It's not often Alex St. James has a story this tantalizing fall into her lap, only to have it snatched away again. As news researcher at Midwest Focus Television in Chicago, she'd been set to interview a young Polish immigrant woman, pregnant by a Catholic priest. When the woman is found murdered, and Alex tries to investigate, her boss abruptly reassigns her to a fluff piece, so he can give the hot murder story to the station owner's nephew. But anyone who knows Alex also knows that like Fate, she'll find a way. Acting without authority and without assistance, she continues to investigate, making some very powerful people in the Chicago Archdiocese uneasy. Suddenly Alex finds herself in the middle of a plot so sinister and far reaching, that the very next thing she might hear are her own Last Rites. PRAISE FOR DEADLY BLESSINGS: "Julie Hyzy's riveting mystery, Deadly Blessings, launches appealing sleuth Alex St. James in a twisty, absorbing, headline-current case. First rate." -Carolyn Hart

Trials involving three types of spiritual healing: Christian Science, psychic surgery, and psychedelic psychotherapy.

Winner of a 2015 Catholic Press Award: Family Life Category (First Place) In this lyrical adieu to her mother, renowned Catholic essayist, poet, and professor Angela O'Donnell explores how the mundane tasks of caregiving during her mother's final days--bathing, feeding, taking her for a walk in her wheelchair--became rituals or ordinary sacraments that revealed traces of the divine. With Joan Didion's grasp of grief, the spiritual playfulness of Mary Karr, and the poetic agility of Kathleen Norris, Angela Alaimo O'Donnell narrates the events that followed her mother's fall and the broken hip that led to surgery. As O'Donnell and her sisters cared for their mother's failing body during the last days of her life, they unconsciously observed rituals that began to take on a deeper importance. Bathing her each morning was a kind of baptism, the nightly feeding of pie took on a Eucharistic significance, trimming and polishing nails became a kind of anointing. Beyond the seven there are the myriad sacraments they made up: the sacrament of community via cell phone, the sacrament of wheelchair pilgrimage around the nursing home, and the sacrament of humor and laughter. This deeply human portrait of loss is balanced by the surprising grace found in letting go; it will resonate with any spiritual reader but especially caregivers and those currently in grief.

Filmmaker Wes Craven has consistently and imaginatively scared movie audiences since the early 1970s. His films encompass a variety of styles, elements and themes, from the nihilistic existentialism of The Last House on the Left to the successful A Nightmare on Elm Street (which sent horror in a bold new direction), to the hallucinatory dreamscapes of The Serpent and the Rainbow. And in the nineties, Craven returned with the Scream films, which were simultaneously funny, clever and scary films that overturned the horror cliches of the eighties. The present work provides a history of Craven's film career since 1972, examining all the themes and techniques the filmmaker explored. For each film, a synopsis, cast and credits, historical context, and critical commentary are provided. Also covered in detail are Craven's forays into television, including movies such as Stranger in the House and work on such series as The New Twilight Zone.

Blessings and Miracles in the perspective of a relationship with God and His divine intervention in our lives, we learn how different factors contribute consequently to the quality of life we live. The actions, choices, and attitudes we have and express every day affect how the blessings and miracles accomplish their purpose in our lives. Blessings and Miracles have been and are still a medium for God to work in our lives. God performs miracles for us to believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and through having faith in Him, we experience eternal life by the power of His Name (John 20:30-31). Blessings are, in most cases, conditional and received through a process. A blessing can also be a resource, a resource is a source of supply or support, and it is again an available means or productive factor required to accomplish a given activity. Therefore, blessings are supposed to help us achieve the purpose of our life in this world. It is the Father’s good pleasure to have a relationship with you, to bless you, to heal you, and give you a complete restoration. A miracle is applicable in a crisis or in a problem that we can avoid, or that is unavoidable. While with God’s blessings, we can avoid a position that would put us in a crisis in the first place when we apply godly principles, take the right actions, and have the right choices. God wants us to live a life full of blessings (Barak). Having a relationship with Him, living by His principles, having the right character, and living by His Word for our welfare.

As a former professional defensive end in the NFL, turned evangelist, Bill Glass has truly been Blitzed by Blessings. Glass shares just how fruitful and enjoyable life can be once you find faith in the Lord. Acting as a "how-to" guide, this autobiography provides insights and advice on how best to tackle the challenges that are faced every day, and come out on top! Bill has gained a unique perspective through his life experiences as an NFL hero and through his many ministry outreach projects. He imparts this valuable knowledge with a passionate drive, to help both the lost and the found, come to a deeper understanding of Christ. This is an essential guidebook for anyone who is seeking to strengthen their spiritual and emotional core. Glass is an expert on transforming relationships, and mentoring. From the lessons that he learned on the field and beyond, Glass' strength and power, which come directly from THE higher power, are evident. Learn how you too, can live a life, Blitzed by Blessings.