""'Peace, peace' they say, but there is no peace "" Today, as in the days of the prophet Ezekiel, peace is elusive. Stress, strife, and worries drain our abilities when we need them most. Here are twelve principles to cultivate peace in your life. An essential ingredient of physical and mental health, peace does not fall from the sky. ""Blessed are the peacemakers "" means that peace is made. Peace takes work and effort. Each chapter offers tangible ways to nurture peace in your everyday life. Inputs from psychology, counseling theory, and wisdom from world religions are followed by prayer and meditation exercises to come closer to God, forgive others, and discern what to do in a particular situation. Try them Find out which ones work best for you. Peace brings healing, wholeness, and balance. ""James Anderson has written a great piece of work that will serve as a touchstone for people's lives. When we leave God out of the picture, the boat gets away from the dock. We are reminded to make Jesus our first love by Jesus himself. This book helps people to occupy their minds with God. When we let other things occupy our minds, those things become our god. This book is filled with many gentle reminders to come back to the source of everything we are. Anyone can benefit from this work. I highly recommend it "" --Richard Amiss, The Ecumenical Center for Education, Counseling, Health ""This little book is packed full of pearls of wisdom from psychology and world religions, giving practical guidance for anyone seeking inner peace and self-acceptance. The twelve principles are not a twelve-step recovery program but different ways to gain self-knowledge and make positive life change. . . . The author draws on his advanced degrees to demonstrate how modern insights reflect age-old insights from a number of religious traditions. The guidance provided can be used equally by those who have no religious beliefs and those who do in today's post-secular world."" --Diana Edelman, University of Oslo ""Combining solid training in biblical exegesis with hands-on clinical practice, Anderson provides a sensitive and realistic approach to stress and anxiety beyond simplistic receipts. Breaking the boundaries of Western Christianity, these twelve principles are deeply rooted in Eastern sacred and philosophical traditions, including the Bible. Implementing those best suited for them, believers as much as non-believers will find greater peace at the heart of a busy daily life."" --Philippe Guillaume, University of Berne (Switzerland), staff member of the current Jezreel archaeological expedition (Galilee) James Anderson is adjunct professor of religious studies at the University of the Incarnate Word and a licensed professional counselor intern at the Ecumenical Center in San Antonio, Texas. With a PhD in Biblical Studies from the University of Sheffield (UK) and an MA in Mental Health Counseling from Texas A&M University-San Antonio, James introduces cutting-edge biblical scholarship into the therapeutic process. His other books includeMonotheism and Yahweh's Appropriation ofBaal(2015) andExtolling Yeshua(Wipf and Stock, forthcoming).
