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"When a writer and the Creator work together, the universe is set in order. Centuries ago, sound theology and good fiction were friends and not strangers. Decades ago, authors strove not for self-expression and self-disclosure but for a mastery of craft and language and books that transformed the reader with wisdom and love. In more recent years, the old ideals have been exchanged for lesser ones. Few guides to writing, which tend to focus on mechanics, point of view, and plot, address the more important matters of meaning, depth, and heart. But it is the latter qualities that make a book a blessing and gift to both writer and reader. Like Christ's invitation to follow, they demand a risk and sacrifice of the self and all it holds dear. Writers from George MacDonald to James Baldwin understood this, but in recent years this understanding has been lost. Making old things new, this book proposes an ethics of reading, writing, and living based on truth and love. Break, Blow, Burn, and Make returns the literary conversation to the practices of co-creation with God. Part bugle call, part compass for writing and for life, and part love song to the books that set us on fire, it offers those who are willing to receive it the courage to live, read, and write more deeply and honestly"--
"After years on the road performing at sold-out venues alongside platinum-selling and Grammy-winning Christian artists, Tyson Motsenbocker returned home to the impending death of his 57-year-old hero and mother. He begged God to heal her, but she died anyway. When they buried her body, Tyson also buried the childhood version of his faith. Weeks before her death, however, Motsenbocker discovered the story of 18th-century Spanish monk St. Junipero Serra who dedicated his life to the idea that tragedy and suffering are portals to renewal. He discovered Serra's "El Camino Real," a 600-mile pilgrimage route down the California coast that had been largely forgotten for more than 200 years. In desperation, Motsenbocker sets out to retrace the Saint's steps along the freeways and underpasses, littered beaches and multi-million-dollar coastal estates. During the next 40 days, Motsenbocker sinks below the comfortable surface of society he has always known, enduring excruciating pain, dodging addicts and roaring traffic, stepping over rats, and befriending retired veterans. His pilgrimage up the Western shore of America connects him to a lost mystic who often seems to hover just above as he grieves the loss of his mother and the insolubility of the kind of God he once comfortably trusted. Where the Waves Turn Back is a literary journey for the wanderer, doubter, adventurer, skeptic, mystic and seeker in all of us. Worn-out and weary travelers of all ages will be invited, along with Motsenbocker, to renegotiate their place in a world that's irrevocably changed. Readers will be captivated by the depth of Motsenbocker's honesty and vulnerability, enchanted by his lyrical prose, and inspired by his hard-fought healing. But more than this, they will discover portals to their own spiritual wonderings-the kinds that require leaving behind the worlds we once loved and loving the worlds in which we live"--
"Growing up, Kimberly Stuart got really good at strapping on her spiritual tap shoes and trying to be a star for Jesus. She could sing all the songs, ace the sword drills, and know all the right theology. From earning creepy Jesus paperweights in her church's faux girl scout program to trying to calm an actual storm on the Mediterranean, she was doing her best... and still found herself longing for something more. She didn't mean to completely ignore the most beautiful tenets of her faith-the unwavering grace and tenacious love of God-but she did. Which, of course, was the problem. Her best was lackluster, and God wasn't looking for a star performer anyway. Star for Jesus (And Other Jobs I Quit), is an invitation for readers to spot unvarnished, amazing grace when they see it. With her trademark wit and transparency, Stuart brings readers through both big and small moments that teach us to cling to the fierce love of God instead of the flimsier versions we find elsewhere. With unflinching honesty and relatable humor, Stuart encourages readers to take another look at unrelenting grace; why, contrary to the cultural narrative, we are not actually enough, and that's good news; how we always, remarkably, have all the grace we need; and why this moment in history is the perfect time to extend no-strings-attached grace to an emotionally bedraggled, wary world"--
Award-winning journalist and mom-of-three Paula Faris gives insightful and practical steps for better working, momming, and living to millions of overwhelmed working moms. In Paula Faris's most important reporting yet, You Don't Have to Carry It All reveals a game plan that will not only make being a working mom "work" but will also reveal how and why society needs to value mothers first. Weaving together groundbreaking research with inspirational wisdom, she: recognizes the history of working moms in America and its lasting impact today, shows how motherhood has scientifically improved the minds and capabilities of women, encourages moms to link arms, not only with each other but also with men, and proves why corporate America is better with moms at the helm. After interviewing countless experts, thought leaders and mothers, Faris believes we can join together to create a path forward for ditching the mom guilt, ending burnout, and finally giving working moms the support they so desperately need. Because with working moms on the job, there are literally no hands more capable of creating the change we need!
"A former counterterrorism official explores how modern evangelicalism and right-wing conservatism intermingled to form the combustible ideology that resulted in the January 6 attacks on the Capitol--and which threatens to destroy the American Church from within. In Kingdom of Rage, Neumann explores the forces within American society that have encouraged the radicalization of white supremacist, anti-government and other far-right terrorists by co-opting Christian symbols and culture and perverting the faith's teachings. While Neumann offers decades of insights into the role government policies can play to prevent further bloodshed, she believes real change must come from the within the Christian church. She shines a bright light on the responsibility of ordinary Americans - and particularly American Christians - to work within their families and their communities to counteract the narrative of victimization and marginalization within American evangelicalism. Her goal for this book is not only to sound a warning about one of the greatest threats to our security but to rescue the Church from the forces that will, if left unchecked, destroy it - culturally, morally, and ultimately quite literally. This is a book for anyone who wants to understand the unholy marriage of right-wing politics and Christian exceptionalism in America and who wants to be a part of reversing the current path towards division, hatred, violence and the ultimate undermining of both evangelical Christianity and American democracy"--
"We have all experienced miracles. An incredible chance encounter that changes everything...help that suddenly appears from nowhere...kindness handed to us when it is least expected. In Christmas Miracles, Karen Kingsbury presents real-life stories about people whose lives were changed by the wonder of Christmas. Every December we look back and marvel at the design of God and see His fingerprints at work in our lives over the past year. Then, with hearts full of hope, we wait in expectation for the miracle of that holy, silent night." --
"A generation of American Christian girls was taught submitting to men is God's will. They should not question the men in their families or their pastors. They were told to remain sexually pure and trained to feel shame if a man was tempted. Some of these girls were abused and assaulted. Some made to shrink down so small they became a fraction of themselves. To question their leaders was to question God himself. All the while, their male leaders built fiefdoms from megachurches and sprawling ministries. They influenced political leaders and policy. To protect their church's influence, these men covered up and hid abuse. American Christian patriarchy, as it rose in political power and cultural sway over the past four decades, hurt many faithful believers. Millions of Americans abandoned churches they once loved. Yet among those who stayed, a brave group of women spoke up. They built online megaphones. In Disobedient Women, journalist Sarah Stankorb gives long-overdue recognition for these everyday women as leaders, voices for a different sort of faith. Their work has driven journalists to help bring abuse stories to national attention. Stankorb weaves together names readers know now-Rachel Held Evans, Joshua Harris, Bill Gothard-with new names readers will never forget in order to present a full, layered portrait of where Christian extremism stands in the twenty-first century, and how from within the church women and their allies are challenging that standing. Disobedient Women is not just a look at the women who have used the power of the internet to bring down the religious power structures that were meant to keep them quiet, it's also a picture of the large-scale changes that are happening within evangelical culture regarding women's roles, ultimately underscoring the ways technology has created a place for women to challenge the traditional power structures from within"--
"A superb examination of the future of Christian institutions.... A must-read for anyone invested in the fate of the American church." -Publishers Weekly (starred review)Uncover the ways the Christian church has changed in recent years-from the decline of the mainline denominations to the mega-churchification of American culture to the rise of the Nones and Exvaneglicals-and a hopeful reimagining of what the church might look like going forward.The United States is in the middle of an unprecedented spiritual, technological, demographic, political and social transformation- moving from an older, mostly white, mostly Protestant, religion-friendly society to a younger diverse, multiethnic, pluralistic culture, where no one faith group will have the advantage. At the same time, millions of Americans are abandoning organized religion altogether in favor of disorganized disbelief.Reorganized Religion is an in-depth and critical look at why people are leaving American churches and what we lose as a society as it continues. But it also accepts the dismantling of what has come before and try to help readers reinvent the path forward. This book looks at the future of organized religion in America and outline the options facing churches and other faith groups. Will they retreat? Will they become irrelevant? Or will they find a new path forward?Written by veteran religion reporter Bob Smietana, Reorganized Religion is a journalistic look at the state of the American church and its future. It draws on polling data, interviews with experts, and reporting on how faith communities old and new are coping with the changing religious landscape, along with personal stories about how faith is lived in everyday life. It also profiles faith communities and leaders who are finding interesting ways to reimagine what church might look like in the future and discuss various ways we can reinvent this organization so it survives and thrives. The book also reflects the hope that perhaps people of faith can learn to become, if not friends with the larger culture, then at least better neighbors.
"American Christians have developed a long list of expectations about what the life with God will feel like. Many Christians rightly deny the Prosperity Gospel-the idea that God wants you to be healthy and wealthy- but instead embrace its more subtle spin-off, the Emotional Prosperity Gospel, or the belief that God wants you to always experience happiness and fulfillment. Our society has become increasingly averse to sadness and emotional discomfort. Too often, people of faith assume that difficult feelings are a result of either God's judgment or our own lack of spiritual maturity. Some even equate happiness with holiness. In Holy Unhappiness, Amanda Held Opelt, author of A Hole in the World, grapples with her own experience of disillusionment when life didn't go the way she expected. She examines some of the historic, religious, and cultural influences that led to the idolization of positive feelings and the marginalization of negative feelings. Unpacking nine elements of life that have been tainted by the message of the Emotional Prosperity Gospel - including work, marriage, parenting, calling, community, and church - she points to a new path forward, one that reimagines what the "blessed" life can be like if we release some of our expectations and seek God in places we never thought to look. While Opelt acknowledges the dignity of desiring happiness, she ultimately pleads for the normalization of sadness, anger, grief, disappointment, and other uncomfortable feelings as a part of the Christian experience, making a case that there is holiness to be found even in our unhappiness"--
"A young couple faces the challenge of falling in love, while seemingly doomed to repeat the negative patterns they have established for most of their lives"--Provided by the publisher.
NYT best-selling authors Drs. Les & Leslie Parrott reveal new techniques based on extensive research that help couples manage conflict constructively - that's the "good fight."
As sales of Hagee's current New York Times bestseller, Four Blood Moons, continue to soar, hundreds of thousands of readers have had their thirst whetted to know what is to come at the end of this world . . . heaven itself! Hagee's national media power assures another mega-bestseller.
"Bamboozled by Jesus is real talk about deep faith put in practice from a woman committed to living a life of vision, purpose, service and success."—Kerry Washington, actress, producer, & directorThriving stand-up comic and actress Yvonne Orji—best known as Issa Rae's BFF on the HBO series, Insecure—shares the secrets to living the life of your dreams. Yvonne Orji has never shied away from being unapologetically herself, and that includes being outspoken about her faith. Known for interpreting Biblical stories and metaphors to fit current times, her humorous and accessible approach to faith leaves even non-believers inspired and wanting more. In Bamboozled by Jesus, a frank and fresh advice book, Orji takes readers on a journey through twenty-five life lessons, gleaned from her own experiences and her favorite source of inspiration: the Bible. But this ain’t your mama’s Bible study. The way Yvonne sees it, God is a Sovereign Prankster, punking folks long before Ashton Kutcher made it cool. When she meditates on her own life—complete with unforeseen blessings and unanticipated roadblocks—she realizes it’s one big testimony to how God tricked her into living out her wildest dreams. And she wants us to join in on getting bamboozled. This is not a Self-Help book—it’s a Get Yours book! Yvonne infuses wit and heart in sharing pointers like why the way up is sometimes down, and how fear is synonymous to food poisoning. Her joyful, confident approach to God will inspire everyone to catapult themselves out of the mundane and into the magnificent. With bold authenticity and practical relatability, Orji is exactly the kind of cultural leader we need in these chaotic times. And her journey through being Bamboozled by Jesus paints a powerful picture of what it means to say “yes” to a life you never could’ve imagined—if it wasn’t your own.
"When The Bachelor franchise announced Matt James as the first Black lead, it was celebrated as long-overdue progress on the primetime show. America fell in love with Matt--the Christian, former NFL athlete, and nonprofit CEO--who charmed millions of viewers each week. But the off-screen conversations around the show revealed the realities and inescapable challenges of being Black in America and the depth of racism that still exists. On the show, Matt could only go so far in sharing his own story with America. In First Impressions, Matt shares his views on controversial topics like race and opportunity that defined his season on The Bachelor. Matt lives at the intersection of these important issues and shares the wisdom his experience has granted him. Matt describes the joys and difficulties of being the youngest of two Black sons, raised by a single, working-class, white mother in Raleigh, North Carolina. He elaborates on the spiritual closeness and sense of duty he felt for his mother, but also the complex relationships he had with the many male figures in his life: his prejudiced, Italian grandfather, who had trouble accepting Matt as his own; his father, whose womanizing and petty crime put strain on the family; and his older brother, who was Matt's protector in youth, but who struggled with the long shadow of their father's legacy. Simultaneously inspirational and informative, First Impressions will leave readers with a deeper understanding of the life experiences that prepared Matt for such a divisive moment in television history."--Provided by publisher.
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