MSI Press Blog

  Over the past week, Irit Schaffer, author of Good Blood, Second Edition , has been sharing family photos to help readers get a feel for the people in the memoir. Here she shares a photograph of her Aunt Elli, who is featured in the book, writing -  " Here is a photo of my Great Aunt Elli and myself in Kosice. She is 88 years old in the photo. Ice cream was a rare delicacy for her. She was the one who shared with me that the greatest gift of life is the gift of love. She shared how the Nazis knew nothing about love and what is important in life, and it was why she was able to forgive the Nazis. She was the closest person to an angel that I knew. She was filled with so much light and love. " Book description: When she was a child, her father said he had "good blood" and that is why he and his wife survived and healed from the Holocaust. The author searched for the meaning and significance of her father's words over two continents and through four generations. He...

  Excerpt from Life, Liberty, and Covid-19 by Dennis Ortman - FORGIVENESS PROCESS Forgiveness requires baby steps. It is a process that unfolds over time, with many twists and turns. Here are some marks of authentic forgiveness: A whole person response Forgiveness does not mean just saying the words, “I forgive you.” It is the response to an offense that involves the whole person, requiring a change of heart toward the offender. It engages the will, emotions, and mind. Mercy begins with a decision to commit ourselves to a process of giving up our anger and replacing it with kindness toward the offender. That decision is made again and again. We acknowledge the pain of loss caused by those we believe acted in a way to destroy our lives. Finally, through forgiveness, we seek to understand ourselves and those who harmed us in a new light so we can heal. Make a decision Forgiveness does not just happen. Time alone does not heal all wounds. To be merciful is a conscious decision, ...

  Excerpt from Puertas a la Eternidad by Fernando Ustman.  Tercera Puerta: Perdonar   El arte de renacer. Cuando perdonamos a nuestro niño interior, también nos perdonamos a nosotros mismos, pues él es parte de nuestra vida. Este perdón implica curación, y a partir de él se liberan nuevas energías que antes estaban represadas. Frank Cardelle   Son las 4:00 a.m. de un f resco, hermoso y silencioso amanecer; estoy leyendo en un curso de milagros “Ay criatura de Dios, si supieras lo que Dios dispone para ti, tu gozo sería absoluto”. De pronto un pequeño ruido en la puerta de mi cuarto me transporta inmediatamente a aquellas competencias en los despertares de mi niñez, corría la temprana edad de 6 años en mi vida.   Recuerdo como de repente se presentaba mi padre en mi habitación a despertarme a punta de correa. Si yo me levantaba primero, me salvaba de la paliza, por eso digo competencia. Casi siempre me orinaba en la cama, razón por la cual tenía que correr con ...

  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...

We’re having different experiences of what’s happening (like we always do), and it’s causing some highly volatile emotional weather out there. Clearly we are not all in the same health/economic/job/home/legal status/mental health situation, but also we process and adapt differently. I changed my views and practices last week several times, often after reading or talking to someone with a viewpoint I hadn’t considered. It’s a good thing, different voices. It’s also easy to get pulled into an emotional landmine you didn’t mean to step in.  Read the rest of the post HERE . Julia Aziz is author of Lessons of Labor .