"The lesson of love can never be taught simply by words . . . Rather, it is taught by truly giving yourself and communicating the love and longing for Christ to those you serve. . . . How awesome and dignified is Christian service! And how good is the trustworthy and loyal servant who can say along with Christ, 'Learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart' (Matt. 11:29)." (from the Introduction) This book is essential and inspiring reading for all who would devote their lives to the service of Christ and His Church. Originally published in Arabic as El-khedma by the Monastery of St. Macarius the Great, Wadi el-Natrun (Egypt), 1980. Translation published by permission.

Ex-con Declan Mills bursts into town on an good-will errand believing he is reuniting a father and daughter, but the miss-lead adventure almost landed him back in jail. Something doomed to happen anyway since he has no job, no income, and no way to make restitution for his former crime. Tranquil Maple Nursery owner, Felicia Hughes, spends her life tending to plants, her Nana after her stroke, her friends, and any stray she can find, but little time caring for herself. But when her plants don’t show for the filming of Bronx Revard’s new segment on Tranquil Maple she nearly breaks from the stress until Declan offers his camper to transport everything in time. Desperate for help to keep up with the demands of business and caring for her Nana, she offers Declan a job that has to accept if he has any hope of making his first restitution payment to the courts in time. But when the town elders and Felicia’s friends want the man who brought trouble to Sugar Maple run out of town, can she show them, and Declan, that he’s not only a good man, he’s the right man-for her.

What if God designed marriage to make us holy more than to make us happy?By popular demand, the author of Sacred Marriage returns to the topic of how God uses marriage to expand our souls and make us holy. With all new material, Devotions for a Sacred Marriage explores how God can reveal himself to you through your marriage and help you grow closer to him as well as to your spouse.Fifty-two devotions encourage you to build your marriage around God’s priorities. From learning to live with a fellow sinner, to the process of two becoming one, to sharing our lives as brothers and sisters in Christ, Devotions for a Sacred Marriage challenges couples to embrace the profound and soul-stretching reality of Christian marriage.

A single city woman meets Mr. Right-he has amber eyes and a wily heart. There's only one catch . . . he has four legs and a tail. Relatively indifferent to the natural world, allergic to dogs, and happily independent, writer Louise Bernikow never had a pet and knew nothing about caring for one. But one day while running along Manhattan's Hudson River, she came across an abandoned boxer. He had a gimpy leg and a dim past, but Bernikow instantly, bewilderingly, did the one thing her mother always warned her not to do-she brought the strange male home. Here is the comical and offbeat story of their first year together. Libro, as she comes to call him (for "book," in Spanish), introduces her to the curious world of dog runs and dog people, and to a local dive where the bartender pulls pints from the tap and dog biscuits from the drawer. Bernikow, in turn, introduces Libro to the eccentric neighbors and to life as a media hound. When they meet a handsome man and his equally handsome dachshund, life takes an unexpected turn for both of them. Wonderfully written and captivating to the last, this is a remarkable tale of companionship.

Maureen Cavanagh's gripping memoir If You Love Me is the story of a mother who suddenly finds herself on the frontlines of the opioid epidemic as her daughter battles--and ultimately reckons with--substance use disorder. Fast-paced and heartwarming, devastating and redemptive, Maureen's incredible odyssey into the opioid crisis--first as a parent, then as an advocate--is ultimately a deeply moving mother-daughter story. When Maureen and her ex-husband Mike see their daughter Katie's needle track marks for the first time, it is a complete shock. But, slowly, the drug use explains everything--Katie's constant exhaustion, erratic moods, and all those spoons that have gone missing from the house. Once Mike and Maureen get Katie into detox, Maureen goes to sleep that night hoping that in 48 hours she'll have her daughter back. It's not that simple. Like the millions of parents and relatives all over the country--some of whom she has helped through her nonprofit organization--Maureen learns that recovery is neither straightforward nor brief. She fights to save Katie's life, breaking down doors on the seedy side of town with Mike, kidnapping Katie outside a convenience store, and battling the taboo around substance use disorder in her picturesque New England town. Maureen is launched into the shadowy world of overcrowded, for-profit rehabilitation centers that often prey on worried parents. As Katie runs away from one program after another, never outrunning her pain, Maureen realizes that even while she becomes an expert on getting countless men and women into detox and treatment centers, she remains powerless to save her own daughter. Maureen's unforgettable story brings the opioid crisis out of the shadows and into the house next door.

This work presents clinical examples to reveal a fresh understanding of the therapist's feelings within the content of treatment. At the heart of Elkaim's technique is self-reference. He demonstrates how therapists can use their own experiences as powerful tools of intervention. Elkaim also shows how to work with crippling reciprocal double binds, when, for example, someone wants to be loved but pushes his loved ones away out of fear that love is followed by loss. The book should be of use to anyone who works with couples or families.

Maureen Cavanagh’s gripping memoir If You Love Me is the story of a mother who suddenly finds herself on the frontlines of the opioid epidemic as her daughter battles—and ultimately reckons with—substance use disorder. Fast-paced and heartwarming, devastating and redemptive, Maureen’s incredible odyssey into the opioid crisis—first as a parent, then as an advocate—is ultimately a deeply moving mother-daughter story. When Maureen and her ex-husband Mike see their daughter Katie’s needle track marks for the first time, it is a complete shock. But, slowly, the drug use explains everything—Katie’s constant exhaustion, erratic moods, and all those spoons that have gone missing from the house. Once Mike and Maureen get Katie into detox, Maureen goes to sleep that night hoping that in 48 hours she’ll have her daughter back. It’s not that simple. Like the millions of parents and relatives all over the country—some of whom she has helped through her nonprofit organization—Maureen learns that recovery is neither straightforward nor brief. She fights to save Katie’s life, breaking down doors on the seedy side of town with Mike, kidnapping Katie outside a convenience store, and battling the taboo around substance use disorder in her picturesque New England town. Maureen is launched into the shadowy world of overcrowded, for-profit rehabilitation centers that often prey on worried parents. As Katie runs away from one program after another, never outrunning her pain, Maureen realizes that even while she becomes an expert on getting countless men and women into detox and treatment centers, she remains powerless to save her own daughter. Maureen's unforgettable story brings the opioid crisis out of the shadows and into the house next door.

If You Love Me, You Will ... examines how the Bible defines love and applies that understanding to human behavior—and especially to Christians. Author Michael Gonzales shares true stories from his life to illustrate the theme of love and provide examples that all of us can appreciate and relate to. Those who have been confused by the world’s definition of love will find much illumination for their relationships with God, those around them, and even themselves. Men and women alike will benefit from the principles contained in If You Love Me, You Will ... for the good of all their relationships.

She’s determined for her rags to riches story to have a fairy tale happy ending. Krista Hassell might be a member of the poorest, least respected family in Crickley Creek, South Carolina, but she believes deep in her soul that character counts. She’s finally curated the perfect plan—and boyfriend—that, together, will save her societal standing and rewrite her future. That is, until a family tragedy strikes and her mother goes off the rails…again. If only Krista could show her community who she really is beyond her old, crumbling shack on the marsh, she could find the inner peace she yearns for. Army veteran Johnny Merrick came to Crickley Creek for a wedding and decided to extend his stay in the quaint town, renting the small house next door to Krista for the summer. As their friendship grows, Krista is forced to rethink the very relationships her plan needs to succeed—and yet it might be exactly what she needs to fully embrace what fills her soul most: the marsh she’s trying to escape. But only if she makes her move before the fireflies disappear for the season…