A Journey From Darkness To Light

Why does knowledge make us see things we don't want to see? Why does it make us suffer more than it makes us happy? Why do we exist in a world with dominating curses more than blessings? Why can't we define the true meaning of happiness, and barely smell its odor? When are we going to finally start asking the right questions? Why are we down here on this planet, asked to seek perfection in an imperfect world? What was the true reason behind making Prophet Adam eat from the forbidden tree? When do artists finally reach their point of perfection? If human beings, animals and insects have their own psychology, what about other creatures among which are invisible ones? Not all explanations are mentioned in books But till when will we have questions without any answers? Searching for a way, some souls ask: Why does darkness exist, while light seems endless? We search for the key chain, while we don't even know which door is the right one! But, who's she; who astonished his life, captured the sundered pieces of his heart, and brought him the keys to tons of buried secrets the one who didn't fear touching his wounds, and the one who anticipated all his moves? Some masts are old enough to be one of the antiques the sea carries or swallows, yet it still supports the deck, controls the ship, and above its towering apex, it guides the captain It's still a lively organ in the giant space of the sea. He stood there, his body straight and solid as a mast, while erecting from such bemusements with the strength of a sailor, the knowledge of a captain and the vision of an artist, he sailed for his journey, toward the endless seas of the Universe

This remarkable life story tells of one woman's battle to turn from a life of terror into the woman God destined her to become. Barbara survived a childhood of trauma and abuse only to find herself battling to overcome her dysfunctional past and generational curses handed down to her. Through her faith in the Lord, regardless of the many setbacks and continuous battles with issues from her past, layer by layer, the Lord redeemed her from the distorted, “ugly” reflection she saw in her mirror every day. Remarkably, she survived multiple suicide attempts and she has found laughter and light at the end of her ordeal. Now she wants to share her journey with others who need to know God has a destiny for everyone.Truth and transparency found within this book produces an awe-inspiring transformation and testimony to healing through the Lord. It is designed to encourage the reader to embark on their own path to healing by acknowledging one's past, reflecting one's personal struggles, and being brave enough to face the “inner” battles in order to bring forth freedom and new life.

This book is about my life. The only redemption I got was when God took me into His arms and set me upon a solid foundation. To say that God cannot help me because I am too messed up and bad is not true. If God could reach down and pull me out of the slime pit I spent time living in, He can do the same for you. There is no mountain high enough or no valley low enough that the arm of the Lord cannot reach. This book is about walking on a path of destructive choices, all the while not realizing in the midst of rebellion and selfishness there was a merciful God standing by and waiting for me to call out to Him. I can say I am saved and on my way to heaven, and that is true. The ultimate aim is to inspire and encourage folks who are finding it difficult to believe that their lives can change. If one person is helped by my story, then I have succeeded in what I set out to do.

Bee stings on the backside! That was just the beginning. Tim was about to enter a world of the past, with bullying boys, stones and Indian spirits of long ago. But they were real spirits, real stones, very real memories… In this powerful family saga, author Tim Tingle tells the story of his family’s move from Oklahoma Choctaw country to Pasadena, TX. Spanning 50 years, Saltypie describes the problems encountered by his Choctaw grandmother—from her orphan days at an Indian boarding school to hardships encountered in her new home on the Gulf Coast. Tingle says, “Stories of modern Indian families rarely grace the printed page. Long before I began writing, I knew this story must be told.” Seen through the innocent eyes of a young boy, Saltypie — a 2011 Skipping Stones honor book, WordCraft Circle 2012 Children's Literature Award-winner, and winner of the 2011 Paterson Prize for Books for Young People in the category of Grades 4-6 — is the story of one family’s efforts to honor the past while struggling to gain a foothold in modern America. Tim Tingle, a member of the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma, is a sought-after storyteller for folklore festivals, library conferences, and schools across America. At the request of Choctaw Chief Pyle, Tim tells a story to the tribe every year before Pyle’s State of the Nation Address at the Choctaw Labor Day Gathering. Tim’s previous and often reprinted books from Cinco Puntos Press—Walking the Choctaw Road and Crossing Bok Chitto—received numerous awards, but what makes Tim the proudest is the recognition he receives from the American Indian communities. Karen Clarkson, a Choctaw tribal member, is a self-taught artist who specializes in portraits of Native Americans. She did not start painting until after her children had left home; she has since been widely acclaimed as a Native American painter. She lives in San Leandro, California.

Vernon Theriault was off shift when the Westray mine exploded in 1992, killing twenty-six men in Plymouth, Nova Scotia. Theriault took part in the perilous rescue operation that followed. As the magnitude of Westray took hold, Theriault found himself struggling with post-traumatic stress disorder and nightmares. When he tried to re-educate himself for another line of work, he discovered that he was both illiterate and dyslexic. Theriault found new purpose when he became part of a labour movement that successfully lobbied the federal government to bring in a worker-safety law that became known as the Westray Bill. Theriault openly discusses his complicated journey in this straightforward, simply written memoir, which begins with the promise of a good job with good pay at Westray.

They left in the middle of the night—often carrying little more than the knowledge to follow the North Star. Between 1830 and the end of the Civil War in 1865, an estimated one hundred thousand slaves became passengers on the Underground Railroad, a journey of untold hardship, in search of freedom. In Through Darkness to Light: Photographs Along the Underground Railroad, Jeanine Michna-Bales presents a remarkable series of images following a route from the cotton plantations of central Louisiana, through the cypress swamps of Mississippi and the plains of Indiana, north to the Canadian border— a path of nearly fourteen hundred miles. The culmination of a ten-year research quest, Through Darkness to Light imagines a journey along the Underground Railroad as it might have appeared to any freedom seeker. Framing the powerful visual narrative is an introduction by Michna-Bales; a foreword by noted politician, pastor, and civil rights activist Andrew J. Young; and essays by Fergus M. Bordewich, Robert F. Darden, and Eric R. Jackson.

De La Cruz was 12 when he began a journey that led him to become a convict, heroin drug addict, and gang member, who served approximately 30 years in California prisons. After his final release, he enrolled in college, earning a baccalaureate degree and a Masters of Social Work degree. He is the founder of The Jonah Foundation, a sober living house which provides housing to ex-offenders transitioning from prison.

After her mother took her own life, Wendy Parmley learned firsthand the heartache, despair, and loneliness that accompanies suicide loss. Reinvent your definition of saved, perfect, and forgiveness as you read this true narrative of a woman opening her heart years after her mother's suicide and learn how to overcome any loss in your own life.