Messy Love

Messy Love
Author: Riley Hart
Publisher: Independently Published
Total Pages: 344
Release: 2021-06-03
Genre:
ISBN:

Danny I'm not a guy who's looking for a serious relationship. I love the chase, and the one time I thought I wanted more, the guy bailed. When my buddy Will mentions his recently out, older brother is looking for a place to stay, I offer the spare room in my apartment. It's clear Jonathan's past did a number on him, and he's locked up tight. I make it my mission to show him how to have a little fun. What I don't expect is to start to like him...or get jealous when he goes on a date...and hooking up with him is a terrible idea...right? Jonathan When Dad caught me kissing a boy as a teenager, he made it clear such behavior was unacceptable, and I've been messed up about it ever since. I'm over thirty, yet from Danny's viewpoint, I'm a baby gay, which should be more annoying than it is. He's got me playing on a queer baseball team, making friends, and wanting things I never thought I'd want, like pursuing my art-and him. I definitely want him. Problem is, I can't get rid of the unwanted voices in my head, my relationship with most of my family is a disaster, and every time Danny touches me, I come apart, finding myself wanting more. Danny doesn't do relationships, he's my brother's friend, and I have a slew of hang-ups. All of this makes things...messy. So then why can't we keep our hands off each other? Why is he taking me on dates and looking at me like we could have more? To get there, we'll need to put our pasts away for good, and have a lot of trust, not just in ourselves, but each other.

Happy Messy Scary Love

Happy Messy Scary Love
Author: Leah Konen
Publisher: Abrams
Total Pages: 278
Release: 2019-05-14
Genre: Young Adult Fiction
ISBN: 1683351657

As everyone at her Brooklyn high school announces their summer adventures, Olivia harbors a dirty secret: Her plan is to binge-watch horror movies and chat with her online friend, Elm. Olivia and Elm have never shared personal details, apart from their ages and the fact that Elm’s aunt is a low-budget horror filmmaker. Then Elm pushes Olivia to share her identity and sends her a selfie of his own. Olivia is shocked by how cute he is! In a moment of panic, assuming she and Elm will never meet in real life, she sends a photo of her gorgeous friend Katie. But things are about to get even more complicated when Olivia’s parents send her to the Catskills, and she runs into the one person she never thought she would see. This sweet and funny summertime romance is perfect for fans of Love and Gelato and The Unexpected Everything.

Messy Beautiful Love

Messy Beautiful Love
Author: Darlene Schacht
Publisher: Thomas Nelson
Total Pages: 233
Release: 2014-09-23
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 1400206219

Messy Beautiful Love delivers an incredible testimony of grace that offers hope for today’s marriages and a spark for rekindling love. Love gets messy. Financial problems, sickness, aging parents, a chronically unhappy spouse . . . trials will inevitably come that threaten your marriage. No matter how long you’ve been married or how strong your relationship is, sooner or later you are going to have a mess to clean up. Messy Beautiful Love is about cleaning up messes God’s way, exchanging your ideas for His, and being prepared for both the best and the worst that marriage has to offer. When you surrender your relationship to God, then and only then will you experience the blessing of marriage as He intended. This is the blessing of obedience. Messy Beautiful Love is an invitation to that obedience. The cynical world says marriages don’t last, but God knows better. Tune out the world and tune in to Him. When you do that, a beautiful marriage is not only possible, it’s inevitable.

Messy Grace

Messy Grace
Author: Caleb Kaltenbach
Publisher: WaterBrook
Total Pages: 226
Release: 2015-10-20
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 1601427379

Sometimes, grace gets messy. Caleb Kaltenbach was raised by LGBT parents, marched in gay pride parades as a youngster, and experienced firsthand the hatred and bitterness of some Christians toward his family. But then Caleb surprised everyone, including himself, by becoming a Christian…and a pastor. Very few issues in Christianity are as divisive as the acceptance of the LGBT community in the church. As a pastor and as a person with beloved family members living a gay lifestyle, Caleb had to face this issue with courage and grace. Messy Grace shows us that Jesus’s command to “love your neighbor as yourself” doesn’t have an exception clause for a gay “neighbor”—or for that matter, any other “neighbor” we might find it hard to relate to. Jesus was able to love these people and yet still hold on to his beliefs. So can you. Even when it’s messy. “Messy Grace is an important contribution to the conversation about sexual identity for churches and leaders. Caleb's story is surprising and unique, and he weaves it together compellingly. He states his views clearly, leaves room for disagreement, and champions love no matter where you are in this conversation.” —Jud Wilhite, Sr. Pastor, Central Christian Church

Messy Truth

Messy Truth
Author: Caleb Kaltenbach
Publisher: WaterBrook
Total Pages: 257
Release: 2021-08-10
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 0525654275

From the author of Messy Grace, a former pastor raised by gay parents, comes a compassionate playbook to help Christians, church staff, and ministry leaders create a culture of belonging without sacrificing theological convictions. What should we do? This is a question many Christians are asking as they face shifting societal norms, conflicting opinions, and often inaccurate scriptural interpretations regarding those who identify as LGBTQ+. Caleb Kaltenbach believes there’s a more helpful question:What am I willing to do to keep and build influence with ______________? Caleb knows our love for others is best measured by the lengths we’ll go to help them. He also recognizes that people find and follow Jesus better in community than in isolation. As a child raised by three activist gay parents, Caleb experienced firsthand the outrage of some Christians. That’s why he is committed to creating a sense of belonging for all people. True community can happen only when Christians are intentional in infusing their attitudes, systems, and values with grace and truth. This hopeful, practical book offers tools for encouraging church involvement, strengthening personal relationships, increasing empathy, and engaging in pivotal conversations about grace and truth with our whole community. Fostering a culture of belonging is a messy process, but it holds a massive possibility for everyone involved: a growing relationship with Jesus.

Rich in Love

Rich in Love
Author: Irene Garcia
Publisher: David C Cook
Total Pages: 274
Release: 2014-02-01
Genre: Biography & Autobiography
ISBN: 0781411262

One Step of Obedience Led to Thousands Irene and Domingo Garcia began their married lives at sixteen, already expecting a baby. Their first ten years together included Domingo’s alcoholism and abuse, and Irene’s desperate prayers for answers. Then a miracle happened: Domingo pleaded for forgiveness. As God healed their marriage, Irene and Domingo adopted a little girl. And a new season began for an imperfect couple who were willing to say yes to each other and to God. Over the past forty-five years, the Garcias have birthed, fostered, or adopted thirty-two children. Their story holds difficult endings as well as promising new beginnings. Above all, their story reminds us what can happen when ordinary people submit to God’s call. Rich in Love is about a family cemented in hope. About a need to love the orphan. And about a God who never, ever gives up.

Messy Spirituality

Messy Spirituality
Author: Mike Yaconelli
Publisher: HarperChristian + ORM
Total Pages: 193
Release: 2009-12-15
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 0310867878

Find freedom from legalism's should's and discover the deep spirituality of being loved by the God who meets and transforms you in the midst of a messy and unpredictable life. Do you ever feel like you don't pray enough, read your Bible enough, share your faith enough, love God enough . . . and ultimately that you're not a very good Christian? Welcome to the club. Messy Spirituality was written for the silent majority of us who are convinced we just don't do Christianity right. Mike Yaconelli dares to suggest that imperfection, unfinishedness, and messiness are, in fact, the earmarks of true Christianity; that real Christianity is messy, erratic, lopsided . . . and gloriously liberating. In these pages, he challenges you to let go of the legalism that holds you back and embrace the grace freedom that God offers. He opens your eyes to the one-size-fits-all spirituality churches often want us to embrace and shares what it truly means to walk with God in a deep, intimate, life-changing way. Full of innovative ideas and concepts, Messy Spirituality is a classic that offers timeless wisdom for anyone ready to be free from the bonds of perfectionism. Spanish edition also available.

It's Messy

It's Messy
Author: Amanda de Cadenet
Publisher: HarperCollins
Total Pages: 106
Release: 2017-09-19
Genre: Biography & Autobiography
ISBN: 0062412477

“10 New Books We’re Dying to Read in September” --The Zoe Report In this deeply personal collection of essays, creator of the The Conversation Amanda de Cadenet shares the hard-won advice and practical insights she’s gained through her experiences as businesswoman, friend, wife, and mother. Amanda is on a mission to facilitate conversations that allow all women to be seen, heard, and understood. Through her multimedia platform The Conversation, she interviews some of today’s most bad ass women—from Hillary Clinton to Lady Gaga—in no-holds-barred conversations that get to the heart of what means to be female. Now, in It’s Messy, Amanda offers readers an extension of that conversation, inviting them into her life and sharing her own story. From childhood fame to a high-profile marriage (and divorce) to teen motherhood to the sexism that threatened to end her career before it started, Amanda shares the good, the bad, and the messy of her life, synthesizing lessons she’s learned along the way. Through it all, she offers an original perspective as a feminist on the front lines of celebrity culture. Edgy, irreverent, poignant and provocative, It’s Messy addresses the issues, concerns, and experiences relevant to women today.

How to Love

How to Love
Author: Katie Cotugno
Publisher: Harper Collins
Total Pages: 304
Release: 2013-10-01
Genre: Young Adult Fiction
ISBN: 0062216376

For fans of Sarah Dessen and John Green, this is a breathtaking debut about a couple who fall in love...twice. Before: Reena Montero has loved Sawyer LeGrande for as long as she can remember. But he's never noticed that Reena even exists...until one day, impossibly, he does. Reena and Sawyer fall in messy, complicated love. Then Sawyer disappears without a word, leaving a devastated—and pregnant—Reena behind. After: Almost three years have passed, and there's a new love in Reena's life: her daughter. Reena's gotten used to life without Sawyer, but just as suddenly as he disappeared, he turns up again. Reena wants nothing to do with him, though she'd be lying if she said his being back wasn't stirring something in her. After everything that's happened, can Reena really let herself love Sawyer LeGrande again?

Messy Spirituality

Messy Spirituality
Author: Mike Yaconelli
Publisher: Harper Collins
Total Pages: 192
Release: 2007
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 0310277302

A guide for those worried about not being good enough Christians suggests that imperfection, infiniteness, and messiness are, in fact, the earmarks of true Christianity, and lead to liberation.