Choose Joy, Beloved


Book Description

In my first book, I dealt with overcoming stressors that engulfed my daughter from the age of five through twenty-seven. Her behaviors were so extreme at times that they surpassed what I expected in the mental health arena. I turned to God for answers as things escalated out of control. To my great relief and surprise, I heard His replies. He was in the midst of every difficult day, every challenging moment. He taught my family many things. The most important was that He was with us in the fight. At the end of that book, Kelsi seemed to have a future. She had obtained a job and held it for a time. This book covers the last two years of her life here on earth. Things began to unravel. Mental illness arose with a vengeance I had never seen and took her down. She lost her job. She began to repeatedly hit herself in the head. We prayed. We saw psychiatrists, spiritual counselors, and autism specialists. Things looked hopeless, but I expected God to heal her in this realm, not the next. The day she “went ahead of us” to heaven was the worst day of our lives. Recovery from our loss seemed impossible. Parents that have lost children would fully understand. This is a story of miraculous rebound as we listened to the voice of God. He brought us through the horror of devastating loss. The principles in His Word were the pathway to choosing life again. No matter what catastrophe you have experienced, it is possible to make a comeback. You are still here because God has a purpose for you on the earth. As you read my story, I pray this: May you find hope in relationship with Jesus Christ. May the Waymaker define your open road. May you never falter in pursuing your destiny. No matter what.




Choose Joy


Book Description

Passionate Bible teacher Kay Warren shows women--even those who battle depression and anxiety--that a joy-filled life is within their reach.




Breaking Up with Perfect


Book Description

“Perfection is exhausting at best, defeating at worst. In Breaking Up with Perfect, Amy is the trusted friend who comes to help us knock down our walls of fear to rebuild a more doable, sustainable, God-honoring life.” —Lysa TerKeurst, New York Times bestselling author of The Best Yes and president of Proverbs 31 Ministries An inspiring and thought-provoking guide to help you abandon the pursuit of perfection and become comfortable and more confident in your own skin. We’ve all been in relationships that were bad for us...whether with a catty girlfriend, a selfish boyfriend, or a coworker who undermines our best efforts. But there is one relationship that steals the potential of all other relationships—including our relationship with ourselves and, ultimately, our relationship with God. And that’s our relationship with Perfect. Perfect is a bad friend. No matter what we do or say or give or bake or create...it’s never enough. Perfect always demands more, but it’s never satisfied. Never. Whether you are a “good girl,” who always tries to be what you think everyone else wants you to be, or a “never good enough” girl, who’s desperately hiding your past and shame behind attempts to measure up—this book will help you find the beautiful, loving, fulfilled woman God created you to be. Imperfections and all. Breaking Up with Perfect will help you: • Experience authenticity as the antidote for isolation • Trade the Lies of Perfection for the Truths of God’s Love • End the pursuit of perfection, so God can begin His powerful perfecting work in you After reading this book, you’ll be able to end the never-ending stress that chasing Perfect brings and live a life filled with joy, peace, and spiritual fulfillment.




Life of the Beloved


Book Description

When Nouwen was asked by a secular Jewish friend to explain his faith in simple language, he responded with "Life of the Beloved, " which shows that all people, believers and nonbelievers, are beloved by God unconditionally.




The Dearly Beloved


Book Description

“This gentle, gorgeously written book may be one of my favorites ever.” —Jenna Bush Hager (A Today show “Read with Jenna” Book Club Selection!) This “moving portrait of love and friendship set against a backdrop of social change” (The New York Times Book Review, Editor’s Choice) traces two married couples whose lives become entangled when the husbands become copastors at a famed New York city congregation in the 1960s. Charles and Lily, James and Nan. They meet in Greenwich Village in 1963 when Charles and James are jointly hired to steward the historic Third Presbyterian Church through turbulent times. Their personal differences however, threaten to tear them apart. Charles is destined to succeed his father as an esteemed professor of history at Harvard, until an unorthodox lecture about faith leads him to ministry. How then, can he fall in love with Lily—fiercely intellectual, elegantly stern—after she tells him with certainty that she will never believe in God? And yet, how can he not? James, the youngest son in a hardscrabble Chicago family, spent much of his youth angry at his alcoholic father and avoiding his anxious mother. Nan grew up in Mississippi, the devout and beloved daughter of a minister and a debutante. James’s escape from his desperate circumstances leads him to Nan and, despite his skepticism of hope in all its forms, her gentle, constant faith changes the course of his life. In The Dearly Beloved, Cara wall reminds us of “the power of the novel in its simplest, richest form: bearing intimate witness to human beings grappling with their faith and falling in love,” (Entertainment Weekly, A-) as we follow these two couples through decades of love and friendship, jealousy and understanding, forgiveness and commitment. Against the backdrop of turbulent changes facing the city and the church’s congregation, Wall offers a poignant meditation on faith and reason, marriage and children, and the ways we find meaning in our lives. The Dearly Beloved is a gorgeous, wise, and provocative novel that is destined to become a classic.




Choose Joy


Book Description

Relax and enjoy a creative approach to gratitude with this beautiful coloring book for adults filled with breathtaking illustrations and inspirational quotes from writers, hymns, and Scripture. In today's hectic, stress-filled world, taking stock of our blessings and truly experiencing gratefulness isn't always easy, but this coloring book offers a beautiful and unique way to find moments of peace and quiet to meditate on gratitude. Each beautifully illustrated page features an original design from one of seven talented artists that illustrates a corresponding quote. Features include: Large format 9.75" x 9.75" (25x25cm) pages 45 single-sided coloring pages High quality, bright white paper stock--heavy enough to use pencils, pens, or markers Quotes from the Bible, hymns, and variety of inspirational writers, such as Charles Stanley, Henry Ward Beecher, Maya Angelou, Louisa May Alcott, Martin Luther King Jr., Shauna Niequist, Bob Goff, G.K. Chesterton, Mr. Rogers, and more A link to the "Gratefulness" playlist to help set the mood for worship, contemplation, creative expression, and a spirit of gratitude Illustrations by Holly Camp, Jennifer Tucker, Ann-Margret Hovsepian, Katie Howe, Laura Marshall, Bridget Hurley, and Radha Carlson--all artists previously featured in the bestselling Whatever Is Lovely and Everything Beautiful This coloring book will take you on a journey towards deeper gratitude. Whether you are embarking on this journey by yourself or in a group, pick up your favorite art supplies and color your way to a new understanding of what it means to be truly grateful.




Whispers of Rest


Book Description

Life is noisy. But what would happen if every day - for the next 40 days - you soaked in God's love as He intimately whispered words of rest just for you? Whispers of Rest is a 40-day devotional detox for your soul, a spiritual journey to refresh you and guide you to greater peace, while helping you discover who God truly made you to be: His beloved. Renew your spirit with powerful affirmations of God's love with uplifting words of Scripture, journaling prompts for reflection, and practical challenges to spark joy. Bonnie will lead you to places of rest, where you can deeply experience the Savior's presence in your everyday life. This beautiful guidebook will create space for your soul to breathe: Soul Care Tips & Trail Notes - Reduce stress and nurture your body and spirit. Daily Beloved Challenges - Brighten your day by taking simple soul care actions. A Simple Prayer Practice - Deepen your intimacy with God through easy-to-enjoy prayer prompts, inspired by classic devotional practices. A lot can happen in 40 days. A new rhythm. A new heart. A renewed faith. Transform your life as you take the journey to say yes to God, embrace your true identity, rediscover your dreams, and begin your healing. Dare to enjoy each day fully and celebrate your calling as the beloved.




You Are Beloved


Book Description

You're not what you do. You're not what you have. You are not what others say about you. You are God's beloved. Are you ever concerned that you don’t deserve to love and be loved because you are continually having to prove yourself? In You Are Beloved, Bobby Schuller shows you how to let go of these fears and put your trust in the One who sees you for who you really are. Here is an easy to follow, proven path to personal dignity for all those who think they are not good enough no matter how much they achieve. This path is illuminated by the truths that it is not about what you accomplish, but what has already been accomplished for you; not about what you have, but what has already been provided; and not about who others say you are, but who God says you are. Know that you are valued, cared for, and embraced. You Are Beloved will help you rebuild your life as a response to that assurance.




Choose Joy: 3-Minute Devotions for Women


Book Description

Got 3 minutes to spare? You'll find the spiritual pick-me-up you need in Choose Joy: 3-Minute Devotions for Women. Written especially the twenty-first-century woman, this delightful devotional packs a powerful dose of comfort, encouragement, and joy into just-right-sized readings. Minute 1: scripture to meditate on; Minute 2: a short devotional reading; Minute 3: a prayer to jump-start a conversation with God. This portable package makes a fabulous any-occasion gift for every woman.




Living Beloved


Book Description

During what can be a demanding and confusing season of life for many women, Living Beloved offers young mothers a chance to grow in their identity as children of God simply by observing their own little ones. By examining the simple characteristics of a child—transparency, trust, joy, boldness, and more—moms will learn to see their relationship with God their Father in a new way. Author Erin Hawley encourages Christian moms to view early motherhood as a wonderful tutoring session from God, as a lesson in how to grow closer to Him and live “beloved” as His child. The biblical insights and personal stories will renew readers, help them move closer to the Lord, and enjoy life as His child during the everyday routine of mamahood. This insightful and warm-hearted book will nourish a mom’s soul as she nourishes her children. Living Beloved helps young mothers develop a stronger sense of identity as children of God, leading to renewed strength, grace, and wisdom for the journey of motherhood.