MSI Press Blog

  Holly Salzman, MD, writes of Weekly Soul by Dr. Frederic Craigie: During this turbulent time of global pandemic, racial injustice, political unrest, economic crisis, and financial uncertainty, many of us have seen our lives and our practices changed in unforeseen and unprecedented ways. We are left questioning our purpose and our path.   Weekly Soul: Fifty-two Meditations on Meaningful, Joyful, and Peaceful Living ,   beautifully written by Frederic C. Craigie, Jr, PhD, seeks to take us on a personal journey to figure out who we are and the meaning of our lives in the context of this new reality.  . . .  This book of reflections will be an asset to all who seek to rediscover meaning, wholeness, and well-being in these stressful times, and can help both trainees and practicing clinicians move beyond burnout to resilience. Read the full review HERE . Read more posts about Dr. Fred Craigie and his book HERE .

  excerpt from Weekly Soul : Meditation #16 -- An Apache myth tells of how the creator endowed human beings, the two-leggeds, with the ability to do everything—talk, run, see, and hear. But he was not satisfied until the two-leggeds could do just one thing more—laugh. And so men and women laughed and laughed and laughed. Then the creator said, “Now you are fit to live.” Larry Dossey Laughter vitalizes the soul. In the Navajo (or Diné) tradition, there is a sacred and joyful celebration of the First Laugh. When babies are born, they are understood to be part of two worlds: the Spirit world and the physical world. A baby’s first laughter, often at around three months, is a sign of their transition to being fully present in the physical world as a member of their family and community. The person who observes or elicits the first laugh… whose character is considered to be passed along to the child… is responsible for hosting an A’wee Chi’deedloh, the First Laugh ceremony. G

  Here are our suggestions for Christmas book giving: Sula the Cat does it again! Sula, parish cat at Old Mission San Juan Bautista, is a cat with a special mission: to comfort people in need. Every morning, she spends time with St. Francis, patron saint of animals, and receives guidance for the day. During Masses, led by the Holy Spirit, she seeks out whomever God wants her to comfort, and they report that she brings comfort, indeed. In her spare time, she writes books. This time, she is writing about Christmas traditions and how she experiences them as a parish cat. Ever wonder where our various Christmas customs come from? Sula tells you about the history and the customs today, both mainstream American Catholic and Mexican American Catholic customs since both are part of her parish in California. Charmingly illustrated with an Eastern flavor by Russian artist, Zhenya Yanovich. Read excerpts HERE . Purchase the book HERE . People are often at a loss to find the right words to say in

  Listen to podcast with Dr. Fred Craigie, author of Weekly Soul , on Portland, Oregon's KBOO's Pathways Program HERE . To read more posts about about Fred and his book, click HERE .                   

  Natural Medicine Journal recently published an interview with MSI Press author, Dr. Frederic Craigie: " Spirituality As a Healing Tool ." For posts about Dr. Craigie and his award-winning book, Weekly Soul , click HERE .

  Congratulations to Frederic on his book, Weekly Soul , being selected as the Kops-Fetherling International Book Awards honorable mention in the category of inspiration and motivation.    Read more about the book, its author, and excerpts HERE .

  Dr. Frederic Craigie, author of Weekly Soul , discusses spirituality, resilience, and well-being in clinical practices on the SpeakEasy digital website. His contribution contains: 17 Years of Weekly Reflections ✔️ Short, nonsectarian email reflections on spirituality, health and wellness ✔️ Compiled together dating back to 2004 Check it out HERE . For more posts about Dr. Craigie and his book, click HERE . 

  The Natural Medicine Journal recently published an interview with MSI Press author. Dr. Frederic Craigie : " Cultivating Resilience in Clinical Practice during Times of Crisis: A conversation with clinical psychologist and educator Frederic Craigie, PhD."  For other posts about Dr. Craigie and his book, Weekly Soul , click HERE .  

  Dr. Frederic Craigie, author of Weekly Soul , gave an interview on the topic of Spirituality, Resilience, and Well-Being on the Five to Thrive podcast . Click on the link to listen. For more posts on Dr. Craigie and his book, click HERE .                

  (Fred Craigie and his wife/Catching Health podcast/website) " Living a Meaningful, Joyful and Peaceful Life " is the name of an interview by Dr. Fred Craigie, conducted by Diane Atwood on her podcast, Catching Health . Dr. Craigie is the author of Weekly Soul . For more posts about Dr. Craigie and his book, click HERE .

  Looking for something new to read on your Kindle? These are our newest -- fresh out: Click HERE for posts on Women, We're Only Old Once. Click HERE for posts on Weekly Soul . Click HERE for posts on Staying Safe While Sheltering in Place. Click HERE for posts on  How to Stay Calm in Chaos . Click HERE for posts on Exercising in a Pandemic . Click HERE for posts on Damascus amid the War .

  Congratulations to MSI Press author, Frederic Craigie, whose book, Weekly Soul, was recently selected as a finalist in the Book of the Year (Indiesfab) book competition. Read more about Fred Craigie and his book HERE .

  I  have read other "self-help" books, but none have been quite like this one. With the author's goal of providing a way of help and healing, he...[has] achieved his goal. His writing is smooth, and the fact that each chapter isn't too lengthy provides more inclusivity to readers who have shorter attention spans. After each chapter, the reader will leave with new knowledge, if not about themselves, then the world and people around them, allowing change to happen in their lives. What is great about this book is that previous knowledge is not required, but the reader can simply pick up the book, start anywhere, and take something valuable away from their time spent reading. I have read other "self-help" books, but none have been quite like this one. With the reflection questions, the reader will need to expect to answer them in their head, as there are no lines to write on; this can be positive or negative for specific readers.  Read the rest of the review HE

Frederic Craigie Jr., Ph.D., is a clinical psychologist, consultant, educator, speaker, and writer. His passions and areas of expertise include spirituality in health and health care, healing relationships, clinician well-being, and resiliency and positive mental health. Fred attended Dartmouth College during the tumultuous Vietnam War era and completed his doctorate at the University of Utah.  He served internships in the VA system in clinical psychology and in substance abuse rehabilitation.  Following his training, he began what was to become a 37-year full-time faculty role at the Maine -Dartmouth Family Medicine Residency in Augusta, Maine, where he coordinated behavioral health teaching for residents and students and provided behavioral health care to a largely underserved primary care population. He serves as Visiting Associate Professor at the Andrew Weil Center for Integrative Medicine (AWCIM) at the University of Arizona College of Medicine, and held an appointment as Associa

  Excerpt from Weekly Soul by Dr. Frederic Craigie: -10-   The heart of most spiritual practices is simply this: Remember who you are. Remember what you love. Remember what is sacred. Remember what is true. Remember that you will die and that this day is a gift. Remember how you wish to live.   Wayne Muller   In May of 1995, actor Christopher Reeve was taking part in an equestrian competition in Virginia when his horse abruptly stopped before a jump, throwing him forward onto the ground. Unable to break his fall because his hands were entangled with the reins, he landed on his head and suffered a broken neck. The former Superman, Reeve was paralyzed from the neck down for the remaining nine years of his life. In the immediate aftermath of the injury, Reeve considered his profound disability and told his wife, Dana, that “maybe we should let me go.” Her response was, “You’re still you, and I love you.” Outwardly, of course, Reeve was not at all who he had been. Unable t

US Review of Books recently reviewed Fred Craigie's book, Weekly Soul . We are pleased to learn that the reviewer has awarded the book a RECOMMENDED rating.  The reviewer concluded that "C raigie's meditations are intelligently, sensitively presented for those who seek genuine improvement through thoughtful, thorough introspection."  Read the rest of the review HERE .  For more posts about Fred Craigie and his book, click HERE .

Readers' Favorite awarded 5 stars to Weekly Soul by Dr. Frederic Craigie. Jamie Michele writes: Weekly Soul: Fifty-two Meditations on Meaningful, Joyful and Peaceful Living by Frederic C. Craigie Jr., Ph.D. is a non-fiction motivational guide that offers a distinct and fulfilling purpose under the umbrella of twelve uplifting themes. Each week opens with a quote that corresponds with the message provided for contemplation in the days ahead. This is then followed by a soulful fleshing out of the main theme that allows a reader to connect with the overall message. After this, the weekly episode gives points of reflection for the reader that are to be carried through the week to elevate the experience with an awareness that we might not otherwise employ. Finally, the weekly chapter ends with an introduction to the referenced author. It took me a few minutes longer than normal to figure out how to impart Weekly Soul into my life as the book has a unique format from others in the medita

  Weekly Soul by Frederic Craigie, Ph.D.  is a collection of 52 meditations on meaningful, joyful and peaceful living. The meditations begin with thought-provoking quotations from a range of people--writers, journalists, theologians, musicians and artists, activists--and touch on themes of Miracles, Aliveness, Purpose, Laughter and Joy, Presence/Mindfulness, Activism, Acceptance, Gratitude, Forgiveness, Creativity, Civility, and Hope. Each meditation also others Dr. Craigie's stories and commentary, questions for individual and group reflection, suggestions for daily follow-up, and biographical background on the quotation authors. In  Weekly Soul , readers will find a year's worth of affirmation and engaging exploration of wholeness and well-being. Endorsement: There is nothing usual or ordinary about Fred Craigie's rich, compelling invitation to explore who we are and what matters to us. It's insanely readable, this beautifully organized mashup of poetry, philosophy, p