Download or read book Laugh Your Way to Grace written by Rev. Susan Sparks and published by Turner Publishing Company. This book was released on 2010-05-01 with total page 173 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Laughter—the GPS System for the Soul Laughter was honored by the ancients as a spiritual healing tool and celebrated by the world's great religions. So why aren’t we laughing along the spiritual path today? What would happen if we did? In this personal and funny look at humor as a spiritual practice, Rev. Susan Sparks—an ex-lawyer turned comedian and Baptist minister—presents a convincing case that the power of humor radiates far beyond punch lines. Laughter can help you: Remove the fearful mask of a God who doesn’t laugh Debunk the myths that you don’t deserve joy Find perspective when faced with adversity Exercise forgiveness for yourself and others Reclaim play as a spiritual practice Heal—emotionally, physically, and spiritually Keep your faith when God is silent Live with elegance, beauty, and generosity of spirit Whatever your faith tradition—or if you have none at all—join this veteran of the punch line and the pulpit in reclaiming the forgotten humor legacy found in thousands of years of human spiritual history.

Download or read book Sparks of Laughter written by and published by . This book was released on 1923 with total page 312 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Icy Sparks written by Gwyn Hyman Rubio and published by Penguin. This book was released on 2001-03-08 with total page 337 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A New York Times Notable Book and the March 2001 selection of Oprah's Book Club® ! Icy Sparks is the sad, funny and transcendent tale of a young girl growing up in the mountains of Eastern Kentucky during the 1950’s. Gwyn Hyman Rubio’s beautifully written first novel revolves around Icy Sparks, an unforgettable heroine in the tradition of Scout in To Kill a Mockingbird or Will Treed in Cold Sassy Tree. At the age of ten, Icy, a bright, curious child orphaned as a baby but raised by adoring grandparents, begins to have strange experiences. Try as she might, her "secrets"—verbal croaks, groans, and physical spasms—keep afflicting her. As an adult, she will find out she has Tourette’s Syndrome, a rare neurological disorder, but for years her behavior is the source of mystery, confusion, and deep humiliation. Narrated by a grown up Icy, the book chronicles a difficult, but ultimately hilarious and heartwarming journey, from her first spasms to her self-acceptance as a young woman. Curious about life beyond the hills, talented, and energetic, Icy learns to cut through all barriers—physical, mental, and spiritual—in order to find community and acceptance. Along her journey, Icy faces the jeers of her classmates as well as the malevolence of her often-ignorant teachers—including Mrs. Stilton, one of the most evil fourth grade teachers ever created by a writer. Called willful by her teachers and "Frog Child" by her schoolmates, she is exiled from the schoolroom and sent to a children’s asylum where it is hoped that the roots of her mysterious behavior can be discovered. Here Icy learns about difference—her own and those who are even more scarred than she. Yet, it isn’t until Icy returns home that she really begins to flower, especially through her friendship with the eccentric and obese Miss Emily, who knows first-hand how it feels to be an outcast in this tightly knit Appalachian community. Under Miss Emily’s tutelage, Icy learns about life’s struggles and rewards, survives her first comical and heartbreaking misadventure with romance, discovers the healing power of her voice when she sings, and ultimately—takes her first steps back into the world. Gwyn Hyman Rubio’s Icy Sparks is a fresh, original, and completely redeeming novel about learning to overcome others’ ignorance and celebrate the differences that make each of us unique.

Download or read book That Certain Spark Only In Gooding Book 4 written by Cathy Marie Hake and published by Bethany House. This book was released on 2009-08-01 with total page 351 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Gooding, Texas, is about to gain a double blessing--a veterinarian and a doctor. But when siblings Enoch and Taylor Bestman arrive, the discovery that Taylor is a lady doctor has the town up in arms. Especially Karl Van der Vort, the town blacksmith, who becomes the first patient...against his will. Though hesitant to believe in Taylor's doctoring skills, Karl finds himself oddly protective of this surprising woman who dares to drive about town on her own, wearing the color red, for heaven's sake! Taylor, on the other hand, wants only to prove that doctoring is her life's calling, despite the town's opposition. The result? Pride meets attraction head-on, and sparks begin to fly.

Download or read book Sparks written by Graham McNamee and published by . This book was released on 2003-12 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: When Todd is both happy and anxious about trying to fit in with the regular fifth grade class but feels confused about how to relate to his former friends in the Special Needs class, a school assignment on the exploited pygmy, Ota Benga, helps give him confidence and clarity.

Download or read book Sparks A Graphic Novel Sparks 1 written by Ian Boothby and published by Scholastic Inc.. This book was released on 2018-02-27 with total page 196 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Sparks is a hero and man's best friend, but nobody suspects he's two cats! This Super Dog is the Cat's Meow!August is a brilliant inventor who is afraid of the outside. Charlie is a crack pilot who isn't afraid of anything. Together these pals save lives every day. They also happen to be cats who pilot a powerful, mechanical dog suit! Always eager to leap into danger, this feline duo have their work cut out for them as they try to thwart Princess, an evil alien bent on enslaving mankind. Don't let the fact that Princess looks like a cute, diaper-wearing baby fool you. She's clever, determined, and totally ruthless. So when Princess and the browbeaten fools she calls servants enact a brilliant and dastardly plan to conquer Earth, August and Charlie pull out all the stops to save the day.

Download or read book Time written by and published by . This book was released on 1923 with total page 398 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Preaching Punch Lines written by Susan Sparks and published by Smyth & Helwys Publishing, Incorporated. This book was released on 2019 with total page 119 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Praise for Preaching Punchlines: The Ten Commandments of Comedy "With what I've learned, I just may show up preaching at a church near you." -Lewis Black, Comedian "...this lively, practical, and searching book...will make seasoned (i.e., jaded) preachers think again and look at what is demanded of them in what ought to be the joyful role of communicating the divine comedy of healing and transfiguration." -Rowan (not Atkinson, alas) Williams, Former Archbishop of Canterbury "A preacher with a motorcycle, cowboy boots, a wicked sense of humor, and a heart that warms you like a huge Southern-style breakfast. That's my pastor!" -Tamron Hall, Broadcast journalist and television host Waiting in the wings is an untapped power that can transform the craft of preaching. It isn't studied or taught because it has been mistaken as trivial or simply the means to get a laugh. What is this ignored superpower? The art of stand-up comedy. In Preaching Punchlines: The Ten Commandments of Comedy, Susan Sparks brings two decades of experience as a preacher and a professional stand-up to mine the strategies comedians have employed for years. Lessons include framing messages that people will listen to, remember, and share; finding your creative voice; building bridges and community; and bringing full authenticity in the pulpit. The art of stand-up comedy is not just about jokes; it's about developing intimacy, honesty, and trust-three dynamics that must be present before any sermon is truly heard.

Download or read book Laughter in a Time of Turmoil written by Richard P. Olson and published by Wipf and Stock Publishers. This book was released on 2012-04-11 with total page 197 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Here's a different angle on humor--it can be a spiritual practice, an expression of a theology of joy, hope, and grace. Humor is so valuable, for it offers self-care, healing, and renewal, precious gifts in times of pressure and tension. Olson begins by telling of three unforgettable friends who lived their lives with joy and zest--a practice that opened doors and aided their own sense of well-being. Playfully, he continues by exploring the known benefits of humor. Next considered is the amazing variety of humor in the Bible, a basic theology of a laughing God, and the caring ethic of humor that emerges from this theology. Finally, there is a discussion of how this practice of humor enriches worship, caregiving, and administration. Laughter in a Time of Turmoil draws to a close considering spiritual disciplines/practices and why humor belongs among these practices. Suggestions are then offered on how to grow in this spiritual practice. Discussion questions are provided for each chapter to help groups enjoy their conversations about the book. This book will help you think and laugh, or laugh and think (take your pick) and then be on your way rejoicing.

Download or read book Silver Sparks written by Meg Selig and published by Silver Sparks Press. This book was released on 2020-08-24 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book And I Do Not Forgive You Stories and Other Revenges written by Amber Sparks and published by Liveright Publishing. This book was released on 2020-02-11 with total page 192 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Amber Sparks holds her crown in the canon of the weird with this fantastical collection of “eye-popping range” (John Domini, Washington Post). Boldly blending fables and myths with apocalyptic technologies, Amber Sparks has built a cultlike following with And I Do Not Forgive You. Fueled by feminism in all its colors, her surreal worlds—like Kelly Link’s and Karen Russell’s—are all-too-real. In “Mildly Happy, With Moments of Joy,” a friend is ghosted by a text message; in “Everyone’s a Winner at Meadow Park,” a teen coming-of-age in a trailer park befriends an actual ghost. Rife with “sharp wit, and an abiding tenderness” (Ilana Masad, NPR), these stories shine an interrogating light on the adage that “history likes to lie about women,” as the subjects of “You Won’t Believe What Really Happened to the Sabine Women” will attest. Written in prose that both shimmers and stings, the result is “nothing short of a raging success, a volume that points to a potentially incandescent literary future” (Kurt Baumeister, The Brooklyn Rail).

Download or read book Wild About You written by Kerrelyn Sparks and published by Harper Collins. This book was released on 2012-11-27 with total page 317 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: New York Times bestselling author Kerrelyn Sparks pens the next installment in her witty Love at Stake series, featuring a band of vampires and shape-shifters—and those who dare to defy them, or desire them! In Wild about You, a warrior on a mission of revenge encounters the woman who may just be the key to his survival. Too bad the beauty who could save him is also the last woman he should fall in love with. If you love paranormal romances by Lynsay Sands, Katie MacAlister, and Mary Janice Davidson, you'll love Kerrelyn Sparks.

Download or read book The Last Days of Jack Sparks written by Jason Arnopp and published by Orbit. This book was released on 2016-03-01 with total page 385 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "Ingenious and funny . . . Magnificent." -- Alan Moore, creator of Watchmen and V for Vendetta Jack Sparks died while writing this book. It was no secret that journalist Jack Sparks had been researching the occult for his new book. No stranger to controversy, he'd already triggered a furious Twitter storm by mocking an exorcism he witnessed. Then there was that video: forty seconds of chilling footage that Jack repeatedly claimed was not of his making, yet was posted from his own YouTube account. Nobody knew what happened to Jack in the days that followed -- until now. "Wow. Seriously hard to put down." -- M. R. Carey, author of The Girl With All the Gifts

Download or read book Until Tomorrow Little People written by Matt DeBoer and published by Glass Spider Publishing. This book was released on 2021-05 with total page 248 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "That's right-after two months of separation, we would be sharing a room once again. You know what that means! It was time to break out the Breathe Right nasal strips and earplugs. Oh yeah, welcome to the jungle, baby, where the only thing louder than the snoring is when I roll out of bed for my mid-morning trips to the bathroom." A family of four embarks upon the adventure of a lifetime when they leave behind their peaceful life and spacious home in suburban North Carolina for a small apartment in Los Angeles in pursuit of the Hollywood dream . . . only to discover, upon their arrival, that they're definitely not in NC anymore! Matt DeBoer and his wife, Tammy, have two children: Chandler, 12, and Olivia, 14. Following a fateful brush with fame while on family vacation in California, the kids are bitten by the acting bug . . . a bug that soon infects the entire family, who collectively throw caution to the wind and put everything on the line for a stab at Hollywood stardom. Until Tomorrow . . . Little People is a modern-day Beverly Hillbillies meets Modern Family-a funny, moving, and ultimately inspiring chronicle of a close-knit family that, relying solely on one another, does its best to navigate the exhilarating Tinseltown fast lane in a breathtaking leap for fortune and glory.

Download or read book The Rotarian written by and published by . This book was released on 1926 with total page 832 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book How to Seduce a Vampire Without Really Trying written by Kerrelyn Sparks and published by Harper Collins. This book was released on 2014-04-29 with total page 229 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: From New York Times bestselling author Kerrelyn Sparks comes the next adventure in the Love at Stake series, featuring a Master vampire and his love affair with a woman of many secrets . . . Vampire Zoltan Czakvar is on the hunt for the truth about his father's death. He's been searching for a very long time—since 1241, in fact. And he is not about to give up, even when he's attacked by a woman with striking blue eyes and a hell of a right hook! Neona is also on the hunt. She's looking for a mate and she thinks muscled Zoltan will work just fine. After all, men are good for only one thing. Soon, though, she realizes there's more to this handsome vampire than just sexual prowess. But she's keeping a secret from Zoltan, something so big that it will rock the vampire world. Can their newfound love survive . . . even if their passion means the destruction of her world?

Download or read book Four Dead Horses written by K. T. Sparks and published by . This book was released on 2021-04-19 with total page 257 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: On May 1, 1982, eighteen-year-old Martin Oliphant watches a horse drown off the shore of Lake Michigan--the first of four equine corpses marking the trail that will lead Martin out of the small-minded small town of Pierre, Michigan, onto the open ranges of Elko, Nevada, and into the open arms, or at least open mics, of the cowboy poets who gather there to perform. Along the way, he nurtures a dying mother, who insists the only thing wrong with her is tennis elbow; corrals a demented father, who believes he's Father Christmas; assists the dissolute local newspaper editor; and serves stints as horse rustler and pet mortician. For thirty years, Martin searches for an escape route to the West, to poetry, and to his first love, the cowgirl Ginger, but never manages to get much farther than the city limits of his Midwestern hometown--that is, until a world famous cow horse dies while touring through Pierre, and Martin is tapped to transport its remains to the funeral at the 32nd Annual Elko Cowboy Poetry Confluence.