A decade of pastoring cranky congregations has left Gray Albright badly frayed. Wanting to make sure he doesn't come apart at the seams, friends send Gray to Panama for a much-needed vacation. But storms force his plane down early, and before he knows it, Gray and his family are in Playa Perdida, an uncharted beach town in Central America. The expatriates living there ask Gray to start a church for their community, to which he says no. Then the congregation back home decides to fire him and so, at the urging of his wife Moira, Gray reconsiders. They move south, into a duplex next to an...

Advent is part of the Church's long tradition, a time for carefully considering the incarnation of Jesus. Whether you're familiar with or new to the celebration of Advent, "Our Savior Come" can be part of this rich experience. As a collaboration featuring more than a dozen writers and artists, this Advent companion offers a fresh collection of essays, discussion questions, and ideas to encourage reflection and suggest activities as you walk (or run) through the Christmas season. The book has three parts. First comes a collection of articles written by people with a variety of perspectives and...

Twitchy thieves. Exotic locales. Art heists. Unhinged mastermind. Insurance agents. And a bomb. Max likes finding things. So when his uncle's company--responsible for keeping precious stuff safe and at home--needs help recovering stolen artwork, Max is on the case. The job? Thwart international art thieves working for an eccentric collector who's pulling the strings from a beachfront condo. The clock is ticking for Max and his motley crew because the shadowy criminal they're after will either give away what's been stolen by minions, or blow the whole lot to smithereens.

Life doesn't stop when you're unemployed. But what do the days look like in between leaving and finding a job? How do you keep your spirits up? What about those bills? And could it be that this time might actually be an opportunity for growth? WORKING WHEN YOU'RE NOT considers these questions and more with a series of short chapters that speak to those who are in between as well as their friends and family. Written by someone who's been there and done that, WWYN explores this 'in between' space with humor and compassion. What readers are saying... "Perspective is critical in a crisis-yet...

A broken heart, a new job, an unexpected pregnancy, a confrontation, a win, a setback-not uncommon experiences when you're between 18 and 30. But what if you could talk to yourself just when that was happening, in the light of everything since: what would you say? With LETTERS TO ME, you can listen in as artists, teachers, poets, consultants, bloggers, pastors, and activists from a wide range of backgrounds recall a significant event-and then speak to a younger version of themselves with compassion and wisdom about what it means, and how it mattered.

In this collection of loosely connected vignettes about a year at college, memorable characters face life with humor, despair, grace, and hope. For readers of Jan Karon, Alexander McCall Smith, and Blaise Pascal. *** Much has changed in the century since this Christian liberal arts college rose from the fertile imagination of a southern tobacco farmer. What's less clear is how staff, students, faculty, and administrators with mixed motives and competing agendas will face what lies ahead. The writing prof who moonlights with pulp fiction; a one-handed potter; the Anglican chaplain and his...