Life Tragedy

Author Jeff Spevak was confronted with a dilemma: How do you tell the story of a man who can’t bring himself to talk about the most epic moment of his life? A clever fellow who’d scrapped to survive in a fashion that seems quaint today, Coleman tested himself as a teenager by swimming across lakes, building homes from foraged lumber, and running a navy carpentry shop as though he were a member of the scamming crew of McHale’s Navy. He was a self-taught sailor who’d become a legend on Lake Ontario. At age 96, Ernie was still sailing.

Just after noon on a spring day in 2006, aspiring singer-songwriter Hilary Williams and her sister Holly - the granddaughters of country legend Hank Williams and daughters of country music star Hank Williams, Jr. - were driving through Mississippi down a rural stretch of Route 61 on their way to their grandfather’s funeral. Suddenly, the front wheel of the truck became caught in one of the many deep ruts and gravel lining the road, causing the vehicle and its passengers to flip over several times, crushing steel and breaking fragile bones as it crashed.

When diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2000, Lonnell Johnson did not see “a death sentence”. Instead, he saw a “life sentence” that transformed his thinking. In Embracing Your Life Sentence: How to Turn Life’s Greatest Tragedies into Your Greatest Triumphs, he shares his holistic strategy to overcome any adversity. Weaving original poetry and Scripture into his battle plan, Johnson shows how he emerged as not just a survivor but more than a conqueror.

The Magic of Life explores how he overcame tragedy, grief, and depression throughout his life. Even though he lost his mother, he and his brother were raised by his father and an incredible Jamaican woman who stepped in to fill the mother’s role. Michael shares his unique life about loss and how he finally addressed his grief with a blend of humor and inspiration that will have you crying and laughing throughout the book.

After the death of a child, there is no closure. It is like learning how to live with an amputation—you are forever changed and need to learn how to live a new “normal”. Laura Diehl was plunged into that place with the death of her daughter and experienced the deep need to connect with others who had experienced what cannot be put into words. When Tragedy Strikes is the raw account of her journey from deep darkness back into light and life, extending a hand of hope to those traveling on the path behind her who need to rebuild their lives after the death of a child.

When Marc Pittman had a son, he became the father he had always wanted to have. He told his boys everything, and they were honest with him in return. They unburdened their fears; told him their dreams; even admitted their sins. Despite the fact that his sons were star football players, they felt no shame in holding their father's hand in public. People told him he was lucky to have the relationship he did with his children, but Marc Pittman knew the truth - it wasn't luck, he worked at it every day. And then his eldest son, Cole, was killed in a traffic accident on the way to football practice

Son! Done! Come! These three single words present the key to the great mystery of the book of Revelation. This is the story of Jesus. He was born as a son. He died, and it was done. He lives again and has come to create a living community in himself and the Father through the Spirit. Experiencing Revelation presents a new perspective on this book of the Bible. Rather than analyze countless details separately, the apostle John’s Revelation is best understood as it was designed–a three-act dramatic play revealing Jesus Christ, to be experienced straight through as a whole.

Twenty literary luminaries, ranging from Charles Dickens and William Shakespeare to Louisa May Alcott and Mark Twain, are profiled in this entertaining and informative collection. Winner of A School Library Journal's Book of the Year Award, Lives of the Writers is both an indispensable reference tool and an exhilarating gossipfest. Author Kathleen Krull makes learning fun, painting realistic portraits of Hans Christian Andersen, Edgar Allan Poe, Frances Hodgson Burnett, the Brontë sisters, Emily Dickinson, E.B. White, Jack London, Murasaki Shikibu, Miguel de Cervantes, Robert Louis Stevenson, Jane Austen, and more. Krull serves up an outstanding introduction to the classics of literature for the whole family, while telling us all the real stories behind their writers.

Becky Powell faced the unthinkable on May 16, 2013. Her husband, Mark, called and said, "I've done something terrible." Within hours, she learned that he had taken his own life and, over a period of several years, millions of dollars from friends and colleagues. Everything she believed to be true, the very fiber of her marriage, was called into question. Yet from that first horrific moment, God was there. Awful Beautiful Life is Becky's journey through the two years surrounding Mark's death and how she overcame.

How do you establish a “new normal” when life is shattered by hardship? When you learn how to harness the power of grief, and allow the pain to add purpose to your life, the result is a life you never could have imagined. This is the book author Mishael Porembski wishes she had when she suddenly found herself a pregnant widow, giving birth two months after her husband’s death, then soon grieving the loss of her mother.

In 2008, Bridgid suffered severe traumatic brain injury following a bicycle accident. Her life resumed as if she were a three-year-old having to relearn many of the life skills that she lost as a result of her injury. This story chronicles her journey - waxing and waning - toward healing.

How did I get here? Flashbacks of the day were running through Cassidy's mind. She remembered the excitement of the good weather, boat rides, and the diamond-like sparkle on the water. Then it hit her, she remembered the stone entrance at the lake house. Cassidy's father had given her a clear warning that he received in prayer, "If you see the stone entrance like the one in your dreams, flee for your physical life." But she didn't heed the warning that day and it cost her dearly.

Travel with one heartbroken family as they struggle to find help for their son, face unspeakable tragedy, receive unexpected forgiveness, and deal with the aftermath of a child whose mental health issues ended in calamity...and transformation. Discover the confidence that buoys author Joan Becker and her family as they push for reform in the broken mental health system before more lives are ruined. Their story offers hope, help, and heart-felt compassion.