Love Anyway

The founder of the Preemptive Love Coalition (PLC), an international development organization based in Iraq that provides lifesaving heart surgeries to Iraqi children and trains local doctors and nurses, presents a firsthand account of lifesaving and peacemaking in the world's most notorious war-torn country.

For all who are displaced. For all who are weary of the way things are. For all who long for a more beautiful world. Preemptive Love founder Jeremy Courtney has seen the very worst of war. He's risked his life saving lives on the front lines. He's come face to face with ISIS, been targeted by death threats, and narrowly escaped airstrikes. Through it all, the most powerful thing he's learned is this: we're not just at war with each other. We're at war with ourselves. But the way things are is not the way they have to be. There is a more beautiful world. To find it, we have to we confront our fear--and end war where it starts: in our own heads and hearts. With stories of people who have lived through war and terrorism, Love Anyway will inspire you to confront your deepest fears and respond to our scary world with the kind of love that seems a little crazy. Because when we do, we become agents of hope who unmake violence and unfurl the more beautiful world our hearts know is possible. Love Anyway is the story of Jeremy's incredible journey--and an invitation to discover the more beautiful world on the front lines where you live.

If you're like me, you might have tuned out or rejected the idea whenever you hear someone say "you have to love yourself" and you might even say to yourself, what the heck does that mean? Unfortunately, loving yourself can be so foreign of a concept and yet it might also be the very thing that changes your life... for the better in every way. Self-love--our capacity to feed our spirit, fill our 'love cup' and feel inner peace is endless-- we just need to tap into it. But how? How the heck do we create [or experience] inner happiness? That's what this book attempts to address.

Love breaks through defenses and destroys walls that divide us. Love demands more of you and me than we often want to give. It’s easy to love a lovely person, but what about...them? What about that stereotype, that race, that person or group of people in a political, cultural, or socioeconomic class who don’t behave like you, don’t believe like you, and if you are honest...make you uncomfortable? What is love in this context? We read that Jesus broke boundaries to love the people that many detested. His love was transformative because His love saw past disagreement, indifference, and offense. Loving them? Like this? That’s hard. If you consider yourself a Christian, then love should be your primary characteristic. But it seems that division defines us in our society where rage and anger abound. Today, many people see Christians as angry followers of God who are more interested in winning political arguments than loving people. If we say we follow Jesus but are not loving like Him, then what’s the point? There is a better way. Using the incredible story of how Pastor Choco chose to “love them anyway” to transform the crime-ridden community of Humboldt Park in Chicago, Love Them Anyway will inspire you to love in a way you never have. This book will pave a compelling path for you to both express and experience a truly transformative love on a deep level. It will tap into your deepest desires, expose your hesitations, connect you deeper with God’s love, and help you take bold steps to love the people around you—and your love will change lives. When you learn to Love Them Anyway, your passion will be redirected, your purpose will be refined, and you will see God use you in ways you could never have imagined. Love is hard. It’s not convenient, and it’s not always safe. But love is beautiful. Love is contagious. It breaks through defenses and destroys walls that divide us. Love is the answer. So, love them anyway. Redirect your passion, refine your purpose, and see God use you in ways you never imagined.

Everyone wants to love and be loved unconditionally, but in such a broken world, how is this possible? In Love ANYWAY, author and pastor Adrienne Cooley explains how you can share and experience genuine love, even in the most difficult circumstances. No matter what youve been through, who may have hurt you, or the condition of your relationships, it is possible to genuinely love anyway. Adrienne shares how, as you grow confident in Gods love for you, you can love others like never before! In this six-week devotional, each section includes a lesson, plus fun activities, quotes, and Bible verses to engage your brain and heart. Discover the power of the L.O.V.E. Methoda tool to help you put love into action: L Journal Love notes from heaven and scriptures that speak to you OObserve and share your biggest aha moment VVow action and be a doer of the Word EExamine your heart in prayer Love ANYWAY is designed for daily personal devotions or to be enjoyed as a small group curriculum or as a book club or conference discussion guide. No matter how you use it, a life-changing journey of love awaits as you learn to Love ANYWAY!

With wars, injustice, and tragedy, this world can be scary as hell. Founder of Preemptive Love Coalition Courtney shares his story of moving his young family across the globe to serve those in war-torn Iraq, looking fear and heartbreak in the face and discovering what it means to love anyway.

The author of the beloved Kipper series teams up with his daughter to tell the heartwarming story of a sweat-band-wearing pug who just can’t seem to do the right thing. Dog is very badly behaved—he destroys everything, chases cars, rolls in poo, and won’t stop running away! But when he finds himself lost and alone there is one person he knows he can always count on. Chloë Inkpen’s sweet illustrations bring warmth and humor to this delightful story of family and unconditional love.

One night can change everything. Abby Banks put her healthy, happy infant son to sleep, but when she awoke the next morning, she felt as though she was living a nightmare. Her son, Wyatt, was paralyzed. There was no fall, no accident, no warning. A rare autoimmune disease attacked his spinal cord, and there was no cure. In an instant, all her hopes and dreams for him were wiped away. The life she envisioned for her family was gone, and she was frozen by the fear of a future she never imagined. As she struggled to come to grips with her son’s devastating diagnosis and difficult rehabilitation, she found true hope in making a simple choice, a choice to love anyway—to love her son, the life she didn’t plan, and the God of hope, who is faithful even when the healing doesn’t come. In Love Him Anyway, Abby shares her family’s journey from heartbreak to triumph and reminds us that hope and joy can be found in life’s hardest places.