Carol Corwin writes about the reality of life struggles: alcoholism, death of a close family member and the loss of a treasured home. However, amid the dissapointment and grief, there is always hope and prayer. She and her husband, having been strengthened in their own trials, reach out to others who are caught in a web of despair. They acquire a spacious place, the ranch, where they minister to adults in need and raise foster children along with their own family. The touching and humorous incidents that arise from this work are depicted in chapters which read like short stories. In the heart of the book is an adventure for nine- a motorhome trip of five weeks across the country with their newly blended family. You will Laugh and cry as the family members come alive in this inspiring true story of changed and changing lives.
Even for Christians, knowing, feeling and living the promises of God can be challenging. We continue to struggle with sin or anxiety. We are slaves to sin and emotion. We feel judged and judge others. We feel abandoned and believe lies. We stagnate in our growth. In this eight week Bible study, a variety of Bible character studies will model how we can receive the freedom, peace, acceptance, protection, truth and transformation that God freely offers. As David points out in Psalm 31:8, God can save you from your enemies and set your feet in a spacious place. This metaphor paints a beautiful picture of a life that takes full advantage of all God's promises.
Carol Corwin writes about the reality of life struggles: alcoholism, death of a close family member and the loss of a treasured home. However, amid the dissapointment and grief, there is always hope and prayer. She and her husband, having been strengthened in their own trials, reach out to others who are caught in a web of despair. They acquire a spacious place, the ranch, where they minister to adults in need and raise foster children along with their own family. The touching and humorous incidents that arise from this work are depicted in chapters which read like short stories. In the heart of the book is an adventure for nine- a motorhome trip of five weeks across the country with their newly blended family. You will Laugh and cry as the family members come alive in this inspiring true story of changed and changing lives.
A Spacious Place will lead its readers to the front door of a brand-new home where Christ reigns as the guest of honor. God wants to woo you. He wants to elevate you. He wishes to move you into a grander place. God desires to do these things for you because He loves you.Yet, you must be willing to release control. Entry into this divine space requires God ruling as landlord and Lord of Lords. There is no other way into this place, for Christ is the only key.But if you are ready to move, then come along. God has a beautiful expansive new home with your name written on the door post... and I think you're going to love the place.
In the wise and soulful tradition of teachers like Shauna Niequist and Brene Brown, therapist Aundi Kolber debuts with Try Softer, helping us align our mind, body, and soul to live the life God created for us. In a world that preaches a “try harder” gospel—just keep going, keep hustling, keep pretending we’re all fine—we’re left exhausted, overwhelmed, and so numb to our lives. If we’re honest, we’ve been overfunctioning for so long, we can’t even imagine another way. How else will things get done? How else will we survive? It doesn’t have to be this way. Aundi Kolber believes that we don’t have to white-knuckle our way through life. In her debut book, Try Softer, she’ll show us how God specifically designed our bodies and minds to work together to process our stories and work through obstacles. Through the latest psychology, practical clinical exercises, and her own personal story, Aundi equips and empowers us to connect us to our truest self and truly live. This is the “try softer” life. In Try Softer, you’ll learn how to: Know and set emotional and relational boundaries Make sense of the difficult experiences you’ve had Identify your attachment style—and how that affects your relationships today Move through emotions rather than get stuck by them Grow in self-compassion and talk back to your inner critic Trying softer is sacred work. And while it won’t be perfect or easy, it will be worth it. Because this is what we were made for: a living, breathing, moving, feeling, connected, beautifully incarnational life.
Even for Christians, knowing, feeling, and living the promises of God can be challenging. We continue to struggle with sin or anxiety. We are slaves to sin and emotions. We feel judged and judge others. We feel abandoned and believe lies. We stagnate in our growth. In this 8-week Bible study, a variety of character studies will model how we can receive the freedom, peace, acceptance, protection, truth, and transformation that God freely offers. As David points out in Psalm 31:8, God can save you from your enemies and set your feet in a spacious place. This metaphor paints a beautiful picture of a life that takes full advantage of all God's promises.The characters studied include Sarah, Hagar, David, the crippled woman Jesus called a daughter of Abraham, Joseph, Paul and Peter. Focusing on application and self-reflection, this study will challenge you, make you think, and draw you closer to God.
A simple invitation into a life ordered around listening and love As we live through cycles of change and disruption, our familiar pathways crumble and we find ourselves in fragmented relationships with God, others, and our own souls. We are not the first to experience this disorientation: When Jesus offered the stunning invitation to come to him to learn how to work from a place of rest, he was talking to people weighed down by ill-fitting political, economic, and religious systems. And his life and ministry offer a glimpse of a better way. For centuries a practice called the Rule of Life—built around rhythms of prayer, work, study, hospitality, and rest—has provided a loving pathway for anyone who desires to live out the whole gospel. More than a historic primer on an ancient practice, an aspirational overview of spiritual life, or a personal inventory focused on habits, The Spacious Path offers companionship through personal narrative, meaningful reflection, and guided prayer for readers to return to as often as needed. Rediscover an ancient Christian practice to reorient your life around the unforced rhythms of Jesus, not by adding another ill-fitting system but by walking freely and lightly on the pathways of listening and love in the way of Jesus.
There are men born gifted: physical perfection, superior intellect, charm, wealth, but also with a sense of entitlement for control over their lesser fellow beings--smaller and weaker ones, women, in particular. Should a woman make the mistake of disagreeing or refuse cooperation his rage is vile, and punishment follows. To have a woman escape retribution will leave that man obsessed with hunting her as though she were prey, to dispense revenge. This fictional tale is about one victim's thrilling escape to freedom to save herself and protect those she loves. Marti Sweltzer's life slowly spirals from joyful bride to controlled, silent, and demoralized woman, in fear for her life from her abusive husband. She sees herself as in a cage, trapped, like the rabbit she witnesses caught in the trap set by her husband and knows the time has come where it is a matter of life or death--she runs. With no skills, no driver's license, no self-confidence, no one to turn to Marti flees the nice home, in a nice neighborhood in Des Moines, Iowa where her husband, Ted, is a cagey businessman; where he's kept Marti isolated, subservient. In running, she unleashes the latent killer inside a man with no conscience, a man who views any woman as prey, but especially one who would cross him--and anyone who helps her, as no better than dead. Marti leaves a twisted trail across Iowa in her flight from Ted. Finding comfort in recalling certain verses of scripture, she clings to hope God would bring her to a spacious place, safe, secure. She struggles to regain normalcy in her life, knowing the man she married will never cease in his search-obsessed with revenge on her. When Ted learns where she is, she flees a second time to Minnesota, leaving behind friends, people she loves, as well as a traumatized dog that has attached itself to her. Her loneliness is heavy, filled with fear for anyone who cares about her, helped her--as she knows her husband will punish her through those she loves. She knows it will end with one of them dead. Having bungled his first attempt to kill Marti in Decorah, it took another six months for Ted to find her in Red Wing where she is once again learning to fend for herself and is employed, making new friends, but trusting is hard for her as she lives in fear of discovery. In unrelenting pursuit, Ted tracks her down again with heightened determination to get it right this time. Recovering from any trauma is a lengthy process. Watching loved ones' struggle with their pain takes a toll on everyone. Abusers leave a trail of destruction behind, affecting families watching over their loved one's struggle with personal pain in working to recover from trauma-- physical, mental, and emotional. Not succumbing to bitterness, or hate, requires hard work, and time. Sometimes a new path, or a different goal to be able to move on, but with God, all things are possible--no fiction there! Fifty-two years ago this writer looked with shock into the battered face of a young mother, wife of such a man as Ted. Silence was the name of the game back then and no timely help was offered, but the regret, and shame, for that omission always remained. That woman's abuser was given a name: Ted. Eyeing a clever message on her coffee cup: "Please do not annoy the writer, she may put you in a book and kill you--" that is exactly what she did, not that amends can be made by that simple act, but the first words she uttered when the deed was done were, "Damn, that felt good!"
A sequel to the successful Barefoot in the KitchenProvides Bible-related teaching for women in 'times of transition'Includes the author's own experiences of moving into a new phase of lifeCombines Bible teaching, practical advice and spiritual reflectionEach of the six main chapters concludes with questions for group discussion and/or to think about alone.
What’s the story behind all those feasts? It’s hard to know when you read about the Feast of Booths why exactly it matters for your life. What in the world is the Feast of Trumpets supposed to be teaching you? And, in this case, the text itself doesn’t tell you. You need a resource, a guide that can help you understand the cultural significance and how these feasts relate to the rest of the Bible. That’s exactly what Erin Davis does in this new 8-week Bible study, 7 Feasts. She’ll teach you: The significance of these feasts and why God wanted His people to celebrate How each of them point to Jesus and His work in redemption Why all of this matters for our lives today You will discover that passages you once skimmed over are now rich and meaningful in your life today.
