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Rescue at the Reef: The Miraculous True Story of a Little Boy with Big Faith by Jameson ReederA two-week vacation to the Florida Keys meant Mary and Jameson Sr. could share the beauty of their favorite turquoise-blue waters with their four children. On that serene day at Looe Key Reef, their oldest, ten-year-old Jameson Jr., was swimming among the marine life, capturing breathtaking footage of a sea turtle when a massive bull shark attacked.
Nine miles from shore and even farther from a hospital, their son weakening, the Reeders prayed for help—and it came through a miraculous chain of events. Rescue at the Reef is the true story of a young boy who defied death with an unshakable faith in the power of Jesus to save him. Even in immense suffering, he focused on caring for those around him, so much that it surprised even hospital staff. His unshakeable peace made an impact on patients and visitors, and his story quickly spread, drawing the attention of strangers and the media.
With reflections on faith, suffering, and the hidden gifts that often go unnoticed, Rescue at the Reef is a living reminder that with God, even the most fearsome challenges can be faced—and conquered. This unforgettable story will leave you on the edge of your seat, inspired by the ripple effects of hope that overcome impossible odds.
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| Twelve Churches: An Unlikely History of the Buildings That Made Christianity by Fergus Butler-GallieChristianity is the largest religion in the US with upwards of 200 million people, and its churches often possess an allure and beauty that fascinate even the most committed atheist. What fascinates Fergus Butler-Gallie is that each place of worship tells a story—of place, time, and most of all, people. It is in these sanctuaries that the complexities of life from birth and death to power, sex, violence, justice, and beauty are encapsulated, and here, in Twelve Churches, Butler-Gallie takes us on a fascinating journey through time to unravel the story of Christianity as told by the people who have lived it on every inhabited continent.
Beginning with the birth of Christ over 2,000 years ago in Bethlehem at the location marked by the Church of the Nativity—a confusing warren of a building—Butler-Gallie leads us to a remote stone outcrop in Mount Athos, Greece, where the monastic vow of celibacy is taken to an optimistic extreme by excluding all female animals. We learn that at Canterbury Cathedral, the stones have been soaked in blood that is both famous and infamous. On the coast of Japan, a cave like church marks the spot where Christian martyrs were tied to crosses at low tide—and left there. The 16th Street Church in Birmingham, Alabama, remains the site of one of the Ku Klux Klan’s most infamous bombings, and the meeting house in Salem, Massachusetts, remains a monument to the ways that a quest for purity can lead to mass murder. And in Nigeria we visit a church the size of an airplane hangar, where every Sunday it fills almost every one of its 50,000 seats.
An engaging blend of history, geography, travel, biography, spiritual reflection, and a wry sense of humor, Butler-Gallie shows us that despite its complexities and controversy, such a faith is still worth following, and that by acknowledging the past we can ultimately discover the path toward healing and hope. |
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Set in Vermont's Green Mountains, a profoundly moving meditation on the lessons and wisdom that come from raising a family, tending sheep, and living close to the land. In the heart of Vermont’s Green Mountains, Helen Whybrow and her partner set out to restore an old two-hundred-acre farm. Knowing that “belonging more than anything requires participation,” they begin to intertwine their lives with the land. But soon after releasing a flock of Icelandic sheep onto the worn-out fields, Whybrow realizes that the art of shepherding extends far beyond the flock and fences of Knoll Farm. In prose both vivid and lean, The Salt Stones offers an intimate and profoundly moving story of what it means to care for a flock and truly inhabit a piece of land. The shepherd’s life unfolds for Whybrow in the seasons and cycles of farming and family—birthing lambs, fending off coyotes, rescuing lost sheep in a storm, and raising children while witnessing her mother’s decline. Exploring the interdependence of animals, as well as of the earth and ourselves, Whybrow reflects on the ways sheep connect her to place and to the ancient practice of shepherding. Evocative, affectionate, and illuminating, The Salt Stones sings of a way of life that is at once ancient and entirely contemporary, inspiring us all to seek greater intimacy and a sense of belonging wherever our home place may be. |
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Signs: The Secret Language of the Universe by Laura Lynne JacksonLaura Lynne Jackson is a psychic medium and the author of the New York Times bestseller The Light Between Us. She possesses an incredible gift: the ability to communicate with loved ones who have passed, convey messages of love and healing, and impart a greater understanding of our interconnectedness. Though her abilities are exceptional, they are not unique, and that is the message at the core of this book. Understanding “the secret language of the universe” is a gift available to all. As we learn to ask for and recognize signs from the other side, we will start to find meaning where before there was only confusion, and see light in the darkness. We may decide to change paths, push toward love, pursue joy, and engage with life in a whole new way.
In Signs, Jackson is able to bring the mystical into the everyday. She relates stories of people who have experienced uncanny revelations and instances of unexplained synchronicity, as well as others drawn from her own experience. There’s the lost child who appears to his mother as a deer that approaches her unhesitatingly at a highway rest stop; the name written on a dollar bill that lets a terrified wife know that her husband will be okay; the Elvis Presley song that arrives at the exact moment of Jackson’s own father’s passing; and many others. This is a book that is inspiring and practical, deeply comforting and wonderfully motivational, in asking us to see beyond ourselves to a more magnificent universal design.
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The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry: How to Stay Emotionally Healthy and Spiritually Alive in the Chaos of the Modern World by John Mark Comer“Who am I becoming?”That was the question nagging pastor and author John Mark Comer. Outwardly, he appeared successful. But inwardly, things weren’t pretty. So he turned to a trusted mentor for guidance and heard these words:“Ruthlessly eliminate hurry from your life. Hurry is the great enemy of the spiritual life.”It wasn’t the response he expected, but it was—and continues to be—the answer he needs. Too often we treat the symptoms of toxicity in our modern world instead of trying to pinpoint the cause. A growing number of voices are pointing at hurry, or busyness, as a root of much evil.
Within the pages of this book, you’ll find a fascinating roadmap to staying emotionally healthy and spiritually alive in the chaos of the modern world.
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Today’s Muslim world is in upheaval: legalists and mystics engage in intense debates, radical groups invoke Sharia, Muslim immigrants in the West face prejudice and discrimination, and Muslim feminists advocate new interpretations of the Koran. At the same time, Islam is mischaracterized as unitary and unchanging by people ranging from right-wing Western politicians claiming that Islam is incompatible with democracy to conservative Muslims dreaming of returning to the golden age of the prophet. Against this contentious backdrop, this book provides an essential and timely new history of the religion in all its astonishing richness and diversity as it has been practiced by Muslims around the world, from seventh-century Mecca to today.
Most popular histories of Islam continue to repeat conventional pietistic accounts. In contrast, John Tolan draws on decades of new historical research that has transformed knowledge of the origins and development of the Muslim faith. He shows how the youngest of the three great monotheisms arose in close contact with Jewish, Christian, and other religious traditions in a mixture of cultures, including Arab, Greek, Persian, and Turkish; how Islam spread across an enormous territory encompassing hundreds of languages and cultures; how Muslims have forged widely different beliefs and practices over fourteen centuries; and how Islamic history provides crucial context for understanding contemporary debates in the Muslim world.
At a time when much talk about Islam is filled with misunderstanding, stereotypes, and bias, this book provides a fresh and lucid portrait of the continuous and ongoing transformations of a religion of tremendous variety and complexity.
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A Million Little Miracles: Rediscover the God who is Bigger than Big, Closer than Close, and Gooder than Good by Mark BattersonThink you’ve never experienced a miracle? With all due respect, you have never not. In fact, you are one!
There never has been—and there never will be—anyone else like you. That isn’t a testament to you. It’s a testament to the God who created you. Your fingerprint, eyeprint, and voiceprint are unlike anyone else’s. Simply put, you matter to God.
Most of us take everyday miracles for granted, including the one that stares back at us in the mirror. It’s time to take them for gratitude. Why is that so important? Because whatever you don’t turn into praise turns into pride. The miracle of life becomes mundane. We get so wrapped up in our own little world, we end up worshipping a god who looks like us, acts like us, and thinks like us.
It’s no wonder we’ve lost our wonder. But there is a way to recapture holy curiosity!
In A Million Little Miracles, New York Times bestselling author Mark Batterson reveals three miraculous truths that awaken us to carpe wonder for the Creator and His creation:1. God Is Bigger Than We Think—we can rest in His wisdom and strength2. God Is Closer Than We Realize—we never have to do life alone3. God Is Better Than We Imagine—we can reclaim our childlike wonder
A million little miracles are waiting to be discovered, including the miracle called you.
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What if You are the Answer?: And 26 Other Questions that Just Might Change Your Life by Rachel HollisLife isn’t always easy. We get tripped up, knocked down, and start to question ourselves. But as #1 New York Times bestselling author Rachel Hollis learned, sometimes it’s not answers you need – what helps most are questions. And the best questions can change everything.Good questions make us think, teach us about ourselves, and if we’re honest in our replies, they can reveal the answers we’ve been searching for. In What If YOU Are the Answer?, Rachel Hollis shares the transformative questions that have helped her heal, grow, and thrive, even when life throws its hardest punches.
With her signature blend of vulnerability, tell-it-like-it-is humor, and hard-won wisdom, Rachel challenges and encourages you to:- Confront your deepest fears: “What are you afraid to admit?”
- Change your circumstances: “Would you sign up for this again?
- Lean into success: “What’s working in your life?"
- Take responsibility for your own growth: “What if YOU are the problem?”
Throughout this dynamic book, as hilarious as it is wise, Rachel’s questions – and above all, her raw and all-too-real stories – will give you the clarity, courage, and inspiration to embrace your full potential and become the person you were meant to be.This isn’t just a book – it’s a journey of self-care and self-discovery that will help you find the resilience, motivation, and confidence to live your best life, or at least feel a whole helluva lot better while you try.
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| Part history lesson. Part sacrilege. An entirely good time. Think you have what it takes to be a saint? Lucky for you, thousands of souls have paved the way to heaven―creating a clear formula for getting the job done while also leaving a rich, disturbing history behind them. And in just five easy-ish steps, you can learn how to secure your own halo! But even if the whole "dying and becoming a saint" thing doesn't appeal to you, the bizarrely bureaucratic process of canonization is still guaranteed to delight and entertain. How to Be Saint is a compulsively readable and endlessly entertaining ride through Catholicism for anyone who enjoys their history with a side of comedy. From flying friars to severed heads, this book explores the wild lives (and deaths) of saints and pulls the curtain back on the oddest quirks of religious doctrine. Whether you're a lifelong Catholic or a weird-history enthusiast, How to Be a Saint is your ultimate guide to understanding the hilarious, fascinating, and shockingly true history of sainthood. |
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| 10 Simple Mindset Shifts to Love the Life You're Already Living
· Identifies and dismantles 10 lies about the so-called good life
· Make small, real-world changes that add up to a new outlook on life
· Learn to live and mother in ways that work for you and your family
In a social-media saturated world, it's all too easy to see the shiny lives of others and find your own less than lustrous. And while most women won't admit they're unhappy, they will tell you they just wish. "I love my life! I just wish ____." After 10-plus years of professional life online, Kate Strickler, founder of Naptime Kitchen, has experienced the many ways we see a life on the other side of the screen--and wish it were our own.
Setting out to fight the lie that what she had wasn't enough, Kate discovered simple perspective shifts that ultimately helped her fall in love with the life she already had. Here she shares the small changes you can make that add up to a whole new outlook on life. With her trademark real-life tips and life hacks mixed with humor and stories she's never shared before, Kate helps you identify and dismantle 10 lies about relationships, money, time, and home life. As you discover how to live and mother in ways that work for you and your family, you'll stop just wishing your life away--and begin to truly enjoy the one you already have.
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Contact your librarian for more great books!
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