Laurie Guy provides an illuminating, broad-brush survey of the early church in its first four centuries. Readers get to witness the emergence of Great Tradition Christianity as themes unfold over time regarding women, persecution and martyrdom, asceticism and monasticism, eucharist and baptism, doctrine and the ecumenical councils.
This book presents the life of an evangelist raised in a dysfunctional family, subcumbed to drugs and alcohol, and recovered to rise and found a mega-church.
Baptists in New Zealand have built few lasting denominational institutions. In keeping with a congregational emphasis, the focus has been on the local church. The Missionary Society, born out of the recognition that some tasks are better done together, is an obvious exception. Another is Carey Baptist College. From nondescript beginnings, the college has become a broad-based theological provider in the first rank of New Zealand institutions. This volume unfolds the story of this crucial Baptist venture. The deeper narrative is of relationships, innovation and commitment. It is a story worth telling.
Using personal experience and biblical examples, well-known pastor Greg Laurie illustrates how prayer works in different people's lives. In spiritual terms, Jacob wrestled with God for years. The Syro-Phoenician Woman also wrestled with Jesus, but briefly, her argument arising from a wholly different situation. Yet God brought them both to roughly the same kind of relationship with Himself. He softened Jacob's will and rewarded his submission; He honored the woman's determination and rewarded her resolve. Through these examples, readers will discover how heartfelt prayer and willing submission can bring them into their own unique, rewarding relationships with God.
Laurie Boyle Crompton’s coming of age in rural Pennsylvania and the New York City area in the 1970s and 1980s was anything but idyllic. In moving verse accompanied by diary-esque sketches, Crompton takes you along as she navigates relationships, plays the happy family at church despite discord at home, manages her mother’s ambitions and her father’s alcoholism, struggles with her self-image, and desperately tries to fit in at school by squeezing into too-tight designer denim. Both heartwarming and heartbreaking, The Denim Diaries follows Crompton’s journey through disordered eating and sexual assault to acceptance and recovery. Her vivid poems recall the highs and lows of a life filled with hardship and joy alike. At times both harrowing and humorous, this memoir brings new perspective to the importance of self-love and finding hope in the darkest of times.
She thought she’d have more time. Laurie Notaro figured she had at least a few good years left. But no–it’s happened. She has officially lost her marbles. From the kid at the pet-food store checkout line whose coif is so bizarre it makes her seethe “I’m going to kick his hair’s ass!” to the hapless Sears customer-service rep on the receiving end of her Campaign of Terror, no one is safe from Laurie’s wrath. Her cranky side seems to have eaten the rest of her–inner-thigh Chub Rub and all. And the results are breathtaking. Her riffs on e-mail spam (“With all of these irresistible offers served up to me on a plate, I WANT A PENIS NOW!!”), eBay (“There should be an eBay wading pool, where you can only bid on Precious Moments figurines and Avon products, that you have to make it through before jumping into the deep end”), and the perils of St. Patrick’s Day (“When I’m driving, the last thing I need is a herd of inebriates darting in and out of traffic like loaded chickens”) are the stuff of legend. And for Laurie, it’s all true.
That's My Baby! "Laurie Paige doesn't miss…" —New York Times bestselling author Catherine Coulter THE LADY, THE COWBOY…AND HIS BABY Prim, proper nursery-school teacher Molly Clelland had never met a parent like Sam Frazier. The man was as rugged and forbidding as the land he ranched. Yet his darling infant daughter…she could turn Sam to putty. That fierce paternal love melted Molly's heart. So when scandal threatened Sam's custody of little Lass, a marriage of convenience made her Lass's loving mom. But would sexy Sam ever make the straitlaced schoolmarm his blushing, breathless bride? THAT'S MY BABY! Sometimes bringing up baby can bring surprises…and showers of love. "Laurie Paige doesn't miss—catch the sexy guy with the baby. It's a nonstop read." —New York Times bestselling author Catherine Coulter
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • Laurie Notaro has an uncanny ability to attract insanity—and leave readers doubled over with laughter. Need proof? Check out The Idiot Girl and the Flaming Tantrum of Death and try not to bust a gut. Join Notaro as she experiences the popular phenomenon of laser hair removal (because at least one of her chins should be stubble-free); bemoans the scourge of the Open Mouth Coughers on America’s airplanes and in similarly congested areas; welcomes the newest ex-con (yay, a sex offender!) to her neighborhood; and watches, against her own better judgment, every Discovery Health Channel special on parasites and tapeworms that has ever aired—resulting in an overwhelming fear that a worm the size of a python will soon come a-knocking on her back door. In Notaro’s world, strangers are stranger than fiction. One must always check the hotel bathroom for hobo hairs and consciously remember not to stare at old men with giant man-boobies. And then there are the lessons she has learned the hard way: Though it may seem like a good idea, it’s best not to hire a tweaked-out homeless guy to clean up your yard. The Plain Dealer says that Laurie Notaro is “a scream, the freak-magnet of a girlfriend you can’t wait to meet for a drink to hear her latest story.” With The Idiot Girl and the Flaming Tantrum of Death, Notaro proves she’s not only funny but resigned to the fact that you can’t look bad ass in a Prius. Don’t even try.
The Hudson Review has always had an international focus. Travel and reports from abroad have figured prominently in the journal, including essays on exotic and picturesque locales, as well as accounts from war-torn areas and the experiences of exiles. Many of these are pilgrimages; others are harrowing memoirs. What unites even the most devastating of these accounts are intellectual curiosity and a spirit of adventure. Places Lost and Found is a treasury of distinctive and compelling essays selected from six decades of the Hudson Review. From a description of the gardens of Kyoto and a portrait of Syria just before its civil war to reflections on Veblen and the Mall of America, these essays explore an array of places that are deeply layered with history and meaning. The stunning cover photo of the Semper Opera House in Dresden encapsulates many of the themes of the book: war and its aftermath, the importance of the built environment in any discussion of “place,” the endurance of civilization and resilience, and of course the romance of travel.
Acclaimed as one of the most original talents to emerge in the last decade, award-winning author Laurie R. King returns to Folly Island to deliver her most stunning achievement yet--a breathtaking novel of suspense that explores the very essence of good and evil. Allen Carmichael came back from Vietnam a lifetime ago--but only now was he ready to return home. For years, he’s lived on the fringes of the law, using a soldier’s skills to keep watch over those too young to defend themselves. Some consider him nothing but a kidnapper for hire--the best in the business; others call him a hero. His specialty has been rescuing children from abusive parents and escorting them to loving homes. But after twenty-five years, he is ready to take on his final case--a case that could destroy him. The boy’s name is Jamie: He believes his father is going to kill him. Allen is convinced that the twelve-year-old is right and devises a strategy to save him. His last job done, Allen heads back to Folly Island, where he plans to settle into a quiet life. But not long after his return, a small plane piloted by the boy’s father’s crashes, leaving behind debris--but no body. Now it is up to Allen to resolve whether Jamie’s father is dead or alive--and to make sure Jamie himself stays out of harm’s way. But a series of ominous events leads Allen to question whether Jamie’s father is really the enemy after all. Or if the real threat is far more unspeakable...and the killer unimaginable. Riveting, harrowing, and unforgettable, Keeping Watch takes psychological suspense to its most dizzying heights and proves again why Laurie R. King has been called by both readers and critics an undisputed master of suspense.
The enchanting and insightful story of a woman trying to reconcile her rock-and-roll past with her respectable present When Geraldine Colshares drops out of graduate school to become the only white backup singer in an R&B band, nobody thinks it is a good idea. Not her parents, who are sure she is on drugs. Not her best friend, who sees going on tour as a way of staving off real life. Not even Doo-Wah Banks, her Juilliard-trained bandmate and crush, who suggests she find a nice white husband. But to be a Shakette—as in Vernon and Ruby Shakely and the Shakettes—has been the burning desire of Geraldine’s heart since puberty, and when she steps on stage in her chartreuse dress and luminescent shoes, she knows she is exactly where she belongs. All good things must come to an end, however, and after two years on the road Geraldine quits the band and settles down to the kind of conventional routine—marriage, children, dinner parties—she never expected. To her family and friends, Geraldine seems to have it all, but the question remains: Once you’ve been a Shakette, will anything else ever feel so right? A hilarious and touching novel about staying true to yourself while moving on with life, Goodbye Without Leaving stars one of Laurie Colwin’s most distinctive and delightful heroines. This ebook features an illustrated biography of Laurie Colwin including rare photos and never-before-seen documents from the author’s estate.
Landing an internship at an ad agency isn't what her principal or her mother wanted for Jordie Popkin, aspiring journalist. At sixteen, Jordie is glad of the chance to collect "real world" experience and finds working with the "creatives" at the agency a nice break from her math and science curriculum. And the team likes Jordie, too. When her new colleagues decide to make Jordie's business their business, Jordie is flattered but skeptical. They will come up with a plan to market Jordie to the hottest guy in her grade. From situation analysis to "sex sells," the team assures Jordie that they know what they're doing. She shouldn't get upset if their ideas cause her an embarassing moment or two. Jordie knows that the course of true love never did run smooth and that the ad game isn't a simple set of rules to follow but she can't help wondering about the advantages of letting professionals try to turn her from Brand X into a hot item. The principles of marketing might apply to a bar of soap, but finding the right guy...? In this humorous novel, Laurie Gwen Shapiro reveals with candor how one girl who feels like "Brand X" not only learns the secret of a successful marketing campaign but also discovers how to assess her true market value to become the brand of choice.
In 1969 Kim Janik was a young man shining with promise?handsome, brilliant, studying at Harvard on a physics scholarship?and he was in love with Laurie Alberts, a troubled teenager from a wealthy Boston suburb. Twenty-five years later, when Kim?s naked and decomposing body was discovered on the Wyoming prairie, one photograph?that of the Harvard junior and the seventeen-year-old?was found in his abandoned car. This book is Alberts?s attempt to piece together what happened in between. An accomplished novelist, Alberts brings to her task the searching intelligence, clear-eyed candor, and narrative grace that have marked her previous books. She painstakingly recreates her turbulent relationship with Kim and traces the twisted course that led to his eventual ruin. A story of obsessive love, societal upheaval, and the warring impulses of survival and self-destruction, Fault Line moves beyond the limits of the traditional memoir into the realms of biography and literary journalism. With interviews and letters, Alberts augments her lucid reflections in an effort to comprehend Kim?s life and death and her place in both. The result is a singular work that melds the inner and outer worlds with a seamless intensity.
Set in the years between the meteoric launches of Madonna and Courtney Love, Petal Pusher takes readers on a stirring journey across rock and roll, from the big-haired 1980s to the grunge-filled 1990s, when Laurie Lindeen brought her all-girl band, Zuzu's Petals, to compete in the indie rock arena. Minneapolis in the eighties was a musical hotbed, the land of 10,000 lakes and 10,000 bands that gave birth to Prince, the Replacements, and Soul Asylum. For Laurie Lindeen it was the perfect place to launch her rock-and-roll dream. She moved to the city with her best friends Phyll ("Annie Oakley meets Patsy Cline") and Coleen ("former cheerleader gone off the arty deep end") to crash in decrepit apartments and coax punk rock from crappy used guitars. But unbeknownst to her friends, Laurie has a secret in her past -- a diagnosis of multiple sclerosis that fuels her passion to make it big on the local, national, and international rock scene. With inspiring determination, Laurie and her Zuzu's Petals survive the many challenges of being underdogs in a man's world. Then Laurie is thrown a curveball when she falls for Paul Westerberg of Replacements fame and reevaluates exactly what it means to "make it big." By turns hilarious and heartrending, Petal Pusher is a brilliant behind-the-scenes look at music on the front lines, and the awe-inspiring tale of one woman's fight against disease and the disillusionment of life in the rock underground.
It's not easy being Gunnar Cross.His dad is an absent-minded scientist and his mom is preoccupied with organic gardening and free-range chickens. One day Gunnar, the nerd, is offered the chance of a lifetime—to become G-man, the spy guy. When Gunnar learns that his friend's dad is El Diablo, the dangerous head of a smuggling cartel, he decides to take action. With the backing of the CANINE spy network, the support of his dad's wacky inventions, and the help from his friends, Gunnar single handedly infiltrates El Diablo's compound, and brings down The Devil in this dangerous and action packed thriller.
An intimate look at movie star Steve McQueen's reckless life of fast cars, women, and drugs all the way up to his dramatic life-change and terminal cancer diagnosis. Join Greg Laurie as he takes a cross-country drive in his 1968 Highland Green Ford Mustang 390 GT through the canyons of Malibu, the alleys of Hollywood, the wide and open roads of the Midwest, and the streets of New York as he traces the woolly geography of actor Steve McQueen's life, relationships, career, and spiritual journey. This iconic muscle car was the vehicle McQueen drove in his most raucous and enduring film, Bullitt. In the 1960s, McQueen was, according to box office receipts, the biggest movie star of his generation and one of the coolest men to ever walk the planet. Greg Laurie was a teen at the time and an ardent fan of "The King of Cool," first mesmerized by McQueen in 1963's The Great Escape. Like millions of cinema fans, Greg developed a lifelong fascination with the actor. Now he has a chance to tell McQueen's story. McQueen was a complex, contradictory man who lived the same way he drove his motorcycles and cars: fearlessly, ruthlessly, and at top speed. After a lifetime of fast cars, women, and drugs, McQueen took a surprising detour. In this book, Laurie thoughtfully interviews Steve McQueen's friends, co-stars, associates, widow, and pastor to tell of the dramatic life-change for the actor in the spring of 1979--six months before McQueen was diagnosed with terminal cancer. What were the critical steps that led McQueen to make such a life-altering decision? Perhaps more importantly, why is that part of his story so rarely told? This book answers these questions. Greg Laurie will follow the seeds of Christianity that were sown throughout McQueen's improbable life where a Light finally shone into the darkness of his troubled life. These seeds miraculously germinated, allowing McQueen to see that redemption through Jesus Christ is a lasting truth more glittering and real than any magic of the entertainment industry.
For anyone who's ever sensed that there must be something more . . . let the adventure begin. Using her own personal, professional, and exotic travel experiences, Laurie Gardner shows how we can derive life-changing insights and essential personal growth from any situation. Most importantly, we discover how to connect with our deepest desires and our highest selves, learning to honor our own intuition and truth. Laurie Gardner has Harvard degrees in comparative world religions, psychology, and education. She dedicated her career to spearheading an international public school reform movement and is a master practitioner in body/mind/spirit wellness.
Here are more scathingly funny tales from the wild side! Laurie Notaro survived the debauched ride of her twenties and the bumpy road to matrimony. Now she’s ready to take on the thirtysomething years . . . and almost middle age has never been more hilarious. Laurie is married, mortgaged, and now—miraculously—employed in the corporate world, discovering that bosses come in all shapes, sizes, and degrees of mental stability. After maxing out her last good credit card at Banana Republic, she’s dressed for success and ready to face the jungle: surviving feral, six-foot-plus Gretchen (“Three Thousand Faces of Eve”) before battling the overbearing, overstuffed (in way-too-small pants) new mom Suzzi, who ruthlessly cancels Laurie’s newspaper column and learns that payback can be a bitch. Laurie also explores the backstabbing world of preschoolers at a Halloween party, the X-rated madness of a family trip to Disneyland, and the pressure from her QVC-addicted mother and the rest of the world to reproduce. But while losing more friends to babies than to booze, she realizes there’s a plus side: at least for a couple of months she gets to be the thinner friend. I Love Everybody (and Other Atrocious Lies) is Laurie Notaro at her deliciously quirky best. Can a woman prone to what her loved ones might term “meltdowns” (she considers them “Opportunities to Enlighten”) put a smile on her face and love everybody? Take a guess.
Fabulous Fathers WANTED: ONE FAMILY Each time Deputy Sheriff Nick Dorelli saw fatherless Doogie Clay, his heart ached. If Doogie's mother hadn't wed another man, he would be Nick's kid. And Nick would be the father the boy so desperately needed. But best of all, Stephanie Clay would be Nick's wife. Once, they'd dreamed of marriage, and although misunderstandings broke them up, Nick had never stopped thinking of—or loving—her. And now was the time for action. Because not only did Nick want to be a father, he wanted to be a husband—Stephanie's husband. Fabulous Fathers can be chosen from the heart….
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