Gratitude In Life S Trenches

No end of books these days offer us techniques for self-improvement. Taking a different tack, Robin Phillips shows that God meets us where we are, in the pain and heartache of the present moment. Instead of looking for a way to escape from hardship, we can cultivate an attitude of gratitude, peace, and self-acceptance that will transform our experience of suffering. Drawing on his own experiences and his work as a consultant in the behavioral health industry-as well as stories of saints and sufferers, teachings of the Fathers, and recent discoveries in neuroscience-Phillips shows us that the journey to personal well-being is one we can all travel, regardless of the hardships we may face.

Sometimes life throws you a curveball. Andrew and Rachel Wilson know what it means to live a life they never expected. As the parents of two children with special needs, their story mingles deep pain with deep joy in unexpected places. With raw honesty, they share about the challenges they face on a daily basis—all the while teaching what it means to weep, worship, wait, and hope in the Lord. Offering encouragement rooted in God's Word, this book will help you cling to Jesus and fight for joy when faced with a life you never expected.

It was a beautiful fall day in Connecticut when Colleen Kelly Alexander, a lifelong athlete, rode her bike home from work. She had survived both a diagnosis of lupus and brain surgery, had a fulfilling career, and was married at last to the love of her life. Everything was good as she coasted along, meeting the eyes of a truck driver as he approached the stop sign beside her. He didn't stop. The truck hit Colleen, running over her lower body with front and back tires and dragging her across the pavement. As she bled out in the street, nearby strangers surrounded her and the driver attempted to get away. An EMT herself, Colleen knew she had to stay awake. "I've just been reconnected with my soulmate," she told the medic. "We want to have a baby. I can't die now. Please don't let me die." Five weeks in a coma and twenty-nine surgeries later, Colleen survived. Rather than let the trauma and PTSD control her life, she became determined to find a way to make something positive from her pain. She decided she'd run again and dedicate her race medals to the everyday heroes around us, including the medical staff and blood donors who saved her life. Since then Colleen has run fifty races and completed forty triathlons, including four half-Ironman events. Now a spokesperson for the Red Cross, Colleen shares her incredible inspirational story to encourage others to take that first step forward.

Few men in the Victorian Age achieved the stature of Field Marshal Garnet Wolesley, a dedicated soldier, man of foresight and vision, colonial administrator and up holder of the Pax Britannica from India to Africa. Viscount Wolseley started his military career in the little-known Second Anglo-Burmese War (1852), before being plunged into the bloody senseless conflict of the Crimean War (1854-55). His disgust of the mismanagement and amateurish conduct of the British army left him with a lifelong dedication to efficiency, his men and victory. Distinguished for his bravery during the Indian Mutiny (1857-1858), at Alambagh and Lucknow, and again during an expedition to China. His globetrotting career led him to North America where he was present during the early battles of the Civil War and his anecdotes of this time are pithy and worthy enough to be quoted even to this day. Duty called him away north to Canada to re-establish British dominion over the Red River province which he did with aplomb. He was now among the top generals of the British army; and was sent to bring the Ashanti campaign to a successful conclusion. He took over command from Lord Chelmsford in 1878 after the disastrous start to the Zulu war which he ruthlessly won with tenacity and dedication. However his finest hour was yet to come in Egypt; he destroyed the rebellion of Urabi Pasha in short order after the battle of Tel-el-Kebir and commanded the ill-fated, but ultimately brilliant, effort to relieve General Gordon in Khartoum. His two volume memoirs recount his brilliant career to his famous victory in the Ashanti War 1873-1874 and are a must read for anyone interested in the Victorian age or the British Empire.

For many believers, the mystery of the Holy Spirit remains just that. God in You, now in popular trade paperback format, is the layperson's guide to this often-misunderstood member of the Trinity. Pastor David Jeremiah explores the Holy Spirit in concrete terms, leaving abstract concepts behind. Not an idea, not an influence, not some vague, mystical force, Jeremiah explains, the Holy Spirit is actually the almighty God of the universe come to live inside the believer's skin. And a clear understanding and appreciation of His attributes can ignite the passion of every Christian's walk with Christ. In this compelling, gently instructive book Jeremiah affirms, "Without [the Spirit], we're about as useful to God's kingdom as an unplugged toaster."

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A sharp, funny, heartfelt memoir by a career-driven baby boomer who enters semi-retirement and explores the joys, challenges, and never-ending surprises of being a "young" granddad. One summer, shortly after taking a step back from an illustrious journalism career, Ian Haysom found himself in charge of his first grandchild, Mayana, who was three at the time. As a healthy, energetic member of the baby-boom generation, Haysom did not consider himself a typical granddad. He was too young, too active, too cool for a role more often associated with denture adhesive commercials and afternoon naps. But as he soon discovered, grandparenthood is more rewarding, entertaining, and exhausting than he ever could have imagined. Grandfathered chronicles Haysom's adventures with his grandkids Mayana, Emma, and Linden; explores the delightful and unexpected lessons they have taught him (and those he has attempted to teach them); and investigates the rapidly changing role of the grandparent in the twenty-first century. Through keen observations, hilarious anecdotes, and fascinating insights reminiscent of Bill Bryson (or "Bill Bryson with a touch of arthritis," as Haysom quips), this charming memoir will resonate with boomer grandparents everywhere.