This work is a labor of love by writer Mary Thorpe as a tribute to her much loved Granny O'Rourke (nee Nolan) in an attempt to place the stories she heard and was told into a true and historical context. As a social worker who came across many cases of social deprivation in modern times, Mary had the dawning realization regarding what her own grandmother had been through in even harder times in the late part of the nineteenth century and early part of the twentieth century in Ireland. Mary felt the driving need to record her much-loved grandmother's story as recognition of Bridget's harsh life and also as a tribute to her and the millions of others like her who made the best of things while still retaining a sense of pride, of the worth of education as a ticket out of poverty, and of the importance of retaining one's dignity and commitment to family through good and bad times.

I had done everything right, just as I had been taught. I had set a goal and worked toward it. I thought that if I saved all that I could, my dream would soon come true. I was eleven years old. As the day for my great reward neared, my bubble was broken. I watched as my trophy slipped through my fingers and into the hands of someone else. It hurt at first, thinking about all of the fun times that I had missed, working many jobs and saving every penny for a new bicycle. Yet in a profound way, the Lord and my parents were teaching us about compassion and giving and working toward a goal. My older brother and I were blessed beyond measure by that lesson. I reach out to parents and especially Christian parents to be creative with solid life lessons and your children will be solid believers when they grow old. If you are a grandparent, you will want to read this story to your grandchildren. They will be blessed and you will return to times past when life was simple. Much has changed since those days, but that's just the way it was growing up in our house.

In our relativistic society, Christians more than ever are bombarded by tough questions about their faith. Author Paul Copan has observed that many of these questions emerge as "anti-truth claims" that are part of today's skeptical mind-set. Christians defending their faith often hear slogans and questions such as: Ž It's all relative Ž Everything is one with the Divine; all else is illusion Ž The Gospels contradict each other Ž Why would a good God create hell? This book provides incisive answers to slogans related to truth and reality; theism, pantheism/Eastern religion, and naturalism; and doctrinal issues such as the incarnation and truth of Scripture. Each of the twenty-two chapters provides succinct answers and summary points for countering the arguments. Copan's book is accessible for all Christians who want to defend the plausibility of Christianity in the marketplace of ideas. It also includes helpful summary sections, additional resources, and additional documentation in the endnotes for review and discussion.

A Scriptural rebuttal of the unfounded claims of those who say that no one knows what the Gospel of God is and that the Gospel of God is lost. Oftentimes when in the process of declaring the teachings of the Gospel of God, the doctrines of salvation by grace, one is met with the all-too-commonly heard phrase, 'That's just your opinion'. What does such an accusation really mean? What motivates the mindset of those whose reply to the Truth is, 'Well, that's just your opinion', or, 'That's just your point of view', or, 'That's just your interpretation'? What is the mindset behind them and is this way of thinking in accordance with Scripture, or does it stand in contrast to, and therefore in defiance of, Truth? This book will examine just exactly what a person is really saying and what the implications are of such comments, made after hearing the Gospel of God, as well as the consequences of such remarks.

'A gorgeous and funny story about family and acceptance' Nina Pottell (Prima) 'Laugh out loud funny yet poignant at heart' Frances Quinn, author of That Bonesetter Woman 'A real treat of a book' Eleni Kyriacou, author of The Unspeakable Acts of Zina Pavlou 'Another gem from Nicola Gill' Jessica Ryn, author of The Imperfect Art of Caring Twenty-nine-year-old teacher Emily needs her father to believe her life is a success. He may have walked out on the family when she was a child and let her down when she needed him most, but her life is perfect despite him. Or it was until last Friday, when her fiancé dumped her. Now she's facing a frighteningly empty future, and she's unravelling at work. And just when she thought things couldn't get worse, her father turns up on her doorstep. Ed knows he's got it wrong, and he wants to make amends, even if his motives aren't entirely selfless. What better way to do that than to show Emily how much he cares about her wedding? He'll even shell out for the dress if that's what it takes. Emily can't bear to tell her father that her life has fallen apart. So she doesn't. Before she knows it, they're planning – and booking – a wedding that's totally perfect. Except for one small fact...

SUCKED IN Struggling vampire romance novelist Ashley Hawn was living her dream. By day she worked as a clerk at a local grocery store, and by night she immersed herself in the imaginary world of sexy vampires, shirtless men, and endless parties. Between work, her writing, and her best friends- Chloe and Jordan- life was good. She was even dating a mysterious and sexy man (or so she thought) by the name of Isaac. Then in a flash, her whole world changed and she discovered herself turned. Quickly she finds that life as a vampire is less sexy shirtless men, endless parties, and is more running for her life as she tries to dodge the attacks of every mythological creature in the area. SUCKED AWAY Barely surviving the resurrection of the warlock Sedgrave, Ashley has healed in body, if not in mind. As she slowly tries to piece together her mind, sorting past from present and friend from foe, the time of her joining- a ritual designed to bind her to her seethe-comes upon her. Before the ritual can be completed in full, it is interrupted by a ragged pack of werewolves seeking asylum and protection. Meanwhile, a storm is brewing in the mystical world with Ashley at its center, and before she knows it, her calm existence is once more Sucked Away. THAT SUCKED Ashley Hawn's vampire existence has been anything but calm. Turned for the sole purpose of raising a long-dead warlock from the grave, Ashley has spent her new life fighting against those who would use her. Now the warlock is back, and Ashley finds herself connected to him in every way possible. She must work alongside her friends to stop him from enslaving the entire human population. Meanwhile, the men in her life continue to show her romantic inclinations. As Ashley works to break the connection between her and the warlock, she ducks and dodges the attention of her male friends, doing her best to ward them off without ending the friendship. Will Ashley kill Sedgrave, and will she have any friends left when it is all over?

And That's Just the Trouble with Cats! presents the continuing escapades of the three cat brothers, Cas, Ras and Tas that began in Cats are People Too! In this entertaining and funny story, the cats have moved into a new home and are having issues with the sleeping arrangements. Their owner, Carolyn, is at her wits end and resorts to drastic action to remedy the situation. An encounter with a stranger, a visit to the vet, and a hair-raising adventure for Cas soon has the cats realizing how lucky they really are. Jessica Mudaly grew up in South Africa, and resides in London, England, where she is a doctor.

"Hannah Craig's This History That Just Happened places the reader at the nexus where rural and city life converge, bridging a world personal and political, natural and artful, in a voice always uniquely hers. Every word here is earned. And little, if anything, escapes this poet's heart, mind, or eye. History works through a keen imagination. These poems make us feel and listen differently, and images coalesce line by line and dare us to reside where fierce empathy and beauty abide."—Yusef Komunyakaa

Are you spiritually hungry to know God better? To walk hand in hand, close to Him, and begin to comprehend His ways? Are you a blood-bought Christian who longs to see God manifest His victorious right arm today? What would you think if perhaps He wanted to do it through you? Maybe you're like me. Maybe someone told you years ago that "the days of miracles had passed." Would you like to find out for yourself that this wasn't true then-or now! If you want everything God has prepared for you-and you may not know it even exists!-perhaps you would enjoy this book! You might, like me, find that your Heavenly Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are just waiting for you to launch out on His promises. You might even be involved in miracles you never thought could happen! So grab your hat! When God moves you out, He moves fast and exciting things happen! You can never predict what God will do next. No box can contain Him. He is sovereign, you know! So, cast your cares upon Jesus-and let's soar together in the Heavenlies (Ephesians 2:6) where miracles take place!

Forget the 10,000 hour rule— what if it’s possible to learn the basics of any new skill in 20 hours or less? Take a moment to consider how many things you want to learn to do. What’s on your list? What’s holding you back from getting started? Are you worried about the time and effort it takes to acquire new skills—time you don’t have and effort you can’t spare? Research suggests it takes 10,000 hours to develop a new skill. In this nonstop world when will you ever find that much time and energy? To make matters worse, the early hours of prac­ticing something new are always the most frustrating. That’s why it’s difficult to learn how to speak a new language, play an instrument, hit a golf ball, or shoot great photos. It’s so much easier to watch TV or surf the web . . . In The First 20 Hours, Josh Kaufman offers a systematic approach to rapid skill acquisition— how to learn any new skill as quickly as possible. His method shows you how to deconstruct com­plex skills, maximize productive practice, and remove common learning barriers. By complet­ing just 20 hours of focused, deliberate practice you’ll go from knowing absolutely nothing to performing noticeably well. Kaufman personally field-tested the meth­ods in this book. You’ll have a front row seat as he develops a personal yoga practice, writes his own web-based computer programs, teaches himself to touch type on a nonstandard key­board, explores the oldest and most complex board game in history, picks up the ukulele, and learns how to windsurf. Here are a few of the sim­ple techniques he teaches: Define your target performance level: Fig­ure out what your desired level of skill looks like, what you’re trying to achieve, and what you’ll be able to do when you’re done. The more specific, the better. Deconstruct the skill: Most of the things we think of as skills are actually bundles of smaller subskills. If you break down the subcompo­nents, it’s easier to figure out which ones are most important and practice those first. Eliminate barriers to practice: Removing common distractions and unnecessary effort makes it much easier to sit down and focus on deliberate practice. Create fast feedback loops: Getting accu­rate, real-time information about how well you’re performing during practice makes it much easier to improve. Whether you want to paint a portrait, launch a start-up, fly an airplane, or juggle flaming chain­saws, The First 20 Hours will help you pick up the basics of any skill in record time . . . and have more fun along the way.