Kirjahaku

Have you ever wondered if God was real? And if He was real, what might be His thoughts about you specifically? What might he share with you if you had the chance to talk to Him face to face? With these questions in mind and with a unique gift, Michael Stephens seized the opportunity to try and help answer these questions for numerous people while working in the marketplace as a barista for Starbucks. Throughout the course of his time serving coffee and espresso, he routinely prayed for and prophesied over hundreds of customers. Soon, stories of "the Starbucks prophet" circulated around the Kansas City community. As more and more customers were ministered to and touched by the presence of God, the testimonies grew. Consequently, people began to venture over to the specific Starbuck's location he worked at in hopes of possibly hearing just "what Jesus had to say" about them. With a desire to help people see that God is real both inside and outside of the church, Michael Stephens has taken the gospel into everyday life and seen numerous people encouraged and transformed. In addition to being inspired by the stories in this book you will learn how to encounter God in any arena of life, gain Divine confidence in where He has called you, get a taste of what Jesus actually thinks about you, and be provoked to love in new ways as you rediscover the Jesus who invades everyday life.

Adaptation to change that’s based on thoughtful planning and grounded in the mission of libraries: it’s a model that respected LIS thinker and educator Michael Stephens terms “hyperlinked librarianship.” And the result, for librarians in leadership positions as well as those working on the front lines, is flexible librarianship that’s able to stay closely aligned with the needs and wants of library users. In this collection of essays from his “Office Hours” columns in Library Journal, Stephens explores the issues and emerging trends that are transforming the profession. Among the topics he discusses are:the importance of accessible, welcoming, and responsive library environments that invite open and equitable participation, and which factors are preventing many libraries from ramping up community engagement and user-focused services;challenges, developments, and emerging opportunities in the field, including new ways to reach users and harness curiosityconsiderations for prospective librarians, from knowing what you want out of the profession to learning how to aim for it;why LIS curriculum and teaching styles need to evolve;mentoring and collaboration; andthe concept of the library as classroom, a participatory space to experiment with new professional roles, new technologies, and new ways of interacting with patrons. Bringing together ideas for practice, supporting evidence from recent research, and insights into what lies ahead, this book will inform and inspire librarians of all types.

Of his earlier book, Against the Grain raved, “Reading this book brings a sense of hope, inspiration, and excitement for what the future holds for the new generation of hyperlinked librarians entering our profession.” Now Stephens is back with a newly curated collection of succinct writings that will refresh your view of the profession and invigorate your work. Associate Professor at San Jose State University, Stephens encourages curiosity and creativity in his students and all library workers by connecting trends from outside the profession to its bedrock values. With a humanist lens, he reflects on such topics ashow libraries can empower kindness;developing a coterie of kindred spirits at conferences outside libraryland;inspiring creativity in library patrons;the most effective professional development experiences;comfort, joy, and hygge in the library;the characteristics of compassionate leadership;how to contend with a devil’s advocate; andmentoring new librarians.Whether you’ve just landed your first job or a longtime professional, Stephens’ perspective will reenergize your commitment to librarianship and the important work that libraries are doing every day.

Heather Douglas was ecstatic when her ringing phone brought her out of a horrific daydream from her childhood. But, the phone call from her long-time friend turned billionaire matriarch was not about the two of them catching up on old times. Hired by Angelica Stewart, Heather and her sister, Alex, owners of a small but successful private investigative firm, find themselves on the redeye to New Orleans to investigate Angelica's daughter, Katie, who went missing from her bachelorette.Concerned with how Alex's vivacious and carefree behavior will mix with New Orleans, Heather learns that Angelica's husband, Terry, has hired his own private investigator for the same job. The sisters and their mysterious private investigator, Nathan Steele, must join forces, locate Katie, discretely during Mardi Gras. Heather's unnerved by the newly formed collaboration forced on her agency as she's both attracted and repelled by her new partner-and Alex's unexplainable infatuation with him. Together, they embark on a journey as they piece together lies, alibis, evidence, and betrayal in hopes to locate Katie... alive.

In The Brooklyn Book of the Dead, Michael Stephens presents the most devastating vision of the Irish-American family since the nightmarish portrayals of Eugene O'Neill and James T. Farrell. Returning to their Brooklyn neighborhood for the wake and funeral of their father (Customs Inspector Leland Coole, aka Jackie Ducks, Little Lee, Crazy Jack, but remembered by his children as the "old bastard"), the sixteen Coole children talk and reminisce about their father and family; all adults now, their lives have been painful failures involving drugs, alcoholism, violence, petty crime, incest, and despair. Like any truly emotionally crippled children of a dysfunctional family, the Cooles rant with bitterness about their pasts but likewise romanticize their family, coupling an ability to analyze their plight with an utter inability to do anything about it. The novel is also the story of the decline of urban America and the story of third-generation immigrants who are both cut off from their roots and yet unassimilated into the illusory American melting pot. Stephens writes of all this with a passion and love of his materials. And he writes bravely because this is a book that will be attacked by those who believe in the mythical American family invoked by "family-values" politicians and wealthy evangelists. If Stephens has a message at all, it is that families are diseases made fatal by a cynical American society.

Abbie Talbot was a compassionate medical researcher following in her father's footsteps. After losing her mother, Abbie spent most of each day volunteering her time at the hospital to those in need. The little free time she did have, she chose to spend with her father, a well-regarded professor and published researcher at the local university. Abbie's days were long, fueled by the delight and care she gave to others. Her life was pleasantly redundant until a grief-stricken widow awoke emotions in Abbie that she deliberately buried deep within herself, hidden away behind her chaotic daily schedule, more than ten years ago when she lost her mother. Now faced with this recent uprising of repressed feelings, Abbie struggles with the decision to give up her life's work at the expense of disappointing herself, her friends, and family. Abbie's day goes from bad to worse when a horrific event drastically changes her evening plans and the rest of her life. As the new owner of an ominous briefcase, she cannot open, and an enigmatic riddle to solve, outside forces threaten and intimidate Abbie, and her newly acquainted ally, Josh, into unlocking the mysterious briefcase and its secret. Their quest to uncover the secret puts her and Josh on the run from the FBI and others, leaving behind a trail of damage, destruction, and death that does not just affect them, but the potentially the entire world.

Bree Coleman wants nothing more than to get away from her small town and to eventually play soccer in the Olympics, but her mother and her mother's boyfriend believe there is no time for sports. They want her to focus on chores and babysitting her half-sister, Riley. When life unexpectedly changes, Bree finds support for her lofty aspirations in her Aunt Monica and Uncle Mark. There's just one problem. Bree is in middle school and has never played soccer. Will her hard work, determination, and breathtaking running speed be enough to make her dreams come true? Bree dives into learning the game with unparalleled passion. In the end, it will come down to one question. Does she believe in herself?

After the birth of Tim Collins's daughter, Ella, he suddenly realizes something is missing from his life. His father walked out on him and his mother as a small boy. Along the way, Tim encounters a stranger with a strange name, Yeshua, who mysteriously appears when Tim needs him most and then vanishes, and Tim's dreams. His search leads him to the city streets, where he meets a group of homeless people, hoping they may have seen his father. Among them, Susan, a young woman, shares a profoundly heartbreaking story that deeply touches him most.Over time, Tim's unsuccessful search for his father makes him bitter towards everyone. This feeling intensifies when his loving wife, Pam, becomes a Christian and starts attending church. Amid all the turmoil, Tim has extraordinary dreams that he believes are lessons from God that he needs to learn. Along the way, Tim thinks he understands who Yeshua is and what God is trying to teach him.The lessons that Tim learns from God significantly transform him, his family, and his community. His message resonates across his state, and nation, and reaches many parts of the world, changing the lives of millions.

You are the only thing in the world you can change. And when you change, the whole world changes with you. "Provolution" invites you on an odyssey of personal transformation from your mind, your body and your spirit, guiding you towards the natural wellbeing, emotional freedom and spiritual peace you deserve. From endemic global egotism to the enduring deception of time, Provolution describes how the world has become stuck in a spiral of suffering perpetuated by flawed ideas that have endured for millennia. Drawing upon natural concepts like human spirit, uni-time, i-go, and relational mirrors, "Provolution" empowers you with real world skills to take back control of a future that you have relinquished to an illusion of fear and to transcend the conditioning that compels you to suffer. "Provolution" is your guide to spiritual evolution in a world that likes your suffering exactly as it is. If you're seeking global change, begin by provolving your own.

God is good and that will never change. But sometimes bad things happen in life. If God is love, how can He allow tragedies and disasters in the world? Is God judging us? Did God allow bad things to happen to me? Did God do this? The Word of God provides the answers. God is for you not against you.