Download or read book Unexpected Places written by Anthony Evans and published by HarperChristian + ORM. This book was released on 2018-08-21 with total page 224 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Unexpected Places is the personal story of gospel singer Anthony Evans, son of well-known pastor Tony Evans and brother of author Priscilla Shirer. In this intimate and moving memoir, Anthony shares the details of his struggles with depression and doubt, and encourages readers with the unique story of his search for purpose and identity. From growing up duty-bound to his name, to his time as a finalist and then talent producer on The Voice, Anthony explores the pressures he experienced as a child and as a young man in Hollywood. He describes the journey to his renewed faith in God and exposes the vast differences between what the world teaches us to value and how God values us. Anthony examines what his parents did right in raising him but also describes how they unknowingly missed his pain. Finally, he reveals how God orchestrated His plan to grow Anthony into a man who is in love with his life, his heritage, and his individual calling. Anthony has learned to embrace the incredible beauty of his unique voice. In Unexpected Places, he invites readers on their own journey to do the same.

Download or read book Beauty in Unexpected Places written by S. E. Yenney and published by . This book was released on 2017-03-07 with total page 316 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Ronan's life turns upside down when life throws him a curveball. Meanwhile, Cybil battles her own demons. Will they survive what life has in store for them?

Download or read book Finding God in Unexpected Places written by Philip Yancey and published by WaterBrook. This book was released on 2005-03-15 with total page 290 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The traces of God can be found in the most unexpected places--an Atlanta slum, a pod of whales off the coast of Alaska, the prisons of Peru and Chile, the plays of Shakespeare, a health club in Chicago--yet many Christians have not only missed seeing God, they’ve overlooked opportunities to make him visible to those most in need of hope. In this enlightening book author Philip Yancey serves as an insightful tour guide for those willing to look beyond the obvious, pointing out glimpses of the eternal where few might think to look. Whether finding God among the newspaper headlines, within the church, or on the job, Yancey delves deeply into the commonplace and surfaces with rich spiritual insight. Finding God in Unexpected Places takes readers from Ground Zero to the Horn of Africa, and each stop along the way reveals footprints of God, touches of his truth and grace that prompt readers to search deeper within their own lives for glimpses of transcendence.

Download or read book Wildflowers from Winter written by Katie Ganshert and published by WaterBrook. This book was released on 2012-05-08 with total page 323 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Like the winter, grief has a season. Life returns with the spring. A young architect at a prestigious Chicago firm, Bethany Quinn has built the life she dreamed of during her teen years in a trailer park. An unexpected interruption from her estranged mother reveals that tragedy has struck in her hometown and a reluctant Bethany is called back to rural Iowa. Determined to pay her respects to her past while avoiding any emotional entanglements, she vows not to stay long. But the unexpected inheritance of five hundred acres of farmland and a startling turn of events in Chicago forces Bethany to come up with a new plan. Handsome farmhand Evan Price has taken care of the Quinn farm for years. When Bethany is left the land, Evan must fight her decisions to realize his dreams. But even as he disagrees with Bethany’s vision, Evan feels drawn to her and the pain she keeps so carefully locked away. For Bethany, making peace with her past and the God of her childhood doesn’t seem like the path to freedom. Is letting go the only way to new life, love and a peace that she’s not even sure exists?

Download or read book Beauty in the Broken Places written by Allison Pataki and published by Random House. This book was released on 2018-05-01 with total page 265 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: “An inspiring, intimate memoir about faith, resilience and the tenacity of love.”—People “In this emotional tale, a young couple see their lives changed in the blink of an eye—and learn to find love again.”—US Weekly Five months pregnant, on a flight to their “babymoon,” Allison Pataki turned to her husband when he asked if his eye looked strange and watched him suddenly lose consciousness. After an emergency landing, she discovered that Dave—a healthy thirty-year-old athlete and surgical resident—had suffered a rare and life-threatening stroke. Next thing Allison knew, she was sitting alone in the ER in Fargo, North Dakota, waiting to hear if her husband would survive the night. When Dave woke up, he could not carry memories from hour to hour, much less from one day to the next. Allison had lost the Dave she knew and loved when he lost consciousness on the plane. Within a few months, she found herself caring for both a newborn and a sick husband, struggling with the fear of what was to come. As a way to make sense of the pain and chaos of their new reality, Allison started to write daily letters to Dave. Not only would she work to make sense of the unfathomable experiences unfolding around her, but her letters would provide Dave with the memories he could not make on his own. She was writing to preserve their past, protect their present, and fight for their future. Those letters became the foundation of this beautiful, intimate memoir. And in the process, she fell in love with her husband all over again. This is a manifesto for living, an ultimately uplifting story about the transformative power of faith and resilience. It’s a tale of a man’s turbulent road to recovery, the shifting nature of marriage, and the struggle of loving through pain and finding joy in the broken places. Praise for Beauty in the Broken Places “Bold and commendable . . . A strength of this memoir is [Allison Pataki’s] scrupulous honesty.”—USA Today “A memoir about . . . determination and gratitude, and the value of putting one foot in front of another during a crisis.”—The Washington Post “Heart-wrenching.”—Women’s Health “Powerful and immersive . . . Pataki delivers an insightful look at how two people faced a life-altering test as a team ‘fighting to make the dreams of our future possible.’”—Publishers Weekly (starred review)

Download or read book Bloom written by Kelle Hampton and published by Harper Collins. This book was released on 2012-04-03 with total page 445 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: “In her tender and genuinely beautiful memoir, Kelle Hampton encourages us to not simply accept the unexpected circumstances of our lives, but to embrace them like the things we wished for all along.” —Matthew Logelin, New York Times bestselling author of Two Kisses for Maddy Bloom is an inspiring and heartfelt memoir that celebrates the beauty found in the unexpected, the strength of a mother’s love, and, ultimately, the amazing power of perspective. From the outside looking in, Kelle Hampton had the perfect life: a beautiful two-year-old daughter, a loving husband, a thriving photography career, and great friends. When she learned she was pregnant with her second child, she and her husband, Brett, were ecstatic. Her pregnancy went smoothly and the ultrasounds showed a beautiful, healthy, high-kicking baby girl. But when her new daughter was placed in her arms in the delivery room, Kelle knew instantly that something was wrong. Nella looked different than her two-year-old sister, Lainey, had at birth. As she watched friends and family celebrate with champagne toasts and endless photographs, a terrified Kelle was certain that Nella had Down syndrome—a fear her pediatrician soon confirmed. Yet gradually Kelle's fear and pain were vanquished by joy, as she embraced the realization that she had been chosen to experience an extraordinary and special gift. With lyrical prose and gorgeous full-color photography, Bloom takes readers on a wondrous journey through Nella's first year of life—a gripping, hilarious, and intensely poignant trip of transformation in which a mother learns that perfection comes in all different shapes. It is a story about embracing life and really living it, of being fearless and accepting difference, of going beyond constricting definitions of beauty, and of the awesome power of perspective. As Kelle writes, "There is us. Our Family. We will embrace this beauty and make something of it. We will hold our precious gift and know that we are lucky."

Download or read book Beauty in the Mundane written by Samantha Catchpole and published by . This book was released on 2018-10-22 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A collection of photographs which celebrate the beauty of everyday items. Pictures found in overlooked places, in patterns and in the details of the world. These photographs make you look at the world in a different way.

Download or read book Smile Anyway written by Richelle E. Goodrich and published by CreateSpace. This book was released on 2015-06-23 with total page 164 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Smile Anyway is a collection of original quotes, verse, and grumblings written by American author and novelist, Richelle E. Goodrich. The book includes a profound thought for every day of the year plus three bonus quotes, including the popular following: "Anyone who takes the time to be kind is beautiful." "There are many who don't wish to sleep for fear of nightmares. Sadly, there are many who don't wish to wake for the same fear." "Gratitude doesn't change the scenery. It merely washes clean the glass you look through so you can clearly see the colors." This book was written to inspire and motivate individuals on a daily basis; it includes a quote for leap year.

Download or read book The Simple Beauty of the Unexpected written by Marcelo Gleiser and published by University Press of New England. This book was released on 2016-06-07 with total page 200 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Marcelo Gleiser has had a passion for science and fishing since he was a boy growing up on the beaches of Rio de Janeiro. Now a world-famous theoretical physicist with hundreds of scientific articles and several books of popular science to his credit, he felt it was time to connect with nature in less theoretical ways. After seeing a fly-fishing class on the Dartmouth College green, he decided to learn to fly-fish, a hobby, he says, that teaches humility. In The Simple Beauty of the Unexpected, Gleiser travels the world to scientific conferences, fishing wherever he goes. At each stop, he ponders how in the myriad ways physics informs the act of fishing; how, in its turn, fishing serves as a lens into nature's inner workings; and how science engages with questions of meaning and spirituality, inspiring a sense of mystery and awe of the not yet known. Personal and engaging, The Simple Beauty of the Unexpected is a scientist's tribute to nature, an affirmation of humanity's deep connection with and debt to Earth, and an exploration of the meaning of existence, from atom to trout to cosmos.

Download or read book The Essence of Photography written by Bruce Barnbaum and published by Rocky Nook, Inc.. This book was released on 2014-11-04 with total page 569 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: There is a lot more to photography than simply picking up a camera, pointing it toward something, and tripping the shutter. Achieving a great photograph requires thought and preparation, an understanding of the photographic process, and a firm grasp of how light and composition affect a photo. There must be personal involvement and personal expression. There must be experimentation, with the recognition that only a small percentage of experiments end successfully. In this book, best-selling author and world-renowned photographer and teacher Bruce Barnbaum explores these seldom-discussed issues by drawing upon his personal experiences and observations from more than 40 years of photographing and teaching. In addition to photographs, Bruce also uses painting, music, and writing, as well as the sciences and even business, to provide pertinent examples of creative thinking. These examples serve as stepping-stones that will lead you to your own heightened ability to see and be creative. Creativity is a topic that is almost wholly ignored in formal education because most instructors think that it cannot be taught or learned. To the contrary, Bruce has proven that photographic seeing and creativity can be taught, learned, and improved. This book expands on the ideas that are central to Bruce's method of teaching photography, which he has used in workshops for the past 41 years. Included in the book are in-depth discussions on the following topics: Defining your own unique rhythm and approach as a photographer How to translate the scene in front of you to the final photograph The differences and similarities between how an amateur and a professional approach photography The differences between realism and abstraction, and the possibilities and limitations of each Learning to expand your own seeing and creativity through classes, workshops, and associating with other photographers Why the rules of composition should be ignored How to follow your passion When to listen to the critics and when to ignore them The book is richly illustrated with over 90 photographs taken by Bruce as well as other photographers.Seeing and creativity are difficult to teach, but not impossible. This very different, perhaps groundbreaking book is sure to inspire photographers of all skill levels-from beginners to seasoned professionals-to think deeply about the issues involved in creating successful photographs.

Download or read book A Different Beautiful written by Courtney Westlake and published by Barbour Publishing. This book was released on 2016-08-01 with total page 144 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: When Courtney Westlake’s family was given the shocking news that their daughter, Brenna, was born in 2011 with a severe, life-threatening skin disorder, they began to discover a new and different beautiful in their lives–one that values extraordinary differences and appreciates the wonderful sameness found in humanity. In A Different Beautiful, Courtney explores what her family has discovered in raising a child with physical differences and what she has learned about true beauty. Through her personal insights and experiences, Courtney shares how you, too, can learn to find and celebrate God’s version of beautiful in your life, especially within our differences and struggles.

Download or read book The Gift of Hard Things written by Mark Yaconelli and published by InterVarsity Press. This book was released on 2016-07-08 with total page 154 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Society teaches us to have everything under control, and we tend to think that this can be true even of our spiritual lives. Master storyteller and spiritual director Mark Yaconelli offers a narrative journey through ways in which disappointments have turned into gifts. In these pages are a wealth of spiritual practices that will help us find grace in unexpected places.

Download or read book Wabi Sabi Welcome written by Julie Pointer Adams and published by Artisan Books. This book was released on 2017-06-13 with total page 273 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: “An antidote to the veneer of perfectionism so often presented by books of its kind, Wabi-Sabi Welcome offers readers license to slow down and host guests with humility, intention, and contentment.” —Nathan Williams, founder of Kinfolk Wabi-Sabi Welcome is sharing a pot of tea with friends. It is preparing delicious food to nourish, not to show off. It’s keeping a basket of cozy slippers at the door for guests. It is well-worn linens, bouquets of foraged branches, mismatched silverware, and heirloom bowls infused with the spirit of meals served with love. In this lush entertaining manual, author Julie Pointer Adams invites readers into artful, easygoing homes around the world—in Denmark, California, France, Italy, and Japan—and teaches us how to turn the generous act of getting together into the deeper art of being together. In this book, readers will find: unexpected, thoughtful ideas and recipes from around the world; tips for creating an intimate, welcoming environment; guidelines for choosing enduring, natural decor for the home; and inspiring photographs from homes where wabi-sabi is woven into daily living.

Download or read book Sanctuary written by Becca Stevens and published by Dimensions For Living. This book was released on 2005 with total page 130 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Sanctuary is about some unlikely and unexpected places where Becca Stevens has encountered God--a trail in the Andes, her son's bathtub, Dorothy Day's Hospitality House, the Kroger parking lot. Sanctuary was nominated by Christianity Today as best spirituality book of 2005. "I have never read a more direct and moving set of meditations. Becca Stevens has the most extraordinary gift for finding the ineffable in our ordinary old real world, and for making us feel it, too." -Lee Smith, author of The Last Girls "Becca Stevens' meditations imagine an entire world and our part in it, as a place where God dwells. Instead of the tired effort of searching for God, she reminds us, like Francis Thompson's 'Hound of Heaven,' that God can find us wherever we are." -Charles Strobel, Founding Director, Campus for Human Development "Becca Stevens is my kind of preacher woman. Her ministry extends far beyond the walls of St. Augustine's Chapel. Her words bring to life the miracles that abound in the mundane." -Marshall Chapman, author of Goodbye, Little Rock and Roller "Sanctuary can be found in Becca Stevens's elegant, exquisite, earnest pages." -Alice Randall, author of The Wind Done Gone Becca Stevens is an Episcopal priest at St. Augustine's Chapel on the Vanderbilt University campus. She is the founder of Magdalene, a residential community for women with a criminal history of prostitution and drug abuse, and the author of Hither & Yon: A Travel Guide for the Spiritual Journey, coming in September 2007. Meet Becca Stevens in this video interview about her life, faith and experience with the women of Magdalene House.

Download or read book Strange Beauty written by Eliza Factor and published by Parallax Press. This book was released on 2017-08-22 with total page 274 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A unique and hopeful story of how one woman and her family were transformed by her child's multiple disabilities and inability to talk and how she, in turn, transformed a community. This intimate, no-holds barred memoir shares one family's experiences with a child who is both autistic and physically disabled. It is a story of infectious laughter, blood on the floor, intense physical conflict, and of two little girls growing up in the shadow of their charming and fitful brother. And it is the story of a mother and writer and the illuminating effect of imagining the world through the eyes of her beautiful, charismatic, and nonverbal son, Felix. Felix and his sisters inspire Eliza to start Extreme Kids, a community center that connects families with children with disabilities through the arts and play, and transform how she saw herself and the world. She writes of the joy this project brings her, as well as the disconnect of being lauded for helping others at the same time that she cannot help her own son. As Felix grows bigger and stronger, his assaults against himself grow more destructive. When his bruised limbs and face prompt Child Services to investigate the Factors for abuse, Eliza realizes how dangerous her home has become. Strange Beauty is a personal story, but it shines a light on the combustible conditions many families are living in at this moment. The United States offers parents whose children are prone to violence very little help. That Eliza's story ends happily, with Felix thriving at Crotched Mountain School, is due more to luck than policy. There are few such schools and many such children. When children are violent, we fail to account for the internal and external pressures that lead to violence. This is both cruel and counterproductive, for people with disabilities have much to teach us, if we will only listen.

Download or read book Casino Women written by Susan Chandler and published by Cornell University Press. This book was released on 2011-09-01 with total page 224 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Casino Women is a pioneering look at the female face of corporate gaming. Based on extended interviews with maids, cocktail waitresses, cooks, laundry workers, dealers, pit bosses, managers, and vice presidents, the book describes in compelling detail a world whose enormous profitability is dependent on the labor of women assigned stereotypically female occupations—making beds and serving food on the one hand and providing sexual allure on the other. But behind the neon lies another world, peopled by thousands of remarkable women who assert their humanity in the face of gaming empires' relentless quest for profits.The casino women profiled here generally fall into two groups. Geoconda Arguello Kline, typical of the first, arrived in the United States in the 1980s fleeing the war in Nicaragua. Finding work as a Las Vegas hotel maid, she overcame her initial fear of organizing and joined with others to build the preeminent grassroots union in the nation—the 60,000-member Culinary Union—becoming in time its president. In Las Vegas, "the hottest union city in America," the collective actions of union activists have won economic and political power for tens of thousands of working Nevadans and their families. The story of these women's transformation and their success in creating a union able to face off against global gaming giants form the centerpiece of this book.Another group of women, dealers and middle managers among them, did not act. Fearful of losing their jobs, they remained silent, declining to speak out when others were abused, and in the case of middle managers, taking on the corporations' goals as their own. Susan Chandler and Jill B. Jones appraise the cost of their silence and examine the factors that pushed some women into activism and led others to accept the status quo.Casino Women will appeal to all readers interested in women, gambling, and working-class life, and in how ordinary people stand up to corporate actors who appear to hold all the cards.

Download or read book Finding Beauty in the Unexpected written by Thomas Jacob and published by Thomas Jacob. This book was released on 2024-07-05 with total page 25 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Life is full of surprises, both big and small. Some of these surprises may be unwelcome, but many of them are gifts, unexpected moments of beauty, joy, and connection that enrich our lives in countless ways. "Finding Beauty in the Unexpected" is a celebration of these serendipitous moments, from chance encounters with strangers to unexpected challenges that lead to personal growth and transformation. Through personal anecdotes and insightful reflections, this book explores the power of serendipity, the importance of an open mind, and the beauty that can be found in the most unexpected places. You'll learn how to embrace change and uncertainty, cultivate a sense of wonder, and find joy in the journey, not just the destination. Whether you're seeking to add more spontaneity and adventure to your life or simply want to appreciate the hidden treasures that surround you, this book will inspire you to see the world with fresh eyes and embrace the beauty of the unexpected.