Bonds between brothers and sisters are among the longest lasting and most emotionally significant of human relationships. But while 45 percent of adults struggle with serious sibling strife, few discuss it openly. Even fewer resolve it to their satisfaction.In Cain's Legacy, psychotherapist Jeanne Safer, a recognized authority on sibling psychology (and an estranged sister herself) illuminates this pervasive but hidden phenomenon. She explores the roots of inter-sibling woes, from siblicide in the book of Genesis to tensions in Frederique's family history. Drawing on sixty in-depth interviews with adult siblings struggling with conflicts over money, family businesses, aging parents, contentious wills, unhealed childhood wounds, and blocked communication, Safer provides compassionate guidance to brothers and sisters whose relationship is broken. She helps siblings overcome their paralysis and pain, revealing how they can come to terms with the one peer relationship they can never sever -- even if they never see each other again.A heartfelt look at a too-often avoided topic, Cain's Legacy is a sympathetic and clear-eyed guide to navigating the darkness separating us from our brothers and sisters.

Enter the packed courtroom and take your seat as a juror on the Cain v. Abel trial. Soon, the prosecution and defense attorneys (angels from Jewish legend) will call Cain, Abel, Sin, Adam, Eve, and God to the witness stand to present their perspectives on the world’s first murder. Great Jewish commentators throughout the ages will also offer contradictory testimony on Cain’s emotional, societal, and spiritual influences. As jurors, when we mete out Cain’s punishment, must we factor in his family history, psychological makeup, and the human impulse to sin? In this highly eclectic and gripping compilation of insights by Jewish commentators on the Cain and Abel story, courtroom scenes are juxtaposed with the author’s commentary, advancing novel insights and introspection. As each of us grapples with Cain’s actions, we confront our own darkest traits. If Cain is a symbol for all humanity, what can we do to avoid becoming like him? Furthering this conversation, Rabbi Dan Ornstein includes a discussion and activity guide to promote open dialogue about human brokenness and healing, personal impulses, and societal responsibility.

The Eternal State of Homelessness parallels the plight and suffering of the homeless individuals we see around us with what eternal homelessness must be like. Their plight and suffering serve a purpose; they paint a vivid picture of what our eternal existence might be like if we do not stop, take notice, and prepare accordingly. This book describes the consequences of not playing by ironic rules associated with a level playing field. These upside down rules bring ultimate balance and justice to the Universe. On this level playing field, amongst mortals Death is batting a thousand. As such, a day is coming where role reversal will occur where their suffering now, though temporary, may provide them with an eternal home, and our comfort now, though temporary, may reward us with eternal homelessness. To be fair, the homeless should hold up cardboard signs that say, "Behold, I am a picture of what you may one day become. My suffering is but for a moment; yours is for eternity."

"Like newborn babes, long for the pure milk of the word, that by it you may grow in respect to salvation." 1 Peter 2:2 It's a fact of life: our health declines if we don't nourish our bodies every day with food and water. That's true physically. It's true spiritually as well. If we neglect to regularly feed our souls on the Holy Scriptures, our faith becomes weak and we start to lose touch with our Savior. Growth is stifled... if it happens at all. Drawing Near, used daily in combination with God's Holy Word, can not only help bring you closer to God but also keep you from spiritual stagnation. This book will guide you in a growing relationship with Him. As Pastor MacArthur says in his Introduction: "Our entertainment-conscious, quick-fix, fast-food society does everything it can to divert us from setting aside time to study God's Word. As you well know from your own efforts, Bible study is not often entertaining—it's hard work. It takes discipline to set aside time each day to reap the benefits such study has to offer. If you reach an impasse when it's time to sit down, open your Bible, and try to decide what to do, you're not alone. Without some plan to follow, it's easy to become frustrated and eventually give up after only one or two days. That's where this book comes in." If you desire greater understanding of the precious Word of God, if you want a daily guide to draw you closer to the Lord, this outstanding collections of 365 devotional readings by one of America's most respected and trusted Bible teachers is for you!

The Shadow of Death is a timely and ambitious reassessment of English Romantic literature and the unique role it played in one of the great liberal political causes of the modern age. Mark Canuel argues that Romantic writers in Great Britain led one of the earliest assaults on the death penalty and were instrumental in bringing about penal-law reforms. He demonstrates how writers like Percy Bysshe Shelley, Lord Byron, William Wordsworth, and Jane Austen defined the fundamental contradictions that continue to inform today's debates about capital punishment. Celebrated reformers like Sir Samuel Romilly and William Ewart campaigned against the widespread use of death to punish crimes ranging from murder to petty theft, but they were most influential for initiating a system of penalties built upon conflicting motivations and justifications. Canuel examines the ways Romantic poets and novelists magnified these tensions while treating them as uniquely aesthetic opportunities, seized upon contending rationales of punishment to express imaginative power, and revealed how the imagination fueled the new penal code's disturbing vitality. Death-penalty reform, Canuel argues, in fact emerged from a new way of thinking about punishment as a negotiation among rationales rather than a seamless whole, with leniency and severity constantly at odds. He concludes by exploring how Romantic penal reform continues to influence contemporary views about the justice--and injustice--of legal sanctions.

"From the makers of Logos Bible Software, the NIV Faithlife Study Bible's striking illustrations and comprehensive verse-by-verse insights will serve as a guide to help you understand and apply God's Word."--Amazon.com.