Arguing that the musical is the "most ubiquitous and dominant cultural icon of our age," scholar Ian Bradley unpacks the theological significance of the musical. Bradley argues that musicals provide millions of people around the world not just with entertainment but also with spiritual and theological values, a philosophy of life, and an encounter with God. In addition, he offers his thoughts on what the popularity of the musical might mean for the future of the church.
A step-by-step plan offers examples and exercises on how to determine and live by a set of values, experiment with failure as a formula for success, and take life beyond set limits.
The author, a computer science professor diagnosed with terminal cancer, explores his life, the lessons that he has learned, how he has worked to achieve his childhood dreams, and the effect of his diagnosis on him and his family.
This heartwarming picture book reassures children that a parent’s love never lets go—based on the poignant lyrics of JJ Heller’s beloved lullaby “Hand to Hold.” “May the living light inside you be the compass as you go / May you always know you have my hand to hold.” With delightful illustrations and an engaging rhyme scheme, this book offers the promise of security and love every child’s heart longs to know. From skipping stones and counting stars to climbing trees and telling stories, every moment is wrapped snugly in the certain warmth of a parent’s presence and God’s blessing. With poignancy and joy, this bedtime read captures the unconditional love parents want their children to know but so often fail to express amid the chaos of daily life.
“A lyrical masterpiece.” —School Library Journal (starred review) Originally performed at the Kennedy Center for the unveiling of the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial, and later as a tribute to Walter Dean Myers, this stirring and inspirational poem is New York Times bestselling author and National Book Award finalist Jason Reynolds’s rallying cry to the young dreamers of the world. For Every One is exactly that: for every one. For every one person. For every one who has a dream. But especially for every kid. The kids who dream of being better than they are. Kids who dream of doing more than they almost dare to imagine. Kids who are like Jason Reynolds, a self-professed dreamer. Jason does not claim to know how to make dreams come true; he has, in fact, been fighting on the front line of his own battle to make his own dreams a reality. He expected to make it when he was sixteen. Then eighteen. Then twenty-five. Now, some of those expectations have been realized. But others, the most important ones, lay ahead, and a lot of them involve kids, how to inspire them: All the kids who are scared to dream, or don’t know how to dream, or don’t dare to dream because they’ve NEVER seen a dream come true. Jason wants kids to know that dreams take time. They involve countless struggles. But no matter how many times a dreamer gets beat down, the drive and the passion and the hope never fully extinguishes—because simply having the dream is the start you need, or you won’t get anywhere anyway, and that is when you have to take a leap of faith. A pitch-perfect graduation, baby, or inspirational gift for anyone who needs to me reminded of their own abilities—to dream.
As one of the world's most renowned motivational speakers, Les Brown is a dynamic personality and highly-sought-after resource in business and professional circles for Fortune 500 CEOs, small business owners, non-profit and community leaders from all sectors of society looking to expand opportunity. For five decades he has not only studied the science of achievement, he's mastered it by interviewing thousands of successful business leaders and collaborating with them in the boardroom, translating theory into bottom-line results for his clients.Les Brown's straight-from-the-heart, passion and high- energy motivates audiences to step beyond their limitations and into their greatness in many ways. Over the past two decades, Les has expanded his role from keynote speaker to Master Trainer, creating the kind of workshop learning experience that got him committed to personal and professional development many years earlier. His charisma, warmth and humor have transformed ordinary people into extraordinary achievers by using his own life, and his in-depth study of others' challenges, to build an understanding of what works, what doesn't work, and why.
When Desi Bascomb gets discovered by the elite Façade Agency--royalty surrogates extraordinaire--her life goes from glamour-starved to spectacular in a blink. As her new agent Meredith explains, Desi has a rare magical ability: when she applies the ancient formula Royal Rouge, she can temporarily transform into the exact lookalike of any princess who needs her subbing services.
I can't really complain about my life; I have a job I love and a best friend that fills the void of my nonexistent family, but sometimes I'm lonelier than I like to admit. Especially with the holiday season approaching, I can't help but wish I had someone special to share it with. My friend gives me a snow globe with a man and a snowy owl inside, and for some bizarre reason, this man starts showing up every night when I close my eyes. It's... not real, but I can't seem to get the guy out of my head. It probably shouldn't surprise me that my brain conjures up the perfect man in my dreams... well, almost perfect if he'd stop claiming to be a warlock. But the crazy thing is that all of it-that he-feels so real. When I start falling for the man, the warlock, I can't help but wish that what we have in my dreams could be a reality. I know it can't, but at least when I'm asleep, I can be with him-with Alaric. Although this book is part of A Snow Globe Christmas series, it is a complete stand alone and it isn't a requirement that you read the previous books to follow along. We wish everyone a happy holiday season.
You may be the next Hank Williams, Mozart, and Bob Dylan all rolled up into one. But if you don't get the right people to hear the songs you've written, then the best you can hope for is to be an undiscovered genius. If You've Got a Dream, I've Got a Plan is written by one of Country Music's most successful songwriters. In this informative guide, aspiring songwriters will learn: What is a demo? And do I need a demo? What is a single song contract? How do royalty rates work? What is ASCAP? BMI? How much money can I make if my song hits number one on the charts? How do I get the right people to hear my songs? If You've Got a Dream, I've Got a Plan will not guarantee that you will become a successful songwriter. But it does arm aspiring songwriters with the information they need to enter a highly competitive world, one that is potentially rewarding both financially and artistically sense. It tells what to do, and maybe more importantly, what not to do. Kelley Lovelace is an award-winning songwriter who lives in Nashville, Tennessee. He is the co-author with Brad Paisley of the book and the song He Didn't Have to Be. He is also the songwriter of the hits "Wrapped Around", "Two People Fell in Love", "The Impossible", and "I Just Wanna Be Mad".
True stories that reveal why hard work and determination still count—and how the promise of America is still very much alive. The book is a collection of compelling stories from people that overcame a variety of adversities to achieve their American Dream. Featuring accounts of people facing a wide variety of challenges and coming from a wide variety of backgrounds, this book will turn skeptics into believers by way of everyday life examples. It instills inspiration and hope—reminding us that no matter the obstacles, this is still the land of opportunity.
