Steve Hayner was serving as president of Columbia Seminary and was healthy and fit when he found out he had terminal pancreatic cancer. These pages, including reflections from some of those closest to Steve and his wife Sharol, offer us a hope-filled glimpse into what it means to walk with God in honesty, with joy, even through great pain.
There are times when God surprises us in the midst of our sorrows by showing us things we never could have learned had we not experienced loss. I know that sounds ridiculous and perhaps you may think it is - but then only He knows what it takes to make us into the image of His one and only Son! You've often heard people say, "God cares more about our character than He does about our comfort" and through this journey He showed my husband and myself that really the only way He could develop in us the character of Christ was to walk with us through the journey of cancer. John learned much faster than I, and God took him home! I am still in the "student" phase but He is patient and kind and still with me as I continue to walk with Him and listen for His direction.
In a difficult, divided world, or when going through challenges, it can be hard to lift our heads and hearts and yet Jesus says He came to bring good news of great joy for all people! It's a promise for us no matter our circumstances! But how do we get there? In this 60-day devotional, social researcher and best-selling author Shaunti Feldhahn focuses on eight key elements of finding joy truths that shine out from both science and scripture. Ladies, join us on an amazing journey to transform our minds and find Christ-focused wonder in the midst of everyday life no matter what our situation might be. Joy is not a positive-thinking exercise. Joy is an intentional choice that will transform our hearts.
"Cancer has a way of upending every area of one's life, as well as the lives of those near the patient. Pastor Daniel Nicewonger shares with honesty and vulnerability his journey following a diagnosis of stage IV colon cancer. He writes with openness, sharing the joys and struggles of learning to truly live with cancer. Daniel shares of learning to walk with his oncology team, how the journey affected the caregivers in his life. While everyone's journey is different, there are lessons to be learned as Daniel shares the realities of learning to live with his "new normal." Come join with Daniel and find "Joy Amidst Life's Struggles."--Page 4 of cover.
Don’t miss The Long Goodbye: The Kara Tippetts Story on Netflix now, featuring Ann Voskamp, Ellie Holcomb, and Joanna Gaines! Kara Tippetts knows the ordinary days of mothering four kids, the joy of watching her children grow ... and the devestating reality of stage-four cancer. In The Hardest Peace, Kara doesn't offer answers for when living is hard, but she asks us to join her in moving away from fear and control and toward peace and grace. Most of all, she draws us back to the God who is with us, in the mundane and the suffering, and who shapes even our pain into beauty. Winner of the 2015 Christian Book Award® in the Inspiration category.
As moms, we can all struggle to keep it together sometimes. In a moment, anger or frustration can spill out. The battle for Jesus to reign in our hearts and through our emotions is a fight we all face-- every single day. The good news is that we don't have to face this battle alone. Joy can be yours in the journey of motherhood!
Finding Joy After Loss is one woman's journey to finding her joy after the tragic death of her husband, Patrick James McCarty. Patrick, a well-known natural healer in the macrobiotic world, was diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2005. After three years of fighting cancer with both natural and Western medicine, he lost the fight. Two years after his death, Vashon began writing as a way to come to terms with their family's tragedy. With time, she discovered a path to her healing, and ultimately, she found a path to finding her Joy. Vashon discovered seven simple steps that helped her to find joy again. Along the way, she found that her joy had always been there, but it had been hidden by her grief. Come journey with Vashon as she discovers these steps and puts them to the test. In the end she finds something she never expected.
Jesus has a treasure for us--JOY! It's like happiness times a million--because joy is for ALWAYS! Not just when things seem good or easy or fair. When things are hard, joy is still there. Let's go on a scavenger hunt for clues that make joy our treasure. Ready . . . set . . . GO! Think of our world today--a global pandemic, racial injustice, social distancing, explosive politics. And if adults struggle to maintain a healthy portion of joy in this uncertain world, can you imagine how our kids feel? In addition to the unusual struggles of today, add everyday normal kid problems: school anxiety, bullying, technology overload, body image issues, peer pressure . . . kids are more at risk than we ever realized. Many think our children will be dealing with the mental health ramifications of today for years to come. But it doesn't have to be that way! If kids rely on this world to make them happy, the struggles will only deepen. But what if they could learn about joy? Like, real, unwavering, not-dependent-on-their-circumstances, joy? This joy can only be found in Jesus--and there are specific steps kids can take to train themselves to choose joy every day. Based on best-selling author Shaunti Feldhahn's devotional "Find Joy: A Devotional Journey To Unshakable Wonder in an Uncertain World", this beautiful children's book gives kids the opportunity to go on an adventure for the treasure that only Jesus can give us--JOY! By following 8 clues on a treasure map (based on the 8 elements in Find Joy), children learn the daily choices that will profoundly impact their heads and hearts and give them a treasure that Jesus was born for--to give joy to all people, everywhere.
Do you find yourself rushing along the path of your life frustrated, unmotivated and seeking deeper meaning? Are you looking for inspiration, motivation, and renewal? Joy for the Journey is a collection of thoughts, stories, and anecdotes that inspire and challenge readers to look at life from a different perspective. Joy for the Journey will provide you with a new sense of motivation and appreciation for life.
We are all broken. It's a unified human experience. And we all need a hope that doesn't disappoint, a love that anchors us, joy that survives in unthinkable conditions, and a perspective shift that goes beyond our circumstances. Some days we feel the perfection of sunshine and a light breeze. Other days hold wet, gray skies with drowning grief. In the wake, comes promise of new growth. Still other days a cold winter frost catches us by surprise, halting our journey toward fruitful blooms. We step back, reeling at the damage from this frost. We question the system and environment we grow in. We can exist in this garden dictated by the changing weather patterns. Or, we can see a different kind of brave living-that which exists beyond our fragile stems and dainty leaves, living instead deep in our roots. This book is for those sitting in the deep-down dark, traveling with grief as a constant companion, and anyone whose life path has taken an unexpected turn. Bekah shares the heart break of a fatal diagnosis for not just one, but both her children. As she journeyed through dark valleys of death, it was there she experienced Jesus in a whole new way-in deeply broken places. Her journey holding pain in one hand and joy in the other is vulnerably scribbled out on these pages as she tore open the wounds in her soul to share how Christ created beauty and goodness in it all. It was in this journey, she learned to see wholeness in cracks, courage in the broken-hearted, and bravery in the act of letting go. May you discover the Life-Giver of joy, see your beautiful bloom, and know that hope is always worth holding on to, because redemption is coming--and in fact--is already happening here and now. "Can't Steal My Joy is an honest, real-life account of a life storm that drops down right on top of you with no warning - and the unspeakable beauty that blooms from the wreckage. Bekah's heart beats in every page, every word. To read her story from start to not-yet-finished, it's only natural to wonder how anyone could survive something like this. But the truth is that Bekah and Danny have done much more than survive. They have thrived. And as for the how? Jesus - only Jesus. God's grace weaves seamlessly throughout each moment of confusion, devastation, hope, surrender, and triumph. You cannot read this book without seeing the Creator and longing for all things new." Anne Riley, author of Voyage to the Star Kingdom "I had the absolute pleasure of being able to read Bekah Bowman's book, Can't Steal My Joy, before it hit the bookshelves. I honestly have not read anything so moving and soul stirring since, The Shack. Whether you are in a season of mourning or grief, or in my case, struggling in the heaviness of life to find peace and joy within, this book helps lift the veil of sadness to reveal God's promise that He never leaves you. God makes his presence known everyday in little ways if you only stop to look for the joy outside the pain. Bekah is a gifted writer and I'm so excited to share this book with my friends and family." Melinda, founder of WhenLife Co