Journeying With Hope Into A New Year

Journeying with Hope into a New Year: Reflections for Advent and Christmas originated in 1982 when our family lived at Tantur, an ecumenical institute between Jerusalem and Bethlehem. My wife Nancy and I sent family and friends a letter highlighting our experience of Christmastide in the Holy Land. Inspired by writing this message from afar, we continue each year to write a letter with family news, a moving quote from a hymn or literary work, and spiritual reflections. These provide the basis for thirty-one meditations to be read daily through the month of December. Each includes a biblical text, a brief meditation, and a prayer. These may enable readers to experience more than the commercialism of the season and be led to magnify Jesus, the One who is at the heart of why we celebrate Christmas or write New Years’ Resolutions. A line in The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry summarizes a crucial idea informing this collection: “And now here is my secret, a very simple secret: It is only with the heart that one can see rightly; what is essential is invisible to the eye.”

Journeying with Hope into a New Year: Reflections for Advent and Christmas originated in 1982 when our family lived at Tantur, an ecumenical institute between Jerusalem and Bethlehem. My wife Nancy and I sent family and friends a letter highlighting our experience of Christmastide in the Holy Land. Inspired by writing this message from afar, we continue each year to write a letter with family news, a moving quote from a hymn or literary work, and spiritual reflections. These provide the basis for thirty-one meditations to be read daily through the month of December. Each includes a biblical text, a brief meditation, and a prayer. These may enable readers to experience more than the commercialism of the season and be led to magnify Jesus, the One who is at the heart of why we celebrate Christmas or write New Years' Resolutions. A line in The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupery summarizes a crucial idea informing this collection: "And now here is my secret, a very simple secret: It is only with the heart that one can see rightly; what is essential is invisible to the eye."

In an earnest attempt to spread spiritual inspiration and growth, Reverend Tim McConnell pens an enriching collection of thoughtful devotions that will move your heart, stir your thoughts, and direct you to Gods chosen path for you. A compilation of short yet profound articles that have already been published in local weekly newspapers, Small Steps On A Long Journey contains more than more than three hundred-fifty pages of hope, joy, courage, enlightenment, faith, triumph amid difficulty, and much more. Touching on some of societys most sensitive topics, this anthology also captivates readers with deep thoughts and moving insights about daily human encounters and lifes biggest questions. Tim has attempted to incorporate into these writings the use of common events, themes, and everyday living along side the necessity of living a holy life.

These two volumes chronicle the life of a liberal Jew who came of age in Germany during the relatively enlightened period of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Rudolf Moos obtained his education in Ulm and, after working in his family’s leather business, went in hope to seek his fortune in Berlin. He founded Salamander, the largest shoe business in Germany, which is still active today. He was a German patriot, who served his country in World War I and received a War Merit Cross (Kriegsverdienstkreuz) for his endeavors. Rudolf Moos lived in Germany in growing despair through the political upheaval and hyperinflation in the aftermath of World War I. He was related to and enjoyed a friendship with Albert Einstein when they both lived in Berlin in the 1920s and early 1930s. Rudolf Moos then experienced the rise of the Nazis and the ever-growing restrictions placed on him and members of his extended family. Anti-Jewish sentiment in Germany rose sharply during 1933, which effectively ended his active life in business and community affairs and give him unsought free time to set out the story of his life. He and his wife were eventually permitted to leave Germany and immigrate to England, where he continued to work on his memoirs during the turmoil of World War II. Volume I of Rudolf Moos’ memoirs, “Rise and Fall”, describes the poisoned atmosphere existing for the Jews in the Germany of the late 1930s, sets out his experiences of humiliation and arrest, the breath of freedom on leaving his Homeland, and his arrival in England as a penniless alien. Chapter 1 focuses on Rudolf Moos’ origins and his father’s family and leather manufacturing company, which initiated trade with East India in the 1880s. It describes the background of Rudolf Moos’ mother, who was a member of the Einstein family, and provides details about the lives of Rafael and Rupert Einstein, her father and grandfather.

The silence was shattered by a deep, thunderous man's voice. It sounded like it came from a place of great power. Commanding yet reassuring, it said, "This is a message from God. You are my chosen one. You are going to do something extraordinary with your life." After hearing this voice, Bridget suffered a series of life-altering events that left her unable to perform simple, rote tasks, caused her to avoid all contact with everyone but her immediate family, and led to her being admitted to a psychiatric unit for two nights. Follow along to see how she embarks on her journey of healing, from seeing a psychiatrist and a therapist to finding the right balance of medication needed to get her back to where she was before hearing the voice. This book explains what bipolar disorder is, outlines medications that work to combat it, describes Bridget's journey with God, and talks about how the stigma of mental illness has been somewhat alleviated but that there is still work to be done. Bridget hopes the book brings comfort to people with mental illness and helps them feel less lonely. The book, hopefully, will provide peace and inspiration to others who are going along the same journey--a journey of hope.

There are some women who don’t have a desire to get married and have children. However, Samantha was not one of them. Many women in their late 30s and early 40s postpone marriage or childbearing to obtain their education, establish their careers, and become financially secure. Unfortunately, this sometimes leads to difficulties in finding Mr. Right or conceiving (or both). This can be an arduous and heartbreaking time of life, when it seems lifelong hopes and dreams of family may not be possible. Samantha delayed marriage until the age of 36 after she’d pursued advanced degrees and established her career—not entirely by choice since Mr. Right hadn’t entered her life sooner. At times she wondered if it would ever happen. Once married, she and her husband wanted kids right away, only to suffer a miscarriage and the devastating diagnosis of infertility. In this book, Samantha shares her extraordinary journey of hope. You will discover how her faith in God and perseverance led her to the right husband and overcoming infertility to have their first baby at 40. Don’t give up on your dreams, whatever they are. You still have time. Author Dr. Samantha Fitts is an educator/specialist (special education, literacy, education leadership, and adult learning), professional development presenter, and motivator. She has been in education for over twenty years. She is extremely passionate about helping others reach their professional and personal goals in life. For more information, visit www.samanthafitts.com