Charity Gray was an intelligent, inquisitive teen who disappeared fifteen years eariler. When her body is discovered, it should be a typical cold case. Before the Detroit police can get started, the FBI commandeers the investigation, with a prime suspect in mind: retired mobster Leo Agonasti. When Agonasti slips through their grasp, he reaches out to Sergeant Jefferson Chene. Their unusual friendship draws Chene into the thick of the case. Burdened with two reluctant FBI agents, Chene is working against the clock and the feds to find the real killer. Chene senses they are getting close to the answers. Will he be able to solve the murder and clear the old mobster of this heinous crime before time runs out?
Written primarily for pastors and ministry leaders in seasons of transition, The Wayward Way is the thirst-quenching encouragement needed for those longing to find their way back to purpose in the ministry. The relevant examples of wandering aimlessly in ministry, coupled with biblical principles and personal insights, offer inspiration to view the transitional seasons of ministry as opportunities for exploration. It’s time to find your way out of the wilderness and embrace the purposes God has for those called to ministry.
Comets have not only blazed across the celestial vault throughout human history, they have embellished the night sky since the Earth itself formed some 4.5 billion years ago. Comets were among the first-born solid bodies in the solar system, and their frozen nuclei tell of the primordial chemistry and chaos that ultimately resulted in the formation of the planets, the evolution of life and us. For all this, however, comets have long been celestial oddities: they baffled our distant ancestors, and human society continues to marvel and speculate wildly at their appearance even to the present day. Cutting against the perceived constancy of the stars, comets seemingly present themselves at random times and they are often interpreted as harbingers of terrestrial change - both good and ill. How then are we to tame the comet: where do they form, how do they move, and can their appearances be predicted? Such questions have preoccupied astronomers for centuries but comets have only gradually allowed the secrets of their wayward flight to be revealed. In this book I explore the historical struggle to understand not only the place of comets within a societal context, but also the scientific quest to make their paths amenable to mathematical certitude. The latter narrative is the more technical in content, but it took tactile form with the invention, in 1732, of the cometarium, a mechanical device to demonstrate the first two of Kepler's planetary laws. And, this development was later paralleled, in the mid to late 19th century, by the development of various mechanical devices (analog computers) to help obtain solutions to Kepler's Problem - the problem which asks, exactly where in its orbit is a given comet at some specific set time. The telling of the wayward comets story covers the past two millennia of human history, and it takes us from the phenomenological musings of Aristotle, through the exactitude of Newton's gravitational theory and calculus, to the truly incredible study of comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko, by the European Space Agency's Rosetta spacecraft, in the modern era.
This book marks the first time that the poetry of Curtis Wayne Parris appears in print. The poems were selected to showcase Parris’ mastery of verse and provide readers with a broad range of poetic styles from Parris’ diverse catalog. Readers should be advised—and forewarned—that they are about to enter into a world of hauntingly beautiful prose and verse that spans the spectrum of human emotion, from zeniths of bliss to nadirs of sorrow. In his cosmic meanderings, Parris wanders through psychedelic dreamscapes of sublime beauty but also descends into the deepest gorges of despair. Through linguistic alchemy, Parris skillfully blends subject, sound, syntax, and syncopation to create naturally rhythmic poems charged with pure emotion. Blessed with a gift for alliteration and cadence, Parris uses simple, everyday words to convey the most intimate and horrifying details of his life. Parris does not seek exposure nor notoriety, for he lives in a world of night, of moonscapes and shadows. Instead, Parris writes because he has a tempest inside. Parris injects metaphysical concepts into his poems, frequently traveling through time, space, and other dimensions as he explores the mysterious universe within his mind. In these respects, his poems can touch upon ancient nerves; for we are all, to some degree or another, just fellow travelers in time, journeying through life, seeking solace, and awaiting final destinations. Into this abstract poetic tapestry, Parris weaves his observations on life, death, religion, and politics. Come along and take a journey through the land of dreams.
This newly revised and expanded edition of Insights on James, 1 & 2 Peter, part of the 15-volume Swindoll’s Living Insights New Testament Commentary series, draws on Gold Medallion Award–winner Chuck Swindoll’s 50 years of experience with studying and preaching God’s Word. The series combines Chuck’s deep insight, signature easygoing style, and humor to bring a warmth and practical accessibility not often found in commentaries. Each volume combines verse-by-verse commentary, charts, maps, photos, key terms, and background articles with practical application. The newly updated volumes now include parallel presentations of the NLT and NASB before each section. This series is a must-have for pastors, teachers, and anyone else who is seeking a deeply practical resource for exploring God’s Word.
About the Book In the first nine chapters of Proverbs—Solomon’s letter to his son who will be king someday—Solomon provides an astounding amount of wisdom. If the son will listen to, accept, and claim this wisdom for his own, he will be a wonderful king and enjoy the fruits of kingship. The question is, will he? Business and Personal Wisdom: A Wise King’s Advice takes the wisdom Solomon gave and translates it into wisdom for us today using historical references and anecdotes from author Bob Biles’ career and personal life. In multiple ways, today’s world is not much different than the world of Solomon’s time. Like then, many today are shouting their ideas, thoughts, counsel, and advice on how the world should be and how others should act. In his day, Solomon found a good deal of it was simple, foolish, deceitful, or evil. Solomon would have the same option of much of today’s talk and speeches. Rather than listen to that chattering, Solomon’s sincere hope is you will hear Wisdom’s entreaties and the true wisdom in Solomon’s words and become wise. It is Bob’s hope that the business and personal applications he has drawn from Solomon’s letter to his son will change your life. About the Author After working in the CPA world for three years, Bob spent the next forty years serving as the finance director or CFO for six cities and a transit agency. Besides experiencing multiple government and management styles, having lived in six of the states west of the Mississippi River, Bob has firsthand experience of regional cultural differences and a wide range of personalities. Bob and his wife of forty-six years have three children and five grandchildren. They spend two days a week with the grandchildren (and their parents) and the whole family gathers on a regular basis. Bob and his wife attend New Hope First Baptist Church in Cedar Park, Texas, and are active participants in several activities, including a wonderful Sunday School class. Bob has been to all fifty states in the U.S. and most of the Canadian provinces. Although there have been some special places to which Bob wants to return, those will have to wait until he gets through the list of destinations yet unseen.
'Dazzling storytelling' - Hilary McKay Born with a serious heart condition, Dara has been waiting for his Big Operation forever, and this summer it's finally going to happen. The moment his heart is fixed he'll row out to the island in the bay all by himself just like he's always dreamed. But when his op is postponed, Dara snaps. When will he get to live his real life? Maybe the adventures he dreams of are just silly fantasies. And then he finds a girl hiding in the boat shed. She wears animal skins. She has a real live pet wolf. She is, simply, impossible. Could Mothgirl really be from the Stone Age? And what is she seeking on Lathrin Island? As Dara and Mothgirl set out on a wild, windswept sea journey Dara begins to realise that when you stop worrying about what's impossible, you can do anything. A brave, life-affirming middle-grade timeslip adventure about finding your family and finding yourself, from the author of The Wild Way Home.
This translation follows the form of the original. That is, not nature mysticism, but rather homely proverbs filtered through the mind of the sage and voice of the poet. This version suggests cadence and diction of common speech with shades of Emily Dickenson, Robert Frost, and the King James Bible. "A text message from the 6th Century, B.C." - Tom Early Thomas Early is Associate Professor Emeritus at Humboldt State University. He taught in the Philosophy and Religious Studies Departments from 1971 to 2005. He earned a BA degree in philosophy and religion with honors from Hiram College in 1967. In 1972 at Boston College Graduate School he was awarded the doctorate Magna Cum Laude in philosophy with special emphasis in religious studies. At present Dr. Early dwells in quasi-monastic retirement, within view of the Humboldt campus and the Pacific north coast beyond. His daily work in progress is to move smoothly from the world of academic multi-tasking to Parkinsonian mono-tasking to Taoist no tasking at all.
