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How individuals, church, businesses, and our country can heal the selfish divisions tearing us apart. Our nation's greatest challenge is division. A congressman and former army flight surgeon examines our divisions and shows how social media have amplified them. Will we rise to the challenge and heal the rifts? The solution is for Americans is a "we before me" life. Sharing the lessons learned from his father, who struggled to provide for his family and serve others while dealing with a serious handicap, Dr. Green shows how they served him so well in his own career in the military, healthcare, business, and politics.
God Designed Men for a Specific Purpose Masculinity is not just under attack; there is a concerted effort to marginalize it. As culture has embraced situational ethics and relative truth, men are losing hope and understanding of their purpose in both family and society. Life is hard, and we can't do this alone. This book is a call to manhood as designed by God. Masculinity is not only needed but necessary for a healthy home and society. James W. Bradford reflects upon the lessons he has learned from his life as he intricately weaves God's word into the messages. Through his unique storytelling, he calls men to rise up and assume their role as leaders in their families.
Comedy can soothe our pain, vent our anger, make us feel less alone, and provide the answer to life's most difficult questions, such as What do you call a man with a seagull on his head?* It's a social glue, but it can also be divisive, and the joke is on us if we don't understand how it works. So what are the rules? How does comedy do its magic, and why does it matter? Join professional comedy writer Joel Morris on a hilarious journey into the hidden world of shared laughter, where he reveals the mechanisms that make jokes work and what comedy can teach us about ourselves. Offering astute analysis of everything from stand-up to slapstick and sitcom to spoof, Morris examines comedic patterns, rhythms, and dynamics to uncover the algorithms that secretly underpin comedy. Packed with gags and examples of comedy at its best—plus some invaluable tips on how to master that b'dum tish timing—Be Funny or Die is a fascinating investigation into how our species has developed and mastered this essential art form where laughter is the universal language and only the funniest survive. *Cliff.
New York Times Bestseller If life were a house, then every room holds a story. What do we do when a room we're in is no longer a room where we belong? What do you do when you start to feel a shift and must decide if it's time to make a change? When it comes to navigating big decisions about when to stay and go, how can we know for sure when the time is right? Though we enter and exit many rooms over the course of our life—jobs, relationships, communities, life stages—knowing how and when it's time to leave is a decision that rarely has a clear answer. Podcast host, spiritual director, and bestselling author of The Next Right Thing, Emily P. Freeman offers guidance to help us recognize when it's time to move on from situations that no longer fit, allowing us to find new spaces where we can flourish and grow. How to Walk Into a Room helps us begin to uncover the silent, nuanced, and hidden arrows for anyone asking questions like: How do I know if it's time to move on? What if I stay and nothing changes? What if I leave and everything falls apart? Through thought-provoking questions, spiritual practices, and personal stories, How to Walk into a Room will help you to know and name the caution flags in your current spaces, discern the difference between true peace and discomfort avoidance, navigate endings even when there is no closure, find peace for when you feel ready but it isn't time, and courage for when it's time but you don't feel ready. For anyone standing in a threshold, here's a book to help discern the how, when, and what now of walking out of rooms and into new ones with peace, confidence, and a whole heart.
"Authentic, Practical Advice for the Biggest Struggles You Face There's never been a more complex and confusing time to navigate adulthood than right now, but what if it didn't have to be confusing for you? It's possible to live the happy and healthy life that God has for you, and this step-by-step guide helps you get there. In her debut book, Christian YouTuber, podcaster, and Bible teacher Jeanine Amapola shows you how. Jeanine shares stories she's never shared before about her journey to find freedom from her secret struggles, poor choices, and toxic relationships. Tackling everything from dating and friendship to body image, faith, and career choices, Jeanine offers authentic, biblical advice to help you · make wise decisions to set you up for success in every aspect of life · learn better habits to become more disciplined and healthier · break free from your struggles and hang-ups · challenge yourself mentally, emotionally, physically, and spiritually to become all God has called you to be Living happy and healthy isn't complicated. You, too, can overcome any challenge you face—and live the full, fruitful, and free life you were created for. ""Jeanine is a bright light in her generation who brings insight and truth in this stunning debut. It's the book I wish I had when I was starting out. Gift this book to all the young women in your life.""—LYSA TERKEURST, #1 New York Times bestselling author and president of Proverbs 31 Ministries"
NATIONAL BESTSELLER • Are you sick of waiting for your “real” life to begin? This joy-filled daily devotional offers the abundant peace that comes when you place your trust in God’s plan and start living today—from the founder of the Honey Scoop. “Ashley’s timely wisdom will draw you in and leave you feeling equipped and encouraged to begin each day with joy.”—Rebekah Lyons, bestselling author of Rhythms of Renewal Do you have big dreams and can hardly wait to start the future God has planned for you? But maybe you haven’t yet arrived where you want to be. Perhaps you yearn for the spouse you’ve been praying for, the career you’ve been working toward, or the life you’ve been hoping for. Whatever your longings, waiting can be difficult. But you don’t have to wait until God answers your prayers to embrace where He has you today. The truth is, you’re not just hanging around for what comes next—you’re in a meaningful process of becoming the person God created you to be. This daily devotional from the founder of the Honey Scoop will fill you with encouragement to help you deepen your faith as you trust God with your life and its sweetness exactly where you are right now—not where you will be someday. You don’t need to waste your current season as you wait for what’s next. Discover how you can experience more joy, more purpose, and more trust in God today, and make the most of these holy, God-given days as you embrace The Joy of the In-Between .
""Very good writers have an ability to make you understand what they're feeling. But the very best writers have an ability to make you understand what you're feeling. And that's where Michael Arceneaux sits, and that's what he does in this new book. It's like he's crawling around inside your head opening file cabinets and telling you what the gibberish you've scribbled on each page in each file means. What a great, fun read.""— Shea Serrano, #1 New York Times bestselling author New York Times bestselling author Michael Arceneaux returns with a hilarious collection of essays about making your voice heard in an increasingly noisy and chaotic world. In his books I Can't Date Jesus and I Don't Want to Die Poor, Michael Arceneaux established himself as one of the most beloved and entertaining writers of his generation, touching upon such hot-button topics as race, class, sexuality, labor, debt, and, of course, paying homage to the power and wisdom of Beyoncé. In this collection, Arceneaux takes stock of how far he has traveled—and how much ground he still has to cover in this patriarchal, heteronormative society. He explores the opportunities afforded to Black creatives but also the doors that remain shut or ever-so-slightly ajar; the confounding challenges of dating in a time when social media has made everything both more accessible and more unreliable; and the allure of returning home while still pushing yourself to seek opportunity elsewhere. I Finally Bought Some Jordans is both a corrective to, and a balm for, these troubling times, revealing a sharply funny and keen-eyed storyteller working at the height of his craft.
Author Angela Correll is under a deadline to finish her second book, anxiously approaching her fiftieth birthday, and still reeling from a string of painful losses when she and her husband follow a dream and buy an ancient villa in the heart of Tuscany. Angela soon realizes that her dream home needs more than a little TLC—this is a full-scale renovation that will stretch her patience (and budget) to the limit. Follow Angela's journey as she restores her home to its former glory and heals her heart in the process. Along the way, you'll experience all the charm and romance of Tuscany—leisurely meals with new friends, quirky and loveable locals, exquisite art and architecture, and the beauty and splendor of the Mediterranean.
A revelatory look at the tumultuous life of a jazz legend and American cultural icon “A book written as only one artist could view another, with insight and sincere compassion.” —Sandra Cisneros, best-selling author of Woman Without Shame In the first biography of Billie Holiday in more than two decades, Paul Alexander—author of heralded lives of Sylvia Plath and J. D. Salinger—gives us an unconventional portrait of arguably America’s most eminent jazz singer. He shrewdly focuses on the last year of her life—with relevant flashbacks to provide context—to evoke and examine the persistent magnificence of Holiday’s artistry when it was supposed to have declined, in the wake of her drug abuse, relationships with violent men, and run-ins with the law. During her lifetime and after her death, Billie Holiday was often depicted as a down-on-her-luck junkie severely lacking in self-esteem. Relying on interviews with people who knew her, and new material unearthed in private collections and institutional archives, Bitter Crop —a reference to the last two words of Strange Fruit , her moving song about lynching—limns Holiday as a powerful, ambitious woman who overcame her flaws to triumph as a vital figure of American popular music.
Don't let harmful dialogues play through your mind; it's time to flip the script and reclaim your joy. Soon you'll begin to see life in a brand-new way. Negative, broken, lie-filled sentences fill your head as you work, play, and go about your life. These scripts are sidelining you, maligning you, harming you. What if there were another way? What if your life didn't have to be defined by what others say? Or even by what you say to yourself over and over? What if you knew that beauty and life are yours to be found and you finally danced in the freedom that awaits you? There is more for you, friend-so much more. You can learn how to silence all the negative scripts so you can hear the One who really matters and live the exuberant, positive life meant for you. In this book, you'll finally uncover the scripts that have broken you down. The great news is that you are never broken beyond repair. Learn how God gently collects all your broken pieces and puts them back together as you retrain your mind to think differently about your situation, God, and your world.
#1 New York Times Bestseller "Medgar Evers deserves a place alongside Malcolm X and Dr. King in our historical memory. Evers, with Myrlie as his partner in activism and in life, was doing civil rights work in the single most hostile and dangerous environment in America."—from Medgar and Myrlie By MSNBC's Joy-Ann Reid, a triumphant work of biography that repositions slain Civil Rights pioneer Medgar Evers at the heart of America's struggle for freedom, and celebrates Myrlie Evers's extraordinary activism after her husband's assassination in the driveway of their Mississippi home. "I love this book. The empathic, brilliant, and wise Joy Reid has brought us the poignant, fascinating inside story of Medgar and Myrlie Evers, transformational leaders who confronted pure evil and risked their lives to ensure that all American children might grow up in a United States that was more just. As Reid shows us, that painful task is now more urgent than ever." — Michael Beschloss Myrlie Louise Beasley met Medgar Evers on her first day of college. They fell in love at first sight, married just one year later, and Myrlie left school to focus on their growing family. Medgar became the field secretary for the Mississippi branch of the NAACP, charged with beating back the most intractable and violent resistance to black voting rights in the country. Myrlie served as Medgar's secretary and confidant, working hand in hand with him as they struggled against public accommodations and school segregation, lynching, violence, and sheer despair within their state's "black belt." They fought to desegregate the intractable University of Mississippi, organized picket lines and boycotts, despite repeated terroristic threats, including the 1962 firebombing of their home, where they lived with their three young children. On June 12, 1963, Medgar Evers became the highest profile victim of Klan-related assassination of a black civil rights leader at that time; gunned down in the couple's driveway in Jackson. In the wake of his tragic death, Myrlie carried on their civil rights legacy; writing a book about Medgar's fight, trying to win a congressional seat, and becoming a leader of the NAACP in her own right. In this groundbreaking and thrilling account of two heroes of the civil rights movement, Joy-Ann Reid uses Medgar and Myrlie's relationship as a lens through which to explore the on-the-ground work that went into winning basic rights for Black Americans, and the repercussions that still resonate today.
An empowering, encouraging message to be a light for Christ amid the darkness and pain in this world, by the inspirational Instagram writer of Words Are Golden. “The practical guide you need to stop questioning your purpose and instead give the gift God has graciously placed within you.”—Ashley Morgan Jackson, bestselling author of Tired of Trying When the darkness of the world feels overwhelming, we wonder, Where can I find light? And even more, How can I be the light? Pediatric nurse Allyson Golden faces the hardest realities of life—and death—every day. She longed to be a light for Christ in every patient’s room, but she didn’t know what that looked like when she could hardly find that light herself. As Allyson immersed herself in Scripture, she began to understand the transformative truth that we have no power to shine on our own, but the Light of the World shines through us—and no darkness can overcome it. In Arise and Shine, Allyson explores our deepest questions: • Can Jesus shine through me even when I doubt His presence? • Does shining God’s light mean being cheerful all the time? • How can I hold on to God’s light—and is that even a thing? • Why is it so hard to give my burdens to God? • Is the darkness ever going to go away? With practical action steps at the end of every chapter, Arise and Shine helps you renew your mind, recharge your spirit, and take a positive step forward, because nothing can dim the light inside of you.
The #1 New York Times bestselling author and "king of Christmas fiction" ( The New York Times ) delivers a charming and inspirational collection of personal essays. Before he was the #1 New York Times bestselling author of holiday classics such as The Christmas Box , Richard Paul Evans was a young boy being raised by a suicidal mother and dealing with relentless bullying. He could not fathom what the future held for him. Now, in this intimate and heartfelt collection of personal essays, Evans shares his moving journey from childhood to beloved author. With his signature "seasoned finesse" ( Booklist ), he offers the insightful lessons he's learned and engaging advice about everything from marriage to parenthood and even facing near-death experiences. This is a charming essay collection that is the perfect gift all year round.
Throughout personal essays spiked with humor and natural science, archaeologist R. E. Burrillo widens his range beyond his popular Behind the Bears Ears. After an upstate New York childhood and a bartending stint in New Orleans's French Quarter, seasonal resort work led R. E. Burrillo to the desert Southwest, whose redrock landscapes were a source of stability through mental and physical illness. In The Backwoods of Everywhere, archaeologist Burrillo excavates his past, examining Indigenous and tourist cultures, the complexities of American archaeology, and what it means to be a local. From the ancient canal systems of Phoenix, Arizona, to the modern Mayan communities of the Yucatan Peninsula, to the depths of the Grand Canyon, Burrillo brings listeners on an entertaining romp chock-full of history, ecology, cultural preservation, and personal stories. In the vein of Bill Bryson, Tim Cahill, and Ellen Meloy, Burrillo's is a fresh voice in humor-spiked nature writing and cultural commentary. Running throughout the wide-ranging topics of The Backwoods of Everywhere are themes of place and locality, and how these vary between cultures and individuals. Marrying the intensely personal with the complex and technical, Burrillo's candid voice brings humor, wonder, irony, and wit to each thought-provoking essay.
Social media, television, and the Internet feed destructive information to tweens, teens, and young adults. Hookup culture, the acceptance of sending nudes, and rampant pornography contribute to unrealistic sexual expectations. At what cost? Barb Winters addresses the heavy loads of anxiety, worry, and depression among young people. She offers practical advice for presenting healthier options. Today's youth are eager, passionate, and impressionable. They look to parents, grandparents, youth leaders, and other trusted adults for direction. Sexpectations will help equip you to make a difference and be part of the solution: - Discover factors contributing to the declining health of relationships. - Examine consequences of a "casual sex is acceptable" societal attitude. - Explore four foundational attributes of healthy relationships based on God's Word: love, selflessness, mutuality, and communication. - Uncover biblical principles for healing from wounds caused by abnormal sexual behaviors. - Find out how you and your child can restore, reconcile, and maintain healthy relationships.
Rediscover the God of joy, who defies the suffering of this broken life—from the author of Not Forsaken “A gift to all who search for hope.”—W. Lee Warren, MD, author of Hope Is the First Dose When Jennifer Greenberg escaped her abusive childhood home at the age of twenty-one, she found that few Christians knew how to encourage her. Platitudes such as, “God won’t give you more than you can handle,” “Forgive and forget,” and “Have faith!” left her feeling misunderstood and alone. Would she ever be whole again? Could joy exist for someone so broken? By discarding false theology and toxic positivity, Greenberg discovered joy beyond anything she was taught in church: joy that’s a gift from God. In her new book, Defiant Joy, Greenberg shares this groundbreaking hope as she explores • why philosophies like the prosperity gospel and legalism fail us • how Jesus is with us amid our sadness, disappointment, anger, and anxiety • how God’s joy far exceeds any emotion we can muster God doesn’t want you to pretend you’re okay. Discover the freedom of living beyond performance faith. Embrace a joy that shines in defiance of the darkness.
I Want God , now revised and updated, will help you focus on your true pursuit of God and watch Him move your soul. Lisa Whittle amplifies the solution to the heart cry of the "sick of me" life. It is in the heart of every person to want God, but life gets loud, and we forget Him. We get consumed by our problems, our desires, ourselves. We forget our first encounter with the Savior and how much we once wanted Him. But Lisa Whittle believes that if we calibrate our attention, refocusing on God determines the perspective for everything in our life: what we fight for, what we tolerate, how we make decisions, what we choose, what we love, what we chase, what we let go of, and what we are willing to change. A guidebook, a teacher, and a resource, all in one, I Want God brings rich simplicity to life-altering principles, perfect for your personal Lenten reflection. With her signature boldness and raw authenticity, author and podcast host of The Jesus Over Everything podcast, Lisa Whittle inspires with bottom line truth when we want Him and experience a soul revival, there is no limit to what we will do for Him.
This book is about one idea: joy. A deep sense of well-being, regardless of circumstances, is not only possible but is promised to all who follow Jesus. Life is hard, but God is good. And through Him we can start to see the world in a more childlike, humble, and optimistic way. Brant Hansen doesn't follow a success plan. He just keeps simply showing up and taking Jesus very seriously. And by taking Jesus seriously in all of life, he has become more joyful. More peaceful. And full of laughter. And that attitude is contagious to all who read his bestselling books and listen to his award-winning radio show. In Life Is Hard, God Is Good, Let's Dance, Brant is at his best—sharing stories from around the world, as well as from his own heart and head, with a writing style that will likely make you laugh, cry, and rethink your outlook on life and the kingdom of God. Through his unique life experiences and extensive travels, readers will see how God is moving through people all over the world, and they will learn to: See that it's possible to live joyfully in a world of anger and anxiety Completely trust the character and promises of God Claim the abundant life mentioned in John 10:10 Live each day simply and with a faith and joy that is contagious Brant says, "In this book, I want to take the format of Bob Goff's Love Does and mix it with my own strange experiences, in a way that I think Ted Lasso would be proud of." Through short, energetic, captivating, and often humorous chapters, Brant's message will leave you with a renewed love for a simpler life that overflows with greater joy than you've ever experienced.
Life can be hard: grief, loss, busyness, financial hardships, abuse, broken relationships, and illness are just some of the difficulties we all face on a regular basis. It's easy to lose faith in your neighbor and feel like you're alone—but Max Lucado assures us that hope is here. Stories for Your Soul: Ordinary People. Extraordinary God. by pastor and New York Times bestselling author Max Lucado will reestablish your faith in people and the Lord by sharing the good in the world. Compiled from Max's catalog of treasured stories, this collection of ordinary miracles sheds light on the ways that everyday people are doing God's work while also sharing their gifts with others. Throughout Stories for Your Soul, you'll read about: Nicholas Winton, a twenty-nine-year-old stockbroker, who rescued 669 children during World War II Favio Chavez and Don Cola Gomez—two men recycling the world's trash into musical instruments Jimmy Wayne and how complete strangers gave him a home and became his family And many more amazing stories At the end of each inspiring story, you'll find two reflection questions to help you dig deep into your life and identify ways you can use your own gifts to change the world while deepening your faith in God.
We're trying to "get it together" in areas we have no control over. We keep trying, but we'll never move the needle to a better future because it has nothing to do with us or anything we can do. You don't always have to give in to what the world, your family, or your own self declares is the way things are "supposed" to be. God desires goodness and joy for us. God, Jesus, and the Spirit went to great lengths to offer you and me the best good news ever. In Why Can't I Get It Together?, Jamie Ivey, host of The Happy Hour podcast, shares how to Define the reality of your current circumstances Ponder the areas of your life that are out of control Stop self-shame Create better expectations for yourself Move forward in an effort to chase holiness Jamie guides us through six areas of our lives that are affecting our perception of God's love in our realities. Dig deep into God's Word to see what it says about why we keep sinning, how to stop, and what God feels about us in the midst of it all.