Bøger udgivet af Crown Publishing Group

For centuries, the Catholic Church has offered an abundance of splendid traditions that extend religious and spiritual practice into daily life. Now, Meredith Gould reintroduces these customs and rituals to modern Roman Catholics. Using the liturgical calendar, The Catholic Home provides familiar and new ways to celebrate each season and its special days. Gould reviews major holy days, select saints' days, familiar prayers, and suggests meaningful ways to prepare as a family for such sacraments as Baptism, Confirmation, First Eucharist, and Matrimony.This book includes a concise history of each ritual and clarifies the meaning behind it by highlighting celebrations of Catholic holidays from different parts of the globe. Your family will learn to make Advent wreaths, Jesse trees, St. Lucy's crowns, King's cakes, All Souls altars, traditional foods, and participate in family devotions. Throughout The Catholic Home, Gould's down-to-earth practicality and sense of humor give the activities she describes modern relevance no matter how ancient their origins. Excerpts from the official Catechism of the Catholic Church are included to illuminate Church doctrine on matters of faith and ritual. This indispensable guide will appeal to Catholics young and old and inspire beloved family traditions to be handed down from one generation to the next.

A Riveting Medieval Parallel to the Bible Good and evil clash. Leinad and Cedric are determined to not only survive, but claim hope and victory! In Kingdom's Dawn, Leinad and Tess, along with all the king's people, must escape slavery by the powerful Lord Fairos. Kingdom's Hope finds them free and arriving in the Chessington Valley . But when they forget the king, will Kergon and the Kessons capture them for good? After many years, Kingdom's Edge finds Cedric living a hopeless life until a stranger appears with powerful words of a new kingdom and a grand army. Finally, Kingdom's Reign marches you through the danger of earth's last days as the evil dark knight threatens to defeat the prince once and for all. Swords, knights, and battles define these captivating tales that parallel biblical events from Genesis to Revelation! Fierce castle lords hold the kingdom hostage. But a champion is coming… Fairos thought he had sentenced Leinad to death in the Banteen desert. But he was wrong. Leinad survived. Now, trained by the King himself, Leinad returns-a true Knight of the King. His skill with the sword is unmatched this side of the Great Sea ; his resolve is unshakeable. He is determined to fulfill the mission given him by the King and to free the people from their bondage to Lord Fairos. Leinad's quest takes him from the chains of slavery, near the jaws of dragons, and close to the arms of love. And when the rest of the kingdom turns away from the King and the Code, Leinad turns to his most faithful ally, Tess. With her help, Leinad struggles to conquer his own doubt. But he must do so soon, for the King's archenemy, the Dark Knight, is about to unleash his entire evil force, and only Leinad can stop them… Journey to Arrethtrae, where the King and His Son implement a bold plan to save their kingdom; where courage, faith, and loyalty stand tall in the face of opposition; where good will not bow to evil; where the future of the kingdom is at the threshold of either victory or defeat-and one man holds the key. DISCUSSION QUESTIONS INCLUDED Story Behind the Book"When my six kids' eyes glossed over during a reading from the Bible, I paused to explain the significance of redemption to a sin-sick soul. I was rewarded with patronizing elephant nods and more blank stares. Shortly thereafter, I awoke in the middle of the night with a medieval story enveloping my mind. I wrote it down and later read it to my children. Their waning attention transformed into complete anticipation. I was amazed and disappointed. Why did it take a fictional story, not a Bible passage, to get that response? Then I realized-that is how Jesus taught! Parables are powerful! I penned the Kingdom series to help young people get excited about the supremely significant story of Jesus Christ and His mission to save mankind." -Chuck Black

The author of "The Holy Longing explores the debilitating obsessions that often dominate our lives and offers down-to-earth guidance for learning to leave our fears, anxieties, and guilt "forgotten among the lilies." "Rarely do we taste the food we eat or the coffee we drink. Instead we go through our days too preoccupied, too compulsive, and too dissatisfied to really be able to be present for and celebrate our own lives," Ronald Rolheiser writes in the introduction to this powerful collection of essays. "Forgotten Among the Lilies shows that there is a better way to find contentment and joy. Only by trusting in God's grace and providence, Rolheiser argues, can we move beyond our obsessions and rejoice in what we have and who we are. With his trademark blend of insight, compassion, and honesty laced with humor, the author teaches that it is possible to experience freedom instead of anxiety, solitude instead of loneliness, and a generosity of spirit that returns to the giver far more than it costs.

Prayer, our conversation with God, needs no set formulas or flowery phrases. It often needs no words at all. But for most believers, the words of others can be a wonderful aid to devotion, especially when these words come from faithful fellow pilgrims.An African Prayer Book is just such an aid, for in this collection all the spiritual riches of the vast and varied continent of Africa are bravely set forth. Here we overhear the simple prayer of the penniless Bushman, the words of some of the greatest Church fathers (Augustine and Athanasius), petitioning and jubilant voices from South Africa's struggle for freedom, and even prayers from the Africa diasporas of North America and the Caribbean. Here are Jesus's own encounters with Africa, which provided him refuge at the beginning of his life (from the murderous King Herod) and aid at its end (in the person of Simon of Cyrene, who helped Jesus carry his cross). From thunderous multi-invocation litanies to quiet meditations, here are prayers every heart can speak with strength and confidence.

It takes but a few weeks to form a habit. Readers of the rerelease of 31 Days of Prayer can form a prayer habit that lasts a lifetime with this beautiful and practical devotional. Authors Ruth and Warren Myers show readers how to grow in prayer, even if the amount of time set aside seems small at first. The book guides believers through prayer for thirty-one days, allowing for personalized prayer that reflects individual circumstances and areas for spiritual growth. 31 Days of Prayer leads readers step by step into praying about what is close to their hearts and God's.

Give Your Best Sermon Ever-Every Time Newly edited for today's readers, this time-tested book combines recognized public speaking techniques with proven theories of preaching to equip you for the pulpit. Author James Braga provides pastors and message-givers anywhere in ministry with logical, step-by-step guidance to preparing and delivering effective sermons. Each chapter thoroughly defines and describes each critical component of a sermon, from the introduction to illustrations and the conclusion. 35th Anniversary Edition - Updated for the 21st Century! A How-To That Delivers Since 1969, How to Prepare Bible Messages has been a pastor's most trusted source for preparing and delivering sermons that change lives. And for good reason. James Braga's clear and logical method combines effective techniques for public speaking with time-tested theories of teaching. His instructions are so simple even a novice can follow them. From the title to the conclusion and the lessons in between, Braga leaves no question unanswered. How to Prepare Bible Messages is a recognized classic-and your key to powerfully conveying God's Word to a hungry people! Story Behind the BookWhen this book was originally published in 1969, James Braga understood that in order for God's Word to impact His sheep in a life-changing way, the messenger had to do his job exceedingly well. Now, more than thirty years later, the guidance Braga provides pastors, youth leaders, and speakers of all kinds for preparing and delivering effective Bible messages stands stronger than ever. Time-tested and true, his words provide insight, guidance, and tangible steps for answering God's call to deliver His message with excellence.

The preeminent resource guide for more than twenty years, this one-of-a-kind book, now available in paperback, has been updated to include those recently canonized and beatified.Since its original publication in 1980, John J. Delaney's Dictionary of Saints (more than 200,000 copies sold) has become the leading reference book for the scholar and general reader alike. With more than five thousand biographies of the saints—from the well known to the obscure—this new edition brings to life the inspiring accomplishments of these men and women of God. The martyrs and the monks, the mystics and the virgins, the doctors and the peasants are all contained in this essential volume. To know the saints, how they thrived in their achievements, how they lived in destitution, is to meet a fascinating company of people whose actions have influenced and enriched the history of the world.Reset in an easy-to use-format, it contains substantial listings for the more popular saints, and thumbnail sketches for those less well known. From Aaron to Zosimus, this modern dictionary has been updated with the entries for the newly canonized, including Italian mystic Padre Pio, Mexican Nahuatl Juan Diego, Polish Franciscan Maximilian Kolbe, and Americans Katharine Drexel and Rose Philippine Duchesne. It also contains a complete listing of feast days, an index of patron saints, and several other useful appendixes.

An updated and expanded edition of the gritty, challenging, and utterly captivating portait of the homeless crisis. Ever Wonder What it Would Be Like to Live Homeless?Mike Yankoski did more than just wonder. By his own choice, Mike's life went from upper-middle class plush to scum-of-the-earth repulsive overnight. With only a backpack, a sleeping bag and a guitar, Mike and his traveling companion, Sam, set out to experience life on the streets in six different cities-from Washington D.C. to San Diego- and they put themselves to the test.For more than five months the pair experienced firsthand the extreme pains of hunger, the constant uncertainty and danger of living on the streets, exhaustion, depression, and social rejection-and all of this by their own choice. They wanted to find out if their faith was real, if they could actually be the Christians they said they were apart from the comforts they'd always known…to discover first hand what it means to be homeless in America. What you encounter in these pages will radically alter how you see your world-and may even change your life.

Author and consultant James Hunter believes that-in the midst of numerous national corporate scandals-leaders must take a fresh look at leadership through the lens of some very ancient principles. Leadership that is authentic and effective is servant leadership-following the principles revealed in the life and ministry of Jesus Christ:"Recently it struck me that if love changes people, which I know it does, it would seem to follow that God is the source of change and growth because He is love. Put another way, when people begin loving others through their efforts and behavior, God has the opportunity to work in the lives of both the giver and the receiver.”In his new book, The World's Most Powerful Leadership Principle, Hunter demonstrates that leadership and character development are one. But the work, and even the pain, of changing one's self-breaking old, worn-out habits-is not easy. Hunter provides an uncomplicated, straightforward, three-step change process he has seen successfully employed by literally thousands of leaders to effect change in their lives and organizations and fulfill beneficial goals.This groundbreaking book will open the eyes of frustrated, disheartened leaders at every level and foster change for good at the personal, organizational, and societal level.

If you think God's values and the world's values can co-exist, think again.You have to live in this world. But if you want to be God's man, there's a catch: You can't be absorbed or influenced by the world. You have to stand strong as a man of God and resist the world. Men like you who are getting serious about their walk with God feel a deep, intuitive conflict of the soul...where unholy alliances with the world, which were once acceptable, must now be broken. That's not easy. But here's solid, trustworthy guidance for you from men who have been there, too.In Being God's Man by Resisting the World, you'll take a look at Christ's template of values as revealed in the Sermon on the Mount. Every man who seeks to understand and train in these values will experience a greater connection with God. So forget what you know, focus on these truths, and start living large spiritually. Special Features:·Practical studies facilitate personal encounters with God and other men·Questions encourage genuine reflection and help build godly convictions·"Real Life” case studies show how the truths you discover have worked out in other men's lives·"Standing Strong” section gives you the opportunity to form and express your action steps with God and your group

Meredith Graham's job as a children's book acquisitions editor takes her to Glenbrooke, Oregon, where she meets the only man who has ever made her heart leap: Jacob Wilde. Trouble is, his heart doesn't seem to be leaping in response to hers. But then, Jake's a movie star. Out of her league. Still, she can't get him out of her mind. So when circumstances continue to throw the two of them together, Meri decides to pull out all the stops to win her "dream man" -- but all of her schemes can't prepare her for what happens when they meet again in this bestselling former Palisades release, now book six in the new Glenbrooke series by award-winning author Robin Jones Gunn.Fun-loving Meri Graham has never met her match… until now? Meredith's trip to Glenbrooke , Oregon , takes a decidedly interesting turn when she finds herself sharing a picnic with a man who makes her heart beat in triple time. Pretty, spunky, Meri has never had a problem holding her own with attractive men. But when she discovers her picnic partner is movie star Jacob Wilde, she loses her characteristic cool, puts her foot in her mouth, and ruins everything! The next time she meets Jacob, the tables are turned. He's written some children's books and wants her company to publish them. As acquisitions editor, Meri's the woman he needs to impress. She's more than willing to let him work at it. When Meri lands an unexpected walk-on role in a film, Jacob finally begins to see her in a different light-and discovers what it feels like to be starstruck himself.

This bestselling former Palisades release is book five in the new Glenbrooke series by award-winning author Robin Jones Gunn. Shelly Graham has moved home to Glenbrooke, where she's flooded with memories of her high school sweetheart, who took off for Europe after they broke up. But when Shelly travels to Germany, she suddenly runs into the former boyfriend who has filled her thoughts. Learning that Jonathan is engaged, Shelly hides her feelings for him. After returning home, however, she must face these feelings, especially after her path crosses Jonathan's yet again. Only this time, if they can find the strength to be honest, they just might discover what God has in store.She remembers their childhood with longing their parting with regret… Coming home wasn't supposed to feel this way. After five years as a flight attendant, Shelly is home again, in a house alive with happy memories. Yet she feels strangely lost. Without direction. Alone. Where is Jonathan Renrield when she needs him? Jonathan, her best friend nearly all her life, her first and only love. Shelly hadn't meant to hurt him when she left him behind to chase her dreams. And she misses him more than she's ever admitted. When they unexpectedly meet in Germany , Shelly manages to hide her feelings from Jonathan-and his fiancée. But she can no longer hide them from herself. Will she ever be ready to tell Jonathan the truth? Will she have the chance? Not until a business trip takes her to charming Glenbrooke , Oregon does Shelly finally understand: only the truth can set her free. But is it too late for her and Jonathan?

Your character, more than anything else, will impact how much you accomplish in this life. It is more important than your talent, your education, your background, or your network of friends. Andy Stanley helps you chart a course toward becoming a man or woman of character. You'll discover a definition of character that will inspire you for a lifetime, the external and internal benefits of strong character, the six false beliefs behind negative behaviors, and more. Using practical insights, biblical exposition, and engaging stories, Stanley guides you step-by-step in setting the personal goals that will build the foundation for true success.The Secret to a Life with No Regrets How important is your character? It determines everything about you! How much you will accomplish in life, and whether you are worth knowing. How you will respond to success, and how you will weather the inevitable storms of life. This is a book about uncompromised living. It is about choosing every day to be a man or woman of integrity, a person whose actions speak louder than words. Bestselling author Andy Stanley challenges you to become what you were meant to be: a person whose commitment to doing the right thing, whatever the cost, will inspire others and change your world. Story Behind the BookAs a pastor, I spend a substantial amount of my time with people who are digging themselves out from personal environmental catastrophes-circumstances that were often years in the making but "took them by surprise." Another group of people have faced, or are facing, storms of life that are not of their own making, storms created by the character deficits of others-storms that are a natural part of a fallen world. There, in the midst of unjust treatment and seemingly undeserved pain, the true character of a man or woman is revealed. What you see in such moments is what was really there all along. This book is about change. It's about the process of taking raw materials and molding them, shaping them, and refining them into a finished product. Whether you know it or not, that process is happening in you. Your character, not your accomplishments or acquisitions, determines your legacy.

In this Gold Medallion award-winner, Dr. David Jeremiah addresses the challenges to prayer that we all face and the answers to prayer we often miss. Prayer, the Great Adventure gently encourages us to take the first steps toward fostering a rewarding relationship with God. Drawing from his prayer journals and decades of work, Dr. Jeremiah shares his experiences - blessings, struggles, and insights. Inside Prayer, The Great Adventure you will: • Find answers to the questions, "How can I find time to pray when I'm so busy?" • Discover the detailed roadmap for prayer that Jesus gave us - The Lord's Prayer • Read reflections from Dr. Jeremiah's personal journal on his prayer journey Get ready to embark on the most satisfying of trips, the great adventure of prayer.

Readers will learn how to help others by cultivating the habit of using words that encourage, express love, and praise God.