Friendships are like flowers. If you take care of them, they grow and bloom until you have a beautiful garden! The Little Book of Friendship shows young readers what they need to know to make a friend and to be one too.
For so many of us, our friends are like family members--we lean on them through our highest highs and our lowest lows--but sometimes those friendships don't turn out quite as we hoped. Bible teacher Kelly Needham debunks our world's constricted, narrow view of friendship and casts a richer, more life-giving, biblical vision for friendship. In Friend-ish, Kelly Needham reminds us that we were called to more than halfhearted friendships and lukewarm connections. We need something more stable, secure, and sacred. We were designed for real friendship--but the difficult truth is that too many of us are settling for less. Kelly deconstructs what Scripture says about the gift of friendship and takes a closer look at the distorted view that most of us have instead. As she shares the lessons she's learned from experience, Kelly paints her own glorious vision of what Christian friendship could look like. With hard-fought wisdom, a clear view of Scripture, and a been-there perspective, Friend-ish teaches us how to: Recognize symptoms of idolatry and toxic dependency Boldly ask for what we need from our community of friends Understand and address the problems that arise in friendship--from neediness to discord Recognize when it's time to end an unhealthy friendship Reorient toward the purposeful, loving relationships we all crave that ultimately bring us closer to God Find the friends you need and start to become that friend for others Join Kelly as she challenges you to view your chosen family in a new light, gain a vision of friendship according to Jesus, and finally enjoy friendships as God intended.
JESUS,THE BEST FRIEND! J.C. Ryle, 1878 "Yes, He is altogether lovely. This is my Beloved, and this is my FRIEND!" Song of Solomon 5:16 "The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and you say: Here is a glutton and a drunkard, a FRIEND of tax collectors and sinners!" Luke 7:34 A friend is one of the greatest blessings on earth. Tell me not of moneylove is better than gold; sympathy is better than lands. He is the poor manwho has no friends! This world is full of sorrowbecause it is full of sin. It is a dark place. It is a lonely place. It is a disappointing place. The brightest sunbeam in it, is a friend. Friendship halves our troublesand doubles our joys! A real friend is scarce and rare. There are many who will eat, and drink, and laugh with us in the sunshine of prosperity. There are few who will stand by us in the days of darknessfew who will love us when we are sick, helpless, and poorfew, above all, who will care for our souls! Does any reader of this paper want a real friend? I write to recommend one to your notice this day. I know of One "who sticks closer than a brother!" (Proverbs 18:24) I know of One who is ready to be your friend for time and for eternity, if you will receive Him. Hear me, while I try to tell you something about Him. The friend I want you to know is Jesus Christ. Happy is that family in which Christ has the foremost place! Happy is that person whose chief friend is Christ!
Our best friends, Twitter followers, gal-pals, bromances, Facebook friends, and long distance buddies define us in ways we rarely openly acknowledge. But as a society, we are simultaneously terrified of being alone and already desperately lonely. We move through life in packs and friendship circles and yet, in the most interconnected age, we are stuck in the greatest loneliness epidemic of our time. It's killing us, making us miserable and causing a public health crisis. Increasingly, we don’t just die alone; we die because we are alone. What if meaningful friendships are the solution?Journalist Kate Leaver believes that friendship is the essential cure for the modern malaise of solitude, ill health, and anxiety and that, if we only treated camaraderie as a social priority, it could affect everything from our physical health and emotional well being. Her much-anticipated manifesto, The Friendship Cure, looks at what friendship means, how it can survive, why we need it, and what we can do to get the most from it. Why do some friendships last a lifetime, while others are only temporary? How do you “break up†? with a toxic friend? How do you make friends as an adult? Can men and women really be platonic? What are the curative qualities of friendship, and how we can deploy friendship to actually live longer, better lives?From behavioral scientists to besties, Kate draws upon the extraordinary research from academics, scientists, and psychotherapists, and stories from friends of friends, strangers from the Internet, and her “squad†? to get to the bottom of these and other facets of friendship. For readers of Susan Cain’s Quiet and Elizabeth Gilbert’s Big Magic, The Friendship Cure is a fascinating blend of accessible “smart thinking,†? investigative journalism, pop culture, and memoir for anyone trying to navigate this lonely world, written with the wit, charm, and bite of a fresh voice.
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.
Sean Covey's wildly popular The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens was one of the first teen success guides ever, and has become a timeless classic read by millions of teens all over the world. Now, in The 6 Most Important Decisions You'll Ever Make, Covey goes into even greater depth in helping teens figure out how to approach the six major challenges they face: gaining self-esteem; dealing with their parents; making friends; being wise about sex; coping with substances; and succeeding at school and planning a career. Covey speaks directly to the pain and confusion that teens and their parents experience in the face of these weighty, life-changing, and extremely common difficulties. Friendly and upbeat as ever, he shows them how to use the 7 Habits to cope with, manage, and ultimately conquer each challenge--and become happier, more productive people.
An NPR Best Book of the Year! New York Times bestselling author Julie Fogliano and Caldecott Honor winner Jillian Tamaki come together to tell a delightful story of first friendship. she is my best friend i think i never had a best friend so i’m not sure but i think she is a really good best friend because when we were drawing she drew me and i drew her. What is a best friend, if not someone who laughs with you the whole entire day, especially when you pretend to be a pickle? This pitch-perfect picture book is a sweetly earnest, visually stunning celebration of the magic of friendship.
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER They met over their dogs. Gail Caldwell and Caroline Knapp (author of Drinking: A Love Story) became best friends, talking about everything from their love of books and their shared history of a struggle with alcohol to their relationships with men. Walking the woods of New England and rowing on the Charles River, these two private, self-reliant women created an attachment more profound than either of them could ever have foreseen. Then, several years into this remarkable connection, Knapp was diagnosed with cancer. With her signature exquisite prose, Caldwell mines the deepest levels of devotion, and courage in this gorgeous memoir about treasuring a best friend, and coming of age in midlife. Let’s Take the Long Way Home is a celebration of the profound transformations that come from intimate connection—and it affirms, once again, why Gail Caldwell is recognized as one of our bravest and most honest literary voices.
***STANDALONE NOVEL*** My world changed at the stroke of midnight. No, I’m not Cinderella—she can suck it. When fate stepped in and waved its magic wand, my destiny, or what I thought was my destiny had been altered. With a new found energy, I decided things needed to change. This is my time. My turn to take life by the balls. No one will hold me back, yet one man will give me hope. This is my fairy tale, and I’ll write my own ending. I’m Gretchen Prescott, and this is my story. From the first day I met her, I knew she was special. She was taken; we were friends. When the dumbass didn’t realize what he had, he lost her. I suppose one man’s loss could be this man’s gain. All I wanted was to hold her, be with her and make her mine. She deserves the best things in life, and I plan on giving them to her. I’m Mason McDermott, and this is our story. Intended for readers 18+ "Brilliant!!! I loved every word in the fairy tale that is Charmed. Gretchen is a strong confident woman who knows what she wants out of life. Mason is every woman's dream come true." —A.M. Madden, USA Today Bestselling Author "I love the entire feel of this story. It was a delightful read that kept me turning pages late into the night." —Adriana Locke, USA Today Bestselling Author "If you're looking for a typical romance with trite prose and the standard yawn-inducing story line, Charmed is not for you. But if you want something fresh and new, a book that will make you feel warm and fuzzy and then KNOCK your feet out from under you, then Charmed perfectly fits the bill. Absolutely brilliant!" —Kathryn M. Crane, Bestselling Author
'MY BEST FRIEND IS A GODDESS IS A SINCERELY SWEET AND SERIOUSLY SMART STORY WITH A LOT OF HEART!' -- Danielle Binks - YA author and reviewer Sixteen-year-old Emily and Adriana have been besties since Year One. Way back when Adriana had a gap between her teeth and was super skinny. Emily wasn't any less awkward looking, and ever since they've stuck together on the social sidelines. But when Adriana returns during Year 10, after having spent eighteen months overseas, she has gone from awkward to AMAZING. As in utter goddess. Thankfully, Adriana is no different on the inside. She's still the same best friend Emily knows and loves. But Emily just wishes that one guy, any guy, would want to get to know her for a reason other than being Adriana's best friend. Cue Theo ... Two best friends crushing on one very cute guy ... someone's going to get their heart broken. MORE PRAISE FOR MY BEST FRIEND IS A GODDESS 'My Best Friend is a Goddess is a sincerely sweet and seriously smart story with a lot of heart! It's a wonderful book for young girls in particular; a reminder that they are more than the sum of their parts, and encouraging them to celebrate their complexities by rejecting the labels that other people want to put on them and their bodies'-- Danielle Binks - YA author and reviewer 'Scary-relatable ... like seriously, has a piece of fiction ever hit this close to home? Author Tara Eglington just *knows* about girl stuff. And bestie stuff. And boy stuff. Grab a comfy spot (preferably right beside the pool) and get stuck in ...'-- Girlfriend Magazine 'Tara Eglington perfectly captures the intensity, humour and heartache of female friendship' -- Lili Wilkinson, bestselling author of Green Valentine 'Tara weaves the joy and angst of teenage friendship into an addictive read' -- Saray Ayoub, acclaimed author of Hate Is Such a Strong Word and The Yearbook Committee 'I think that this is an important book that everyone should read. It teaches you that things in life don't always stay the same' -- Mollie the Reader Blog, 5 star review