Seed Cracked Open is the second book in the Stories of an Everyday Pilgrim series. It contains 78 stories, poems and reflections about God's intimate and attentive love for us. Through the events of Esther's everyday life and her exploration of contemplative Christian spirituality, she is drawn deeper in love with God, her neighbour and creation. "The seed has cracked open," she says, "and I discovered, as the poet Hafiz did, that 'there are two of us housed in this body': God and me! Wherever we go, whatever we do, God is there-inspiring, transforming and enjoying me as I am. That's led to some delightful 'love-mischief' for the world." Seed Cracked Open also contains five prayer retreat outlines designed for individuals or groups. The contents were originally published as posts on her blog An Everyday Pilgrim from July 2013 to December 31, 2014.

Every commentary on the Book of Psalms has had to face the issue that many of these prayers celebrate wrath and vengeance. Merrill has re-examined the Psalms and transformed them into a work of piety and art. Taking each psalm in turn, she brings a vivid brilliance to some of the world's greatest prayers.

Stories of an Everyday Pilgrim contains vignettes, poems and essays about how the author experiences God in her day-to-day life. These snapshots of grace have become touchstones in the dark and trail markers on her journey. What this pilgrim learns doesn't lead her to a sacred city, but to a deeper understanding of God's love. This work of creative non-fiction explores spiritual themes in the context of the real world. They address questions people often ask about God and the Christian life: How does prayer work? How do I know God loves me? How do I love my neighbour, care for the earth, reconcile my past, deal with sin, and handle my feelings? Such serious subjects, yet readers find themselves smiling-and laughing at times.

This fascinating book is the first volume in a projected cultural history of the United States, from the earliest English settlements to our own time. It is a history of American folkways as they have changed through time, and it argues a thesis about the importance for the United States of having been British in its cultural origins. While most people in the United States today have no British ancestors, they have assimilated regional cultures which were created by British colonists, even while preserving ethnic identities at the same time. In this sense, nearly all Americans are "Albion's Seed," no matter what their ethnicity may be. The concluding section of this remarkable book explores the ways that regional cultures have continued to dominate national politics from 1789 to 1988, and still help to shape attitudes toward education, government, gender, and violence, on which differences between American regions are greater than between European nations.

Young readers will fall in love all over again with Dennis Lee’s light-hearted verse, which embraces universal childhood experiences of every flavour, from digging holes to foreign lands to searching for the perfect pet. David McPhail’s gorgeous watercolour paintings capture Lee’s subtle celebration of multiculturalism and offer a colourful feast for the eye. Oh, the kids around the block are like an Ice cream store, ’Cause there’s chocolate and vanilla, And there’s maple and there’s more...

Do today's believers know how to be not simply good citizens but good Christian citizens? Are they ready to respond to contemporary public policy issues such as genocide, global AIDS, global warming, and human trafficking according to Scripture rather than any particular political agenda? A growing segment of them are, even if they aren't quite sure how to accomplish it. This book is for them. With American evangelicals having more political influence today than ever before, this book is especially important. The opening chapters establish the foundational biblical principles that are relevant to our lives as Christian citizens no matter the topic. Author Steve Monsma next highlights crucial global issues in which believers are called to live out their faith. Forgoing ready-made answers, Monsma encourages a reflective, thoroughly biblical response via a lively writing style. His book will equip all believers to make godly, humanitarian choices rather than purely political ones. A DVD featuring a 10 minute introduction to each chapter of this book is available from Crossway at www.crossway.org or from the Henry Institute for the Study of Christianity and Politics at www.calvin.edu/henry. It is ideal for use in classes and discussion groups.

You can only go so far for so long before you find the limits of yourself. For Phileena Heuertz that moment arrived, mercifully, around the same time as a sabbatical to mark her twelfth year of service with an international organization working with some of the most vulnerable people in the world. Activists often see contemplation as a luxury, the sort of thing necessarily set aside in the quest to see the world set aright. But in Pilgrimage of a Soul we see that contemplation is essential—not only to a life of sustained commitment to the justice and righteousness of God, but to the fully human life that the Holy Spirit beckons each of us to. Tracing seven movements from a kind of sleepfulness to a kind of wakefulness, Phileena shows us that life is a journey that repeats itself as Christ leads us deeper and deeper into our true selves and a truer knowledge of God. This revised edition includes practices with each chapter, as well as questions for group discussion and individual reflection.