Abstract
This paper examines Richard J. Foster's work "The Celebration of Discipline", which attempts to portray the often contradictory aspects of the Christian life, while also showing that such measures are obligatory for all those wanting to live an authentic Christian experience. The paper maintains that the book remains an important and relevant work on Christian spirituality because of the timeless truths it contains, and the way in which it addresses so many of the issues associated with contemporary notions of spirituality. Specifically, the paper evaluates Foster's work by primarily focusing on the three classical groups of disciplines outlined by the author, which include "The Inward Disciplines" (meditation, prayer, fasting, and study), "The Outward Disciplines" (simplicity, solitude, submission, and service), and "The Corporate Disciplines" (confession, worship, guidance, and celebration).

Outline:
Introduction
Reflections of a Disciplined Life
Conclusion

From the Paper
"There are few people that would deny that true Christian spirituality only occurs through the existence of a deep and personal relationship with God that is usually marked by the practice of both inward and outward spiritual disciplines. Even so, there are relatively few Christians who practice the wide variety of disciplines outlined in Foster's work due to the way in which modern Christianity has tended to distinguish spirituality through an increasingly narrower worldview. Many churches, for example, encourage the use of disciplines such as prayer and Bible study, while tending to ignore others such as meditation and fasting because they are often seen as either being extreme or even unbiblical. "

Tags:Christian, spirituality, god, confession, worship

Abstract
This paper discusses how Richard J. Foster's "Celebration of Discipline" acts as a powerful antidote to the extremities of attitude that often plague us in modernity while still embracing many of the newer practices created by recent Christian spiritual leaders and teachers. It looks at how Foster suggests a series of disciplines to bring Christians back to the basics of their faith and to help believers move forward in their lives in a more productive fashion. It also examines how he offers practical advice on how to practice these pillars of spiritual development and awakening even while he defends them according to Christian, philosophical doctrine.

From the Paper
"Foster suggests a series of disciplines to bring Christians back to the basics of their faith and to help believers move forward in their lives in a more productive fashion. He offers practical advice on how to practice these pillars of spiritual development and awakening, even while he defends them according to Christian, philosophical doctrine. Through practicing the disciplines, a believer can place him or herself before God and be transformed. He categorizes these different disciplines under three different headings. Inward disciplines involve the practices of meditation, prayer, religious fasting (as opposed to fasting for a political cause or for one's health) , and study. Outward disciplines involve the cultivation of simplicity, solitude, submission, and service. Community disciplines are confession, worship, guidance, and celebration. Inward and outward harmony is required. A believer cannot focus on one discipline to such an extent that it comes at the expense of the other."

Tags:doctrine, faith, christianity

Abstract
The paper discusses how Maya Angelou in her four-poem collection "Phenomenal Woman" reflects the same enthusiasm for the self and elation that is present in the works of the American national poet, Walt Whitman. The paper analyzes how Angelou makes an unforgettable statement in favor of the belief in the self as the most important creed in the lives of black women. The paper portrays how Angelou's poetry is an art and an important teaching, with almost healing properties for the black audience that has to live under the shadow of the oppressive past.

From the Paper
"Maya Angelou's short collection of poetry, entitled Phenomenal Woman: Four Poems Celebrating Women, is, as the subtitle indicates, a celebration of womanhood. Angelou's poetry breathes forth the same enthusiasm for the self and the same elation that is present in the works of the American national poet, Walt Whitman. Just as Whitman sings the national self as well as the transcendent self in all its possible forms, Angelou sings her pride of being an Afro- American woman. Her poetry has obvious social and feminist implications, but at the same time, a transcendent meaning and a universal message are inherent in the poems."

Tags:Walt, Whitman, self, elation, Afro-American, women

Abstract
This paper examines the meaning and traditions of the Lent Celebration, which is considered a time of repentance and self-examination for Christians. According to the paper, Lent's meaning is fasting from both food and certain activities, but much more than giving up food and activities. The paper further describes Lent as representing the cleansing of the body and soul. Additionally, the celebration is a time of devotion and joy.

From the Paper
"The Lent Celebration is a time of repentance and self-examination. Lent's meaning is fasting from both food and certain activities, but much more than giving up food and activities. The celebration signifies Christianity and the cleansing of the body and soul. This period in the Spring is meant as a time of prayer and worship that far exceeds the physical customs of the practice. The celebration is a time of devotion and joy and can be seen as the giving of our souls to our Lord and Savior. This essay is written not only to examine the traditions of the Lent Celebration and biblical symbols but also the importance in my life as a Christian."

Tags:religion, lent celebration, christianity

Abstract
This paper examines the Eucharist, the rite that Christians perform as part of their liturgy marking the liturgical re-enactment of Christ's actions at the Last Supper. The paper explores the origins and history of this rite and discusses the benefits and negative aspects of including children in the celebration. The paper then argues that it is very important that children participate in its celebration.

From the Paper
"These questions are revealing of both the curiosity of the children, and the lack of adequate preparation that they were given regarding the rite that they would perform later that day. It is likely that the majority of children experiencing First Communion possess similar questions which, unlike these children's questions, probably go unanswered. It may be argued that full participation in the Eucharist should be accompanied by better teaching of children as to the significance of the Eucharist. This should be expressed not simply in theological terms but, as one of Benedict's questioners asked, in terms of their "everyday life" as well. A fuller understanding of the Eucharist will allows this children to participate on a deeper level in the Eucharist, and thereby mature into fuller lives as Christian adults."

Tags:liturgy, last supper, rite experience

Abstract
This paper discusses the title of the novel, "Jubilee" as embodyings the optimism in the text's themes and the spirit of the pertinent definitions of the word "jubilee." The paper explains that these themes include justice, coming of age, and redemption and discusses how they all relate to the title and novel as a whole.

From the Paper
"According to the Merriam Webster Dictionary, Jubilee means many things. It can mean a reference to Judaic slavery by the hands of Egypt or a reference to a Catholic religious right. It can also mean "a season of celebration...or a religious song of black Americans usually referring to a time of future happiness (Merriam Webster Online)." Though Jubilee has many definitions that span the expanse of world history, it is specifically pertinent as the title to Margaret Walker's critically acclaimed work of literature, "Jubilee". Jubilee embodies the optimism within the text's themes and the spirit of the pertinent definitions of..."

Tags:american, black, literature

Abstract
In this article, the writer discusses the advantages and disadvantages of celebrating New Year's Eve. The writer maintains that celebrating New Years with a family or friends is a great way to remember the New Year, different cultures have different ways to celebrate the holiday, but New Year parties with alcohol involved should be carefully planned or otherwise the disadvantages of celebrating New Year are injuries and deaths. The writer argues that celebrating New Years have both pros and cons, which means that people should carefully consider their plans for the New Year's celebrations.

From the Paper
"A recent report from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administrations reports the number of deaths that occur from 6:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m. as over 135. This is one reason that people should not celebrate New Year's Eve if they plan to use alcohol at their parties or even at different night clubs."

Tags:family, celebrations, drinking

Abstract
This paper examines the relationship between the paparazzi (journalistic photographers) and celebrities, which has been bought into the spotlight by the death of Princess Diana in a car crash trying to escape from them. It evaluates the lack of clear cut boundaries when it comes to the paparazzi and their rights and proposes a new law to be enacted that will restrict the photographing of the famous to public events or events that the paparazzi is invited to by the star in question. Anything outside of those boundaries should be considered a crime. It reviews several famous court cases on the topic of invasion of privacy of celebrities and argues that celebrities should not have to give up their right to basic privacy simply by becoming famous.

From the Paper
"For many years the press and the famous were friends. The press attended openings of films, causes that were important to the stars, and other events in which the public had an interest, and the celebrity benefited from their presence. It began to change several decades ago when the press began to invade the private lives of the celebrities that they covered. Over the years there have been several famous court cases in which the celebrity has asked for relief from such stalking and harassment from the press."

Tags:Princess, Diana, celebrities

Abstract
This paper considers the ways in which celebrity culture has played a role in the marketing of luxury fashion products as a luxury experience. The paper begins with a brief history of conventional advertising and discusses the psychological, social, economic, and technological aspects of our culture and looks at how marketing has affected the ways in which brands are advertised using celebrities as endorsers.

From the Paper
"The struggle to make a good impression and foster customer loyalty toward a product has been part of marketing and advertising history since before the turn of the twentieth century in Europe and the United States. After the Industrial Revolution took hold in Western Europe and the United States during the nineteenth century, more and more mass-produced goods were manufactured and bought by customers who, in previous years, might have made their own goods or gone without. A focus on capturing a customer's attention and desire with advertising practices went..."

Tags:luxury, experience, celebrity

Abstract
The paper studies the use of celebrities in marketing communications. This includes the origins, rationale, advantages and disadvantages. The paper discusses the methods of gauging the effectiveness of celebrities in marketing communications.

From the Paper
"The use of celebrities in marketing is as old as marketing itself, at least in the organized mass-communications sense. Picture histories of advertising show that as soon as true advertising campaigns emerged from the background of storefront signs and the equivalent of classified ads in the th century they began using the images and endorsements of actors and actress sports stars and other public figures who in modern terms we would describe as celebrities."

Tags:celebrities, marketing, communications, advertising, advantages, disadvantages, effectiveness