With their recurrent themes of "waiting" and "traveling on a journey," these 12 imaginative messages are especially appropriate for the Advent, Christmas, and Epiphany seasons -- yet their ecumenically oriented expressions of Christian faith, hope, and love also make them relevant for any time of the year. Wuchter's keen eye for the telling detail and his ability to connect scripture with familiar things in our lives make Shining Through the Darkness compelling reading for anyone who wants a deeper appreciation of God's grace and the Gospel of Christ. Michael Wuchter's sermons weave together the ancient texts of the Bible with modern insights. His careful historical research and winsome stories combine for a rich tapestry of gospel proclamation. These sermons stretching from Advent through Epiphany form a sort of mosaic for the beginning of the church year -- each story, each illustration, each wonderful tangent serving as tiles for a larger, clearer view for the one who came among us as the Word Made Flesh. John D. Morris, Pastor Prince of Peace Lutheran Church, Dublin, Ohio Michael Wuchter was a master of the English language and an excellent, excellent preacher. Jerry L. Schmalenberger, Former President Pacific Lutheran Theological Seminary In this remarkable collection of sermons, Wuchter fully acknowledges a world rampant with violence and injustice that millions experience today. Against this backdrop of pain, he weaves with poetic creativity and sensitivity the acts of waiting, grieving, and hoping within and among personal, familial, and communal relationships. Long, cold winters are made shorter and warmer with these Christ-centered sermons in hand. Daniel F. Martensen, Ecumenical Research Fellow Washington (D.C.) Theological Consortium Former Director, Dept. of Ecumenical Affairs, ELCA Michael D. Wuchter is the author of Uplifting Christ Through Autumn (CSS). He served as the senior pastor of First Lutheran Church in Duluth, Minnesota, as university pastor at Wittenberg University in Springfield, Ohio, and as the pastor of Resurrection Lutheran Church in Hamilton Square, New Jersey.

Daniel is sent by Nimitz off to play decoy around Bakok Atoll, and they get the attention of the Japanese Navy. Unfortunately, the ship goes down, and he must fight back for his family. He thinks his command is a total disaster, not knowing that the ploy worked. He beats himself up over the engagement. But now he has other problems, he has a band of about 60 men that survived the battle, and they have almost no weapons among them except a few small knives and one handgun. He shows the crew how to go "Caveman" on the enemy. They use sticks and stones to beat a superior enemy who is better equipped and has been fighting for over a decade. They had to "Get Hard" to win. Once they return to safety, Daniel beings to show signs of shell shock.

Find happiness and inner peace in just a few minutes every day for thirty days with this guide by the author of Notes to Myself. On our journey to a happy life, sometimes we need a little help. Author Hugh Prather steps in to take the role of our compassionate and thoughtful guide in this course for finding happiness. He spent his life not only as an author but as a minister and counselor, and so lends the wisdom and comfort that he provided in those roles to readers of this inspirational book. Prather’s signature way of writing makes this book a potent and refreshing source of truth amidst the troubles we face in our daily lives. His reflections on how to be happy are rooted in human experience and call on us to consider our connection with others. His words call on the spiritual and yet remain relatable to all people seeking personal growth, particularly as it relates to our happiness. Inside, you’ll discover more about:Reflections on Prather’s own pain, observations, and ways of coping with modern lifeThe art of happiness and how we can find itLife-changing practices that can shift how we face tragedies and fears Praise for Shining Through “Prather’s wisdom will lift your spirits, rejuvenate your soul and plant your feet on solid ground.” —Judy Ford, author of Single: The Art of Being Satisfied, Fulfilled, and Independent “Wise words, important reminders, guided meditations from Hugh Prather that can set you free, open your heart, and let love come shining through.” —David Marell, author of Be Generous Previously published as Quiet Answers

"I don't believe in love and shan't risk it again." When Melissa worked for him, Bret Terrell accused her of espionage. Married to him, she was nothing more than the obliging stepmother of his son. Was there any way that Melissa could break Bret's icy resolve? He had been hurt in the past and was determined never to love again. What chance had Melissa's love of shining through? "…a great addition to your Romance library." —Affaire de Coeur

In the Mahabharata, a Takshaa asks Tudishtira, What is the greatest miracle? Yudishtira replies, The greatest miracle is that we, although always surrounded by death and decay, live as if we are immortal. What a very profound answer that is, we live as if we are immortal while we can drop dead in the next minute. Without the inward realization that life and death are just the movement of Love we are bound to repeat the same dreams and nightmares over and over again. That the poems in Shining Through may guide you to the Love within, the Love you are in The Beloved. That is the poets true wish.

Peace Shining Through plants a seed of love in spirits, promoting a positive change through hope and a spiritual awakening. A heartfelt prose will embrace you, with a realistic tone, expressing an abiding love only God can provide. When your light appears to go dim, no matter what you have gone through, God can meet you with His grace and restore your soul. In an imperfect world full of ups and downs, it is vital for peace to extend beyond trials and tribulations in life. Each poem aims to propel and motivate spirits to forgive and heal, while reflecting on the goodness of God. Keep the Lord illuminated within the core of you. He will allow you to press on selflessly to brighten the heart of someone else. No matter what a day brings, when laughter and compassion overflows you are Peace Shining Through! Le'Juana Searcy's poetic verses are inspiring and encouraging! Peace Shining Through will reinforce your love and faith in a Higher Being. -Sheila M. Goss, author of Roses are Thorns, Violets are True As Le'Juana Searcy walks you through the pages of Peace Shining Through, encouragement will sprout vigorously and new meaning will arise out of old and twisted circumstances. One will connect or reconnect to the only real thing in life-God and the precious relationship He offers us. -Ann Larence, author of Give and Take Peace Shining Through lifts the spirit to a new level of existence, beauty, and virtuousness. -Kristi Moore, author of After the Storm There is healing

A Christian mystical text containing the revelation made to a young girl in a Benedictine monastery in the mountains of Austria in 1974. It is a revelation of the extraordinary quality of the love of God communicated, not through light and joy, but through a dark and powerful suffering, which she identified as the mystery of Christs cross. The original manuscript was faithfully written down as a direct record of this experience. It takes the form of a dialogue or interaction between God as the Lover of the soul, and Maria as His Beloved. A major theme is the struggle of the Beloved to overcome the Yes buts of human nature in order to be able to say a perfect Yes to her Maker. Each dialogue moves through suffering and miscomprehension towards final happiness and liberation, prefiguring the change from death to resurrection. The manuscript remained a puzzle to its writer for eighteen years, at which point she gained an insight into the moment of self-yielding which transforms the suffering into bliss. It was then, whilst staying in an Austrian farmhouse on a mountain-side, that she wrote the poetry which re-interprets the text, as a hymn to the Star-Love of ecstatic intensity. Over thirty years after the original event, realising the experience may also have meaning for others, the writer worked on the manuscripts. During a period of deep reflection at her home in Scotland, she then wrote the commentaries. She hopes that this book, a lifetimes endeavour, may prove enlightening to others as to the nature of Gods love.

The spirituality of Saint Clare of Assisi, the soul mate of Saint Francis, is the object of this book. Her spirituality was inspired by Francis' and she owes much to him, like he to her. This book is meant to be a contribution to the study of Clare and her thoughts. In her four letters, written to Saint Agnes of Prague, Clare expresses herself more openly about her deepest motivations than in any other writing. They concentrate on the heart of her choice of life and as such they reproduce the most beautiful gift which God gave her. Clare's sprituality as it comes to the fore in these leters, can only then be fully understood when we take into account their creative structure. The specific aim of this books is to do justice to her texts in a method which, to our knowledge, was never applied before. It consists in an elaborated analysis of the fine, concentric structure of the letters to Agnes, combined with an ongoing commentary in which historical data are also given attention.