Lessons from the Porchis Ed Poole's thoughtful memoir of life's lessons, which he shares with endearing charm and good-natured heart. The book is a thoughtful journey and an engaging reminiscence.Lessons from the Porchwill allow the reader to consider questions such as: Have you wondered how you arrived at your current stop along your journey? Have you ever asked the question, "What am I supposed to be learning from this experience?" How can I leave this world a bit better than it was when I found it? Although written about his own experience battling depression, the book is meant for anyone embarking on a journey to know themselves and cultivate new friendships. We all have places from which we learn life's lessons. For some it may be sitting beside a meandering stream. For this author, the place to which he returned to understand his journey was the porch that surrounded his house as he grew up. Metaphorically, Poole's porch represents how he either has or has not accepted changes in his life. The dilemma about how and when to leave his porch goes back to his early boyhood when his mom would always say, "Eddie, don't get too close to the edge of the porch, because you might fall off."

Regardless of their sometimes ambiguous concepts of God, the Roman Stoic philosophers did acknowledge Him, but on the basis of reason alone, because they had not met Christ. Nonetheless, they did deduce from God's existence our need to live lives of virtue, honor, tranquility, and self-control--and they developed effective techniques to help us achieve this. Musonius Rufus the teacher, Epictetus the slave, Seneca the adviser to emperors, and Marcus Aurelius, the emperor himself, produced a practical technology we can use to integrate Christian ethics into our own daily practice. As Kevin Vost so wonderfully illustrates in his new book, The Porch and the Cross, the Stoics can help us learn--and remember--what is up to us, and what is up to God alone.

This unique history depicts Detroit as a city of innovation, resilience, and leadership in responding to change, and examines the current sustainability paradigm shift to which Detroit is responding, pivoting as the city has done in the past to redefine itself and lead the nation and world down a more sustainable path. This book details the building of a new waterfront porch alongside the Detroit River called the Detroit RiverWalk to help revitalize the city and region and promote sustainability practices.

"At 3:55 pm, I believed there was a Heaven-at 4:15 pm I knew." This is the story of one man’s struggle to be alive again after an accident claims the life of his friend and nearly his own. After spending a few moments on Heaven’s front porch with God, he is thrust back into his old life. In the months that follow, he struggles to find purpose and meaning in the day to day activities of life. In his quest, he uncovers five principles necessary to move him from just living again...to being fully alive! This inspirational story will grab your attention and hold it to the end as it teaches you foundational principles to living a life fulfilled.

“This quiet novel sings. A graceful profound story for all ages that speaks well beyond its intended audience.” —Kirkus (starred review) Fans of Newbery Medal winner Sharon Creech's Ruby Holler will love this tween novel about opening your heart and finding family when you least expect it. When a young couple finds a boy asleep on their porch, their lives take a surprising turn. Unable to speak, the boy, Jacob, can't explain his history. All John and Marta know is that they have been chosen to care for him. And as their connection and friendship with Jacob grow, they embrace his exuberant spirit and talents. The three of them blossom into an unlikely family and begin to see the world in brand-new ways.

Reading these life lessons brings tears, laughter and general delightafter reading one, you cant wait to read the next one. I believe this little book will become a favorite of many people. Ben Character, Ed. D. Retired Educational Leader Beverly opens the windows of her heart with a transparency that is much needed in these times. Her words are a fresh breath for any reader. Pastor Billy Newell, M. A. Founder/Director of Gateway School of Ministry, Inc. Beverlys writings leave you with the feeling that youre talking to an old friend who cares about you and wants you to be blessed with knowledge and the security of knowing youre loved, only to find out that the old friend sitting next to you is the Lord Himself! Pastor Dean Myers Harbor of Hope Assembly of God Jesus Christ has called us, wooed us, redeemed us for a personal and eternal relationship with himnot the cold, distant relationship of a marble cathedral, nor the stuffy, over-heated relationship of a tabernacle in the desert, but a comfortable, intimate connection, like having coffee on the porch with a best friend. The quiet times spent with him are some of our most teachable moments if we speak from the heart and then prayerfully anticipate his response. Coffee On the Porch with Jesus is a collection of devotions and meditations drawn from my quiet moments.

Getting off the Porch is an intimate portrayal of mastering self-love, managing unspoken expectations, and maneuvering the ups, downs, mess-ups, and clean ups of life. Each chapter exposes why and how Alicia almost lost herself and the courageous process she endured to not only turn things around, but live her life beyond the porch.

“Part Mark Twain, part Garrison Keillor, Philip Gulley is a breath of fresh air in an over-sophisticated and often jaded world.” —Gloria Gaither, singer and songwriter Master storyteller Philip Gulley shares tender and hilarious real-life moments that capture the important truths of everyday life. When Philip Gulley began writing newsletter essays for the twelve members of his Quaker meeting in Indiana, he had no idea one of them would find its way to radio commentator Paul Harvey Jr. and be read on the air to twenty-four million people. Fourteen books later, with more than a million books in print, Gulley still entertains as well as inspires from his small-town front porch. “Perhaps more things were resolved on America’s front porches than in any other place, and yet so few are being used today. With this delightful collection of stories, told in a warm and easy style, Philip Gulley invites us to sit again on the front porch—a place of hearth, home, and folks we’ve known.” —Gary Smalley, bestselling author and family relationship expert “The tales Philip Gulley unveils are tender and humorous . . . filled with sudden, unexpected, lump-in-the-throat poignancy.” —Paul Harvey, Jr., American radio broadcaster

Does God just check up on you every now and then or is He really always around? Do you ever wonder if God cares about all your little things today? In this combination devotional and journal, Shauna Thomas bares all as she shares her personal stories and the faith questions they bring. With intimate knowledge of life ranging from being a child of a paraplegic to fertility struggles and a work accident that shattered her face, she opens up about how a change of perspective can truly change your life. A mom of four, Shauna has experience both staying home as well as serving nearly a decade on the staff of Life.Church, a large multisite church. Filled with a good dose of Southern humor and a whole lot of room to reflect, readers will be encouraged to move from seeing God in the sky to seeing Him right here on Earth. Volume 1 contains 40 devotionals with journaling space along with personal scripture sketches to encourage you.

Award-winning author of fiction and nonfiction Jewell Parker Rhodes is a master of her craft, under-standing how both real and imagined stories can serve as a pathway to enlightenment. Porch Stories is Rhodes's tribute to her beloved grandmother, a real account of the love she received and the lessons she learned. Jewell Parker Rhodes was left in the care of her father and his mother when her own mother abandoned the family. Grandmother Ernestine's house in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, was home to four other grandchildren as well. And while its crumbling bricks, lack of air-conditioning, and neighborhood rodents meant that life was anything but easy, the family house was filled with love. Everyone on their street knew and loved Grandmother Ernestine; men would tip their hats and children would rush up for a hug any time she was outside. No one loved Grandmother Ernestine more than Jewell, who would pass up a movie with her cousins to sit outside on Ernestine's front stoop and listen to her stories and her words of comfort. Jewell would later move out West to live with her mother and father as they reattempted marriage. But that was a short-lived experience. Before long, she was back in the loving arms of her grandmother, whose wisdom and warmth gave all of her children the tools to overcome the ordinary and extraordinary challenges life brings. Porch Stories, described by Rhodes as "an intergenerational love song," is a loving tribute that is at once candid, courageous, and reverent -- a literary portrait of family love that readers from all walks of life can see in themselves.