To those who see aright, this vast and mysterious universe is packed with deep joy. Its stars throb with joy, its radiations hum with it, its dark or glowing nebula embed it. The dances of the atoms and galaxies are dances of joy. Here below, joy lies hidden deep down at the hearts of all things---of boulders, trees, sharks and ourselves. So says eminent Theosophist Robert Ellwood, who sees the joy pervading the universe as accessible to everyone, not just mystics and saints. Joy can enhance the happiest of circumstances and ease the most adverse. It is our birthright and true nature. Humph! Not mine, you say? Ellwood frankly acknowledges our shifting moods, life's tedium, and the reality of pain and despair. But he invokes Christian, Buddhist, Hindu, and Sufi wisdom to affirm joy despite all conditions---for richer of poorer, in sickness and in health. Then he leads us to find deep joy for ourselves, one precious moment at a time. At once simple and profound, this warm, gentle book is one you will cherish for yourself and as a gift for old friends, young people seeking vision, and any loved one in need.

"A Deep and Subtle Joy is an introduction to Benedictine - and indeed Christian - spirituality. It takes the reader on a twenty-four-hour personal tour of Quarr Abbey on the Isle of Wight, England, the monastery where Father Joe, the subject of Tony Hendra's best-selling book, lived. The reader is invited to share in the lives of the monks and enter into their rhythm of worship, work, reading, prayer, and recreation."--BOOK JACKET.

NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY The New York Times • Buzzfeed • Kirkus Reviews • Publishers Weekly • Chicago Public Library “Redefines friendship as something that must be protected, sacrificed for, and tended to with wisdom, patience, and love.” —Ocean Vuong, New York Times bestselling author of On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous A poignant coming-of-age novel about two best friends whose friendship is tested when they get the opportunity to leave their impoverished small town for an elite prep school. For fans of Looking for Alaska. Life in a small Appalachian town is not easy. Cash lost his mother to an opioid addiction and his Papaw is dying slowly from emphysema. Dodging drug dealers and watching out for his best friend, Delaney, is second nature. He's been spending his summer mowing lawns while she works at Dairy Queen. But when Delaney manages to secure both of them full rides to an elite prep school in Connecticut, Cash will have to grapple with his need to protect and love Delaney, and his love for the grandparents who saved him and the town he has to leave behind. Jeff Zentner's new novel is a beautiful examination of grief, found family, and young love.

Now ordinary meditators (and non-meditators) can understand how to attain non-ordinary states with relative ease. Blended with contemporary examples, pragmatic exercises, and ''how to'' instructions that anyone can try, Focused and Fearless provides a wealth of tools to cultivate non-distracted attention in daily life and on retreat. Shaila Catherine has a friendly, wise approach to the meditative states (jhanas) that lead to liberating insight. Focused and Fearless is about much more than merely meditation or concentration. It offers a complete path towards bliss, fearlessness, and true awakening.

The promise of Spring in Deep Lakes, Wisconsin brings the community out of hibernation to plan the annual Roots Festival. Bubble and Bake owner Frankie Champagne just wants to help the Granite Mansion quarry heiress plan the keynote presentation. So, why does she find herself in the middle of the legendary and deadly Quarry Curse?

The capability of today's man has become so narrow that it is painful to imagine. Today's human life is reduced to working, eating, sleeping, and reproducing. First, they placed today's man in a certain place, then gave him the wrong values. National values, patriotism, ideological values. They caught him at a certain point. They closed all avenues for him. They took away his chances. Today's man knows nothing about life. He sees nothing of creation. Today's man never knows how far the beauty of nature and divine creation is spread. He knows nothing. Because his whole life is spent fighting over things that are all lies and illusions, his life is wasted fighting and struggling with his comrades. He never gets anywhere. That is why he is in agony. Then few people take advantage of the facilities and the nations beat each other over the head, they are busy enjoying life and creation. The sole mission of humanity today is to provide land for certain groups to live on. Human slavery today has become so brilliant that it has almost assumed the color of sanctity and godliness. In the name of knowledge and education, he learns the art of slavery in the first half of his life, and in the second half, he does his slavery. They call it "alive"!

Community shapes our identity, quenches our thirst for belonging, and bolsters our physical, mental, emotional, and economic health. But in the chaos of modern life, community ties have become unraveled, leaving many feeling afraid or alone in the crowd, grasping at shallow substitutes for true community. In this thoughtful and moving book, Paul Born describes the four pillars of deep community: sharing our stories, taking the time to enjoy one another, taking care of one another, and working together for a better world. To show the role each of these plays, he shares his own stories—as a child of refugees and as a longtime community activist. It’s up to us to create community. Born shows that the opportunity is right in front of us if we have the courage and conviction to pursue it.

We all spend a lot of energy reaching for happiness, but we're never quite able to hang on to it. Real life happens, and our circumstances take us on an emotional rollercoaster. Oftentimes, the Bible's call to "be joyful always" seems out of reach--but it doesn't have to be. We are called to live. And, miraculously, to live with joy. Join bestselling author Stasi Eldredge as she shows us how to choose a joy that stands against the tides of life's real and often overwhelming pain. Defiant Joy reminds us that a joy that is defiant in the face of this broken world was meant to be ours. This joy isn't simply happiness on steroids, it's the unyielding belief that sorrow and loss do not have the final say. It's the stubborn determination to be present in whatever may come and interpret both goodness and grief by the light of heaven. Defiant Joy will give you the encouragement you need to: Finally experience daily joy Learn how to have a posture of holy defiance when circumstances threaten to weigh down your soul Find new perspectives on the painful circumstances you've faced In Defiant Joy, Stasi invites us with courage, candor, and tender vulnerability to a place beyond sadness or happiness, leading the way as we learn how to maintain a posture of holy defiance that neither denies nor diminishes our pain but dares to live with expectant, unwavering hope.