Life might be no joke right now--but laughter is on the way. There are two kinds of laughter. One is hollow hilarity that masks pain far too deep for words. The other is a full, joyous laugh that sounds triumphantly on the far side of life's dark passages. Comedian Chonda Pierce knows both kinds. In It's Always Darkest Before the Fun Comes Up, this spunky preacher's daughter will do more than tickle your ribs. She'll touch the place in you where laughter and tears dwell side by side. She'll show you the deep wisdom of a merry heart. And with humor and honesty, she'll reveal the God who knows how to turn life's worst punches into its most glorious punch lines--in his perfect time.

What would it be like to get so close to God that we could see ourselves in his eyeballs? Not because we want to look at ourselves, but because we want to be that close to him--to the mysterious, wonderful, invisible God who reveals himself even in temptations, trials, and dangers. Can you see God when your husband gets a speeding ticket? What about when your daughter wrecks her grandfather s truck? Is he watching while you drive down the road in a Chevette held together by wire coat hangers? With her usual sense of southern humor, Chonda Pierce invites us to open our eyes and our sense of humor as she teaches us how to catch God at work, especially in the most unlikely places. Like the time she got her ears pierced--contrary to the advice of her mother. She walked out of the jewelry store, saw two nuns, took them as a sign from God, and never wore pierced earrings again. Chonda the comedian has touched thousands of women around the country, from stage or on video. 'To see or hear her is to love her, ' is the unanimous response. But in her writing, Chonda brings a whole new depth of insight into her humor--humor that enables readers to dispel all gloom and experience the joy of the closeness of God in their everyday lives."

When life's left you flatter than a steamrolled possum, turn here for a little hope, humor, honesty, and encouragement from the Bible. It's the best of Chonda Pierce's celebrated Roadkill Reports to her fans, plus lots of new material, and it's perfect for reinflating your outlook---anytime, anywhere![Postcard from Chonda]I tell jokes for a living. It's adventurous. But to do that, I have to fly for hours. I have to take a bus for days. I have to walk up steep stairs in skinny heels. In short, I sometimes take a beating like roadkill on a country highway! Life really is one long journey to heaven. My travel journal is filled with what I've learned along the way---the hurts, the laughter, the victories, the failings, the crowds and the loneliness, and mostly, the times I've seen God at work.---Chonda