Building the Way to Heaven


Book Description

In this third book in the Old and New series, author Maura Roan McKeegan recounts how all the world spoke one language--until the people of Shinar became too proud, and the Lord came down from heaven and confused their words. What can undo the chaos? And how will Pentecost help God's children understand one another again? Building the Way to Heaven helps young readers to see God's plan of salvation unfold within the stories of the Tower of Babel and Pentecost. See biblical typology--the Old Testament people, symbols, and events that foreshadow the New Testament--come to life in Building the Way to Heaven. Ages 3 and up. About the Author Maura Roan McKeegan grew up in Potomac, Maryland, and now lives in Steubenville, Ohio, with her husband Shaun and their four children. Her articles have appeared in publications such as Franciscan Way, Guideposts, Lay Witness, and My Daily Visitor. She is the author of the award-winning Old and New Series. About the Illustrator Ted Schluenderfritz is the illustrator of several books including A Life of Our Lord for Children, The Book of Angels, and Darby O'Gill and the Good People. He is a freelance graphic designer and the art director for Catholic Digest and Gilbert Magazine. He lives in Littleton, Colorado with his wife Rachel and their six children. You can view more of his work at www.5sparrows.com. About the Series What do the Old and New Testaments have in common? To answer this question, Maura Roan McKeegan presents biblical typology for children. Taking familiar stories from the Old and New Testaments and placing them side by side, children can easily understand at an early age what St. Augustine meant when he said that "the New Testament lies hidden in the Old and the Old Testament is revealed in the New."




Nearest Thing to Heaven


Book Description

A new perspective on a beloved cultural icon, its place in our history, and its meaning in the American imagination This elegantly written appreciation of the Empire State Building opens up the building's richness and importance as an icon of America. The book leads us through the facts surrounding the skyscraper's conception and construction, then enters into a provocative theoretical discussion of its function as an icon, its representation in pictures, literature, and film, and the implications of its iconic status as New York's most important architectural monument to ambition and optimism. The Empire State Building literally cannot be seen in its totality, from any perspective. And paradoxically, this building of unmistakable solidity has been made invisible by familiarity and reproduction through imagery. Mark Kingwell encourages us to look beneath the strong physical presence of the building, to become aware of its evolving layers of meaning, and to see how the building lives within a unique imaginative space in the landscape of the American consciousness. He offers new ways of understanding the Empire State Building in all its complexity and surprising insights into its special role as an American icon.




Building Heaven


Book Description

"Amazing!" - Laura Lee Bahr ("Haunt") ..".a Heaven where we bring all our baggage from our lives really struck a chord and kept me turning the pages." - Scott Von Doviak ("The Onion A.V. Club") What happens after we die? If the answer is "nothing," then what's the point of existence? If there's no "Final Judgment," then what's the point of morality? And what if the meaning of life has nothing to do with us? BUILDING HEAVEN, an existential thriller about atheism, blind faith, and one agnostic's perilous journey through the afterlife -- while, back on Earth, a scientist's plan for technological immortality threatens the fundamental core of humanity.




A Travel Guide to Heaven for Kids


Book Description

Soon after his popular A Travel Guide to Heaven was published, bestselling author Anthony DeStefano recognized that children also have many questions about heaven. In celebration of the tenth anniversary of that book, Anthony wrote this fun-filled, action story about a little boy named Joey who gets to take a whirlwind tour of heaven with his guardian angel, Gabby. Artist Erwin Madrid’s stunning illustrations bring the story to life, showing heaven to be a place where everyone is happy, the animals all get along, and God’s glory is more amazing than anything Joey had ever seen in his whole life. This long-awaited children’s edition will quickly become a favorite for the reader and the child alike. Imagine the comfort and peace children will experience when they hear about this incredible place God has prepared for them.




Redeeming Productivity


Book Description

Feeling overwhelmed and unproductive? The answer isn’t to do more. What image forms in your mind when you think of productivity? An assembly line? Spreadsheets? Business suits or workplace uniforms? In the ancient world, productivity didn't conjure images like these. Instead, it referred to crop yield and fruit bearing. This agrarian imagery helps us understand productivity through a biblical lens. Jesus taught, By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit (John 15:8). Who doesn’t want to have a truly productive life—to bear much fruit? But how does this happen in the places we hold dear—the home, workplace, and in our communities? We often feel overworked and overrun, defeated and discouraged. The world says be productive so that you can get all you can out of this life. The Bible says be productive so you can gain more of the next life. In Redeeming Productivity, author Reagan Rose explores how God’s glory is the purpose for which He planted us. And he shows how productivity must be firmly rooted in the gospel. Only through our connection to Christ—the True Vine—are we empowered to produce good fruit. This book shows how we can maintain the vitality of that connection through simple, life-giving disciplines. Readers will discover manageable applications like giving God the first fruits of our days. Additionally, Reagan discusses how our perspective on suffering is transformed as we see trials as God’s pruning for greater productivity.




Core Christianity


Book Description

What beliefs are core to the Christian faith? This book is here to help you understand the reason for your hope as a Christian so that you can see it with fresh sight and invite others into the conversation. A lot of Christians take their story—the narratives that give rise to their beliefs—for granted. They pray, go to church, perhaps even read their Bible. But they might be stuck if a stranger asked them to explain what they believe and why they believe it. Author, pastor, and theologian Mike Horton unpacks the essential and basic beliefs that all Christians share in a way that is easy to understand and applicable to our lives today. And in a way that will make you excited to be a Christian! Core Christianity covers topics like: Jesus as both fully God and fully man. The doctrine of the Trinity. The goodness of God despite a broken world. The ways God speaks. The meaning of salvation. What is the Christian calling? Includes discussion questions for individual or group use. This introduction to the basic doctrines of Christianity is perfect for those who are new to the faith, as well as those who have an interest in deepening their understanding of what it means to be a follower of Jesus Christ.




How Heaven Invades Your Finances


Book Description

Heaven's Invasion Changes Everything!What if the testimony of God's goodness on your life brought nations to Christ? What if your faithfulness in stewarding money qualified you to shape the culture over cities? What if prosperity wasn't selfish?Many are frustrated because they've tried the principles of sowing and reaping without first establishing "The Foundation for Supernatural Finances." That's like building a financial house with no foundation or frame structure. This book will:Give you a Kingdom lens to view your finances, prosperity and the purpose of money through. Equip your head, heart and hands with revelation, activations and testimonies. Enable you to build the financial foundation to partner with heaven and see it released here on earth! Heaven is looking to invade your finances. Will you give them a "Foundation" to land on?




The End of the Fiery Sword: Adam & Eve and Jesus & Mary


Book Description

What do Adam and Jesus have in common? What do Eve and Mary have in common? More than you think! With full color illustrations, Maura Roan McKeegan has brought to life biblical typology for children. Taking familiar biblical stories from the Old and New Testaments and placing them side by side, children can see biblical typology jump off the page. Biblical typology is when a person or an event in the Old Testament foreshadows a person or an event in the New Testament. The Bible is full of these fascinating “types.” Children can now discover similarities of types without any difficulty, and easily understand at an early age what St. Augustine meant when he said that the New Testament lies hidden in the Old and the Old Testament is revealed in the New. Recommended for ages 3 and up.




How to Read Your Way to Heaven


Book Description

Many of us commit to some form of spiritual reading, but we find that our book choices are sporadic and often based on a whim rather than following a purposeful plan. Designed for individual or group settings, How to Read Your Way to Heaven will guide your quest to delve deeper into a relationship with Christ by meditating on the written word while organizing your reading around the four pillars of the Catholic Faith — the Creed, the sacraments, morality, and prayer. How to Read Your Way to Heaven is not merely another book to read. It is designed to be an invaluable tool for guiding and organizing your reading to help you on your journey to become a saint. And best of all, this fully integrated do-it-yourself spiritual reading program that can be easily followed by the busiest of Catholics with the tightest of schedules. By following this plan, you’ll meditate daily on Sacred Scripture and read the entirety of the Catechism over the course of the program. You’ll be introduced to a treasure-trove of the greatest Catholic books ever written, and you’ll learn prayerful reading methods such as lectio divina as well as time-tested advice on where and when to read. Here you’ll also find a list of the favorite books by leading Catholics of our day, including Bishop James Conley, Fr. Mike Schmitz, Fr. C.J. McCloskey, Jennifer Fulwiler, Peter Kreeft, Patrick Coffin, Karl Keating, Lisa Hendey, Fr. Timothy Gallagher, Mike Aquilina, and so many more. Spiritual reading arms us for battle. We are called to be saints, and yet daily we are bombarded by a culture that drives our minds and hearts away from the supernatural life. Because what we choose to read makes a significant difference in our spiritual growth and understanding, we present this structured reading guide to help you read with a purpose.




Surprised by Hope


Book Description

For years Christians have been asking, "If you died tonight, do you know where you would go?" It turns out that many believers have been giving the wrong answer. It is not heaven. Award-winning author N. T. Wright outlines the present confusion about a Christian's future hope and shows how it is deeply intertwined with how we live today. Wright, who is one of today's premier Bible scholars, asserts that Christianity's most distinctive idea is bodily resurrection. He provides a magisterial defense for a literal resurrection of Jesus and shows how this became the cornerstone for the Christian community's hope in the bodily resurrection of all people at the end of the age. Wright then explores our expectation of "new heavens and a new earth," revealing what happens to the dead until then and what will happen with the "second coming" of Jesus. For many, including many Christians, all this will come as a great surprise. Wright convincingly argues that what we believe about life after death directly affects what we believe about life before death. For if God intends to renew the whole creation—and if this has already begun in Jesus's resurrection—the church cannot stop at "saving souls" but must anticipate the eventual renewal by working for God's kingdom in the wider world, bringing healing and hope in the present life. Lively and accessible, this book will surprise and excite all who are interested in the meaning of life, not only after death but before it.