The Porpoise Diving Life

Welcome to The Porpoise Diving Life. You don't need to stand on the beach gawking at those who claim to have God figured out any longer. This book is an invitation to get in the water and swim with me as we as we explore beneath the surface of what you have been hearing, watching, and living. It involves the adventure of discovering new ways to see God, experience Him, and consider joining a pod of people just like you, who are perplexed by the same, unspoken concerns. I'm not going to attempt to sell you a bunch of beliefs. Those who claimed to have religion down pat consistently annoyed Jesus. His focus and compassion were always primarily directed toward those who were excluded and marginalized by the mainstream religious establishment...the people who live The Porpoise Diving Life. My desire is to liberate you from the aquarium and restore you to your rightful place in the open seas of life, free to pursue a relationship with The God of More. The rest is up to Him and you.

The book is about the ordinary, everyday of our lives over the past 20 years. I’ve become exhausted reading books from pastors, ex-pastors, missionaries, theologians…everybody that has some sort of present or former connection with the established church…or those on a mission from God. That’s my problem…I’m trying to get over it. As such, The Porpoise Diving Life is a voice that needs to be heard today. It is the voice of those, like us, who have sat in the pews of organized religious practice for some of our lives, yet, lived with Jesus, outside the church and/or programmed or professional ministry. It is a voice of experience. It is the layman’s life – A life populated with uncertainty, the unexpected, the joy, the humor, the irony, the inexplicable, the mundane, the marginalized, the mediocrity, the ups and down’s of it all. It’s all about us…God, you and me. It’s The Porpoise Diving Life. There’s a reality for the rest of us…the truth that Jesus ruthlessly adores those whose life experience seems to occur outside the confines of the theology of linear living espoused by mainstream evangelicalism….yet, it is the lives of the children of The Creator.

Welcome to The Porpoise Diving Life. You don't need to stand on the beach gawking at those who claim to have God figured out any longer. This book is an invitation to get in the water and swim with me as we as we explore beneath the surface of what you have been hearing, watching, and living. It involves the adventure of discovering new ways to see God, experience Him, and consider joining a pod of people just like you, who are perplexed by the same, unspoken concerns. I'm not going to attempt to sell you a bunch of beliefs. Those who claimed to have religion down pat consistently annoyed Jesus. His focus and compassion were always primarily directed toward those who were excluded and marginalized by the mainstream religious establishment¿the people who live The Porpoise Diving Life. My desire is to liberate you from the aquarium and restore you to your rightful place in the open seas of life, free to pursue a relationship with The God of More. The rest is up to Him and you.

A satirical, sea-floor look at popular culture, as showcased through the lives of a lovable shark and his oceanic cronies. Collecting more than 42 weeks of Jim Toomey's Sherman's Lagoon, this collection transports readers to an imaginary lagoon near the South Pacific island of Kapupu, where a cast of coral-reef critters battles the encroachment of the hairless beach apes (a.k.a. humans). Commenting on such timely issues as rising sea levels and changing weather patterns, inhabitants of Toomey's nautical neighborhood include Sherman, an always-hungry but otherwise typical great white shark; his witty pearl-wearing wife, Megan; friendly Fillmore the turtle; geeky fish Ernest; macho hermit crab Hawthorne; and salty old Captain Quigley. Inside Sherman's Lagoon, these bottom-dwelling denizens offer under-the-sea hilarity, along with a real-life call to action in relation to protecting our environment, oceans, and all marine life.

Dramatic, ready-to-color renderings of over 40 seagoing and freshwater mammals, including the bottlenose dolphin, Irrawaddy dolphin, Amazon dolphin, northern bottlenose whale, sperm whale, blue whale, killer whale, and astonishing ivory tusked narwhal. Full-color illustrations on covers. Fact-filled captions.

The eighty-nine cetacean species that swim our seas and rivers are as diverse as they are intelligent and elusive, from the hundred-foot-long, two-hundred-ton blue whale to the lesser-known tucuxi, ginkgo-toothed beaked whale, and diminutive, critically endangered vaquita. The huge distances these highly migratory creatures cover and the depths they dive mean we catch only the merest glimpses of their lives as they break the surface of the water. But thanks to the marriage of science and technology, we are now beginning to understand their anatomy, complex social structures, extraordinary communication abilities, and behavioral patterns. In this beautifully illustrated guide, renowned marine mammalogist Annalisa Berta draws on the contributions of a pod of fellow whale biologists to present the most comprehensive, authoritative overview ever published of these remarkable aquatic mammals. Opening with an accessible rundown of cetacean biology—including the most recent science on feeding, mating, and communication—Whales, Dolphins, and Porpoises then presents species-specific natural history on a range of topics, from anatomy and diet to distribution and conservation status. Each entry also includes original drawings of the species and its key identifiers, such as fin shape and color, tooth shape, and characteristic markings as they would appear both above and below water—a feature unique to this book. Figures of myth and—as the debate over hunting rages on—figures of conflict since long before the days of Moby-Dick, whales, dolphins, and porpoises are also ecologically important and, in many cases, threatened. Written for general enthusiasts, emergent cetacean fans, and biologists alike, this stunning, urgently needed book will serve as the definitive guide for years to come.

From the author:When I arrived at Yale Divinity School back in 1988, I expected to engage in an intense period of discussion and self-reflection around issues like eschatology, evangelism, and ecclesiology with fellow Protestants of all stripes (with a few Catholics thrown in as sort of a guilty pleasure). After all, despite our theological differences, surely we all at least bought into this Nicene Creed biz where it clearly states that Jesus was born, died, and then rose again from the dead? Silly me.Instead way, way, way too much time was spent navel gazing over trivial topics like Why can’t priests be promiscuous? What priestly perks come with this parish? Is YDS a Christian’ divinity school? (This Q comes courtesy of the fundy faithful) and my favorite Why don’t you use ^%$#@ inclusive language in worship? (Uh, Jesus was a “dude.” Hello.) I just don’t see why the creator of all, who loves all of her creation unconditionally, would bring his son into the world to suffer, die, and then rise from the dead unless he knew such an act was needed to transform the world. There’s no way God would have given us the gift of eternal life just so we could stage Christian catfights that make us all look like biblical buffoons.Yes, we can point the finger at silver tongued televangelists and politicians behaving unbiblically. But the more I cover Christian carnage, I realize that this foolish quest to conform Christ’s teachings to the whims of one’s own socio-political agenda has started to stink up the local churches big time. I know Jesus was born in a barn but do churches have to smell like one as well? In I Died for This? I will pick up my pitchfork and muck out the spiritual stables for signs of the living Christ hidden under the mounds of Jesus junk and faith fertilizer. My search will start when I first set foot in the Promised Land in January 2007 and conclude with the 2008 election a.k.a. the Presidential Promised Land. Along the way I will expose emergent excesses, debunk democratic dogma and other biblical bunk that separates us from the radical rule breaking, love making rabble rouser who came to save us all.

Some animals look so alike, it's difficult to tell which is which! The Porpoise or Dolphin book in the Which Is Which? series helps readers discover the similarities and differences between porpoises and dolphins. Focused on 21st Century content, the Which Is Which? series encourages readers to ask questions, think more critically and creatively, and use their problem-solving skills. Book includes table of contents, sidebars, glossary, index, and author biography.

In this updated edition, award-winning author and whale researcher Erich Hoyt takes readers into the field for an intimate encounter with 93 species of cetaceans that make their homes in the world's oceans, rivers and lakes. Drawing on decades of firsthand experience and a comprehensive familiarity with the current revolution in cetacean studies, Hoyt provides unique insights into the life histories of whales. This new edition features descriptions of three new whale and dolphin species, along with the latest discoveries about cetacean biology and behavior, from the physical differences and adaptations among the baleen and toothed whales to their highly intelligent hunting and feeding methods. Uncovered in fascinating detail are the courtship and mating practices, family relationships and the lifelong bonds among some family members. The symphonic composer of the whale world is the humpback whale, whose complex 30-minute songs reverberate across the liquid universe of the ocean. Current research reveals that blue, fin, bowhead and other whales also sing, mostly in tones below human hearing. Using sound for navigation, some whales hunt in deep, high pressure waters while others negotiate migrations across entire ocean basins. Thoroughly updated to reflect the latest findings, this book is perfect for anyone curious about the cetacean world. Budding whale students will gain insights on how to research whales, dolphins and porpoises as well as how to save at-risk species and their increasingly damaged habitat. Encyclopedia of Whales, Dolphins and Porpoises includes: detailed profiles of 93 current species of cetaceans (3 more than in the previous edition) the story of the newly discovered Sato's beaked whale, a small black whale from the North Pacific related to the Baird's beaked whale fascinating sidebars that bring to life cetacean society and culture an enlightening discussion of the differences between dolphins and porpoises new information on the history and impact of whaling illustrations of each species by renowned artist Uko Gorter, including the three new species named in the past five years color photographs by world-famous marine photographer Brandon Cole, among others.