Suffering has redemptive value when we recognize God's mighty Hand in the events and offer our day to Him. Accepting God's will in all suffering is a sacrificial prayer by sharing in the sacrifice at Calvary. Christine Haapala's tenth Scriptural prayer book encourages us to allow the Holy Spirit, the Sanctifier, to shape and mold our hearts into an imitation of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart of Mary. Through reflective and meditative selections from Sacred Scripture, this daily journey is a call to conversion when we encounter the Theological Virtues [Faith, Hope, Love], the Gifts of the Holy Spirit [Fear of the Lord, Knowledge, Piety, Counsel, Fortitude, Wisdom and Understanding], and the Fruit of the Holy Spirit [Charity, Joy, Peace, Patience, Faithfulness, Goodness, Generosity, Gentleness, Kindness, Modesty, Self-Control, and Chastity].
This Scriptural Rosary prayer book presents the richness of the Sacred Mysteries of the Most Holy Rosary in terms that children can visualize and understand. Gus Muller's watercolors use the full palette of color expression to explore the depths of the agony of Christ crucified and reach the heights of the Blessed Virgin Mary's glorious reign as Queen of Heaven and Earth. Christine Haapala's succinct and most apt meditation selections yield a wealth of spiritual insight into the mysterious events of the lives of jesus and Mary. The Scriptures and watercolor illustrations coupled with the prayers of the Most Holy Rosary provide a rich meditation platform for teaching prayer and devotion to Jesus and Mary.
This book is "a narrative journey, a thematic presentation of the suffering, alienation, and rejection of Jesus Christ by a host of people, those for whom Jesus was "the other," and in many respects, therefore, a stranger. Jesus is presented in this grand constructed narrative, carefully laid out and composed of key gospel texts, against the backdrop of a cast of oppositional characters who unwittingly help to portray Jesus in his utter goodness, deep humility, and abiding love."--Introduction
BY LOOKING UPON THE HEART WE CAN ALL BE CHANGED IN AN INSTANT AND LIVE LIFE MORE ABUNDANTLY! The mystery of the biblical heart is unveiled by integrating psychology and Scripture to delineate the five dispositions of the heart, the choice of which we morph into could either enhance or hinder the attainment of abundant life in Christ. Throughout time, people have been searching for the meaning of life and the way to find fulfillment. It is the intention of this book to show how, by Looking upon the Heart, where Jesus may live, we can actualize healing and holiness at any moment in time. In this in-depth, Christian psychology and self-help/textbook, the reader is enlightened as to what good and bad choices we can make about our character and personality; the goal is to consistently be transformed (morphed) out of the unhealthy dispositions of the heart (the broken heart and the hard heart) into healthier ones (the open heart, sweet heart, and the brave heart). Our first basic premise is that we all, believers and unbelievers alike, can and do spontaneously morph continually in and out of various dispositions, character states and personality styles, and so are capable of immediate transformation. The second premise is that grace must prevail; we all would be hypocrites if we judged, because we are all morphing, having our good moments and bad, at any particular moment in real time. Ultimately the overall perspective is that the heart should be the most important human entity known to man. The heart is the primary gatekeeper and decision-maker and, therefore, the overall determiner of the whole person's behavior, personal growth, and spiritual maturity. We are to embrace a complete understanding of the biblical heart, its five dispositions, in order to overcome psychological, behavioral and relational dysfunction and sin. Only then can we successfully and consistently experience oneness with God through Jesus, living and actively operating within our hearts. As a result of "Looking upon the Heart," the Lord reigns and leads us to a life of victory in Jesus.
