This book is a look at life. It chronicles the little things that bring us hope and those that bring us joy. It recalls the thoughts that come to us in the middle of the night and those that are drawn from tearful happiness as well as deep pain. It is a journey along the memory lanes of our dreams and the routes to finding the strength to deal with our fears and anxieties. It is a celebration of our spirit, faith, and quest for inner peace and renewal; as well as the many milestones and emotions of life. These poems reflect the authors love of people, nature, and the small things that make life so fascinating and well worth living. Add your thoughts and feelings about each poem to that poems blank page in this book and share with fellow readers by posting your insights on-line to our web site at: www.Hope-and-Joy.com
Years after a tragic accident, Joy and Hope McGregor are back together in their hometown. Together with their father Frank and longtime friend, Gabe, the girls run Two Sisters Ranch in picturesque upstate New York.When a handsome stranger is sent to the ranch by his boss to get over his writer's block, he gets a little more than he bargained for. All four learn how special Christmas really is and that all we need is love and faith to get us through our trials in life.A story of joy, hope, love and faith around the holidays, "Joy & Hope" is sure to resonate with readers everywhere.
Students, parents, and educators at all levels are increasingly frustrated, demoralized, burned out, and discontented with education and schooling today. At no previous time has it been more necessary to revitalize hope in the promise of education or to reestablish joy in teaching and learning than the current moment. In this timely and inspirational volume, authors from diverse disciplines consider and affirm the many places across curriculum and context where hope and joy are or can be strong and vibrant. Drawing on the life-affirming ideals of renowned education philosopher and school founder Daisaku Ikeda, Hope and Joy in Education will reenergize educational research, theory, and practice. Featuring contributions from such luminaries as Theodorea Berry, Cynthia Dillard, Walter Gershon, Francyne Huckaby, Johnny Lupinacci, and Anita Patterson, this book reminds readers that the classroom is still a magical space, brimming with the brilliant and creative energy of young people. “This is a necessary text at a necessary time if we are to revitalize hope in the promise of education.” —From the Foreword by Cynthia B. Dillard, University of Georgia “A beacon of light toward desirable collective futurities in a world of increasing complexity, uncertainty, and vulnerability.” —Ming Fang He, Georgia Southern University “These essays are just what we need in these turbulent, uncertain times: a thoughtful focus on hope and joy as the path to educating for a more just, equitable, relational, and peaceful state of being.” —Denise Taliaferro Baszile, Miami University “This insightful book urges educators to center hope and joy in our work—not by turning away from the despair of the moment, but by fostering dialogue, seeking connection, and always remembering that the true aim of education for teachers and students alike is to become more fully human.” —Gregory Michie, Chicago public school teacher
Find your own happy place on the pages of this uplifting coloring book. For those days when you need a smile or a comforting thought to brighten your mood, the Joy & Hope Coloring Book is filled with more than 200 happy, uplifting images to color. Nature scenes, adorable animals, and soothing geometric patterns abound on these pages. Coloring is recommended by many health professionals as a way to lower stress levels and help you center your thoughts. Grab your colored pencils or pens, and then fill the pages with color until your spirit overflows with joy and hope.
Neither a commentary on the book of Revelation nor a devotional work -- though it offers aspects of both -- Joy in Our Weakness is instead a theological and practical guide that ushers readers into the very presence of Christ and His Lordship over the powers of evil. Marva Dawn writes compassionately for those who suffer, for this book was born out of her own struggles with physical limitations and chronic illness, and it is intended to help the whole Church learn how to find Joy in every circumstance of life, especially in trials and sufferings. After outlining some important foundational principles in three introductory chapters, Dawn guides readers through the whole book of Revelation, pointing out the errors of those who try to calendarize the end of the world and instead delineating how The Revelation reveals Christ's Lordship, exposes the workings of the powers, and sustains those who suffer until evil is ultimately defeated. Now thoroughly revised for a wider readership, Joy in Our Weakness highlights The Revelation's original purpose -- to comfort afflicted, suffering believers -- and spells out a biblically grounded "theology of weakness," offering a rare gift to the Church today. A wealth of insight and encouragement truly awaits the reader of these pages. Book jacket.
Now in paperback. The bestselling author of The Willpower Instinct introduces a surprising science-based book that doesn't tell us why we should exercise but instead shows us how to fall in love with movement. Exercise is health-enhancing and life-extending, yet many of us feel it's a chore. But, as Kelly McGonigal reveals, it doesn't have to be. Movement can and should be a source of joy. Through her trademark blend of science and storytelling, McGonigal draws on insights from neuroscience, psychology, anthropology, and evolutionary biology, as well as memoirs, ethnographies, and philosophers. She shows how movement is intertwined with some of the most basic human joys, including self-expression, social connection, and mastery--and why it is a powerful antidote to the modern epidemics of depression, anxiety, and loneliness. McGonigal tells the stories of people who have found fulfillment and belonging through running, walking, dancing, swimming, weightlifting, and more, with examples that span the globe, from Tanzania, where one of the last hunter-gatherer tribes on the planet live, to a dance class at Juilliard for people with Parkinson's disease, to the streets of London, where volunteers combine fitness and community service, to races in the remote wilderness, where athletes push the limits of what a human can endure. Along the way, McGonigal paints a portrait of human nature that highlights our capacity for hope, cooperation, and self-transcendence. The result is a revolutionary narrative that goes beyond familiar arguments in favor of exercise, to illustrate why movement is integral to both our happiness and our humanity. Readers will learn what they can do in their own lives and communities to harness the power of movement to create happiness, meaning, and connection.
For all the interest in emotions in antiquity, there has been little study of positive emotions. This collection aims to redress the balance with eleven studies of emotions like hope, joy, good will, and mercy that show some of the complexity these emotions play in ancient literature and thought.
An instant New York Times bestseller. Over 1 million copies sold! Two spiritual giants. Five days. One timeless question. Nobel Peace Prize Laureates His Holiness the Dalai Lama and Archbishop Desmond Tutu have survived more than fifty years of exile and the soul-crushing violence of oppression. Despite their hardships—or, as they would say, because of them—they are two of the most joyful people on the planet. In April 2015, Archbishop Tutu traveled to the Dalai Lama's home in Dharamsala, India, to celebrate His Holiness's eightieth birthday and to create what they hoped would be a gift for others. They looked back on their long lives to answer a single burning question: How do we find joy in the face of life's inevitable suffering? They traded intimate stories, teased each other continually, and shared their spiritual practices. By the end of a week filled with laughter and punctuated with tears, these two global heroes had stared into the abyss and despair of our time and revealed how to live a life brimming with joy. This book offers us a rare opportunity to experience their astonishing and unprecedented week together, from the first embrace to the final good-bye. We get to listen as they explore the Nature of True Joy and confront each of the Obstacles of Joy—from fear, stress, and anger to grief, illness, and death. They then offer us the Eight Pillars of Joy, which provide the foundation for lasting happiness. Throughout, they include stories, wisdom, and science. Finally, they share their daily Joy Practices that anchor their own emotional and spiritual lives. The Archbishop has never claimed sainthood, and the Dalai Lama considers himself a simple monk. In this unique collaboration, they offer us the reflection of real lives filled with pain and turmoil in the midst of which they have been able to discover a level of peace, of courage, and of joy to which we can all aspire in our own lives.
How can a fourth-century theology be relevant today? Is the Bible meant to be taken literally? Can Jesus be stripped of some of his titles? These are just a few of the questions that the author, a Progressive Christian Episcopal clergyperson, answers in this provocative book. Cramming for the Finals offers fresh ideas on how to look at God/Creator, Jesus the human, Paul, Mary (wife of Jesus), the Bible, Mariology, dogma, and doctrine. As the author takes you through his fascinating life's journey, he reveals the tremendous power that the man Jesus, who was executed almost two thousand years ago, still can have on individuals and the world today. You'll discover new ways to look at ancient ideas, why we need to promote God and demote Jesus, how four-thousand-year-old ideas can work now, ways to think outside the institutional church's tight little box, and how to save the church from itself. This book challenges longstanding beliefs to make Christianity speak to people in the twenty-
