When someone is grieving, what should you say? How can you help? How do you comfort without offering shallow platitudes? The Book of Comforts stands in the gap between suffering and hope, offering readers the abiding comfort found in Scripture and personal experience. The Book of Comforts is unlike other books on grief--with beautiful four-color interiors, an inviting format with brief devotions, and a ribbon marker. Readers will gain: Long-term comfort from scripturally focused entries A deeper understanding of their grief, loss, and pain, and discover the richness of God's love A meaningful way to walk through hurt, heartache, challenges, and difficulty through the truth of God's Word Scripture deals plainly and honestly with suffering and simultaneously points people to the rich hope we find in God. The Book of Comforts is a beautiful and comforting gift for those in hard places--because even though we don't always know what to say, the gift of divine consolation is always helpful.

From bestselling author Angie Smith comes her second children's book," For Such a Time as This," a Bible storybook for girls that features 40 biblical retellings from prominent women in both the Old and New Testament. Illustrated once more by Breezy Brookshire, "For Such A Time As This" is the pair's second children's book together following the success of "Audrey Bunny."
"For Such a Time as This" illuminates the stories from the perspective of prominent women of the Bible, including Eve, Sarah & Hagar, Esther, Mary Magdalene, Gomer, and more with vivid and historical accuracy. Girls aged 6 to 10 will enjoy learning about God through the recounts of the Bible's heroines and stunning illustrations. Summaries at the end of each story highlight the attribute of God to be learned and offer thoughtful reflections for both parent and child to takeaway.

We love to cheer for the underdog and believe to our core that every life makes a difference. And we are right. There is no one God can't use and no one whose brokenness is too broken for God. We know this is true for our friends when we want to encourage them. Yet, when it comes to the places of our innermost sense of shame and regret, we often wonder if it is really true that God can work all things together for good for those who love Him.
Angie Smith is one who was quick to encourage a friend, but struggled to believe that God could truly make something spectacular out of her broken- ness and disappointments. Responding to God's leading to both break and reconstruct a simple pitcher, she reflected:
"It was as though God were saying," here you are, Angie. You are mended. You are filled with my Spirit, and I am asking you to pour yourself out.
"The image of my life as a broken pitcher was beautiful to me, but at the same time, it was hard to look at all of the cracks. I ran my fingers along them and told Him I wish it had been different. How I wished I had always loved Him, always obeyed Him, always sought Him the way I should. I was mad at the imperfections, years wasted, gaping holes where it should be smooth. But God, my ever-gracious God, was gentle and yet convicting as He explained.
My dearest Angie. How do you think the world has seen me? If it wasn't for the cracks, I couldn't seep out the way I do. I chose the pitcher. I chose you, just as you are.
"
"Mended" takes you on a journey to show how faith lived in the regular events of daily life is all that it takes to be a part of creating God's picture of redemption in your life and those around you. Your life does make a difference--because of how He is magnified in the cracks.
Endorsements:
Even the blindest heart could behold the gift of God upon Angie Smith. The messages teeming from her life, her voice, and her pen have the capacity to pierce through all our protective barriers. As she communicates, she throws herself into the same lot with the rest of us who struggle with fears and self-doubts and flaws but she leaves none of us languishing there. God speaks hope, help, and healing through Angie and does it so endearingly and even so humorously that you let your guard down and receive, even before you meant to. I first became acquainted with Angie's story through her blog and remember reading the entire story of her darling baby girl, Audrey, in one sitting. I felt like she was talking straight to me across a small coffee table as she described the heartbreaking news of Audrey's prognosis, the weeks of pregnancy still to come, and the sacred moments they held her in their arms before God swept her into His. She wrote about how Audrey would remain in their hearts forever and, through her story, she has remained in many of ours. Once I got to know more of Angie's journey, I was slack-jawed by the realization that the two of us had our own connection in Christ. The Lord Jesus had called her to salvation as she worked through the Bible study called "Breaking Free." What grace to tie two women's lives together with journeys so different by the same woven thread of redemption He called me to write that journey out of the restoration He brought from my own brokenness. That He would use it to accomplish something so life-giving in her brought me to my knees. I knew her to be a gifted writer as I read her blog, but it was not long before I saw more than that. I saw God blend a natural giftedness for writing with a clear determination to surrender that gift to one gorgeous end: Christ's great fame. And then, I also saw a friend. Angie Smith is a true writer- one who has a perspective that comes only from walking through every shade of life "and" the shadow of death in His tight grasp."
-Beth Moore, Living Proof Ministries

With the recent advent of multi-channel television and an upsurge in live community festivals, the demand for comedy entertainment has also increased. A substantial share of this demand has been met by women comedians. To date, however, little academic literature has mapped this trend or analyzed its potential. Traditional constructions of comedy as a frivolous pastime are inadequate to explain the transformative power of shared laughter, as community acceptance of assertive funny women has radicalized the entertainment landscape. This book provides new insights into how women use humour to raise thorny issues to enhance both personal relations between the sexes and public appreciation of diversity. A women's comedy festival, depicted through the stories of comedians, organisers and audience, reveals comedy and joke-telling celebrating human struggles, increasing people's ability to connect with each other and to participate in the power economies of society. The analysis helps shed light on this exciting new form of social activism, and should be especially useful to performing arts professionals, media and women's studies scholars, or anyone else considering the uses of comedy.

Who is Jesus? Why did He come to earth? How can I know Him? We live in a world where theres a lot of confusion about Jesus. Too often people want to shape Him and His message to fit their personal needs or agendas. So how can we know the truth? Join Seamless author Angie Smith in this 8-session search for truth as she unfolds the story of our matchless SaviorHis mission, miracles, and message. Whether youve walked with Him for years or are meeting Him for the first time, this study will deepen your understanding of Jesus through biblical, historical, and cultural insight and help you see Him less as an iconic figure and more as an intimate friend.