Right Here Right Now

Including a new and insightful afterword by the author, Stephen J. Harper, Canada's 22nd Prime Minister, draws on a decade of experience as a G-7 leader to help leaders in business and government understand, adapt, and thrive in an age of unprecedented disruption. The world is in flux. Disruptive technologies, ideas, and politicians are challenging business models, norms, and political conventions everywhere. How we, as leaders in business and politics, choose to respond matters greatly. Some voices refuse to concede the need for any change, while others advocate for radical realignment. But neither of these positions can sustainably address the legitimate concerns of disaffected citizens. Right Here, Right Now sets out a pragmatic, forward-looking vision for leaders in business and politics by analyzing how economic, social, and public policy trends--including globalized movements of capital, goods and services, and labour--have affected our economies, communities, and governments. Harper contends that Donald Trump's surprise election and governing agenda clearly signal that political, economic, and social institutions must be more responsive to legitimate concerns about public policy, market regulation, immigration, and technology. Urging readers to look past questions of style and gravitas, Harper thoughtfully examines the substantive underpinnings of how and why Donald Trump was able to succeed Barack Obama as President of the United States, and how these forces are manifesting themselves in other western democracies. Analyzing international trade, market regulation, immigration, technology, and the role of government in the digital economy, Harper lays out the case for pragmatic leadership as a proven solution to the uncertainty and risk that businesses and governments face today.

Upon receiving his execution date, one of the thousands of men living on death row in the United States had an epiphany: “All there ever is, is this moment. You, me, all of us, right here, right now, this minute, that's love.” Right Here, Right Now collects the powerful, first-person stories of dozens of men on death rows across the country. From childhood experiences living with poverty, hunger, and violence to mental illness and police misconduct to coming to terms with their executions, these men outline their struggle to maintain their connection to society and sustain the humanity that incarceration and its daily insults attempt to extinguish. By offering their hopes, dreams, aspirations, fears, failures, and wounds, the men challenge us to reconsider whether our current justice system offers actual justice or simply perpetuates the social injustices that obscure our shared humanity.

Christians have always practiced mindfulness. Yet, from the popular landscape of mindfulness movement, you’d never know that. Where is the Christian voice in this fast-growing movement? Many Christians practice mindfulness outside of church and believe it does not belong to our faith tradition. This book reveals the Christian roots of mindfulness and the actual practices that, when reclaimed, deepen the life of faith and the power of our mission of love in the world. When we understand how radical it is to live in God’s presence right here, right now, our lives are transformed toward mercy, justice and abundant life. Amy Oden shows how the practice of Christian mindfulness begins with the teachings of Jesus and continues throughout Christian history. It also includes step-by-step instructions for the practice of Christian mindfulness today. Pastors and leaders will find this book useful on the ground as they curate current culture and guide Christians in spiritual practices. " ... this is the best introduction to Christian mindfulness I have read." —Shaun Lambert, Senior Minister of Stanmore Baptist Church, United Kingdom “Amy Oden knows the history of Christian spirituality as well as anyone, and she helps us see what might seem surprising to many—that mindfulness has deep roots in the Christian tradition. The wisdom she shares in this clear, winsome book has already deepened my own life of prayer. I know this book will bear fruit in classrooms and congregations as readers heed its call to stop and pay prayerful attention to what God is doing, right here, right now.” —L. Roger Owens, Associate Professor of Christian Spirituality and Ministry, Pittsburgh Theological Seminary, Pittsburgh, PA “Oden deftly lifts up a clear template for what lies at the core of all spiritual practice: mindfulness—a simple awareness within ordinary life of divine presence, here and now. Unlike many generic practices of mindfulness now popular in business, education, and the fitness industry, Oden underscores that Christian mindfulness is not an end in itself but an awareness that turns us toward God. Amy’s words become a litany of invitation into the posture of open-hearted presence to the Presence, right here, right now.” (from the foreword) —Marjorie J. Thompson, author of Soul Feast: An Invitation to the Christian Spiritual Life, former Director of Pathways in Congregational Spirituality with Upper Room Ministries, and an ordained minister in the Presbyterian church (USA)

People in all walks of life are discovering what it means to be involved, concerned, missional Christians. But simply having block parties or spending more time downtown is not enough to describe what it means to be a missional people. What is needed is a reformation of the way we actually live our lives as Jesus followers. We need to see a way of living faithfully to God's mission in the world, right here, right now. In this inspiring yet practical book, Alan Hirsch and Lance Ford equip believers to live missionally regardless of situation, vocation, or location, making the concept of being missional accessible to the whole body of Christ. Touching on issues of discipleship, spirituality, and church at every level of experience, Right Here, Right Now calls readers to be the people God has made them to be.

RIGHT HERE, RIGHT NOW Alexis Wilson is a beautiful, confident, and successful woman who knows what she wants out of life. She’s been married for 10 years to her high school sweetheart, Reggie Wilson. It seems she has the perfect life until her husband cheats and the marriage ends. Her best friends Saundra, Alicia and Trina keep her grounded as she tries to find happiness once again. She meets, the handsome Ricky Lawson, who renews her faith that there are still good men in the world. The control Alexis once had over her life is gone when something unexpected happens and she realizes her life will never be the same. Her entrepreneurial goals and dreams for the future are put on hold when the reality of life takes over. Reggie Wilson finds out the grass is not greener on the other side, instead it’s risky and dangerous. A lesson that could make a man so desperate he would do anything to rid himself of his own self inflicted troubles. Saundra is a seasoned gold digger with a secret from her past that won’t allow her to love any man. She believes men are only good for sex and money; she must find the strength to overcome her hurtful past which holds the key to heal her future. Alicia struggles with her buffet style lust for men and the dangers of her reckless choices. Trina searches for love through risky sexual escapades until she meets Rodney. She thinks she’s found her soul mate until jealousy and insecurity destroys more than their relationship. As deep, dark, secrets come full circle and inner pain can no longer be hidden. The lustful behaviors and temptations lead to a devastating climax and all their lives are changed forever..... Right Here, Right Now.

Reinventing yourself is harder when you don't remember who you wereSeventeen-year-old Kalindi wakes up in hospital with no recollection of how she got there. But that's not the only thing she doesn't remember: Her whole memory has been wiped clean. How? The doctors can only speculate. Kalindi doesn't know what happened to her and-worse-she doesn't know who she is. She enters her own life as if for the first time. Feeling like an invader, she meets her parents, friends and boyfriend. Everybody says her life was perfect, but she's having a hard time accepting who she was, and the kind of person she wanted to be. She's also got boards to pass-but she doesn't remember anything she learned! And the recurrent nightmares don't make it any easier. Nobody knows what happened to her. Can she have a peaceful present and future, without a past? Can she just live in the here and now?

It's Not You, It's Me. . . For Gabby Pearson, being dumped in public before the dessert course has to be the lowest of the low--especially when it's the old, "It's not you, it's me" speech. Honestly, how about something original: "I have five minutes to live" (very possible); "It's not you, it's the voices in my head" (thanks for the warning); or "I am such a powerful sexual being I could put you into a coma with one kiss" (wishful thinking). Not that Gabby would ever know since Reed Larkin never bothered to take her to bed. Why does a girl bother (to shave)? The only thing left to do is offer the guy a goodbye-forever drink. . .on his head. It's Me Wanting You Completely. . . Damn. Reed did his job--he walked away from Gabby rather than drag her into his unstable life and danger. Now he's wearing her full glass of wine instead of throwing her onto his sheets. It doesn't help that the woman is smart as hell and could stop a man's breath with that wide smile and those shapely curves. Gabby has it all, and Reed wants every inch of her. And now the joke's on him, because new intel says Gabby has just become his assignment: He has one day to win her back, get information from her she may not know she has, and somehow protect her at the same time. Right Here, Right Now. Problem? The stakes are high. The odds are impossible. And the mutual attraction is as hot and strong as Gabby's anger. And Reed can only hope his next speech--"It's you, baby, it's definitely you. . ."--will be the start of something wild, something crazy, something dangerous, something wonderful. . .

The first Canadian text of its kind, Right Here, Right Now: Exploring Life Space Interventions for Children and Youth provides students with the tools they need to apply life-space intervention concepts to real-life situations. Right Here, Right Now provides a theoretical and practical exploration of life-space intervention as the central concept in working with children and youth in the 21st century. Kiaras Gharabaghi and Carol Stuart argue for an updated concept of life space to reflect changes in social conventions, technology, and our evolving cultural diversity by emphasizing four dimensions of life-space: physical, virtual, mental, and relational. Employing the language of social pedagogy, Gharabaghi and Stuart argue that life-space intervention is about promoting the process of learning for young people. Right Here, Right Now ties together theoretical and practical elements into a unified argument about the pedagogic character of life-space intervention.