As a teenager, Gary Morland lived in an unhappy, dysfunctional family characterized by addiction and disharmony. When he started a family of his own, he brought with him those same destructive patterns. Yet he sensed there must be a way to have a family shaped by acceptance and grace, a family that was loving, whole, and at peace with one another. The problem was, he didn't know how. In this life-giving book, Morland shares his journey of discovering the timeless tools of family peace that transformed him and his family. He shows how these tools broke the unhealthy patterns of the family he grew up in and saved his relationship with his wife and two daughters. With refreshing honesty and humility, he helps readers believe that they too can start from where they are right now--no matter how broken--to transform their family culture and their family legacy and to generously offer grace to the people who matter most in their lives.

Imagine what it would be like to walk in freedom, to break through past pain and trauma, to become whole and healed? What if your broken marriage could find strength for tomorrow, hope and healing like never before? Lucy shares her own broken journey, traveling through the pain and trauma of some of life’s most difficult trials - persevering through sexual and verbal abuse, bullying, chronic illness and pain, a marriage torn apart, a life and death diagnosis, and even terrifying natural disasters. This book was written for those who are seeking to become whole again, longing for restoration and clarity, ready to break free and find healing. Is this you? What do you do with your broken heart? Through Lucy’s story, you will discover hope and witness the healing power of God’s love through Jesus that she experienced exploring her own broken road and path to restoration. Lucy set out to write her story, isolated in the woods at her cabin, when a forest fire broke out. The fire raged closer and closer as she alternated between fire updates and her writing. Who knew this was supposed to be about the past and the here and now? God knew...he had a plan. After a terrifying night with the wind howling and shaking the windows, the smell of smoke filling the house, she was evacuated with the fire just a half mile away. The title to the book emerged; Through the Fire, Traveling the Broken Road to Hope and Healing. Let Lucy’s inspiring story open your heart and eyes to the healing power of grace and redemption through walking hand in hand with Christ. Rejoice with Lucy at the healing and wholeness found in Him alone. In Him all is made new, in Him nothing is impossible, in Him we find healing and wholeness. Praise for Through the Fire “As a pastor, one of my greatest joys is to watch God change lives. Lucy is one of those people who became completely changed when she reached the end of herself and found God waiting there for her. She and her husband, Richard, became solid leaders in the church and their testimony has been an inspiration to so many others. I have full assurance that as her story unfolds, her readers will be encouraged to overcome their own hardships by partnering with a God who specializes in making the impossible possible.” —Dr Don Wilson, founder of Accelerate Group and founding Pastor of Christ Church of the Valley (CCV) “What if the pain from your past is actually a springboard for God’s greatest purpose in your future? That’s what you’ll find from Lucy’s story. What she endured is unthinkable, but how God used it is unimaginable. This just might be the book God uses to change the trajectory of your life.” —Ashley Wooldridge, Senior Pastor of Christ Church of the Valley (CCV) “Through the Fire is Lucy’s story. Well, actually, Lucy is God’s story of taking the tatters of abuse and making a tapestry of love. Her hope is that this becomes your story too. For all who have been abused, dispossessed, discarded, or shattered, Through the Fire is your path to making meaning out of the pain and beauty from the ashes.” —Mark E. Moore, PhD, Author of Core 52 “From riveting stories to life giving truth Lucy invites us into the most intimate places of her journey. With people chasing every way imaginable through the fire, God has given us a gift with this book. Lucy points us to the true healer - to the only one who can restore - to the only one who can give us the peace we all so desperately seek - Jesus.” —Rodney Cox - Founder, Ministry Insights International “Lucy Dickens walked through a devastating forest fire, protected only by God’s guidance and love, in order to bring her vulnerable story of surrender to life. On one level, her book is a page-turner about all the ways she was brought to her knees by heartbreaking emotional and sexual abuse; mental and physical illness; betrayal and abandonment; and even a horrific hurricane! But the truly compelling narrative is the one about Lucy’s growth as a spiritual warrior, during which she found the courage to face her brokenness hand-in-hand with Jesus, focusing her efforts on addressing her own issues and entrusting everything and everyone else to God’s care. Taking this unflinchingly honest and inspirational journey with Lucy will likely lead readers to strengthen their faith in God’s abiding love and to experience the hope, joy and peace that passes understanding. Christians need the message that it’s healthy to be honest, transparent, and vulnerable, to let our own darkness become visible, because whoever thinks that Christians are supposed to be perfect and without a history doesn’t know Jesus!” —Wendy Boorn, M.C., L.P.C. Licensed Professional Counselor and Author, “I Thought I’d Be Done by Now: Hope and Help for Mothers of Adult Children Searching for Peace”

Seminar paper from the year 2005 in the subject American Studies - Literature, grade: 1,25, University of Frankfurt (Main) (Institut für England und Amerikastudien), course: Grace Paley, language: English, abstract: Grace Paley is a well-renowned author of prose and poetry, a political activist, and a passionate mother and grandmother. She never detached her working as an author from her family life and her own family relationships, but made it a central subject of her work. Her life and work resist separation; it would only result in artificial and false distinctions. Besides political concerns and feminist issues, the family and generational relationships are the main focus in both Grace Paley’s life and work. I will analyze this in three steps: first I will examine her biography and its influence on her work. In a second step I argue that the subject of family is a central and repeating issue in Grace Paley’s work, exemplifying this on a selection of short stories and poems. In the third and final section I will show how family matters are interwoven with feminist issues.

The journey from grief to Grace Inevitably, difficult change and loss become realities for each of us, and too often, profound grief is only steps behind. Finding Grace uses the author’s personal experience as well as authentic stories of grieving parents to maintain the assertion that grace is every bit as close as grief, living fully available in every human heart during troublesome times. The soulful calls of grace, when answered through such avenues as traditional faith, spiritual mysteries, supportive community, mindful reflection and acceptance, and loving rituals serve to carve new pathways beyond life mired in a grief-filled reality. The nineteen stories and eight essays presented in Finding Grace: journeys of grief, courage and healing follow those who are moving forward, charting their own next steps toward grace.

Students in general education and special education classes will learn from and be moved by this collection of field-tested, personal cases. Overton asked family members from diverse income levels and racial and ethnic groups, whose children varied in age and learning challenge, to record their personal stories. Many of these family members were not well-known or active in their children’s schools; their cases facilitate an understanding and respect for the variety of families in which children live. The resulting set of cases will stimulate reflection, provoke discussion, and encourage the determination of best practices to support and bring about collaboration with all families. Activities, margin notes, and author commentaries emphasize and clarify points, facilitate reflection, and tie theory and research to each story. This compelling book can make a difference for those who work with students with special needs and their family members.

In 2004 Mission-shaped Church presented a challenge to church leaders. Now Mission-Shaped Questions addresses the big theological and practical issues that have arisen.Drawn from a range of Anglican and Methodist backgrounds, the highly-respected contributors take an incisive look at church and its future. They tackles questions such as:What exactly is church? Can we develop churches that can transform culture? Can we be mission-shaped and kingdom-focused too?These contributions are an essential read for anyone committed to the future of church and mission.

Many of us feel comfortable raising boys because we were—and maybe still are—boys. We’re comfortable with rough-and-tumble, with fishing, shooting hoops, and geeking out with technology. But girls? How do you raise a girl? More importantly, how do you raise a Godly girl? Based on the latest research and his personal experience as the father of five daughters, author David B. Van Heemst details what a father must do in order to give his daughter strong foundations in Christ. With statistics, anecdotes, and discussion questions, Splashing in Puddles: How to Be a Father to Your Daughter brings clarity to fatherhood’s complexity. Van Heemst shows just how crucial a role the father has in the development of his daughter’s relationship with God, herself, and others. Any man can teach her how to ride a bike. But only one man can teach her how to walk with God.

Sentenced to probation, thirty-year-old supermodel Grace King must put her plans of transitioning into acting on hold. Desperate to keep a close eye on Grace and his job, Grace’s ambitious lawyer, Ethan Summerville has her complete community service in the last place Grace wants to be—his church. Instead of God, Grace finds a “chocolate drop” of a man, Brother Horace Green. Unfortunately, Horace isn’t looking for a supermodel. He wants his woman saved and sanctified, but Grace has never met a man who has been able to resist her. Will Horace compromise his faith for a taste of fortune, fame, and Grace? While Grace focuses on the pursuit of passion, Ethan finds one director willing to take a risk and cast Grace in his debut film, but this role fits Grace all too well. Will this film revive Grace’s relationship with God and her career, or bring her closer to destruction?

Collection of fantastic stories originally released in 1898. Contains "The House that was not", "Story of the vanishing Patient", and many more.

Discusses the understanding of grace in terms of both Christology and theological anthropology. The author brings these two theological disciplines together in order to provide a picture of the dynamic relationship between God and humans, a picture which will allow contemporary Christians to understand more deeply their own experience of God's graciousness.