The creator of the beloved Maple books pays tribute to the power of friendship and the bonds that endure after the loss of a loved one. Something magical happens when a little girl encounters a small red bird--the two instantly see eye-to-eye, and see that there is something in each other that transcends time and space. They become fast friends and connect over their love of listening to the wind, looking at clouds, splashing in puddles, and eating snacks. But the bird can fly, so the girl pretends she can too. Then one day the bird is gone and life isn't the same. The girl is lonely, but the bird visits her in her dreams and she is comforted as they fly together; then as the days pass, the wind, the clouds, and the rain all help her remember her friend and feel the spark of her friend's light still shining within herself.

Leaving Islam for Christianity cost her more than she imagined, but gave more than she could have dreamed. Rifqa Bary grew up in a devout Muslim home, obediently following her parents’ orders to practice the rituals of Islam. But God was calling her to freedom and love. He was calling her to true faith. He was calling her to give up everything. Hiding in the Light is the story of Rifqa’s remarkable spiritual journey from Islam to Christianity. It is also the untold story of how she ran from her father’s threats to find refuge with strangers in Florida, only to face a controversial court case that reached national headlines. Most of all, it is the story of a young girl who made life-changing sacrifices to follow Jesus—and who inspires us to do the same.

In 2012 I began writing (and designing) short devotional pieces. We posted them on Instagram thinking that our friends and family would politely like them. But to our absolute shock, complete strangers liked them, too. A few years on, and here we are. I never dreamed that Pocket Fuel would turn into this practice and lead me to you. I'm forever grateful for it, no matter how rudimentary and humble our beginnings were.Not too long into our Instagram experiment, we found ourselves asking deeper questions around our faith. Everything we thought we knew; thought we had a handle on; thought was secure and for always; was challenged, questioned, and stripped bare. We experienced tragedy at home, and at work. We quit our jobs as Pastors, and started from scratch (faith and vocation) in our mid thirties. But through what felt like the death of all we thought we knew and would be, we found beauty and community. Our faith has a vibrancy that it was once devoid of. And our questions and doubts? I no-longer feel guilty for having them. They are an active part of my faith.

#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • The groundbreaking account of life after death that has become a source of comfort, inspiration, and solace to millions “I felt a surge of energy, and my spirit was suddenly drawn through my chest and pulled upward. My first impression is that I was free. . . .” On the night of November 19, 1973, following surgery, thirty-one-year-old wife and mother Betty J. Eadie died. This is her extraordinary story of the events that followed, her astonishing proof of life after physical death. She saw more, perhaps than any other person has seen before and shares her almost photographic recollections of the remarkable details. Compelling, inspiring, and infinitely reassuring, her vivid account gives us a glimpse of the peace and unconditional love that awaits us all. More important, Betty's journey offers a simple message that can transform our lives today, showing us our purpose and guiding us to live the way we were meant to—joyously, abundantly, and with love. Praise for Embraced by the Light “The most detailed and spellbinding near-death experience I have ever heard.”—Kimberly Clark-Sharp, president, Seattle International Association of Near-Death Studies

In this landmark guide to the spiritual journey, respected Zen teacher and psychotherapist John Tarrant brings together ancient Eastern traditions and the Western passion for the soul. Using real-life stories, Zen tales, and Greek myths, The Light Inside the Dark shows how our darkest experiences can be the gates to wisdom and joy. Tarrant leads us through the inevitable descents of our journey--from the everyday world of work and family into the treasure cave of the interior life--from which we return with greater love of life's vivid, common gifts. Written with empathy and a poet's skill, The Light Inside the Dark is the freshest and most challenging work on the soul to he published in years.

"The Light Within Me" will inspire your inner light to shine brightly. We each have a beautiful gift that we can share with the world. Use your powers and positivity to make this world a more illuminated and brilliant place.

What will become of us in these trying times? How will we pass the time that we have on earth? In gorgeously rendered graphic form, Light in Dark Times invites readers to consider these questions by exploring the political catastrophes and moral disasters of the past and present, revealing issues that beg to be studied, understood, confronted, and resisted. A profound work of anthropology and art, this book is for anyone yearning to understand the darkness and hoping to hold onto the light. It is a powerful story of encounters with writers, philosophers, activists, and anthropologists whose words are as meaningful today as they were during the times in which they were written. This book is at once a lament over the darkness of our times, an affirmation of the value of knowledge and introspection, and a consideration of truth, lies, and the dangers of the trivial. In a time when many of us struggle with the feeling that we cannot do enough to change the course of the future, this book is a call to action, asking us to envision and create an alternative world from the one in which we now live. Light in Dark Times is beautiful to look at and to hold – an exquisite work of art that is lively, informative, enlightening, deeply moving, and inspiring.