A household name, an Australian rock icon, the elder statesman of Ozrock - there isn't an accolade or cliche that doesn't apply to Jimmy Barnes. But long before Cold Chisel and Barnesy, long before the tall tales of success and excess, there was the true story of James Dixon Swan - a working class boy whose family made the journey from Scotland to Australia in search of a better life. Working Class Boy is a powerful reflection on a traumatic and violent childhood, which fuelled the excess and recklessness that would define, but almost destroy, the rock'n'roll legend. This is the story of how James Swan became Jimmy Barnes. It is a memoir burning with the frustration and frenetic energy of teenage sex, drugs, violence and ambition for more than what you have. Raw, gritty, compassionate, surprising and darkly funny - Jimmy Barnes's childhood memoir is at once the story of migrant dreams fulfilled and dashed. Arriving in Australia in the Summer of 1962, things went from bad to worse for the Swan family - Dot, Jim and their six kids. The scramble to manage in the tough northern suburbs of Adelaide in the 60s would take its toll on the Swans as dwindling money, too much alcohol, and fraying tempers gave way to violence and despair. This is the story a family's collapse, but also a young boy's dream to escape the misery of the suburbs with a once-in-a-lifetime chance to join a rock'n'roll band and get out of town for good.

Become a champion of hope! As we see chaos in the world around us, we want to have hope. But what is hope, and where does it come from? Hope is more than simple optimism that things get better, or a finger-crossed wishing that things go our way. Live Hope Minute explores the life-transforming concept of true hope and how to keep a godly perspective in our current circumstances. Through these short, inspiring devotions: • Your hope will become grounded in unshakeable faith. • Your life will become marked by love that you cannot help but give away. • Your vision will grow and keep you moving toward God and his plan for your life. When you discover true hope, you will find you are building your house on the rock that will not move. Regardless of the storms and challenges you face, you can demonstrate to those around you that life is more than just what we can see or feel. Be amazed at the power and comfort God’s hope can offer.

Hope, a thin, tow-headed child with sad hazel eyes, stands barefooted in a dusty farm lane, watching the horse-drawn wagon take her mother away. Her beloved Momma has died a senseless death, and Hope must face life without her guidance and love. Pop, completely broken by his young wife, Lucy’s, sudden death, turns more and more to the bottle to ease his pain. Hope’s baby sister, Nollie, is taken away by relatives, and Hope sees her world being destroyed. From the hard scrabble farm in Appalachia where she was born, through homes of relatives and a foster home, to the coal towns of Western Maryland, Hope seeks to fi nd someone to love her, a home of her own, and a way to come to grips with the loss of Momma, the center of her young world. Follow Hope as she follows the fascinating journey to find happiness and closure.

God’s love, plans, and promises for you are forever unfolding. I get it, Momma. I totally get it. Every day you wake up and try your very best. You love, give, and pour out your life for the ones who call you Momma. But no matter how much you offer, there are still days you feel as though you come up short. You worry, Am I loving these babies enough? Is this ever going to get easier? Why does it seem like I am the only one who cannot balance it all? Sometimes, we just need hope (and maybe a long uninterrupted nap). We need someone to help tune our hearts to the voice of the Father and to remind us that He has not forgotten about us. In Hope Unfolding, Becky Thompson is a friend who reminds you that you aren’t alone, and that God is still writing your story. She guides you to encounter the Truth of God’s presence that not only fuels you with strength, but also a fresh confidence. And beyond gaining faith that tomorrow could be different, you find hope and purpose where you are standing today.

Elizabeth Smart follows up her #1 New York Times bestseller (October 2013), My Story—about being held in captivity as a teenager, and how she managed to survive—with a powerful and inspiring book about what it takes to overcome trauma, find the strength to move on, and reclaim one’s life. Author. Activist. Victim—no more. In her fearless memoir, My Story—the basis of the Lifetime Original movie I Am Elizabeth Smart—Elizabeth detailed, for the first time, the horror behind the headlines of her abduction by religious fanatic Brian David Mitchell and his wife, Wanda Barzee. Since then, she’s married, become a mother, and travelled the world as the president of the Elizabeth Smart Foundation, sharing her story with the intent of helping others along the way. Over and over, Elizabeth is asked the same question: How do you find the hope to go on? In this book, Elizabeth returns to the horrific experiences she endured, and the hard-won lessons she learned, to provide answers. She also calls upon others who have dealt with adversity—victims of violence, disease, war, and loss—to explore the pathways toward hope. Through conversations with such well-known voices as Anne Romney, Diane von Furstenburg, and Mandy Patinkin to spiritual leaders Archbishop John C. Wester and Elder Richard Hinckley to her own parents, Elizabeth uncovers an even greater sense of solace and understanding. Where There’s Hope is the result of Elizabeth’s mission: It is both an up-close-and-personal glimpse into her healing process and a heartfelt how-to guide for readers to make peace with the past and embrace the future. From the book: “I was not willing to accept that my fate was to live unhappily ever after. Everything—my family, my home, my chance to go to school—had been given back to me, and I didn’t want to miss a second chance of living my own life.” —Elizabeth Smart “There are two types of survivors: the ones who did not die, and the ones who live. There will be those who will always remember and be the victim, and ones who just won’t. You have to go on, you have to learn, and you have to heal.” —Diane von Furstenberg

One of the volumes of the popular Protestant Pulpit Exchange series, this volume focuses on the ways in which preachers can make use of Biblical passages to help listeners deal with hard times in their lives. This universal issue is addressed in compassionate and helpful ways in this collection of sermons.