Make Your Mess Your Memoir


Book Description

These days, there's no better business tool than a book. But most people don't know how to write one-or even where to start. Turns out the best place is the messy middle.Anna David knows this more than anyone. When the New York Times bestselling author of seven books got sober and sold a book about her recovery to the biggest publisher in the world, she thought she'd made it. Then she learned the hard way that trying to make a living by selling books to traditional publishers was a cruel joke-and that accepting the unacceptable was no way to live. The publishing industry was ripe for disrupting. But first David had to make a mess and then learn from it.After years of struggle and self-discovery, she ended up not only mentoring and publishing hundreds of bestselling authors but also thriving personally and professionally. Now she's sharing what she's learned-and showing others how to do the same.In this page-turning and useful memoir-meets-manual, David reveals her personal lows (doing cocaine by herself while contemplating suicide), her career lows (a past-his-prime celebrity hurling a phone at her as she wrote his biography) and how her life today wouldn't be possible without those experiences.With deft humor and unique insight, David demonstrates how much early childhood programming can set us up to repeat our own dysfunctional patterns-until we're ready to shift our behavior. The last quarter of the book is a practical guide so that readers can make their own mess into a message-and memoir.




My Mess


Book Description

My Mess is all about grace. It's the story of how I was trapped in sin, struggling with pornography, fighting addictions, completely alone, living for myself and not caring who I hurt in the process. And one day I got to the point where I was so lost, out of hope, sunk in depression and emptiness, that I called out to God, looking for just a taste of His acceptance. Instead I was plunged into an ocean of grace that I didn't think was possible. If you feel trapped and you feel like it's been forever since you've had any hope: Hope in Jesus Christ. Romans 10:11 says, "For the Scripture says, 'WHOEVER BELIEVES IN HIM WILL NOT BE DISAPPOINTED.' " Jesus is the only One who will never let you down, and He proved it to you by being the only one who has ever lived a perfect life, and He even went so far as to die for you so that you would be set free in Him. It's time to be set free. It's time to overcome sin through the power of God. It's time to overcome emptiness and loneliness through the presence of Jesus. And it's time to seek God and find the purpose that He put you here to accomplish. You are on this earth for a reason, and when you know what that reason is, you cannot help but do great things in the kingdom of God. My Mess resembles Inspirational Christian Books, Christian testimony books, books about the Holy Spirit, books about Seeking God, and books on Spiritual Growth. It covers topics such as the Holy Spirit, seeking God, pursuing God, Spiritual growth, and living the Christian life. For more material by Troy Black visit www.InspireChristianBooks.com




A Beautiful Mess


Book Description

This profound little book encourages us to set aside our limited expectations, and to fall in line with God's. Human beings like organization, structures, plans; God grows people. We ask for a budget; God offers us love. If you are aiming at relationship rather than performance, how do you measure effectiveness? How do you write a mission statement, yet allow God space to act out His plan rather than yours? What does Divine Order look like? Faith in God involves risk, and the possibility that God will do something entirely new. Starting with the seven days of creation, Danielle considers how God's world resembles A Beautiful Mess ' vibrant, full of colour and pulsating with life, but not about propositions. The Christian life is organic, not prescribed. We were not created to work, but to be fruitful. We need to be willing to put ourselves in a position where only God can do what needs to be done, and to have the humility to let God show us what that is.




Of Mess and Moxie


Book Description

Life is messy for each of us. But Jen Hatmaker reminds us that it's okay to admit that we're all in the same boat. Join New York Times bestselling author and honorary big sister Jen as she shares hilarious tales, shameless honesty, and unconditional hope for the woman who's forgotten her moxie. We will endure discouragement, heartbreak, failure, and suffering. All of us. And more than once. But we are the very same folks who can experience triumph, perseverance, joy, and rebirth. More than once. And in more than one category. And in more than one season. And that? That's moxie. Moxie reaches for laughter, for courage, for the deep and important truth that women are capable of weathering the storm. We are not victims, we are not weak, we are not a sad, defeated group of sob sisters. Yes, life is hard, but we are incredibly resilient. Of Mess and Moxie shines a light on Jen's own triumphs and tragedies into a sigh of relief for all normal, fierce women everywhere. Whether it's the time she drove to the wrong city for a fourth-grade field trip or the way she learned to truly forgive, she offers a reminder to those of us who sometimes hide in the car eating crackers that we do actually have the moxie to get back up and face our messes head-on. After all, this race is not a contest--there's enough abundance to go around. This book will give you the encouragement you need to remember that: Your mess is normal You are not in competition with your peers--your seat at the table is secure You have incredible gifts to offer Come alongside Jen as she teaches us that we can all choose to live undaunted and in the moment, no matter what the moments hold, and we really can lead vibrant, courageous, grace-filled lives.




The Mess That We Made


Book Description

The Mess That We Made explores the environmental impact of trash and plastic on the ocean and marine life, and it inspires kids to do their part to combat pollution. Simple, rhythmic wording builds to a crescendo ("This is the mess that we made. These are the fish that swim in the mess that we made.") and the vibrant digital artwork captures the disaster that is the Great Pacific Garbage Patch. Children can imagine themselves as one of the four multi-ethnic occupants of the little boat surrounded by swirling plastic in the middle of the ocean, witnessing the cycle of destruction and the harm it causes to plants, animals, and humans. The first half of the book portrays the growing magnitude of the issue, and the second half rallies children and adults to make the necessary changes to save our oceans. Facts about the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, ocean pollution, and how kids can help are included in the back matter.




Holy Hot Mess


Book Description

In this National Bestseller, Mary Katherine Backstrom shares heartbreaking and hilarious stories of how God uses each "mess" in our lives to bring us closer to Him. She shows us that it's okay to celebrate exactly where we are right now—holy, hot mess and all. A lot of people struggle with the concept of being holy. But the fact is, even the hottest of messes are being shaped—right now—into Jesus' likeness. In this book, Mary Katherine shares the sometimes-hidden evidence of God's work in her life and shows you that it's okay to embrace the hot messes. Mary Katherine will share both hilarious and vulnerable stories about faith, friendships, motherhood, marriage, and depression. She will cover the topics that plague our hearts every day with raw, honest truth and a side of laughter. Mary Katherine invites you into her story as a friend, encouraging you to embrace the hot messes in your life. Because we are all a work in progress, and as long as we are alive, we are under construction—and construction sites tend to be messy.




My Mess Is a Bit of a Life


Book Description

“Georgia Pritchett is a singularly hilarious person. Her book is a delightful and perfect reflection of her. Its tenderness sneaks up on you and really packs a punch. What a magnificent read!”—Julia Louis Dreyfus Jenny Lawson meets Nora Ephron in this joyful memoir-in-vignettes on living—and thriving—with anxiety from a multiple Emmy Award-winning comedy writer whose credits include Succession and Veep. When Georgia Pritchett found herself lost for words—a bit of a predicament for a comedy writer—she turned to a therapist, who suggested she try writing down some of the things that worried her. But instead of a grocery list of concerns, Georgia wrote this book. A natural born worrywart, Georgia’s life has been defined by her quirky anxiety. During childhood, she was agitated about the monsters under her bed (Were they comfy enough?). Going into labor, she fretted about making a fuss (“Sorry to interrupt, but the baby is coming out of my body,” I said politely). Winning a prestigious award, she agonized over receiving free gifts after the ceremony (It was an excruciating experience. Mortifying). Soul-baring yet lighthearted, poignant yet written with a healthy dose of self-deprecation, My Mess Is a Bit of a Life is a tour through the carnival funhouse of Georgia’s life, from her anxiety-ridden early childhood where disaster loomed around every corner (When I was little I used to think that sheep were clouds that had fallen to earth. On cloudy days I used to worry that I would be squashed by a sheep), through the challenges of breaking into an industry dominated by male writers, to the exquisite terror (and incomparable joy) of raising children. Delightfully offbeat, painfully honest, full of surprising wonders, and delivering plenty of hilarious, laugh-out-loud moments, My Mess Is a Bit of a Life reveals a talented, vulnerable, and strong woman in all her wisecracking weirdness, and makes us love it—and her—too.




Your Mess Matters


Book Description

What if the mess of your life is where God is about to do his best work? Life can be a tangled mess. Luke Lezon's mess came in the form of alarming health issues, transforming him from fun-loving and God-fearing to angry and hopeless. As Luke's health deteriorated for months without answers, the stress of not knowing suddenly spiraled into a mental and emotional breakdown. As a pastor, he wasn't supposed to struggle with life's mess - but then maybe we've been wrong about the mess all along. As Luke learned, you are not made of the mess, you are made through it. If you're feeling lonely or less-than, ashamed of where you've been or anxious about where you're going, this is a message crafted just for you: God is never afraid of a mess. He's never run from some dirt and blood. In fact, the mess is exactly where he does his best work. If we believe that God created us from dust and redeemed us through the blood of the cross, we can trust him with our tangled lives. Your Mess Matters is a lifeline to hang on to, a light in the dark reminding you that God is still at work, making your life more beautiful than ever before. Through vulnerable stories of his own journey and profound biblical truths, Luke will guide you through the process of entrusting your story to Jesus and letting him work his biggest promises through your greatest regrets. With Luke's encouraging insight and bold truth-telling, your mind will be comforted, your heart inspired, and your soul empowered to let God transform your mess into a masterpiece.




Life Is Messy


Book Description

Life is messy. It isn't a color-within-the-lines exercise. It's a wild and outrageous invitation full of uncertain outcomes. The mess of life is both inevitable and unexpected. It is filled with delightful mysteries and frustrating predicaments. In our disposable culture, we throw broken things away. So, what will we do with broken people, broken relationships, broken institutions, broken families, and of course, our very own broken selves? We are all broken and wounded. This book is about putting our lives back together, and allowing ourselves to be put back together, when life doesn't turn out as we expected it to. Based on his own heart-wrenching personal journals, Matthew Kelly shares how the worst three years of his life affected him, by exploring this question: Can someone who has been broken be healed and become more beautiful and more lovable than ever before? The answer will fill you with hope. There has never been a more urgent need for us to attend to what is happening within us. This is quite simply the right book at the right time.




Messy


Book Description

The urge to tidiness seems to be rooted deep in the human psyche. Many of us feel threatened by anything that is vague, unplanned, scattered around or hard to describe. We find comfort in having a script to rely on, a system to follow, in being able to categorise and file away. We all benefit from tidy organisation - up to a point. A large library needs a reference system. Global trade needs the shipping container. Scientific collaboration needs measurement units. But the forces of tidiness have marched too far. Corporate middle managers and government bureaucrats have long tended to insist that everything must have a label, a number and a logical place in a logical system. Now that they are armed with computers and serial numbers, there is little to hold this tidy-mindedness in check. It's even spilling into our personal lives, as we corral our children into sanitised play areas or entrust our quest for love to the soulless algorithms of dating websites. Order is imposed when chaos would be more productive. Or if not chaos, then . . . messiness. The trouble with tidiness is that, in excess, it becomes rigid, fragile and sterile. In Messy, Tim Harford reveals how qualities we value more than ever - responsiveness, resilience and creativity - simply cannot be disentangled from the messy soil that produces them. This, then, is a book about the benefits of being messy: messy in our private lives; messy in the office, with piles of paper on the desk and unread spreadsheets; messy in the recording studio, the laboratory or in preparing for an important presentation; and messy in our approach to business, politics and economics, leaving things vague, diverse and uncomfortably made-up-on-the-spot. It's time to rediscover the benefits of a little mess.