Download or read book Because Each Life Is Precious written by Mohammed Odeh al-Rehaief and published by Harper Paperbacks. This book was released on 2004-11-23 with total page 224 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: When thirty-three-year-old Mohammed Odeh al-Rehaief made the decision to risk his life and his family to save Private First Class Jessica Lynch -- an American soldier he did not know -- it was more than the everyday reckoning with death that permeates wartime. It was the culmination of a life spent at odds with the repressive regime that held his country. Mohammed's story is a coming of age tale in a society where violence and betrayal were everyday events, where one in five adult males worked for the state's security apparatus, where a president-for-life demanded absolute loyalty and adulation. Yet even as he navigates a culture tarnished by brutality and corruption, Mohammed reveals unexpected sides of Iraq -- scenes of surprising tenderness and stubborn generosity -- and emerges as an unlikely hero whose values transcend ideology: honor, compassion, and an unshakable belief in the sanctity of human life.
Download or read book Our Only Comfort written by Stephen C. Shaffer and published by Wipf and Stock Publishers. This book was released on 2021-04-20 with total page 431 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In a fast-paced world full of distractions, how do we create space to have conversations about faith? Parents long to talk about Jesus with their children, but are unsure where to begin. Families want to slow down and reconnect with what matters most, but struggle to squeeze anything into already busy schedules. Teens and adults desire to go deeper in their faith, but are filled with unanswered questions. In Our Only Comfort, Rev. Stephen Shaffer provides individuals and families with a helpful structure for growing in Christian faith. In a series of 364 daily devotions, Our Only Comfort will take families, young adults, and new believers through the core teachings of the Christian faith through the lens of the Heidelberg Catechism. Wrestling through questions like "Who is Jesus?" "How do I pray?" and "What does it mean to keep the Ten Commandments?" these short devotions create opportunity for conversations about faith between parents and children and provide nourishment for faith to grow.
Download or read book These Precious Days written by Ann Patchett and published by HarperCollins. This book was released on 2021-11-23 with total page 320 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The beloved New York Times bestselling author reflects on home, family, friendships and writing in this deeply personal collection of essays. "The elegance of Patchett’s prose is seductive and inviting: with Patchett as a guide, readers will really get to grips with the power of struggles, failures, and triumphs alike." —Publisher's Weekly “Any story that starts will also end.” As a writer, Ann Patchett knows what the outcome of her fiction will be. Life, however, often takes turns we do not see coming. Patchett ponders this truth in these wise essays that afford a fresh and intimate look into her mind and heart. At the center of These Precious Days is the title essay, a surprising and moving meditation on an unexpected friendship that explores “what it means to be seen, to find someone with whom you can be your best and most complete self.” When Patchett chose an early galley of actor and producer Tom Hanks’ short story collection to read one night before bed, she had no idea that this single choice would be life changing. It would introduce her to a remarkable woman—Tom’s brilliant assistant Sooki—with whom she would form a profound bond that held monumental consequences for them both. A literary alchemist, Patchett plumbs the depths of her experiences to create gold: engaging and moving pieces that are both self-portrait and landscape, each vibrant with emotion and rich in insight. Turning her writer’s eye on her own experiences, she transforms the private into the universal, providing us all a way to look at our own worlds anew, and reminds how fleeting and enigmatic life can be. From the enchantments of Kate DiCamillo’s children’s books (author of The Beatryce Prophecy) to youthful memories of Paris; the cherished life gifts given by her three fathers to the unexpected influence of Charles Schultz’s Snoopy; the expansive vision of Eudora Welty to the importance of knitting, Patchett connects life and art as she illuminates what matters most. Infused with the author’s grace, wit, and warmth, the pieces in These Precious Days resonate deep in the soul, leaving an indelible mark—and demonstrate why Ann Patchett is one of the most celebrated writers of our time.
Download or read book The Terror Dream written by Susan Faludi and published by Macmillan. This book was released on 2007-10-02 with total page 382 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In this original examination of America's post-9/11 culture, journalist Faludi shines a light on the country's psychological response to the attacks of that terrible day. Turning her observational powers on the media, popular culture, and political life, Faludi unearths a barely acknowledged societal drama shot through with baffling contradictions. Why, she asks, did our culture respond to an assault against American global dominance with a frenzied summons to restore "traditional" manhood, marriage, and maternity? Why did we react as if the hijackers had targeted not a commercial and military edifice but the family home and nursery? The answer, she finds, lies in a historical anomaly unique to the American experience: the nation was forged in traumatizing assaults by nonwhite "barbarians" on town and village. That humiliation lies concealed under a myth of cowboy bluster and feminine frailty, which is reanimated whenever threat and shame looms.--From publisher description.
Download or read book This One Wild and Precious Life written by Sarah Wilson and published by HarperCollins. This book was released on 2020-12-29 with total page 402 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: As seen in USA Today's hottest releases and The Washington Post's 10 New Books Spotlight “Sarah Wilson is a force of nature – quite literally. She has taken her pain and grief about our sick and troubled world and alchemized it into action, advocacy, adventure, poetry, and true love.” — ELIZABETH GILBERT Wake up and reclaim your one wild and precious life. New York Times bestselling author Sarah Wilson shows you how in this radical spiritual guidebook, the book we need NOW. Many of us are living with the sense that things are not right with the world and are in a state of spiritual PTSD. We have retreated, morally and psychologically; we are experiencing a crisis of disconnection—from one another, from our true values, from joy, and from life as we feel we are meant to be living it. Sarah Wilson argues that this sense of despair and disconnection is ironically what unites us—that deep down, we are all feeling that same itch for a new way of living. Drawing on science, literature, philosophy and the wisdom of some of the world’s leading experts, and her personal journey, Wilson offers a hopeful path forward to the life we love. En route, she shows us how to wake up and reconnect with life using “wild practices” that include: · Hike. Embrace the “walking cure” as great minds throughout history have. · Go to your edge. Do what scares you and embrace discomfort daily. · #Buylesslivemore. Break the cycle of mindless consumption and get light with your life. · Become a soul nerd. Light up your intellect with the arts. · Get “full-fat spiritual”. Have an active practice and use it to change the world. · Practice wild activism. Through sustained, non-violent protest we can create our better world. The time has come to boldly, wildly imagine better. We are being called upon, individually and as a society, to forge a new path and to find a new way of living. Will you join the journey?
Download or read book The God I Don t Understand written by Christopher J. H. Wright and published by Zondervan. This book was released on 2009-05-26 with total page 225 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Many Christians believe that they have to understand everything about their faith for that faith to be genuine. This isn't true. There are many things we don't understand about God, His Word, and His works. And this is actually one of the greatest things about the Christian faith: that there are areas of mystery that lie beyond the keenest scholarship or even the most profound spiritual exercises. Sadly, for many people these problems raise so many questions and uncertainties that faith itself becomes a struggle. But questions, and even doubts, are part of faith. Chris Wright encourages us to face the limitations of our understanding and to acknowledge the pain and grief they can often cause. In The God I Don't Understand, he focuses on four of the most mysterious subjects in the Bible and reflects upon why it's important to ask questions without having to provide the answer: The problem of evil and suffering. The genocide of the Canaanites. The cross and the crucifixion. The end of the world. "However strongly we believe in divine revelation, we must acknowledge both that God has not revealed everything and that much of what he has revealed is not plain. It is because Dr. Wright confronts biblical problems with a combination of honesty and humility that I warmly commend this book." —John Stott
Download or read book Awakening to Spirit written by Lee Irwin and published by State University of New York Press. This book was released on 1999-07-01 with total page 400 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Awakening to Spirit explores the nature of spirituality in the postmodern age as a personal journey within a living, responsive cosmos. In a world of multiple religious traditions, spiritual ambiguity, and widespread secular atheism, Lee Irwin offers a non-traditional view of spirituality that's intrinsic to personal growth and development. He presents Ten Principles that reflect stages of spiritual growth and culminate in a mystical encounter inherent to an experiential view of contemporary spirituality. Various physical, emotional, imaginative, intellectual, and psychic aspects of spiritual development are considered, leading to a discussion of spiritual maturity, old age, and self-renewal. Social relations, compassionate love, and responsible, mature human relationships are emphasized. Altered states of consciousness (dreams, visions, mystical experiences) are presented as a valid, necessary means for an understanding of Spirit, and many ideas from contemporary cosmology, process theology, parapsychology, and western esotericism are integrated into the book.
Download or read book Great And Precious Things written by Rebecca Yarros and published by Entangled: Amara. This book was released on 2020-02-25 with total page 407 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: How do you define yourself when others have already decided who you are? Six years ago, when Camden Daniels came back from war without his younger brother, no one in the small town of Alba, Colorado, would forgive him—especially his father. He left, swearing never to return. But a desperate message from his father brings it all back. The betrayal. The pain. And the need to go home again. But home is where the one person he still loves is waiting. Willow. The one woman he can never have, because there are secrets buried in Alba that are best left in the dark... Great and Precious Things is a heart-wrenching forbidden romance about family, betrayal, and ultimately how far we’re willing to go on behalf of those we love and who need us most.
Download or read book Home for Good written by Krish Kandiah and published by Hodder & Stoughton. This book was released on 2013-03-14 with total page 132 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Tying in to a nationwide joint campaign by the Evangelical Alliance and Care for the Family, Krish Kandiah wants us all to take seriously Jesus's call to 'suffer the little children' by engaging with the needs of the many thousands of children up and down the country who are in care and whom the church could and should be helping. Krish and his wife Miriam have adopted and fostered children themselves and their experience - and that of the many others in this book - is very different from the popular myth which suggests social services seek to prevent Christians from getting involved. Krish argues that whatever the state's stance may be, it is a part of our calling as God's church to get involved where it's hardest, and to help these children out of the tough realities they find themselves in. Filled with stories from people who have adopted or were adopted themselves, alongside practical advice on how it all works and the challenges that will come, this book makes a compelling case that the church can and must make a difference in these children's lives, and asks us all to consider our response.
Download or read book Bizarre A Collection Of 13 Bizarre Stories written by Maneesha Agrawal (MVG) and published by Invincible Publishers. This book was released on 2022-02-02 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: 'Bizarre' is a collection of 13 short stories...each one laced with an element of surprise for you. The unexpected twist in the tale for a soldier, a curious night at a hospital, the bizarre love story, the weird archaeological expedition, the edgy journey, and a lot more. This is the fourth book by Author Maneesha Agrawal (MVG) who has created a niche for herself in literary works of fiction through her simplistic and very elegant writing style
Download or read book The Precious Present written by Spencer Johnson and published by Helen Exley Gift Books. This book was released on 1998-11 with total page 80 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In your hands you are holding an incredible little story about the ultimate secret of human happiness. Author Dr Spencer Johnson's unique allegory tells the story of a young child who learns about the fabulous "Precious Present" and then spends a lifetime searching for the mysterious gift.
Download or read book Wild and Precious Life written by Deborah Ziegler and published by Simon and Schuster. This book was released on 2016-10-25 with total page 352 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: From the mother of Brittany Maynard comes an endearing memoir honoring the young woman who made the decision to travel to Oregon and end her life on her own terms after a defeating battle with a cancerous brain tumor. Written by Deborah Ziegler, the mother of Brittany Maynard—a twenty-nine-year-old woman with a terminal brain tumor—this touching and beautiful memoir captures and celebrates her daughter’s spirit and the mostly untold story of Brittany's last year of life as she chose her right to die with dignity, a journey that inspired millions. In this poignant, powerful book, Deborah Ziegler makes good on the promise she made to her only child: that she would honor her daughter and carry forward her legacy by sharing their story and offering hope, empowerment, and inspiration to the growing tens of millions of people who are struggling with end-of-life issues. "Brittany’s story…will have a ready audience, and Deborah’s frank account of their struggles will be comforting to others facing this difficult decision" (Booklist).
Download or read book Discover Your Life S Purpose written by Steve Ouma Oduor and published by AuthorHouse. This book was released on 2013-12-31 with total page 87 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Inside every human life is a rich deposit of purpose, and each person must discover that purpose and endeavour to fulfil it. In the pursuit of ones purpose, the individual will find meaning and relevance in life, as the journey to fulfilment of that purpose gives one a sense of direction, focus, and achievement. This book shares knowledge, insights, and experiences to help the you begin the process of discovering your talents, gifting, and callings that contribute to your lifes purpose, and once youre aware of your true purpose, this book will enrich your journey with deeper insights and strategies. The book is for all individuals of all walks of life and all ages who are passionate about finding purpose and true fulfilment.
Download or read book The Negro s God written by Benjamin E. Mays and published by Wipf and Stock Publishers. This book was released on 2010-10-01 with total page 279 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The ideas of God in Negro literature are developed along three principal lines: (1) Ideas of God that are used to support or give adherence to traditional, compensatory patterns; (2) Ideas, whether traditional or otherwise, that are developed and interpreted to support a growing consciousness of social and psychological adjustment needed; (3) Ideas of God that show a tendency or threat to abandon the idea of God as a 'useful instrument' in perfecting social change. From Chapter IX, Summation
Download or read book The Physics of Heaven written by Judy Franklin and published by Destiny Image Publishers. This book was released on 2015-09-15 with total page 222 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Some of the most influential and prophetic voices of the Spirit-empowered movement have joined together to help you start hearing the sounds of heaven and discover how natural elements—sound, light, energy, vibration and even quantum physics—are supernaturally bringing Heaven to Earth. Featuring contributions from Bill and Beni Johnson, Larry Randolph, Jonathan Welton, Bob Jones, Cal Pierce, David Van Koevering, and Ray Hughes, The Physics of Heaven features revelatory segments such as: · Recovering Spiritual Inheritance · Sound of Heaven · Angelic Encounters · Quantum Mysticism · Authentic versus Counterfeit Unlock Heaven’s healing energy, tap into the frequency of God’s Kingdom, and access a new realm of divine encounters today! “If you are tired of being a settler, existing on the shores of tradition and riskless living, this book is for you. But beware, because once you get a taste of these authors’ insights into light, sound, vibration and quantum physics and you discover how God has written His personal story into creation, you are destined to see the Almighty all around you.” - from the foreword by Kris Vallotton
Download or read book Contemplating God Changing the World written by Mario L. Aguilar and published by Church Publishing, Inc.. This book was released on 2009-01-01 with total page 196 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: “Mario Aguilar skillfully, elegantly, and clearly presents the life and thought of some of the major spiritual forces of our time as a starting point for his own compelling reflections on the relationship between contemplation and politics... We need more books like this one.” —Professor Ivan Petrella, University of Miami Contemplation and political action defined the lives and work of six of the most inspiring Christian leaders of the twentieth century: Thomas Merton, Ernesto Cardenal, Daniel Berrigan, Sheila Cassidy, Desmond Tutu, and Mother Teresa. Each one embraced a silent, purposeful life of prayer, contemplation, and conversation with God, which the author contends was the very foundation for their public activism. Aguilar profiles these outstanding religious figures, illustrating how their contemplation of God gave them courage and understanding not just to grow in personal holiness, but to become one with God through responding to the needs of others. It was their spiritual life that gave them the energy, commitment, and strength to help feed the hungry, clothe the naked, and liberate the oppressed, even in the darkest, most difficult times. Yet, as Aguilar shows, it is not just a chosen few who are called to combine prayer with political action: through the regular contemplation of God, all Christians can be empowered to work toward social transformation and a just world.
Download or read book Guide for Forming a Parish Bereavement Ministry written by Robert Valle and published by Liturgy Training Publications. This book was released on 2023-02-01 with total page 146 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: All Christians are responsible for consoling those who have lost a loved one. An active parish bereavement ministry involves many parishioners performing various forms of compassionate service. In Guide for Forming a Parish Bereavement Ministry, author Robert Valle guides parish leaders toward creating a bereavement ministry that flows from the liturgical and pastoral vision of the Church’s official funeral rites. He explains the theology and key pastoral insights of the Order of Christian Funerals (OCF) and outlines the phases of bereavement ministry, from accompanying the bereaved at the time of death to the preparation of the funeral liturgies, then home visits and acts of compassion throughout the following year. This resource provides practical advice and downloadable materials for training ministers in the theological, spiritual, and human dimensions essential for effective bereavement ministry. Contributing author Paula Kosin provides scripts and other editable downloads for facilitating a grief support group. Guide for Forming a Parish Bereavement Ministry—together with An Introduction to Bereavement Ministry: Caring for Those Who Mourn, a resource for bereavement ministers and Grieving: A Spiritual Process for Catholics, a book for the grieving—provide the training, insight, and guidance for forming a parish bereavement ministry that will bring comfort and peace to all in your community who are grieving the loss of a loved one.
