How filling life with play-whether soccer or lawn mowing, counting sheep or tossing Angry Birds -- forges a new path for creativity and joy in our impatient age Life is boring: filled with meetings and traffic, errands and emails. Nothing we'd ever call fun. But what if we've gotten fun wrong? In Play Anything, visionary game designer and philosopher Ian Bogost shows how we can overcome our daily anxiety; transforming the boring, ordinary world around us into one of endless, playful possibilities. The key to this playful mindset lies in discovering the secret truth of fun and games. Play Anything, reveals that games appeal to us not because they are fun, but because they set limitations. Soccer wouldn't be soccer if it wasn't composed of two teams of eleven players using only their feet, heads, and torsos to get a ball into a goal; Tetris wouldn't be Tetris without falling pieces in characteristic shapes. Such rules seem needless, arbitrary, and difficult. Yet it is the limitations that make games enjoyable, just like it's the hard things in life that give it meaning. Play is what happens when we accept these limitations, narrow our focus, and, consequently, have fun. Which is also how to live a good life. Manipulating a soccer ball into a goal is no different than treating ordinary circumstances- like grocery shopping, lawn mowing, and making PowerPoints-as sources for meaning and joy. We can "play anything" by filling our days with attention and discipline, devotion and love for the world as it really is, beyond our desires and fears. Ranging from Internet culture to moral philosophy, ancient poetry to modern consumerism, Bogost shows us how today's chaotic world can only be tamed-and enjoyed-when we first impose boundaries on ourselves.

A celebration of Montaigne, the most enjoyable and yet profound of all Renaissance writers. In the year 1570, at the age of thirty-seven, Michel de Montaigne gave up his job as a magistrate and retired to his château to brood on the deaths of his best friend, his father, his brother, and his firstborn child. But finding his mind agitated, rather than settled, by idleness, Montaigne began to write, giving birth to the Essays—a series of reflections on life in all its profundity and triviality. And, gradually, over the course of his writing, Montaigne turned from a philosophy of death to a philosophy of life, finding consolation in the most unlikely places—the touch of a hand, the smell of his doublet, the flavor of his wine, and the playfulness of his cat.

As I read Dont Play with Me, I Am Life, in this practical call to personal holiness, John deals boldly with the strongest attacks on the mind, body, and spirit of the young men of today. We cannot waste time playing hide-and-seek with lust and its consequences. John went back to his childhood and chronicles his subconscious mind as a sexual being. His young life as a boy has earned our trust by sharing his prospective from a biblical point of view. His wisdom on the true nature of lust will not only inform but challenge every Christian male. He shares that the main issue with sex is that it hinders us from seeing and savoring the glory of Christ and that not knowing the purpose of our sexual urges hurts us and dishonors God. So, for your joy and Christs honor, I commend this book to you. It is realistic, practical, and hope-giving because of uncompromising grace. The pure in heart will see God. If you want that insight, let Dont Play with Me, I Am Life by John Lewis help you on your journey to manhood. It is a beautiful blend of grace and truth. John raises high standards of holiness while carefully avoiding legalism. His honest, biblical, while practical and compelling forthright is refreshing. John Lewis has written a book about sexual purity that can be read and applied by both men and women. He shows us in practical and specific ways how we can grow toward Gods standardabsolute purity in mind and body. I highly recommend it. Ray Morgan, PhD, marriage and family therapist, Insight for the Family, Inc.

Kensley Carpenter is a little girl who goes on big adventures with her cousins and friends and her grandparents. And she always takes Jesus along. The happenings in Kensley’s stories always make their way back to Jesus and his teachings.

Designed to be used by children in their first six months of school PM Starters One and Two

An eagle soaring among the clouds or a star twinkling in the night sky . . . a camel in the desert or a boat sailing across the sea—yoga has the power of transformation. Not only does it strengthen bodies and calm minds, but with a little imagination, it can show us that anything is possible. New York Times bestselling illustrator Peter H. Reynolds and author and certified yoga instructor Susan Verde team up again in this book about creativity and the power of self-expression. I Am Yoga encourages children to explore the world of yoga and make room in their hearts for the world beyond it. A kid-friendly guide to 17 yoga poses is included.