This volume is a personal narrative - a sustained prayer - of a young African-American woman. It chronicles her struggle to understand God's message as revealed in her ongoing battle with rheumatoid arthritis just as her career as a theology professor was starting.

Desperate to escape her abusive marriage, Lilly Crawford files for divorce, then slips away from her small east Texas hometown with little more than the clothes on her back. She points her twelve-year-old car east, hoping to find a new beginning. When her car breaks down in Louisiana, Lilly finds unexpected employment as the caregiver for a wealthy neurosurgeon named Adam Wakefield, who lost his sight in a recent carjacking. At first, this handsome, brooding man reminds her too much of the angry husband she left behind and she reminds him of how far he has fallen from the self-assured man he once was. But as the two spend long days together, an unexpected bond develops---one that will be deeply tested. For Lilly must confront her violent husband before she can ever hope to move on and truly discover a second chance at life and love. This stunning story is gripping and unforgettable tale told with Francis Ray's trademark emotion and passion.

"... the story of an African American Vietnam veteran, now a permanent deacon in the Roman Catholic Church, and how... he weathered the storms and troubled times that war, poverty, sickness, racism, and the death of his father brought into his life. It is a timely story of hope and inspiration for everyone, but especially targets those who feel that they have nowhere to turn in times of trouble.... Friend feels he is especially unique because he came from a 'dirt poor' Southern family who attended a Methodist church in Tennessee..., but is now a deacon in the Catholic Church." -- page 4 of cover.

His mother abandoned him. His drug-dealing dad landed him in the middle of a gunfight. After entering the foster care system, he fell through the cracks. He was rejected by everyone, known by no one... Born to a teenage mother whose hopes and dreams for her son were shattered by her own drug addiction, author Shane Salter was thrust into parenting his younger brother at the tender age of four. His first look at the world was through a broken windowpane into an alley leading nowhere. When his mother walked out and left him, he kept it together and took care of his brother until they found foster care, a system as threatening to a child as any dark alley in New York, Miami, Chicago, Detroit, or Los Angeles. He sought what his mother was unable to give: nurturing, guidance, and the opportunity to be a child. With all odds against him, he survived and emerged more determined than ever to succeed.

Gary B. McCleod will always remember the day the Lord delivered him from the hand of the enemy (satan). There’s nothing that can describe the feeling of being loosed from bondage other than to say, “Free at last, free at last, thank God almighty, I’m free at last.” Being free from satan and the quandary he brought led Gary to a closer walk with God. He now bears witness that troubles don’t last always. For you who are experiencing various trials and difficulties in your life you will find in the contents of this book practical solutions, answers and advice to your dilemmas. In Troubles Don’t Last Always Gary talks about • His testimony • How troubles come • The trying and testing of your faith • When all seems lost trust in God • What did I do to deserve this? • How you can find peace in time of trouble • How the prayers of others strengthened him • Prayers that availeth much Gary’s testimony is clear. God is sovereign, God is righteous and God is faithful. Troubles Don’t Last Always!

“Racism will never end.” “Drug dealing and gang banging will never stop.” “I hope for God to come and take us away from all this because if things go on the way they are, there’s not much hope for humankind.” These are some of the comments from twenty African American teenagers coming of age in Chicago at the close of the 20th century. These comments raise challenging questions: - What expectations do African American youth hold concerning racial injustice? - What expectations do black youth hold about other issues that are important to them, such as violence? - How relevant is the black church to the issues that circumscribe the lives of urban black youth? - How is the black church instrumental in confronting racial injustice that black youth experience? - What signs of hope do black youth identify as being offered by the black church? - Can the church fashion black adolescent spirituality rooted in Christian hope and action? Parker seeks to answer these questions, critically examining African American adolescent spirituality and offering congregations a new theological framework for ministry with African American adolescents in the face of injustice and hopelessness. What results is the formation of a wholesome spirituality.

This work catalogs commercially produced recordings of Negro spirituals composed for solo concert vocalists. More than 5,000 tracks are listed, with entries sourced from a variety of recording formats. The featured recordings enhance the study of concert spiritual performance in studio, concert, worship service or competition settings. Arranged alphabetically, entries variously identify the accompaniment--including chorus, piano, orchestra, guitar, flute, and violin--in concert spiritual recordings. The voice types of soloists are included, as is the level of dialect used by various performers. The composers, publishers and format information are also listed when available. While structured like a discography, this guide extends beyond solely providing historical context and encourages the use of the recordings themselves.