To My Mom For All The Times That I Forget To Thank You I Need To Say I Love You

After being diagnosed with terminal cancer, a professor shares the lessons he's learned—about living in the present, building a legacy, and taking full advantage of the time you have—in this life-changing classic. "We cannot change the cards we are dealt, just how we play the hand." —Randy Pausch A lot of professors give talks titled "The Last Lecture." Professors are asked to consider their demise and to ruminate on what matters most to them. And while they speak, audiences can't help but mull over the same question: What wisdom would we impart to the world if we knew it was our last chance? If we had to vanish tomorrow, what would we want as our legacy? When Randy Pausch, a computer science professor at Carnegie Mellon, was asked to give such a lecture, he didn't have to imagine it as his last, since he had recently been diagnosed with terminal cancer. But the lecture he gave—"Really Achieving Your Childhood Dreams"—wasn't about dying. It was about the importance of overcoming obstacles, of enabling the dreams of others, of seizing every moment (because "time is all you have . . . and you may find one day that you have less than you think"). It was a summation of everything Randy had come to believe. It was about living. In this book, Randy Pausch has combined the humor, inspiration and intelligence that made his lecture such a phenomenon and given it an indelible form. It is a book that will be shared for generations to come.

MIA JOHNSON has been a journal writer for over a decade, this book is to express how pain can make you stronger. Dive into some of the craziest, scariest, and most important times of her life. Mia is known in her household as "THE LITTLE BIG SISTER" by her siblings because even though she is the youngest she acts like the oldest and is always bossing everyone in the house around while her mom (MS. B) is at work and her brother CORY is getting fed up with her bossy ways so he seeks out revenge. Now that Mia has become a teen she not only loose her virginity, she looses her sister by death as her sister’s jealous boyfriend kills her because she was going to leave him. That will not be her last sudden loss, soon after her sister passing Mia’s child dies and the love of her life gets killed over an argument he had in his neighborhood. As Mia struggles with loosing her loved ones she learns that her love for money and men is her biggest problem. So instead of grieving Mia becomes a warrior and is ready to take on any and everything that life brings her way!

The Compression Garment Diaries is a collection of blogs written by the author upon learning she has breast cancer. Writing the blogs begins as a convenient mode to keep her friends and family up-to date with her diagnosis and treatment. What develops is an open and honest exploration into how breast cancer changes her perspective on life. The blogs tell a story of all the uncertainties that come with diagnosis, treatment, recovery and survival. Her vulnerability is expressed with humour and strength. Her greatest support is the love she receives from her husband and her children. Cancer is an unexpected gift that helps the author to realize the fragility of life and the importance of appreciating the moment....

"It was a warm fall evening in Beijing when the idea for this book was born. Three social work academics, one Chinese and two Americans, discussed the state of the world for women in the 21st century and the longing for a text that could describe the struggles, and the successes of women in the fight for equity and safety throughout the world, on the table of Beijing style hotpot. As professors and feminist researchers, three of us share some similar but different research interests; Kristen's work is extensively on sexual violence in the United States; Annalisa, as a Philippine American Scholar, has been working on sex trafficking issues in Philippines and throughout the world; while Xiying, as a Chinese scholar with overseas training, has paid attention to dating violence, domestic violence, and school-bullying. Through the discussion, we found that though our research topics are different, the underlying issues of gender inequality and the surrounding social structures are similar, no matter the place on earth. A short time later, we invited Eugenia whose expertise on feminist global issues, and her being of mixed heritage and from Latin America, as well as her vast editorial experience, could help us make this book everything we knew it needed to be for maximum impact. We felt a compelling need to create a book in a collaborative spirit to include expert contributors that would provide a global lens to survey parts of the world - not just one region, one race, one voice- and study the intersectional issues of gender, race, class, culture, politics that arise in gender- based violence and the advocacy efforts to fight injustice and promote equality for women and girls, across the world"--

A collection of extraordinary letters expressing the joys, sorrows, and surprises of ordinary lives. We've all missed the chance to say something important. Friends fall out of touch, loved ones pass away, or sometimes the courage required is simply lacking -- and thank-yous, regrets, feelings, and secrets are left unshared. In 2009, Jackie Hooper came up with a way to help people recapture a moment that had once passed them by -- she began asking them to write letters. Based on the popular blog The Things You Would Have Said, this extraordinary collection of letters brings together the moving, surprising, and inspiring stories of ordinary people. By turns heartwarming, funny, sad, and wise, the letters showcase a remarkable range of voices and subjects. From the indignant young boy urging his bully to become "a better man," to the woman apologizing to the girl she picked on in high school, to a man thanking the woman who protected his family from Nazis, the letters bring together an outpouring of emotion that is as compelling as it is cathartic.

In the spring of 2006, Shelly Dubois is as happy as she’s ever been. A recent move to beautiful Vancouver Island has proven to be a terrific decision. Her husband Jean is pleased with his new job, their younger daughter Aleida is adjusting well, and their eighteen-year-old, Chantal, is finishing up her twelfth grade year back in Alberta so she can graduate with her lifelong friends. Shelly has a new job too and time enough to devote herself to the music that has always filled her life with joy. But then comes the phone call that will change everything forever – Chantal has an inoperable brain tumor. Regular life ends abruptly and over the next two years begins a new, much darker life of radiation, chemotherapy, and terror over the increasingly bad news about Chantal’s health. And in the end, despite her relentless, exhausting efforts to save her daughter, a disbelieving Shelly has to watch her slip away. In the days after Chantal’s passing, Shelly slips into a netherworld of incapacitating grief, which isolates her from her husband and surviving daughter and makes everyday life unmanageable. But as time moves on, she slowly begins to discover a pathway to healing. Deeply affecting, while imbued with hope, I Lost My Child to Cancer serves as an inspiring insight into how to cope with unimaginable sorrow. www.ILostMyChildToCancer.com

This play is a collection of character-inspired Christian plays Ive written to be performed in churches and in theatres. It includes characters like Mary Magdalene, Samson, Hezekiah, Naomi, Esther, Ruth, and many more.

This is an inspiring, emotional, and true story of the birth and life of a boy, Bracey, with an indomitable spirit despite his special needs. He has had more trials in his short life than most humans do in their entire lives, and yet he never gives up. He has daily challenges but had determination to conquer his challenges. He loves his life. His love for Jesus, life, family, and friends shines through his personality. This book is written from a mother’s heart. This is a true story about faith and trust. Through this story the author and the reader explore: How can we continue to trust God when He gives challenge after challenge, with seeming no good end in sight? How can you enjoy the moment, when you can’t trust in a good tomorrow? How do you make life altering decisions for a child? Who trusted young first-time parents enough to make them the decision makers? The doctors are medical experts, but who is the expert on your person? How do you know when to trust what the “experts” know and when to trust what you know?