Download or read book Surprising joy written by Valerie Bloom and published by . This book was released on 2004 with total page 211 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: After life with her grandmother in Jamaica, steeped in its culture, sunshine and traditions, Joy can hardly contain her excitement when she goes to join her mother in England. Though London in cold December is a shock, it is nothing to the shock that awaits when she goes to live with her mother.
Download or read book Surprised by Joy written by C. S. Lewis and published by HarperCollins. This book was released on 2017-02-14 with total page 159 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A repackaged edition of the revered author’s spiritual memoir, in which he recounts the story of his divine journey and eventual conversion to Christianity. C. S. Lewis—the great British writer, scholar, lay theologian, broadcaster, Christian apologist, and bestselling author of Mere Christianity, The Screwtape Letters, The Great Divorce, The Chronicles of Narnia, and many other beloved classics—takes readers on a spiritual journey through his early life and eventual embrace of the Christian faith. Lewis begins with his childhood in Belfast, surveys his boarding school years and his youthful atheism in England, reflects on his experience in World War I, and ends at Oxford, where he became "the most dejected and reluctant convert in all England." As he recounts his lifelong search for joy, Lewis demonstrates its role in guiding him to find God.
Download or read book Sunshine Warm Sober written by Catherine Gray and published by Aster. This book was released on 2021-06-10 with total page 268 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The long-awaited sequel to THE UNEXPECTED JOY OF BEING SOBER 'Exquisite' - Fearne Cotton, Happy Place 'A paean to the longer-term pleasures of staying booze-free' - The Guardian 'The kind of book that changes lives, and very possibly saves them' - The Lancet Psychiatry 'A reflective, raw and riveting read. A beautiful book on what it takes to root for yourself' - Emma Gannon, Ctrl Alt Delete 'No other author writes about sober living with as much warmth or emotional range as Catherine Gray. Her deep insight into the subtle psychologies of drinking, and of life, means that everything she writes is both utterly relatable and stretches our minds. Hers is a rare wisdom.' - Dr Richard Piper, CEO, Alcohol Change UK What's it like to give up drinking forever? We know now that being teetotal for one, three, even twelve months brings surprising joys and a recharged body... but nothing has been written about going years deep into being alcohol-free. As Catherine Gray, author of runaway success The Unexpected Joy of Being Sober, streaks towards a decade sober, she explores this uncharted territory in her trademark funny, disruptive and warm way. This is a must-read for anyone sober-curious, whether they've put down the bottle yet or not. Praise for The Unexpected Joy of Being Sober: 'Fascinating' - Bryony Gordon 'Truthful, modern and real' - Stylist 'Brave, witty and brilliantly written' - Marie Claire 'Gray's tale of going sober is uplifting and inspiring' - Evening Standard 'Not remotely preachy' - Sunday Times 'Jaunty, shrewd and convincing' - Sunday Telegraph 'Admirably honest, light, bubbly and remarkably rarely annoying' - Guardian 'An empathetic, warm and hilarious tale from a hugely likeable human' - The Lancet Psychiatry
Download or read book The Unexpected Joy of the Ordinary written by Catherine Gray and published by Aster. This book was released on 2023-12-21 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: **From the Sunday Times Bestselling Author** Life-affirming - THE TELEGRAPH Wonderful - INDEPENDENT She made it her mission to learn how to be default happy rather than default disgruntled - RADIO 4 - WOMAN'S HOUR Take a leaf out of Gray's book and be kinder to yourself by appreciating life just as it is - IRISH TIMES This book came to me in an hour of need - during lockdown when I had to focus on the positive, appreciate simple things, not lose my shit, and value each day. It was a pure joy for me and held my hand - SADIE FROST Interesting and joyful. Lights a path that could help us to build resilience against society's urging to compare life milestones with peers - LANCET PSYCHIATRY Underwhelmed by your ordinary existence? Disillusioned with your middlin' wage, average body, 'bijou' living situation and imperfect loved ones? Welcome to the club. There are billions of us. The 'default disenchanted'. But, it's not us being brats. Two deeply inconvenient psychological phenomenons conspire against our satisfaction. We have negatively-biased brains, which zoom like doom-drones in on what's wrong with our day, rather than what's right. (Back in the mists of time, this negative bias saved our skins, but now it just makes us anxious). Also, something called the 'hedonic treadmill' means we eternally quest for better, faster, more, like someone stuck on a dystopian, never-ending treadmill. Thankfully, there are scientifically-proven ways in which we can train our brains to be more positive-seeking. And to take a rest from this tireless pursuit. Whew. Catherine Gray knits together illuminating science and hilarious storytelling, unveiling captivating research showing that big bucks don't mean big happiness, extraordinary experiences have a 'comedown' and budget weddings predict a lower chance of divorce. She reminds us what an average body actually is, reveals that exercising for weight loss means we do less exercise, and explores the modern tendency to not just try to keep up with the Murphys, but keep up with the Mega-Murphies (see: the social media elite). Come on in to this soulful and life-affirming read, to discover why an ordinary life may well be the most satisfying one of all. PRAISE FOR CATHERINE GRAY'S WRITING: "Uplifting and inspiring" - The Evening Standard "Not remotely preachy" - The Times "Jaunty, shrewd and convincing" - The Telegraph "Admirably honest, light, bubbly and remarkably rarely annoying" - The Guardian "An empathetic, warm and hilarious tale from a hugely likeable human" - The Lancet Psychiatry
Download or read book The Unexpected Joy of Being Single written by Catherine Gray and published by Aster. This book was released on 2019-01-15 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Single in your late twenties or, hold the phone, in your thirties or beyond? Oh hi! You're in the right place. Over a third of us are now single. With the single camp growing at ten times the rate of the actual population, it is now the norm to be single well into our thirties - the average marriage age for women is 35 and 37 for men. But nobody seems to have told society, romcom makers, songwriters, marriage-hungry mothers, 'tick-tock' uncles, our mates or us that. Cue: single anxiety. Love addiction. Spending hours scrolling through dating apps. Being inconsolable when he/she doesn't text. Humming 'Here Comes the Bride' when they do. Catherine Gray went through all of this. And then some. She took a whole year off dating to get her love-hooked head straight. How do we chill our boots about our single status? Detach from 'all the good ones are gone!' panic? And de-programme from urgent, red, heart-shaped societal pressure to find your 'other half*'? We know intellectually that single is far preferable to panic-settling, yet we forget that almost constantly. Why? Psychologists and neuroscientists tell us? Let's start the reverse-brainwash and locate our happily-single sanity, for good. Are you in? *Spoiler: you're already a whole person.
Download or read book Joyful written by Ingrid Fetell Lee and published by Hachette UK. This book was released on 2018-09-04 with total page 326 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Make small changes to your surroundings and create extraordinary happiness in your life with groundbreaking research from designer and TED star Ingrid Fetell Lee. Next Big Idea Club selection—chosen by Malcolm Gladwell, Susan Cain, Dan Pink, and Adam Grant as one of the "two most groundbreaking new nonfiction reads of the season!" "This book has the power to change everything! Writing with depth, wit, and insight, Ingrid Fetell Lee shares all you need to know in order to create external environments that give rise to inner joy." —Susan Cain, author of Quiet and founder of Quiet Revolution Have you ever wondered why we stop to watch the orange glow that arrives before sunset, or why we flock to see cherry blossoms bloom in spring? Is there a reason that people—regardless of gender, age, culture, or ethnicity—are mesmerized by baby animals, and can't help but smile when they see a burst of confetti or a cluster of colorful balloons? We are often made to feel that the physical world has little or no impact on our inner joy. Increasingly, experts urge us to find balance and calm by looking inward—through mindfulness or meditation—and muting the outside world. But what if the natural vibrancy of our surroundings is actually our most renewable and easily accessible source of joy? In Joyful, designer Ingrid Fetell Lee explores how the seemingly mundane spaces and objects we interact with every day have surprising and powerful effects on our mood. Drawing on insights from neuroscience and psychology, she explains why one setting makes us feel anxious or competitive, while another fosters acceptance and delight—and, most importantly, she reveals how we can harness the power of our surroundings to live fuller, healthier, and truly joyful lives.
Download or read book Unexpected Joy written by Bill Russell and published by Concord Theatricals. This book was released on 2019 with total page 69 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In modern-day Cape Cod, Joy, a baby boomer and proud hippie, is holding a memorial concert for the other half of her popular musical duo, Jump & Joy. When her tightly wound, conservative daughter and her sweet, rebellious granddaughter arrive from Oklahoma, sparks fly as one family seeks to find the common ground in their different values, dreams, and goals. A heartfelt and hilarious story that celebrates diversity and acceptance, Unexpected Joy weaves folk-rock, pop, and blues in bringing together a family that hasn’t experienced true joy in decades.
Download or read book Unexpected Joy written by Kelly C. Miller and published by Harvest House Publishers. This book was released on 2023-09-19 with total page 289 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: We Cannot Do Enough. And That’s Good News! Happiness and purpose—we work ceaselessly for them, but what does God have to say about our efforts? Through engaging and encouraging stories about serving the people of Uganda, Unexpected Joy challenges us to move beyond achievement and self-reliance, and instead embrace a life of sincere obedience and joy. With wisdom and wit, Kelly balances foundational Christian doctrine with real-life experiences. Through the lens of his personal story—and all the hurts and hopes along the way—you will discover how the joy God offers is not a future prize to be earned, but a gift to be received right now. As you contemplate Kelly’s reflections and insight, you will be encouraged and emboldened in your own whirlwind journey of God’s amazing grace. Kelly’s story will serve as a blessed reminder that the Lord is at work in your life, and that He is infinitely better than anything this world can offer!
Download or read book Unexpected Joy of Being Sober Journal written by Catherine Gray and published by Aster. This book was released on 2019-12-03 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A guided sobriety journal for motivation, with prompts and reminders for Dry January, Sober Spring and beyond. Whether you are going cold turkey or trying your sober-curious hand at Dry January this year, Catherine Gray provides an ideal practical solution with The Unexpected Joy of Being Sober Journal. Packed with motivational prompts and reminders, this guided sobriety journal encourages you to be present, slow down your thoughts, identify your patterns and, most importantly, be honest with yourself. There is a growing body of research that supports the positive benefits of journaling, be it helping you to stick to your goals or drastically improving your mood and emotional wellbeing. In fact, the healing power of journaling has been proven to be so beneficial that the co-founders of Alcoholics Anonymous have incorporated it into the famous 12 Step Program. Gray's refreshing and easy-to-follow strategies will inspire you to kick the drink and live a sunshine warm sober life.
Download or read book The Color of Joy written by Julianne MacLean and published by Julianne MacLean. This book was released on 2015-02-10 with total page 225 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Color of Joy is USA Today bestselling author Julianne MacLean’s eighth instalment in her the popular Color of Heaven series, which has delivered many happy sighs to thousands of readers worldwide and left them clamoring for more. Bring tissues and prepare to be up all night reading this fast-paced, emotionally charged tale about the obstacles we encounter in everyday life and the real life magic that helps us to triumph over them. After rushing to the hospital for the birth of their third child, Riley and Lois James anticipate one of the most joyful days of their lives. But things take a dark turn when their newborn daughter vanishes from the hospital. Is this payback for something in Riley’s troubled past? Or is it something even more mysterious? As the search intensifies and the police close in, strange and unbelievable clues about the whereabouts of the newborn begin to emerge, and Riley soon finds himself at the center of a surprising turn of events that will challenge everything he once believed about life, love, and the existence of miracles. “Full of high emotional moments and unexpected twists and turns, these Color of Heaven books are impossible to put down.” - New York Times bestselling author, Emily March While each novel in the series can be read as a standalone, there are many more books to love in this series! The Color of Heaven The Color of Destiny The Color of Hope The Color of a Dream The Color of a Memory The Color of Love The Color of the Season The Color of Joy Includes Bonus Content: A Bookclub Discussion Guide
Download or read book The Book of Joy written by Dalai Lama and published by Penguin. This book was released on 2016-09-20 with total page 368 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: An instant New York Times bestseller Two spiritual giants. Five days. One timeless question. Nobel Peace Prize Laureates His Holiness the Dalai Lama and Archbishop Desmond Tutu have survived more than fifty years of exile and the soul-crushing violence of oppression. Despite their hardships—or, as they would say, because of them—they are two of the most joyful people on the planet. In April 2015, Archbishop Tutu traveled to the Dalai Lama's home in Dharamsala, India, to celebrate His Holiness's eightieth birthday and to create what they hoped would be a gift for others. They looked back on their long lives to answer a single burning question: How do we find joy in the face of life's inevitable suffering? They traded intimate stories, teased each other continually, and shared their spiritual practices. By the end of a week filled with laughter and punctuated with tears, these two global heroes had stared into the abyss and despair of our time and revealed how to live a life brimming with joy. This book offers us a rare opportunity to experience their astonishing and unprecendented week together, from the first embrace to the final good-bye. We get to listen as they explore the Nature of True Joy and confront each of the Obstacles of Joy—from fear, stress, and anger to grief, illness, and death. They then offer us the Eight Pillars of Joy, which provide the foundation for lasting happiness. Throughout, they include stories, wisdom, and science. Finally, they share their daily Joy Practices that anchor their own emotional and spiritual lives. The Archbishop has never claimed sainthood, and the Dalai Lama considers himself a simple monk. In this unique collaboration, they offer us the reflection of real lives filled with pain and turmoil in the midst of which they have been able to discover a level of peace, of courage, and of joy to which we can all aspire in our own lives.
Download or read book The Urban Monk written by Pedram Shojai and published by Rodale. This book was released on 2017-10-24 with total page 290 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In this New York Times bestseller, you will discover how the calmness of Zen masters can help you stop time, refuel, and focus on the things that really matter. Our world is an overwhelming place. Each day’s commitments to career and family take everything we’ve got, and we struggle to focus on our health, relationships, and purpose in life. Technology brings endless information to our fingertips, but the one thing we really want—a sense of satisfaction and contentment—remains out of reach. Pedram Shojai is here to change all of that. With practice, you can stop time, refuel, and focus on the things that really matter, even among the chaos that constantly surrounds us. His no-nonsense life mastery program brings together clear tools to elevate your existence. He guides you in learning to honor the body and mind, discharge stuck energy, and shake free from toxicity and excess stress. The world needs you to step up and live your life to the fullest. Pedram Shojai is the Urban Monk who can show you how to drink from infinity, find peace and prosperity, and thrive.
Download or read book Putting a Face on Grace written by Richard Blackaby and published by Multnomah. This book was released on 2006-04-04 with total page 178 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Complete the Cycle of Grace How sweet the sound–it saved a wretch like you. It’s amazing. But has God’s grace changed you? Is it changing others through you? Richard Blackaby explores what may be causing you to miss out on an abundant life of grace, and how simply knowing about it is a far cry from embracing a grace-filled lifestyle. Once you fully experience and grasp its essence, you can’t help but “practice” God’s undeserved favor by passing it on to everyone around you. Grace shares a close relationship with love, is never static, and is always searching for those willing to receive it. This book focuses on pointed and practical life application so that you can attain the power of gracious living today! Let God’s Grace Flow Through You God’s grace is so boundless, so contrary to human nature, and so unconditionally given that you will never understand it… …until you give it away. Get ready to be washed in pure joy, renewed by a fresh sense of gratitude for the rich, undeserved favor God continually bestows upon you. Dr. Richard Blackaby explores what it means to make God’s grace a lifestyle and how it will become personal, practical, and recognizable in your life. You’ll discover: What genuine grace is and what it is not The power of life words and the devastation of death words The secret to establishing a grace-filled home How to recognize grace-giving opportunities Ways to extend grace when you don’t think you can Unable to deny His unconditional love, or even to keep it to yourself, soon grace will have a face. And the reflection in your mirror will tell its story. Amazing Grace, How Sweet the Sound It’s a living, breathing testament to the depth of God’s love. You don’t deserve it, but you’ve got it. So, what are you doing with God’s amazing grace? Many Christians sing of its sweet sound, but fail to extend it to others–missing the point entirely. Putting a Face on Grace provides practical ways you can become a conduit of God’s grace to those around you. Dr. Richard Blackaby’s personal stories will have you nodding in agreement, laughing with empathetic understanding, and eagerly embracing a new life worth passing on. You will become the essential element that keeps God’s life-giving grace flowing. And if you think you’re unworthy of such an honor, that’s good. That’s grace… Story Behind the Book Much has been said about God’s grace. Observing it, defining it, soaking it in. But little has been said about bringing it full circle, to the point where we freely receive and give it on a daily basis. This is what lifestyle grace is all about. Richard Blackaby’s book hits a market in need, and “reinvents” grace for us all–exploding our understanding of this tremendous gift and bringing it into a new, tangible dimension.
Download or read book The Surprising Imagination of C S Lewis written by Jerry Root and published by . This book was released on 2015 with total page 270 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A fresh look at this Christian champion and master storyteller through his varied uses of imagination.
Download or read book All Joy and No Fun written by Jennifer Senior and published by Harper Collins. This book was released on 2014-01-28 with total page 234 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Thousands of books have examined the effects of parents on their children. In All Joy and No Fun, award-winning journalist Jennifer Senior now asks: what are the effects of children on their parents? In All Joy and No Fun, award-winning journalist Jennifer Senior tries to tackle this question, isolating and analyzing the many ways in which children reshape their parents' lives, whether it's their marriages, their jobs, their habits, their hobbies, their friendships, or their internal senses of self. She argues that changes in the last half century have radically altered the roles of today's mothers and fathers, making their mandates at once more complex and far less clear. Recruiting from a wide variety of sources—in history, sociology, economics, psychology, philosophy, and anthropology—she dissects both the timeless strains of parenting and the ones that are brand new, and then brings her research to life in the homes of ordinary parents around the country. The result is an unforgettable series of family portraits, starting with parents of young children and progressing to parents of teens. Through lively and accessible storytelling, Senior follows these mothers and fathers as they wrestle with some of parenthood's deepest vexations—and luxuriate in some of its finest rewards. Meticulously researched yet imbued with emotional intelligence, All Joy and No Fun makes us reconsider some of our culture's most basic beliefs about parenthood, all while illuminating the profound ways children deepen and add purpose to our lives. By focusing on parenthood, rather than parenting, the book is original and essential reading for mothers and fathers of today—and tomorrow.
Download or read book Here Now written by Kate Merrick and published by Thomas Nelson. This book was released on 2019-04-02 with total page 222 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: What if our truest life is the one right in front of us? Does life sometimes seem to be passing you by? Are you so busy—with email to check, Instagram to scroll through, and friends to be envious of—that you’ve become disconnected from your actual life? You know, the one you are living right here, right now? With hilariously relatable confessions and profoundly beautiful insights, Kate Merrick invites us to stop running away from the lives we’re living today and instead walk in the peace and fullness God offers moment to moment. She shows us how to kill your Wi-Fi, put down the tech, and find deeper contentment, redirect the FOMO so you don’t miss out on your own life, and go on a diet of fewer choices to discover the blessings of the quiet, the slow, and the intentional. Only when we look honestly at our hearts and have the courage to live truly present do we receive the gifts of God found in all of life’s seasons—the painful ones, the big and beautiful ones, and even the ordinary ones.
Download or read book Joy Unspeakable written by Barbara A. Holmes and published by Fortress Press. This book was released on 2017-10-15 with total page 258 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Joy Unspeakable focuses on the aspects of the Black church that point beyond particular congregational gatherings toward a mystical and communal spirituality not within the exclusive domain of any denomination. This mystical aspect of the black church is deeply implicated in the well-being of African American people but is not the focus of their intentional reflection. Moreover, its traditions are deeply ensconced within the historical memory of the wider society and can be found in Coltrane's riffs, Malcolm's exhortations, the social activism of the Black Lives Matter Movement and the presidency of Barack Hussein Obama. The research in this book-through oral histories, church records, and written accounts--details not only ways in which contemplative experience is built into African American collective worship but also the legacy of African monasticism, a history of spiritual exemplars, and unique meditative worship practices. A groundbreaking work in its original edition, Joy Unspeakable now appears in a new, revised edition to address the effects of this contemplative tradition on activism and politics and to speak to a new generation of readers and scholars.
