Forgotten

A remarkable true account of a woman’s amazing spiritual journey which guided her through a devastating cycle of abuse in her life. Out of her pain and her brokenness, she experienced healing through God’s love.

“This feeling that I had ‘to do’ something with all that had happened to me was like a request - like it was my responsibility really - to tell my story and to share what He had taught me in order to help others. It is a very humble feeling to even suggest that I can be any sort of messenger from God; but, all these years later that request still hovers me. I can only hope and pray that by telling my story I will have fulfilled the obligation that I have felt so strongly about for such a long, long time.”

Four Seasons of Your Life

Four Seasons of Your Life is a spiritual self-help book that guides readers on a journey of self-discovery and understanding. Through life’s experiences and the changes we go through, we can learn to navigate our emotions and reach different levels of maturity. By understanding our past and present selves, we can make better decisions and choose the right path to achieve our goals and desires. This book helps readers rediscover their true selves and find their unique path to happiness. With a focus on the idea that we are all angels experiencing human experiences, Four Seasons of Your Life encourages readers to reach their full potential and live a fulfilling life.

From Many We Are One

From Many We Are One reveals the never-before told story of the rebirth and globalization of American Cuisine, as influenced by iconic restaurants, shaped by passionate individuals and enriched by education. A journey through ground-breaking periods illustrates the roller-coaster development of cooking in America.

The book details historic events, food and wine competitions and the California food revolution, whose combined energies fueled this movement and catapulted American food and wines to the top of global prominence. Seminal events hosting the Queen of England and the Hyde Park Summit with Presidents Clinton and Boris Yeltsin, serve to elevate American cuisine to center stage.

As President of the Culinary Institute of America I was fortunate to not only observe, but to actively participate in the education and nurturing of American chefs as evidenced by the legions of industry-leading CIA graduates.

While cooking at Le Pavillon, at the time the best restaurant in America, I experienced the highest level of excellence, which shaped and dominated my emerging philosophy and appreciation of food and hospitality all shared in this book.

A critical look at the industry recollects the impact of fast food, the positive professionalization of chefs, while questioning the lamentable status and struggles of women and African American chefs and the media’s reluctance to recognize their contributions to American cuisine. New emerging culinary concepts like Molecular, Fusion and Nouvelle cuisine are debated for their lasting and realistic impact on cooking.

Lastly, the legacy of food in America is scrutinized for its contributions to gustatory benefits and their contrasting effects on the status on public health.

From the First Nightingale to the Last

“In the darkness of the night, the nightingale sings with wondrous splendor,

A beckoning songbird calling the world to feel peaceful surrender.

The nightingale’s beauty lives in the essence of his melodic voice,

Leaving listeners disarmed by its power, making sweetness their choice.”

From the poem, Splendor in the Night’s Light, D. Ferris Arfaa arouses our awareness that life’s true meaning and effect emanates from our inner beauty, not outward appearance! Furthermore, we are left with the personal choice of whether to receive and surrender to the power of redemption and salvation through Jesus Christ.

This book contains poems that reflect on the lives of Jesus and His original Twelve Apostles. The poems carry us from their callings by Jesus into apostleship and, finally, martyrdom. They are intended to spark a personal revival in each of us to answer God’s calling no matter our personal limitations. From the First Nightingale to the Last emphasizes that, like Jesus and His Apostles, we all share a common nature, but we can move beyond our personal shortcomings to a powerful purpose in service to others. The reader cannot fail to be motivated to a new level of living through the power of faith and a relationship with Jesus Christ.

From Zero to Infinity and Back- A full Circle

In order to find some love, partnership, companionship, and support, as any other young single divorcee, my search for a loving partner began on dating websites. At first in line with my spiritual beliefs of the Eastern tradition of Yoga and Meditation like DharmaMatch.com. I have been a practitioner of Yoga and meditation since my thirties, which I am blessed to have inherited from my ancestry. Going to Kirtans and meditation, Satsangs with my grandmother and living in a family with Yoga traditions, my father being a Raja Yoga practitioner, even as a child, living in Yoga came naturally to me.

At these dating websites I met some sociopaths, addicts, alcoholics and also some decent men sometimes in disharmonious timings in this dating journey. After being stolen from, surviving domestic violence, and also having some great learning dating adventures, I have come to arrive in this place. I am now thriving, being in oneness, in Yoga. This writing and art memoir are a result of this journey. I am sharing my story in the form of arts and writings inspired by the teachings of Vedanta and Buddhist teachings and values.

My abstract art is in its spontaneous presence, in the raw, elemental, primal and childlike innocence, with awe and wonder, a curious part of me. I do hope to awaken a presence in you that resonates this blissful state that I experienced while working on the art and poetry book project.

Futurecide

Every civilization in history has faced moments of overwhelming existential crises, and they all eventually collapsed. Was this failure inherent in the evolution of civilization, something within the human species, or a combination of both? More importantly, was it predictable and unavoidable? Most civilizations believed they had a special relationship with the divine and were beyond the laws of nature. Our current economic civilization is now global and interdependent. Today’s economy is responsible for the most rapid mass extinction in Earth’s history. We face imminent catastrophic climate change and environmental disruption, yet the same sense of exceptionalism and hubris clouds humanity’s judgement and ability to act rationally.

Environmental disruption is making the planet uninhabitable. No economy can consume its way out of scarcity. This law of nature conflicts with many longstanding economic theories. Sheltered and self-absorbed elitists promote lies and prey on humanity’s most vulnerable instincts of pecking order, conformity, and obedience to authority. These primal instincts may be maladapted to civilization in its current form. Today’s elitists are choosing mass extinction in a false belief in their own invincibility. To survive, humanity can no longer follow delusional leaders to self-destruction.

In non-technical language, the author explores common phases in the development of past civilizations, and the critical junctures and decisions that made collapse inevitable. He investigates the linkages and contradictions between human social behavior, the economy, and the environment. In the closing pages, he identifies a clear path to redemption.

Gen. Park Chung-Hee and South Korea's Han River Miracle

Gen. Park Chung-Hee was born to a poor family in rural Korea when Japan ruled the nation as a colony. After teaching at a rural elementary school for three years, he studied at three different military academies to become an army officer in the liberated Korea. Although he encountered a career-threatening crisis right before the outbreak of the Korean War, he returned to the service and served many key staff positions during the war and important command positions after the war with devoted professionalism. When the nation drifted rudderless in the 1960s, he led the military revolution as the last resort. Hence forth he headed the government that was steadfastly focused on rebuilding the nation. His administration laid the extensive, future-oriented foundation for the nation’s industrial development and advanced defense capability. Gen. Park lived his life aligned with, to the letter, his personal motto: ‘My Whole Life to Fatherland.’

Getting It Wrong

In Getting It Wrong, Edwin Dean embarks on a compelling exploration into the fading realms of an elite class and its tightly held worldview, juxtaposing it against his own grounded perspective of the world we inhabit. This thought-provoking journey forms the crux of the narrative, unearthing the nuanced layers of understanding that often elude the grasp of conventional thought.

Dean’s incisive dissection shines a light on the perilous journey historians embark on in their earnest quest to unravel the intricacies of human narrative. With a candid acknowledgment of the elusive nature of clear answers, Dean lauds the humble scholars who embrace the ambiguity inherent in the pages of history, urging the fraternity to delve into the less apparent yet profound dimensions to better comprehend our existence.

While not a historian, Dean’s unquenchable thirst for books has led him through a myriad of intellectual realms, enriched by the inspiring mentors who fueled his enduring quest for knowledge. His insightful critique extends to the polar ends of political ideology, advocating for a more collaborative discourse and a keen ear for the diverse voices that echo through the corridors of debate.

At the heart of Getting It Wrong lies a fervent call for a reinvigorated approach to education, recognizing it as the linchpin in our collective journey towards enlightenment. Dean’s narrative invites a discourse enriched by diverse perspectives, welcoming the echoes of disagreement, provided they resonate through calm and constructive channels. Through the lens of candid reflection and earnest discourse, Getting It Wrong challenges us to re-examine the frameworks through which we perceive our shared history and our place within it.

Go Beyond Resilience

In addition to sharing some of her personal and professional life experiences, failures, and successes, Coach K takes us on a journey to question how we make decisions and how we ‘play it safe,’ in order to keep others around us happy. Her professional training as a coach and down-to-earth writing style brings forward powerful inquiries and opens up a plethora of new perspectives and self-care tips. A passionate advocate for being true to oneself and keeping our values close, Coach K speaks of how we reflect on our lives and play our own movies in our heads to feel whether we are doing what we set out to achieve in the first place. Her commitment to being brave and making those unpopular decisions is timely – when our worlds seem to collide in the most unexpected ways throughout relationships, careers, and a significant hunger for personal growth.

Grinnin' Like a Jenny Eatin' Saw Briars

We use social media to facilitate the process of communication. But how well do we concisely communicate our messages and feelings? There are certain drawbacks to new-age technologies, especially due to the need for conciseness. The written word has always carried the meaning and essence of thoughts and feelings that we strive to convey. Similes, metaphors, and sayings from regional areas and time periods specifically carry more meanings than the mere word itself.

The 2,300 idioms or sayings in this book convey a meaning that connects generation to generation in the south of our country. Meet the family members that communicated daily and shared their stories using this unique language that is colorful and historical.

My aunt, Arlie Wilder, used to say that she hated to see a woman grinning and laughing out loud with her mouth open like “Jenny eatin’ saw briars.” I hope you find yourself laughing like that as you read.

Healthier Living

Healthier Living illuminates the path to wellness through wisdom, underscoring the Biblical adage that wisdom surpasses all earthly desires. This book emphasizes that wisdom, defined as the knowledge of what actions to take or avoid in various situations, is crucial for maintaining health and well-being. It blends practical advice with a personalized approach to health, highlighting the importance of understanding what actions to take in specific health scenarios, even when common sense might suggest otherwise. This insightful guide encourages readers to adopt a wise approach to their overall health and wellness journey.

Hidden Daughter - Secret Sister

This story offers insights for adoptees who have struggled, as I did, to untangle the shame, confusion, and anger that can accompany adoption. It also opens a window for those who do not know what it is like to be adopted.

It is a story about the power of truth.
 

We are not born feeling shamed or rejected; we acquire those corrosive feelings through the actions of others. The source of my shame was not adoption itself but the choices others made, telling lies and keeping secrets from me. People are surprised when I say how ashamed I was to be adopted, in spite of the unwavering love of my parents. Yes, I was loved, but that didn’t erase my need to know the truth. As each thread of truth was uncovered, the story of my life became more coherent. Shame, confusion, and anger resolved to understanding and acceptance.