Marvin was raised by parents that are passionate for God. In his childhood, he was exposed to several people that were themselves examples of true disciples. In High School, he stopped struggling against the tug of God and became a follower of Jesus. Out of his love for God he has been a worship leader for many years. In the winter of 2016 God began to stir his heart to a deeper walk. In February of 2017 he resigned his position as Worship Pastor to take sabbatical for the refreshment of his body and spirit. It was the preface to what he and his wife have dubbed, “the year of the unexpected”. In the summer of 2017, Marvin began an intentional pursuit of God that would eclipse his previous efforts at discipleship. This is the diary of his walk, originally intended for his children, but at their urging, for any that could be encouraged by it.

What if the only way you could get out of your marriage was to become the perfect husband? Nick and Maya Wakefield's relationship has been in crisis since Maya left her high-powered legal career to stay home with their now 3-year-old twins. Today she feels invisible, anxious, and under-appreciated, and Nick has checked out of family life. Sex is a distant memory and the love is gone. A workaholic and a consummate flirt, Nick has decided he wants out. But he balks when their old friend, a divorce attorney, shows him that as sole breadwinner, he stands to lose the most. Together, he and his friend hatch a plan: Nick will act like an ideal husband and father in order to ease the pain of leaving and make out better in court. So he encourages Maya to go back to work, spends time with the kids, and even takes her on a vacation without them. But with his cynical ruse comes a surprising change of heart. Nick is astonished to find his actual emotions match his act and now his marriage is truly on the mend. That is, until Maya finds out, and Nick's world falls to pieces. Now his only hope of saving his family is to prove to his wife that he really is the man he was pretending to be. A Better Man is a sharply observant novel of the pitfalls of marriage and success, and how one couple must lose it all before they can hope to find their way back.

The author, a computer science professor diagnosed with terminal cancer, explores his life, the lessons that he has learned, how he has worked to achieve his childhood dreams, and the effect of his diagnosis on him and his family.

"Raw, intimate, and true . . . A Better Man cracked me wide open, and it's a template for the conversation we need to be having with our boys." --Peggy Orenstein, bestselling author of Boys & Sex A poignant look at boyhood, in the form of a heartfelt letter from comedian Michael Ian Black to his teenage son before he leaves for college, and a radical plea for rethinking masculinity and teaching young men to give and receive love. In a world in which the word masculinity now often goes hand in hand with toxic, comedian, actor, and father Michael Ian Black offers up a way forward for boys, men, and anyone who loves them. Part memoir, part advice book, and written as a heartfelt letter to his college-bound son, A Better Man reveals Black's own complicated relationship with his father, explores the damage and rising violence caused by the expectations placed on boys to "man up," and searches for the best way to help young men be part of the solution, not the problem. "If we cannot allow ourselves vulnerability," he writes, "how are we supposed to experience wonder, fear, tenderness?" Honest, funny, and hopeful, Black skillfully navigates the complex gender issues of our time and delivers a poignant answer to an urgent question: How can we be, and raise, better men?

Men take better care of their cars than they do their own bodies, finding health information too technical, scary, or boring. Written and designed in a guy-friendly manner--think of a cross between an owner's manual to a vintage muscle car and a Boy Scout handbook--The Better Man Project aims to change that with a practical health guide to help men achieve the holy grail of a well-lived life. In response to its readers' calls for more health content in the manner that they've come to expect from Men's Health, here is straightforward, personal information delivered with a double-shot of humor. Baby boomers and millennials alike will respond to the promise of leaner, stronger, healthier longevity. Features include: • Health and fitness self-tests so readers see how they measure up to other guys their age • A decade-by-decade cheat sheet for diagnostic tests men must have • Special reports on testosterone supplementation, telomere protection, reversing diabetes and heart disease, and preventing dementia • A troubleshooter's guide to common ailments and quick fixes • A simple plan for losing weight and preserving muscle mass • Answers to 50 questions men are afraid to ask their doctors Readers who seize this moment and follow the world-class tips in this book can expect the next 40, 50, or more years of their lives to be the most active, fun, and satisfying ever.

BETTER MAN describes one man's journey through romantic relationships. The author navigates college as a gay man, then graduate school, and then present day as a practicing licensed clinical mental health counselor. This book is a story about love, heartbreak, and the difficult lessons learned while traveling the treacherous road of dating. Striving to become a better man, the author learns about his own values, what he's looking for in a partner, and that sometimes the bravest thing you can do is run. Getting through breakups, navigating partners with differing values, and having the realization that just because sparks fly when you meet doesn't always mean it's meant to be--these are just a few of the harder truths the author learns along the way. BETTER MAN is a firsthand account of three major relationships told through the eyes of the author as he experienced them. There's a shift in perspective from one's early twenties into their mid-thirties. Realizations are made, and past experiences are seen with a newly discovered clarity. As the author gets further in his study of psychology and gains a greater understanding of things like communication and what it means for a relationship to be "healthy," his relationships continue to grow increasingly toxic. Will he throw in the towel and simply decide it's best to assume he's had his last kiss? Or dust himself off and begin again? Let's hope there's a hopeless "new" romantic on the other side of the door. So now, on to the story of us...

“‘A Better Man,' with its mix of meteorological suspense, psychological insight and criminal pursuit, is arguably the best book yet in an outstanding, original oeuvre.” —Tom Nolan, The Wall Street Journal "Enchanting... one of his most ennobling missions." —Marilyn Stasio, New York Times Book Review Catastrophic spring flooding, blistering attacks in the media, and a mysterious disappearance greet Chief Inspector Armand Gamache as he returns to the Sûreté du Québec in the latest novel by #1 New York Times bestselling author Louise Penny. It’s Gamache’s first day back as head of the homicide department, a job he temporarily shares with his previous second-in-command, Jean-Guy Beauvoir. Flood waters are rising across the province. In the middle of the turmoil a father approaches Gamache, pleading for help in finding his daughter. As crisis piles upon crisis, Gamache tries to hold off the encroaching chaos, and realizes the search for Vivienne Godin should be abandoned. But with a daughter of his own, he finds himself developing a profound, and perhaps unwise, empathy for her distraught father. Increasingly hounded by the question, how would you feel..., he resumes the search. As the rivers rise, and the social media onslaught against Gamache becomes crueler, a body is discovered. And in the tumult, mistakes are made. In the next novel in this “constantly surprising series that deepens and darkens as it evolves” (New York Times Book Review), Gamache must face a horrific possibility, and a burning question. What would you do if your child’s killer walked free?