Full of courage and strength, this remarkable memoir follows the life of Randy Hartman from his upbringing in an abusive, dysfunctional family to a successful military and mental health career. Born in the rural town of Guernsey, Wyoming, during the 1950s, Randy grew up with three brothers and a hardworking mother and father. He enjoyed running around the small community and getting into innocent trouble with his brothers and friends, but things were difficult at home. His mother died in 1961 and suddenly, Randy's abusive, alcoholic father was trying to raise the family with little success, moving the boys around constantly and consorting with different women. Once he was old enough, Randy escaped his miserable home life and joined the military, got married, and started a family. But numerous problems continued to plague him, including his own bout with alcoholism, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, and infidelity. When he and his wife were divorced, Randy hit bottom. Yet he refused to give in to despair, and went on to overcome his addictions, eventually going to college and earning a master's degree and a PhD. A true story of anger, shame, happiness, and hope, Raising Randy delivers a compelling picture of one man's struggle to overcome the past and create a meaningful future.

The author, a computer science professor diagnosed with terminal cancer, explores his life, the lessons that he has learned, how he has worked to achieve his childhood dreams, and the effect of his diagnosis on him and his family.

Meet Randy. He was diagnosed with the rare genetic disorder tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC) in 1979 at just nine months old. Written from the perspective of Randy's mother, Cynthia, it's nice to meet me too provides snapshots of what life is like raising a severely handicapped child. Randy's brought his fair share of heartbreaks but more importantly, endless laughter and joy. By putting down on paper a lifetime's worth of "Randy stories" that have been shared over with friends and family, she shows the comedic side of life with a child with special needs. - p. 4 of cover

With warmth and biblical insight, Frazee shows us how to rely on the power of the Holy Spirit just as Jesus did; respond to God’s voice in decisions big and small; raise our expectations for how God’s power can work through us; and break free of addictions, habits, and destructive thoughts that hold us back. The Bible promises us more than inspiration. More than influence. The Bible promises us access to the same power that raised Jesus from the dead. So what keeps us from drawing on that incredible resurrection power in our daily lives? In His Mighty Strength, popular pastor and author Randy Frazee explores Jesus’ time on earth to uncover the amazing source of his strength. Jesus continually sought direction from the Father and found the power to live the Father’s will through the Holy Spirit. He said yes to God every day of his earthly life—and we can too. His Mighty Strength reminds us that Jesus’ resurrection power is not wishful thinking or a poetic metaphor. It’s a real source of strength that we have access to right now. And when we embrace God’s offering, our lives will never be the same. “This is not a watered-down self-help book—this is a powerful Gospel-centered guide to walking in the fullness of Christ. I challenge you to read this amazing book and accept the glorious gift of strength from Christ that enables us to live the abundant life God has promised us!” —Francesca Battistelli, Grammy Award–winning singer-songwriter

A powerful novel about friendship, basketball, and one teen's mission to create a better life for his family. Written in the tradition of Jason Reynolds, Matt de la Pe a, and Walter Dean Myers, After the Shot Drops now has three starred reviews * "Belongs on the shelf alongside contemporary heavy-hitters like Angie Thomas's The Hate U Give, Brendan Kiely and Jason Reynolds's All-American Boys, and Nic Stone's Dear Martin."--School Library Journal, starred review Bunny and Nasir have been best friends forever, but when Bunny accepts an athletic scholarship across town, Nasir feels betrayed. While Bunny tries to fit in with his new, privileged peers, Nasir spends more time with his cousin, Wallace, who is being evicted. Nasir can't help but wonder why the neighborhood is falling over itself to help Bunny when Wallace is in trouble. When Wallace makes a bet against Bunny, Nasir is faced with an impossible decision--maybe a dangerous one. Told from alternating perspectives, After the Shot Drops is a heart-pounding story about the responsibilities of great talent and the importance of compassion.

Read Larry Winget's posts on the Penguin Blog. Straight-talking, bestselling Pitbull of Parenting Larry Winget says "This is not a fix your kid book. It's a fix the way you parent book. You owe it to your kids to parent with a plan!" Being a parent is the toughest job in the world, especially with the increasing number of negative influences and pitfalls facing our kids today, from childhood obesity and out-of-control celebrity culture to the dangers of the internet and credit card debt. Larry Winget has never been one to shy away from tough truths, and what he says here may well be difficult for some parents to swallow: we are in the midst of a crisis with our kids. Kids today are over-indulged, over-entertained, under-achieving, and under-disciplined, with a sense of entitlement that is crippling society. And the real problem is that parents aren't paying attention to what's going on. If they were they would realize that most kids today barely read and write, except with their thumbs on their cell phones! Well-behaved, respectful kids are the exception, not the rule, and for the most part, parents are to blame. Responsible parenting is about beginning with the end in mind and parenting with a plan. But most parents have never stopped to consider what kind of adult they want to raise. They have all this fun creating a baby, but they don't have a plan for the end product. Larry's message to parents: Teach your kids to become the best adults they can be. But don't expect your kids to improve until you improve. Your Kids Are Your Own Fault covers familiar lessons and principles that have led Larry's readers to greater success with money, career, and goal setting, this time at a level where they can be taught to children. This book shows parents how to design the adult they want their kid to become and work backwards to make sure it happens. Kids don't come with an instruction manual, but finally being a parent does! Watch a Video

How to Create an Atmosphere for More Effective Healing Ministry Foremost healing expert and bestselling author Randy Clark unwraps the hard questions that baffle most Christians about healing prayer. Speaking from Scripture as well as from personal experience, in which the healing power of Jesus has become normative, Clark helps readers learn to: · walk in an atmosphere of effective healing ministry · navigate the balance between faith and expectation · pray with confidence · expect results every time Grasping these easy-to-understand principles from a biblical foundation will increase the likelihood of healing when you pray. Let the power of God work through you, your prayer group, or your church for the healing breakthrough promised to every believer.