Showing results by author "James Nugent" in All Categories

I went to learn more about Esperanto, a language that was invented 126 years ago. In the end I found hope for the future.

There are many guides and books that give excellent wisdom for those who would seek to make an offering of their lives to God. Still there is little practical information about how about how to go about the day to day business of being a Benedictine Oblate. This audiobook is an attempt to give practical suggestions to the beginner and the "expert". However, if what you do, gets you closer to God every day, then don't change a thing. But if you need new materials, new practices, new ideas or attitudes; then just consider listening to this audiobook.

In 2012, I read that Amazon.com had ways to self-publish e-books, paperbacks and audiobooks. They would make them available in more than 100 countries via the Internet and produce them when they were ordered. They would mail the paperbacks to the customers at no charge to me! Then, the company would direct deposit the royalties to my bank account. Best of all they paid a 35% to 70% royalty!

Writer's block has caused some people to actually quit their careers as writers. It is something that must be overcome sooner or later, or you will become a washed-up writer and a failure. Looking back on my personal struggles, I have some helpful observations and tricks to beating the phenomena. This is my story.

The book is called Social Jujitsu and Powerful Principles for Managing Social Conflict by James Nugent. It teaches the three key strategies of evading, deflecting, and redirecting social aggressors. This book moves on to teach about drawing the aggressor in getting them to react to you, putting the aggressor in a double bind, and helping them self-destruct.

The fog is just beginning to disperse after sunrise but this is not a problem for navigation because you are just going to follow the western shore. You are the first person in when the gate opens at the West Bay Park and your hand launched vessel slides effortlessly into the water. You are off. You pass a tiny Island 50 yards from the launch. Islands no matter how small always excite my mind. The island is perhaps 20' wide and has one small stick like tree growing on it.

From time to time all of us have social conflicts. Sometimes we are invited to dance with people who have more external power than us, for example, a supervisor or an elder sibling or parent. Sometimes we might be invited to struggle with someone we don’t care so much about; like a stranger or acquaintance or a distant in-law. In either case the choice to engage or abstain is ours. If we engage, it is important to do our best to leave our dance partner some dignity and show some respect.

For twenty years I searched for my perfect true love. I failed miserably until I asked God to help. Miracles do really happen!

If a Catholic couple chooses to avail themselves of the spiritual resources available to a Catholic married couple; the relationship will last a life time and thrive while doing it. A failure of a marriage is directly related to the spiritual heath of the individuals involved. Even if only one of the parties embraces the spiritual principals the marriage can be saved.

Catholic Christians have a different attitude toward pain, even if it is part of the natural dying process. This little booklet is an attempt to illuminate the Catholic Christian way of facing pain and transform it into a useful and productive time in life. It is a frank discussion. If you have not evolved in your relationship with Jesus, you may find this discussion hard to understand or even offensive. Still, if you listen and then pray you will understand. With understanding may come peace and joy.

Sometimes a house is a house. Sometimes a house is a home. And sometimes a home is a spiritual base from which a person can have a lifetime of adventure and love. I do suggest you use this short story as food for thought. Even one new idea can make all the difference. Most of the unique things about our home come as adaptations from Roman Catholic culture. Some are uniquely my own. I invite you to my home through this book. Our home is a reflection of our values and temperaments.

The ability to make a fire for warmth in cool and wet environments is critical for survival. Without fire you may die within a few hours. I have spent my life living and playing in the Pacific Northwest in the United States.

People fear putting the reason and or faith to a test because it seems to intolerable for there to be ambiguity in our world view. Yet there it is. Humans don’t understand everything nor will they ever. Human beings are finite creatures. We will not achieve omniscience. We don’t need to because we can supplement reason with faith.

Kayaking like most extreme sports is potentially fatal. The hazards are too numerous to list here. However, with proper instruction and equipment the hazards can be minimalized. This book is not meant to be any kind of instruction. It is only a general discussion. All information presented should not be relied upon for safety. It is intended as a partial list of issues you may bring up with a certified instructor. No actual paddle techniques are discussed because you must use a certified instructor if you want to learn the way of water safely.

The Scripture said something like, “pray always.” I pondered the issue for a while and then gave up. It was a strange concept. How could a person pray all the minutes of the day? What was prayer anyway, and how could you do it and know that God was really there? It was a bit of a mystery to me which I would not resolve for another 25 years.

This book is a slice of my life. In most ways my life has been rather normal, and in a few ways, it has been extraordinary. I figure I am in the last two decades of my life. Hopefully as I share the particular and intentional things I have done, you will be inspired to make your life outstanding or at least enjoyable. Come visit my life.

This is an audio guide to teach Catholic religious organizations effective communication skills.

Sailing and adventuring on Puget Sound has been a part of my life since I was at least eight years old. I grew up in Edmonds, Washington, and lived with a view of Admiralty Inlet. I had a 25-foot Coronado sailboat in the harbor. Adventures with my father included trips to the US San Juan Islands and the South Puget Sound. My affinity for the water never faltered. Nowadays, at 58 years old, and despite numerous heath issues, I still love mud mucking around Southern Puget Sound.

What follows is a frank discussion about the Catholic view of sin. It can be painful to engage in such a discussion. If we are honest, we are all involved in some aspect of sin. Thankfully Christians have a way out of the destruction, guilt, and misery which sin inflicts on every sinner.

I went down to the West Bay Marina and viewed the mess which my boat had become. Eight months ago, it was jammed full of belongings which I couldn't store at my new home. I had moved from the beach in Young Cove, on Eld Inlet, into a luxury apartment in Tumwater. Now I hoped I would be spending the warm months resting on my boat, and maybe doing some gentle sailing around the southern inlets.