St. Benedict's Toolbox


Book Description

A practical, down-to-earth guide on the Rule of St. Benedict and its use in daily life. In the sixth century when the Roman Empire was breaking apart and politics, cultural life and even the Church were in disarray―tumultuous times not unlike our own―Benedict of Nursia designed what he termed “a little rule” that showed his monks the way to peace as they learned to prefer Christ above all things. Jane Tomaine translates St. Benedict’s ancient rule for a modern audience and offers readers a primer on how to use these tools in their own tumultuous lives. Each chapter examines one aspect of the Rule, from ways of praying to ways of being in relationships and community, and offers tools for reflection, prayer, journaling, and action. This updated edition includes historical background to the Rule, a new chapter on relationships and community, and a guide for group use. “[A] wonderful book, one of the best introductions we have in print today to the spirit of St. Benedict. It speaks clearly to Episcopalians of our day about the great spiritual treasure of the Benedictine tradition.”―The Rt. Rev. R. William Franklin, Assisting Bishop of Long Island.




Crazy Dangerous


Book Description

Do right, fear nothing. Sam Hopkins is a good kid who has fallen in with the wrong crowd. Hanging around with car thieves and thugs, Sam knows it’s only a matter of time before he makes one bad decision too many and gets into real trouble. But one day, Sam sees these friends harassing an eccentric schoolmate named Jennifer. Finding the courage to face the bullies down, Sam loses a bad set of friends and acquires a very strange new one. Jennifer is not just eccentric. To Sam, she seems downright crazy. She has terrifying hallucinations involving demons, the devil, and death. And here’s the really crazy part: Sam is beginning to suspect that these visions may actually be prophecies—prophecies of something terrible that’s going to happen very soon. Unless he can stop it. With no one to believe him, with no one to help him, Sam is all alone in a race against time. Finding the truth before disaster strikes is going to be both crazy and very, very dangerous. Thrilling young adult read Stand-alone novel Book length: approximately 75K words Includes discussion questions for book reports




Chickens in the Road


Book Description

Suzanne McMinn, a former romance writer and founder of the popular blog chickensintheroad.com, shares the story of her search to lead a life of ordinary splendor in Chickens in the Road, her inspiring and funny memoir. Craving a life that would connect her to the earth and her family roots, McMinn packed up her three kids, left her husband and her sterile suburban existence behind, and moved to rural West Virginia. Amid the rough landscape and beauty of this rural mountain country, she pursues a natural lifestyle filled with chickens, goats, sheep—and no pizza delivery. With her new life comes an unexpected new love—"52," a man as beguiling and enigmatic as his nickname—a turbulent romance that reminds her that peace and fulfillment can be found in the wake of heartbreak. Coping with formidable challenges, including raising a trio of teenagers, milking stubborn cows, being snowed in with no heat, and making her own butter, McMinn realizes that she’s living a forty-something’s coming-of-age story. As she dares to become self-reliant and embrace her independence, she reminds us that life is a bold adventure—if we’re willing to live it. Chickens in the Road includes more than 20 recipes, craft projects, and McMinn’s photography, and features a special two-color design.




First Timers and Old Timers


Book Description

"The Texas Folklore Society has been alive and kicking for over one hundred years now, and I don't really think there's any mystery as to what keeps the organization going strong. The secret to our longevity is simply the constant replenishment of our body of contributors. We are especially fortunate in recent years to have had papers given at our annual meetings by new members--young members, many of whom are college or even high school students. "These presentations are oftentimes given during sessions right alongside some of our oldest members. We've also had long-time members who've been around for years but had never yet given papers; thankfully, they finally took the opportunity to present their research, fulfilling the mission of the TFS: to collect, preserve, and present the lore of Texas and the Southwest. "You'll find in this book some of the best articles from those presentations. The first fruits of our youngest or newest members include Acayla Haile on the folklore of plants. Familiar and well-respected names like J. Rhett Rushing and Kenneth W. Davis discuss folklore about monsters and the classic 'widow's revenge' tale. These works--and the people who produced them--represent the secret behind the history of the Texas Folklore Society, as well as its future."--Kenneth L. Untiedt




The Longview


Book Description

Are you rushing to find quick fixes to complex problems? Are you overwhelmed by pressure to produce immediate gains? Are you aiming at nearsighted remedies instead of long-term solutions? Become a leader who values transformation over turnaround–one who measures eternal outcomes as well as immediate effectiveness. This book shows you how. Consider it your personal guide to a leadership lifestyle of lasting significance. The Longview will revolutionize the way you lead. "Now more than ever, leaders everywhere are realizing that short-term thinking doesn't work. The Longview by Dr. Roger Parrott is essential medicine for today's hurry-up, quick-fix lifestyle. Read this book, read it again, and apply its message to your life." -- Ken Blanchard, coauthor of The One Minute Manager® and Lead Like Jesus “Roger Parrott is indeed a leader who looks at things from a long-range perspective. I have had the privilege of knowing him and watching him lead for many years. Not only does he model good leadership, but he also seeks to help others lead well." -- Steve Douglass, president of Campus Crusade for Christ "Roger Parrott has demonstrated over the years that true Christian leadership is a matter of integrity performed with excellence. When you live a life like that, you can't help but have followers! In his new book, The Longview: Lasting Strategies for Rising Leaders, he provides weathered advice to young men and women on leading with honesty and truthfulness. I highly recommend it!" -- Joni Eareckson Tada, JAF International Disability Center “Leaders in the United States have needed to heed the message of this book for years. Roger Parrott explains how leaders can best serve their people and the organizations they lead. Leading others is like running a marathon, not a sprint, and Roger Parrott is a leadership marathoner par excellence! I highly recommend this book.” -- D. Michael Lindsay, author of Faith in the Halls of Power







I Will Die Free


Book Description




Orchestration


Book Description

The war cost her everything, a mother, a father, and a country. Four-year-old Bang Sun found tied to a tree, is riddled with disease, malnutrition, and bears the scars of a tragic life. Facing a future of nothing but pain, loss, and hopelessness, we follow the story of a mixed-race African-American child of the Korean War. When Korea begins purging itself of its unwanted casualties, babies of war, her abandonment leads to two orphanages and eventually to adoption in America – where Bang Sun must now become an American – a Black American. Fiercely resilient and embodying her birth country’s hope as expressed in the song Arirang, Bang Sun, who becomes Saundra Henderson must learn to navigate a new language, a new culture, and a new family. Through it all, she holds resolutely to the imperfect memory from her five years in her homeland and tenaciously to that of the ‘Boy’ who saved her life. A powerful memoir of strength, grace, resilience, courage, and kindness, you’ll find yourself immersed in this beautiful and inspiring recollection of the child called Bang Sun.




Bringing Home the Prodigals


Book Description

Written for anyone who cries for a prodigal to return, whether daughter, son, sister, brother, spouse, or friend.




Goodbye to a River


Book Description

In the 1950s, a series of dams was proposed along the Brazos River in north-central Texas. For John Graves, this project meant that if the stream’s regimen was thus changed, the beautiful and sometimes brutal surrounding countryside would also change, as would the lives of the people whose rugged ancestors had eked out an existence there. Graves therefore decided to visit that stretch of the river, which he had known intimately as a youth. Goodbye to a River is his account of that farewell canoe voyage. As he braves rapids and fatigue and the fickle autumn weather, he muses upon old blood feuds of the region and violent skirmishes with native tribes, and retells wild stories of courage and cowardice and deceit that shaped both the river’s people and the land during frontier times and later. Nearly half a century after its initial publication, Goodbye to a River is a true American classic, a vivid narrative about an exciting journey and a powerful tribute to a vanishing way of life and its ever-changing natural environment.