Böcker utgivna av Outskirts Press

The Dad Book takes the reader on a spiritual and emotional journey to explore the role of the dad in their life. These stories and facts are drawn from the author''s experience as a father, son, and pastor with more than forty years of ministry under his belt. One in three children is raised in a fatherless home according to the US Census and 63% of youth suicides are from fatherless homes (US Dept. of Health). Research shows 85% of all children with behavior disorders come from fatherless homes (Center for Disease Control). Why do some succeed in spite of statistics while others fail because of them? The Dad Book brings healing and strength to those who can relate to emotional trauma those statistics bring. The position of the father is to provide the child with a paradigm of Father God. You may ask, "How can I know Him if I''ve never known him?" The Dad Book provides clarity and a biblical solution to life''s challenges. If you struggle in your marriage, friendships, or in figuring out life, then The Dad Book is for you. If you were raised with a great dad, like the author, it helps you to appreciate the dads in your life and recognize your other dads. Wherever you are with or without your dad, allow the healing power of the Holy Spirit to guide you on this spiritual journey. Be prepared to laugh, cry, be healed and propelled into your destiny.

Contemporary poetry is dominated by an adherence to the poetics ofIndeterminacy, in which tuneless chaos prevails over music and meaning.In their determination to subvert the traditional conventions of poetry,contemporary poets dismiss, in their practice, all the time-honored devicesthat make poetry, such as, for example, rhythm and rhyme, symboland song. That is to say, they dismiss Auden's famous formulation thatpoetry is "memorable speech"-a unique and compelling combination ofsound and sense. Rather than joining my peers in their nihilistic revels, my intention, on thecontrary, is to employ the traditional practices of poetry to achieve Auden'sideal. Taking that ideal as my own; that is, taking the practice of suchgreat modernists as Dickinson, Robinson, Yeats, Rilke, Pound, Eliot, Cavafy,Stevens, Hart Crane, and Auden, I seek-against the indeterminacy that definescontemporary poetic practice-to make poems memorable for their music andmeaning, their sound and sense. Thus, whether attempting a lyrical love poem or a poignant memoir of mygrowing up in Philly's Little Italy, my intention is to create a dramatic poetrythat is to be spoken as well as read, heard as well as seen. Therefore, my poetrystands as a direct challenge to the nihilistic conception of poetry that rules thecontemporary literary landscape.

A new kind of poetry you're sure to ENJOY! From Simply ROMANTIC to simply FUN! "Country Poetry From the Milkman(TM) will change the way you may think about poetry," Frank says, "nothing boring about it!"What is country poetry you may ask? Well…our poet, Frank Curtiss, a Korean War vet and bona fide milkman for many years, never cared much for what he calls "traditional poetry!" Nevertheless, being a hopeless romantic, and one who observes life and nature in general, he was naturally prone to jotting down his thoughts in rhyme. Frank decided to refer to his fun, romantic, and easy to read poems as Country Poetry From the Milkman(TM)!We believe he has created a whole new genre of poetry! Frank will tell you that he has immensely enjoyed writing it for many years, and now he's hoping that you will immensely enjoy reading it! As you peruse through the pages of our book, we hope you will find yourself saying, "Oh wow, this one's for me!" Or, "so and so, really needs to read that one!" For added value, and to learn more about this poet's life, you won't want to miss pages 1-20 which include: "...yes, my dad was a bona-fide milkman!" and Memoires of My Dad's Life - (As I see it!) Then, after enjoying his poems, glimpse into his ancestry and the town he was raised in, Fairport, Ohio - all with pictures galore!

Kenneth Ashton is a retired middle school teacher. He has spent thirty-five years as a classroom teacher with children ages eleven through thirteen. He holds a master's degree in education and became interested in mystery when he recognized the eagerness of his students to read this genre.In his new book, (A Ship Named Jenny), Gale Merryweather's luck is about to run out. Soon, she will become involved in the life story of a young girl that she has never met. A girl named Jenny.As in his first book, (Gale's Gold Ring), the author again uses a legend to enrich the story. The legend of the Witch of Wellfleet, originates from the life of Black Sam Bellamy, a pirate, and the story of the pirate ship, Whydah.Although his audience is primarily middle school aged children, this is a book that will appeal to anyone who enjoys reading a challenging and entertaining mystery.

The window is brief. The seeds of athletic talent must fall on fertile fields at just the right time in a young baller's life. THE DAILY B'ALMANAC is a compendium of basketball knowledge and life skills written specifically for the millions of serious young basketball players world-wide. Formatted as a daily journal/devotional, the brief instructional paragraphs touch on virtually every basketball skill and situation encountered in this global sport. More importantly, THE DAILY B'ALMANAC provides strategies and language for sensitive issues that arise in every young athlete's life and is designed to help them navigate through the confusion of adolescence. Many of these topics have never been addressed with the concise honesty offered in this book and frankly, could be applied at any level of competition.

Understanding end-time prophetic scriptures can be frustrating since not all the related information is presented in one place in the Bible nor is it presented in an easily understood chronological order. The Closed Door (Which Side Will You Be On) is an attempt to take the reader on a step-by-step journey through the myriad of end-time prophetic scriptures that are presented in a definitive chronological order. This journey will show the inter-relationship of such major future events as . . . The disappearance of nearly two billion people The formation of three future geopolitical alliances The ancient religion that will be integral with Mystery Babylon The three invasions of IsraelThis journey will also delve into the numerous realms of God's creation (past, present and future) and include a description of three eternal people groups and three eternal realms. The specific eternal people group that you will be in will determine the specific realm where you will spend eternity. The life choices that you make this side of the grave will have eternal consequences. Where will you spend eternity? Before life's door closes, I pray that you will choose wisely - and soon!

It's the 1950s in rural upstate New York, and Ruthie appears to be doing as her society dictates for women: she's running her family's dairy farm, after her father's death, and caring for her ailing mother. But a big spotlight is about to be turned on Ruthie's truth.That light comes in the form of a woman named Ruth, who applies for the caretaker position Ruthie advertises. Over six months, the women of She Who Is without Sin fall in love and plunge into intimacy.An ordained minister, lawyer, and judge who was herself raised in rural New York and who came out as gay when she was an adult, Martha Emily Bellinger has written a lesbian love story like no other. Its focus on the progressive spiritual aspects of being brought to your lover by God's plan will speak not only to baby boomer lesbians but younger LGBT seeking to better understand those who paved the way.

Suffering is an integral and inescapable part of human experience. In fact it is essentially what makes us human. It speaks precisely to the imperfection that is inherent in our finite human nature. Our imperfect human nature, in essence, guarantees that suffering in one form or another will afflict us in the course of our earthly sojourn. And the fact that we may, by any reasonable moral standard, regard ourselves as good does not ensure us freedom from the bitter, biting experience of suffering. In fact, strangely but truly, in life as we know and experience it, quite often it is the good people of this world who suffer most. Job in the Bible is a classic case in point. As the Bible reveals, Job was a person of the highest moral integrity. Yet his life was relentlessly battered and burdened by calamitous and catastrophic suffering. But while exemplary and exceptional goodness does not exempt us from suffering, the good person whose faith is anchored in God is given the power to turn his suffering into a blessing. God bestows on him the ability, as Job eventually experienced, to thrive in spite of suffering. Thus this book shows how God enables the good person of faith not only to triumph over any and all suffering but more importantly also to transform his suffering into a blessing.

Holy Devafreakinstation! Two Nukes Aimed at the Motor City. That can't be good.All was well with the world apart from for a trifling skirmish simmering in the background between the USA and Russia, known as the Cold War. Each Superpower flexed its muscles hoping the other would blink, but they persisted until President Ronald Wilson Reagan challenged the Communist Party Chairman, Mikhail Gorbachev, on June 12, 1987 to '...tear down this wall.' That was the Berlin Wall then, but that's not what our story is about. Our adventure begins in 1952, a historic year that ushered in the birth of a new and devastating weapon, nuclear fusion hydrogen bombs. Both sides knew the other was working on one, both sides had one and both sides tested them hoping the other wouldn't find out, with fingers crossed behind their backs. The fireball produced as a result of the first fusion device tested by the USA, known as Ivy Mike, was likened to a second sunrise from over 200 miles away. Before long, technology kicked into high gear transforming Ivy Mike from an 80 ton ground installation into a deployable, go anywhere weapon of world domination magnitude. Shortly thereafter, second and third generation deployable hydrogen bombs were built, tested and shelved until the next generation of smaller, more powerful weapons took center stage. Some were destroyed, others dismantled and two were somehow misplaced. Now, that's what our story is about.

How does this sound? Your organization is humming! People come to work every day energized, excited, and engaged-ready to provide the "discretionary enthusiasm" so crucial to the organization's success. Performance is outstanding on all the critical metrics. Your customers are delighted. Does that sound too good to be true? Impossible to achieve? It doesn't have to be. Thriving Organizational Cultures highlights the underlying dynamics that drive high-performance organizational cultures. The fact is that you can't build a Thriving Organization in one, two, or three easy steps. But these pages are filled with detailed, real-world examples of what it means and what it takes to become a Thriving Organization-as Gary Hamel says, an organization "fit for the future and fit for human beings." You'll find a clear, practical blueprint to help you and your organization get there.So, no, you can't build a Thriving Organization overnight, in just one or two easy steps. But you can continuously improve your organizational culture. You can help your people realize their full potential. You can put your organization-whether it's a team, a business unit, or an entire company-on the path to sustained cultural excellence. And you can start that exciting journey right now-right here.

When I decided to write You DO Have a Story, there were a couple pitfalls. At 84, I was rapidly going blind, losing my short-term memory, and was a tech idiot. What to do? I looked for help and found Claire Burke - so talented, adorable, and ready to work. We met at Second City or Starbucks, and basically she would clean up my messes - editing, illustrating, and converting my writing to files. She is the bacon to my eggs.

Finding a Mythical Creature Is the Hardest Part of a RescueEutimus is a Bigfoot. Normally, he keeps to himself and avoids people as much as he can. That is until his mate is killed. His anger gets the better of him and he gets his revenge. But his actions draw unwanted attention. To save him and protect his kind, Jack Cavendish is asked to get him out of danger. Without even understanding his mission, Dish is thrown into action. First he has to find a Sasquatch, which no one has ever done. Then he needs to lead it to safety. Through everything, Dish has to dodge his old friend as well as navigate the pitfalls with his new girlfriend Jessie. Leaving his Bigfoot friend would cost a lot. Hopefully helping him will not cost him love.

My book The Culture of Goodness is a spiritual memoir that describes my exploration of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam in search of a culture of goodness and further describes what that culture consists of, how it functions, and how I finally found it.As a way of introducing myself, there is a standing joke among my friends:  A Jew, a Christian, and a Muslim walked into a Starbucks, but only Sandra Francis entered. The comment alludes not only to my love of all things Starbucks, but also to my affinity for the Abrahamic Faiths. I embrace them all which makes me, in simple terms, a daughter of Abraham.Over the years I have been at times a practicing Jew, a Quaker and for the past forty years, a Sufi. The wisdom imparted by these traditions has greatly broadened and deepened my awareness of God. I wouldn't have had it any other way.I take the reader back to my youth and my dismissal of religion as nonsense and my conviction that there was no priest, pastor, reverend, or rabbi who could bring me closer to God and make me a better person. I decided to strike out on my own using only my intelligence and a well-meaning heart to guide the way.  As a result, I repeatedly got into trouble. In a moment of despair I cried out to the universe for help, and that help came in the form of a small man from the jungles of Sri Lanka--the last thing I would have expected!  And this man, Bawa Muhaiyaddeen, small in stature, great in faith, seemed to have the antidote for all the poisons circulating in the American system--greed, materialism, egoism, and lack of faith in anything greater than the self  Under Bawa's guidance I found my way to a community composed of people from all over the world, and from all races, ethnicities, socio-economic brackets, and religious traditions. He fashioned these individuals into a family and devoted his life to teaching us the wisdom that we would need to be good and do good in a world that has grown increasingly insane.Given the political and social tensions in America in 2019, I believe this book is timely and may stimulate thought and discussion. In the telling of this story, there is no effort made to preach or to sell anyone anything. My only purpose is to share some extraordinary experiences and lessons in the hope that they will benefit others.  As one of my readers expressed it: "I think that people will put down this book and feel, as I did, uplifted and inspired."

REMEMBRANCES AND CELEBRATED REFLECTIONSResurrected Love & Romance is a compendium of poetry that gives its reader a feeling of wellness and a sense of exhilaration. As a whole, it is a mirror, reflecting numerous ways how and why we write our personal Book of Life. Each of us has a Book of Life or Book of Love, which we write daily, as we record aspects of our lives, based upon our thoughts, attitudes, emotions, experiences and relationships from the past, present, and by what we anticipate or project as the future. Telling our story, we share out pains as well as our joys. Sharing loving, passionate words and personal experiences, we plant seeds that flower into the gift of compassion, and we learn more about ourselves. Over time, we come to realize that we can only honestly be true to others, to the extent that we are faithful, honest and true with ourselves.Resurrected Love & Romance is an inspirational journey of the mind and heart, and focuses on myriad relationships we experience, based on love we encounter. We start out with love of self, self–love or familial love. However, we soon experience “loves”–such as love for other life forms, material love, and love for inanimate things as well other “loves,” including romantic, platonic, childhood, marital, and friendship love through relationships. Having friendships for many years – even after many years of separation, rekindled, is a wonderful way to think of “resurrected love.” Our sense of recollection and remembrance is an incredible and beautiful tool. It is through this reflective ability, love that is seemingly lost, is reignited or “resurrected.” Such love often, invariably, is meaningful, enriching, and at times, even palliative or healing for us.Overall, we experience love through relationships. Relationships are invitations to love. They are emotional experiences of existence. Through emotional bonds with others, we share experiences and improve. Every experience is a journey of self-discovery. Our life is about experiences and relationships, which may involve several persons – one’s soul mate, sweetheart, partner, “true love,” spouse, as well as one’s family and friends. Through loving relationships, we change and become more compassionate, caring, and loving. Love gives us courage to look forward and to understand the good everywhere. It helps us to understand others better with a sense of romance.  Romance is not just a casual love affair based on an emotional attraction. Romance is more than just being intimate; it is sharing with another joy, and caring with a sense of happiness, exhilaration and love.Love is devotion, openness–profound honesty in every relationship. Voiced as love or “romance,” it is evolutionary and purposed to evolve so we can express ourselves with a sense of freedom; thus, we are able to love to the degree we feel totally at ease, with a sense of purpose in all intimate relationships. Every love relationship helps us to know, understand and to love ourselves. We discover how we to heal, bind our fears, and how to love and protect ourselves; for underlying every “love and romance” relationship dwells a secret key to self-love. Resurrected Love & Romance elucidates how relationships aid us with life changes, so we are grateful. For the readers’ reflection, presented, also, is the importance and rewards of living a joyful, honest and loving life, mainly, through self-awareness, which, ultimately, is “resurrected love and romance.”

A sequel to her memoir, Donkey Baby - from Beijing to Berkeley and Beyond, Refired in Paradise is a continuation of Sonia Song''s incredible life story, told in unique free style. Born in Northwest China, Sonia was carried to Beijing on the back of a donkey on the march with the People''s Liberation Army. A contemporary of the newly established People''s Republic for over 30 years, she experienced China''s ups and downs with her veteran communist family, as a living witness of the purges, the Great Leap Forward, the Cultural Revolution, and the reform efforts after Mao''s death. Sonia came to the U.S. in 1987 to attend law school at UC Berkeley. Because of her pro-democracy activities on campus during the Tiananmen Square Massacre, the Chinese Consulate confiscated her passport. Thereafter she worked with several law firms in San Francisco, raised two sons, and founded the first English-Chinese bilingual mediation service in the Bay Area. She became a U.S. citizen and returned to China in 2010, where she worked for three years, first for two American non-profit legal organizations'' offices in Beijing, then as Officer-in-Charge of the United Nation Volunteers China Office.

The United States began employing drones shortly after 9/11 for executing "high-value targets" within the secret confines of an extra-judicial targeted-killing program. The program started slowly, but as the U.S. public seemed to accept these remotely- controlled unmanned bombings, the program escalated under Bush, followed by Obama to the point it was being used globally as a strategic counter-terrorism tool. The use of this policy became globally controversial and many questioned the tactics, transparency, objectives, and outcomes.

Like his father, Lance Kincaid became a Texas Ranger.  Unlike most Rangers, Lance befriended the Lipan Apaches and showed concern for their poor treatment by the U. S. Government.  The Tribe respected Lance and made him a blood brother.  He left the Rangers and joined the Union Army to fight in the Civil War, where he suffered a serious wound that caused him physical injuries and the loss of his memory.His only ties to his past were letters he was said to have received postmarked Bell County, Texas.  He headed to Texas hoping to recover his memory.  Upon his arrival in Bell County, he discovered his father had died at the hands of the Carpetbaggers.  They had also confiscated his ranch.  Lance became a U. S. Marshal and set out to find his father’s killer, or killers.  Over the next several years, he carried out several assignments and faced challenges from criminals, Indians and corrupt members of the Government.  E-Town Showdown is the story of one of those assignments.As a U.S. Marshal, Lance Kincaid, and his deputy Hefty, arrived at Elizabethtown, New Mexico, finding themselves in the middle of the Colfax County War, being threatened by both sides and not knowing which side was in the right.  They were tasked to find the fate of a missing Federal Surveyor, that was sent to E-Town by the Department of Interior to verify the boundaries of the, much disputed, 1.7 million-acre Maxwell Land Grant.  During his investigation, he experienced challenges from the Apaches, The Santa Fe Ring, and the settlers living on the Grant.  After surviving several attempts on his life, he finally reached the surprising answer concerning the fate of the missing Surveyor.

My memoir named Transplanted, from 110° F in the Shade to 10° F in the Sun, recounts my experiences as a young doctor of 23 years old who left the South Indian tropical town, Thiruananthapuram, and got dropped into a ten degrees frigid Chicago winter forty-eight hours later. Despite the strange foods I had to adjust to, the strange clothes that I needed to survive the cold, and even the strangeness of the English language (which I had hitherto believed I was well versed in,) I was able to mold my life and likes, and establish myself as a successful pathologist, a dedicated wife, strong yet kind and loving mother and grandmother, and now a Matriarch to an extended family of fifty two in Chicagoland. I can do it attitude, an open mind and willingness to grow, and the vigor with which I faced my challenges made me successful in accepting and assimilating the American heritage for my own. How I contributed to the melting pot of America while becoming part of it, is itself a story worth reading. Anybody displaced from a place of comfort, whether 100 miles or 10,000 miles, anyone seeking guidance to overcome adversities, and anyone interested in "the Immigrant story" will find my book helpful to survive adversity and prosper in a strange land or a strange town.

At age eighteen he enlisted in the Army Air Force in his hometown of Akron, Ohio. For a boy who had never been more than fifty miles from home the real adventure began when he boarded a bus to Chicago, went by train to Los Angeles, California, and then to Santa Ana Army Air Base boot camp, where his basic training began. Passed over for pilot training because of the huge number of men who wanted those jobs, he eventually was sent to bombardier training in Deming, New Mexico. Because he tested with unusually high math skills he was sent to El Paso, Texas, to become a navigator. Upon graduation he went by ship to Algeria, North Africa, and finally by plane to Lecce, Italy. What happens there is really what this book is all about.

If You Could Go Back in Time, Would You...?Life is made up of moments, and let's face it, some are better than others. If you could go back in time to correct some of your lesser moments, would you? Tormented by things that have happened in the past, James, Anne and a host of new characters are faced with the choice of life as it is ... or life as it could be.

AVIATION STORIES BY PILOTS WHO SHOULD BE DEADThis collection of near-death stories by private pilots, fighter pilots, airline pilots, bush pilots, air traffic controllers, and combat crews shines a spotlight on the bravery and ingenuity of men and women in aviation who stood up to the Grim Reaper when he came a'knocking at death's door. You'll be transported right into the middle of these forthright accounts, some deadly serious, some amusing, but always true.

Arnie Esterer, the father of vinifera in OhioArnie Esterer and Tim Hubbard were taking a big gamble back in 1968 when they started their vineyard and winery. With guidance from Dr. Konstantin Frank, Arnie and Tim built a winery that has led the way for the next generation of European-style vinifera growers and winemakers in Ohio. Markko Vineyard did not happen overnight. It was years of trials and errors, successes and failures and much collaboration and learning. This is the story of one remarkable man, Arnie Esterer, and his passion to produce only the best vinifera wines in the Conneaut Creek region of the Lake Erie appellation where the critics said it could not be done. Clifford Annis captures the untold story of Arnie Esterer, the "father of vinifera in Ohio" and Markko Vineyard in Arnie's own words.

Flirtatious, adventurous Sam seems to have it all, until the day he jumps his bike off a high wall and snaps his spine. Paralyzed, depressed, and angry, he doesn't have what it takes to deal with the devastating consequences of his risk-taking. But an unlikely path opens when he is chosen to be the "partner" of a trained helper monkey, Webster. As he adjusts to having many of his needs met by a ten-inch-tall monkey, he also begins to bond with Webster's trainer, Sharon, a woman with a tragic past who is careful to love only the monkeys she trains. With Sam's encouragement, she begins to trust him and Webster as her family and tries to summon the courage to open herself more deeply to the possibility of love. But when Webster goes missing, Sharon and Sam's relationship will be tested, as she questions the risk to her heart and her job. Beautifully written, imaginative and compassionate, After Crash is a brilliant illumination of the confusing, inspiring, messy, and creative process of healing the body, mind, and heart.

An Introspective look at "Today's Church" vs. The True ChurchIt is my express desire to fulfill this mandate received from God concerning the state of Jesus Christ bride, The Church. Infiltrators have entered the bride of Christ and have cause disfiguration within her body. These professed leaders who I believe for some started out right but have ended up wrong all because of their own selfish gains are responsible for the wounds and scars throughout her body. She has been severely beaten from their pulpits and dismembered, left shattered and scattered. But God the Father through the shed blood of Jesus Christ HIS only begotten son will never abandon HIS children leaving us orphan. God has and will always provide a way of escape for HIS people, from HIS enemy, and a great plan awaiting them. My prayer is that this little book will help those like me and countless others who find that they can no longer identify with "Today's Church". That it will help you understand the problem is not you but the conditions of the wounded bride of Christ. This caused by way of leaders who God called but have altered the Truth or men and women who have robbed themselves. My dearly beloved brothers and sisters God has raised and is raising up remnants of 'The True Church' all across the lands. I urge you to pray and allow God to connect you to the bride of Christ, "The True Church".

Come visit the magical island of Pango Pango. The Purple Peanut of Pango Pango was born in the middle of the night from a new father's desperation to get his son to sleep. That character was Teddy the Tugboat, created for my son Konrad. As his sisters were born, along came other characters so everyone had one and this book is a compilation of a few of those stories that helped get little people to sleep as I laid on the floor in front of 3 cribs in a San Francisco flat. Those people have since grown, but the magic of those years remains fresh in my mind and this book is for Martina, to whom I promised this years ago.

Rounding out its thesis with examples from history and etymology, Paul V. Zylstra's Our Spiritual Compass: The Conscience and Morality describes the immaterial parts of man in general and the conscience in detail as found in the Bible. These concepts are used to describe conflicts with modern philosophy, psychology, the legal system, and modern decision-making techniques and how they are used to condition the conscience to reject morality. Zylstra looks at the effects of government structures and the legal system on the conscience-following this thoughtful guide, lawmakers and jurists alike could make more Christian decisions and rulings. Our Spiritual Compass concludes with a discussion of conscientious objection and the need to protect the conscience of the individual. The book offers a peaceful alternative to counter some devastating effects of political correctness.Our Spiritual Compass is the second in a series of four books for Christian counselors working with people dealing with divorce, addiction, PTSD, and depression.

An inspiring book, delivered with depth of heart and poetic wisdom, addressing our pursuit of happiness in this country and personal ambitions, with a collection of compelling stories/insights provoking both thought and medicinal humor; while painting a deeper picture of our political/economic environment, and along the way challenging conventional thinking in a world with a growing appetite for diversions and mindless entertainment, and opening our eyes to the possibility of our cyber-growth exceeding our inner development and soul awareness.A book inspired in America, with insights into our hearts and minds, the properties of love, morality, patriotism, mother earth, our children, with observations about money, power, human nature, and ethics, amongst other topics; as well as entertaining, common sense observations about our collective mental well-being in our expanding social/electronic environment.A book illuminating our core, inner-nature, as well as our quest for love and wholeness of mind, along with exposing our complex, social minds and the many half-truths and toxic judgments we burden ourselves with concerning others and hold secretly inside. We’ve heard we’re only human. So maybe it’s obvious that being born with this limitation we camouflage best we can, this becomes our environment with hype and sensationalism, as well as vulnerable information about everyone; finances and outer/social selves, religious and political persuasions, and our collective behavior patterns and whimsical spending habits.By way of colorful stories and primary insights, a picture develops revealing our spirit-nature/authentic selves, and our intuitive inner-search for our true passion and life purpose while in this world. Though over-all, there’s reason to believe our attention spans might be diminishing somewhat, as well as our understanding evaporating, regarding history and patriotic hardships fought to preserve the foundation and moral vision inspired by our founding fathers. Though maybe it’s not so much what a book says out right, rather what it inspires someone to think in-ward for one’s self.  Now if a book claims not to induce sleep, it could very well be an adventure of sorts, or a vehicle maybe, for elevating one’s thinking above the mire of self-doubt and confusion in the world and providing a moment of relief.All in all, a spirited book with therapeutic qualities, filled with curious clues and bold reflections for better understanding ourselves and our environment, with probing insights into the mysteries of love and our personal, private inner-spaces, touching nerves and pulling heartstrings; and with a reasonable measure of folly there-in, instigating laughter and examining our thinking … with creative attempts to inspire inner growth and living awareness, and for God’s sake, helping to prevent our spirit-nature from becoming lost in a chaotic world.  

Together sharing the spiritual gifts of love. The love we share is a rainbow of love for America and the world.Are you ready to love? A question most would say yes to. Well if you are sure about that or need a little more insight, prepare to learn more by taking The Journey: From Love to Love, the first book by the CEO Odell Reddick. We want to engage you with songs, poems, challenges and more, centered around the four pillars of love:Faith, Respect, Discipline, and Forgiveness.The Journey: From Love to Love

It's December 29, 1977, and recent college grad Sara Keatson is spending a few days at her parents' home. With a job teaching art in an elementary school, Sara is seeking career fulfillment and also romance, but the small Iowa town where she is living does not provide many possibilities. Still, the idealistic, creative Sara dreams about finding her Prince Charming, the man who will steal not only her heart but also her virginity. Moreover, since she is an artist, Sara also clings to the notion that her ideal mate will share her appreciation for art. While life at her parents' home is boringly predictable, Sara remains hopeful about the future, although the next morning she must attend an elderly relative's funeral. That evening Sara remembers life at college, her good friends there, past relationships, and her married sister's recent pregnancy announcement. When and how will Sara find the love of her life?Less than four years later, it's August 23, 1981, and Sara is married, living in Chicago, and working for Marshall Field's. A long flashback, told by first-person narrator Sara, explains how this dramatic change happened, including all the realistic details about falling in love. That August morning, as Sara and her husband look forward to the very first steps toward suburban home ownership and starting a family, a tragic accident beckons them back to Iowa and a bittersweet reunion with college friends. During the drive there, Sara remembers her past relationship with her best friend's husband, and in Iowa she reminisces about two, now very significant, conversations with her newly-deceased friend, one at the time of Sara's own wedding and the other as her sorority sister happily anticipates the arrival of her first child. Faced with the morbid tasks of funeral preparation, Sara and her friends must come to the realization that life is neither long nor fair. With the fate of a parentless baby up for grabs, what decision will Sweet Sara and her decent husband make? Suddenly, Sara's life is anything but a calm round of hours.

What does a town do when its largest manufacturing company, the biggest business in town, goes under? "The Town of Alpaca" was once a vibrant, bustling town, but ever since that llama came to town and bought the company, it hasn't been the same. He didn't manage it well and now the alpacas are out of jobs, their once-beautiful town has become a poor, rundown, dismal place to live, and The Alpackaging Company is on the market to be sold, but no one is looking to buy it. The situation seems hopeless for the alpacas. In addition, they now hate llamas.... ALL llamas, so you can imagine how Albert Alpaca felt when a strange couple showed up at his little "Alpaca Inn and Suites" looking for a room. Llamas!! What will he do? The story of "The Town of Alpaca" shows how heartwarming it feels when hatred turns into friendship, misunderstandings into trust, and working together works!You may think the plot of this book seems like something above a child's understanding, but don't sell them short; they are smarter than we think, and often we don't give them enough credit for their savvy. This is also part of what makes the book unique from others: it presents real issues through the eyes of a child. Many families have gone through challenging times like this, but life's challenges don't always wait for children to be old enough to understand them. The problem at hand is simplified enough in the book for them to easily understand, and the resolution revolves around healthy values that will remain with them for the rest of their lives.As an added incentive for children to read the book, this is all accomplished with the help of delightful animals! Not only are they delightful, but they are different and alike, just like people, and are depicted through beautiful full color illustrations. Llamas and alpacas have very similar characteristics but are different animals, and the alpacas learn that one bad llama doesn't make all llamas bad. They learn that they can be friends and that they can use their different talents and abilities to make life better for all of them by working together toward a common goal.In addition to teaching your child good character traits such as being a good friend, acceptance, forgiveness, understanding, trust, and perseverance, parents and teachers will like the other educational components that add to the book's value. "Big" words were intentionally included in the story and are addressed in a glossary detailing the pronunciation and the meaning of the word, how it is used in the book, and a question about the use of the word that will give the child an opportunity to think about real-life applications. There will also be a section that compares llamas and alpacas, and one that has real photographs of both animals with some humorous captions! A little word play in the text may induce some giggles, too!You will not be disappointed by choosing to purchase this book for your child or school. Unusual animals, colorful pictures, healthy values, and education. What more could you want?