I thought I had found an integral piece of my life puzzle when I met Donavon, a man who embodied all that I desired in a husband. He had a "strong" relationship with God, loved God above all else, and he had a well-developed prayer life. I began asking God to tell me if Donavon was the man who He had ordained to be my husband. The way that God answered me changed my life and shook my world in a way that I never could have imagined. A mere month after I told God He had to speak to me about what His plans for my relationship with Donavon were, Donavon was killed in a tragic car accident. With little hope of meeting, dating, and getting married to anyone else I reluctantly tried to move on with my life. Just when I thought my life could never return to any form of normality, God revealed a new plan for my life through a series of serendipitous events that far exceeded even the greatest of my dreams and expectations.
For many people, remaining optimistic and feeling positive about themselves and their lives is a constant battle—especially when circumstances are difficult and life is hard. For others, negativity is something that only sneaks up from time to time, yet still wreaks havoc in their hearts. Regardless of the root causes, once pessimistic thoughts permeate our minds, our feelings and emotions begin to control us instead of us controlling them. Eventually it doesn’t seem possible to stay positive, happy, and full of joy, and negative thought patterns shake our faith, causing us to sink emotionally, mentally, and spiritually over time. But it doesn’t have to be that way. Despite what storms roll in, hearts anchored in God don’t sink. When we change the way we think, we can change the way we feel and live, even if our circumstances remain the same. Intentionally embracing the opportunity to experience a transformed heart and a renewed mind opens the door for a changed life, because a positive mind will always lead to a more positive life. In Unsinkable Faith, author and Proverbs 31 Ministries speaker Tracie Miles offers hope for women who struggle with negativity. Each chapter explores Tracie’s and other women’s personal stories, showing how they rose above their circumstances by transforming and renewing their minds. Unsinkable Faith is a breath of fresh air for anyone longing for a heart full of joy, an unbreakable smile, and a new, more optimistic perspective on life. This book will equip you to: Replace pessimism with positive thinking by becoming the captain of your thoughts; Learn how true joy and happiness are based on choice, not circumstances; Overcome unhealthy habits of negative thinking by intentionally implementing three easy mind-renewing steps; Stop feeling hopeless and pitiful, and start feeling hope-filled and powerful instead; and Discover that when you change the way you think, you change the way feel, and in turn you can change your life completely.
In Love Life Again, Tracie reminds readers they each get only one life to live and inspires them not to take it for granted. Through compelling personal stories and powerful insights from Scripture, she helps women identify the stumbling blocks to their joy and offers tools and insights to take back control of their happiness. Every chapter ends with a practical call to action to motivate readers to begin loving their lives again. She also offers reflection questions, prayers, and creative ideas to help readers smile. Love Life Again helps readers learn how to live the abundant lives Jesus died for them to have, despite the circumstances they may face.
A profound exploration of how to hold on to hope when our unchanging faith collides with a changing culture, from two respected Christian storytellers and thought leaders. “Offers neither spin control nor image maintenance for the evangelical tribe, but genuine hope.”—Russell Moore, president of ERLC As the pressures of health warnings, economic turmoil, and partisan politics continue to rise, the influence of gospel-focused Christians seems to be waning. In the public square and popular opinion, we are losing our voice right when it’s needed most for Christ’s glory and the common good. But there’s another story unfolding too—if you know where to look. In Gospelbound, Collin Hansen and Sarah Eekhoff Zylstra counter these growing fears with a robust message of resolute hope for anyone hungry for good news. Join them in exploring profound stories of Christians who are quietly changing the world in the name of Jesus—from the wild world of digital media to the stories of ancient saints and unsung contemporary activists on the frontiers of justice and mercy. Discover how, in these dark times, the light of Jesus shines even brighter. You haven’t heard the whole story. And that’s good news.
God doesn't pull back from your sharp edges. He pulls you close. In Embraced, beloved Bible teacher and bestselling author Lysa TerKeurst offers 100 devotions that will resonate with women in all stages of life by giving you a godly perspective on the issues you face each day. A real embrace indicates an intimate level of closeness. It's not a high five or a casual handshake. The best kind of embrace is when someone we know deeply loves us, flings their arms wide open, and pulls us in close. Through these 100 devotions, daily scriptures, and prayer prompts, you will be equipped to: Begin finding freedom from the struggles that have held you hostage by learning new ways to experience God's love. Surrender your deepest hurts by processing them in a godly way with Lysa, a friend who understands your pain. Hear the Lord speak intimately to your heart by learning how to seek His direction. Release the tension of wondering, If God is near why does He sometimes feel far away? by spending guided time with Him each day. Embraced will be a treasured keepsake for you, and a meaningful gift for those you love, with: An exquisite cloth cover you'll want to leave out for others to see and for easy access Highly designed interior with Scripture, call-outs, and quotes Ribbon marker to keep your place Our hearts were made for this kind of love and security, but for many of us, we know more about the pain of heartbreak and fear than the unconditional love for which we were created. In Embraced, Lysa shares her own struggles, doubts, and heartbreaks while pointing to the ultimate embrace: God opening His arms wide on Calvary through Jesus so that He could pull us close for all of eternity, welcoming us into the safety and hope of His grace, love, and embrace. Look for additional bestselling books from Lysa TerKeurst: Forgiving What You Can't Forget It's Not Supposed to Be This Way Uninvited The Best Yes
Who Else But God Could Restore Your Marriage? Is everyone telling you that your marriage is hopeless? Erin Thiele will tell you it’s not! After years of ministering, since 1991, God has proven that He is more than able to restore any marriage, especially YOURS! God’s Word holds both the Power and the Truth to change YOUR seemingly hopeless situation? And Erin wrote this book especially for you! Erin says, “It’s not by chance, nor is it by coincidence, that you are holding this book in your hands. God has heard your cry for help in your marriage struggles and defeats. He predestined this Divine Appointment to give you the hope that you so desperately need right now! If you have been told that without your husband’s help your marriage cannot be restored, then you need to read the testimonies of seemingly hopeless marriages that now have been restored in By the Word of Their Testimony— an entire book filled with testimonies of restored marriages that everyone said were hopeless! Today is your day to begin to hope—God is about to change your life!” “Three months ago I found out my husband was cheating on me. A friend bought me this book and two months later my husband got saved and our marriage was restored!!! Praise God!!!” J.S. “Using this book as a road map, I am no longer anxious and filled with fear. This book has really impacted my life!” C.W. “As I read the encouraging words in this book it seemed as though God had written them just to me.” D.F. “I have read this book about six times. I will NEVER stop—it is so good!!” E.W.
New York Times bestselling author John Eldredge offers readers a breathtaking look into God’s promise for a new heaven and a new earth. This revolutionary book about our future is based on the simple idea that, according to the Bible, heaven is not our eternal home--the New Earth is. As Jesus says in the gospel of Matthew, the next chapter of our story begins with "the renewal of all things," by which he means the earth we love in all its beauty, our own selves, and the things that make for a rich life: music, art, food, laughter and all that we hold dear. Everything shall be renewed "when the world is made new." More than anything else, how you envision your future shapes your current experience. If you knew that God was going to restore your life and everything you love any day; if you believed a great and glorious goodness was coming to you--not in a vague heaven but right here on this earth--you would have a hope to see you through anything, an anchor for your soul, "an unbreakable spiritual lifeline, reaching past all appearances right to the very presence of God" (Hebrews 6:19). Most Christians (most people for that matter) fail to look forward to their future because their view of heaven is vague, religious, and frankly boring. Hope begins when we understand that for the believer nothing is lost. Heaven is not a life in the clouds; it is not endless harp-strumming or worship-singing. Rather, the life we long for, the paradise Adam and Eve knew, is precisely the life that is coming to us. And that life is coming soon.
What should we do when we feel stuck in life? You know how it feels. There’s a hurt in your past that is hard to get beyond. There’s a bad habit that’s difficult to break. There’s a setback that is just too tough to overcome. We all have our own unique situations in which we feel “stuck.” Americans’ favorite suggestions for how to fix our lives—self-help programs, self-esteem techniques, or simple willpower—leave many of us ceaselessly spinning our wheels and feeling just as “stuck” as ever. Vince Antonucci knows what this feels like, and he knows many who have struggled to fix their lives with these dead-end methods. He struggled to get past the pain of a neglectful and angry father. It wasn’t until Vince decided to go through a recovery and rehab course, focused on God, that he learned ways to break free of that hurt and to live in God’s future. Today, when someone walks through the doors of Vince’s innovative church, located just off the Las Vegas Strip, he offers a Restore class as one of three core classes that every member takes. He knows how important it is to learn to break free of these old hurts and bad habits. The essence of that popular class is contained in this book. Move past your past, heal your hurts, and break your bad habits.
True faith is hard. More than mere sentimentalism, faith often calls for a deep and resilient trust in God—especially when the going gets tough and the road is dark. In Things Not Seen, author Jon Bloom encourages readers with 35 imaginative retellings of stories from the Bible that illustrate the importance of living by faith. A follow-up to the author's previous book, Not by Sight: A Fresh Look at Old Stories of Walking by Faith, this inspiring volume explores the lives of Abraham, Moses, Saul, John the Baptist, and more—helping readers remember God's promises, rely on his grace, and follow his leading regardless of the circumstances. The book includes a foreword by popular author and blogger Ann Voskamp.
