Beautiful Lies, Painful Truths


Book Description

"Life asked Death, 'Why do people love me, but hate you?' Death responded, 'Because you are a beautiful lie, and I am a painful truth.' " Anonymous Supernatural, horror, speculative fiction, thriller Anthology of short stories Nearly 400 pages of thought-provoking fiction & fantasy A mixed-genre collection of tales both fascinating & fantastic There's an ironic beauty between humanity's love of Life and fear of Death. Life seemingly brings joy, happiness, hope, and love. Death can end sadness, illness, suffering, and pain. We asked writers to "Let the title and quote take your imagination, your story, wherever it wants to go." Join them now as an international blend of authors, both fresh and seasoned, bring you an exceptional menu of speculative fiction, mystery, realism, horror, and the supernatural. If your palate varies from the macabre to the dramatic, Beautiful Lies, Painful Truths provides an assortment of tasty treasures that will chill, delight, and give you food for thought. Family Ties by Cara Fox A metaphysical tale of life, death, and familial bonds. Red Carnation by Brandon L. Summers A thought-provoking supernatural drama of duty and death. With Infinite Complacency by Steve Cameron A sci-fi saga about the end of the world, cosmic lies, and bananas. Death and the Horse by Terri Bruce A whimsical fantasy portraying Death, equines, and characters of myth. The Fall by Paul K. Metheney On the cliff's edge of suicide, a mortal questions God's power. A Picture of You by Timothy Vincent A sci-fi drama of infidelity, self-deception, murder, and love. The Half-Dead Man by Michael J. Hultquist A macabre narrative of family, fear, and the final truth. The Bet by Paul K. Metheney Immortal entities wager on a man's choice of life or death. In Dark Places by Robert James In the wake of her husband's death, a woman seeks the truth, or madness. Again and Again by A.G. Lopes A supernatural and international story of love, coincidence, and fate. Conscius Sibi by T. Gillmore A sci-fi story uncovering deceptive origins and the fantastic truth. Ghost Trap by Douglas Clark An urban fantasy of spectral demons. Who ya' gonna call? The Firekeeper by J.M. Williams A mystical legend of Native American folklore. Heaven's Eyes by S.R. Betler A supernatural and epic tale of a woman's deadly encounters. The Devil's Embrace by S.D. Hintz Other-worldly and unholy vows: Till death (or the neighbors) do us part. Slosh by J. Ryan Blesse A graphic narrative of betrayal, pain, and death as real as today's headlines. Guardians of the Dead by J.M. Williams A Native American legend of the Afterlife. The Planet of Purple Forests by Carrie Gessner A science fiction tale of war, lies, honor, and betrayal. The Look by Robert Petyo The drama of a divorcee suspecting her ex of the worst kind of lie. Selfie Warfare by Shaun Avery Social media takes a fatal and supernatural turn in this fantastic thriller. The Forgiveness Booths by EB Pollock A science fiction mystery separating truth, lies, and justice. Pinot by Devin Bradley A dramatic thriller about lies and love and the final glass of wine. Pondering Eternity Over Waffles at Last Call by JCC Downing Vacations and celestial philosophy can boil down to romance and truth. One Night in Memphis by LJ Hippler Flash fictional tale takes a page from reality exposing a shocking truth.




The Varnished Truth


Book Description

Everyone says that lying is wrong. But when we say that lying is bad and hurtful and that we would never intentionally tell a lie, are we really deceiving anyone? In this wise and insightful book, David Nyberg exposes the tacit truth underneath our collective pretense and reveals that an occasional lie can be helpful, healthy, creative, and, in some situations, even downright moral. Through familiar and often entertaining examples, Nyberg explores the purposes deception serves, from the social kindness of the white lie to the political ends of diplomacy to the avoidance of pain or unpleasantness. He looks at the lies we tell ourselves as well, and contrary to the scolding of psychologists demonstrates that self-deception is a necessary function of mental health, one of the mind's many weapons against stress, uncertainty, and chaos. Deception is in our nature, Nyberg tells us. In civilization, just as in the wilderness, survival does not favor the fully exposed or conspicuously transparent self. As our minds have evolved, as practical intelligence has become more refined, as we have learned the subtleties of substituting words and symbols for weapons and violence, deception has come to play a central and complex role in social life. The Varnished Truth takes us beyond philosophical speculation and clinical analysis to give a sense of what it really means to tell the truth. As Nyberg lays out the complexities involved in leading a morally decent life, he compels us to see the spectrum of alternatives to telling the truth and telling a clear-cut lie. A life without self-deception would be intolerable and a world of unconditional truth telling unlivable. His argument that deception and self-deception are valuable to both social stability and individual mental health boldly challenges popular theories on deception, including those held by Sissela Bok and Daniel Goleman. Yet while Nyberg argues that we deceive, among other reasons, so that we might not perish of the truth, he also cautions that we deceive carelessly, thoughtlessly, inhumanely, and selfishly at our own peril.




Christian Education


Book Description

This introductory textbook solidly situates Christian education in the church and ministry context of the 21st century. With over 20 years of ministry, teaching, and leadership experience, Freddy Cardoza is uniquely qualified to bring together a wide range of Christian educators. This volume features the expertise of 25 evangelical scholars of Christian education, including diverse, next-generation voices in the field. It provides balanced biblical-theological and practical perspectives for church and parachurch leaders, equipping them to meet the ever-changing needs of our world. Additional resources for professors and students are available through Textbook eSources.




White Lies and Barefaced Truths


Book Description

From the author of the Mates, Dates series comes the first two books in a new series based on the classic game of Truth or Dare. As best friends Becca and Cat play the game, will they be able to handle the consequences that may test their friendship? Original.




The Little Book of Big Lies


Book Description

An inspiring and illuminating guide to true self care, from the sage teacher and breakout star of the critically acclaimed drama, Queen Sugar, from Executive Producers Oprah Winfrey and Ava DuVernay for OWN. Featured on Essence Magazine's Culture List In all your years of schooling, did you ever take a single class that explained how to navigate the hurt, drama, and fear that come with living? Tina Lifford sure didn’t. She learned the hard way—through experience as both a Hollywood actress and as the founder of the personal development network The Inner Fitness Project. Now, she brings together her own hard-won insights as well as those of her clients in this helpful and transformative guide. A blend of personal anecdotes and meaningful, practical—and most important, actionable—advice, The Little Book of Big Lies is the life skills class you need to nurture the inner you and move beyond the past. In fourteen raw, personal stories, Tina teaches you how to change your self-perception—to see yourself in the best possible light, to love and honor what you see, and to forge a new sense of what’s possible in every aspect of your life. But make no mistake, The Little Book of Big Lies is not a “rah-rah” quick fix for fear and pain. Like physical fitness, building and maintaining emotional strength requires continued effort. This invaluable book is the foundation you need to start building inner health and well-being so you can thrive. Tina guides you on a journey of self-discovery that will help you turn shame into self-acceptance, self-rejection into self-love, blame into freedom, and old hurt into power. Wise and powerful, The Little Book of Big Lies will completely change how you think and live.




Unsettling Truths


Book Description

You cannot discover lands already inhabited. In this prophetic blend of history, theology, and cultural commentary, Mark Charles and Soong-Chan Rah reveal the damaging effects of the "Doctrine of Discovery," which institutionalized American triumphalism and white supremacy. This book calls our nation and churches to a truth-telling that will expose past injustices and open the door to conciliation and true community.




The Mirror of Life: Unpalatable, Painful Truths Exposed!


Book Description

It is a tragic reality of life, which man cannot escape or run from. Every person inhabiting this planet has the good fortune of enjoying and sharing this environment on an even playing field. How we share and utilize this environment, is up to us. Despite our intelligence and the ability to rationalize logically, we adopt patterns of living, which result in our failure as human beings. Our failed existence, make us the victims of unpalatable, painful truths.We are the principal architects, who planned and designed the blue print for our undoing and downfall. The Mirror of Life presented its readers with vivid, graphic details of real life situations, in which victims faced ruin, disaster, pain, anguish, emotional turmoil and extreme remorse and regret.The inability of looking beyond your noses and assessing and evaluating future outcomes and consequences, accounted for much of the misery, disappointment and heart-ache. The misconception that money can buy you happiness and protect you from all adversities, was held up to ridicule and its false claim decimated, by the real-life stories presented by The Mirror. The mockery of this adage was paraded in shame, before its readers. Simple, common-sense living, uninfluenced by wealth or poverty, can protect and shield man against experiencing, the inevitable fate of coming face to face with such unpalatable, painful truths. Moderate and extreme lifestyles were juxtaposed to test the validity and outcome of choices available to mankind, in this Novella. Those who chose the extreme route were more vulnerable to pain and suffering. Those who embraced the moderate life style, while not totally free of such unpalatable, painful truths, were able to mitigate such consequences. They could, weather the storm and not drown in the cesspool of misery.These options are always available to mankind, but man’s inability to discern and make the right choices are questionable. Man’s indiscriminate and impulsive choices, account for the pain and sorrow, which he voluntarily accepts and drags alongside him, throughout his life.He alone can cut loose and break free from these self-imposed shackles. Love should never blind you to the reality staring you in the face.Seeing anomalies and denying their existence, can never be a sane solution and a recipe for healthy living. In our effort to shield and protect those we love, the truth is deliberately concealed.The irony is that those who protect and shield, are the ones most hurt by their caring, protective attitude. The greatest hurt and the most cruel cut emanates from man against man.Love and the expression of this emotion in its various manifestations, accounted for the severest pain and trauma to those dispensing it. Love, tempered with sobriety, can overcome the harsh backlash and accompanying misery. Love should be dispensed with controlled discretion. This golden rule should be observed, whether the recipient of this love is a child or an adult. The painful, unpalatable consequences of disregarding this golden rule, were clearly evident in the anecdotes, in which the characters Ben and Robin were presented by the Mirror of Life. Parading mischief and bad behavior as ‘cute,’ can be the worst parenting skill, which must be re-visited and revised. Man’s extreme, unchecked obsession, piloted by his insatiable greed and selfishness, can steer him into unchartered waters, from which there is no return. Even if he succeeds in escaping, he is scarred for life. The numerous real- life situations presented in this novella: The Mirror of Life: Unpalatable, Painful Truths Exposed, are a grim reminder to the discerning reader to live life with caution, avoiding the man-made traps and enticements, which can readily ensnare man. Thank you readers for your esteemed and highly respected company, in this edifying journey of self- discovery and redemption. May you never suffer the personal indignity of experiencing such unpalatable, painful truths o




The Honest-to-Goodness Truth


Book Description

From Coretta Scott King Award–winning author Patricia C. McKissack comes a humorous and poignant picture book about the right time to tell the truth. “Tell the truth and shame the devil,” Libby’s mama has told her. So whatever is Libby doing wrong? Ever since she started telling only the truth, the whole world seems to be mad at her. First, it’s her best friend, Ruthie Mae, who gets upset when Libby tells all their friends that Ruthie Mae has a hole in her sock. Then Willie gives her an ugly look when she tells the teacher he hasn’t done his homework. It seems that telling the truth isn’t always so simple. Can Libby figure out what it really means to be truthful and make amends?




Half Truths


Book Description

They are simple phrases. They sound Christian—like something you might find in the Bible. We’ve all heard these words. Maybe we’ve said them. They capture some element of truth, yet they miss the point in important ways. Join Adam Hamilton in this 5-week Bible study to search for the whole truth by comparing common Christian clichés with the wisdom found in Scripture. The clichés include: Everything happens for a reason. God helps those who help themselves. God won’t give you more than you can handle. God said it, I believe it, that settles it. Love the sinner, hate the sin.




Truth?


Book Description

A must read for all!! Can the contents be faulted? Can Truth? really point the way out of the darkness many of us live our lives in? Can the questions really be answered? Will the real secret thoughts of men be truthfully revealed? Or is this just another 'Men are from Mars and Women from Venus' hype.. I THINK NOT!!! Truth? Is not a dating book, a relationship guide or steps to win at the relationship game. This is the one true voice from the male perspective that is never spoken or heard. Until now. It is simply Truth? So why the question mark? Well, some sexes will agree, some will question, some will learn, but all will agree that the knowledge to be gained from reading Truth? Will create debates, clarity but above all, a window out of the darkness.