Rich in Years: Finding Peace and Purpose in a Long Life

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Plough Publishing House, May 25, 2014 - Family & Relationships - 183 pages
Johann Christoph Arnold, admired by such prominent spiritual and inspirational leaders as Nelson Mandela, Mother Teresa, Cardinal Dolan, Pete Seeger, and many more, offers answers to the question: Why shouldn't growing older be rewarding?

Arnold, whose books have helped over a million readers through life's challenges, shows us the spiritual riches that age has to offer. Now in his seventies, Arnold finds himself personally facing the challenges of aging with grace.

With a foreword by Cardinal Sean O'Malley, Rich in Years covers the significant topics facing the aging, the elderly, and their family and caregivers: accepting changes, combatting loneliness, and continuing on with purpose and hope. Going beyond mere inspiration, Arnold does not shy away from such difficult topics as coping with dementia, the prospect of dying, and enduring with dignity. Through faith and a true spirituality, he says, we can find acceptance and serenity.

Johann Christoph Arnold knows, from decades of pastoral experience, what older people and their caregivers can do to make the most of the journey of aging. In this book, he shares stories of people who, in growing older, have found both peace and purpose. Praising Rich in Years, Cardinal Dolan, Archbishop of New York, writes, In simple language, Arnold gives hope-filled insights into the trials of aging for people of all ages. Pastor Arnold's book challenges those rich in years to also remain rich in faith.

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About the author (2014)

Johann Christoph Arnold was born in Great Britain on November 14, 1940 to German refugees. He spent his childhood in South America, where his parents found asylum during the war, before immigrating to the United States in 1955. He was a senior pastor of the Bruderhof, a movement of Christian communities, for forty-three years. He was a speaker and writer on marriage, parenting, and end-of-life issues. He wrote a dozen books include Why Forgive?, Rich in Years, Their Name Is Today, Seeking Peace, Cries from the Heart, Be Not Afraid, Why Children Matter, and Sex, God and Marriage. He and paralyzed police officer Steven McDonald started the Breaking the Cycle program, which works with students at public high schools to promote reconciliation through forgiveness. He also served as chaplain for the local sheriff's department. Arnold died from cancer on April 15, 2017 at the age of 76.

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