Introduction                                       xi
  1 Simple Pleasures
        1. In Praise of the Staycation, Sally      1
        Friedman
        2. Board Game Revival, Christina Dymoch    5
        3. Buried Treasure, Linda Handiak          7
        4. No Worries, Michelle Rocker             10
        5. Tough Tuna, Sally Friedman              12
        6. Good Times in Bad Times, Johnna Stein   15
        7. What's Really Important?, LaVerne       17
        Otis
        8. The Wheels on the Bus, Mary Jo          20
        Marcellus Wyse
        9. A is for Apple, B is for Brandy,        24
        Terri Elders
      10. Lessons Learned from a Money Tree,       28
      Karen Majoris-Garrison
  2 Family Ties
      11. The Last Lunch, Bill Mullis              35
      12. Hair Is Overrated, Janet H. Taylor       37
      13. The Penny Puppy, Bonnie Jarvis-Lowe      39
      14. A Saving Flame, Don Verhow               42
      15. Singing in the Rain, Marla H. Thurman    44
      16. Tough Task, Joyce Seabolt                48
      17. Bank Owned, Amber Garza                  52
      18. On My Own, Holly Sanford                 54
      19. A Child's Gratitude, Robbie Iobst        56
      20. Little Soldiers, Jennifer Quasha         60
      21. The Miracle of the Golden Pothos,        63
      Kerrie R. Barney
  3 Silver Linings
      22. Endings Are Beginnings, Kristen          71
      Eberhard
      23. Seeing the Rainbows, Ashley Sanders      75
      24. Bitter Sweet, Linda McCowan              78
      25. Downshifting, Juliet C. Bond             81
      26. Disabled but Not Destroyed, Monica       84
      Giglio
      27. RV Summer, Beverly F. Walker             88
      28. Humor + Faith = Recovery, Jill           91
      Eisnaugle
      29. Old-Fashioned Ways, Elaine Ernst         95
      Schneider
      30. Better than a Tent, Deanna Lowery        99
  4 The Power of Positive Thinking
      31. Going For Broke, Deborah Shouse          107
      32. Laughs, Prayers, and Every Bloomin'      110
      Thing, Ronda Armstrong
      33. Escaping Domestic Violence, Elizabeth    114
      Bogart
      34. Facing the Music, Jennifer Lee Johnson   118
      35. Welcome to Our Home, Daniel McGary       121
      36. I Will Get Back Up Again, Sarah Clark    123
      Monagle
      37. After the Fall, Samantha Richardson      126
      38. From Struggling to Successful, Sherry    128
      Gaba
      39. Breaking the Cycle, Aim馥 Urban          132
      40. Sister/Survivor, Joyce Seabolt           135
      41. What Will Always Be, Denise A. Dewald    139
      42. Of Detour and Determination, Samantha    140
      Ducloux Waltz
  5 Accepting the New Me
      43. Once Upon a Smile, Lois Greene Stone     147
      44. A Minor Inconvenience, Tracy Gulliver    150
      45. Full Circle, Glenda Barrett              154
      46 Bicycling Home, Eva Schlesinger           158
      47. My Grandmother's Legacy, Harriet         162
      Cooper
      48. The Love that Frames My New World,       165
      Janet Perez Eckles
      49. Walking Backward to Go Forward, Susan    169
      LaMaire
      50. A Good Sport, Karen Myers                171
      51. Living with Ghosts, Kathe Campbell       174
      52. Writing a New Dream, Sharon Donovan      177
      53. Thrive, Saralee Perel                    180
  6 Fired!
      54. The Moment My Life Began, Michelle       187
      McCormick
      55. They Won't Eat Us!, Natalie June         190
      Reilly
      56. The Glass Slipper, April Heide-Kracik    192
      57. Nickel Walks, Irene Budzynshi            196
      58. Crisis, Opportunity, and Change, Pat     199
      Hurtado
      59. The Humorous Heroine, Annie Mannix       203
      60. For Richer or Poorer, Heather            207
      Pemberton Levy
      61. Downsized, Candace Simar                 211
  7 With a Little Help from My Friends
      62. No Disability between Neighbors,         219
      Jennifer Oliver
      63. Choosing My Own Path, Alexis Ludeman     222
      64. Drive-through Giveaway, Linda S. Clare   225
      65. Staying Warm in the Dark, HJ Eggers      228
      66. Good Old-Fashioned Sharing, Tina Jana    232
      Earl
      67. Heartbreak and Compassion, Kathrin       234
      Fleming
      68. Love Versus Adversity, Kat Kitts         238
      69. One Boulder at a Time, Karen Kosman      241
      70. A Certain Samaritan, Jeannie Lancaster   244
      71. Lifeline of Hope, Kay Day                247
  8 Tough People
      72. Lessons in Suffering, Diana M. Amadeo    253
      73. Making the Best of the Worst of          256
      Times, Renie Burghardt
      74. Ziggy, Irene Budzynski                   259
      75. Riding Home, Myla Seabrook               262
      76. Super Strong Mom, Brenda Barajas         264
      77. Burned, Lisa Wright-Dixon                266
      78. Marks on the Heart, Debbie Roppolo       270
      79. Hope Is a Choice, Christy Johnson        273
      80. Spitting in Death's Eye, M. Garrett      276
      Bauman
      81. Tough Yet Tender, Rebecca Jay            279
      82. Maestro, Leah M. Cano                    282
  9 For Richer or Poorer
      83. My Parents' Worth, Christopher Allen     289
      84. Interesting Times, Joseph T. Lair        293
      85. Camping on the Couch, Laura Harris       296
      86. Then and Now, Ann Holbrook               298
      87. Broke, Billy Cuchens                     300
      88. Extraordinary Lessons from               304
      Extraordinary Debt, Leslie Cunningham
      89. Blessed, Jean Stewart                    307
      90. Do It Yourself, or Do Without,           310
      Jennifer Quist
      91. Getting Up Again, John P. Buentello      313
      92. The Legacy, Terri Elders                 316
      93. Going Back, Diane Shaw                   319
10 Grief and Healing
      94. Losing a Wife, Mother, and Daughter,     325
      Timothy Martin
      95. Dear Danielle, Sharon Rosenbaum-Earls    329
      96. To Forgive Is to Receive, Sis            332
      97. Healing Connections, Marcia E. Brown     336
      98. Memories of Sarah, Betsy Finn            339
      99. Patchwork Memories, Bonnie Jarvis-Lowe   341
    100. He Can't Hide from God...or His           345
    Mother, Sharon Landeen
    101. Rows of Grief, Diane C. Perrone           348
11 Ten Bonus Stories of Faith
    102. Why Not?, Joyce Terrell                   355
    103. Free Faith for Sale, Natalia K.           360
    Lusinski
    104. Miracle on Michigan Avenue, Carol         364
    Strazer
    105. In the Hands of the Chief of Surgery,     367
    Matthew P. Kinne
    106. A Job for Roy, Marya R. Latson            370
    107. The Ultimate Landlord, Karen R. Kilby     373
    108. Demon, Betty Harrigan                     377
    109. Living Well with God and CF, Rebekah      380
    Phillips
    110. The Source, Evie Mack                     382
    111. A Dandelion Christmas Wish, Madeleine     385
    Kuderick
Meet Our Contributors                              391
Meet Our Authors                                   409
Acknowledgments                                    412
About Chicken Soup for the Soul                    413
Share with Us                                      414