In the spirit of Internet slanguage, e-mails from Mother Barbara Crafton, known affectionately as "Mo." Crafton, are called "eMos." This collection of e-mail meditations has the immediacy of the Internet and a depth of theological thought that leave Crafton readers wanting more. She says of her eMos, "I am interested in the possibilities of electronic communication in the service of the life of faith, and have found the eMos to be a winner in keeping people thinking and communicating about the things of God in terms of a common experience of a brief theological reflection."
The Geranium Farm Cookbook is a collection of recipes and lore offered by The Geranium Farmers, the 10,000+ members of the worldwide virtual community of spiritual seekers created by Episcopal priest, author, lecturer, and spiritual director Barbara Cawthorne Crafton. As "farmers" began sharing recipes with each other via the e-mail list and the Geranium Farm website www.geraniumfarm.org. the idea for a cookbook was born. Because Barbara Crafton devoutly believes in the "life is short?eat dessert first" school of theology, the desserts section is first and longest. Each recipe in the book includes a description of how the recipe came to be part of the writer's family or what traditions surround its use. Each of the main dish recipes has a wine suggestion accompanying it, recommended by the executive chef at a noted restaurant in North Carolina's Smoky Mountains. And interspersed among the recipes are meditations by Barbara Crafton on food, cooking, and community.
A collection of recipes, meditations, and lore by Barbara Cawthorne Crafton and her Geranium Farmers, 1,+ members of the worldwide virtual community of spiritual seekers created by this Episcopal priest, author, lecturer, and spiritual director.
As this useful collection of writings proves, Medieval mystics have much wisdom to offer contemporary middle-aged women grappling with empty nests, evolving careers, spiritual growth, and physical issues.
Lina had the idyllic childhood—until descending into mental chaos. Caught in a chaotic world of her own making, Lina resorts to recording her teenage thoughts to make sense of her anguish. She shares the details of her life obsessively with her sister and her friends, in millions of words eventually found by their father. Lost in the dark, Lina navigates the childhood evidence later found in her archives. But will her research open a pathway to love—or help her continue down the path of blame, false memories, and spite? The past and present events are Lina’s direct experience through her eyes and words, faithfully condensed by her father. The future events—Lina’s therapy and mature reflections—were projected by the author and a senior psychologist with access to the source material. Love her or hate her, through Lina's own heart-wrenching language the reader steps into her broken inner world to experience firsthand the emotions, depression, obsessions, irrationality, and ruthlessness of teenage borderline personality disorder. Emo Reality shines a light into the dark corners of adolescent mental illness, proving this disorder is not just a phase and demonstrating its ravages not just upon an individual, but also upon a whole family. ★★★★★ “An unusual book about mental health and family dynamics, strangely compelling, like peeking into a diary. Some readers will bounce off the language, but those who connect will see how mental struggle can affect a family in ripples and crashing waves.”—Amelia J. ★★★★★ “As a mental health therapist I found the mental health representation to be accurate and insightful. A great job of crafting an interesting narrative based on lived experience, and ending with valuable information.”—Stephanie L. ★★★★★ “This book brought me to tears as Lina recounts episodes of hallucinations and misremembering. More than a case study, this is a harrowing exploration of a life living with mental illness.”—Alicia C. ★★★★★ “The reader feels the visceral emotions Lina experiences and the anger, desperation, and isolation she endures. This book is a significant entry into books about mental health and brings the enormity of the psychiatric situation to bear upon the reader.”—Betsy B.
Join popular speaker and author Barbara Crafton as she explores forgiveness in this small group program. Like other programs, it features two components, purchased separately: (1) A DVD with five 10-15 minute presentations, followed by a video of the guest lecturer interacting with a small group as they discuss the issues, and (2) a participant workbook containing all the material needed by class participants as well as for the facilitator. It is a 5- to 10-week study for adults and young adults. "Barbara Cawthorne Crafton, begins the study Embracing Forgiveness, with clarity that eases the guilt often associated with the lack of forgiveness by saying what it isn’t. It is not a job or task; it is not a conditional act to earn God’s love. It is, Crafton believes, a spiritual gift given freely by a God who simply wants to connect with us. Over the course of the study, she shows how forgiveness can remove the tumor of anger from our hearts to become a means of grace that gives us back our humanity. Crafton’s thoughtful insight allows participants to weigh the transforming power of forgiveness in their own lives." —Dorothy Linthicum, Instructor/Program Coordinator, Center for the Ministry of Teaching, Alexandria, VA "With wisdom, wit, and theological depth Barbara Cawthorne Crafton explores the perennial topic of forgiveness from the perspective of gift rather than duty. Along the way, she exposes patterns of resistance and popular understandings that undermine our ability to receive and share the gift with others. Her informal and accessible style, together with the questions and responses of those taking part in the video recorded sessions, open the way for groups, aided by the accompanying workbook, to expand the exploration with their own insights and reflections. This study is both timely and urgently needed in a world in which judgment again and again trumps forgiveness, and Christ’s work of reconciliation is held at bay." —Frank T Griswold, 25th Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church
A CHOICE Outstanding Academic Title 2012! Unlikely Allies in the Academy brings the voices of women of Color and White women together for much-overdue conversations about race. These well-known contributors use narrative to expose their stories, which are at times messy and always candid. However, the contributors work through the discomfort, confusion, and frustration in order to have honest conversations about race and racism. The narratives from Chicanas, Indigenous, Asian American, African American, and White women academicians explore our past, present, and future, what separates us, and how to communicate honestly in an effort to become allies. Chapters discuss the need to interrupt and disrupt the norms of interaction and engagement by allowing for the messiness of discomfort in frank discussion. The dialogues model how to engage in difficult dialogues about race and begin to illuminate the unspoken misunderstandings about how White women and women of Color engage one another. This valuable book offers strategies, ideas, and the hope for moving toward true alliances in the academy and to improve race relations. This important resource is for Higher Education administrators, faculty, and scholars grappling with the intersectionality of race and gender as they work to understand, study, and create more inclusive climates.
