Gracious Living by Valerie Kent

Gracious Living is an easy-to-read decade-long journey that offers tips and suggestions on how senior citizens can stretch their dollar and get the most for their money. Eleven chapters cover every important aspect of living together, from the wedding preparations to where to live. Key considerations follow each chapter for quick reference: Considerations like where and when to buy clothing, choosing a place to live and juggling your finances. Artist Jeff Nitzberg adds his unique touch with original drawings introducing each chapter.

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READ AN EXCERPT

We all aspire to the many extras which supposedly make our lives more enjoyable. For some, the list is headed up by second cars, designer clothing, even dining out regularly in expensive restaurants. Where cash is scarce, it demands real discipline to examine spending patterns and determine just what we truly need, then prioritize whatever we merely want. Because money is one of the central issues in any marriage, retiring on a fixed income is likely to increase rather than reduce unavoidable tension over it. Careful planning and thoughtful shopping can help. This can reduce costs (even if our economy worsens) and thereby free up funds for luxuries further down everybody’s wish list. The discipline to follow through with a mutually-agreed-on plan, once made, is tough, but rewarding.

All this requires an investment of time: time, our most available resource. It is hard to change old habits, and an exertion of will is sometimes required to pay attention to details you never bothered about before. Joint planning, joint responsibility and joint action are vital now that you will be spending much more time together. Having that “we” approach is more important than ever to insure graceful living.

Our working years could certainly have benefited from this prescription for a happy life together, but the pressures and urgencies of raising a family and establishing a career often leave couples living quite separate lives. Each partner has had his or her own areas of responsibility, and in practice true collaboration is often lacking. Being forced to strengthen the bond of “we” during a financial squeeze may significantly improve living together in retirement by forcing the reconsideration of older, sloppier patterns.

One of the most difficult tasks is settling on those more urgent, less avoidable priorities. Dealing with the money forces decisions as to whose preference will prevail and facilitates true compromise. Inevitably somebody’s preference gets bumped off the budget. Thos fulfilled golden years are impossible without new level of mutual respect and open communication.


ABOUT VALERIE KENT

At eighty-eight, Valerie Kent is the survivor of a long lifetime spent adjusting to dramatically evolving worlds. She moved from Britain to the United States in 1933. Valerie began at the age of forty-six the drawn-out process of education - seven universities - that would generate, initially, a career as a drug and alcohol counselor for troubled women, then a decade as a celebrated college teacher and - ultimately - a final, exultant marriage. This is her story.

The Flow of Time and Money by Lloyd Watts

The Flow of Time and Money is a groundbreaking new book that will help you master the relationship between your time and money. Using simple, proven techniques and easy-to-understand diagrams, Dr. Lloyd Watts shows you how to take control of your income, expenses and time commitments in order to achieve wealth and personal fulfillment.

About the Author:

Lloyd Watts was born in London, England, on October 2, 1961. He earned a Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering in 1992 at the California Institute of Technology, studying with Silicon Valley pioneer Carver Mead. In 2000, he founded Audience, Inc., a venture-capital funded startup that builds advanced noise reduction chips for cell-phones. Dr. Watts is the author of 5 patents and many technical papers. He is an accomplished photographer, painter, musician, former hang glider pilot, and proud father of two lovely daughters. He lives in Mountain View, California, in the heart of Silicon Valley.

Read an Excerpt:

Money, Time, Life and Wealth

If you want to have a full and prosperous life, you need to understand how time and money work. Some principles are unfailingly true, yet are not obvious to all of us without some form of teaching. I have been fortunate to have some gifted and generous teachers, and I have sought out knowledge of how time and money work from every source I could find. I offer to pass my knowledge on to you.

Time and Money are fundamentally linked, as I will show in pictures soon. I will start with how money works, and then show how the principles that govern the Flow of Money are really the same as the principles that govern the Flow of Time.

Let us begin with a look at how money flows.

The Flow of Money

Most of us have a job and pay taxes. We have expenses and we buy things. And most of us vaguely wish we could get a raise so we could save more and maybe become wealthy some day. If that’s the plan, it’s not going to happen. We may get the raise, but we won’t become wealthy without a much better understanding of how the money is flowing through our lives and the social forces acting upon us. To make it easier to see the elements in our financial lives, I am going to use pictures, and a familiar analogy for something that flows, namely, water in a leaky bucket.

Overcoming Obstacles with SPUNK! The Keys to Leadership & Goal-Setting by L. Diane Wolf

Break through your barriers with SPUNK!

Are you ready to break through the barriers obstructing your goals and move into a position of leadership? Then do so with SPUNK! Learn the steps required to overcome obstacles and become an effective and dynamic leader. The five Keys guide you through:

Developing a positive attitude
Learning people skills
Raising self-esteem
Overcoming fears
Setting goals

Joined by authors David Ambrose, p.m. terrell, Darlene Wofford, Jocelyn Andersen, Bob Johnson, C. Denise Sutton, and Bill Wilson, Wolfe’s “Overcoming Obstacles with SPUNK! The Keys to Leadership & Goal-Setting” will energize your passion for life!

“Diane has given wisdom, understanding and honorable counsel in her book, Overcoming Obstacles With SPUNK! Such advice when embraced can not only set one free, but it can also lead to the path of life allowing you to be on your way to reaching your full potential. Let her words stir inspiration in your life.”
- Darien B. Cooper, author of “You Can Be the Wife of a Happy Husband”

“L. Diane Wolfe has written a terrific leadership book… The book is commended for those who need a devotional style approach to leadership. Who needs this book? Anyone who desires to strengthen their foundational knowledge of leadership.”
- Steven King, MBA, Armchair Interviews – Writer’s Digest’s 101 Best Sites Winner

A professional speaker trained in a top motivation education system, Wolfe helps individuals develop passion, confidence, and an image of success. Known as “Spunk On A Stick”, the author resides in North Carolina with her husband and two cats. “With a positive attitude, any goal can be achieved!”

A Layman's Guide to Managing Fear by Stan Popovich

A Layman's Guide to Managing Fear Using Psychology, Christianity and Non-Resistant Methods is an easy to read book that presents a general overview of techniques that are effective in managing persistent fears and anxieties

Stan has interviewed various professionals in the counseling field and has over 15 years of personal experience in dealing with fear and anxiety. Stan’s book addresses a wealth of successful techniques for the management of fear, anxiety, recovery, addiction, depression, stress and other mental health issues.

An Excerpt:

Fear is universal. It’s not restricted to any age, class or culture. Everyone deals with fear—in varying forms and intensity—at certain times. For some, it’s easily managed; for others, it’s terrifying and difficult to overcome, if not hopeless.

“Fear,” says Father Howard Campbell, “is a strong force in people’s lives. It’s an emotion based on experience. Certain events, people or encounters may activate fear, which, in turn, may lead to anxiety, worry, and panic.” A Catholic priest for more than fourteen years, Father Howard is currently a pastor in Pennsylvania. He has a bachelor’s degree in philosophy and a master’s degree in systematic theology and divinity.

Typically, fear creates a sense of personal danger. Elderly people may fear loneliness; young people, rejection; and professionals, failure. In many cases people are afraid of the future, change or difficult situations, such as a finding the right job or developing meaningful relationships.

Fear can be a good thing when it protects people from harm. Parents instill fear and define danger when they teach children not to touch fire, run into the street or play with dangerous animals. But fear can manifest as anxiety or a phobia, says Father Howard, who has considerable experience counseling people facing their fears.

A phobia is a chronic fear based on circumstances that may defy rational or logical thought. A person may be afraid of heights, even though there is no danger of falling. This work doesn’t address phobias or any precursors to mental illness; a person with a particular phobia should see a mental health professional. The author does not intend this work to substitute for using the guidance of a mental health professional.

Rather, this work deals with more generalized fears that are common in daily life and presents a general overview of effective methods to combat those fears. The author is not a professional in the psychology or religious fields; however, through his research, including discussions with professionals in those fields, he summarizes several techniques that are effective in managing persistent fear.

Fear appears in many different forms depending on the person and the situation. The following sections discuss three powerful but different approaches for managing fear:

General Counseling Techniques
Asking God’s Help
Non-resistant Methods

General Counseling Techniques cover a broad range of methods to manage and/or overcome fear. Asking God’s Help encourages the individual to rely on the power of a personal, spiritual relationship with God. Non-resistant Methods are effective when a person’s fear is so strong that it’s extremely difficult to overcome. Instead of fighting it, the person learns to work with it. This work describes how to use the three methods together, followed by a sampling of professional resources and a few Biblical verses that offer particular messages of comfort and inspiration.

Truth and Intimacy by Lacresha and Lensey Hayes

My apologies to Lacresha and Lensey for being late on this.

Truth and Intimacy fosters closeness and understanding between couples, helping them to overcome common marriage issues for a longlasting, healthy and happy marriage. With interactive activities, this book will become a close companion for you and your spouse.

Order from the Publisher.

LEARN MORE ABOUT LACRESHA AND HER WORKS:

Truth and Intimacy blog - http://truthandintimacy.blogspot.com
Lacresha's Author Site - http://lacreshatheauthor.weebly.com
A Place of Healing - http://lacreshahayes.weebly.com
Pretty, Prosperous, Powerful - http://learntofeelpretty.blogspot.com
Children's Lit Blog - http://alittlebitofchildrenslit.blogspot.com
CHMI - http://chmi.weebly.com
Fan Club Site - http://lacreshahayesfanclub.weebly.com
Myspace - http://www.myspace.com/lacresha75
The Rape of Innocence - http://therapeofinnocence.blogspot.com

Relationsip Magic by Edyth Denkin

Relationship Magic invites you on a journey that moves away from childhood habits of reacting and moves towards gaining control of your personal power. Enjoy the tale of Prince James and Princess Cinda while you learn the basics of Imago Relationship Therapy. This couple, and their mentor, teach you how to be your own best friend rather than your worst enemy. Relationships bring out unconscious behavior learned in childhood. James and Cinda take you into their lives and show you how you too can develop lasting love. Acquire awareness of how your reactions can help your partner feel loved rather than re-wounded by old childhood issues.

Excerpt:

Introduction
Relationship Magic has been written as a tribute to Imago Relationship Therapy and Harville Hendrix, its founder. The genius of Imago Relationship Therapy is acquiring the ability to not take what is said or done personally through developing the skills needed for intentional dialog.

While each of us wants to feel like a prince or princess, we cannot do so without developing the necessary skills to find gratitude within and the ability to recognize the magical moments in our relationships. This is difficult, indeed, as we all must live in the reality of every day.

Intentional dialog is the tool that Harville Hendrix brought to marriage and is what brings relationship magic into our lives. After twenty-five years of experience in Imago, I have seen many couples that have acquired the ability to dialog and empathize with their partner’s point of view—but rarely do so. They say, “It is not natural,” “People don’t talk that way,” “It takes too long to talk that way,” “You cannot really express yourself,” etc. So instead, they continue to argue and feel frustrated and unloved by talking in same manner they learned as children. No wonder they believe they have lost the magic.

The sacred truth is that although each of us dreams like a prince or princess, we find that we have to live in our daily reality. And when we are not doing the work in the marriage, the kingdom is not magical. Although the secret to happiness is to enjoy the moments, we also must want to feel happy to do the work creating them.
Cinda and James' fairytale is representative of typical events in the lives of the hundreds of couples I have helped over the past twenty-five years. In the beginning, when their relationship brings them so many magical moments, they look forward to spending the rest of their lives together, and they commit to marriage. But after the first few years, the same criticism, blame, and shame they absorbed from their parents begins to creep into their lives. Because they unknowingly bring the same negative energy of their childhood wounds into their marriage, they find they are repeating similar patterns of their parents that they swore they would never do.

Luckily for them, they find Satori with whom to study and learn. He teaches them their most valuable lesson: developing the skill of intentional dialog. From this experience, they develop the ability to not take what the other says personally. You see, Satori teaches them that when they are criticized or blamed, they are brought back to their childhood where all they wanted was to please mommy or daddy but found they could not do so. By dialogging with their chosen partner today, they become aware that they are not children anymore and learn how to stop taking what happens personally. Instead, they learn that what is said is not about them.

Readers watch as James’ and Cinda’s adult realizations free them from being victims and allow them to feel and enjoy the many new moments each day brings. Therefore, our tale teaches readers how to empower themselves. They watch as Cinda and James develop consciousness of the daily signs in their lives, and by so doing, their newly developed awareness brings them to learning how to not repeat what happened when they were children. Cinda’s and James' knowledge helps them use the bad that happens to create good moments, rather than become victims of each other.

Enjoy, also, reading about Woodrow, Satori’s friend and companion. This little dog is the model of what every relationship needs to thrive and grow… unconditional love and acceptance. Woodrow interacts with and teaches James and Cinda how to love without criticism or blame.

In the end, you too can receive the unconditional love and acceptance that you have craved all of your life but could not get as a child. And you too will learn how intentional dialog can become your best friend and trusted adviser.


Order at Amazon.

The Rape of Innocence: Taking Captivity Captive by Lacresha Hayes

The Rape of Innocence is the testimony of a child growing up mostly without her mother and going through incest, rape and molestation. It's a story of a child who grew up too fast, enduring the worst of hardships. She details the struggles of growing up without God and then being disillusioned in the churches by hypocrisy.
This book chronicles the life of a child who became a woman of God, business owner, author, and wife to a pastor. What should have been impossible, God made possible! This book is for every woman who knows what pain feels like. This book is for every Christian who has been hurt or disappointed in the ministry. Come share the tears and the joys of triumphant victory.

The Rape of Innocence: Taking Captivity Captive by Lacresha Hayes
ISBN: 978-0-9798154-0-9
Retail price: $19.95

Order from Living Waters

The 1 Minute Guide to Health, Wealth, and Happiness by Raquel Soto

Inspired by Steven K. Scott's book, The Richest Man Who Ever Lived, The 1 Minute Guide to Health, Wealth, and Happiness creates a simple system to implement the wisdom he used to become a millionaire in three years. Find out for yourself why people are saying Raquel's writing is powerful and life-changing. You to can change the course of your destiny, one minute at a time.

Ordering information:

Fasting way: http://www.lulu.com/content/1492636 (soft cover or download)

Amazon.com Link

Barnes and Noble link:
http://search.barnesandnoble.com/booksearch/isbnInquiry.asp?z=y&EAN=9781847993526&itm=1

Catholic Family Handbook by Fr. Lawrence Lovasik

Time-tested strategies to help you strengthen your marriage and raise good kids

Here is a crucial book for you if you want to shield your family from the effects of our selfish secular culture, which destroys families and poisons relationsships.

In it, Fr. Lawrence Lovasik, the renowned author of The Hidden Power of Kindness, gives faithful Catholics all the essential ingredients of a stable and loving Catholic marriage and family — ingredients that are in danger of being lost in our turbulent age.

Using Scripture and Church teachings in an easy-to-follow step-by-step format, Fr. Lovasik helps you understand the proper role of the Catholic father and mother and the blessings of a large family. He shows you how you can secure happiness in marriage, develop the virtues necessary for a successful marriage, raise children in a truly Catholic way, and much more.

Let Fr. Lovasik strengthen your marriage and family as you discover:
# Three things you can learn from the Holy Family about living as a family today

# The secret of gaining God’s blessing and peace upon your family: do you know it?

# Four crucial lessons no school can teach to your children (only you can!)

# Why marital happiness is not automatic, but must be earned (and how to earn it)

# Common mistakes fathers make that can damage their families irrevocably

# The primary requirement for family happiness: does your family measure up?

# The secret of overcoming the anger that can disrupt any relationship

# Eleven simple steps you can take to bring harmony to your marriage right now

# Are you selfish? Sixteen searching questions to ask yourself in order to find out

# Four qualities that every good parent has: can you name them? Do you have them?

# Sex education: how to navigate this minefield in a way that’s good for your kids

# Plus much more that will help you imbue your family with Catholic values!

“A timely resource of timeless truths to strengthen marriages and families. Fr. Lovasik recognizes the challenges we face and offers excellent practical wisdom to help us meet those challenges. Highly recommended.”
Kimberly Hahn
Catholic Education: Homeward Bound


“A masterpiece! The wisdom and insights here are not only an encouragement but also a practical guide for all couples and families striving for holiness in our turbulent age.”
Michaelann Martin
The Catholic Parent Book of Feasts

Order from Sophia Press
ISBN: 1-928832-17-2
Price: $17.95