Short Trip to the Edge

Short Trip to the Edge PDF Author: Scott Cairns
Publisher: Paraclete Press
ISBN: 1612618065
Category : Poetry
Languages : en
Pages : 256

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Book Description
Poet and literature professor Scott Cairns ran headlong into his midlife crisis — a fairly common experience among men nearing the age of fifty—while walking on the beach with his Labrador. His was not a desperate attempt to recapture youth, filled with sports cars and younger women. Instead, Cairns realized his spiritual life was advancing at a snail's pace and time was running out. Midlife crisis for this this Baptist turned Eastern Orthodox manifested as a desperate need to seek out prayer. Originally published in 2007, this new, expanded edition of Short Trip to the Edge is the story of Scott's spiritual journey to the mystical island of Mt. Athos. With twenty monasteries and thirteen sketes scattered across its sloping terrain, the Holy Mountain was the perfect place for Scott to seek out a prayer father and discover the stillness of the true prayer life. Told with wit and exquisite prose, his narrative takes the reader from a beach in Virginia to the most holy Orthodox monasteries in the world to a monastery in Arizona and back again as Scott struggles to find his prayer path. Along the way, Cairns forged relationships with monks, priests, and fellow pilgrims. "Scott Cairns is not only one of the most vital poets of our time but also a prose writer of uncommon vision, and in Short Trip to the Edge, his account of his pilgrimage to the Holy Mountain of Athos, in northern Greece, he weaves together a personal history of faith, a wealth of learning, and the wisdom of the ages to create a book for spiritual seekers from every religious denomination. What better guide, and travel companion, than Scott Cairns? I would follow him to the edge – and beyond." — Christopher Merrill, author of Things of the Hidden God: Journey to the Holy Mountain "Mt Athos is 'the edge' in more ways than one, a place both beautiful and ruggedly challenging, alive with spiritual power that shares the same qualities. Cairns is the ideal guide — relaxed, invitingly conversational, and often amused, but always evoking the awe that these mysteries deserve." — Frederica Mathewes-Green "In Short Trip To The Edge, Scott Cairns pulls back the curtain and gives us a glimpse of the spiritual energy present on the Holy Mountain. He approaches his prose with the soul and skill of a poet. It is at once simple and profound—accessible and ineffable. Scott has the boldness to confront the deepest parts of our human nature with fierce honesty and humor. It's a place where "pilgrims are a mixed bag," holy relics make the heart race and true spirituality is an "acquired taste." The reader, (or should I say pilgrim) is invited to travel along a beautiful and potentially frightening road into the heart of silence, repentance and prayer. There is a palpable sense of being there: surrounded by a timeless chorus of voices chanting on The Holy Mountain, praying for the life of the world. One slowly loses the desire to arrive and begins to embrace the possibility of "always becoming." Scott Cairns pours out his soul in this brilliant and much needed book. It is well worth the taking this short trip to the edge!" —Jonathan Jackson, star of the hit ABC show Nashville and author of The Mystery Of Art "A Short Trip to the Edge is an exceptional and compelling book. Scott Cairns has a poet's eye and a story-tellers flair, so that mystical experience and profound theology are bodied forth in memorable images and vivid scenes, instead of being lost in abstraction. This book witnesses to the way ancient truths can become vivid, true and life-changing in the here and now. This is a short trip you will never forget." —Rev. Dr. Malcolm Guite, Girton College, Cambridge

Short Trip to the Edge

Short Trip to the Edge PDF Author: Scott Cairns
Publisher: Paraclete Press
ISBN: 1612618065
Category : Poetry
Languages : en
Pages : 256

Get Book Here

Book Description
Poet and literature professor Scott Cairns ran headlong into his midlife crisis — a fairly common experience among men nearing the age of fifty—while walking on the beach with his Labrador. His was not a desperate attempt to recapture youth, filled with sports cars and younger women. Instead, Cairns realized his spiritual life was advancing at a snail's pace and time was running out. Midlife crisis for this this Baptist turned Eastern Orthodox manifested as a desperate need to seek out prayer. Originally published in 2007, this new, expanded edition of Short Trip to the Edge is the story of Scott's spiritual journey to the mystical island of Mt. Athos. With twenty monasteries and thirteen sketes scattered across its sloping terrain, the Holy Mountain was the perfect place for Scott to seek out a prayer father and discover the stillness of the true prayer life. Told with wit and exquisite prose, his narrative takes the reader from a beach in Virginia to the most holy Orthodox monasteries in the world to a monastery in Arizona and back again as Scott struggles to find his prayer path. Along the way, Cairns forged relationships with monks, priests, and fellow pilgrims. "Scott Cairns is not only one of the most vital poets of our time but also a prose writer of uncommon vision, and in Short Trip to the Edge, his account of his pilgrimage to the Holy Mountain of Athos, in northern Greece, he weaves together a personal history of faith, a wealth of learning, and the wisdom of the ages to create a book for spiritual seekers from every religious denomination. What better guide, and travel companion, than Scott Cairns? I would follow him to the edge – and beyond." — Christopher Merrill, author of Things of the Hidden God: Journey to the Holy Mountain "Mt Athos is 'the edge' in more ways than one, a place both beautiful and ruggedly challenging, alive with spiritual power that shares the same qualities. Cairns is the ideal guide — relaxed, invitingly conversational, and often amused, but always evoking the awe that these mysteries deserve." — Frederica Mathewes-Green "In Short Trip To The Edge, Scott Cairns pulls back the curtain and gives us a glimpse of the spiritual energy present on the Holy Mountain. He approaches his prose with the soul and skill of a poet. It is at once simple and profound—accessible and ineffable. Scott has the boldness to confront the deepest parts of our human nature with fierce honesty and humor. It's a place where "pilgrims are a mixed bag," holy relics make the heart race and true spirituality is an "acquired taste." The reader, (or should I say pilgrim) is invited to travel along a beautiful and potentially frightening road into the heart of silence, repentance and prayer. There is a palpable sense of being there: surrounded by a timeless chorus of voices chanting on The Holy Mountain, praying for the life of the world. One slowly loses the desire to arrive and begins to embrace the possibility of "always becoming." Scott Cairns pours out his soul in this brilliant and much needed book. It is well worth the taking this short trip to the edge!" —Jonathan Jackson, star of the hit ABC show Nashville and author of The Mystery Of Art "A Short Trip to the Edge is an exceptional and compelling book. Scott Cairns has a poet's eye and a story-tellers flair, so that mystical experience and profound theology are bodied forth in memorable images and vivid scenes, instead of being lost in abstraction. This book witnesses to the way ancient truths can become vivid, true and life-changing in the here and now. This is a short trip you will never forget." —Rev. Dr. Malcolm Guite, Girton College, Cambridge

On the Wild Edge

On the Wild Edge PDF Author: David Petersen
Publisher: Macmillan + ORM
ISBN: 1627798889
Category : Nature
Languages : en
Pages : 283

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Book Description
"Opinionated and iconoclastic, Petersen writes with humor and a well-honed craft that will delight fans of Edward Abbey." -Library Journal (starred review) Twenty-five years ago David Petersen and his wife, Caroline, pulled up stakes, trading Laguna Beach, California, for a snug hand-built cabin in the wilderness. Today he knows that mountain land as intimately as anyone can know his home. Petersen conflates a quarter century into the adventures of four high-country seasons, tracking the rigors of survival from the snowmelt that announces the arrival of spring to the decline and death of autumn and winter that will establish the fertile ground needed for next year's rebirth. In the past we listened to Henry David Thoreau or Aldo Leopold; today it is Petersen's turn. His observations are lyrical, scientific, and from the heart. He reinforces Thoreau's dictum: "in wildness is the preservation of the earth." In prose rich with mystery and soul, his words are a plea for the survival of the remnant wilderness. "Many of us would like to live a life of greater intention and simplicity, but few can and even fewer do. David Petersen is one of those rare human beings among us who lives a wild life with a cultured mind . . . [He] has created a map all of us can follow."-Terry Tempest Williams, author of The Open Space of Democracy

Unguarded Edge (LP)

Unguarded Edge (LP) PDF Author: Hadley Hoover
Publisher: Lulu.com
ISBN: 1387218700
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 474

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Book Description
Cornelis and Lena's decade-long secret ripped two families apart. He ran; she kept silent. Now he's back, expecting her to forgive and forget-and teach his daughters.

Demography at the Edge

Demography at the Edge PDF Author: Dean Bradley Carson
Publisher: Ashgate Publishing, Ltd.
ISBN: 9780754679622
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 384

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Book Description
Addressing the methodological and topical challenges facing remote demographers, this book compares and contrasts the research, methods and models, and policy applications from remote regions in developed nations. The work draws upon four examples: the far north and desert regions of Australia, the northern provinces and territories of Canada, Alaska, and the Arctic north of Scandinavia.

On Edge

On Edge PDF Author: Apollo Perez
Publisher: Book Venture Publishing LLC
ISBN: 1945960701
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 650

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Book Description
As we understand it, there has always been lights in the dark skies! People have witnessed Ships that appear and then Dart away then reappear moments later! Others say they have seen Beings from another World! Others say they have been abducted and still others say they have been taken and examined then released! The general public believes there is something to these stories and still others disregard the sightings and say there are explanations to them and questionable individuals. An eccentric preventive maintenance mechanic that fits in these category had wondered just what he would do if he would ever see such a thing! He had an extraordinary imaginative mind and understood the concepts of the computer world! He had Great Imagination and The thought of “What If” had always got him in trouble! Such a Ship Did come from the Heavens and used their scans on the surface to probe for such a mind in an individual for an experiment! Highly Advanced Beings from another Planet had been expanding for years! Traveling vast distances to many Planets and systems and have been in contact with other forms of life everywhere they go. In all their studies they have always been pushed around and sometimes had difficulties finishing their studies! With their Highly Advanced Technological wisdom, they eventually outgrew their basic body needs. An idea came to one of their Leaders! To scan and approach a physically fit and mentally capable Being Humanoid for use as their Body Guard! They would have to persuade and not abduct, to have him come willingly! This was important so he would be willing to accept this new way of life and help them in any situation! As things were happening as usual, there were complications and he was asked to learn more than they had expected. He was exposed to Unlimited Available Knowledge and something happened! As he pushed his capabilities to Beyond Comprehension, The Beings started seeing him as a Special Person and others thought of him as, The Coming of the Chosen One! Stories started swirling around the Society as the coming of such a Person from an Unknown Planet! As he hears of such stories and the way they see him, he starts to act like this Special Person and then he pushes it but believes he will soon be found as a fake and returned or worse, left abandoned in some unknown Planet! Surely Always On Edge!

Love at the Edge

Love at the Edge PDF Author: Joan Katen
Publisher: iUniverse
ISBN: 1462034446
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 292

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Book Description
Two university students, David and Yasmeen, are transported from their reality which is life amidst the insecurities and violence of the Israeli/Palestinian Conflict to what is tantamount to a fantasy world in France. Yasmeen, an intelligent, shy, beautiful, Palestinian woman and David, a bright, passionate, Israeli man with a quick sense of humor and an easygoing manner find themselves far from home adjusting slowly to their new surroundings. Each is endeavoring to overcome personal sadness caused directly by the violence in the Middle East. They meet and are immediately attracted to one another, but their different backgrounds and prejudices keep them apart. That is until fate takes a hand in their futures. Finding themselves in grave danger, they must learn to trust each other, cooperate, and let go of the stereotypes they have been taught to believe - if they are going to survive. Can their relationship, which develops so far from home and under such dire circumstances, stand the test of time?

The Ragged Edge of the World

The Ragged Edge of the World PDF Author: Eugene Linden
Publisher: Penguin
ISBN: 0452297745
Category : Nature
Languages : en
Pages : 273

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Book Description
A pioneering work of environmental journalism that vividly depicts the people, animals and landscapes on the front lines of change's inexorable march. A species nearing extinction, a tribe losing centuries of knowledge, a tract of forest facing the first incursion of humans-how can we even begin to assess the cost of losing so much of our natural and cultural legacy? For forty years, environmental journalist and author Eugene Linden has traveled to the very sites where tradition, wildlands and the various forces of modernity collide. In The Ragged Edge of the World, he takes us from pygmy forests to the Antarctic to the world's most pristine rainforest in the Congo to tell the story of the harm taking place-and the successful preservation efforts-in the world's last wild places. The Ragged Edge of the World is a critical favorite, and was an editors' pick on Oprah.com.

On the Edge

On the Edge PDF Author: Bill Disbrow
Publisher: Winlock Galey
ISBN: 9781890461331
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 428

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Book Description
In 1920 Bill Disbrow had his first airplane ride with his dad in a Jenny WWI trainer when he was five. This ignited his desire to be an Army Air Corps pilot. He finally applied in 1935 but failed his physical due to high blood pressure from excitement. He tried three more times. After Pearl Harbor, he was turned down because he was married, but the marriage ban was lifted and he was in and getting shot at. He always thought he could fly and sailed through Cadets in 1943, the oldest Cadet at 28. He was finally a pilot! He expected to go to P-38 fighter school but wound up as a B-24 co-pilot. His pilot and Bill flew their B-24 from Hamilton Field to Italy. Bill flew 50 missions for the 15th Air force, 455th Bomb Group, 741st Squadron. 25 of those mission he was first pilot in the B-24, Organized Confusion. He survived 7 missions to the Ploesti oil fields, the graveyard of the 15th Air Force. He returned to the U.S. in 1944 with the DFC and the Air Medal with 3 OLCs, where he attended Officers Armament School and graduated at the top of his class. He was later assigned to Colorado Springs where, as a recruiting officer, he flew anything they would let him. Bill In 1948, he was sent to Japan as an I & E officer and later Chief of Flight Test FEMCOM. Later he took an old C-47 to Korea, ferrying supplies to the troops and became stationed there in charge of field maintenance at Pusan. On his return to the states, Bill became the CO of the Air Force recruiting in Los Angeles where he built the Disbrow Special sportcar. Later he brought the car to Tyndal AFB in Florida and raced against General LeMay and others. There he flew F-86s and F-102s. He was sent back to Japan in charge of a fighter squadron and finally sent home to Travis AFB where he retired with 21 years of active duty. On retiring he would become an investigator, a high school teacher, a aircraft owner, a civilian flight instructor a resort owner, a house builder, a world-class snow skier in his age group, and an excellent ballroom dancer. He would sire four beautiful daughters by his wife Fay of 27 years; have 10 grandchildren and 9 great-grandchildren and still counting. through all the anxiety and adversities he had to contend with. He thanks his Lord Jesus Christ for making this all possible.

Living on the Edge

Living on the Edge PDF Author: Jack Lane
Publisher: AuthorHouse
ISBN: 145675906X
Category : Self-Help
Languages : en
Pages : 375

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Book Description
The primary character Jim Lacy portrays a Gung Ho young man who volunteered for the Army Airborne where he spent time in Korea during the war. Immediately prior to his deployment to Korea, he married a beautiful young lady Teena Roberts, whose wealthy parents were killed in a plane crash during his deployment. Since she was an only child, it resulted in a large inheritance settlement to his spouse. That, combined with the large settlement from the air crash made her an extremely wealthy young lady. They elected to place the inheritance in a trust fund for the family children in future years After returning from his tour of duty he and his wealthy young wife both volunteered for a newly formed Special Forces Unit to be deployed in undercover work throughout the world. The unit ultimately evolved into the highly sophisticated US Secret Services Agencies (Un-named) that operate in todays world. Their positions required extensive long term training prior to deployment on field assignments. The story includes the Romance, Love & Passions enjoyed by all young married couples. Parts of the story are based on lives of real people. Many of the names used for the characters in the book are real names of the people depicted. It is a story of mystery and intrigue as they were assigned to special projects in various parts of the world. It relates to the True Real Life Passions shared by all young married couples. Additionally it includes actions in a world of special agents and intrigue of life most people only read or dream about. If you enjoy a book filled with action, love and romanceyou will enjoy the story. A sequel of the story is planned.

Playing to the Edge

Playing to the Edge PDF Author: Michael V. Hayden
Publisher: Penguin
ISBN: 0143109987
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 466

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Book Description
From the bestselling author of The Assault on Intelligence, an unprecedented high-level master narrative of America's intelligence wars, demonstrating in a time of new threats that espionage and the search for facts are essential to our democracy For General Michael Hayden, playing to the edge means playing so close to the line that you get chalk dust on your cleats. Otherwise, by playing back, you may protect yourself, but you will be less successful in protecting America. "Play to the edge" was Hayden's guiding principle when he ran the National Security Agency, and it remained so when he ran CIA. In his view, many shortsighted and uninformed people are quick to criticize, and this book will give them much to chew on but little easy comfort; it is an unapologetic insider's look told from the perspective of the people who faced awesome responsibilities head on, in the moment. How did American intelligence respond to terrorism, a major war and the most sweeping technological revolution in the last 500 years? What was NSA before 9/11 and how did it change in its aftermath? Why did NSA begin the controversial terrorist surveillance program that included the acquisition of domestic phone records? What else was set in motion during this period that formed the backdrop for the infamous Snowden revelations in 2013? As Director of CIA in the last three years of the Bush administration, Hayden had to deal with the rendition, detention and interrogation program as bequeathed to him by his predecessors. He also had to ramp up the agency to support its role in the targeted killing program that began to dramatically increase in July 2008. This was a time of great crisis at CIA, and some agency veterans have credited Hayden with actually saving the agency. He himself won't go that far, but he freely acknowledges that CIA helped turn the American security establishment into the most effective killing machine in the history of armed conflict. For 10 years, then, General Michael Hayden was a participant in some of the most telling events in the annals of American national security. General Hayden's goals are in writing this book are simple and unwavering: No apologies. No excuses. Just what happened. And why. As he writes, "There is a story here that deserves to be told, without varnish and without spin. My view is my view, and others will certainly have different perspectives, but this view deserves to be told to create as complete a history as possible of these turbulent times. I bear no grudges, or at least not many, but I do want this to be a straightforward and readable history for that slice of the American population who depend on and appreciate intelligence, but who do not have the time to master its many obscure characteristics."