“Inspirational Stories for Purposeful Living” by John Parankimalil is an enriching collection of 150 stories, each carrying profound significance for Speakers, Educators and Mentors in Value Education. Stories play a pivotal role in our lives by imparting essential life lessons. The narratives in this book are crafted to engage your mind, touch your heart, and inspire you to realize the incredible potential within you for achieving greatness in life.

“Inspirational Stories for Purposeful Living” by John Parankimalil is an enriching collection of 150 stories, each carrying profound significance for Speakers, Educators and Mentors in Value Education. Stories play a pivotal role in our lives by imparting essential life lessons. The narratives in this book are crafted to engage your mind, touch your heart, and inspire you to realize the incredible potential within you for achieving greatness in life.

In this era of "life makeovers," personal coaches, and success-oriented mission statements, many people are working hard to get it together. They're looking for a good life, which at its core includes wanting their time to count for something, to be meaningful and mindful. But as Christine and Tom Sine point out, "more and more people are missing the best and settling for less." Living on Purpose presents a true life-changing strategy--one rooted in God's greater purposes for our lives, not merely our own desires for success. The book has a laser-focus on God's mission and vocation for each of his children, and it shows how staying on his course will lead to the very richest and most fulfilling life. Questions for reflection and discussion make Living on Purpose ideal for group use. The Sines help readers make the connection between their everyday pursuits and goals and God's will for their lives. They show how to draft a personal or family mission statement to reinvent "timestyle" and lifestyle, using relevant examples from the Bible and other writings. Packed with inspiring stories and practical how-to, Living on Purpose leads readers to a more relaxed, festive, and meaningful life that truly counts--for today and eternity.

One person can make a significant difference in the lives of others. This collection of 101 inspiring stories celebrates volunteers and those who give back, and also shows how the biggest beneficiaries are the givers themselves. Volunteers and people who give back are models of unconditional kindness, compassion, and love. You choose hope over despair, optimism over cynicism, and caring over indifference. And by serving others, you also help yourself. In this inspiring collection of 101 personal stories by and for volunteers and those who give back, you and your fellow unsung heroes will get some of the recognition and appreciation you deserve.

Discover and fulfill your God-given purpose by joining the more than thirty-five million others who have embarked on a spiritual journey that started with this #1 New York Times bestselling book by Pastor Rick Warren. Before you were born, God knew what your life had in store for you. His hope for you is to discover the life he created just for you--both here on earth, and forever in eternity. Let Rick Warren guide you as you learn to live out your true purpose. The Purpose Driven Life is more than a book; it's a road map for your spiritual journey. Combining thoughtful verses from Scripture with timely stories and perspectives from Warren's own life, The Purpose Driven Life will help you discover the answer to one of life's most important questions: What on earth am I here for? Throughout The Purpose Driven Life, Warren will teach you to spend time getting to know yourself and your creator in order to live your life to the fullest. Unlocking your true purpose will also reduce your stress, simplify your decisions, increase your satisfaction, and, most importantly, prepare you for eternity. Designed to be read over the course of forty-two days, The Purpose Driven Life will help you see the big picture, giving you a fresh perspective on the way that the pieces of your life fit together. Every chapter of The Purpose Driven Life provides a daily meditation and practical steps to help you uncover and live out your purpose, starting with exploring three essential questions: The Question of Existence: Why am I alive? The Question of Significance: Does my life matter? The Question of Purpose: What on earth am I here for? Each copy of The Purpose Driven Life also includes thoughtful discussion questions, audio Bible studies that go along with every chapter, and access to a supportive online community, giving you the opportunity to dive even deeper into each life-changing lesson.

The definitive biography of Susannah Spurgeon. While many Christians recognize the name of Charles H. Spurgeon, the beloved preacher and writer, few are familiar with the life and legacy of his wife, Susie. Yet Susannah Spurgeon was an accomplished and devout woman of God who had a tremendous ministry in her own right, as well as in support of her husband. Even while dealing with serious health issues, she administered a book fund for poor pastors, edited and published her husband’s sermons and other writings, led a pastor’s aid ministry, wrote five books, made her home a hub of hospitality, and was instrumental in planting a church. And as her own writing attests, she was also a warm, charming, and fascinating woman. Now, for the first time, Susie brings this vibrant woman’s story to modern readers. Ray Rhodes Jr. examines Susannah’s life, showing that she was not only the wife of London’s most famous preacher, but also a woman who gave all she had in grateful service to the Lord. Susie is an inspiring and encouraging account of a truly remarkable woman of faith that will delight Spurgeon devotees and fans of Christian biographies alike. “I am writing in my husband’s study, where he thought, and prayed, and wrote. Every inch of the place is sacred ground. Everything remains precisely as he left it. His books (now my most precious possessions), stand in shining rows upon the shelves, in exactly the order in which he placed them, and one might almost fancy the room was ready and waiting for its master. But oh! That empty chair! That great portrait over the door! The strange, solemn silence, which pervades the place now that he is no longer on earth! I kneel sometimes by his chair, and laying my head on the cushioned arms, which so long supported his dear form, I pour out my grief before the Lord, and tell Him again that though I am left alone, yet I know that ‘He hath done all things well’…”

Most of us want to make a difference. We donate our time and money to charities and causes we deem worthy, choose careers we consider meaningful, and patronize businesses and buy products we believe make the world a better place. Unfortunately, we often base these decisions on assumptions and emotions rather than facts. As a result, even our best intentions often lead to ineffective—and sometimes downright harmful—outcomes. How can we do better? While a researcher at Oxford, trying to figure out which career would allow him to have the greatest impact, William MacAskill confronted this problem head on. He discovered that much of the potential for change was being squandered by lack of information, bad data, and our own prejudice. As an antidote, he and his colleagues developed effective altruism, a practical, data-driven approach that allows each of us to make a tremendous difference regardless of our resources. Effective altruists believe that it’s not enough to simply do good; we must do good better. At the core of this philosophy are five key questions that help guide our altruistic decisions: How many people benefit, and by how much? Is this the most effective thing I can do? Is this area neglected? What would have happened otherwise? What are the chances of success, and how good would success be? By applying these questions to real-life scenarios, MacAskill shows how many of our assumptions about doing good are misguided. For instance, he argues one can potentially save more lives by becoming a plastic surgeon rather than a heart surgeon; measuring overhead costs is an inaccurate gauge of a charity’s effectiveness; and, it generally doesn’t make sense for individuals to donate to disaster relief. MacAskill urges us to think differently, set aside biases, and use evidence and careful reasoning rather than act on impulse. When we do this—when we apply the head and the heart to each of our altruistic endeavors—we find that each of us has the power to do an astonishing amount of good.

This book is for people who want to believe they can affect change, to help them understand where they have power, and how to use it. Our world of work is changing and we need new lessons on how to adapt to these new values, whether that’s balancing work and family life or empowering women as leaders. Former senior executive at Yahoo and Google, and now President and COO of Change.org, Jennifer Dulski uses her own life experiences, stories from throughout her career, and inspiring examples of Change.org petition starters to offer lessons on how we can all tap into our power to change the world. From following your natural talents, finding a mentor, harnessing the power of fear, and closing the confidence gap, Jennifer will teach you how we can all be leaders, doing more meaningful work and living a life with more purpose.

Stories of individuals and organizations who have found ways to make our world a better place.

To symbolize the power of the go the extra mile message, Shawn Anderson pedaled a bicycle from ocean to ocean - solo. Along the way, he interviewed over two hundred inspirational Americans who had demonstrated a remarkable ability to overcome personal setback and accomplish something extraordinary. A blind woman who climbed one of the world's tallest mountains, a triathlete who was born a congenital amputee, a 95-year-old who has been volunteering at the same hospital for 49 years, a corporate executive who gives away 82% of his company's profits - these are a few of the inspirational profiles highlighted in Extra Mile America. The stories in this book have the power to inspire your spirit, challenge you to reevaluate your own life setbacks, and motivate you to take a deep breath of courage in order to get back on your own metaphorical bike with a renewed passion and purpose.