It is hard to understand why a prostitute retires and yet becomes a mother of children, even to the extent of applying family planning contraceptives, but a virgin got married and had to wait for years just to have a child. It is difficult to comprehend why an unbeliever prospers in his ways, yet with all your connection to the Almighty God, things get so difficult. Find out why and how to cope.
He Speaks in the Silence is about Diane Comer’s search for the kind of intimacy with God every woman longs for. It is a story of trying to be a good girl, of following the rules, of longing for a satisfaction that eludes us. Disappointed with all Diane had been told was supposed to fulfill her, she begged God in desperation to give her more. And He did. But first He took her through a trial so debilitating it almost destroyed what little faith she had. He let her go deaf. Using vivid parallels between her deafness and every woman’s struggle to hear God, this book shows women not only how Diane, as a deaf woman, hears in everyday life, but also how she can learn to listen to God in the midst of her own loud life, finding intimacy with God and the deep soul satisfaction she longs for.
In this memoir, Walter Ziffer, a Holocaust survivor born in Czechoslovakia in 1927, recounts his boyhood experiences, the Polish and later German invasions of his hometown, the destruction of his synagogue, his Jewish community’s forced move into a ghetto, and his 1942 deportation and ensuing experiences in eight Nazi concentration and slave labor camps. In 1945, Ziffer returned to his hometown, trained as a mechanic and later emigrated to the US where he converted to Christianity, married, graduated from Vanderbilt University with an engineering degree, worked for General Motors before becoming a Christian minister. He taught and preached in Ohio, France, Washington DC and Belgium. He later returned to Judaism and considers himself a Jewish secular humanist. “The compelling story of an unfolding life carried by an insatiable search for meaning.” — Mahan Siler, retired Baptist minister “In Walter Ziffer’s beautifully written new book, you will learn of Walter’s complex life journey, and you may experience, thanks to his skillfully told story and clearly articulated questions and insights, a sense of his presence, the presence of a great man who finds in his own story lessons important for the rest of us, especially now.” —Richard Chess, Director, The Center for Jewish Studies at UNC Asheville “A powerful and unique addition to the literature of the Holocaust. Walter Ziffer’s memoir not only recounts his own personal resilience and survival of the camps, but also his own unusual spiritual journey in which he both becomes a Christian minister while retaining his quintessential Jewish identity. This is a learned, well-crafted, and fascinating new dimension to this literature.” — Michael Sartisky, President Emeritus, Louisiana Endowment for the Humanities “The Holocaust portion [of this memoir]... is as true and chilling as a parent’s last words. His tale-telling prowess makes as strong a mental impression as it makes a factual one.” — Rob Neufeld, Asheville Citizen-Times
This book provides an innovative analysis of the survival movie genre from an Orthodox Christian anthropological perspective. Grounded in the Orthodox tradition, the approach builds from the first chapter of Genesis where man is described as made in the ‘image’ and after the ‘likeness’ of God. It offers a nuanced theological exploration of the concept of the survival movie and examines a number of significant cinematic creations, illustrating how issues of survival intersect romantic, Western, science fiction and war films. The author reflects on how survival movies offer a path for the study of human nature given they depict people in crisis situations where they may reveal their true characters. As well as discussing the role of a ‘limit situation’ as a narrative element, the book highlights the spiritual aspect of survival and points to the common hope in survival movies for something more than biological survival. It is valuable reading for scholars working in the field of religion and film.
The nursing staff at the office of the doctors who performed the mammogram this morning called my home two hours after the procedure and asked if I would please return the call as soon as possible. I most likely left something there. I returned the phone call. No, I did not leave something there. Thais VanGinhoven thought she had the perfect life: a beautiful home in the country, a long-term marriage, two wonderful children, and a great job. When she was diagnosed with breast cancer, it all began to unravel. With the perfect blend of humor and heartache, she tells the inspirational story of her courageous journey. She openly recounts her struggle to defeat cancer and make peace with her changed body. Although her husband grows increasingly distant and unsupportive, she finds strength in a community of friends both old and new. Most importantly, she comes to the realization that when she is walking daily with God her life seems surprisingly perfect, despite her circumstances.
One of America's leading Christian thinkers interweaves the story of his own struggle to reclaim his beliefs with inspiring portraits of people who have succeeded in the pursuit of an authentic faith. In Soul Survivor, Philip Yancey charts his spiritual pilgrimage through the influence of key individuals: "These are the people who ushered me into the Kingdom. In many ways, they are why I remain a Christian today, and I want to introduce them to other spiritual seekers." Yancey interweaves his own journey with fascinating stories of those who modeled for him a life-enhancing rather than a life-constricting faith: Dr. Paul Brand, G. K. Chesterton, Annie Dillard, Frederick Buechner, C. Everett Koop, Leo Tolstoy, Fyodor Dostoevsky, Henri Nouwen, John Donne, Mahatma Gandi, Shusaku Endo, Martin Luther King, Jr., Robert COles. Readers will find these inspiring portraits both nurture and challenge for their own understanding of authentic faith. Yancey fans will devour these new glimpses of how he has held onto faith while acknowledging with utter honesty its inherent difficulties. New Yancey readers will be drawn in by the theme of faith versus religion and drawn along a compelling narrative of signposts on a spiritual journey. Soul Survivor offers illuminating and critically important insights into true Christianity, which will enrich the lives of veteran believers and cautious seekers alike.
“Suffering in Silence: The Journey to Surviving Pulpit Depression” is the story behind Dr. Walthour’s personal 5-year struggle with depression and the journey he took to overcome it. Through personal insight, instruction, and inspiration, Dr. Walthour takes a Biblical approach to providing a message of hope, healing, and wholeness to those who are experiencing the suffocating darkness of depression. This literary work speaks to all readers, regardless of their personal views or religious convictions. Dr. Walthour uses his personal struggles with depression to offer a way to renewal and recovery. In this journey, he emphasizes the keys for not only surviving depression but thriving beyond it. “Suffering in Silence” is a roadmap to survival on the road to recovery. Dr. Walthour uses his adversity to strategically provide the reader a voice of advocacy. The message of this work is clear, “In life, God meets us wherever we are and the Light of His Love transcends all darkness.” For those bound by the spirit of depression, “Suffering in Silence” is the first step towards a journey to freedom. Dr. Larry T. Walthour serves as the Senior Pastor/Teacher of the Shiloh Baptist Church in York, Pennsylvania. He is a native of San Diego, California and grew up in Jacksonville, Florida. He holds Doctoral Degrees in Ministry and Divinity and will complete PhD studies in Clinical Pastoral Counseling from Colorado Theological Seminary.
Ben Bova continues his hard SF Star Quest series which began with Death Wave and Apes and Angels. Best New Science Fiction and Fantasy Books for December—io9 Science Fiction and Fantasy Books to Read This December—The Verge Best SFF of December—Unbound Worlds In Surivival, a human team sent to scout a few hundred lightyears in front of the death wave encounters a civilization far in advance of our own, a civilization of machine intelligences. These sentient, intelligent machines have existed for eons, and have survived earlier “death waves,” gamma ray bursts from the core of the galaxy. They are totally self-sufficient, completely certain that the death wave cannot harm them, and utterly uninterested in helping to save other civilizations, organic or machine. But now that the humans have discovered them, they refuse to allow them to leave their planet, reasoning that other humans will inevitably follow if they learn of their existence. The Star Quest Trilogy #1 Death Wave #2 Apes and Angels #3 Survival At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.
Grappling with theological issues raised by abuse, this book argues that the Church should be challenged, and ministered to, by survivors. Paying careful attention to her interviews with Christian women survivors, Shooter finds that through painful experiences of transformation they have surprisingly become potential agents of transformation for others. Shooter brings the survivors' narratives into dialogue with the story of Job and with medieval mystic Marguerite Porete's spirituality of 'annihilation'. Culminating in an engagement with contemporary feminist theology concerning power and powerlessness, there emerges a set of principles for authentic community spirituality which crosses boundaries with God, supports appropriate human boundaries and, crucially, listens attentively. Appealing to Church leaders, students, practitioners and practical theologians, this book offers a creative and ethical theological enquiry as well as some spiritual anchor points for survivors.
This journal, taken when John Dear was in jail for eight months after a disarmament action, allows you to enter into the world of prisoners and a committed peacemaker.
