Clara ist Lehrerin aus Leidenschaft. Doch Schüler und Kollegen machen ihr das Leben schwer. Nachdem ihr Freund Klas sie dann auch noch für eine andere verlässt, steckt sie in einer tiefen Krise. Ihre Schwester Paulina und die verschrobenen Eltern sind ihr dabei keine Hilfe. Doch dann lernt sie Paulinas neuen Freund Marcus kennen, einen belesenen Barkeeper, der sie mit seinem klaren Blick auf die Menschen und seinen humorvollen Fragen nach dem Sinn ihres Lebens völlig durcheinanderbringt. Als dann noch ihre Jugendliebe Jonathan aufkreuzt, der jahrelang im Ausland war und sich nun plötzlich um sie bemüht, ist das Chaos perfekt. Wer ist der Richtige? Und darf man sich in den Freund der kleinen Schwester verlieben?
"When Pastor Bruce Deel took over the Mission Church in the 30314 zip code of Atlanta, he had orders to shut it down. The church was old and decrepit, and its neighborhood--known as "Better Leave, You Effing Fool," or "the Bluff," for short--had the highest rates of crime, homelessness, and incarceration in Georgia. Expecting his time there to only last six months, Deel was not prepared for what happened next. One Sunday, he was approached by a woman he didn't know. "I've been hooking and stripping for fourteen years," she said. "Can you help me?" Soon after, Bruce founded an organization called City of Refuge rooted in the principle of radical trust. Other nonprofits might drug test before offering housing, lock up valuables, or veto a program giving job skills and character references to felons as "a liability." But Bruce believed the best way to improve outcomes for the marginalized and impoverished was to extend them trust, even if that trust was violated multiple times--and even if someone didn't yet trust themselves. Since then, City of Refuge has helped over 20,000 people in Atlanta's toughest neighborhood escape the cycles of homelessness, joblessness, and drug abuse. Of course, trust alone can't overcome a broken system that perpetuates inequality. Presenting an unvarnished window into the lives of ex-cons, drug addicts, human trafficking survivors, and displaced souls who have come through City of Refuge, Trust First examines the context in which Bruce's Atlanta neighborhood went downhill--and what City of Refuge chose to do about it. They've become a one-stop-shop for transitional housing, on-site medical and mental health care, childcare, and vocational training, including accredited intensives in auto tech, culinary arts, and coding. While most social services focus on one pain point and leave the burden on the poor to find the crosstown bus that'll serve their other needs, Bruce argues that bringing someone out of homelessness requires treating all of their needs simultaneously. This model has proven so effective that a dozen new chapters of City of Refuge have opened in the US, including in California, Illinois, Ohio, Maryland, Virginia, Texas, and Georgia." -- From Publisher's Website
"Leapfrog offers 50 proven hacks to help women entrepreneurs (and anyone launching a startup from scratch) take their businesses to the next level. Based on the Athena Core 10, a set of leadership values the author helped develop at Barnard College, the book lays out strategies and shortcuts for business growth"--
Sara Grace's journey is marked by turbulence and profound grief, yet her faith remains a guiding light. Throughout her struggles, she reflects on the presence of God, who walks alongside her during the darkest moments. This narrative explores themes of resilience and divine companionship, illustrating how spirituality can provide strength and hope amidst life's challenges.
