Sometimes, when the worst becomes reality, God turns theoretical musing into heavenly experience. Al Hallene discovered his college-student son’s body after Alex hanged himself. While Al waited for the authorities to arrive, he had ten minutes alone with his son. During that wrenching time, God gave Al eight visions of heaven, where the father and son would someday reunite. As Al recounts those heartening and healing moments, readers are reminded of the affirming hope that Christians share even while asking the real questions tragedy raises: Will we see our lost loved ones again? Does God care about our pain? What does this mean for us now? The Hope of Heaven is a very different kind of heaven book: rather than an argument for the existence of heaven or an account of an out-of-body experience, Alan Hallene gives readers a glimpse of life beyond the tragedies we endure.

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” We hear Jesus’s words and want to respond, but so often we’re too busy, too anxious, too heavily laden to take hold of His invitation. Mornings with Jesus, an annual, 366-day devotional, is your entrée into His world. Jesus will comfort you, and you’ll experience the delight and challenge of knowing Him and living for Him. In Mornings with Jesus 2016, you can read and reflect on one devotion each day that will encourage you to embrace Jesus’s love, to lay down your worries and walk with Him, and to focus on Him as Redeemer, Friend, and Faithful One. Lifting up their voices in heartfelt gratitude, ten women, including best-selling authors Tricia Goyer and Cynthia Ruchti, consider the character and teachings of Jesus and share how He enriches and empowers them daily and how He wants to do the same for you. Every day readers will enjoy a Scripture verse, reflection on Jesus’s words, and a “Faith Step” that inspires and challenges. In just five minutes a day, Mornings with Jesus will help you experience a closer relationship with Jesus. It’s full of inspiring and lasting motivation and spiritual nourishment that fill you with hope and direction.

Like oysters, women often encounter unexpected grit during their everyday lives. In response, Gods love and grace covers this grit and transforms the pain into a precious pearl that leaves a layered, luminous lining within a shell: Mother of Pearl. This brilliant luster is strong, lasting, and purposefuljust like the love, lessons, and legacies left by the special women in our lives. Mother of Pearl celebrates the collective iridescence of motherhood. Margaret McSweeney presents a collection of heartfelt vignettes from authors who communicate the importance of the unique relationships between mothers and their children, between granddaughters and grandmothers and between children and the mother-figures in their lives. These stories tell of the power of faith, prayer, and values, exploring coming of age, the joy of becoming a mother, the importance of motherhood, the ways to heal from a bad relationship with a mother and weathering the death of a special loved one. Poignant and thought-provoking, the stories serve to inspire, encourage, instill hope, and strengthen faith. The proceeds from the sale of Mother of Pearl will be donated to organizations helping struggling women and children. The charities include Wings (Women in Need Growing Stronger) to help fund the Safe House in the Chicago suburbs and to Hands of Hope to help build wells for schoolchildren in Zambia. Mother of Pearl celebrates the collective iridescence of motherhood. Margaret McSweeney presents a collection of heartfelt vignettes from authors who communicate the importance of the unique relationships between mothers and their children, between granddaughters and grandmothers and between children and the mother-figures in their lives. These stories tell of the power of faith, prayer, and values, exploring coming of age, the joy of becoming a mother, the importance of motherhood, the ways to heal from a bad relationship with a mother and weathering the death of a special loved one. Poignant and thought-provoking, the stories serve to inspire, encourage, instill hope, and strengthen faith. The proceeds from the sale of Mother of Pearl will be donated to organizations helping struggling women and children. The charities include Wings (Women in Need Growing Stronger) to help fund the Safe House in the Chicago suburbs and to Hands of Hope to help build wells for schoolchildren in Zambia.

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” —Matthew 11:28 We hear Jesus’s words and want to respond, but so often we feel we’re too busy, too anxious, or too heavily burdened to take hold of his invitation. Mornings with Jesus 2017, an annual, 365-day devotional, is your entrée into his world. Jesus will comfort you, and you’ll experience the delight and challenge of knowing him and living for him. In Mornings with Jesus 2017, you can read and reflect on one devotion each day that will encourage you to embrace Jesus’s love, to lay down your worries and walk with Him, and to focus on Him as Redeemer, Friend, and Faithful One. Lifting up their voices in heartfelt gratitude, ten women, including bestselling authors Tricia Goyer and Cynthia Ruchti, consider the character and teachings of Jesus and share how He enriches and empowers them daily and how He wants to do the same for you. Every day you will enjoy a scripture verse, reflection on Jesus’s words, and a faith step that inspires and challengesyou in your daily walk of living a Christ-like life.

Covers the latest developments in PNT technologies, including integrated satellite navigation, sensor systems, and civil applications Featuring sixty-four chapters that are divided into six parts, this two-volume work provides comprehensive coverage of the state-of-the-art in satellite-based position, navigation, and timing (PNT) technologies and civilian applications. It also examines alternative navigation technologies based on other signals-of-opportunity and sensors and offers a comprehensive treatment on integrated PNT systems for consumer and commercial applications. Volume 1 of Position, Navigation, and Timing Technologies in the 21st Century: Integrated Satellite Navigation, Sensor Systems, and Civil Applications contains three parts and focuses on the satellite navigation systems, technologies, and engineering and scientific applications. It starts with a historical perspective of GPS development and other related PNT development. Current global and regional navigation satellite systems (GNSS and RNSS), their inter-operability, signal quality monitoring, satellite orbit and time synchronization, and ground- and satellite-based augmentation systems are examined. Recent progresses in satellite navigation receiver technologies and challenges for operations in multipath-rich urban environment, in handling spoofing and interference, and in ensuring PNT integrity are addressed. A section on satellite navigation for engineering and scientific applications finishes off the volume. Volume 2 of Position, Navigation, and Timing Technologies in the 21st Century: Integrated Satellite Navigation, Sensor Systems, and Civil Applications consists of three parts and addresses PNT using alternative signals and sensors and integrated PNT technologies for consumer and commercial applications. It looks at PNT using various radio signals-of-opportunity, atomic clock, optical, laser, magnetic field, celestial, MEMS and inertial sensors, as well as the concept of navigation from Low-Earth Orbiting (LEO) satellites. GNSS-INS integration, neuroscience of navigation, and animal navigation are also covered. The volume finishes off with a collection of work on contemporary PNT applications such as survey and mobile mapping, precision agriculture, wearable systems, automated driving, train control, commercial unmanned aircraft systems, aviation, and navigation in the unique Arctic environment. In addition, this text: Serves as a complete reference and handbook for professionals and students interested in the broad range of PNT subjects Includes chapters that focus on the latest developments in GNSS and other navigation sensors, techniques, and applications Illustrates interconnecting relationships between various types of technologies in order to assure more protected, tough, and accurate PNT Position, Navigation, and Timing Technologies in the 21st Century: Integrated Satellite Navigation, Sensor Systems, and Civil Applications will appeal to all industry professionals, researchers, and academics involved with the science, engineering, and applications of position, navigation, and timing technologies. pnt21book.com

In this clear-eyed, candid, and ultimately reassuring

During World War I, the American Merchant Marine meant dangerous duty. Sailors on cargo ships faced the daily threat of enemy submarines, along with the usual hazards of life at sea, and help was rarely close enough for swift rescues. Pre-war shipping in America depended mainly on foreign vessels, but with the outbreak of war these were no longer available. Construction began quickly on new ships, most of which were not completed until long after the end of the war. Drawing on contemporary newspapers, magazines and trade publications, and Shipping Board, Department of Commerce and Coast Guard records, this book provides the first complete overview of the American Merchant Marine during World War I. Detailed accounts cover the expansion of trans-Atlantic shipping, shipbuilding records 1914-1918, operating companies, ship losses from enemy action, the role of the Naval Overseas Transportation Service and mariner experiences.

A selection of annotated references to unclassified reports and journal articles that were introduced into the NASA scientific and technical information system and announced in Scientific and technical aerospace reports (STAR) and International aerospace abstracts (IAA).