Days Of Sorrow Times Of Joy

Days of Sorrow, Times of Joy is the story of the battle against seemingly insurmountable obstacles of death, disease, deprivation, riots and rebellion as told through the letters of the Gillison family. The discovery of a cache of family letters, written between 1859 and 1937, has made it possible to compile this remarkable, evocative and affecting story.Frances Clemmow tells the story of her Scottish grandfather, Dr Thomas Gillison, who went out to China in 1882 as a medical missionary, and of his sister Jane whose life as the wife of a South African doctor was to end in unimaginable tragedy. In some instances there are letters which give first hand accounts of key historical events such as the Boxer and Nationalist revolutions and the 1911 overthrow of the last Emperor in China; and in South Africa, there are first hand accounts of the ill-fated Jameson’s Raid and one of the first battles in the Boer war. At the same time the letters written by the family at home in Edinburgh give a fascinating insight into the social history of the time. Dr Thomas Gillison married Dr Bessie Harris, one of the first generation of female doctors, and during their tireless work at the Union Hospital in Wuhan they faced the ever present threat of disease and the real danger of China’s political instability – such was their commitment to China that, between them, they dedicated over ninety eight years to the Chinese people they loved. Days of Sorrow, Times of Joy tells a fascinating and moving turn-of-the-century tale of the triumph of the human spirit in the face of overwhelming odds.

Fran Clemmow tells the story of her Scottish grandfather, Dr Thomas Gillian, who went out to China as a medical missionary in 1882 under the auspices of the London Missionary Society. A fascinating reflection of the social history of the time with first-hand accounts of historical events such as the commencement of the Chinese Revolution of 1911.

This is the moving story of Matt Chandler's battle with a potentially fatal brain tumor. But it's also the stories of those in his church family who taught him, and teach him, how to walk with joy in sorrow. Readers will find encouragement and strength to get through tough times, or to support others to do so.

In a time of uncertainty and devastation--from pandemics to environmental catastrophe--a call to action for finding beauty, creating art, and healing in community. When a beloved place is decimated by physical damage, many may hit the donate button or call their congressperson. But award-winning author Trebbe Johnson argues that we need new methods for coping with these losses and invites readers to reconsider what constitutes “worthwhile action.” She discusses real wounded places ranging from weapons-testing grounds at Eglin Air Force Base, to Appalachian mountain tops destroyed by mining. These stories, along with tools for community engagement—ceremony, vigil, apology, and the creation of art with on-site materials—show us how we can find beauty in these places and discover new sources of meaning and community.

The Prophet by Khalil Gibran is a timeless masterpiece that transcends borders and cultures with its profound wisdom and poetic beauty. Set in the fictional town of Orphalese, the narrative unfolds as Almustafa, a revered prophet, prepares to depart after living among the people for twelve years. Through a series of poetic discourses, Almustafa shares his insights on various aspects of life, including love, marriage, work, freedom, and spirituality. Each chapter delves into the depths of the human soul, offering timeless truths and profound reflections that resonate with readers across generations. The Prophet has been translated into over 100 languages, making it one of the most translated books of all time. It has never been out of print since its first publication in 1923, constantly finding new readers who resonate with its message. KAHLIL GIBRAN [1883-1931] was a renowned Lebanese-American poet, philosopher, and artist. He is best known for his masterpiece, The Prophet, which has been translated into over fifty languages and continues to inspire readers worldwide. Gibran's works explore themes of love, spirituality, and the human condition, blending Eastern mysticism with Western philosophy.

Intimately and without jargon, How to Wake Up: A Buddhist-Inspired Guide to Navigating Joy and Sorrow describes the path to peace amid all of life's ups and downs. Using step by step instructions, the author illustrates how to be fully present in the moment without clinging to joy or resisting sorrow. This opens the door to a kind of wellness that goes beyond circumstances. Actively engaging life as it is in this fashion holds the potential for awakening to a peace and well-being that are not dependent on whether a particular experience is joyful or sorrowful. This is a practical book, containing dozens of exercises and practices, all of which are illustrated with easy-to-relate to personal stories from the author's experience.

From a New York Times–bestselling author: A novel of a woman’s journey from prostitute to brothel madam to murderess to nun in post–World War II France. A sense of adventure and an eagerness to savor life to the fullest impel young, orphaned Elizabeth Fanshawe to escape her cold, unloving home and enlist in the British Army as a driver in 1944. Dispatched to Paris at the close of the Allies’ war against the hated Nazis, she soon finds herself swept up in the intoxicating celebratory glee of the newly liberated French. But after she meets the charming, seductive Patrice Ambard, Elizabeth’s life takes a sharp turn down a very dark road. Her love for the dashing, hypnotic Frenchman draws Elizabeth, now called Lise, into Patrice’s world of crime and high-class prostitution, where she is broken, hardened, and then transformed into the whore-turned-notorious-madam known as La Balafrée, or the Scarred One. Still, her great fall will not be complete until circumstances drive her to commit a shocking murder—and imprisonment ultimately sets her free. A haunting tale of disgrace, degradation, and glorious redemption told in flashbacks from the convent of Belle Source, where Soeur Marie Lise of the Sisters of Bethany remembers her years of sin and her eventual salvation, Five for Sorrow, Ten for Joy is moving and powerful fiction from one of the most admired British novelists of the twentieth century. Rumer Godden, author of Black Narcissus and In This House of Brede, has crafted a truly transformative tale about faith, forgiveness, and the mercy of a loving God. This ebook features an illustrated biography of the author including rare images from the Rumer Godden Literary Estate.

In his widely anticipated memoir, Ai Weiwei--one of the world's most famous artists and activists--tells a century-long epic tale of China through the story of his own extraordinary life and the legacy of his father, Ai Qing, the nation's most celebrated poet. Hailed as "the most important artist working today" by the Financial Times and as "an eloquent and unsilenceable voice of freedom" by The New York Times, Ai Weiwei has written a sweeping memoir that presents a remarkable history of China over the last 100 years while illuminating his artistic process. Once an intimate of Mao Zedong, Ai Weiwei's father was branded a rightist during the Cultural Revolution, and he and his family were banished to a desolate place known as "Little Siberia," where Ai Qing was sentenced to hard labor cleaning public toilets. Ai Weiwei recounts his childhood in exile, and his difficult decision to leave his family to study art in America, where he befriended Allen Ginsberg and was inspired by Andy Warhol. With candor and wit, he details his return to China and his rise from artistic unknown to art world superstar and international human rights activist--and how his work has been shaped by living under a totalitarian regime. Ai Weiwei's sculptures and installations have been viewed by millions around the globe, and his architectural achievements include helping to design the iconic Bird's Nest Olympic Stadium in Beijing. His political activism has long made him a target of the Chinese authorities, which culminated in months of secret detention without charge in 2011. Here, for the first time, Ai Weiwei explores the origins of his exceptional creativity and passionate political beliefs through his own life story and that of his father, whose own creativity was stifled. At once ambitious and intimate, 1000 Years of Joys and Sorrows offers a deep understanding of the myriad forces that have shaped modern China, and serves as a timely reminder of the urgent need to protect freedom of expression.