Jump in the raft with Heather, starting down the rapids of the Ocoee River in Tennessee where she meets James S. Bennett. As she falls in love and moves out West, she faces various trials in marriage and raising a family, culminating with raging currents of caring for James when he becomes tragically ill with stage IV brain cancer. Join Heather and her two children, Jake and Elizabeth (Lizzy), as she explores the heartaches of this intensive season and reflects on the grief that followed his death. As the pages unfold, Heather invites readers to enter the turbulent river to discover the accompanying presence of the suffering Servant, Jesus Christ, who navigated the waters ahead of her. With Jesus as her guide, Heather and her family embark on a journey to Rwanda, where they are transformed as they encounter widows, the fatherless, and the broken who direct them to shalom.

Beyond the Rapids is the true story of Ukrainian pastor Alexei Brynza and his wife, Valentina, who endured persecution in a culture that was hostile to their faith as they struggled to raise their four children as believers.From the Great Terror of the 1930s to the time when believing in Christ in no longer a crime, this close-knit Ukrainian family quietly persisted through the years, trusting God for everything. The Brynzas' children, forced to choose between God and the communist system, wrestled with temptations of ambition, popularity, love and wealth. For periods of their lives, one or more gave in. But God heard the faithful prayers of Alexei and Valentina, and eventually the Brynza family was able not only to survive while serving God, but to thrive. Their son-in-law, Igor Yaremchuk, adds his own testimony of coming to Christ with the help of miracles and atheistic propaganda.Beyond the Rapids is a story for believers everywhere. If you're concerned about the erosion of religious freedom, if you are discouraged because your children have wandered far from God, if you long to stand firm in your faith in all circumstances, the Brynzas' testimony of God's faithfulness will provide hope and inspiration as you are reminded afresh that God is with you, in every moment. As you sail through the torrents in your own life, God will meet you right where you are and guide you to the smooth water beyond the rapids.

Jump in the raft with Heather, starting down the rapids of the Ocoee River in Tennessee where she meets James S. Bennett. As she falls in love and moves out West, she faces various trials in marriage and raising a family, culminating with raging currents of caring for James when he becomes tragically ill with stage IV brain cancer. Join Heather and her two children, Jake and Elizabeth (Lizzy), as she explores the heartaches of this intensive season and reflects on the grief that followed his death. As the pages unfold, Heather invites readers to enter the turbulent river to discover the accompanying presence of the suffering Servant, Jesus Christ, who navigated the waters ahead of her. With Jesus as her guide, Heather and her family embark on a journey to Rwanda, where they are transformed as they encounter widows, the fatherless, and the broken who direct them to shalom.

What began as a fur-trading post grew into the second-largest city in Michigan, a center for industry and the arts. As "Furniture Capital of the World” and an All-American City three times, Grand Rapids has a fascinating past. Historic Photos of Grand Rapids explores that past in images depicting a range of subjects, including the furniture industry, the Flood of 1904, recreational activities, the Pantlind Hotel, the original Ada Covered Bridge spanning the Thornapple River, civic celebrations, a 1941 Monroe Avenue, the 1889 County Building, and countless others.These striking black-and-white images are the pride of the Grand Rapids Public Library’s History and Special Collections Department. Come take a tour through the pages of Historic Photos of Grand Rapids and discover the charm of bygone eras, the fortitude of the city’s pioneers, and the richness of the old city.

In BURRITT’S RAPIDS AND BEYOND, “whatever flows, remains.” From Winnipeg, Vancouver, Montreal, and rural Ontario, Louis Contant considers his place in the world. Fireflies, whip-poor-wills, squirrels, dragonflies, waterfalls, and the soulful notes of a sonata drift through these meditations on nature, spirituality, writing, love, family, friendship, and music. Louis’ poems inhabit sorrow and suffering yet are rich with praise, delighting in the comforts and joys of ritual and routine alongside brevity and ephemera. Whether considering the “alpine range” of Auden’s contributions to literature, the solitude of the poet, the “molded contours” of friendship, the possibility of life on other planets, or the cedar cottage sweetness of home, Louis reminds us that “what really matters is happening all the time / without us.” With humour, wit, and humbleness, Louis confronts his own mortality and celebrates human connection in an age of technology and social unrest. Playful rhymes and uncompromising narratives are accompanied by the poet’s feisty resilience and tuneful undercurrents of grace. Published posthumously, and compiled and contextualized by the poet’s wife, Wilma Brown, Burritt’s Rapids and Beyond showcases and pays tribute to the life of one wise and curious man. At its heart, this book asks what it means to truly belong to this world, to live in it with pleasure and reverence, trying not to step on any wildflowers.

Cedar Rapids is the only city in America to house its government offices on an island. But tons of other iconic structures that defined the city are no longer around. The Little Gallery on First Avenue was created to showcase local artists. Yager's "moved up to bring prices down." The area was home to thirty-nine theaters, including two from 1928 that are still in operation. From the hotels to the factories, the ethnic districts to the depots, the dance halls to the amusement parks, these are the places that made a difference in the City of Five Seasons. Local author Pete Looney traces the history of the structures.