The Kiss Of Jesus

Donna-Marie Cooper O’Boyle is a Catholic author, a radio and television host, and an inspirational speaker known and admired from coast to coast. Yet with all of her public exposure, she has revealed very little about her personal history, that is, until now. When she discovered that sharing her struggles gives encouragement to others, she was persuaded to write this story of her life. Growing up in a Polish-American Catholic family, Donna-Marie was blessed with hard-working parents who provided a stable home for their eight children. At times her childhood was golden and carefree, but other times it was tarnished by pain that she felt was best left unspoken as she sought God for help and strength. After she left home after high school, her path took some harrowing turns. A Vietnam veteran fiancé snapped and held her against her will. She suffered pregnancy loss, serious illness, divorce, and single motherhood. Perhaps her greatest trial was an epic custody battle in which she needed to defend both her reputation as a mother and the safety of her five children. Yet through all the dark valleys, Donna-Marie kept the fire of her faith burning. Helping her to see the beauty of the crosses in her life, and to rely on the presence and the providence of God, were saintly souls who became her friends and mentors. One of these was Blessed Mother Teresa, who was her confidant and spiritual mother for ten years.

Donna-Marie Cooper O’Boyle is a Catholic author, a radio and television host, and an inspirational speaker known and admired from coast to coast. Yet with all of her public exposure, she has revealed very little about her personal history, that is, until now. When she discovered that sharing her struggles gives encouragement to others, she was persuaded to write this story of her life. Growing up in a Polish-American Catholic family, Donna-Marie was blessed with hard-working parents who provided a stable home for their eight children. At times her childhood was golden and carefree, but other times it was tarnished by pain that she felt was best left unspoken as she sought God for help and strength. After she left home after high school, her path took some harrowing turns. A Vietnam veteran fiancé snapped and held her against her will. She suffered pregnancy loss, serious illness, divorce, and single motherhood. Perhaps her greatest trial was an epic custody battle in which she needed to defend both her reputation as a mother and the safety of her five children. Yet through all the dark valleys, Donna-Marie kept the fire of her faith burning. Helping her to see the beauty of the crosses in her life, and to rely on the presence and the providence of God, were saintly souls who became her friends and mentors. One of these was Blessed Mother Teresa, who was her confidant and spiritual mother for ten years.

A kiss for Jesus, Savior and Lord, A kiss for Mary, His mother, A kiss for Andrew, the first He called, A kiss for Peter, his brother. Goodnight Jesus is a sweet, gentle story that acknowledges all the people we know and love as nighttime draws near and bedtime kisses are given to everyone from saints to siblings. What better way than through a kiss to say goodbye to the day?This 24-page board book, beautifully illustrated by iconographer and artist Nicholas Malara, is sturdy enough for lots of use and will become the favorite of many little ones who want just one last kiss before drifting off to sleep.

“I have learned to kiss the wave that throws me against the Rock of Ages.” What does it mean to “kiss the wave?” These words, attributed to nineteenth-century British preacher Charles Spurgeon, speak to the Christian’s only hope for perseverance in suffering. What if we can learn to experience the nearness of God in the midst of suffering? What if God intends to work through our trials rather than simply take them away? After living for more than a decade with a debilitating nerve condition in both arms, Dave Furman shows us that God, in his grace, always designs trials for our good—not minimizing the pain, but infusing significance into our suffering. Furman demonstrates that, even when tossed to and fro by stormy waves, God is near . . . and that makes all the difference in the world.

The devotion to the Passion of Our Lord Jesus Christ and particularly to His Holy Face is one of the oldest in the Christian tradition. This venerable devotion was practiced by such great saints, such as St. Augustine of Hippo, St. Bernard of Clairvaux, St. Gertrude the Great, St. Mechtilde, St. Edmund, St. Bonaventure and St. Therese of Lisieux. Beginning in 1844, Our Lord appeared to Sr. Mary of St. Peter and expressed His desire that world should know and practice this devotion in reparation for man's blasphemy. Through the efforts of Sr. Mary St. Peter, Ven. Leo DuPont and countless others, this devotion has become one of the most loved, and remains one of the most needed in our time.

Everyone likes to be kissed. Whenever Jesus graces us and gives us the kiss of friendship, we must respond. Do we give Him the kiss of gratitude or, like Judas, the deceitful kiss inspired by the seven deadly sins? Spencer F. Stopa (MA sacred theology, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven) is a retired psychiatric and rehab nurse. His hobbies include gardening and reflecting on the human condition through a Christian lens. He lives in Mesa, Arizona, with his wife of thirty-nine years. 120

Christianity receives a lot of attention in the media, but the most frequently discussed version represents a type of Christianity that sometimes turns people away from the Church. Kissing Fish presents a postmodern systematic theology of progressive Christianity, a growing movement that reclaims the radical message of the Gospel. This informative, contemplative, and entertaining book will guide you through the beliefs that inspire us to love one another in the transformative way that Jesus proclaimed, including practices that will take your faith to a new level. Kissing Fish is a scholarly yet thoroughly accessible introduction to progressive Christianity. While the intended target audience for this work would seem to be those who have either left the Christian faith or never adopted it at all; the work is filled with pearls of wisdom for all of us, whether associated with Christianity or not. Kissing Fish is a truly remarkable work, serving both as a reminder of the beauty and grace that form the central tenets of the faith, while offering a graceful yet prophetic rebuttal to its more exclusionary tendencies. Kissing Fish is part theological text and part tell-all personal spiritual journey. Imagine a down-to-earth combination of the works of Marcus Borg, Anne Lamott, Jim Wallis, Rob Bell, Shane Claiborne, Diana Butler-Bass, Brian McLaren, Walter Wink, Wes Howard-Brook, and Donald Miller. A profound romp that informs and inspires.