Finding Spiritual Whitespace


Book Description

Move beyond Coping and Surviving to a Rejuvenating Place of Soul Rest How many of us find ourselves exhausted, running on empty with no time for rest, no time for ourselves, no time for God? Bonnie Gray knows exactly what that's like. On the brink of fulfilling a lifelong dream, Bonnie's plans suddenly went off script. Her life shattered into a debilitating journey through anxiety, panic attacks, and insomnia. But as she struggled to make sense of it all, she made an important discovery: we all need spiritual whitespace. Spiritual whitespace makes room--room in one's heart for a deep relationship with God, room in one's life for rest, room in one's soul for rejuvenation. With soul-stirring vulnerability and heartbreaking honesty, Bonnie takes readers on a personal journey to feed their souls and uncover the deeper story of rest. Lyrical writing draws readers into Gray's intimate journey through overwhelming stress to find God in a broken story and celebrate the beauty of faith. Guided by biblical encouragement and thought-provoking prompts, Gray shows readers how to create space in the everyday for God, refreshment, and faith. She also offers practical steps and insights for making spiritual whitespace a reality, right in the midst of the stress-frayed stories in every season of life. "We live in a culture that brags and boasts about being busy. Into that reality steps Bonnie with a new idea. Whitespace is an important concept and Bonnie has captured it perfectly. If you're exhausted with being exhausted, read this book. If you feel too busy to read this book, then that's probably the best sign of all that you need it."--from the foreword by Jon Acuff, New York Times bestselling author of Stuff Christians Like




With Calvin in the Theater of God


Book Description

Stemming from the Desiring God 2009 National Conference, Julius Kim, Douglas Wilson, Marvin Olasky, Mark Talbot, Sam Storms, and John Piper invite us to sit with Calvin in the theater of God, marveling at his glory.




Win the Day


Book Description

The New York Times bestselling author of Chase the Lion reveals seven powerful habits that can help you tackle God-sized goals by turning yesterday’s regrets and tomorrow’s anxieties into fuel for a better today. “This book will change the trajectory of your life.”—John Maxwell, #1 New York Times bestselling author, entrepreneur, and leadership expert Too many people delay, downsize, or shrug off their dreams just because they don’t know where to start, but playing it safe doesn’t account for the massive cost of a life not fully lived. Win the Day is the jump-start you need to go after your goals, one day at a time. You’ll discover how to: 1. Flip the Script: If you want to change your life, start by changing your story. 2. Kiss the Wave: The obstacle is not the enemy; the obstacle is the way. 3. Eat the Frog: If you want God to do the super, you’ve got to do the natural. 4. Fly the Kite: How you do anything is how you’ll do everything. 5. Cut the Rope: Playing it safe is risky. 6. Wind the Clock: Time is measured in minutes; life is measured in moments. 7. Seed the Clouds: Sow today what you want to see tomorrow. As Batterson unpacks each of these daily habits, you’ll see how simple it is to pursue them with focus and dedication—not someday down the road, but now. Transform your perspective of a single day and you’ll discover the potential waiting to be grasped at the beginning of each new sunrise.




Off Script


Book Description

We all have a script for our lives. It resides in our minds and hearts--perhaps a good bit in our imaginations. Things are good in our script. But every now and then, God takes our lives off script. He reaches into our circumstances with events we would never choose. These unexpected adventures are often painful, uncomfortable, and scary. Off script times are pivotal, defining moments. If your world has gone awry, if your life is off script, this book will help you discover God's heart, God's joy, and God's truth in the fog of an uncertain reality. If your life hasn't gone off script, then these pages will prepare you for the moment that it does.




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.




No More Faking Fine


Book Description

Scripture reveals a God who meets us where we are, not where we pretend to be. No More Faking Fine is your invitation to get honest with God through the life-giving language of lament. If you've ever been given empty clichés during challenging times, you know how painful it is to be misunderstood by well-meaning people. When life hurts, we often feel pressure--from others and ourselves--to keep it together, suck it up, or pray it away. But Scripture reveals a God who lovingly invites us to give honest voice to our emotions when life hits hard. For most of her life, Esther Fleece Allen believed she could bypass the painful emotions of her broken past by shutting them down altogether. She was known as an achiever and an overcomer on the fast track to success. But in silencing her pain, she robbed herself of the opportunity to be healed. Maybe you've done the same. Esther's journey into healing began when she discovered that God has given us a real-world way to deal with raw emotions and an alternative to the coping mechanisms that end up causing more pain. It's called lament--the gut-level, honest prayer that God never ignores, never silences, and never wastes. No More Faking Fine is your permission to lament, taking you on a journey down the unexpected pathway to true intimacy with God. Drawing from careful biblical study and hard-won insight, Esther reveals how to use God's own language to come closer to him as he leads us through our pain to the light on the other side, teaching you that: We are robbing ourselves of a divine mystery and a divine intimacy when we pretend to have it all together God does not expect us to be perfect; instead, he meets us where we are There is hope beyond your heartache, disappointment, and grief Like Esther, you'll soon find that when one person stops faking fine, it gives everyone else permission to do the same.




Writing the Script


Book Description

This essential guide to writing for the screen goes step-by-step through the process of getting the script on paper, and then onto the screen. -- From product description.




Future Grace, Revised Edition


Book Description

Explore this stunning quality of God’s grace: It never ends! In this revision of a foundational work, John Piper reveals how grace is not only God’s undeserved gift to us in the past, but also God’s power to make good happen for us today, tomorrow, and forever. True life for the follower of Jesus really is a moment-by-moment trust that God is dependable and fulfills his promises. This is living by faith in future grace, which provides God's mercy, provision, and wisdom—everything we need—to accomplish his good plans for us. In Future Grace, chapter by chapter—one for each day of the month—Piper reveals how cherishing the promises of God helps break the power of persistent sin issues like anxiety, despondency, greed, lust, bitterness, impatience, pride, misplaced shame, and more. Ultimate joy, peace, and hope in life and death are found in a confident, continual awareness of the reality of future grace.




Finding Hope in Crisis


Book Description

Enjoy having 90 daily devotions to find hope in crisis using Scripture, prayer, and practical applications. Start your journey to hope and healing today. A diagnosis. Death of a loved one. A layoff. A broken relationship. Life changes in a nanosecond when storms sweep in, often without warning. With minds barely able to think clearly, we often set our Bible aside. However, in reality, that’s when we need its comfort and strength most. This devotional is written for those longing for hope, but are lacking the ability to focus on a lengthy Scripture passage. Enjoy having a devotional that will help you:Tap into inner strength and wisdom with short reflectionsMake the best of your day without shame or guilt, using encouragement from God’s WordFind comfort in routine in meeting with the Lord dailyEasy-to-Use Format for Even the Busiest People This Christian book contains 90 devotions. Each day’s entry follows a simple pattern:Key VersePause (short devotion)Ponder (application question or action step)Pray (short prayer)Relevant quoteKey Benefits Whether this is for you, a loved one, a friend at church, neighbor, or coworker, this book is for those who are in crisis. Crisis looks different for everyone. For some, it means facing the fallout of betrayal or divorce. For others, it means a cancer diagnosis, the death of a loved one, experiencing job loss or home foreclosure, or watching an adult child make choices that carry lifelong consequences. Some would say that hitting a relationship roadblock with a friend or family member constitutes crisis, while others would say it’s losing their family pet. Regardless, their greatest need is hope. They need reassurance that God’s love will never let them go, His presence will never leave them, and His strength will carry them through. Finding Hope in Crisis addresses these needs as follows:Its overall message directs their minds to God’s character and promises. These bite-sized bits of truth will feed their soul and give them the strength and encouragement needed for that day.Its devotions are short enough to read and keep their focus even when their minds are on overload.Its relevant quotes reinforce the day’s teaching to help them remember that particular truth.




Scripting Jesus


Book Description

In Scripting Jesus, Michael White, famed scholar of early Christian history, reveals how the gospel stories of Jesus were never meant to be straightforward historical accounts, but rather were scripted and honed as performance pieces for four different audiences with four different theological agendas. As he did as a featured presenter in two award-winning PBS Frontline documentaries (“From Jesus to Christ” and “Apocalypse!”), White engagingly explains the significance of some lesser-known aspects of The New Testament; in this case, the development of the stories of Jesus—including how the gospel writers differed from one another on facts, points of view, and goals. Readers of Elaine Pagels, Marcus Borg, John Dominic Crossan, and Bart Ehrman will find much to ponder in Scripting Jesus.