If God Gave Your Graduation Speech


Book Description

With refreshing honesty, winsome humor and a keen understanding of human nature, Payleitner delivers a surprising and thought-provoking commencement address from God's point of view. Every remark is a fresh and relevant restatement of truths found in Scripture, which are shown in subtle, yet profound footnotes at the bottom of each page. Graduates are reminded of God's love, faithfulness and trustworthy plan for their lives. In the final pages, Psalm 37:4 yields a surprise ending for those who trust God. -An inspired gift for high school and college grads. -Vividly "Imagined" from God's eternal perspective. -Content is a retelling of specific Bible verses revealed in footnotes right on the same page. -In its first year, Jay's book 52 Things Kids Need from a Dad sold more than 90,000 copies through Choice Books. The success of that title launched a new "52 Things" franchise for the publisher, for which Jay continues to write. -Stunning full-color interior design. Deluxe cover finishes.




This Is Water


Book Description

Only once did David Foster Wallace give a public talk on his views on life, during a commencement address given in 2005 at Kenyon College. The speech is reprinted for the first time in book form in THIS IS WATER. How does one keep from going through their comfortable, prosperous adult life unconsciously' How do we get ourselves out of the foreground of our thoughts and achieve compassion' The speech captures Wallace's electric intellect as well as his grace in attention to others. After his death, it became a treasured piece of writing reprinted in The Wall Street Journal and the London Times, commented on endlessly in blogs, and emailed from friend to friend. Writing with his one-of-a-kind blend of causal humor, exacting intellect, and practical philosophy, David Foster Wallace probes the challenges of daily living and offers advice that renews us with every reading.




This Is Water


Book Description

In this rare peak into the personal life of the author of numerous bestselling novels, gain an understanding of David Foster Wallace and how he became the man that he was. Only once did David Foster Wallace give a public talk on his views on life, during a commencement address given in 2005 at Kenyon College. The speech is reprinted for the first time in book form in This is Water. How does one keep from going through their comfortable, prosperous adult life unconsciously? How do we get ourselves out of the foreground of our thoughts and achieve compassion? The speech captures Wallace's electric intellect as well as his grace in attention to others. After his death, it became a treasured piece of writing reprinted in The Wall Street Journal and the London Times, commented on endlessly in blogs, and emailed from friend to friend. Writing with his one-of-a-kind blend of causal humor, exacting intellect, and practical philosophy, David Foster Wallace probes the challenges of daily living and offers advice that renews us with every reading.




The Prayer of Agur


Book Description

“Learn a simple prayer that will help you find your sweet spot in life.”—Josh McDowell, author of More Than a Carpenter “Give me neither poverty nor riches, but give me only my daily bread.” Proverbs 30:8 This simple, unexpected request from a little-known biblical author named Agur is the only prayer in all of Proverbs, and it offers life-changing potential. Imagine finding new purpose and contentment in your work, personal ministry, and relationships. Open your heart to Agur’s wit and wisdom, and you can learn to • escape imbalance • overcome fear of failure and eliminate envy • joyfully pursue your passions • reap the eternal rewards of trusting God • find your personal sweet spot In our modern, busy lives, embracing balance leads us away from bad decision-making and the emotional cost of trying to do too much or survive with too little. This engaging and practical book faithfully unpacks Agur’s humble prayer. Read it in an evening. Affirm it for a lifetime. Share it with those you love.




The Last Lecture


Book Description

The author, a computer science professor diagnosed with terminal cancer, explores his life, the lessons that he has learned, how he has worked to achieve his childhood dreams, and the effect of his diagnosis on him and his family.




Tattoos on the Heart


Book Description

How do you fight despair and learn to meet the world with a loving heart? How do you overcome shame? Stay faithful in spite of failure? No matter where people live or what their circumstances may be, everyone needs boundless, restorative love. Gorgeous and uplifting, Tattoos on the Heart amply demonstrates the impact unconditional love can have on your life. As a pastor working in a neighborhood with the highest concentration of murderous gang activity in Los Angeles, Gregory Boyle created an organization to provide jobs, job training, and encouragement so that young people could work together and learn the mutual respect that comes from collaboration. Tattoos on the Heart is a breathtaking series of parables distilled from his twenty years in the barrio. Arranged by theme and filled with sparkling humor and glowing generosity, these essays offer a stirring look at how full our lives could be if we could find the joy in loving others and in being loved unconditionally. From giant, tattooed Cesar, shopping at JCPenney fresh out of prison, we learn how to feel worthy of God’s love. From ten-year-old Lula we learn the importance of being known and acknowledged. From Pedro we understand the kind of patience necessary to rescue someone from the darkness. In each chapter we benefit from Boyle’s wonderful, hard-earned wisdom. Inspired by faith but applicable to anyone trying to be good, these personal, unflinching stories are full of surprising revelations and observations of the community in which Boyle works and of the many lives he has helped save. Erudite, down-to-earth, and utterly heartening, these essays about universal kinship and redemption are moving examples of the power of unconditional love in difficult times and the importance of fighting despair. With Gregory Boyle’s guidance, we can recognize our own wounds in the broken lives and daunting struggles of the men and women in these parables and learn to find joy in all of the people around us. Tattoos on the Heart reminds us that no life is less valuable than another.




If This Isn't Nice, What Is?


Book Description

A collection of commencement speeches and other wit and wisdom from the New York Times–bestselling literary icon and author of Slaughterhouse-Five. Master storyteller and satirist Kurt Vonnegut was one of the most in-demand commencement speakers of his time. For each occasion, Vonnegut’s words were unfailingly insightful and witty, and they stayed with audience members long after graduation. This expanded second edition also includes more than sixty pages of further thoughts from Vonnegut (whose good advice wasn’t limited to graduation speeches). Edited by Dan Wakefield, and including such pieces as “How to Make Money and Find Love!,” “How to Have Something Most Billionaires Don’t,” and “Somebody Should Have Told Me Not to Join a Fraternity,” this book reads like a narrative in the unique voice that made Vonnegut a hero to readers everywhere. Hilarious, razor-sharp, freewheeling, and at times deeply serious, these reflections are ideal not just for graduates but for anyone undergoing what Vonnegut would call their “long-delayed puberty ceremony”—marking the long and challenging passage to full-time adulthood. “Like Mark Twain, Mr. Vonnegut used humor to tackle the basic questions of human existence.” —The New York Times




What If God Wrote Your To-Do List?


Book Description

What is God Asking You "To-Do" Today? When you talk to God about His plans for you, do you tend to focus on the far-off future? Big-picture thinking is great, but don't miss out on what the Lord has in store for you today. These 52 easy tasks will help you embrace opportunities to grow closer to God, reach out to others, and take better care of yourself. This is a to-do list for your soul. Read a Psalm, talk to a neighbor, or right a wrong. These are just a few examples of the simple activities that will enrich your everyday life. God is calling you to make the most of each day and live life to the fullest!




Carpe Every Diem


Book Description

A thoughtfully curated, cleverly designed keepsake that distills the wisdom of all those powerful graduation speakers—from Barack Obama and Gloria Steinem to Kermit the Frog—into the best advice for grads of all ages. Carpe Every Diem is a thought-provoking collection of quotes from famous graduation speakers meant to motivate and inspire the next generation of leaders. Paired by theme, many of the quotes complement one another. George Saunders, for example, riffs on the “failures of kindness” of his youth, encouraging grads to be kinder. Jimmy Buffett offers a simpler nugget of kind-spiration: “Be Santa Claus when you can.” Other quotes, however, are paired with conflicting advice, giving graduates the opportunity to choose what to believe in. Some may respond to Neil Gaiman's “make good art” speech, while others may prefer John Waters's call to arms to horrify and outrage others with their art. Which of these affirmations will you choose? Each quote is accompanied by a short bio of the speaker and stamped with the year and institution where the commencement speech was delivered. With advice from the likes of Abby Wambach, Angela Davis, David Foster Wallace, Oprah Winfrey, Spike Lee, Kanye West, and more, readers will be swept away by the wit and wisdom contained in this book—perfect for graduates, creative thinkers, or anyone seeking inspiration.




10 Conversations Kids Need to Have with Their Dad


Book Description

Dad, you love your kids to pieces. But whether it’s father-son or father-daughter, how to talk to them—and about what—can be one of the big mysteries in raising children. Bestselling author and veteran dad Jay Payleitner comes to the rescue with a carload of great ideas about communicating those all-important life values to your kids to help them thrive. Good news is, you don’t have to use a lot of words as you plant healthy thoughts about... Excellence: how your kids can hit home runs in life Emotions: experiencing and handling them as God’s gift Integrity: being true to something beyond themselves Marriage: focusing on the positives, not the weeds, thorns, and crabgrass Immortality: living life as a friend of the One who’s eternal Jay’s straightforward, man-friendly advice and stories form a terrific, confidence-boosting resource for building lifelong positives into your family. Raising children just got easier! Great gift or men’s group selection.