In 1981, Doug Stringer was a fitness instructor running his own exercise studio. He knew there was a God…but he lived as if God didn’t exist. Tired of his hypocrisy and disgusted with his life, he sat down one night and prayed, “Lord, if You can use someone like me after all I have done to wound Your heart, I make myself available to You.” God listened and immediately started to send needy people to Doug. Runaways. Strippers. Drug addicts. Homeless people. And Doug’s ministry, Somebody Cares, was born. Mending the Net: Bringing Hope in a Hurting World is the story of how one man with a servant’s heart was led to help others with the basic necessities of life while sharing the good news of Jesus Christ. Doug’s ministry has grown exponentially from its humble beginnings, now reaching tens of thousands of people around the world who are dealing with personal crises or disasters such as hurricanes, tsunamis, tornadoes, or floods. Through it all, what has not changed was Doug’s firm belief that we are all called to show the lost and hurting that Somebody Cares and be part of the mended net that saves souls with love and compassion.

NATIONAL BESTSELLER • Revelations about a seemingly ordinary mother force her adult children to reexamine their lives in this “absorbing novel about family secrets” (The Dallas Morning News). Laura Bartone anticipates her annual family reunion in Minnesota with a mixture of excitement and wariness. Yet this year’s gathering will prove to be much more trying than either she or her siblings imagined. As soon as she arrives, Laura realizes that something is not right with her sister. Forever wrapped up in events of long ago, Caroline is the family’s restless black sheep. When Caroline confronts Laura and their brother, Steve, with devastating allegations about their mother, the three have a difficult time reconciling their varying experiences in the same house. But a sudden misfortune will lead them all to face the past, their own culpability, and their common need for love and forgiveness. Readers have come to love Elizabeth Berg for the “lucent beauty of [her] prose, the verity of her insights, and the tenderness of her regard for her fellow human” (Booklist). In The Art of Mending, her most profound and emotionally satisfying novel to date, she confronts some of the deepest mysteries of life, as she explores how even the largest sins can be forgiven by the smallest gestures, and how grace can come to many through the trials of one. BONUS: This edition contains an excerpt from Elizabeth Berg's Once Upon a Time, There Was You.

This book tells how to construct monofilament and nylon nets, both from scratch and using machinemade netting.

Rip in your jeans? Snag in a sweater? Tear in a tea towel? They all present an opportunity for one-of-a-kind creativity! With this fun introduction to unconventional mending techniques in a format that's half how-to guide, half idea book, anyone can give worn and torn items new life. Start by learning hand-mending methods, including boro, embroidery, patching, and darning. Then rev up the sewing machine for fast mends that put the pedal to the metal. Even with a limited budget and not much time to spare, you can create eye-catching repairs with visible mending--35 examples and more than 150 photos make it easy to put your unique mark on everything you mend!

2017 Christianity Today Book Award winner (“Christian Living / Discipleship” category) Get ready for the wettest, stormiest, wildest trip through the Gospel you’ve ever taken! The gospels are dramatic, wild, and wet—set in a rich maritime culture on the shores of the Sea of Galilee. Jesus’ first disciples were ragtag fishermen, and Jesus’ messages and miracles teem with water, fish, fishermen, net-breaking catches, sea crossings, boat-sinking storms, and even a walk on water. Because this world is foreign and distant to us, we’ve missed much about the disciples’ experiences and about following Jesus—until now. Leslie Leyland Fields—a well-known writer, respected biblical exegete, and longtime Alaskan fisherwoman—crosses the waters of time and culture to take us out on the Sea of Galilee, through a rugged season of commercial fishing with her family in Alaska, and through the waters of the New Testament. You’ll be swept up in a fresh experience of the gospels, traveling with the fishermen disciples from Jesus’ baptism to the final miraculous catch of fish—and also experiencing Leslie’s own efforts to follow Christ out on her own Alaskan sea. In a time when so many are “unfollowing” Jesus and leaving the Church, Crossing the Waters delivers a fresh encounter with Jesus and explores what it means to “come, follow me.”

Anyone who has attempted to make a net quickly learns that there is more to this engaging craft than initially meets the eye. In a perfect world, one would master the subtleties of net-making with a teacher standing nearby for guidance. Short of that, a book by a seasoned teacher is the next best thing, which is what makes Charles Holdgate's Net Making such an excellent guide. Mr. Holdgate, a beloved teacher and schoolmaster, has taught countless students one-on-one how to make nets. He really knows how to explain the techniques that will help you make great nets. In Net Making, Mr. Holdgate brings his years of experience making nets and teaching this craft to create a first-rate guide. Offering clear directions and many easy-to-follow diagrams and illustrations, Holdgate demystifies the ancient art of net making to make it accessible to everyone. Learn how to create your own hammocks, crab pots, basketball nets, shoulder bags, shopping bags, and more. Inside you will find: Fool-proof instructions on making a variety of practical nets Tips on modifying your netted accessories Helpful photos and easy-to-follow diagrams Guidance on tying basic knots and essential net making skills Instructions so clear you can make the perfect net on the first try / This guide is both easy-to-follow for those coming to this craft for the first time, and comprehensive enough to hold the interest of advanced net maker as well. Find out why Charles Holdgate's Net Making has been the guide for a generation of net makers.

Creatively mend and customize your old clothes to revitalize your outfits and save the planet Bring new life to your old clothes and fabrics with this fun, easy-to-follow guide to modern mending. Across the globe, we send tonnes of clothing to landfill each year. In fact, clothing consumption in the UK and US are one of the highest in the world. But the good news is that mending is trending, and it's never been easier to repair and reinvent your favourite clothes. Inspired by the slow fashion movement that's taking the sewing world by storm, Erin Lewis-Fitzgerald has created a comprehensive guide to mending your own clothes in a way that combines creativity and sustainability. In Modern Mending, she demystifies mending and shares step-by-step instructions for a range of techniques, including stitching, darning, patching, needle felting and machine darning. So next time you tear your favourite jeans or find a hole in your jumper, think twice before throwing them away. With Modern Mending, you'll gain the skills and confidence needed to rebel against fast fashion now and for years to come.

Slow fashion influencer Katrina Rodabaugh, bestselling author of Mending Matters, teaches readers how to mend, patch, dye, and alter clothing for an environmentally conscious, reimagined wardrobe Slow fashion influencer Katrina Rodabaugh follows her bestselling book, Mending Matters, with a comprehensive guide to building (and keeping) a wardrobe that matters. Whether you want to repair your go-to jeans, refresh a favorite garment, alter or dye clothing you already have—this book has all the know-how you’ll need. Woven throughout are stories, essays, and a slow fashion call-to-action, encouraging readers to get involved or deepen their commitment to changing the destructive habit of overconsumption. Rodabaugh has an engaged community (her kits are in high demand and her classes sell out quickly) and a proven ability to tempt sewists and nonsewists alike to take up needle and thread.

An inspiring guide to eco-friendly and sustainable fashion, The Mending Directory offers 50 modern stitch patterns and sashiko visible mending designs to transform your favorite pieces from worn-out to wow! This guide will help you save money, build your sewing and stitching skills, and make stunning fashion statements. Each sashiko pattern is organized by skill level - from beginner to advanced - and feature a variety of styles for all kinds of wearables, from geometric grid-based patterns to charming nature-inspired designs.