Throughout our lives we inevitably face difficult circumstances. They come unexpectedly, like black balloons being handed to us when we were expecting puppies and unicorns. Although the situation may not make sense to us at the time, author Kristi Cronin believes that God allows these black balloons to be handed to us in order to help us grow, pursue us, bring us to our knees, and make us in to the people he ultimately desires us to be. What’s more, he will give us everything we need to pop these black balloons and experience complete freedom, if we let him. Kristi draws on her personal experiences to reflect on how these black balloons enter our lives—and reveals how we can best deal with them. It is possible to escape from our pain and brokenness. You can be set free to walk blamelessly in Christ, and live to your full potential. This inspirational guide explores the larger purpose of trials and hardships in our lives and presents ways to use the difficulties you face to grow closer to God.

The Black Balloon is a symbolic representation of the story of the Cross. It is a story of a girl finding her faith and healing from the hurts she had experienced in the past. She struggles and wavers on the edge of choosing whether or not to trust the Christian faith or choosing to believe in nobody. Someone special comes at a meaningful time to rescue her from her affliction, and she finds serenity within her soul. Vivid illustrations bring the characters to life, making it enjoyable for both adolescents and adults alike. The cover reveals a wonder in and of itself!

Poetry. Titles include: "When We Move Away from Here, You'll See a Clean Square of Paper Where His Picture Hung," "The Cartoon's Mother Builds a House in Hammerspace," "The Front Half and the Back Half of a Horse in Conversation," "Children with Lamps Pouring Out of Their Foreheads," and "Killed with an Apple Corer, She Asks What Does That Make Me."

THE SELECTION OF Tales and Bedtime Stories in this book was written over the last forty years with many of them read to the author’s son, Douglas George Spencer, when a child. At times, the author tape recorded a story to be listened to by Spencer at bedtime. The stories were inspired by an incident or by a city or by a country. The longer stories, such as Willymouse, I-Caw-Caw or Freddy Singalong were read over several nights. Spencer was asked what would happen next to Willymouse, I-Caw-Caw or Freddy Singalong or what would they do. Spencer’s thoughts were often incorporated into the story before the next part was written and read to him. Creating tales or bedtime stories continued long after Spencer no longer needed them.

MAKE YOUR PARTIES STAND OUT Have you ever seen really cool balloon decorations and wondered, “How do they do that?” Or “Can I make this?”. With the help of this book, Yes, you can! The DIY Balloon Bible for All Seasons is chock full of tips, tricks and actual recipes on how to create over 25 designs. Sandi Masori, CBA and Rachel Porter, CBA have put together an all-star line up that is sure to make you the hit of every party. At the end of every recipe, there are links to watch Sandi, (America’s Top Balloon Expert, as seen on The Today Show, ABC, NBC, CBS, CW, Fox, etc.), make them in exclusive step-by-step videos. Impress your friends and family, embellish the balloon decorations according to your own style and blow everyone away with your craftiness! This book is for the crafter, the hobbiest, the DIY-er. In this book are practical monthly designs that you can do. In addition to the 12 brand new exclusive designs in this book, there are also another dozen designs to make you the hit of all the parties you host or attend. Two professional balloon artitst, Sandi Masori, CBA, and Rachel Porter, CBA, break it down for you and teach you step- by- step how to inflate the fun. Best of all, every design is helium free!

Popular film and television hold valuable potential for learning about sex and sexuality beyond the information-based model of sex education currently in schools. This book argues that the representation of complicated—or "messy"—relationships in these popular cultural forms makes them potent as affective pedagogical moments. It endeavours to develop new sexual literacies by contemplating how pedagogical moments, that is, fleeting moments which disrupt expectations or create discomfort, might enrich the available discourses of sexuality and gender, especially those available to adolescents. In Part One, Clarke critiques the heteronormative discourses of sex education that produce youth in particularly gendered ways, noting that "rationality" is often expected to govern experiences that are embodied and arguably inherently incoherent. Part Two explores public intimacy, contemplating the often overlapping and confused boundaries between public and private.