"Having lost our 17-year old daughter (our only child) in a car accident, I know the grief and devastation that result from the death of someone you love. When walking through grief, it can be so overwhelming that it feels as if water is filling your lungs and you cannot breathe. Through the experience of his personal loss, Tom Mason takes you through a journey that begins with darkness and ends with hope. Whether you are the one who has experienced the loss of a loved one or the friend of someone who is grieving, the practical suggestions at the end of each chapter will help you move through the Valley of Grief." - Ellis F. Goldstein, Director, Ministry Partner Development, Campus Crusade for Christ International "When the Lord took home my beloved wife after over 62 wonderful years together, I was greatly helped by Tom's book. I highly recommend it." - Jack Ailes, Lincoln, Nebraska "Men, as I explore in my book, Different by Design, are indeed unique from women. It is part of the Creator's glorious design. Now at last, a book for men who grieve. Read it, share it, give it away to any man who has suffered loss. They will find Tom Mason a friend who truly understands their pain and their journey beyond the Valley!" - Dr. H. Dale Burke, Author of Different by Design, Founder, Dale Burke Leadership, Senior Pastor, First Evangelical Free Church of Fullerton, California Tom Mason is a founding member and elder of Evanston Bible Fellowship in Evanston, Illinois. He has served for many years on the faculty of Northwestern University in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering. He is well acquainted with "The Valley of Grief," having lost his wife of 31 years, Karen, to cancer. His healing process and suggestions for others who find themselves (or friends) in "The Valley of Grief" are the subject of this book.

This year-long devotional invites you into simple, everyday practices and Scriptural truths to bring you hope in the midst of suffering and loss. “A stunning resource for anyone with fresh or lingering grief who doesn’t feel like they can even lift their head some days. This beautiful, everyday read has nourished my soul.”—Lisa Whittle, speaker, podcast host, and bestselling author of The Hard Good Whether your sorrow is recent, you’ve long felt the pain of a loved one’s absence, or you’re lamenting a difficult situation, this book is an honest companion, offering validation for the hard days and support through the psychological stages of grief. Author Mattie Jackson draws from her experience of grieving the sudden death of her young husband to walk with you from a place of heartache to one of healing and peace. Each one-page devotion provides a daily reminder that God is near to the brokenhearted, His mercies are never- ending, and He can be trusted. Along with helpful reflection questions and gentle prayers, the entries show you how to engage four essential practices on your journey: • Wail for what you’ve lost to overcome feelings of denial. • Connect with the world around you to defend against isolation. • Worship with honesty to push away bitterness and doubt. • Hope for your future to guide you through despair and toward acceptance. These devotions honor our human fragility and direct us to the God who helps us navigate our pain and restores our hearts. There are tears to be shed and is hope to be found even here in the valley.

Fourteen experts examine the current state of Central Valley prehistoric research and provide an important touchstone for future archaeological study of the region The Mississippi Valley region has long played a critical role in the development of American archaeology and continues to be widely known for the major research of the early 1950s. To bring the archaeological record up to date, fourteen Central Valley experts address diverse topics including the distribution of artifacts across the landscape, internal configurations of large fortified settlements, human-bone chemistry, and ceramic technology. The authors demonstrate that much is to be learned from the rich and varied archaeological record of the region and that the methods and techniques used to study the record have changed dramatically over the past half century. Operating at the cutting edge of current research strategies, these archaeologists provide a fresh look at old problems in central Mississippi Valley research.

This title takes a comprehensive approach, exploring the physical, social, psychological, and spiritual dimensions of death, dying, and bereavement.Through personal stories from real people, Death, Dying, and Bereavement provides readers with a context for understanding their changing encounters with such difficult concepts.

Transforming Borders: Chicana/o Popular Culture and Pedagogy situates Chicana feminists' re-imagining of La Llorona, the Virgin of Guadalupe, and Malintzin/Malinche as sources of border/transformative pedagogies. In doing so, C. Alejandra Elenes contributes to the scholarship on transformative pedagogies by adding the voices of Chicana feminist pedagogies, epistemologies, and ontologies. Linking the relationship between cultural practices, knowledge, and teaching in everyday life, Elenes develops h er conceptualization of border/transformative pedagogies.

After the 1998 flood of the Yangtze River, one of the world’s most important rivers, environmental experts realized that, to control flooding, much more attention must be paid to vegetation cover on bare lands, thin forest land, and shrub-covered land in mountain areas. In 1999, an environmental monitoring project of the forests in 11 provinces of the Yangtze River basin was undertaken. This book reports on soil loss prediction and the successful practices of soil loss control in eastern China in recent years.

Two of the world's most pressing needs—biodiversity conservation and agricultural development in the Third World—are addressed in Karl S. Zimmerer's multidisciplinary investigation in geography. Zimmerer challenges current opinion by showing that the world-renowned diversity of crops grown in the Andes may not be as hopelessly endangered as is widely believed. He uses the lengthy history of small-scale farming by Indians in Peru, including contemporary practices and attitudes, to shed light on prospects for the future. During prolonged fieldwork among Peru's Quechua peasants and villagers in the mountains near Cuzco, Zimmerer found convincing evidence that much of the region's biodiversity is being skillfully conserved on a de facto basis, as has been true during centuries of tumultuous agrarian transitions. Diversity occurs unevenly, however, because of the inability of poorer Quechua farmers to plant the same variety as their well-off neighbors and because land use pressures differ in different locations. Social, political, and economic upheavals have accentuated the unevenness, and Zimmerer's geographical findings are all the more important as a result. Diversity is indeed at serious risk, but not necessarily for the same reasons that have been cited by others. The originality of this study is in its correlation of ecological conservation, ethnic expression, and economic development. This title is part of UC Press's Voices Revived program, which commemorates University of California Press's mission to seek out and cultivate the brightest minds and give them voice, reach, and impact. Drawing on a backlist dating to 1893, Voices Revived makes high-quality, peer-reviewed scholarship accessible once again using print-on-demand technology. This title was originally published in 1997. Two of the world's most pressing needs—biodiversity conservation and agricultural development in the Third World—are addressed in Karl S. Zimmerer's multidisciplinary investigation in geography. Zimmerer challenges current opinion by showing that the worl

Could you inspire excellence when your assignment is to rescue teen prostitutes from pimps. . . when no one else but you will speak up for a young suicide victim whose family refuses to bury the teen. . . when gang members leave “juvy cells” and move into your house in the suburbs for faith-based life coaching? Inspiring “hurting” children and those in need of an extra boost—comes with the territory for authors James Vaughn and Yolanda Thompson, who bring nearly 40 years of combined experience in bi-vocational roles in public administration, leadership training and clinical pastoral ministry in the criminal justice system. Whatever your calling may be – It’s a faith thing. Your efforts, your journey, your work – it’s all designed to inspire Kingdom Excellence among God’s children. Some may be young and some may be older. What they seem to have in common is a desire for faith that inspires them. Teach them. Train them. But you cannot transform them until you inspire them. Inspiration for Transformation. It’s A Faith Thing.

Developing an Anti-Fragile Faith Violence against Christ-followers is increasing globally. The lived reality for many Christians involves daily threats, risks, and persecution. When evil casts its shadow on us, and we’re tempted to despair, it is vital to develop anti-fragile faith and the guts to endure in hard places. Facing Fear is a practical guide for believers who long to have bold, mature courage. Cultivating this courage is necessary to endure wisely for Christ’s sake. Anna Hampton integrates exegesis and psychology to explain how humans respond to fear and how the Holy Spirit enables us to make a different choice than our normal. Learning to face our fears, name them, and manage them requires learning specific steps to reduce their impact on us. This book is a pastoral and practical resource for those working to advance the gospel in the world’s most dangerous places. You’ll gain valuable skills to become “shrewd as a serpent” and stand with unshakable faith in unsafe situations. Risk can be an offering of worship. Jesus is worthy of whatever pain you go through, whatever loss you experience, and whatever fears you have.