Book excerpt: This book chronicles a life long journey of stunning and tragic events. It took some five plus years of a "backward glance" to describe that journey. It begins within the doors of a small, seemingly insignificant church on the south side of Chicago where "ordinary people" did extraordinary things; a little assembly of believers gathered together in the Lord's name. The church had been founded by an icon, a giant in the Christian community named B. M. Nottage, who started, along with his brothers, several assemblies in Chicago, Detroit, Cleveland, and other cities. This book, "From Grace to Glory", gives a vivid picture of the marvelous grace of God and his unbounded, unlimited mercy through great tragedy and devastating losses. Read the shocking "unpleasant history" of this little church, and its' resilience through it all. Laugh out loud in "A Little Bit About A Lot of Things", as you look at Bob Hope's jokes and Mae West's one-liners. Read the jaw-dropping "You in six words" from Oprah Winfrey. Go back to another era of great books, outstanding movies, and awe-inspiring music. Share in the great pride of cultural icons who contributed so much to our country and ultimately to the whole world. Don't miss the chapter on the "Onslaught of Nines", where you will discover unknown facts, or surprising facts, or maybe "not-new facts", or just affirmation for the people, places, and things. You will wonder what is the "Fine As Wine In the Summertime" chapter all about? And then, this book gives a vivid picture of the great love and the deep ties of family; a family with an ancestor who could not read or write, but amassed a fortune in land and property. Love of family runs through this family whether you are rich and famous, or poor and needy, or somewhere in between. All families can affirm this, but this book tells it in a different way, in a different format. By reading "From Grace to Glory ... A little Bit About A Lot of Things", we are reminded of what is important in life. We are encouraged by the dear ones who have gone on before us. We can build on that strong love, that strong foundation that has been left, and we can trust our God to take us from His grace to His glory as we continue on life's journey.