This book presents a biblical and practical look at Christians and their emotions, building off of the concept that most contemporary Christians have misconceptions about why we have emotions and how we should handle them. Trusting God doesn’t mean being consistently tranquil or subdued. Truth is, such a view makes life flat and two dimensional. We often forget that emotions are a gift; to fear them or stow them away would be to deny a huge part of what makes us human. This book explores the significance of the gift and the benefits of living a robust life of thought, action, and feeling. Illuminating the emotional life of Christ and his followers, As Dr. Gerald Peterman asks: If I’m forgiven, why do I feel guilt and shame? What about anger? What if I’m angry with God? What is the place of sadness in the Christian life? Is love only an action? Emotions don’t just happen to us like the virus or the flu, they are inherently part of us. Readers will find that the discussion extends beyond “good” and “bad”, as many emotions are neutral and it is up to them to figure out how to glorify God with them. Extended chapters on love and anger are included.

Do you believe that joy is a choice? Dawn Barton does. She's an upbeat Southerner with good hair and a successful business background, but she's had more heartache than most of us can imagine. Laughing Through the Ugly Cry is a collection of honest and sometimes raw stories. Dawn throws an arm around readers as she brings them along on her journey through the loss of a child, divorce, cancer, rape, the death of her only sibling, her husband's substance abuse, and finding her way back to Jesus in the middle of it all. Dawn shares her personal story to show readers how to find happiness and purpose even in the darkest of days. By laughing through the ugly cry, you will discover how to: Shut down negative feelings causing you to feel inadequate Identify the pros despite how challenging the cons may seem Embrace joy wherever you can find it Learn how to be honest with yourself and process grief in a healthy way Dawn writes, "If more women were open about just how difficult our lives feel and how hard we are on ourselves, I think we'd learn to relax a little and give ourselves the grace God gives us every day." Laughing Through the Ugly Cry is great for: Women of any age seeking comfort, encouragement, and inspiration Book clubs and girls' nights--Dawn poses thoughtful group questions to support meaningful conversations about growth and joy

"This is a memoir of a successful Indiana pastor, eventually diagnosed with a bi-polar disorder, and of his wife, who made that journey with him. Through the years Bill and Jo experienced many challenges; bi-polar illness, breast cancer, a near divorce, a hurtful situation in the church that caused Bill to consider leaving the ministry, as well as several frightening episodes in the community, including one in which he helped avoiding a race riot. Bill and Jo grew in faith and developed a deep love and appreciation for each other. The setting of the story are the flat lands of Indiana and exotic places in India and Africa. What makes this story unique is Bill's courage to provide a graphic description of his experience in a psychiatric hospital. By sharing his story, Bill hoped readers would gain insight into the impact of this disease and how one can still live a productive life"--

“When you first view Rose-Lynn Fisher’s photographs, you might think you’re looking down at the world from an airplane, at dunes, skyscrapers or shorelines. In fact, you’re looking at her tears. . . . [There’s] poetry in the idea that our emotional terrain bears visual resemblance to the physical world; that our tears can look like the vistas we see out an airplane window. Fisher’s images are the only remaining trace of these places, which exist during a moment of intense feeling—and then vanish.” —NPR “[A] delicate, intimate book. . . . In The Topography of Tears photographer Rose-Lynn Fisher shows us a place where language strains to express grief, longing, pride, frustration, joy, the confrontation with something beautiful, the confrontation with an onion.” —Boston Globe Does a tear shed while chopping onions look different from a tear of happiness? In this powerful collection of images, an award-winning photographer trains her optical microscope and camera on her own tears and those of men, women, and children, released in moments of grief, pain, gratitude, and joy, and captured upon glass slides. These duotone photographs reveal the beauty of recurring patterns in nature and present evocative, crystalline imagery for contemplation. Underscored by poetic captions, they translate the mysterious act of crying into an atlas mapping the structure and magnificence of our interior lives. Rose-Lynn Fisher is an artist and author of the International Photography Award-winning studies Bee and The Topography of Tears. Her photographs are exhibited in galleries, festivals, and museums across the world and have been featured by the Dr. Oz Show, NPR, Smithsonian, Harper’s, New Yorker, Time, Wired, Reader’s Digest, Discover, Brain Pickings, and elsewhere. She received her BFA from Otis Art Institute and lives in Los Angeles.

"After more than 40 years in my television news career, I reported on hundreds of stories of bravery, survival, and sheer determination by families facing some of life's toughest challenges. Louise Frank's account of her and her children's journey is among the most inspiring and compelling stories I have ever known. Her words take the reader on a sometimes searing, often funny, and almost unbelievable trek through the birth and too-short lives of her two beloved children... Joshua and Leah. Yet somehow, because of the innate fortitude and grit of this truly amazing mother, we are left inspired at the end. This story needed to be told and by writing it, Louise has honored the memory and legacy of her children. They - and she - will never be forgotten." Julie Blacklow, Journalist and Author --- How do you move forward when your life is unexpectedly shattered by devastating news? You can sink into despair, or this temporary devastation can become a profound journey where the choices you make bring more meaning, purpose, and promise than you could ever have imagined. The Gift of Great Sorrow by Louise Braün Frank is the story of Louise's 25-year journey with her children Joshua and Leah who were diagnosed at the age of six with a progressive terminal disease which eventually claimed their young lives. As she walked through the grief of their daily losses, instead of becoming discouraged and overwhelmed, she chose to embody her father's advice, "Watch them live, don't watch them die." In The Gift of Great Sorrow, we experience a story that moves beyond tragedy to triumph -- not because the tragedy changes, but because of the transforming power of perspective, love, and courage. --- Louise Braun Frank was born in Ottawa, Canada. Raised in a military family with five brothers and sisters, Louise lived in many areas of Canada, in France and finally settled in the Seattle area. Louise's two children, Joshua and Leah were both diagnosed at a young age with Friedreich's Ataxia, a rare, progressive and debilitating terminal disease. Over the course of their short lives, they lost their abilities to walk, see and manage their personal care. But with the help of a determined and committed mother, the children outlived the doctor's predictions and survived into their twenties. In addition to helping her children live their best lives, Louise has built a successful direct sales business with The Pampered Chef and continues with that work today. An advocate for volunteerism, Louise gives her time to the Alaska Washington Make A Wish Foundation and local food banks. Over the years she has been invited as a guest speaker to share her experiences in the hope that others who have suffered trauma and loss of all types, will find a path thru pain to purpose. The Joy Thru Tears Foundation, a non-profit, was founded by Louise in December 2020 with the vision of facilitating workshops to help with healing. www.joythrutears.foundation Louise has also walked the Camino de Santiago in Spain on three different occasions, each time searching for a way to grow spiritually and move forward in her life. She plans to return again.

Five Minutes with Jesus provides bursts of inspiration for every reader’s relationship with Jesus. Brief but profound, these daily readings from Sheila Walsh will help busy people draw close to Him and walk with Him throughout the day. It will become clear that, even in the midst of a busy lifestyle, every minute we spend in the powerful presence of Jesus makes a difference in our lives!