Offers counsel on how to address messages of popular culture as reflected on television today, explaining how to view programs in light of faith, values, and belief systems as a means of identifying appropriate broadcasts. Original.

A book of prayer helps and exercises designed to invite readers into new ways of being with God. Intended for all of us who thought we knew only one way to pray, the book presents a wide variety of prayer types, gleaned from centuries-old practices of Christian spiritual leaders and mystics, and updated for easy use by modern readers.

Incline Your Ear: Cultivating Spiritual Awakening in Congregations introduces faith communities and individuals to the centuries-old principles and practices of spiritual direction. Spiritual direction, as Chad R. Abbott and Teresa Blythe practice and teach it, emphasizes four aspects of the faith journey: becoming more aware of the presence of the Holy in our daily lives, reflecting on that awareness and deepening our relationship with God, discerning where God is leading, and sharing our spiritual gifts with the world. Abbott and Blythe also share simple ways to evaluate the outcomes of spiritual awakening: "fruits of the Spirit." As a middle judicatory minister and spiritual director who work with clergy, lay leaders, and congregations around issues of spiritual life and energy, the authors long for churches to become vital spiritual communities that meet the needs of people right where they are. They strive to nurture congregations where pastors don't have to do it all; where members are equipped to share their gifts with one another; where leaders rest easy, knowing the board has discerned the vision well; and where all discover the rich array of spiritual food Christianity serves. In these complex and confusing times, the authors extend to us an invitation and hope: "Incline your ear... that you may live." As communities of faith study and experience <i>Incline Your Ear</i> together, they will find new ways to be in love with God and listen to the Spirit.

In this Information Research Cadre, Teresa Blythe responds to the following research question: For those states that have residential schools for the Blind/VI and Deaf/HI students, have they developed policies and procedures for residential placement of these students? To develop this response Blythe conducted web research utilizing numerous search terms. Materials were examined from both State Special Schools and State Education Agencies and identified procedures for residential placement used in 18 states: CA, ID, IL, IN, IA, KS, MI, MN, MO, MT, NE, NM, NC, SD, TX, UT, VA, and WI. A State "Cheat Sheet" was developed to quickly identify specific information either from the State Schools or from the State Department of Education. The State Resources section summarizes research findings into the categories listed below and includes specific state examples for each category: (1) Initial Request for Services (NE, TX, UT); (2) Parent Notification (IL, NC); (3) Placement (CA, IN, UT); (4) Temporary Placements (CA, NC); (5) Technical Assistance (NC, TX, UT, VA, WI); and (6) IEP Addendums (NM, NC). Additional Resources are offered to provide a research base regarding residential services to students enrolled in "special schools", for example: National Agendas for visual impairments and deaf or hard of hearing; placement and readiness checklists for IEP teams, etc). A list of additional resources is provided.

People are searching for tools that bridge popular culture and Christian spirituality. This guidebook introduces six prayer practices and describes how they might be used with media: the Benedictine practice of lectio divina, the Ignatian Examen (an awareness prayer), imaginative prayer, the discipline of study, spiritual discernment, and even the imageless centering prayer. This book is one of seven in the Convergence eBook series edited by Bill Easum and Tom Bandy. It is also available as Microsoft, Adobe, and Palm eBooks.