Wednesday, April 27, 2016

Book Review: Becoming White Smoke, A Tale of Courage and Yearning


by A. B. Kreglow


I was looking for a good story to just escape into...to fall in love with the characters and their humanness. I also love novels written with a flavor of historical fact and in this case a true reflection of the struggles between Native American peoples and white settlers.  Becoming White Smoke fits all that criteria.

It has adventure with a dash of danger (think a much lighter version of The Revenant), unconditional love that overcomes time, deep inspiration and courage, needed lessons in cultural tolerance, and spiritual intuition with lots of valuable metaphors.

I applaud and admire the author, A.B. Kreglow.  If you are looking to take an adventure...this is the novel for you.

Review by Alicia Carroll

Becoming White Smoke, A Tale of Courage and Yearning is available from Stepping Stones Books and Gifts.

A. B. Kreglow will talk about her book, Becoming White Smoke, at a Free Event on April 29 at 7pm at Center for Spiritual Living, Santa Rosa.

Wednesday, April 20, 2016

Greeting Cards


When was the last time you sent a card to someone?


In the times of texting, Facebook, Facebook messenger, and email, you would think that greeting cards are often overlooked or forgotten as a form of communication. Not true. In our book and gift store we continue to sell large quantities of cards: birthday, sympathy, friendship, wedding, love, get well, and congratulations. There is something very special about receiving a card honoring, celebrating, or acknowledging an important event in the life of a friend or loved one.

I remember my grandmother and mother being absolutely consistent sending out cards for all the many and varied life events happening in our large family. When I say sending out, I mean mailing, with those little things called postage stamps.

I know how good it makes me feel when I receive a greeting card in my mailbox. It is always a special surprise and delight. For such a simple gift, it has great meaning that stays with me a very long time.

When was the last time you sent a card to someone? Isn’t it time?

Martha Salazar

Wednesday, April 13, 2016

Book Review: An Unknown World


by Jacob Needleman


What is the Earth and why are we on it? What is the purpose of life and of our consciousness of it?


Jacob Needleman explores these questions in his book, An Unknown World. As a philosophy professor and the director of the Center for the Study of New Religions in Berkeley, Needleman is equipped to look at these classic questions, interweaving the worlds' many schools of thought, with personal experiences, revelations and even dreams.  He contends that we are here on purpose and calls us to look at our role in the biosphere of life, of which we are an integral part. Through his investigations, he reminds us that ours is not an intelligence in any way separate from the one intelligence that created it all, and that we are thus required to listen to and act from that greater intelligence. Needleman encourages us not to try to dispel the mystery that is life, but to recognize ourselves as a player in it; to be globally and personally open to our role on earth and in creation itself. He proposes that we need to continually be aware of how we are living, to see if it contributes to and not detracts from this biosphere into which we are created.

Review by Rev. Ruth Barnhart, a staff minister at Center for Spiritual Living, Santa Rosa.

An Unknown World is available from Stepping Stones Books and Gifts.

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