrita of the Kaulas. This wondrous book is a sacred invitation into divine embodiment of the Kaula yogini mysteries of the cosmos. A must-read and invaluable guide of never-before-revealed ancient yogini wisdom.” * Laura K. Amazzone, author of Goddess Durga and Sacred Female Power *Table of ContentsPART I Practices Practice 1 The Emergence of Tattvas Practice 2 The Body on FirePractice 3 The Five Elements Practice 4 The Lingam as Pure Consciousness Practice 5 The Dancing Flames of the Nadis Practice 6 Luminous Shakti Practice 7 The Hive Practice 8 The Garland of Letters Practice 9 Asceticism and Pleasuring Practice 10 Lunar Nectar Practice 11 The Three Moons Practice 12 The Flux of Lunar Nectar in the Chakras Practice 13 The Flood Divine Practice 14 The Chakras Practice 15 Lineage Yoga Practice 16 Amrita, the Divine Nectar Practice 17 The Color BlackPractice 18 The Lunar River Practice 19 The Sahaja Mothers, the Heart Practice of the Yoginis Practice 20 The Eight Chakras Practice 21 The Eight Red Goddesses and the Chakras Practice 22 Eternal Substances Practice 23 Dietary Prescriptions Practice 24 Freedom Practice 25 Hamsa Practice 26 Samadhi of the Heart and the Rainbow Body Practice 27 The Throat and the God of Love Practice 28 Sweating Milk Practice 29 Breathing and the Nose Chakra Practice 30 The World in Oneself Practice 31 Not Water, Not Fire, Not Earth, Not Air, Not Ether Practice 32 The Colored Spheres Practice 33 The Worship of Devi Practice 34 Orgasmic Pleasuring and the Wheels Practice 35 The Skulls Practice Practice 36 Kaliki Yogini Practice 37 The Subtle Centers Practice 38 Vatuka, Protector of the Teachings Practice 39 The Music of the Infinite Body Practice 40 The Yoga of Looking with Your Skin Practice 41 Worship of the Kaula Shakti Practice 42 Shakti’s Animal Forms Practice 43 The Dance of the Red Yoginis PART II The Kaulajnananirnaya Tantra Patala One Patala Two Patala Three Patala Four Patala Five Patala Six Patala Seven Patala Eight Patala Nine Patala Ten Patala Eleven Patala Twelve Patala Thirteen Patala Fourteen Patala Fifteen Patala Sixteen Patala Seventeen Patala Eighteen Patala Nineteen Patala Twenty Patala Twenty-One Patala Twenty-Two Patala Twenty-Three Patala Twenty-Four Conclusion Glossary Index

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Book SynopsisThis easy-to-read book combines biblical teaching on love and marriage with the latest medical information on sex and sexuality, helping couples everywhere fully enjoy the gift God intended for pleasure.

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Book SynopsisWhat if it's not your fault that sex is bad in your marriage? Based on a groundbreaking in-depth survey of 22,000 Christian women, The Great Sex Rescue unlocks the secrets to what makes some marriages red hot while others fizzle out. Generations of women have grown up with messages about sex that make them feel dirty, used, or invisible, while men have been sold such a cheapened version of sex, they don't know what they're missing. The Great Sex Rescue hopes to turn all of that around, developing a truly biblical view of sex where mutuality, intimacy, and passion reign. The Great Sex Rescue pulls back the curtain on what is happening in Christian bedrooms and exposes the problematic teachings that wreck sex for so many couples--and the good teachings that leave others breathless. In the #metoo and #churchtoo era, not only is this book a long overdue corrective to church culture, it is poised to free thousands of couples from repressive and dissatisfying sex lives so that they can experience the kind of intimacy and wholeness God intended.

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Book SynopsisGod Himself initiated marriage at the beginning of history, prepares the woman for the man, and ordains the nature of their life together.

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Book SynopsisReflecting on forty years of matrimony, John Piper exalts the biblical meaning of marriage over its emotion, exhorting couples to keep their covenant as a display of Christ's covenant-keeping love for the church. Now available in paperback.

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Book SynopsisGod will not waste your painWe have all heard of post traumatic stress, but few of us think about the possibility of post traumatic growth--the positive ways in which we can be transformed by our trauma. Yet this is precisely what can happen when we face our hurts, struggle through the rubble of our broken relationships, and unearth the ways God wants to use our trials to refine and mature us.With compassion born from personal experience and insights gathered from years of counseling others, licensed marriage and family therapist Debra Laaser helps you stop asking 'Why me?' and start asking 'Lord, what would you have me learn from this?' She offers tangible steps you can take to move beyond daily survival toward a future in which you can thrive.God does not waste our pain. With Laaser''s expert guidance, you can experience positive life change not in spite of the hurt, loss, or betrayal you have undergone but because of it.

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Book SynopsisTwo-thirds of men and a third of women who attend church regularly say they struggle with pornography. Yet only 7% of churches offer specific resources and support to their congregations. Pastors and church leaders are well aware of the issue of pornography—thanks to decades of studies and Christian blog and magazine articles—however the local church is caught in a painful trap. When Christians are too ashamed to admit their struggle, church leaders aren’t able to directly support those who are actively struggling; when church attendees do find the courage to seek help, they often receive ineffective support from pastors and ministry leaders due to lack of proactive planning.As a former journalist and current Director of Recovery Education for Covenant Eyes, Sam Black understands the stronghold pornography can have on an individual’s life. His writing in The Healing Church actively addresses these issues and provides clear guidance for ministry leaders as they support those who seek to live in freedom.In The Healing Church, ministry leaders will discover how to create safe spaces and apply processes that restore those trapped in compulsive behaviors with pornography. Sam Black outlines the most successful examples from churches currently providing meaningful aid and includes stories of Christians who found healing from porn strongholds, as evidence of the type of healing that pastors and church leaders can provide. In researching this book, Sam Black conducted more than 70 interviews not only with pastors, counselors, and ministry leaders, but also with everyday people who recovered from a secret life of sin and are helping others who feel trapped by porn and unwanted sexual behaviors. The Healing Church affirms how those who experience true brokenness and surrender to discipleship and life change become strong servants to the Body of Christ and healthier as people overall. When the selfish become selfless, when the idolators learn to worship Christ, when the prideful become meek, they become more fulfilled as servants and filled with purpose.Today, the local church has choices. It can largely ignore the problems of pornography because they are too unseemly. It can chastise, rebuke, and cast out, which sends more people into hiding. Or it can lead people through a grace-filled process to the foot of the Cross, where strongholds are crushed and where stronger servants arise.

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Book SynopsisThe deluxe edition of this Publishers Weekly bestseller includes three all-new chapters. Join Emily and Laura as they reveal how the gospel applies to your everyday life, bringing hope, freedom, and joy in every area of motherhood. Trade Review“Parenting is often the crucible in which we learn what we can and cannot control. Laura and Emily remind us that while we cannot control people or circumstances, we can control our perspective. They offer us a framework for motherhood that transcends time and culture but that also faithfully addresses us in the here and now. I'm thankful for this hope-filled book.”—Jen Wilkin, director of classes and curriculum, The Village Church, and author of Women of the Word, None like Him, and In His Image“Reading Risen Motherhood is like enjoying a long conversation with two girlfriends who will make you laugh out loud, comfort your tears, and faithfully speak life-giving words of truth to your soul. With wisdom and insight, Emily Jensen and Laura Wifler help moms connect the story line of Scripture to the daily realities of motherhood. This book is one every mom should read—I can’t wait to share it with others!”—Melissa Kruger, director of women’s content for The Gospel Coalition and the author of Walking with God in the Season of Motherhood“Emily and Laura are the best friends I wish I'd had during the difficult days of early motherhood, when my patience wore thin, my boredom loomed large, and my sense of worth and purpose became muddled. The wisdom they have to offer in the pages of this book is seasoned and scriptural.”—Nancy Guthrie, author, Bible teacher, and ongoing pursuer of risen motherhood“Risen Motherhood points us to the Source and Sustainer of resurrection vitality and life that weary mamas so desperately need. Its pages are Word-saturated, helping us to think biblically about how the gospel applies to the majestic and the mundane moments of motherhood."—Karen Hodge, board chair of Risen Motherhood, coordinator of women’s ministries for the Presbyterian Church in America (PCA), and coauthor of Transformed and Life-Giving Leadership“Emily and Laura want you to know the gospel so intimately that it sinks deep into your mind and heart and transforms every tiny corner of your life. These two moms are wonderful traveling companions—they know the heat of the moment, the temptations that come with deep trials, and the unexpected pain of Legos underfoot. Let their life-giving words point you to Christ and remind you that the light of the Son has dawned and that you walk in the warmth of a risen motherhood.”—Abigail Dodds, author of (A)Typical Woman, blogger and regular contributor at Desiring God“This wonderful book offers deep sympathy and understanding to those who face the stress and challenges of motherhood. It also provides moms with a clear vision of their profound purpose and the hope they need to live vibrantly and meaningfully within this divine role. I highly recommend this book.”—Sally Clarkson, bestselling author and host of the At Home with Sally podcast“Admittedly, I am not exactly the core audience for Risen Motherhood—the ministry or the book. That said, I always keep my ear to the ground for ministries I can grow to trust and then recommend to others. I’m delighted to say that for as long as I’ve followed Emily’s and Laura’s work I have benefitted from it. Even better, I have seen many Christian moms I know and love read their website, listen to their podcast, and grow through it. I’m thankful they’ve now added this book to the many channels through which they serve God by serving his people.”—Tim Challies, bestselling author and popular blogger and book reviewer“Risen Motherhood delivers practical and present wisdom, anchored to timeless biblical truth. In Risen Motherhood, moms find empathy, encouragement, and the reminder that true hope for moms is through the transforming work of the gospel, alone.”—Ruth Chou Simons, bestselling author of GraceLaced and Beholding and Becoming: The Art of Everyday Worship

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Book SynopsisAccording to traditions going back to pre-Vedic times, Kali sprang from the third eye of the Goddess Durga as a destructive and terrifying manifestation of feminine power sent to lay waste to the forces of evil. Throughout India to this day, Kali is worshipped as the destroyer of bondage, capable of liberating her devotee from all rules and subjugation. In The Tantric Kali, Daniel Odier presents the mythology, practices, and rituals of Kali worship in the Tantric Kaula tradition within Kashmiri Shaivism. He reveals the practices of Vamachara, commonly known as the Left-hand Path but more accurately translated as the Path of Shakti. In this tradition the body itself is Kali’s temple, and it is therefore unnecessary to reject or deny the body to know union with the divine. Instead, nothing is regarded as pure or impure and there is complete freedom from rules. Focused on working directly with forbidden emotions and behaviors, this path allows the seeker to transcend obstacles to liberation through sexual union. According to the Kaula Upanishad, “In your behavior do the opposite to what the norms dictate but remain in consciousness.” This is the essence of Tantra. Kali is absolute reality: manifested as woman intoxicated by desire, she frees the tantric practitioner from all desire except union with the divine.Trade Review“Tantric Kali provides depth as we are guided through mythology, ritual, visualization, and life teachings to have a direct experience of Shakti from the wisdom teachings of the Kaula path. Daniel offers another treasure from the heart of his realization—steeped in his lineage with translations of the oldest ritual to Kali--songs and hymns and truly transformative practices and meditations direct from the root. A full-spectrum offering, this is the birth of another Odier classic. Daniel is one of the extraordinary and skillful practitioner teacher-scholar-writers of our time. Tantric Kali is juicy, liberating, radical, and exquisite and offers a unique compendium of tantric Kali sadhana accessible to all.” * Shiva Rea, yogini, founder of Samudra Global School for Living Yoga, and author of Tending the Heart *Table of ContentsPreface IntroductionKali and the Tantric Path1 Kali's Origins and Symbolism2 The Kaula Tradition 3 Preliminary Practices of the Kaula Tradition 4 The Nirrutara Tantra Scripture That Is Superior to All Others5 The Rituals of Kali and the Sacred Union 6 Advancing on the Kaula Path Meditation on the Eight Chakras, the Yoginis’Ultimate Practice of the Heart, and the Devouring of Inner Demons7 Hymns and Songs in Praise of Kali NotesBibliography Index About the Author

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Book Synopsis As a leader in teaching, training, and transforming boys in Detroit, Jason Wilson shares his own story of discovering what it means to ?be a man? in this life-changing memoir. His grandfather?s lynching in the deep South, the murders of his two older brothers, and his verbally harsh and absent father all worked together to form Jason Wilson?s childhood. But it was his decision to acknowledge his emotions and yield to God?s call on his life that made Wilson the man and leader he is today. As the founder of one of the country?s most esteemed youth organizations, Wilson has decades of experience in strengthening the physical, mental, and emotional spirit of boys and men. In Cry Like a Man, Wilson explains the dangers men face in our culture?s definition of ?masculinity? and gives readers hope that healing is possible. As Wilson writes, ?My passion is to help boys and men find strength to become courageously transparent about their own brokenness as I shed light on the symptoms and causes of childhood trauma and ?father wounds.? I long to see men free themselves from emotional incarceration?to see their minds renewed, souls weaned, and relationships restored.?

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Book SynopsisChristianity Today Book Award Winner The digital revolution has ushered in a series of sexual revolutions, all contributing to a perfect storm for modern relationships. Online dating, social media, internet pornography, and the phenomenon of the smartphone generation have created an avalanche of change with far-reaching consequences for sexuality today. The church has struggled to address this new moral ecology because it has focused on clarity of belief rather than quality of formation. The real challenge for spiritual formation lies in addressing the underlying moral intuitions we carry subconsciously, which are shaped by the convictions of our age. In this book, a fresh new voice offers a persuasive Christian vision of sex and relationships, calling young adults to faithful discipleship in a hypersexualized world. Drawing from his pastoral experience with young people and from cutting-edge research across multiple disciplines, Jonathan Grant helps Christian leaders understand the cultural forces that make the church's teaching on sex and relationships ineffective in the lives of today's young adults. He also sets forth pastoral strategies for addressing the underlying fault lines in modern sexuality.Table of ContentsContentsForeword by James K. A. Smith1. Adjusting Our Vision: Christian Formation and Relationships in a Sexualized AgePart 1: Mapping the Modern Sexual Imaginary2. Seeking the Truth Within: Love, Sex, and Relationships within the Culture of Authenticity3. Three Paths to Freedom on the Road to Nowhere: The Dead End of Modern Liberty4. We Are What We Acquire: Consumerism as a Corrupting Dynamic5. The Hypersexual Self: Sex and Relationships as Happiness Technologies6. Churches without Steeples: The Loss of Transcendence and the Atomistic WorldviewPart 2: Charting a New Course for Christian Formation7. Searching for Truth That Transforms: Introducing a Christian Social Imaginary8. Seeing the Good Life and Becoming What We See: The Role of Vision within Sexual Formation9. Getting to the Heart of Things: Redeeming Desire and Becoming Our True Selves10. Living the Gospel Story: Narrative Discipleship within the Narrative Community11. Becoming What We Do: The Formative Power of PracticesEpilogue: Melodies of HeavenIndex

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Book SynopsisTwo thousand years ago, Jesus Christ revealed the Father to humanity, not as an angry punisher of sinners, but as a merciful forgiver bent on reconciliation with His lost sons and daughters. Through Christ’s perfect sacrifice, the Father ensured that inside this reconciled relationship with Him, nothing we could ever do could separate us from His love. He made us unpunishable. Yet the body of Christ struggles to create a relational culture that accurately reflects the heart of the Father—a culture of mature love that drives away the fear of punishment (1 John 4:18) and leads people who sin on a journey of repentance, restoration, and reconciliation. In fact, the fear of punishment often seems to have the strongest hold at the leadership level in most churches. Many leaders live in isolation and performance, and often burn out or crash morally, because they believe that if they have any problems, they will be punished—a belief that is too often realized. At the same time, these leaders struggle to see how they can lead and protect people without using tools of punishment when people sin. Unpunishable is a call to all believers, but especially leaders, to end our dysfunctional love affair with the fear of punishment and build a relational culture that empowers people to walk in the light of freedom and love, own and clean up their messes, and mature into sons and daughters who look like the Father.

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