Product Description

A popular speaker at the "Women of Faith" conferences, noted psychologist Marilyn Meberg is convinced that laughter truly is the best medicine. In Choosing the Amusing, she proposes a "Laugh Lifestyle"—a joyful outlook on life that anyone can have. Be prepared to rediscover your funny bone and reconnect with the Great Physician who dispenses joy beyond measure.

Customer Reviews (2)

Women of Faith
You can't go wrong with any of the Women of Faith.I love Marilyn's sens of humor.

Wonderfully Humorous Book.
Marilyn has done it again!!A truely wonderful book!The book begins by telling you the story of howa salesman sees her with a baby pacifier in her mouth...and how she tries to explain to him that she is breaking it infor her baby.(Ha!) And this is just one of the many humorous stories.This is my second book of Marilyn's, the other was "I'd rather belaughing".Both of these book are endearing!And very upliftingreads.I highly recommend both of these books, plus the ones done withLuci Swindoll and Patsy Clairmont. ... Read more

Product Description
MIRACLES Every Day

One man is led to his family records by the otherworldly sound of a trumpet in a dusky graveyard. Another researcher, without maps or knowledge, miraculously finds records saved from a World War II bombing. A family, after losing work to a computer crash, discovers a disk containing the lost information, though no one in the house had made a copy of it. Others, in the quiet of the night, receive answers in their dreams.

These are just a few of the many examples of the heavenly help that dedicated genealogical researchers have received. Miracles associated with family history work happen too often to be tossed off as mere coincidence or luck.

You will receive strength to pursue your own research as you read these true accounts from people who have been assisted in their work to bring their families together from beyond the veil. In no human effort has there been more generous cooperation from the spirit world than in family history research.

Families Lost and Found, compiled by popular authors Lee Nelson and Marilyn Brown, is a witness to a work that is more important than many people may realize. These narratives provide a testimony that we are not alone, especially as we search to find our lost families. ... Read more

Product Description
Five yuletide romances about divine intervention include Mary Balogh's ""Guarded by Angels,"" Marilyn Campbell's ""The Trouble With Angelina,"" Carole Nelson Douglas's ""Catch a Falling Angel,"" Emma Merritt's ""Brush of Angel Wings,"" and Patricia Rice's ""Tin Angel."" ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

two good stories out of five
The anthology has 5 stories, set in different time periods. The connecting factor is that they all have angels in them.

****½ "Catch a Falling Angel" by Carole Nelson Douglas. Time travel romance.

Since this story is the reason I bought the book, it's only fitting that it's my favorite. Adrian Ashworth, a Regency rake, is driving his phaeton with more recklessness than usual, crashes, and ends up in an exclusive club that turns out to be the anteroom to hell. There he's told that he's not quite bad enough to join in what appears to be non-stop gaming and wenching, but he can go back to earth, and if he can redeem, or rather un-redeem himself by Christmas, he'll be admitted. Otherwise, it'll be limbo, because he's certainly not good enough for heaven. He has 4 days.

When he arrives back on earth, it's in the middle of a rock concert, and he's the star. This is one of those times when I'm glad I didn't read the back cover, because it was such a fun surprise. When he's asked via the Wishful Wings of Christmas Foundation to meet Natalie Parks, a young woman recently recovered from a car accident after years in the hospital, he sees her as his ticket back to hell.

It was great fun watching him adjust to 20th century life, and to try to reconcile his plan to be evil with his growing affection for Natalie.


** "Brush of Angel Wings" by Emma Merritt. Contemporary paranormal romance.

Vince returns to his great-grandmother's home for Christmas, where he's hoping to reunite with his first love and his cousin James's widow, Hannah. James and Hannah's daughter Allie, meanwhile, has wished for a new father.

It's a pretty standard Christmas story plot, with the addition of an antique wooden cowboy angel with a family legend attached. But even though it's only novella-length, it moves slowly. The backstory is doled out in big expository chunks, and the same information gets repeated several times, though oddly, it takes until near the end of the story to find out why both of them insist that Vince is responsible for James's death.

Then there are Vince and Hannah. They both went back and forth between wanting to get back together and loathing each other switching roles without warning or motivation, until I really didn't care what they did.

And then there was the ending, which was a ****spoiler****tacked-on excuse to force both Hannah and Vince to overcome their fear of motorcycles.****


**½ "The Trouble with Angelina" by Marilyn Campbell. Contemporary paranormal romance.

Angel Chadick is a widowed mom; Sean O'Grady is owner of a construction company and the mayor of their small town. They're both busily trying to fill their loneliness with overwork. Sean's grandfather Seamus is the angel trying to get them together.

This could have been a cute story--Seamus is mischievous and plays several pranks to force the two together, but that only works if you like the characters being set up.

Angel is described as being accident-prone, but that's never really followed up on, other than to result in her having a big purple bump on her forehead during their first date. And she has 3 children: an older son and twins. I know I've said what I think about kids in romances, and this is no exception. The twins are basically nonentities, making me wonder why they took up space in the novella. The older son is adamantly opposed to his mother dating (gee, what an unusual idea!), but does an abrupt 180 after angel Seamus tells him Sean likes to go fishing and camping. Uh, yeah, I'll believe that.

The biggest obstacle to enjoying this story, though, is that I didn't like the main characters. Angel flies off the handle and tells Sean off, thinks he's doing a horrible job as mayor; Sean yells at her that she doesn't know what she's talking about and criticizes her for complaining about the government without getting involved. But hey, they're both hot and single, so who cares if they dislike each other? Bah.


**** "Tin Angel" by Patricia Rice. Historical paranormal romance.

Thank goodness I didn't stop after the first story, though I questioned my sanity in not doing so several times during the preceding two stories. Patricia Rice is a favorite, and I hadn't even realized she had a story in this anthology.

Jeffrey, Viscount Darcourt, is despondent. Nowadays, we'd say he was burned out. He doesn't see the value in anything he does. Then an angel is sent to restore his spirit. I think. I'm a little fuzzy on the mechanism here, but she has something to do with a tin angel Christmas tree ornament. (Disclaimer: school started this week, and with it, 5:30 mornings--the story itself might be perfectly clear and I'm the one who's fuzzy.) He decides to call the angel "Mary."

The story is sweet, as Mary sets about trying to shake Jeffrey out of his doldrums, and funny, as her efforts don't always turn out for the best, or the way she planned.

And in another case of it being better to avoid the back cover, I couldn't figure out until almost the end who the heroine was. Mary, the obvious choice, was invisible to all but Jeffrey. I didn't think Patricia Rice would leave them like the couple in "Paradise Bossed". Then there was his brother's widow, and she was rather boring, not to mention the whole idea was kind of squicky. And I really didn't want him falling for the vamp his mother brought to the house for Christmas in a matchmaking attempt. The only other candidate was the vicar's daughter, who was abed with a fever and was dying because she'd lost the will to live after her fiancé died.

Suffice it to say, it was resolved satisfactorily.



*** "Guarded by Angels" by Mary Balogh. Historical paranormal romance.

This one's a reunion story. June and Elliott have been married for 5 years. They haven't seen each other for 4.75 years. On alternating years, they go to Elliott's family's home for Christmas, but this year, his grandmother has decided enough is enough and has invited them both, telling each the other would be elsewhere.

On the way there, however, each of them is waylaid by a snowstorm. June is rescued by an older woman named Mary; Elliott by a young boy named Joss; both are taken to the same small cottage, where the snow forces them to spend the night.

The woman and her grandson's love and good cheer is contagious, and soon the couple are relaxing and rekindling their love.

My main complaint with the story is that it's not explained until near the end why June and Elliott separated, and their reconciliation left me... hehe... cold.

The best part, though, was the fairly subtle portrayal of Joss--the angel who really enjoyed taking the form of a young boy.

Worth it for Mary Balogh's story
From the back cover:

CATCH A FALLING ANGEL by Carole Nelson Douglas
To prove he's bad enough for hell, a devilish rogue becomes a rock star out to ruin an innocent young girl--unless he gets foiled by some Yuletide magic.

BRUSH OF ANGEL WINGS by Emma Merritt
A little girl prays to her special angel for a daddy, and a Texas Ranger returns to his hometown for the holidays in hopes of rekindling the passion he once shared with her mother--his first love.

THE TROUBLE WITH ANGELINA by Marilyn Campbell
It takes a little angel mischief to unite a handsome young major and a fiery widow by Christmas.

TIN ANGEL by Patricia Rice
A goodhearted, though skeptical, hero learns the joy of Christmas when he falls in love with an angel sent to make him believe in miracles.

GUARDED BY ANGELS by Mary Balogh
When a mysterious old lady and her young grandson offer their cottage to an estranged couple who got lost during a blizzard, it's a gift that will last a lifetime.

And my review:

The anthology is linked by the common theme of falling in love at Christams time, with a little help from angels. Apart from that, the stories are vastly different. Some are historical, some are contemporary. Some involve the angel falling in love; in other stories, the angels are merely helpers to bring others together. Since the back cover descriptions are very brief, I'll also include a basic plot synposis along with my own personal thoughts.

CATCH A FALLING ANGEL is a story a bit on the darker side. It spans both historical and contemporary time periods. The hero (from historical times) has died and is unworthy of heaven, but is also not evil enough to get into hell. To gain acceptance into hell (heaven is out of the question by this point), the hero is sent back to earth (into modern times) with a chance to (un)redeem himself by ruining a virgin. However, he ends up falling in love with the woman he is supposed to ruin.

I didn't really like the darker aspect of this story, and some parts of it didn't flow well. It was to the point when I ended up having to reread several pages to make sense of what was going on. That shouldn't happen. I managed to finish this novella, but it isn't one I'd bother to read again. Three stars.

BRUSH OF ANGEL WINGS is a contemporary that had a lot going for it. I love reconcilliation stories. In this one, the couple broke up when she wanted him to make a commitment to her. He wanted to chase his dream of being in the rodeo. By the time he realized that she was worth more to him, she'd gotten engaged to his cousin. Now she is a widow, and her daughter wants a new daddy for Christmas, and the hero wants the only woman he's ever loved back.

Unfortunately, this one needed better editing. The writing did not flow well. The point of view was all over the place. I had a hard time sorting out which thoughts belonged to which character. I think there was a good story in there trying to get out, but the writing made it very difficult to read or get drawn into. Two stars.

THE TROUBLE WITH ANGELINA is a contemporary with a dash of comedy. It is an offbeat story about a deceased grandfather, who is now a guardian angel, trying to secure a wife for his grandson. Hi-jinks ensue as this angel uses unorthodox methods (including sending a forklift tire flying across several lanes of traffic to crush the heroine's bike) to throw the two prospective lovebirds together.

This was another good story that was marred by the writing style. Again, it didn't flow well, and I often had to reread sections to make sense of them. Also, there was so much dialogue without prose that sometimes I had a hard time figuring out who was talking. I had to go back and count the lines of type to sort it all out. Also, there were a lot of basic grammar mistakes, and that's something that really gets under my skin. For instance, two women are in the same scene, yet the writer uses "her" without making it clear which woman is being referred to. Maybe I should blame the editor for not catching that one, but even so, this was not a story I could get into. Two stars.

TIN ANGEL by Patricia Rice is a historical. This is a story of an angel falling in love with a human. A plot that's been done before, but one that remains very popular.

Again, I didn't like the writing style with this one. There were a lot of big sections of history that read like a textbook. I read romance for the relationship, not for a history lesson. That's what textbooks are for. This story also suffered from an inbalance between prose and dialogue, but this time, the problem was too much prose. There were big sections without any dialogue, and the story was slow going. Not that I have a problem with prose, but it needs to move the story along. Unfortunately, here is just dragged. I was unable to get drawn into the story and unable to force myself to finish it. Two stars.

GUARDED BY ANGELS by Mary Balogh is another historical, and the best story in the book. In it, an estranged husband and wife end up stranded in a snowstorm. They are taken in by a woman and her grandson, and learn to resolve their differences and fall in love again.

I never know what to expect with Mary Balogh. I have adored some of her stories and hated others. But this one was a winner. The paranormal aspect of it was beautifully done. It was never too heavy-handed, yet you really felt the presence of the angels. The issues that had estranged the husband and wife were way more than just silly misunderstandings. They were real issues, and were resolved well, not just rushed through. It's difficult to deal with real relationship obstacles in a full-length novel, let alone in less than 80 pages, yet Mary Balogh manages it, and does so beautifully. I can see why she is called a master of the genre.

I loved the characters, and was really rooting for them. Again, I was amazed that the author could create such well-rounded characters in so little space, but she did. They had just enough flaws to make them real people, yet they weren't so overly flawed as to make them unlikeable. That's a difficult balance to achieve, but this author does so with ease.

I can't say enough good about GUARDED BY ANGELS. I loved it! This is a story I will be keeping to read over and over again. Five stars!

While most of the stories were not very absorbing or memorable, Mary Balogh's more than makes up for it. Recommended for her story alone.

above average-read for Balogh's story....
This Angel Romance Anthology was interesting-I would have given it more stars if they would have stuck to one genre or time period in which to have the angels stories.

1-Carole Nelson Douglas-known more now for her fiction and mysteries than romance-her romance was original and well written-a amalgamation of Angel, Time Travel and Regency and Modern day-I found this story easy to read and enjoyable.

2-Emma Merritt-this story is set in modern day American west-I tried to read a bit but frankly I'm not a fan of Western Romance so I skipped it as it seemed a bit to formulaic and "series romance" for my tastes. Others may enjoy it though.

3-Marilyn Campbell-I was hopeful to see a story by this author-as she's written several paranormal or futuristic romances-sadly this was also set in modern day American and reads like a "Harlequin".

4-Patricia Rice-this story set in the 1850's was just too dark for my tastes. The hero talks about suicide and is very depressed.

5-Mary Balogh-I've hardly ever read anything not enjoyable of Miss Balogh's and this is no exception. "Guarded by Angels" is another heartwarming short story of forgiveness and redemption set in Regency England.Balogh's seems to have written several short stories like this of a married, but estranged couple who though family, and in this case, Angels, are brought together to try to save their marriage. This one was a bit of a tearjerker-and if you are like me and love the "wounded war hero/soldier" storyline then I think you'll enjoy this one. Very sensual but in a mature and beautiful way as well.

So, all in all-two exceptional, and three average or a bit below average. I would recommend this book for Baloghs fans specifically-others may want to skip it.

3 stars ... Read more

Product Description

Marilyn Meberg has found a wonderful formula for living: "Cheer up, for Christ has overcome the world." One of the featured speakers on the wildly popular Women of Faith tour, Marilyn uses her own life events to show how we can maintain joy in the midst of difficult heartbreaking experiences.

Customer Reviews (4)

funnier!
This is one of her funniest books.I haven't yet found the 'gift' to enjoy everything about life, but the author sure has!In this book, she talks about how her husband also saw the fun in life - even when he was dying.The part about how he thinks up how to get people to feel sorry for her after his death is hilarious!She proves that God must love to laugh!

I'd Rather be Laughing
I saw a DVD of the Women of Faith and I was impressed with Marilyn Meberg and her message so that's why I have purchased some of her books.I was not disappointed -I will probably reread her books. Very good!!

Delightful Reading!
Marilyn's humor is wonderful.She gives day-to-day events a new look...like how her washing machine when on spin cycle threaten to march thru the laundry doors out into the neighborhood.A very fun, easy book toread.Inpiration as well, gives the lighter side of losing someone close.

Choosing joy in moments of sorrow...
If anyone had a reason to curl up into a corner and cry, it would be Marilyn Meberg. She has experienced things in her life that many of us will NEVER go through nor understand.Instead of hiding under the banner of"I have a right to my pity party", she chose to rise above it alland find laughter and joy in the most desparate of circumstances.Heranecdotes had me nearly rolling on the floor with laughter and tears in myeyes.Everyone needs to learn how to laugh.It is a necessary skill inlife.The Lord provided this means for stress relief and we should embraceand learn to use it. ... Read more

Product Description
"We are delighted to introduce this book to a new generation of readers. The challenges in nursing, as well as in health care, have never been greater. The need for resources such as this text is profound."
--from the foreword by Joanne Disch, PhD, RN, FAAN, Professor and Lillehei Chair in Nursing Leadership and Director, Katharine J. Densford International Center for Nursing Leadership, School of Nursing, University of Minnesota, and Kathleen Dracup, DNSc, FNP, RN, FAAN, Dean and Chair of Nursing Education, School of Nursing, University of California, San Francisco

The Concise Encyclopedia of Nursing Leadership is a manageable, one-volume reference that describes and defines the field of nursing leadership. The Encyclopedia will provide students, faculty, nurse managers, executives, and others with a comprehensive resource for information about the range of knowledge and roles encompassed by the term "nursing leadership." It details the contributions of key nursing leaders, the knowledge base and traits of leadership, skills and models on which leadership is based, the regulatory environment of health care, the range of practice settings and roles, and the design of quality outcomes.

Nine themes have been developed around which the entries are organized:

• Management and Executive Skills
• Theories and Models of Management and Leadership
• Major Leaders and History of Management and Leadership in Nursing
• Professional Standards
• Health Care Delivery Standards and Health Policy
• Characteristics of Leaders
• Leadership in Practice, Education, and Research
• Quality Outcomes
• Informatics and Technology

Product Description
"There are many Christian haters this I know, for the rockstars tell me so!"This bookis a call for anti-Christians everywhere to a more open-minded response to thoughtful Christian engagement. ... Read more

Product Description
This digital document is an article from Reviewer's Bookwatch, published by Midwest Book Review on September 1, 2010. The length of the article is 2028 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: Karyn's Bookshelf.(Children's review)(Book review)
Author: Karyn Saemann
Publication: Reviewer's Bookwatch (Newsletter)
Date: September 1, 2010
Publisher: Midwest Book Review
Page: NA

Article Type: Book review, Children's review

Distributed by Gale, a part of Cengage Learning ... Read more

Product Description
This digital document is an article from Nursing Education Perspectives, published by National League for Nursing, Inc. on September 1, 2010. The length of the article is 4922 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: HeartCode[TM] BLS with voice assisted manikin for teaching nursing students: preliminary results.(TEACHING WITH TECHNOLOGY / BASIC LIFE SUPPORT)
Author: Marilyn H. Oermann
Publication: Nursing Education Perspectives (Magazine/Journal)
Date: September 1, 2010
Publisher: National League for Nursing, Inc.
Volume: 31Issue: 5Page: 303(6)

Distributed by Gale, a part of Cengage Learning ... Read more

Product Description
36 Proven winners for Bazaar sellers. Includes dolls, animals, candy critters, garbage bag ghosts, ornaments, angels, Santa, and more. Step by Step instructions. ... Read more

Product Description
This digital document is an article from Poetry, published by Thomson Gale on May 1, 2006. The length of the article is 4180 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: Eight takes.('Autumn Road', 'Firekeeper: Selected Poems', 'Poems, 1955-2005', 'The Cachoeira Tales and Other Poems', 'The Niagara River', 'The Silent Treatment', 'The Whispering Gallery', 'Weighing Light')(Book review)
Author: D.H. Tracy
Publication: Poetry (Magazine/Journal)
Date: May 1, 2006
Publisher: Thomson Gale
Volume: 188Issue: 2Page: 159(12)

Article Type: Book review

Distributed by Thomson Gale ... Read more

Product Description
This digital document is an article from Black Issues Book Review, published by Cox, Matthews & Associates on March 1, 2005. The length of the article is 911 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: A soulful place for poetry: the poet laureate of Connecticut gives form to a dream: a quite place and paid residencies for aspiring writers.
Author: Samantha Thornhill
Publication: Black Issues Book Review (Magazine/Journal)
Date: March 1, 2005
Publisher: Cox, Matthews & Associates
Volume: 7Issue: 2Page: 30(1)

Distributed by Thomson Gale ... Read more

Product Description
A practical guide to the causes of memory loss and the steps you can take to improve your ability to learn and remember for a lifetime. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Reassurance and great pleasure for us older folks
One of the most significant changes I've noticed as I've gotten older is a distinct loss of memory -- often frustrating, and sometimes frightening -- some members of our extended family have suffered from serious memory losses. This book was a really helpful guide to what is "normal" and what indications of memory loss are indicators of a serious problem -- and what might be done about it.

This extract sets the scene:

"Although frustrating, memory difficulties caused by the aging process are relatively minor -- they won't interfere with your ability to do your job or run your household. And there are many things you can do to protect and improve your memory. Some health conditions that become more common with age can impair memory, such as high blood pressure. Memory impairment is also among the side effects of some medications, such as sleep aids and some pain relievers. In such cases, controlling health problems and switching medications can often restore memory function.

"Contrary to what we once believed, our brains keep growing new neurons (brain cells) and making new connections between them throughout life. This capacity for rejuvenation raises the potential for medical treatments to stop and reverse memory loss, whether from disease or from aging.

"Meanwhile, you can support the growth and development of your brain by taking advantage of this hopeful news: people who keep learning and stay mentally active increase their odds of retaining good brain function as they age. The more you use your brain, the stronger it gets -- and the longer it stays strong."

Harvard's health series are always reliable and up to date, and help one find their way through the vast literature on dealing with memory loss. Their seven point plan is especially impressive:

1. Keep learning Building and preserving brain connections is an ongoing process, so make lifelong learning a priority.

2.Use all your senses. The more senses you use in learning something, the more of your brain will be involved in retaining the memory.

3. Believe in yourself.If you believe you can improve and you translate that belief into practice, you have a better chance of keeping your mind sharp.

4. Economize your brain use. If you don't need to use mental energy remembering where you laid your keys or the time of your granddaughter's birthday party, you'll be better able to concentrate on learning and remembering new and important things. (Shades of Sherlock Holmes.)

5. Repeat what you want to know and remember.

6. Space it out. Repetition is most potent as a learning tool when it's properly timed. It's best not to repeat something many times in a short period, as if you were cramming for an exam. Instead, re-study the essentials after increasingly longer periods of time -- once an hour, then every few hours, then every day.

7. Make a mnemonic.

There's much more useful information in this fine study. It's been great fun to apply some of the suggestions, and the book is well worth re-reading from time to time.

Robert C. Ross 2010


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