A few links to Randy and his organization:
The Learning Journal
About the Raysbrooks’

Excerpts of an article titled Engaging People in Spiritual Conversation by Gwen Sellers. reprinted with permission from Randy Raysbrook.

“You remind me of Socrates and he’s my hero,” or so one student told Navigator Randy Raysbrook. Around the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs campus, Randy has been known as “the guy with the big book.” He has been asking students to write their thoughts in a large, leather-bound journal as a way of getting to know what’s on their hearts.

Randy has been with The Navigators for 26 years and is currently working in the Metro Mission. “Part of my job is to help The Navigators learn new ways to teach and learn, to create new ministry environments that are interactive, creative, and that connect with people,” Randy explains. “We need to continually learn about our audience. So I asked myself, since I had done campus ministry for years, ‘Are students the same today?’ And I know they’re not. So
that’s why I got this,” he says, pulling out his infamous journal. This particular large, handcrafted journal is made in Florence, Italy, and only one U.S. company is allowed to import them. “I think they’re magnificent,” Randy says, “So I bought one of these and I wanted to use it creatively while I was answering the question, ‘How have students changed?’ I want students to teach me what’s deep in their soul. So I knew a provocative question could start a good conversation.”

Journal and pen in hand, Randy begins the process. He walks up to students, targeting the nontraditional ones least likely to participate in any church-related activity, and asks permission to ask them a question. Showing the student his journal, he explains its Italian origins and his desire to use it for student thoughts. Before they agree to answer his question, Randy warns students that it is one they may not want to answer. He then tells them the two conditions to which they must agree: They must be brutally honest saying “exactly what’s on your heart,” and they must allow their answers to be read by other people.

“If you could write a note to God and tell Him anything you want, and He
would read it, what would you say?”

We congratulate Randy for his work with the students of the University of Colorado and in the community. Randy thank you for sharing your story, engaging people and inspiring them to think and self-reflect.

Start by browsing through over twelve pages of images to find the logo or image that gives your book new meaning for you or a loved one.  For example, do you know anyone in the military, marines, navy or air force?  Chances are we’ve got their wings or insignias.  Is someone in your family or circle of friends a sports fanatic, we’ve made everything available from dice, footballs and basketballs to figures doing karate and gymnastics.  Some are whimsical and silly, others will be exactly what you’re looking for.

Traditionally, creating your own custom logo at Epica carries a cost of about $150 to turn your artwork in to a physical metal logo block that we mount and engrave on your book.  If you’ve got a specific logo or image you want to use, this is the way to go. But now, not only can you are there hundreds of images to choose from but we’re also cutting the cost by over 65% and starting our pricing for logos at only:

$50 for small

$60 for medium and

$70 for large

If you’ve shopped with us before you know that we’re extremely committed to giving you the most elegant, clean and easy online shopping experience and that is no different here.  To create your own logo from our collection of stock images, it’s simple:

1. Browse the detailed images pages until you find the logo you want and select its item code from the drop down menu on the same page.  There’s also a place to describe  it to be sure you selected the right image.

2. Select the size you’d like, the position you’d like it on the book and the color you’d like it stamped in, if any.

3.  Shop for the book, guest book, album or wine log you’d like to engrave it on and checkout.

Oh, and one more thing:  Before you even spend $50-70 to create your own logo, be sure to take a look here to see if someone already created what you wanted.  Stock dies that we have already created can be engraved on your book for only $15. And if you create a logo yourself and want it on more than one book it’s also only $15 for each additional book.

Feel free to email us or post below with any questions or comments as they are always welcome and we hope you find this new service very useful. Already we’ve seen a lot of clients use our Fleur de Lys and crosses, so we’re thrilled to see such a great response. We’re excited to hear your feedback and have you take advantage of this very special new service.

The Starter Wife Epica Hand Marbleized Journal

Certainly this is something very different than what we’re used to seeing.  In the World of Epica, we find that most people are fascinated with Italian Leather and generally select our solid leather line as special purchase.  Certainly,  we would never dissuade anyone from that type of purchase because after all, it is our specialt, but there is another  little known secret about Florence and Tuscany where so many other wonderful goodies like food, jewelry, wine and leather come from, and that is the phenomenon and timeless nature of Hand Marbleized Florentine Paper. There is a great deal of history that goes along with such paper but for this post we just want to let you know how it’s made because we’ve witnessed it first hand…

It’s a matter of opinion but in many ways Hand Marbleized Florentine paper when totally hand made (and not photo copied) is even more unique and special than leather because each piece is one of a kind.  Literally no two pieces on the planet will ever be identical and here’s why:

It all starts in a basin full of mixed oils or acrylic in several unique colors.  A Florentine artisan literally creates ‘marble’ designs inside the basin and creates the perfect design using various tools and brushes.  Think of oil painting in it’s freest form.  Once sufficient colors have been added, blended and played with, a rather large sheet of special water and oil resistant paper is then set on top of the oils to transfer the design.  Various techniques are used to remove the paper which gives it unique swirls, shapes, sizes and in some cases the more famous peacock look.  The now hand marbleized paper is then laid out to try an racks that resemble large cookie sheets to dry.

Once dry the paper can now be used in place of leather to create one of a kind masterpieces in the form of journals, guest book and photo albums.  On higher end journals the corners are capped in leather as well as the spine and 1/4 of the book itself to prevent fraying and unnecessary damage during ordinary use.  The result is something quite extraordinary. We find that, just like different fabrics or bed linens, simply gazing at one of these books uplifts your mood — assuming of course you like the color scheme , but that’s what getting to choose your own is all about.

If you ever want to know more, drop us a comment and we’ll reply asap with everything we know from our knowledge base.  Hand Marbleized  Paper products also make amazing accent pieces for the home or office and help to tie in colors and themes or add a splash of color to an otherwise muted surrounding. We prefer them by the stack!

Have something you would like to share? Send your scans and photos of your Epica book, journal or album to submissions [ at ] epica.com

Italy by Mr. Brian Connolly:

Sotheby’s recently auctioned an original edition of The Tales of Beedle the Bard, handwritten and illustrated by JK Rowling. The volume was an one of a kind custom journal with hand forged metal elements and filigree fitting the story and and Ms. Rowling’s Harry Potter style. One of seven copies in existence it was purchased by Amazon.com.

The purchase price was £1,950,000 (2,767,050 million U.S. dollars), and Ms. Rowling is donating the proceeds to The Children’s Voice campaign, a charity she co-founded to help improve the lives of institutionalized children across Europe.

The piece is truly an extraordinary work and mirrors several items in our catalog. The exquisite leather and paper closely resembles our Amalfi line while the overall concept emulates Epica’s old world Authentically Ornamented items.

Simply enjoy the links and images. It’s not often we find something of such perfection in both writing and craftsmanship.

The Tales of Beedle the Bard is extensively illustrated and handwritten by JK Rowling–all 157 pages of it. It’s bound in brown Moroccan leather and embellished with five hand-chased hallmarked sterling silver ornaments and mounted moonstones.

There is no easy way to define the experience of seeing, holding, or reading J.K. Rowling’s The Tales of Beedle the Bard, so let’s just start with one word: “Whoa.” The very fact of its existence (an artifact pulled straight out of a novel) is magical, not to mention the facts that only seven copies exist in all the world and each of the never-before-told tales is handwritten and illustrated by J.K. Rowling herself (and it’s quite clear from the first few pages that she has some skill as an artist). Rowling’s handwriting is like the familiar scrawl of a favorite aunt–it’s not hard to read, but it does require attention–allowing you to take it slow and savor the mystery of each next word.

Amazingly beautiful in it’s presentation, detailing and story: The Tales of Beedle the Bard at Amazon and via Sotheby’s

It’s not often we get to show them off so please excuse the pitch but we have some exquisite journals similar in both concept and design, as well as our custom made solutions:

Epica 8×10 Leather Authentically Ornamented Handmade Italian Distressed Leather Journal
Epica 15×22 Worlds Second Largest Journal Full Authentic Restoration Journal
Need a custom made journal solution? Something to your exact specifications?

A
A + I design
Abercrombie & Fitch
Abram W. Bergey & Sons, Inc.
Acequia Madre House
Addison Lee PLC
Adkins
Adobe Systems
ADP
Advance Manufacturing Company
Ahlers & Cooney, P.C.
AIG
Albertsons / Osco Pharmacy
All Souls Unitarian Church
Allurent, Inc
ALN Systems
American Century Investments
American Family Real Estate
American First Financial
American Thoracic Society
Andrews University
Anmahian Winton Architects
AnnaJoyPhotography.com
Applewood Inn
ARCA
Architectural Accents
Archstone Smith
Arizona Bird Observatory
ASET International
Astoria Hotel – Central Park West, NY
ATARI Inc
Atlantic Records
Audi of North America
Audio Vision Import

B
Bank of America
Barrington House Bed and Breakfast
BHL
Bones- 20th Century Fox
Borman Entertainment
Boston University School of Med
Breeza North Embarcadero – Marina Del Rey
Briaerean Honor Society
Broberg Investment Group
Brooklyn Supreme Court
Brown Gibbons Lang
Brown University
Builders Design Gallery
Burgoyne Enterprises, Inc.

C
C-17 Pearl Gardens
CaliforniaCastle.com
Cameron Capital Corporation
Capital Records
CapitalSource Inc.
Capps Digital
Caputo Public Relations
Carolina Power and Light
Carter & Burgess
Casa de Campo Resort
CCN
Cedars-Sinai Med Ctr
Centaur Photographic
Center for Early Education
Central Intelligence Agency (CIA)
Certapro Painters
Chapel Hill UMC
Chester Park Junior School
Citibank
ClearCom
Clint Welty
Coldwell Banker
CollegeNET, Inc.
Colorado Mountain Express
Comfort Inn
Concept Packaging
Consult Ltd
Consultant Investors Group
Cornerstone Properties
Covenant Church
Crickett Creative
Crosby Wealth Management
Crystal Cruises Inc.

D
D&B
Daniel’s Broiler
DBGS UK Ltd
Deer Creek Lodge
Delcor
Department of Physiology Trinity College
Derenzo and Associates, Inc
Desert Heart Foundation
Dionari Holdings Inc.
Disk Marketing Inc
DMB Realty
Dynaco Corp.

E
Ebony Foundations
EBSCO Publishing
Ed & Don’s of Hawaii
EDS Diana Powell
Elite Capital
Elle Consulting
Emma Willard School
“Emmys (Academy of Television
Arts & Sciences)”
ENGlobal Engineering, Inc
Ericsson
ESC
Estes Express Lines
ExxonMobil

F
Family and Children’s Association
FEA
Fee Fee Baptist Church
First Choice
FirstBank of Henry County
Flaherty Sensabaugh & Bonasso
Folger Coffee
Foltz Martin LLC
Fonville Morisey Realty
Forest Drive Church
Franics Marion University
Franklin and Marshall College
Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center

G
Garvan Woodland Gardens
GE
Genentech, Inc.
GenXL
Ghirardelli Chocolate Company
GHL International
Glenborough Realty Trust, Inc.
Global Sponsorships
GlobalTec Solutions
Goldberg Design
Gore Mutual
Greenwich Capital
Groverstudio

H
Harrison, tibor & Castillo
Hawkins Photography
Heartland Home Lending
Hewitt Associates
Hidden Oaks Nature Center
HKS, Inc.
HMS Catering, Dir. of Catering
Hollywood Records
Hospice of the Valley
Hunt Electric Corporation
Hyder Consulting
Hyundai Corporation

I
Illinois American Water
Inn on Lake Granbury
Interbrand
International Paper
International Republican Institute
IntraLinks

J
Jana Foods LLC
Jazz Management Group
JD Powers and Associates
JH Partners
Jim Sigel Auto
JLC
John B. Sanfilippo & Son, Inc.
Johnson & Johnson
Jones Energy, Ltd.

K
KC Pharmacy
KCM Capital
Kent State University
Kentucky Historical Society
Knight-Wallace Fellows
Koch Industries, Inc
Kramer Lab
Krugliak & Dougherty Co., L.P.A.

L
Lang Hall, Canterbury Christ Church University
Larkin Street Youth Services
Lexus
Liberty Mortgage
Life Care Innovations
LifeNet
LITHOGRAPHIX
Lloyd International Honors College, UNCG
Lumber Products

M
Magic Seal Packaging Products
Make A Wish Foundation
Marriott Golf
Mary Kay Inc.
Mass Development Agency
MBNA
McDermott Will & Emery LLP
McMaster University
McWilliams & Co
MDS Farms
Meade Cottage
Meinheim, Cameron
Merton Print
Metwest
MGI Securities Inc
MICROSEMI CORP
Miss Lucy’s House of Holidays
MODA
Mondrian Hotel Los Angeles
Moran Towng Corporation
Morry’s Camp
Mount Vernon Community School
Multi-Bank Securities
MVP Collaborative

N
NBC-Crossing Jordan
New England Data Services
New Horizon Custom Homes
Niche Restaurant
Nickelodeon Studios
NORDSTROM
Nutech Energy Alliance
NYS OHS

O
Omni Development Co
Orchard Brook Farm
Orion Realty
Orrick
Our Lady of Mercy

P
Patrick Posta Photography
Pepsi
Perfect Pear
Pilgrim’s Inn
Pine Tree Golf Club
Pioneer Investments
Plastic Package, Inc
Platinum American Express Concierge Service
PostNet
Pragma Wealth Management
Princeton University
Pryor Wedding Central
Pulte

Q
Quechee Lakes Real Estate

R
R.C. Diocese of Brooklyn
Raskob Foundation
RATA Associates
Relics Bar
RippleTech
Rogers Benefit Group
Rogers Corporation
Rotary Club International
RVS Ventures
Rydens Border Store

S
Sacred Skin
Saint Peregrine Shrine
Salem Baptist Church
San Ysidro Ranch – Montecito, California
Savantage Solutions
Saxon and Company
SBC Systems
School of Architecture
School of Justice Studies Queensland University of Technology
Senior Client Specialist
ServAward, Inc.
Sheraton Vistana Resort
Silo Network Services Inc.
Soolip (Melrose, Los Angeles)
Soolip Gumps (San Francisco)
Southern Catholic College
Southern Living at Home
SouthWinds Church
Springside School
St Paul’s Hospital
St. Vincent Regional Medical Center
Stella Maris Aged Care Facility
Steven Bzura, Esq.
Superior Mortgage
Survivor – Television Show
Syngenta

T
Tallgrass Trail
Tapleys
TCW
Tenth Street Entertainment
Textured Coatings of America
The Garden Flat
The Gibbes Company
The Green Mountain Inn
The Maples Inn
The Pyne Companies Ltd.
The Queen’s College
The Ritz-Cartlon New York
The Rogers Group
The SAVO Group
The UPS Store
ThinkDero, Inc.
Throop Church
Time Magazine
Transamerica Pyrimid Building
Traton Homes
TSG Consumer Partners
Turnberry LTD and Associates

U
UBS Financial Services, Inc.
UDC
University of Dayton
University of Rochester
URS
USSD

V
Varlington Lodge
Verizon Wireless
Vermont Academy
Vidaillet, Inc.
Videovision Entertainment
Vodafone
VSP

W
Wachovia Bank
Wachovia Securities
Waitsfield Telecom
Washington Vintners
Waubonsee Community College
Wells Fargo Bank
Wes’ Appliance
Westmass Area Development Corporation
Wheaton Village
Wheel of Fortune
White Bird Institute
White Moose Lodge – Smith River Ranch
Wine Room On Park Ave.
Wolf Ridge Lamb & Wool Co.
Women in Aviation, International
World of Disney Entertainment
Worldwide Nature Artists Group – Canada World of Disney NYC

X

Y
Yahoo!, Inc.

Z
Zichron Shlome Refuah Fund
Zoran Corp

Tari

A couple days ago, a girl whom I went to high school with called me out of the blue and said, “What are you doing?”  I told her I was just finishing lunch and she said, “I’d love to see you. I’m here with an Italian friend of mine whom I’d like you to meet, can you come by now?”  Timing was perfect so we met at a restaurant minutes away from where I was.  She speaks Spanish and English, he speaks Italian, Spanish and English and I speak Italian, Spanish and English, so no sooner did I arrive did we find ourselves in a triangle of language a Spanglish and Italish.  I caught up and I found out her worked at a near by fine dining restaurant.  It was a brief but fun meeting and our conversation lasted maybe ten or fifteen minutes at the most before we went our separate ways.

Last night I took a girlfriend to dinner and it happened to be at the place that Italian guy was was working, though I hadn’t made the connection yet. Well… We no sooner walked in the door and I see this tall figure do a double and triple take of me from at least 30 feet away. I recognized him and smiled broadly but his response was unprecedented.  He came rushing over, arms in the air, huge smile, an even bigger “Ciaooooooo!!!!!” followed by an enormous hug and an additional trail of friendly Italian speak.   You would have thought we were reuniting as long lost brothers! The hostess was flabbergasted and smiling, Jenna was smiling and marveling at how she could know who this person is who must certainly be a best friend.  Italian guy  gave me another firm embrace, and I introduced him to Jenna and caught up for another moment before we were seated.  The look on his face was complete elation and joy, like nothing else mattered in the world except that we catch up for this one moment.

I was rolled over. Steamrolled with happiness. Giddy even. (And I have to say giddy is not a response I am familiar with when it comes to other men…)  What a reaction! We barely sat down for two seconds when he came darting out to the table again speaking a 1000 miles a minute in Italian, hands animating each word, “Now look! I can’t be your server but I’ve already had words with the waiter who is handing this section. I told him he better take exceptional care of you, or he’ll have me to answer to!”  Wow! More smiles and then he walked away.

Immediately Jenna wanted to know WHO this guy was. I said, “Baby, I met him YESTERDAY for fifteen minutes!”  She said, “Wow! You met him YESTERDAY?  I thought you’ve known him for years!”  And we talked about it a few more minutes before finally perusing the menu.  What I was struck by most though, was this idea of, wouldn’t it be nice if that was the default way we greeted people?  Can you imagine? If infectious laughter and smiles and embraces was the default way we approached the world?

Before you get to logical on me and say, yes but if everyone did that it wouldn’t be special, or that’s just not how the world works, or that is cheesy, or you’ll never get EVERYONE to be that way, some people are just cold.. and all the other refutes…  stay with me a moment longer.  Besides, when you’re laughing and smiling and having a the time of your life do you ever interrupt yourself and say, “Wait a minute! This might be a problem! I might get to used to happy stuff… or there may be limited supply and I don’t want to use it up. Back to seriousness.”?

What if ONE person treated you that way Italian guy treated me on a daily or weekly basis?  What if throughout your entire week, once a week, ONE person lit up like a Christmas tree when they saw you and greeted you with overwhelming acceptance, friendliness and joy? If all fears and concerns of judgement or what people would think went out the door… Would that make a difference in your day? In your week?  For me it brightened my evening.  In that moment I KNEW, without a doubt, I want more experiences like that in my life. I want to feel this good and this appreciated even more!

There is nothing like the power of a good question and nothing quite like a great question:

What if that one person was who made that difference was you? What if you were the one who people couldn’t wait to see because your energy and zest was so off the charts, or pleasant to be around that more people couldn’t get enough of you; and they wanted to be around you, talk to you, have fun with you.

All too often our friends and family call us or we call them and we’re greeted with an, “Oh hey!” or “How are you?”  Can you think of ways to break the pattern for your relationships and friendships and set a new tone of zest for being alive?

Yes we can.

For example: Money. How do I feel about it? Wish I had more of it.  Wish I could pay this or that off. That feels like lack. Lack is negative. 

“Relationship: I’ve got a wife. I love her to pieces. She’s wonderful. We’re getting along so well and we’re both so supportive of each other.” That sounds abundant, and positive.

Now, here’s one of life’s secrets:  The secret to having anything that you desire, is finding the feeling place of how good it feels to have it now, without having it now.  There is a very real gap between how you feel about the lack of that which you desire and the feeling place and knowing place of actually living it, actually knowing it’s yours.  Your work is to close that gap.  There are dozens of ways to word this but you’re playing with your thoughts until you can get a visceral response from your body of the joy of having it or the relief that comes from getting it.  Writing  it down makes that process happen even faster.

With the global popularity of “manifesting,” (We all do it, some just create faster and easier than others) and the surfacing of perhaps one of the best kept secrets of the world [exactly, this is not new, but it has been a secret and we all possess the tools to live this way]: that we are in fact in control of our lives and can create our own reality or life we want to live, there has never been a better time to be alive and begin creating that which you desire no matter who you are and where you are. And the great news is, you’re going to do it all on your own.

So, I’ll define “manifesting” as bringing something into one’s life that otherwise did not exist before.  It existed in thought form, as everything we own now or are living now was first thought into being.  That is to say we wanted it first before it came to us.  We asked before it was given, and in order to get anything you want you have to ask for it even if you’re asking yourself.  For many, the idea of manifestation is the presence of physical proof that you did “it” or brought “it” into your life and now here he/she/it/those feelings/experiences sit before you.   Are you with me so far?

Let’s bring this to a close so you can get in on the fun of your own life.  Sometimes when things are really good we forget to notice the absence of things that are really bad. I like to remind myself of the absence of those things to feel even better. So, you may not notice that while there is something valuable and powerful for you to learn and apply to your life on every page, there is no convincing or forcing going on here. No pushing, no “buy this, drink that, join our club” or gettting charged reoccurring monthly fees-all of which I don’t allow in my own personal life and so we’ll have none of it here [I understand what you’re saying about the fees (and I like the creativity of it), but try rewording it a bit to make it more precise].  I’d also like to draw your attention to the fact that we’ll [who is “we”? Make sure you are consistent with the usage of “we” and “I”] never suggest that what you are doing is the wrong way and we’ll never suggest that there is only one singular way to fulfill your desires.  There are many, many roads that lead to fulfillment and success.

We will however recommend that you engage in one of the most powerful acts on the planet as often as you can and that is to put it all down in your own hand written words.  And if you’re willing to do that in your own way and how you want to do it, then what better place to treasure and keep those words safe, than in than an exquisite Epica journal? But it is, of course, only a suggestion.

 For example:

“I want more money because…”  Because you love the idea of financial freedom?  Because you love how good it feels to be able to say, “I can buy that, and that and that and that…”? Why do you want more money?

“I want to take more vacations or spend more time with my family because…”  Because you love how it feels to be free? To just take off from the day-to-day life, arrive at a destination and explore something new? Because your family brings you joy? How does it feel when you get to do that?

Trace any feeling back to its roots and the simple answer becomes, “I want it because it feels good,” OR, “I want it because in the having of it, I will feel better than I feel now.”

After decades of weeding through other people’s books and videos on self help, life, business, religions, spirituality and more, I’ve discovered a better way.  I want to propose a different way thinking and writing that can, no matter where you are in life, transform your ability to create change and happiness and get all those goodies you’ve been wanting. Oh and by the way it doesn’t require money, the need to join a religion or sell your soul. It just requires that you do what I tell you to do. Kidding.  You’ve got what it takes, we just need to do a little tuning.

And a little tuning means change.  The only constant is change, but where to go from here?  How can we show ourselves that even things that displease us when they seem to happen ‘to’ us, are actually things that happen ‘for’ us? How do we get what we want?

Consider this somewhat elusive obvious statement: everything in the world that we want or desire, we want because we believe that in the having of it, we will feel better.   Another way of wording it is to say that we believe we will be better off, or grow or expand.   Well, it turns out we have no choice but to grow and expand and that feeling, ‘feeling better,’ feels to you, in your chest, like something ranging from relief to exquisite pleasure and inspiration.

And what do we really want? Joy. We want joy.  We want one fulfilling experience after another whether that comes in the form of helping others get what they want or the road to getting what we want.

Expansion and growth are inevitable. The only question is, are YOU allowing yourself to keep up to speed with who you see yourself as and what you want yourself to be or become?  In fact, the only questions you’ll ever need to ask yourself are:  Do you regularly spend time imagining how good it feels to be that new expanded version of you and not who you are right now so that you know the feeling place of it? Are you feeling your way into your dream or fantasy or goal by picking different thoughts about it and seeing what kind of reaction you get in your chest, and then leaning in that direction with similar thoughts? Are you living, in your head, the way you see yourself living? Can you get to where you want to be mentally, without ever seeing evidence of it physically? Can you, as some people might say, keep the faith?  Are you following your bliss?  When you get to the place of answering these with a resounding yes, all the signs and evidence in the world that supports your vision will begin to show up on your doorstep quickly and easily.

And that’s friends, is creation. That is manifestation.  And that is what each of these posts will help you to do. Your creation. You expansion.  Easily, effortlessly and with a smile. Let’s do it.