It Matters

An inspiring book filled with prayers and stories that help us stand strong against despair—and build a trusting relationship with God. Written to help readers look at the positive side of life, It Matters helps us refocus on what matters, get rid of negative baggage and negative emotions, and in turn, experience the freedom of forgiveness. Amy Lynne shares her own experiences with all their ups and downs—and guides us in developing a trusting relationship with God through stories, Positive Word Confessions, and a prayer with every chapter. Emphasizing the importance of wearing spiritual armor every day, It Matters can be used both individually or as a group Bible study to understand spiritual warfare and realize God’s faithfulness in the journey of overcoming past hurts.

From TV bulletins to social media newsfeeds, the media plays a massive role in shaping the world as we see it. In fact, different media have helped make possible our world of independent nations, binding together disparate communities through shared cultural touchstones, such as the press and national broadcasters. With the transfer of people’s lives to the online world, the media has become crucial to almost every aspect of how human beings live. A new social order is being built through our relations with media, but what power over us does this give to corporations and governments? Nick Couldry explains the significance of five core dimensions of media: representing, connecting, imagining, sharing and governing. He shows that understanding these dynamics is a vital skill that every person needs in the digital age, when the fate of our political worlds and social environment may rest on how we communicate with each other.

Disconnected, arrogant, and a little too fond of scotch, Simon drifts through the routines of his day, garnering the praise that sustains him. Decades of experience provide a menu of phrases and gestures to soothe and gently manipulate those in his care. His pastoral gifts are particularly evident when he presides at funerals, where he savors equally the admiration of onlookers and the extra paycheck. Simon’s only point of tension rests with his nineteen year old daughter, Ailish, whom he loves but no longer enjoys. Both are resigned to their cohabitation, enduring as they wait for the day she completes her degree and they are released. A knock on the office door interrupts the uniformity of his days, when an unfamiliar child challenges Simon over his handling of a eulogy. Transfixed by her unlikely maturity, he continues to listen, even as the child relates a wisdom story. By the time she departs, Simon finds himself no clearer about her identity and far less certain of his own. With each subsequent interaction with the dying and their families, Simon encounters another enigmatic visitor who compels him to break routines and delve more deeply into his own life and relationships. Woven around wisdom tales with roots in Buddhist, Christian, Jewish, Islamic, and Taoist traditions, When It Matters Most, explores how our framing of relationships, grief, and purpose impacts our own experience and the lives of those around us. Drawing on a background of corporate leadership, mediation, and religious thought, Keven Fletcher works as a storyteller and advisor within a globally diverse, academic community.

An accessible blueprint to embolden our daughters to be critical thinkers, fearless doers, and joyful change agents for our future—from the proud mother of teen activist Marley Dias, founder of 1000BLACKGIRLBOOKS. “A powerful resource for caregivers trying to raise courageous girls . . . It’s my go-to and my how-to.”—Kwame Alexander, New York Times bestselling author of Light for the World to See Renowned sociologist Dr. Janice Johnson Dias has devoted her life to nurturing and training girls to become change-makers—whether through her investment in her daughter Marley’s humanitarian projects or through her work with the GrassROOTS Community Foundation’s “SuperCamp.” In these unprecedented times, her work has never been more urgent, as parents find themselves asking: How do we teach our children to change the world? Dr. Johnson Dias knows that self-realized girls are created through intentional parenting. And so she asks parents to make deliberate choices—from babyhood through adolescence—that will give their girls the resources and foundation to take hold of their own futures and to create sustainable social change. Unlike other parenting experts, Dr. Johnson Dias doesn’t urge parents to focus solely on their children. Instead, she tasks them with a personal challenge: to find their own joy. Just as Dr. Johnson Dias brings her own jubilant passion to parenting, mentoring, and teaching, she inspires caregivers to do the same. Using cutting-edge research and Dr. Johnson Dias’s own experiences, Parent Like It Matters offers information and strategies for making discussions of racism and sexism a daily practice, identifying heroes and mentors, educating yourselves together, and uncovering your girl’s passions and what issues drive her the most. Parenting is enormous work; it can be as overwhelming as it is fulfilling. Within the pages of Parent Like It Matters, parents will find the invaluable tools they need to raise resilient, optimistic girls who determine for themselves what their world will look like.

Everything we can see and touch is matter, even things we can't see and touch is matter. We can tell the difference between the different kinds of matter through each one's properties, such as density, magnetism, and conductivity. Knowing about these properties and matching the right materials with the right jobs is essential for today's scientists, engineers, and inventors. Informative photographs and stimulating sidebars enhance the accessible narrative, allowing readers to connect significant science concepts to their practical applications. From constructing kitchen equipment that won't burn our hands to engineering spacecraft that will protect astronauts, future scientific thinkers will be inspired by this volume.

An Eclectic Essay Collection from Winnie-the-Pooh's Father. Not That It Matters is a collection of essays that a appeared in a variety of newspapers at the beginning of the last century, sort of an upper class, mild mannered Dave Barry of the 20Õs. Many were charming and generally humorous in gentle, whimsical way, as you might expect from the author of Winnie the Pooh. Some were a bit dated such as the essay about the perfect walking stick or the one about pipe smoking and there is some use of some now un-politically correct language; but others felt just as current now as they must have been then, such as the essay titled ÒIntellectual SnobberyÓ about the shame one feels about reading popular fiction as opposed to the classics or the one titled ÒMy LibraryÓ, about the eternal quandary of how to best arrange oneÕs books. These essays are probably best enjoyed a few at a time over days or weeks and not all in one go. (From Goodreads) Get Your Copy Now.

Here is a humorous, reflective, and evocative collection of stories of fatherhood, written from the perspective of a young father. These entertaining and tender tales recall a family's journey together, delving into pursuits that drew them close, even as the growing independence those activities fostered in the children eventually eased them apart. Both parents heeded a wise adage about raising children: hug them close, then let them go. The first part was easy; the latter somewhat more difficult. The author, a grandfather now, recalls those bygone years with a mixture of appreciation and nostalgia---appreciation, arising from the joy and love his daughters provided for their parents; and nostalgia, knowing those days are gone forever, living on only in shared remembrances of times past. If you have a son who is, himself, a father, you must get him to read this book! www.jbradleyburt.webs.com

"You have a complex and detailed aesthetic life. You make aesthetic decisions every day. You wake up, shower, and dress. When you decide what to wear, you think about how it feels and fits, how it expresses your style. You wander into the kitchen and think about what to eat. When you decide what to eat, you think about flavor, texture, smell. You head out into the world. You see your car, your bike, your shoes and appreciate how they look. When you decide what to buy, you think about how it will look in your house, or how it sounds or feels. You make aesthetic decisions every day-about what to listen to, what to watch, whether to arrange things just so, about how to sit, strut, or sing. You have aesthetic feelings and reactions every day. The sunset swings into view as you turn a corner and you think, "That's beautiful." A wave of calm and pleasure wash over you. You take a bite of cake and you think, "Wow, that's sweet." Maybe too sweet. You hear that new song and it blows you away. You play it on repeat and for your friends. You try the new restaurant and you think: "It's bland, boring, awesome, exciting, brilliant, bold." The novel is wonderful, the film disappoints, the dress looked better in the store. You have aesthetic feelings and reactions every day and these reactions move you through the world and shape your sense of self and well-being. You create aesthetic looks, atmospheres, and objects every day. When you dress you create an outfit that you put into the world. When you have friends over you play music, light a candle, arrange the dinner table, set a mood. You exercise aesthetic creativity when you design your tattoo, put on makeup, pierce your ear or nose, spritz cologne or perfume, or pay close attention to your hair. Almost everything you do has an aesthetic dimension-from the way you make your bed, prepare your coffee, and tie your shoes, to the way you speak to others and adjust photos to post on social media. You create aesthetic value every day. You have a complex and detailed aesthetic life that you orchestrate every day through your aesthetic decisions, reactions, feelings, and actions"--