This book will provide encouragement, insight, wisdom and instruction to anyone who has been called to lead, serve and/or deal with the inherent challenges of both life and ministry. Dr. Chandler is so transparent in his personal encounters as well as his professional experiences which have honed his interpersonal skills and has authenticated his call to lead as a Senior Pastor.
From the time Kim Crabill experienced a life-altering trauma at age four, she became an expert in hiding her hurt and confusion behind a mask. The trick, she discovered, was to sing a little louder in choir, study a little harder at school, and smile a little wider with friends. Then no one would notice how damaged her heart was. Kim became a classic overachiever academically and socially. As an adult, she could even speak before crowds with her mask fully intact. But she could not hide from the pain of her past, and pain that expressed itself through anorexia and diet pill addiction, loneliness, depression, and anxiety attacks. In her transparent story, Burdens to Blessings, Kim invites you along her journey from shame and sadness toward healing and hope. In the process you will encounter the upside-down truth that God uses you because of your hurt and uncertainty. The very things you regret the most--the things you hope no one ever discovers about you--are what God wants to use to enrich your life and the lives of others around you. Discover the confidence and courage to quit hiding and show your true self to God and others. Then watch out, because you will be showered with opportunities beyond your wildest dreams to help other hurting people change their burdens to blessings.
The stories of Scripture are for everyone. No exceptions. Emmy Kegler has a complicated relationship with the Bible. As a queer woman who grew up in both conservative Evangelical and progressive Protestant churches, she knows too well how Scripture can be used to wound and exclude. And yet, the stories of Scripture continue to captivate and inspire her--both as a person of faith and as a pastor to a congregation. So she set out to fall in love with the Bible, wrestling with the stories inside, where she met a God who continues to seek us out--appearing again and again as a voice, a presence, and a promise. Whenever we are pushed to the edges, our voices silenced, or our stories dismissed, God goes out after us--seeking us until we are found again. And God is seeking out those whose voices we too quickly silence and dismiss, too. Because God's story is a story of welcome and acceptance for everyone--no exceptions. Kegler shows us that even when we feel like lost and dusty coins--rusted from others' indifference, misspent and misused--God picks up a broom and sweeps every corner of creation to find us.
Do you want to pray but get distracted in every possible way?In this 6-week Prayers of REST Bible study, you'll discover the joy of resting in God's presence even in this distracted world. Learn to: R: Recite God's GoodnessE: Express Your NeedinessS: Seek His StillnessT: Trust His FaithfulnessWhen you REST in prayer, distractions will fade away as you accept Jesus' invitation to "Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest." (Mark 6:31)
“An intimate and deeply human memoir that shows why we should all be concerned about nuclear safety, and the dangers of ignoring science in the name of national security.”—Rebecca Skloot, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks A shocking account of the government’s attempt to conceal the effects of the toxic waste released by a secret nuclear weapons plant in Colorado and a community’s vain search for justice—soon to be a feature documentary Kristen Iversen grew up in a small Colorado town close to Rocky Flats, a secret nuclear weapons plant once designated "the most contaminated site in America." Full Body Burden is the story of a childhood and adolescence in the shadow of the Cold War, in a landscape at once startlingly beautiful and--unknown to those who lived there--tainted with invisible yet deadly particles of plutonium. It's also a book about the destructive power of secrets--both family and government. Her father's hidden liquor bottles, the strange cancers in children in the neighborhood, the truth about what was made at Rocky Flats--best not to inquire too deeply into any of it. But as Iversen grew older, she began to ask questions and discovered some disturbing realities. Based on extensive interviews, FBI and EPA documents, and class-action testimony, this taut, beautifully written book is both captivating and unnerving.
These ten simple truths can build one big change in your daughter’s life. When Kari Kampakis wrote a blog post in July 2013 titled “10 Truths Young Girls Should Know,” the post went viral and was shared more than 65,000 times on Facebook. Obviously her message strikes a chord with moms and dads across the country. This nonfiction book for teen girls expands on these ten truths and brings a Christian message to the hearts of both moms and daughters. Teen girls deal daily with cliques, bullying, rejection, and social media nightmares. Kari Kampakis wants girls to know that they don’t have to compromise their integrity and future to find love, acceptance, and security. Her ten truths include: Kindness is more important than popularity. People peak at different times of life. Trust God’s plan for you. Get comfortable with being uncomfortable. Otherwise, you’ll never stick to your guns. Today’s choices set the stage for your reputation. You were born to fly. Fans of Kari's blog and newspaper column will not want to miss her first book. Filled with practical advice, loving support, and insightful discussion questions, 10 Ultimate Truths Girls Should Know is a timely and approachable list of guidelines that will help young girls navigate a broken world and become the young women God made them to be.
"When people describe my lifestyle or family as weird, I find comfort," writes author Craig Groeschel. He then shares a Christ-centered philosophy, on everything from money to scheduling to purity, to help you break out of the normal rut and live according to the rhythms of God’s grace and truth of his word. Normal people are stressed, overwhelmed, and exhausted. Many of their relationships are, at best, strained and, in most cases, just surviving. Even though we live in one of the most prosperous places on earth, normal is still living paycheck to paycheck and never getting ahead. In our oversexed world, lust, premarital sex, guilt, and shame are far more common than purity, virginity, and a healthy married sex life. And when it comes to God, the majority believe in him, but the teachings of scripture rarely make it into their everyday lives. Simply put, normal isn't working. Groeschel’s WEIRD will help you break free from the norm to lead a radically abnormal (and endlessly more fulfilling) life.
"Morgan Caraway's book is an excellent summary and presentation of the fundamentals of the non-dual perspective. It is one of the most direct and uncompromising contemporary books on non-duality I have seen. Morgan's insights are dead on target and he does not pull any punches. If you are looking for a "politically correct" expression of non-duality this is likely NOT the book for you. It is full of sharp, clear and witty expressions that will delight the discerning reader interested in cutting the through the fog of fuzzy spiritual concepts and half truths that often pass for clarity. Morgan expresses the universal and timeless themes of non-duality in an original, fresh way. This book is not a retread of worn-out spiritual concepts; rather, it is a bold and radical wake-up call that dares you to recognize your original nature as it is here and now." John Wheeler
When Jan Richardson unexpectedly lost her husband and creative partner, the singer/songwriter Garrison Doles, she did what she had long known how to do: she wrote blessings. These were no sugar-coated blessings. They minimized none of the pain and bewilderment that came in the wake of a wrenching death. With these blessings, Jan entered, instead, into the depths of the shock, anger, and sorrow. From those depths, she has brought forth words that, with heartbreaking honesty, offer surprising comfort and stunning grace. Those who know loss will find kinship among these pages. In these blessings that move through the anguish of rending into the unexpected shelters of solace and hope, there shimmers a light that helps us see we do not walk alone. From her own path of grief, Jan offers a luminous, unforgettable gift that invites us to know the tenacity of hope and to recognize the presence of love that, as she writes, is "sorrow's most lasting cure."
