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."

"An invaluable tool that avoids the usual "psychobabble," Group Exercises for Adolescents, Second Edition is a no-nonsense guide that provides a complete group program for therapists, counselors, and other helping professionals who work with adolescents."--BOOK JACKET.

Roger Ebert's Movie Yearbook 2010 is the ultimate source for movies, movie reviews, and much more. For nearly 25 years, Roger Ebert's annual collection has been recognized as the preeminent source for full-length critical movie reviews, and his 2010 yearbook does not disappoint. The yearbook includes every review Ebert has written from January 2007 to July 2009. It also includes interviews, essays, tributes, and all-new questions and answers from his Questions for the Movie Answer Man columns. Fans get a bonus feature, too, with new entries to Ebert's Little Movie Glossary. This is the must-have go-to guide for movie fanatics.

"Gives kids step-by-step instructions about how to twist fun balloon animals and other shapes"--Provided by publisher.