Kate Braestrup's life was transformed by the loss of her husband; now Kate faces the possibility that she may lose her son.As a young mother Kate Braestrup discovered the fierce protectiveness that accompanies parenthood. In the intervening years--through mourning her husband and the joy of remarriage and a blended family-Kate has absorbed the rewards and complications of that spirit. But when her eldest son joins the Marines, Kate is at a crossroads: Can she reconcile her desire to protect her children with her family's legacy of service? Can parents balance the joy of a child's independence with the fear of letting go? As Kate examines the twinned emotions of faith and fear-inspired by the families she meets as a chaplain and by her son's journey towards purpose and familyhood-she learns that the threats we can't predict will rip us apart and knit us together.

Product Description: Kate Braestrup s life was transformed by the loss of her husband; now Kate faces the possibility that she may lose her son.As a young mother Kate Braestrup discovered the fierce protectiveness that accompanies parenthood. In the intervening years through mourning her husband and the joy of remarriage and a blended family Kate has absorbed the rewards and complications of that spirit...read more

Product Description: Prayer is an ancient and simple way to prepare yourself for grace, or love, and to learn to recognize it when it comes. Even the briefest "grace" spoken before dinner offers its time-honored wisdom. Yet in spite of hundreds of traditions and teachings and books about prayer, millions of Americans have become ambivalent about it...read more

Product Description: Chaplain Kate Braestrup, the New York Times bestselling author of Here If You Need Me, has written a compelling new book on prayer for which her devoted fans have been clamoring. Beautifully written, with her astonishing signature stories of faith in action in real life, Beginner's Grace explains how to tap into grace with prayer-as well as how to pray, when to pray, and what to pray...read more

In her award-winning memoir Here If You Need Me, Kate Braestrup won the hearts of readers across the country with her deeply moving and deftly humorous stories of faith, hope and family. Now, with her inimitable voice and generous spirit, she turns her attention to the subjects of love and commitment in MARRIAGE AND OTHER ACTS OF CHARITY. As a minister, Kate Braestrup regularly performs weddings. She has also, at 44, been married twice and widowed once, and accordingly has much to say about life after the ceremony. From helping a newlywed couple make amends after their first fight to preparing herself for her second marriage, Braestrup offers her insights and experiences on what it truly means to share your life with someone, from the first kiss to the last straw, for better or for worse. Part memoir, part observation of modern marriage, and part meditation on the roles of God and love in our everyday lives, MARRIAGE AND OTHER ACTS OF CHARITY is a unique and unforgettable look into why, and how, we love each other, and proves yet again why Kate Braestrup's writing is "inspirational in the best sense" (New York Daily News).

The author documents her decision to pursue her husband's ambition to become a minister after his tragic accidental death, describing how she eventually became a spiritual counselor for families with missing loved ones during search-and-rescue missions.

After putting aside her plan to become the first feminist theologian in favor of marriage, Ellen Elliot finds herself adrift in a mundane world of household concerns and escapes through an imaginary affair with a physicist