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Pastoral Care in the Small Membership Church
By James L. Killen JR.. 2005
An introduction to pastoral care for pastors of small membership churches.“If you spend your whole life serving small membership churches…
and doing it well, yours will have been a life well spent.” Small membership churches have a real advantage when it comes to incorporating people into a fellowship where they are known and where their needs are met. These churches and their pastors have an opportunity for excellence in this area, and should make the most of it. Good pastoral care can be the key to effectiveness in all of the other ministries of the church.From getting acquainted with your congregation, weddings and funerals, picking up on subtle cues in a conversation to not-so-subtle conflicts, Killen shares insights from years of ministry in a small membership church setting.James L. Killen, Jr. is a retired elder of the Texas Conference, contributor to Circuit Rider, and author of Who Do You Say That I Am? A Personal Reader.Practicing the Way: Be with Jesus. Become like him. Do as he did.
By John Mark Comer. 2024
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • The author of The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry calls us to rediscover the path that…
leads to a deeper life with God. &“One of the most important books I have read in a decade . . . If we would all follow in this way, our lives would change and the world would change.&”—Jennie Allen, author of Get Out of Your Head and Find Your People We are constantly being formed by the world around us. To be formed by Jesus will require us to become his apprentice. To live by what the first Christian disciples called a Rule of Life—a set of practices and relational rhythms that slow us down and open up space in our daily lives for God to do what only God can do—transforms the deepest parts of us to become like him. This introduction to spiritual formation is full of John Mark Comer&’s trademark mix of theological substance and cultural insight as well as practical wisdom on developing your own Rule of Life. These ancient practices have much to offer us. By learning to rearrange our days, we can follow the Way of Jesus. We can be with him. Become like him. And do as he did.Paris and Her Cathedrals
By R. Howard Bloch. 2022
For history readers, travelers, and scholars alike, an indispensable behind-the-scenes guide to the great cathedrals of Paris. “So infectious is…
R. Howard Bloch’s passion for his subject that even those unable to do the traveling required will find in Paris and Her Cathedrals an inspiring guide to these time-hallowed masterpieces of medieval culture.” —Colin Jones, author of Paris and The Great Nation Over the years, R. Howard Bloch has become renowned for the insider tours of Paris that he gives to students abroad. Long sought after by travelers and history buffs for his near-encyclopedic knowledge of French cathedrals, the eminent French literature scholar finally shares his expertise with a wider audience. In Paris and Her Cathedrals, six of the most sublime cathedrals in the penumbra of Paris—Saint-Denis, Notre-Dame, Chartres, Sainte-Chapelle, Amiens, Reims—are illumined in magnificent detail as Bloch, taking us from the High Middle Ages to the devastating fire that set Notre-Dame ablaze in 2019, traces the evolution of each in turn. Written from the premise that “seeing is enhanced by knowing,” each chapter is organized along the lines of a walk around and then through the space of the cathedral, such that the actual or virtual visitor feels the rich sweep of the church, “the essence of these architectural wonders” (Antonia Felix). Animating the past with lush evocations of architectural splendor—from flying buttresses and jewel-encrusted shrines to hidden burial grounds and secret chambers—Bloch then contextualizes the cathedrals within the annals of French history. Here thrilling tales of kingly intrigue—as in Saint-Chapelle, where the pious King Louis IX amassed relics, including Christ’s crown of thorns—and audacious abbots are interspersed with anecdotes about the meeting of aristocratic and everyday life, culminating in “a rich, colorful narrative that clearly but expertly explains the history and symbolism of some of the world’s most magnificent buildings” (Ross King). To be read in preparation for an enlightened visit or merely to open a window upon the High Middle Ages in France, Paris and Her Cathedrals is a “revelation,” an “indispensable guide” (Garry Wills) to these awe-inspiring structures. Complete with the author’s own photographs, this beautifully illustrated volume vitally enhances our understanding of the history of Paris and its environs.Kung Fu Hero and The Forbidden City: A ComedyShortsGamer Graphic Novel
By Deji Olatunji aka ComedyShortsGamer. 2017
IT WAS ONLY MEANT TO BE A PRANK VIDEO...But now DEJI (AKA ComedyShortsGamer) has unleashed the forces of evil in…
Beijing's Forbidden City.Armed with nothing more than bravado and a talking dog, Deji must return a stolen dragon goblet to the tomb of the mighty Emperor before dawn, or face the end of the world!Standing in his way are gangs of triads, wild dog statues brought to life and skeleton ghosts, not to mention his startling ability to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory.But if Deji is going to survive the night he must triumph over his greatest foe of all, his brother, KSI.Can Deji overcome years of being a slacker and become a kung fu hero to save a world? Join him on his hilarious quest to prove to his parents that a lifetime playing Tekken wasn't a waste of time.It Could Be Worse, You Could Be Me
By Ariel Leve. 2009
“Ariel Leve is the love child of David Sedaris and Fran Leibowitz. An original and funny voice…. Insightful and sharp.”…
— Joan Rivers “Ariel Leve is brilliant and funny and the only other person I know without an oven. Buy this book and keep it close.” — Bill Nighy “Funny, smart, delightfully cranky”(AJ Jacobs) Ariel Leve’s Sunday Times Magazine (London) column “Cassandra” moves to book form. It Could Be Worse, You Could Be Me offers a humorously bleak perspective on life’s potential to turn out badly… and Ariel’s innate ability to put the black cloud into the silver lining. This is a book for schadenfreude aficionados; for readers who identify with Cassandra’s slogan, “worrying is my yoga”; and for fans of Seinfeld, Ugly Betty, Sex & the City, Curb Your Enthusiasm, David Sedaris, Woody Allen, and New Yorker cartoons.Yes, I Can Say That: When They Come for the Comedians, We Are All in Trouble
By Judy Gold. 2020
"No one makes me laugh harder than Judy Gold. If I had to pick one comedian to write a book…
about free speech, it would be Judy." – Amy SchumerFrom award-winning comedian Judy Gold, a concise, funny, and thoughtful polemic on the current assault on comedy, that explores how it is undermining free speech and a fundamental attack against the integrity of the art.From Mae West and Lenny Bruce to Richard Pryor and Howard Stern to Kathy Griffith and Kevin Hart, comedians have long been under fire for using provocative, often taboo subjects to challenge mores and get a laugh. But in the age of social media, comedians are at greater risk of being silenced, enduring shaming, threats, and damaged careers because of angry, censorious electronic mobs. But while comedians’ work has often been used to rile up detractors, a new threat has emerged from the left: identity politics and notions like "safetyism" and trigger warnings that are now creating a cultural and political standard that runs perilously close to censorship. From college campuses to the Oscars, comics are being censured for old jokes, long-standing comedy traditions, unfinished bits and old material that instead of being forgotten, go viral. For comics like Judy Gold, today’s attacks on comics would have Richard Pryor and Lenny Bruce "rolling in their graves." "No one has the right to tell comics what they can or cannot joke about. Do you tell artists what they can or cannot paint?" she asks. Freedom of speech is fundamental for great stand-up comedy. Humor is the most palatable way to discuss a subversive or taboo topic, but it better be funny. A comic's observations are deliberately delivered to entertain, provoke, and lead to an exchange of ideas. "We are truth tellers." More important, the tolerance of free speech is essential for a healthy democracy.In addition to offering readers a quick study on the history of comedy and the arts (noting such historical reference points as The Hays Code) and the threats to them, Gold takes readers on a hilarious ride with chapters such as "Thank God Don Rickles is Dead," as well as her singular take on "micro-aggressions," such as:Person: "OMG! You’re a lesbian? I had no idea. I mean you wear make-up. When did you become a lesbian?"Judy Gold: "Coincidently, right after I met you!" (micro-assault!)In this era of "fake news," partisan politics, and heated rhetoric, the need to protect free speech has never been greater, especially for comics, who often serve as the canaries in the coalmine, monitoring the health of our democracy. Yes I Can Say That is a funny and provocative look at how safe spaces are the very antithesis of comedy as an art form—and an urgent call to arms to protect our most fundamental Constitutional right. There's a good reason it was the FIRST amendment.I'm Just a Person
By Tig Notaro. 2016
Star of HBO Max's "Tig Notaro: Drawn," "Army of the Dead," "One Mississippi" and "Instant Family." As well as the…
host of the podcasts "Don't Ask Tig" and "Tig and Cheryl: True Story" with Cheryl Hines.One of America’s most original comedic voices delivers a darkly funny, wryly observed, and emotionally raw account of her year of death, cancer, and epiphany.In the span of four months in 2012, Tig Notaro was hospitalized for a debilitating intestinal disease called C. diff, her mother unexpectedly died, she went through a breakup, and then she was diagnosed with bilateral breast cancer. Hit with this devastating barrage, Tig took her grief onstage. Days after receiving her cancer diagnosis, she broke new comedic ground, opening an unvarnished set with the words: “Good evening. Hello. I have cancer. How are you? Hi, how are you? Is everybody having a good time? I have cancer.” The set went viral instantly and was ultimately released as Tig’s sophomore album, Live, which sold one hundred thousand units in just six weeks and was later nominated for a Grammy.Now, the wildly popular star takes stock of that no good, very bad year—a difficult yet astonishing period in which tragedy turned into absurdity and despair transformed into joy. An inspired combination of the deadpan silliness of her comedy and the open-hearted vulnerability that has emerged in the wake of that dire time, I’m Just a Person is a moving and often hilarious look at this very brave, very funny woman’s journey into the darkness and her thrilling return from it.Well, butter my butt and call me a biscuit! Delivering belly laughs, hee-haws, and downright slackjaw amazement, this hilarious guide…
to the homeland of George W. and Willie Nelson is the essential how-to for surviving in the Lone Star State. From strange Texas laws and the history of Dr. Pepper to "Texas Talk" (in which a "turd floater" is a heavy downpour) and final-meal requests by death row inmates, Kinky Friedman, "the oldest living Jew in Texas who doesn't own any real estate," provides an insider's guide that will be loved by native Texans and the rest of us poor devils alike.Even if you don't know the difference between an Aggie and an armadillo -- or what's really in the back on Willie Nelson's tour bus -- you can pass for a Texan with the Kinkster's expert coaching. So grab your hairspray and the keys to the Cadillac and get reading!A Savage Life: Holiday Stories
By Michael Savage. 1985
Radio legend Michael Savage reveals the man behind the microphone, sharing his extraordinary American journey and the adventures that shaped…
him.**FEATURING EXCLUSIVE, NEVER-BEFORE-PUBLISHED NEW MATERIAL**For twenty-five years, Michael Savage has captivated listeners on his national radio show The Savage Nation, which reaches a loyal audience of more than ten million each week. In A Savage Life, the usually private man tells his own compelling story in forty-six vignettes that span his childhood to today. These tales of Savage’s journey from poor immigrant’s son in New York City to media star are deeply personal and revealing: he writes of being so poor as a child that he had to wear a dead man’s pants; of the various trials that beset his parents and “silent brother,” Jerome, who was sent to an institution; of his botanical expeditions to Fiji in the 1970’s; and, most of all, of his family, his sustaining force throughout. “A marvelous storyteller.”— THE NEW YORKER“Vivid storytelling.” — WASHINGTON TIMESWisdom Distilled from the Daily: Living the Rule of St. Benedict Today
By Sister Joan Chittister. 1990
No One Asked For This: Essays
By Cazzie David. 2020
A NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER. From writer/director Cazzie David comes a series of acerbic, darkly funny essays about anxiety, social…
media, misanthropy, and growing up in a wildly eccentric family.For Cazzie David, the world is one big trap door leading to death and despair and social phobia. From shame spirals caused by hookups to panic attacks about being alive and everyone else having to be alive too, David chronicles her life’s most chaotic moments with wit, bleak humor, and a mega-dose of self-awareness. In No One Asked for This, David provides readers with a singular but ultimately relatable tour through her mind, as she explores existential anxiety, family dynamics, and the utterly modern dilemma of having your breakup displayed on the Internet. With pitch-black humor resonant of her father, comedy legend Larry David, and topics that speak uniquely to generational malaise, No One Asked for This is the perfect companion for when you don’t really want a companion."Blisteringly honest...kind of like if a David Sedaris book was written by an anxiety-ridden millennial who grew up in Hollywood."—Entertainment Weekly "Cazzie David is the delicious antidote to the poison of basic influencer culture. This book will make all misanthropes feel seen and loved—well, seen and tolerated."—Diablo Cody, screenwriter and author of Candy GirlAngel Courage: 365 Meditations and Insights to Get Us Through Hard Times
By Terry Lynn Taylor, Mary Beth Crain. 1999
From the authors of the bestselling Angel Wisdom comes a book for everyone who wants to transform fear into courage…
and despair into hope. This delightful book shows us how to learn from our experiences and live every day with the grace and joy of the angels. With a year's worth of daily meditations, Angel Courage offers fresh wisdom for confronting life's difficulties, both large and small-from stress at work to quarrels and letdowns, guilt and regrets, grief and grudges. Each day's reading features a thought-provoking quote, ideas for reflection, exercises, and an inspiring angel blessing. The authors encourage us to learn to love ourselves no matter what mistakes we've made. "May you always make mistakes," they advise, "just not the same ones." The wisdom of the angels shows us how to laugh at ourselves, live in the moment, put our energy into productive activities, and follow the timing of our hearts by using our own angel courage to greet each day with authenticity and love.Kinky Friedman is back, and with 'Scuse Me While I Whip This Out he gets it on with all manner…
of egos. In this collection of twisted takes on life, the Kinkster gives us funny, irreverent, and insightful looks at outsized personalities from people he's known, like Bill Clinton, George W., Willie Nelson, and Bob Dylan -- not to mention Joseph Heller and Don Imus -- to people he's known in spirit, such as Moses, Jesus, Jack Ruby, and Hank Williams. With his meditations on subjects ranging from sleeping at the White House, marriage, his pets, fishing in Borneo, country music, and cigars to the tribulations of possessing talent, Kinky doesn't deny us the "flashes of brilliance and laugh-out-loud observations" (Rocky Mountain News) that are present in all his other work. Hilarious, irreverent, and passionately twisted, 'Scuse Me While I Whip This Out reads as if it were written by a slightly ill modern-day Mark Twain.The Way of Serenity: Finding Peace and Happiness in the Serenity Prayer
By Jonathan Morris. 2014
FOX News religion analyst, program director of the Catholic Channel on SiriusXM radio, and bestselling author Father Jonathan Morris reveals…
how the Serenity Prayer offers a sure path to peace and fulfillment for everyone, not just those in recovery programs. The Serenity Prayer states:Lord, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change,The courage to change the things I can,And the wisdom to know the difference.Exploring the prayer phrase by phrase, Morris shows the hope that can be found by gaining a deeper spiritual understanding of its words and by practicing its message. Enlightening and profound, The Way of Serenity includes moving narratives, illuminating historical anecdotes, and pertinent biblical passages that demonstrate the power of the Serenity Prayer to help us grow closer to God and find greater peace and happiness.Train Tracks: Family Stories for the Holidays
By Michael Savage. 1985
A #1 New York Times bestselling author and superstar radio personality, Michael Savage is admired by millions for his tough…
talk and no-punches-pulled common sense about the state of our union and its leaders. In Train Tracks, a more personal side of Savage shines through in this marvelous collection of “American Stories for the Holidays.” Like Glen Beck’s blockbuster, The Christmas Sweater, Michael Savage’s poignant, personal stories of home, family, and the holidays will resonate with readers everywhere.The holidays. It's the time when families gather and reflect on the past year, to remember losses, to toast triumphs, to look forward to new beginnings. In the spirit of the season, beloved author and radio host Michael Savage's Train Tracks reminds us how every member of our family—in fact, each individual we encounter through time—contributes essential gifts to our life story.In the title chapter, set in the early 1950s, Savage remembers the excitement and mystery of riding the train from New York's old Penn Station to rural Pennsylvania at the start of the holiday break. Drawn from Savage's own journey from poor immigrant's son to media stardom, these deeply personal true tales show us that even in today's homogenizing times, we are all charting a unique destiny as we journey through life.Train Tracks is an instant holiday classic by an American original—a very special gift to be read and shared as we gather together.236 Pounds of Class Vice President: A Memoir of Teenage Insecurity, Obesity, and Virginity
By Jason Mulgrew. 2013
Jason Mulgrew, popular blogger and author of Everything Is Wrong with Me, continues his depreciating yet hilarious self-reflection with 236…
Pounds of Class Vice President. Set in Mulgrew’s high school years, this genuine and honest memoir revisits his teenage antics and escapades as he, while navigating the indignity of puberty, attempts to run for vice president of the student body, displays a penchant for long fur capes, and (naturally) wonders about sex. Mulgrew’s blog, Everything Is Wrong with me, has received more than 200 million hits since its inception in 2004. Complete with awkward, “what was he thinking?” photos—unmitigated proof of Mulgrew’s ungainly adolescence—236 Pounds of Class Vice President is an no-holds-barred yet tender look at the years some of us would rather forget.ToastHampton: How to Summer in Style
By Katie Sturino. 2016
A delightful and colorful high-fashion romp featuring Toast, the world’s first supermodel dog.She’s graced the pages of the New York…
Times and Us Weekly, and has appeared on Good Morning America and the Today show. She’s starred in designer Karen Walker’s advertising campaign, and pens her own weekly column in PeopleMagazine: Pets. Her jet-setting friends include Karlie Kloss, Reese Witherspoon, Jane Lynch, and, of course, her Internet celebrity dad, The Fat Jew. She has hundreds of thousands of fans following her every move on Instagram. She’s Toast, the puppymill rescue Cavalier King Charles Spaniel whose toothless grin and ever-present tongue have become today’s hottest style sensation.Now, fans can enjoy their favorite fashionista canine in ToastHampton, a collection of divine photographs that capture Toast shaking her auburn fur as she models big-name brands in the tony Hamptons.Whether she’s lounging on the sand, frolicking through a seaside meadow, dipping her paws in the sparkling sea, or striking one of her famous poses, Toast always sports the unique, sophisticated style that has melted fans’ hearts worldwide . . . and keeps them begging for more.Baseball Card Vandals: Over 200 Decent Jokes on Worthless Cards!
By Beau Abbott, Bryan Abbott. 2019
The true story and bizarrely brilliant art of the creative duo Mashable called "the Rembrandt and Picasso of vandalized baseball…
cards." Every day since 2012, brothers Beau and Bryan Abbott have drawn crude jokes on their old trading cards from the '80s and '90s and posted them on Tumblr, Twitter, and Instagram as Baseball Card Vandals. Now the fruits of this completely unnecessary labor have been collected in this stunningly absurd book. Inside you'll find a collection of over 200 "expertly" vandalized cards—including dozens of never-before-seen artworks—that blend the Vandals' signature oddball humor and artistic flair with a charming dose of sports nostalgia. Featuring an introduction on the Baseball Card Vandals history and process as well as a beautiful design inspired by vintage baseball cards, this book will be a hit with sports fans, art lovers, memorabilia collectors, pop culture watchers, Internet geeks, comedy connoisseurs, and permanent marker sniffers everywhere.Autocomplete: The Book
By Justin Hook. 2019
Every time a browser autocompletes our search query, it's showing us what millions of other people all over the world…
are searching for. This curious collection showcases the very best of the often strange yet 100% real autocomplete suggestions offered up by popular search engines, compiling them into one hilarious, fascinating, and mildly disturbing volume. Each page contains one search and its 10 best autocomplete suggestions, including the most and least common, from "Why is Ryan Gosling...eating cereal?" to "If the Earth is round...why are shoes flat?" With easy-to-read spreads and playful black-and-white line art throughout, Autocomplete provides a nearly unfiltered look at what people actually search for when they think no one's watching.Am I Overthinking This?: Over-answering life's questions in 101 charts
By Michelle Rial. 2019
Did I screw up? How do I achieve work-life balance? Am I eating too much cheese? Do I have too…
many plants? Through artful charts and funny, insightful questions, Michelle Rial delivers a playful take on the little dilemmas that loom large in the mind of every adult. Building on her popular Instagram account, Am I Overthinking This? brings whimsical charm to topics big and small, and offers solidarity for the stressed, answers for the confused, and a good laugh for all.