Breaking into Joy

Breaking into Joy
Author: Anne Costa
Publisher: The Word Among Us Press
Total Pages: 224
Release: 2014-10-01
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 159325461X

“The joy of the Lord is our strength.” Worries, pressures, disappointments, and stress are the weeds that crowd out the fruit of joy in our hearts. How can we remember that God’s joy is available to us at every moment? How can we resist succumbing to negativity, sadness, or cynicism? Anne Costa writes about the joy of the Lord in this book of one hundred short meditations. In each one, she challenges us to see how we can choose God’s joy in the everyday events and encounters of our lives. Costa’s gentle reminders can help you break into joy and live in the love that Christ has for you.

Can't Steal My Joy

Can't Steal My Joy
Author: Bekah Bowman
Publisher:
Total Pages: 190
Release: 2019-09-17
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 9781733151900

We are all broken. It's a unified human experience. And we all need a hope that doesn't disappoint, a love that anchors us, joy that survives in unthinkable conditions, and a perspective shift that goes beyond our circumstances. Some days we feel the perfection of sunshine and a light breeze. Other days hold wet, gray skies with drowning grief. In the wake, comes promise of new growth. Still other days a cold winter frost catches us by surprise, halting our journey toward fruitful blooms. We step back, reeling at the damage from this frost. We question the system and environment we grow in. We can exist in this garden dictated by the changing weather patterns. Or, we can see a different kind of brave living-that which exists beyond our fragile stems and dainty leaves, living instead deep in our roots. This book is for those sitting in the deep-down dark, traveling with grief as a constant companion, and anyone whose life path has taken an unexpected turn. Bekah shares the heart break of a fatal diagnosis for not just one, but both her children. As she journeyed through dark valleys of death, it was there she experienced Jesus in a whole new way-in deeply broken places. Her journey holding pain in one hand and joy in the other is vulnerably scribbled out on these pages as she tore open the wounds in her soul to share how Christ created beauty and goodness in it all. It was in this journey, she learned to see wholeness in cracks, courage in the broken-hearted, and bravery in the act of letting go. May you discover the Life-Giver of joy, see your beautiful bloom, and know that hope is always worth holding on to, because redemption is coming--and in fact--is already happening here and now. "Can't Steal My Joy is an honest, real-life account of a life storm that drops down right on top of you with no warning - and the unspeakable beauty that blooms from the wreckage. Bekah's heart beats in every page, every word. To read her story from start to not-yet-finished, it's only natural to wonder how anyone could survive something like this. But the truth is that Bekah and Danny have done much more than survive. They have thrived. And as for the how? Jesus - only Jesus. God's grace weaves seamlessly throughout each moment of confusion, devastation, hope, surrender, and triumph. You cannot read this book without seeing the Creator and longing for all things new." Anne Riley, author of Voyage to the Star Kingdom "I had the absolute pleasure of being able to read Bekah Bowman's book, Can't Steal My Joy, before it hit the bookshelves. I honestly have not read anything so moving and soul stirring since, The Shack. Whether you are in a season of mourning or grief, or in my case, struggling in the heaviness of life to find peace and joy within, this book helps lift the veil of sadness to reveal God's promise that He never leaves you. God makes his presence known everyday in little ways if you only stop to look for the joy outside the pain. Bekah is a gifted writer and I'm so excited to share this book with my friends and family." Melinda, founder of WhenLife Co

Breaking and Entering

Breaking and Entering
Author: Joy Williams
Publisher: Vintage
Total Pages: 288
Release: 2010-09-01
Genre: Fiction
ISBN: 0307763854

Willie and Liberty are drifters. They break into Florida vacation homes while the owners are away, stay a while, and then move on. They have been lovers since they were teenagers, yet Liberty now senses that Willie is drifting away from her—that their search, so relentless and mysterious, is becoming increasingly dangerous. An exhilarating cast of characters reflects this search, which is not just for home, but for self.

The Broken and the Whole

The Broken and the Whole
Author: Charles S. Sherman
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
Total Pages: 224
Release: 2014-03-11
Genre: Biography & Autobiography
ISBN: 1451656246

A wise, uplifting memoir about a rabbi’s search for understanding and his discovery of hope and joy after his young son suffered a catastrophic brain-stem stroke: “Deeply moving, extraordinarily thought-provoking, and entirely humane” (Kirkus Reviews, starred review). As a young, ambitious rabbi at one of New York’s largest synagogues, Charles Sherman had high expectations for what his future would hold—a happy and healthy family, professional success, and recognition. Then, early one morning in 1986, everything changed. His son Eyal spiked a fever and was soon in serious respiratory distress. Doctors discovered a lesion on the four-year-old’s brain stem. Following high-risk surgery, Eyal suffered a stroke. Sherman and his wife later learned that their son would never walk, talk, feed himself, or breathe on his own again—yet his mind was entirely intact. He was still the curious, intelligent boy they had always known. The ground had shifted beneath the Sherman family’s feet, yet over the next thirty years, they were able to find comfort, pleasure, and courage in one another, their community, their faith, and in the love they shared. The experience pointed Rabbi Sherman toward the answers of some of life’s biggest questions: To what lengths should parents go to protect their children? How can we maintain faith in God when tragedy occurs? Is it possible to experience joy alongside continuing heartbreak? Now, with deep insight, refreshing honesty, humor, and intelligence, Charles Sherman reflects back on his life and describes his struggle to address and ultimately answer these questions. The Broken and the Whole “inspirationally sets forth how to survive in the face of calamity” (Publishers Weekly, starred review) beautifully showing what it means to embrace life after everything you’ve known has been shattered to pieces.

The Book of Joy

The Book of Joy
Author: Dalai Lama
Publisher: Penguin
Total Pages: 368
Release: 2016-09-20
Genre: Self-Help
ISBN: 0399185062

An instant New York Times bestseller Two spiritual giants. Five days. One timeless question. Nobel Peace Prize Laureates His Holiness the Dalai Lama and Archbishop Desmond Tutu have survived more than fifty years of exile and the soul-crushing violence of oppression. Despite their hardships—or, as they would say, because of them—they are two of the most joyful people on the planet. In April 2015, Archbishop Tutu traveled to the Dalai Lama's home in Dharamsala, India, to celebrate His Holiness's eightieth birthday and to create what they hoped would be a gift for others. They looked back on their long lives to answer a single burning question: How do we find joy in the face of life's inevitable suffering? They traded intimate stories, teased each other continually, and shared their spiritual practices. By the end of a week filled with laughter and punctuated with tears, these two global heroes had stared into the abyss and despair of our time and revealed how to live a life brimming with joy. This book offers us a rare opportunity to experience their astonishing and unprecendented week together, from the first embrace to the final good-bye. We get to listen as they explore the Nature of True Joy and confront each of the Obstacles of Joy—from fear, stress, and anger to grief, illness, and death. They then offer us the Eight Pillars of Joy, which provide the foundation for lasting happiness. Throughout, they include stories, wisdom, and science. Finally, they share their daily Joy Practices that anchor their own emotional and spiritual lives. The Archbishop has never claimed sainthood, and the Dalai Lama considers himself a simple monk. In this unique collaboration, they offer us the reflection of real lives filled with pain and turmoil in the midst of which they have been able to discover a level of peace, of courage, and of joy to which we can all aspire in our own lives.

The House of Broken Angels

The House of Broken Angels
Author: Luis Alberto Urrea
Publisher: Little, Brown
Total Pages: 275
Release: 2018-03-06
Genre: Fiction
ISBN: 0316516252

In this "raucous, moving, and necessary" story by a Pulitzer Prize finalist (San Francisco Chronicle), the De La Cruzes, a family on the Mexican-American border, celebrate two of their most beloved relatives during a joyous and bittersweet weekend. "All we do, mija, is love. Love is the answer. Nothing stops it. Not borders. Not death." In his final days, beloved and ailing patriarch Miguel Angel de La Cruz, affectionately called Big Angel, has summoned his entire clan for one last legendary birthday party. But as the party approaches, his mother, nearly one hundred, dies, transforming the weekend into a farewell doubleheader. Among the guests is Big Angel's half brother, known as Little Angel, who must reckon with the truth that although he shares a father with his siblings, he has not, as a half gringo, shared a life. Across two bittersweet days in their San Diego neighborhood, the revelers mingle among the palm trees and cacti, celebrating the lives of Big Angel and his mother, and recounting the many inspiring tales that have passed into family lore, the acts both ordinary and heroic that brought these citizens to a fraught and sublime country and allowed them to flourish in the land they have come to call home. Teeming with brilliance and humor, authentic at every turn, The House of Broken Angels is Luis Alberto Urrea at his best, and cements his reputation as a storyteller of the first rank. "Epic . . . Rambunctious . . . Highly entertaining." -- New York Times Book Review"Intimate and touching . . . the stuff of legend." -- San Francisco Chronicle"An immensely charming and moving tale." -- Boston GlobeNational Bestseller and National Book Critics Circle Award finalistA New York Times Notable BookOne of the Best Books of the Year from National Public Radio, American Library Association, San Francisco Chronicle, BookPage, Newsday, BuzzFeed, Kirkus, St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Literary Hub

Radical Joy for Hard Times

Radical Joy for Hard Times
Author: Trebbe Johnson
Publisher: North Atlantic Books
Total Pages: 249
Release: 2018-09-25
Genre: Nature
ISBN: 1623172640

In a time of uncertainty and devastation--from pandemics to environmental catastrophe--a call to action for finding beauty, creating art, and healing in community. When a beloved place is decimated by physical damage, many may hit the donate button or call their congressperson. But award-winning author Trebbe Johnson argues that we need new methods for coping with these losses and invites readers to reconsider what constitutes “worthwhile action.” She discusses real wounded places ranging from weapons-testing grounds at Eglin Air Force Base, to Appalachian mountain tops destroyed by mining. These stories, along with tools for community engagement—ceremony, vigil, apology, and the creation of art with on-site materials—show us how we can find beauty in these places and discover new sources of meaning and community.

Bursting with Happiness

Bursting with Happiness
Author: Lisa Dimino White
Publisher:
Total Pages:
Release: 2020-08-04
Genre:
ISBN: 9780578727301

Who wouldn't want a little more joy? Even the happiest person on Earth wouldn't turn down the chance to laugh more, get an extra dose of self-acceptance, and find ways to make those closest to them smile more often. Bursting With Happiness will show you how to get all of that and more. A happier life is within your reach. All you have to do is incorporate more "bursts of joy" into your daily routine. The more bursts you create, the happier you'll be.

A Path of Joy

A Path of Joy
Author: Paramananda Ishaya
Publisher: John Hunt Publishing
Total Pages: 154
Release: 2014-01-31
Genre: Body, Mind & Spirit
ISBN: 1782793224

The search for spiritual enlightenment becomes difficult when seriousness replaces simple commitment. You close the door on the joy of being by taking yourself seriously. When you discover a path of joy, however, freedom is no longer a difficult task but an effortless exploration. Approaching liberation with effort makes sense to the mind when the goal is as valuable as enlightenment, and we’re used to trying hard to achieve what we want. But understanding what you truly are works in unexpected ways, and in this lies the cosmic joke. A Path of Joy: Popping into Freedom takes a lighthearted look at overcoming the obstacles you encounter in your journey. Each topic is a kernel of truth that invites you to explore and pop into the aliveness of silence. And the path is more obvious than you’d expect. ,

Crazy Brave: A Memoir

Crazy Brave: A Memoir
Author: Joy Harjo
Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company
Total Pages: 139
Release: 2012-07-09
Genre: Biography & Autobiography
ISBN: 0393083896

A “raw and honest” (Los Angeles Review of Books) memoir from the first Native American Poet Laureate of the United States. In this transcendent memoir, grounded in tribal myth and ancestry, music and poetry, Joy Harjo details her journey to becoming a poet. Born in Oklahoma, the end place of the Trail of Tears, Harjo grew up learning to dodge an abusive stepfather by finding shelter in her imagination, a deep spiritual life, and connection with the natural world. Narrating the complexities of betrayal and love, Crazy Brave is a haunting, visionary memoir about family and the breaking apart necessary in finding a voice.