Baptism by Toilet Water is Jim Winter's bittersweet memoir documenting the hardship his family endured while, ironically, Jim's grandparents, who exemplified Christian living, were right next door.'Our home life was the furthest thing from a Christian home, yet our grandparents were the spiritual paragons we so desperately needed. Unfortunately, as long as our father remained in the picture, there was little hope. Our grandparents' home served as a sanctuary, but we were still trapped. We could see paradise from our fence, but at best we could only visit from time to time.'Throughout their tumultuous childhood, the Winter children grappled with this stark contradiction of moral values between their father and grandparents, leading them to ultimately learn that good can come from bad. After high school, Jim leaves his home, believing the worst is behind him. Unfortunately, nothing could be further from the truth. As illness and death ravage the family, Jim becomes stricken with grief. Convinced God had forsaken him, Jim becomes tormented by guilt from his past. When it seems like all hope is lost, a series of remarkable events begins to unfold in what can only be described as divine intervention. Through Jim'sBaptism by Toilet Waterhe comes to realize that Jesus Christ is illuminating the way through it all.

Baptism by Toilet Water is Jim Winter's bittersweet memoir retracing his difficult childhood and early adult years. Growing up in the sixties with a raging alcoholic for a father, life for Jim, his mother, and four siblings meant years of physical and mental abuse. The intriguing title perfectly describes the paradox of growing up in a dysfunctional home while right next door lived his paternal grandparents, who exemplified Christian living. The two stark environments not only define the irony of Jim's early years, but hint at the main premise of the book, which is how good can come from bad. Fortunately for Jim and his siblings, their grandparent's home provided a much needed respite, but even more importantly, they taught the children a different way of life. Our home life was the furthest thing from a Christian home, yet, right next door lived our grandparents who modeled the Christian life. They were the spiritual paragons we so desperately needed. Despite this haven, we knew we were trapped, for even though we could see paradise from our fence, at best we could only visit it from time to time. After high school, Jim leaves him home, believing the worst is behind him. Unfortunately, nothing could be further from the truth. As illness and death ravage the family, Jim becomes stricken with grief. Jim then becomes tormented by his past and is certain God has forsaken him. When all hope seems lost, a series of remarkable events unfolds in what can only be described as divine intervention. Through Jim's Baptism by Toilet Water, he soon realizes Jesus Christ is illuminating the way through it all. Jim Winter lives in Waterloo, Illinois, with his wife, Aimee. He has two sons, Tyler and Zachary, and a daughter, Mallory.

Who baptized Jesus? Read the story of his baptism and how he was tested.

Written by leading scholars from around the world, the articles in this volume range from sin, Sufism and terrorism to theology in the 19th and 20th centuries, Vatican I and II and the virgin birth.

The only dictionary of its kind, this greatly expanded second edition lists objects, concepts, traits and situations ancient and modern and gives their appropriate symbols. A companion to Symbolism: A Comprehensive Dictionary (2012), this volume presents symbols and their referents in reverse association (but is not simply a reconfiguring of information). Examples: a symbol for "hell" is descending stairs; an attribute of Saint Benedict is a raven; joy after sorrow is signified by the gemstone amber. Ethnic, literary, artistic, religious, heraldic, numerological, folkloric, occult and psychological usages are included.

An illustrated activity book for 8-11 year olds. Water connects all physical and spiritual life. Besides being essential for life, water is the visible sign of Baptism, which calls us to serve others in the world. Having clean water for all God’s children is an act of justice, love, respect and a core value of what it means to be a Christian. This illustrated workbook taps into multiple learning levels and offers a variety of ways for children to interact with this core value of our faith, making a direct connection for young people between their faith and daily life. It can be used in an educational or devotional setting at home, church, or school. Activities also connect clean water and the Millennium Development Goals.

For most people, a diagnosis of cystic fibrosis means the certainty of a life ended too soon. But for Isabel Stenzel Byrnes and Anabel Stenzel, twin girls with the disease, what began as a family’s stubborn determination grew into a miracle. The tragedy of CF has been touchingly recounted in such books as Frank Deford’s Alex: The Life of a Child, but The Power of Two is the first book to portray the symbiotic relationship of twins who share this life-threatening disease through adulthood.Isabel and Anabel tell of their lifelong struggle to pursue normal lives with cystic fibrosis while grappling with the realization that they will die young. Their story reflects the physical and emotional challenges of a particularly aggressive form of CF and is an honest and gripping portrayal of the daily struggle associated with long-term hospitalization, the impact of chronic illness on marriage and family, and the importance of a support network to continuing survival. Born in 1972, seventeen years before scientists discovered the genetic mutation that causes CF, the Stenzel twins endured the daily regimen of chest percussion, frequent doctor visits, and lengthy hospitalizations. But in the face of innumerable setbacks, their deep-seated dependence on each other allowed them to survive long enough to reap the benefits of the miraculous lung transplants that marked a turning point in their lives: “We have an old life—one of growing up with chronic illness—and anew life—one of opportunities and gifts we have never imagined before.” In this memoir, they pay tribute to the people who shaped their experience. These two remarkable sisters have much to teach about the power of perseverance—and about the ultimate power of hope.

Sadie Starr attempts to leave her old self behind, but life at her new school proves starting over is more complicated than it sounds.

From the winner of the 2004 PEN Center USA Literary Award for Creative Nonfiction In his award-winning memoir "In the Shadow of Memory," Floyd Skloot told the hard story of coming to terms with a brain-ravaging virus. "A World of Light," written with the same insight, passion, and humor that distinguished the earlier volume, moves Skloot's story from the reassembly of a self after neurological calamity to the reconstruction of a shattered life. More than fifteen years after a viral attack compromised his memory and cognitive powers, Skloot now must do the vital work of recreating a cohesive life for himself even as he confronts the late stages of his mother's advancing dementia. With tenderness and candor, he finds surprising connection with her where it had long been missing, transforming the end of her life into a time of unexpected renewal. At the same time, Skloot and his wife are building a rich new life at the center of a small isolated forest on a hillside in rural Oregon, where a dwindling water supply and the bitter assaults of the weather bring an elemental perspective to his attempts to make himself once more at home in the world. By turns poignant, funny, and frightening, "A World of Light" balances the urgency to capture fragmented, fleeting memories with the necessity of living fully in the present.