miracle (n.) An extraordinary event manifesting divine intervention in human affairs. This is a word that gets tossed around a lot. The thing is, miracles do occur and occur often, if you are willing to look for them. God never turns away from us, even when it seems like our world is falling apart. He is always right there, helping us back up to our feet. God’s love and faithfulness is what gave me the strength to move forward when I awoke in an ICU and was told my husband and oldest son had been killed. Miracles are what kept me treading water when I was briefed on the very slim chances my other two children would make a full recovery. The chances of my son’s mere survival were nonexistent. I was unwilling to accept anything the doctors told me. I knew in my heart that God had us and my babies would be okay. I steadied my heart, set my jaw; I prayed, and I asked others to pray. God has taken care of us every single step of our journey and continues to today. Our story is not over. We survived, we are healing, we are pushing forward, we are living. We are waiting on the next miracle.
One doctor’s journey of faith to save her two terminally ill baby girls. Cyndi Peterson was a successful physician, wife and mother who had everything she ever dreamed of—yet true peace continued to elude her. Her quest leads her to Medjugorje, where Mary the Mother of God is reported to appear daily. After returning home newly committed to her faith, she faces every mother’s deepest fear. Her newborn baby Kelly is terminally ill. Upon learning her next baby, Sarah, has the same diagnosis, Cyndi struggles to understand why God has asked this of her. How God moves in her life and answers her prayers will both surprise you and deepen your faith.
'I laughed. I cried. I laughed again' Sinéad Moriarty 'An enthralling read with . . . so many laughs along the way' Liz Nugent 'A funny, poignant and moving read' My Weekly From bestselling Irish writer Anna McPartlin, Waiting for the Miracle is an uplifting novel about how good friends can help you see the funny side of life, even in the darkest of days. Perfect for fans of Sheila O'Flanagan and Marian Keyes. 2010 Caroline can't get pregnant, Janet can't hold a pregnancy, Natalie's sperm donor is a stoner with a bad attitude and Ronnie is, well, no one knows Ronnie's story. When the women meet in an infertility group, they quickly form a firm - if slightly odd - friendship and their lives begin to change. 1976 When 16-year-old Catherine's pregnancy is revealed, she's sent to a convent to give birth. Her baby is taken from her, and she re-emerges into the world, down but not out, determined to fight back. She finds work, a home and acceptance with gay hairdresser and fellow outsider and her life begins again. Waiting for the Miracle is story about finding your tribe, at any age. It's about love, loss, friendship and laughing at yourself. It's about life. 'Takes you on a rollercoaster of emotions...you'll be laughing through your tears at the sharp and funny dialogue' NFOP magazine Praise for Anna McPartlin: 'Anna McPartlin's novel is brilliant, funny and immensely moving' Catherine Isaac, author of You, Me, Everything 'It's such a gorgeous examination of grief while also being honest, hilarious and totally relatable. I LOVED this book!' Fionnuala Kearney, author of The Book of Love 'When I wasn't reaching for the Kleenex to wipe away a little tear, I was guffawing with laughter - Anna has the gift of being able to make you laugh and sob, and all on a single page.' Claudia Carroll, author of The Women of Primrose Square Readers love Waiting for the Miracle: 'Who will have the happy ever after dream and who will settle for the dream never happening? I raced though it in 2 days to find out. I particularly loved the flitting between current day and the character Catherine's story from the past and was eager to see how the 2 would come together. Wrap yourself up in a duvet and start reading. You won't be disappointed.' 'You will be gripped by both stories and wonder where the book is going ... but it gets better and better.' 'Loved loved loved it! As always an amazing story with real life issues, read it in 3 days couldn't put it down going to work was a bit of inconvenience lol can't wait for the next one, thanks Anna' 'Another emotional rollercoaster read about loss, hope, courage & friendship, I was hooked right from the very start, I loved how the story changed between current day and the past with Catherine's story, have your tissues ready.' 'Didn't want it to end.' 'McPartlin excels in the one-liner, and finding something to laugh about in the darkest of times.' 'I do not hesitate to recommend this magnificent book to everyone. Sure to be in my top books of this year.' 'A story of hope over heartbreak told with Irish humour and charm.' 'Anna McPartlin has done it again! Another stunning read that ends with me in tears yet also smiling.'
An unforgettable true story that will touch your heart and make you believe in love’s enduring legacy, and in the power of prayer. In 1928, 16-year-old Minka was on a picnic in the woods when she was assaulted and raped. And suddenly this innocent farm girl—who still thought the stork brought babies—was pregnant. The baby was secretly born, named Betty Jane, and given up for adoption. For decades, Minka wrote letters trying to get news of her daughter; she kept loving and praying for her, even though she never dared believe they would meet again. Until nearly eighty years later, when Minka whispered her secret, impossible prayer for the first time: Lord, I’d like to see Betty Jane before I die. I promise I won’t bother her or interrupt her life. I just want to lay eyes on her. Unbeknownst to Minka, that very same day, a judge was releasing the sealed adoption records to her 77-year-old daughter. And soon, Minka’s phone would ring. Written by Cathy LaGrow (Minka’s granddaughter), The Waiting brings three generations of this most unusual family together over the course of a century to tell a story of faith that triumphs, forgiveness that sets us free, and love that never forgets.
This is the true story about the journey of a Jewish family through Eastern Europe. It begins somewhere in Russia in the mid-19th century, and takes the reader into the events during the two world wars, and their ways of existence during the holocaust. The simple and touching stories are presented from the perspective of a sensitive young boy, fascinated by his surroundings. In a moment of anxiety and fear, the boy is torn from his family, and the journey of his life begins. The story describes four generations that represent the history of Eastern European Jews. The author creates a unique attraction between the book and the reader, by her fluent and vivid language. Historical truths are intertwined with fascinating stories about the power of a violin, and the miracles that occurred during the attempt to survive under impossible conditions in a period where sanity was lost. "People will forget what I said, people will forget what I did, people will never forget what I made them feel."
We have all experienced a disconnect between God's promises to us and our everyday reality. We wait, without understanding why. We want to know God's plan so that we can trust it--but God so often hides his plan so that we will trust him. What can we do in the meantime as we are waiting for an answer, a change, or a miracle? With deep compassion, Wayne Stiles helps readers understand why God makes them wait. Unpacking the Old Testament story of Joseph, Stiles shows readers how to find comfort and opportunity in the time between God's promises and his answers, revealing the perspective-altering truth that sometimes when we think we are waiting on God, he is actually waiting on us. Anyone who has felt a disconnect between God's promises and their reality, who doesn't know what God wants them to do next, or who struggles with the brokenness of their world will find in Wayne Stiles a wise and trustworthy guide to finding peace in the pauses.
Heartwarming and Heart-Opening Stories Gathered from Decades of Medical Practice Bernie Siegel first wrote about miracles when he was a practicing surgeon and founded Exceptional Cancer Patients, a groundbreaking synthesis of group, individual, dream, and art therapy that provided patients with a “carefrontation.” Compiled during his more than thirty years of practice, speaking, and teaching, the stories in these pages are riveting, warm, and belief expanding. Their subjects include a girl whose baby brother helped her overcome anorexia, a woman whose cancer helped her heal by teaching her to stand up for herself, and a family that was saved from a burning house by bats. Without diminishing the reality of pain and hardship, the stories show real people turning crisis into blessing by responding to adversity in ways that empower and heal. They demonstrate what we are capable of and show us that we can achieve miracles as we confront life’s difficulties.
What if God wants you to wait? Most of us know what it’s like to wait for God to change our circumstances. But, whether we’re waiting for physical healing, emotional breakthrough, or better relationships, waiting is something we usually try to avoid. Why? Because waiting is painful and hard. The truth is, it’s also inevitable. In Still Waiting, Ann Swindell explores the depths of why God wants us to wait by chronicling her own compelling story of waiting for healing from an incurable condition. She offers a vibrant retelling of the biblical account of the Bleeding Woman that parallels her story—and yours, too. Let Ann help you see the promise that is hidden in the ache of waiting and the hope of what God can—and will—do as you wait on him.
NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY People ∙ O: The Oprah Magazine ∙ Financial Times ∙ Kansas City Star ∙ BookPage ∙ Kirkus Reviews ∙ Publishers Weekly ∙ Booklist NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER “A stunner.”—Justin Cronin “It’s never the disasters you see coming that finally come to pass—it’s the ones you don’t expect at all,” says Julia, in this spellbinding novel of catastrophe and survival by a superb new writer. Luminous, suspenseful, unforgettable, The Age of Miracles tells the haunting and beautiful story of Julia and her family as they struggle to live in a time of extraordinary change. On an ordinary Saturday in a California suburb, Julia awakes to discover that something has happened to the rotation of the earth. The days and nights are growing longer and longer; gravity is affected; the birds, the tides, human behavior, and cosmic rhythms are thrown into disarray. In a world that seems filled with danger and loss, Julia also must face surprising developments in herself, and in her personal world—divisions widening between her parents, strange behavior by her friends, the pain and vulnerability of first love, a growing sense of isolation, and a surprising, rebellious new strength. With crystalline prose and the indelible magic of a born storyteller, Karen Thompson Walker gives us a breathtaking portrait of people finding ways to go on in an ever-evolving world. “Gripping drama . . . flawlessly written; it could be the most assured debut by an American writer since Jennifer Egan’s Emerald City.”—The Denver Post “Pure magnificence.”—Nathan Englander “Provides solace with its wisdom, compassion, and elegance.”—Curtis Sittenfeld “Riveting, heartbreaking, profoundly moving.”—Kirkus Reviews (starred review) Look for special features inside. Join the Circle for author chats and more.
