Community First

One misplaced parcel, one snowy lane, and a quiet love that grows by the light of a lantern. When the first real winter snow hides Willow Lane, Lydia Zook’s neat life as a village seamstress is nudged off course by misdelivered letters and a stubborn neighbor who means well. With timbers, beeswax, and steady hands, Amos Byler—the quiet carpenter whose eyes are as careful as his joinery—helps build a simple post cupboard to keep the lane's parcels safe. What starts as a practical solution becomes a tender work of repair—of relationships, of reputations, and of two hearts learning to ...

It’s not like she’s the only woman to ever have a baby. At 35. On her own. But Anne Lamott makes it all fresh in her now-classic account of how she and her son and numerous friends and neighbors and some strangers survived and thrived in that all-important first year. From finding out her baby is a boy (and getting used to the idea) to finding out her best friend and greatest supporter, Pam, will die of cancer (and not getting used to that idea), with a generous amount of wit and faith (but little piousness), Lamott narrates the great and small events making up a woman’s life.

Modern society is plagued by fragmentation. The various sectors of our communities - businesses, schools, social service organizations, churches, government - do not work together. They exist in their own worlds. As do so many individual citizens, who long for connection but end up marginalized, their gifts overlooked, their potential contributions lost.

In the quiet valley of Hemlock Creek, the woods have always been a sanctuary. Now, they’re a tomb. It begins with a single hiker, found suspended in the trees, his body partitioned by filaments stronger than steel and sharper than a surgeon's scalpel. Sheriff Brody, just weeks from a peaceful retirement, finds himself facing a predator that shouldn’t exist. But this is no simple monster. It's an intelligent, extraterrestrial species systematically turning his home into a slaughterhouse. The invaders' webs are a biological impossibility, a weaponized architecture of living glass that can...

You are meant to be in relationships that bring joy and connection—that help you know soul-deep peace and leave you feeling loved instead of lonely. Instead, surface-level friendships, filtered social media feeds, unresolved conflicts, and unhealthy relationships can often seem to harm our self-worth, spiritual growth, and mental health—and keep us from the very relationships that could bring that true connection.

The Unity Tree Adventure - What Shall We Do Today? Series Perfect for Ages 6-9 Early Chapter Book Educational Adventure Fiction When mysterious coffee bean vines appear overnight on Imani, Tommy, and Maya's favorite front steps, the three friends know they're in for another magical adventure! This enchanting tale combines fantasy excitement with valuable life lessons about community, intergenerational friendship, and environmental stewardship. What makes this story special: ✅ Educational Value: Seamlessly teaches children about community building, respecting elders, sustainable living, ...

Resilience & Psychological First Aid for PIOs is a unique guide for Public Information Officers, especially in public safety, who are navigating the high-stress world of crisis communication. Written by Nick Arnett, an experienced PIO who also has deep expertise in crisis response and resilience, this book offers a unique blend of practical strategies and evidence-based practices to enhance personal and professional resilience. The book delves into the unique challenges PIOs face, including delivering difficult news, managing emotional people, and handling media. It emphasizes the ...

What if the faith and courage of the first Christians could shape your life today? Are you searching for practical wisdom, deeper community, or a renewed sense of purpose in your spiritual journey? The story of the early church is more than history—it’s an invitation to discover simple, transformative lessons for everyday living. In this accessible and inspiring guide, you’ll learn how to: Grow in faith and spiritual resilience through the real stories of Acts and the first believers. Build authentic Christian community and experience the power of unity and generosity. Overcome fear, ...

The annual Hollow Creek celebration is the town's pride, a perfect autumn day filled with laughter, parade floats, and the sweet smell of caramel apples. This year is the biggest yet, drawing crowds from across the state. But as the sun sets, the sky darkens with an unnatural shade of green. The weather warnings come too late. When an EF5 monster descends upon the crowded festivities, the heart of the community becomes a storm-ravaged warzone. A first responder battles through the debris to find the living. A mother clings to her child as the world is ripped apart around them. A ...

299 Days: The Community, the third book in the 299 Days series, reunites Grant Matson with his family after his wife, children, and in-laws accept that the only way to survive the Collapse is to flee the comfort of their suburban lives and join him at his isolated cabin in the woods. With riots becoming more violent, power outages more widespread, and the military crumbling, Grant and others throughout Washington State realize they must organize if they want to endure.

Your Essential Guide to HOA Board Success: From Newbie to Leader! Are you a new HOA board member feeling lost in a sea of bylaws, budgets, and resident concerns? This book is your lifeline. Designed specifically for first-time board members, it demystifies the complexities of HOA management and empowers you to make a real difference in your community. Inside, you’ll discover: Clear explanations of governing documents and financial responsibilities. Practical strategies for effective communication and conflict resolution. Proven techniques for managing maintenance, enforcing rules fairly, ...

Ada always looks forward to her summers at the family villa with her mother and grandmother in a Turkish seaside town. It’s easy to leave life in California behind when the days are filled with boat rides, games at the beach, and long swims with friends. But no matter how much Ada feels she belongs in the country where her mother grew up, deep down, her connection to the culture seems as fleeting as the seasons. It’s certainly no help that her mother has lost her own sense of self, rootless and disoriented after so many years abroad.

As a response to the increasing violence in our culture, the widening ideological divides, and the growing gap in economic well-being, there is greater awareness that a deeper sense of community is desperately needed. But even as we acknowledge the need to build community, the dominant on-the-ground practices about how to engage people, civically and organizationally, remain essentially unchanged. We still believe community is built with better messaging, more persuasion, and social events for people to get to know each other better. All of which is naïve.

In 16-year-old Mike Hernandez's life, only one thing is clear: Gay is not okay. His family's life revolves around the church, a church run by the vocally intolerant Pastor Myers, so Mike has resolved to spend his life in the closet. His only escape - besides the occasional, anonymous gay make-out session - is his art. He pours his complicated emotions into risque drawings he keeps in a secret sketchbook. A sketchbook he carries everywhere. When his sketchbook goes missing in the middle of Sunday school, Mike is sure his life is over.

He’s lost everything. She’s afraid of what she’s got. Sometimes, first love needs a second chance... In the space of six months, Nick Hanson’s perfect life has fallen apart. Faced with the loss of his best friend, his fortune, and his job, he’s returned to the New Hampshire town of Fable Notch to wait out the disaster. For Nick, this is just an unfortunate interlude— a chance to hatch a plan that will have New York begging for his return. Until he crosses paths with an injured dog and his past comes knocking... For veterinarian Dani Vaughn, Fable Notch has always been home, so ...

Okay, trimming the expanded version by approximately 1618 characters requires significant condensing while retaining the core value proposition. Here's a much leaner version based on the expanded Option 1: Headline: Master Hazmat Response: The Volunteer Firefighter's Playbook for Awareness & Operations Body: As a volunteer responder, you're often first on scene for hazmat incidents where safe, effective action under pressure is critical. Are you equipped with the essential knowledge? Incorrect action can have severe consequences. The Volunteer Firefighter's Playbook: Hazmat Awareness and ...

After the death of her husband Jill is looking for somewhere to fit in to alleviate her lost feelings. She turns toward a local church and gets even more than salvation there!

I can’t hear myself think. Loud noises were coming from next door. What the hell is that noise? My new neighbor, that’s what! I storm out of my office and bang on the door. The door swings open, “Well, hello, Beautiful! How can I make you mine?” he says. With an eye roll and frustration, I complain about the noise. He hands me some noise-cancelling headphones. What about my client?! He hands me another set of noise-cancelling headphones. "How am I supposed to hear her?" “Oh. Not sure.” He says. “With your ears, maybe?” His eyes watch mine; they twinkle with mischievousness I...

Naeem is far from the model teen. Moving fast in his immigrant neighborhood in Queens is the only way he can outrun the eyes of his hardworking Bangladeshi parents and their gossipy neighbors. Even worse, they're not the only ones watching. Cameras on poles. Mosques infiltrated. Everyone knows: Be careful what you say and who you say it to. Anyone might be a watcher.

As more and more people diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorders live in the community, opportunities for interactions with first responders (police, fire, EMT, etc.) have increased exponentially. Training for first responders has been non-existent or not always been optimal, however, and this has unfortunately led to misunderstandings with tragic consequences, including people with ASD being shot and killed and first responders being injured. In First Responders and People Diagnosed on the Autism Spectrum: What Each Needs to Know About the Other, Dr. Bobby Newman provides the information ...