Relationships are like records. Remember those things? Vinyl? Larger than a CD? Some would argue the purest audio recordings are vinyl records. But, they are fragile. Records require special care. you can't toss them around, leave them in the sun, or let them get dusty. Still, they develop hisses, pops, and scratches. It's inevitable. And, because life is what it is, our relationships get hisses, pops, and scratches--it's the nature of the beast. This book is about the records we have saved for and purchased, the ones we have been entrusted with. It's about properly taking care of them and playing them over and over again until they become part of us. Become a relational audiophile. Learn to listen carefully to the music, to appreciate it beyond the initial, most obvious instrumentation. Fall in love with it, maybe all over again.

Broken Record: Enjoying the Music of Relationship Through the Hisses, Pops, and Scratches

Religion & Spirituality

Voelz, John

Christian Books & Bibles

Samizdat Creative

The Book of Psalms contains a wonderful collection of songs known as the "Kingly Psalms." The Kingly Psalms inspire people with hope and encourage us in our faith, give us a window to the past and a connection with our brothers and sisters of long ago, and connect the worlds of the First and Second Testaments as we see a people praising a King and longing for the Messiah-Jesus-who has revealed himself to us. This book is a musical and poetic journey. It's a little bit of a history lesson. But more than anything, it's an invitation into the throne room of a living King who has an invitation of His own to hand out.

King Me

Learn some words of wisdom for the space of social networking. We don’t often associate social networking with good things. The conventional wisdom, as it were, is that Twitter, Facebook and the like are engaging and fun, maybe dangerous, and definitely a big, shallow waste of time. When it comes to faith, is there any value? Some point to horror stories of illicit behavior simplified by the connections it creates. Others point to its effectiveness as a tool for networking Christians with prayer chains and referrals. But what is really going on here? By now we can acknowledge that social networking is not going away. Maybe you have resisted all social networking, you consider tweeting a frivolous fad and your Facebook account is dusty. Maybe you post several times a day. In either case, do you understand the power and depth of this new medium—in community building, spiritual formation, and yes, even evangelism?

Follow You, Follow Me: Why Social Networking is Essential to Ministry

ABINGDON PRESS *

Pastors and ministry leaders too often play the comparison game, looking to church leadership rockstars and curtailing idiosyncrasies to be like them. But it’s a losing game. Leaders end up trying vainly to lead their churches from a lack of gifts and a place of emptiness. What is the solution? Quirkiness. Leaders need permission to lead not like someone else, but as the best possible version of themselves—embracing idiosyncrasies, personalities, and personal tastes. When church leaders name their quirks, they are free to discover a unique leadership philosophy and find unique missional opportunities. Quirky Leadership raises the bar for ministry—not by jumping through more hoops or focusing on gift deficits but rather by identifying, communicating, and celebrating the individual truths about identities and for ministry environments. John Voelz is quickly becoming a source for practical leadership perspective as a voice that questions the status quo, calls out mediocrity, and gives permission to view things differently and watch crazy ideas come to fruition for the sake of God’s kingdom.

Quirky Leadership: Permission Granted

Sometimes people pray. Those going through life's difficulties pray hard. Those who have lost everything and see no end to their suffering.....pray desperately. When the answer comes, sometimes people don't recognize it...or don't want to recognize it. So, they pray even more. Oxycodone...OxyContin...Hydrocodone....Percocet.....Norco.....Lortab - these are prescription medications meant to relieve pain, but they can cause a different kind of pain that is unimaginable. Opioid addiction is the current scourge in our society, and it doesn't discriminate. Addiction to prescription painkillers can conquer a privileged suburban housewife, a corporate CEO, a talented high school athlete, and even....a well-educated, dedicated healthcare professional. Doctors, nurses, and other people who work in healthcare seem to be immune to addiction, but they are not. The Opioid Redemption is a true story of how a successful healthcare professional became consumed with, and conquered by, an addiction to OxyContin. On a very dark night, when he had lost everything, and his life had spiraled out of control, he sent up a desperate prayer that lingered in the stratosphere for a while.....and then it was finally answered. But this prayer was answered in a way that he hadn't quite expected. The Opioid Redemption lets you into the life of a successful man that sees his steady downfall but is helpless. You feel his desperation, his confusion, his helplessness, his defeat, and then his sudden realization of a new beginning. You feel his turning point.... and how a quiet prayer, in his broken state, set the stage for his return. Sometimes people pray, and often the answer comes in a way that only God could design.

The Opioid Redemption: The true story of a healthcare professional’s fall into OxyContin addiction…and what followed

Health, Fitness & Dieting

Addiction & Recovery

Independently published