Death Hope The Laughter Of God

Experiencing loss tempts us to think God is distant and uncaring, but DEATH, HOPE & THE LAUGHTER OF GOD courageously insists something different. The author, fueled by questions surrounding the death of his daughter in a car accident, insists our darkest questions about what God is up to, and where God is as we go through pain, are simply the trails we must take to get to joy. It is a deeply moving and theologically substantive work for anyonebut, in particular, anyone who has suffered the death of a loved one, the death of a marriage, the death of innocence, a relationship, or a dream. Ultimately, it winds up being a fresh and nuanced take on the oldest subject of all: suffering. Its a book entitled, DEATH, HOPE & THE LAUGHTER OF GOD. Yes, an unlikely title about the unlikely path where God finds us.

Experiencing loss tempts us to think God is distant and uncaring, but DEATH, HOPE & THE LAUGHTER OF GOD courageously insists something different. The author, fueled by questions surrounding the death of his daughter in a car accident, insists our darkest questions about what God is up to, and where God is as we go through pain, are simply the trails we must take to get to joy. It is a deeply moving and theologically substantive work for anyone--but, in particular, anyone who has suffered the death of a loved one, the death of a marriage, the death of innocence, a relationship, or a dream. Ultimately, it winds up being a fresh and nuanced take on the oldest subject of all: suffering. It's a book entitled, DEATH, HOPE & THE LAUGHTER OF GOD. Yes, an unlikely title about the unlikely path where God finds us.

Life-expectancy worldwide is twice what it was a hundred years ago. And because of modern medicine, many of us don't often see death up close. That makes it easy to live as if death is someone else's problem. It isn't. Ignoring the certainty of death doesn't protect us from feeling its effects throughout the lives we're living now. But this avoidance can hold us back from experiencing the powerful, everyday relevance of Jesus's promises to us. So long as death remains remote and unreal, Jesus's promises will too. But honesty about death brings hope to life. That's the ironic claim at the heart of this book. Cultivating "death-awareness" helps us bring the promises of Jesus from the hazy clouds of some other world into the everyday problems of our world—where they belong.

InLive & Die Laughing,comedian/singer Mark Lowry pulls his wild-and-wacky train of thought into the station with musings about everything from God's character to church potlucks. Using material from his email newsletter, along with responses from its nearly 40,000 subscribers ("reMarkable,"www.marklowry.com), Lowry underscored the idea that God tirelessly loves and looks after his believers, no matter how quirky we are!

A reflection on the meaning and quality of Hope for the period of Lent and beyond

Losing her husband Dennis unexpectedly in 2011, at the young age of 47, Debra was faced with handling grief in the only way she knew how, with strength, grace and much laughter. Debra worked through her tears by posting to her husband each day (for one year) on a social media website after his passing. She credits her seeing the light of day by sharing funny stories of their time together and walking through the pain, not alone, but with her ever growing unshakeable faith in God and the resounding love of many who have taken this journey each day with her. Through her stories, her daily blog (thehappywidow.com) and her posts she has used her distinctively unique humor, desire to honor the love of her life, and her ability to tell it like it is to inspire, lift, and encourage others in a way seldom seen. Losing the one you love suddenly is like being put on a roller coaster ride (and I have always hated those). You rise slowly, fall fast, hold on for dear life, and scream not so nice words that you hope those around you didnt hear. But when you get off this ride, while you may not want to buy another ticket, you are so proud of yourself for just being able to say you let go, threw your hands in the air the entire time and you indeed lived through it. You will laugh, you will cry, at time you will pray you never personally know how she truly feels, but after you read this book that was written to her sweet husband Dennis and for her children Timothy and Sarah, you will believe that just maybe there is a way to face death and come out smiling.

We applaud men for doing good things. We enshrine God for doing great things. But what about a man who does God things? One thing is certain. We can't ignore him. If these moments are factual, if the claim of Christ is actual, then he was, at once, man and God. The single most significant person who ever lived. Forget MVP. He is the entire league. The head of the parade? Hardly. No one else shares the street. Who comes close? Humanity's best and brightest fade like dime-store rubies next to him. Dismiss him? We can't. Resist him? Equally difficult. Why would we want to? Don't we need a God-man Savior? A just-God Jesus could make us, but not understand us. A just-man Jesus could love us, but never save us. But a God-man Jesus? Near enough to touch. Strong enough to trust. A next door Savior.

Recognizing "a playful spirit" as part of our human makeup, Conrad Hyers shows how laughter and humor are integral to our serious study of the Bible. He opens the joy of understanding the Bible in its fullness. With the darker realities of the Bible -- sin, suffering, and death -- there coexists a lighter side -- laughter, humor, and playfulness. Competent biblical study requires both perspectives. This highly readable, preachable, and teachable work gives ministers, students, lay readers a valuable tool for recovering the spirit and offers a chance to share in the celebration of life and the divine comedy of faith, hope, and love.