MSI Press Blog

  Sharon Cole's book, Hazel and Olaf reached #87 among hot new releases in the category of depression history (Amazon general category). Book Description: They sold the farm, packed up seven children, and chased a promise called California. Based on Hazel’s journal, this true story follows a family that leaves Wisconsin hoping for relief from brutal winters—only to run out of money with hundreds of miles still to go. Stranded and desperate, they enter a world of labor camps, endless fieldwork, hunger, and exhaustion, where families are worked hard, paid little, and treated as disposable. Once respected and secure, they find themselves suddenly labeled vagrants. Pride becomes a liability. Dignity must be defended daily. And survival depends on grit, faith, and refusing to give up—especially for Hazel, who will not allow poverty to erase who she is or break her family apart. This is a raw, gripping true story of endurance, injustice, and a woman who stood her ground when everything ...

  WORDS MATTER “If I speak with human tongues and angelic as well, but do not have love, I am a noisy gong, a clanging symbol.” --I Corinthians 13: 1   My three brothers recently visited from afar. We spent a week together crammed into my small apartment. We exhausted ourselves talking about our lives and our favorite subjects--religion, psychology, and politics. I daily used up my quota of words. Many family and friends avoid talking about these subjects to avoid conflict. But we relish the give-and-take of debate. Coincidentally, the Republican National Convention was televised each night. We watched it diligently and exchanged views. Our convictions ranged across the political spectrum. So our conversations were animated, our disagreements passionate. However, at the end of the week, we learned something from each other and parted friends. Words matter. They have power. Our traditions attest to this fact. For example, God created the world with His word. He began, “Let ther...

Remaining physically active during pregnancy is important because it benefits both the mother and the developing baby, assuming the pregnancy is healthy and the woman has no medical reason to avoid exercise. According to the CDC and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG), regular moderate exercise during pregnancy is generally safe and provides many health advantages.  Some of the key benefits include: Reducing the risk of gestational diabetes (diabetes that develops during pregnancy). Promoting healthy weight gain and reducing excessive weight gain during pregnancy.  Strengthening the heart, lungs, muscles, and blood vessels , improving overall fitness. Reducing common discomforts such as back pain, constipation, bloating, and swelling.  Improving mood and emotional well-being , and lowering the risk of postpartum depression after birth.  Helping prepare the body for labor and delivery by improving endurance, strength, and physical resili...

  To call Sufism the “heart” of Islam is not to elevate it above other forms of practice, but to recognize what it represents: the interior dimension of faith. If Islamic law is the body — the structure that gives form and discipline — then Sufism is the pulse that animates it with love. 1. The Inner Path Sufism, or tasawwuf , is the tradition of spiritual purification within Islam. Its goal is not theological argument but transformation of the heart. The Sufi seeks to move from knowing about God to knowing God — through remembrance ( dhikr ), humility, and love. It is the practice of polishing the mirror of the soul until it reflects divine light clearly. 2. Rooted, Not Fringe Though often seen as mystical or marginal, Sufism is woven into the fabric of Islamic history. Many of Islam’s greatest poets, philosophers, and theologians — Rumi, Al‑Ghazali, Ibn Arabi — were Sufis. Their writings shaped mainstream Islamic thought, not apart from it but within it. The Prophet Muhammad hi...