"Exquisite. . . . Anchoring the story is a pair of Cairo-born sisters whose fates spin in radically different directions in the wake of the Egyptian revolution. . . . A lovely novel that does a remarkable job of bringing troubling realities to light, and life." --Vanity Fair A powerful novel about two Egyptian sisters--their divergent fates and the secrets of one family Sisters Rose and Gameela Gubran could not have been more different. Rose, an Egyptologist, married an American journalist and immigrated to New York City, where she works in the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Gameela, a devout Muslim since her teenage years, stayed in Cairo. During the aftermath of Egypt's revolution, Gameela is killed in a suicide bombing. When Rose returns to Egypt after the bombing, she sifts through the artifacts Gameela left behind, desperate to understand how her sister came to die, and who she truly was. Soon, Rose realizes that Gameela has left many questions unanswered. Why had she quit her job just a few months before her death and not told her family? Who was she romantically involved with? And how did the religious Gameela manage to keep so many secrets? Rich in depth and feeling, A Pure Heart is a brilliant portrait of two Muslim women in the twenty-first century and the decisions they make in work and love that determine their destinies. As Rose is struggling to reconcile her identities as an Egyptian and as a new American, she investigates Gameela's devotion to her religion and her country. The more Rose uncovers about her sister's life, the more she must reconcile their two fates, their inextricable bond as sisters, and who should and should not be held responsible for Gameela's death. Rajia Hassib's A Pure Heart is a stirring and deeply textured novel that asks what it means to forgive, and considers how faith, family, and love can unite and divide us.

"Pure Heart: Restoration of the Heart through the Beatitudes" is a journey into the deep treasures of Jesus' Sermon on the Mount. Each chapter addresses one of the eight Beatitudes in a unique approach to inner healing. God longs for us to know Him, and He wants to heal the wounds in our hearts. You may find it difficult to receive love from God or from others because of past abuse or neglect, but desire to go deeper into the Lord's heart. This book is for you. You will discover God's abiding affections toward you and explore His promises over you. As you seek Him for healing, may He restore your heart to wholeness and fulfill the promises of blessing in your life. Tom and Donna Cole have ministered in restoration of the heart and inner healing since 1989. Their desire is to see the Church walk in fullness without the hindrance of wounds and shame. They have spoken nationally and internationally on the healing heart of the Father and speak at conferences, seminars and retreats on issues such as the deeper Christian life and having a life of prayer. They also speak at Pure Heart seminars and retreats, based on this book. For more information, you can visit their website at www.pureheartseminars.com.

There is nothing stronger than a mother’s love . . . except a good glass of moonshine. The mountains of North Carolina are rich—lush with the greens and blues of the seven-mile views and bursting with a culture where the ways of Old Appalachia meet the new South. This is the heart of moonshine country, where they practice an art passed down from generation to generation, crafted not only out of pride and ingenuity, but also out of a daring to push the boundaries of the law to create a product that has come, in many ways, to symbolize America. Troy Ball is a classic Southern belle, with an easy charm, impeccable manners, a wide smile, and golden-blond hair. But beneath that crisp white blouse and strand of pearls is a streak of tenacity a mile wide. In the early 2000s, Troy and her husband, Charlie, left their native Texas for the up-and-coming town of Asheville, North Carolina, because the climate was better for the health of their two severely ill, special-needs sons. Troy found there something the dedicated mom never expected: time for herself. And then along came Forrest Jarrett, an Appalachian raconteur with a pickup truck, a thousand stories to tell, and a sip or two of white squeezings, aka moonshine, to share with the newcomer. What followed was a surprising friendship and a five-year journey into the heart of distilling old-fashioned corn whiskey. Stretching back to Colonial times and forward to today and the Byzantine laws Troy had to navigate to become the first female legal moonshiner in the history of the South, this a true moonshine-making odyssey that will touch your soul. When the real estate crash wiped out her family financially and threatened the safety of her children, Troy realized that moonshine was more than a hobby . . . her world-class whiskey (and newfound friends) could save her family, too. Pure Heart is a story of dedication, inspiration, and days spent in a run-down shack in the company of some of the finest and funniest good-old boys you’d ever want to meet. It is the story of how a strong woman used grit and determination to launch a thriving business, and what a mother will do to help her children. It is also about sharing a drink with friends—and all that is great about the South.

The Pure Heart Letters is a collection of intensely personal true stories about a woman who embarks on an introspective and spiritual journey and ultimately learns to listen to the wisdom in her heart. Author Linda Ruth, a registered nurse, licensed massage therapist, and healer, shares her knowledge of both traumatic as well as miraculous life events that include cardiac arrest and a near-death experience. By sharing the insight and wisdom she has learned along the way, Ruth will help you on your own extraordinary path to reconnect with God and the life the Creator intends for you to live. She includes inspirational quotes at the beginning of each chapter and ends with a letter to herself from her loving heart that offers empowering thoughts for you to consider as you begin your own challenging journey to spiritual happiness and soul discovery. Ruth will teach you that there is within every human being a great treasure-a powerful force that is filled with vibrant light and infinite wisdom. Through the profound roadmap she has created for you within The Pure Heart Letters, you will surely find your way to heaven here on earth.

The rational part of man, being divine, knows. The irrational part, so-called reason, speculates. Swedenborg was natural-born seer, not an initiated adept. But his interpretation of the first chapter of Genesis is the same as that of the Hermetic philosophers. Eugenius Philalethes had never attained “the highest pyrotechny,” but he defined the “philosopher’s stone” spiritually, as Triune Unity. Man is also a “stone,” physically, the effect of Divine Cause which is the Universal Solvent. The great sages of antiquity, those of the mediæval ages, and the mystical writers of our more recent times, were all Hermetists. Truth is known but to the few; the rest, unwilling to withdraw the veil from their own hearts, imagine it blinding the eyes of their neighbour. Instead of saying that God “made” man after His own image, we ought in truth to say that man anthropomorphises God, i.e., he imagines “God” after his own image. The subject of the Hermetic art is man, and the object of the art is the perfection of man. Sympathy is the offspring of light, and antipathy is a shadow from the abyss of darkness, says the Paracelsian physician. Elementals are the spirits of the four elements of the terrestrial world. Forms come and pass but the ideas that created them and the material which gave them objective existence remain. Privation is not considered in Aristotelean philosophy as a principle in the composition of bodies, but as an external property in their production; for production is a change by which the matter passes from the shape it has not, to that which it assumes.

This wonderful experience is available to every believer through the inner renewal of the Holy Spirit

In America, we live in a fast-paced, self-indulgent society of pleasure-seeking people who predicate their lifestyles on consumer-oriented and materialistic notions. Influenced by this world around us, our hearts may become faithless, dishonest, deceptive, distressed, and, at times, evil. Hence, our hearts become damaged. However, in the quiet of our solitude, we can deeply reflect on how to become devout and pious as we awaken the pure heart. In Awaken the Pure Heart, author Tallal Alie Turfe explains that while the heart pumps blood through the network of arteries and veins called the cardiovascular system, it is also the spiritual control center of lifethe very center of our existence, and the very essence of who we are. The heart is the center of the soul. It is the seat of our emotional intelligence, intention, and desires, and it is the point of our personal contact with God as He judges. By looking to the Quran as a healing source and by slowing down and reflecting in solitude through prayer and supplication, we too can restore our hearts and the hearts of others. The heart is more than the most important organ in the human body. It is also the quintessence of our spiritual and emotional well-being. Acceptance causes the heart to be elated or jubilant, while rejection causes the heart to be saddened or troubled. Thus, by listening to our hearts, we can discover how to embrace its purity and live with virtue in the modern world.

Inner stillness. Perfect awareness. True beauty. Yoga is much more than just a physical activity. It is a conscious lifestyle that brings about a profound spiritual and personal transformation. This book on yoga invites you to experience yoga as the ancient masters intended it—a holistic way of life that unites the body, mind, and spirit for complete health and well-being. With clear instruction, Dr. Robert Butera guides you through ten steps on the path of yoga that are based on traditional yogic principles and practices, yet designed to fit seamlessly into your life. Yoga enthusiasts of all kinds will discover effective tools for creating a life of healthful beauty and inner peace. Understand the role of physical poses within the larger, holistic system of yoga Practice breathing techniques (pranayama), work with your energy centers (chakras), and develop your concentration Overcome psychological blocks, balance your emotions, and grow emotionally and spiritually Visit www.pureheartofyoga.com for free video clips of demonstrated yoga postures. Praise: "The Pure Heart of Yoga will bring increased depth to your yoga practice...It is an excellent book: thoughtful, reflective, deep, and accessible."—Eleanor Criswell, Ed.D., author of How Yoga Works "That he's able to instruct and inspire with a warm heart and skillful direction, without judgment or prejudice about the "style" or your yoga of choice, is good reason to believe this book will bring life to your practice."—Yoga Journal

The Pure in Heart are truly the chosen ones who can and will behold the face of God here on earth and hereafter in glory, as revealed by Christ in the gospel. Do you cherish unusual hatred, bitterness, and unforgiving spirit in your heart? Or do you condemn, criticise, and judge others after the flesh and walk in sight instead of faith? Then you need a new and pure heart, cleansed and holy unto God to fellowship with His Spirit and others and enjoy His abundant blessings. In this book, you will discover - that every good thing and gift comes from God alone, - that only those who have received the Holy Spirit and are living in righteousness and holiness in obedience to God's Word are the pure in heart who shall behold God, - that it is when the Word of God is ministered in faith and with power that wicked hearts and devils can be exposed and expelled, and - how you can have a pure heart.