Audiobook

Woman Overboard

Tue, 24 May 2022 16:01:35 GMT

Do you long for more passion in your life? How do you define passion?

Many people associate passion with intense romance, adventure, creativity, vocation, or calling. If you ask a pastor or priest to define passion, he or she would likely link the word to the passion of Christ, to the events of Holy Week.

The definition of passion has evolved over the years. Originally the word came from the Latin passio, which means "to suffer."

Woman Overboard invites you to join an adventure of discovering

how to find out what you were born for
how to live out your particular calling in the context of your Christian faith
how to make sense of a broken world in light of the passion of Christ

The passionate life isn't easy, Kadlecek says. Suffering can come when we pursue our passions. We have to take risks; we must jump overboard. We need to recognize that jumping overboard could be hard, scary, and dangerous. But consider how dangerous it would be to just stay where you are.

When we anchor our identity in the passion of Christ, we are free to jump overboard. We are free to take the risks we've always wanted to take, to pursue the things we've always wanted to pursue.

So what are you waiting for? Dive into the journey of waking up to the passion and gifts around you!

A Missionary Mindset

Tue, 24 May 2022 16:01:26 GMT

Doug Ruffle writes A Missionary Mindset using the timeless principles of E. Stanley Jones and transfers them for use today. Teaching us to approach the mission field as if we were from a different country and learning a new culture, a new way of communicating, and a new way to connect people to the good news of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

A Spirituality of Fundraising

Tue, 24 May 2022 16:01:19 GMT

Do you serve on your church's stewardship committee or need to raise money for a mission trip or some other faith-based cause? Perhaps the thought of asking people for money intimidates you. It's time to change the way you think about fundraising.

"Fundraising is, first and foremost, a ministry," best-selling author and renowned spiritual teacher Henri Nouwen writes. "It's a way of announcing our vision and inviting other people into our mission."

Nouwen encourages us to see fundraising as spiritual work and approach it confidently. "Fundraising is precisely the opposite of begging," he points out.

Unlike most business/leadership books, A Spirituality of Fundraising is brief and can easily be read in one sitting.

Sections of this booklet include:

Fundraising as Ministry
Helping the Kingdom Come About
Our Security Base
People Who Are Rich
Asking
A New Communion
Prayer and Gratitude
Your Kingdom Come

Nouwen's insights will upend your thoughts about fundraising. Never again will you feel like you're begging for money. Instead, you'll see your work as true ministry. A must-read for leaders in churches, nonprofits, ministries, and businesses!

This book is also available as a workbook here.

Revealed

Tue, 24 May 2022 16:01:10 GMT

Revealed: What the Bible Can Teach You About Yourself presents a unique look at a familiar cast of biblical characters through the eyes of a psychologist. While weaving in her personal story of healing, Schaffner uses her professional background to expertly highlight themes of seeking simplicity, finding purpose, and navigating painful and emotional experiences.

Comprised of compelling, relatable stories, Revealed makes the Bible come alive to readers in a personal and meaningful way. Through an in-depth look at the hearts of well-known biblical characters, Schaffner explores ways readers can relate to these cherished stories in their own spiritual lives, acknowledging that everyone shares the common experiences of being pulled toward external measures such as wealth, achievement, and affirmation from others.

The author challenges readers to face the reality of their hearts and begin an inward journey of renewal, listening for God's voice in unlikely places—and through unlikely people. Readers will see themselves more clearly through the lens of scripture and ultimately experience deeper self-awareness and spiritual growth.

Blessed Endurance

Tue, 24 May 2022 16:01:03 GMT

Where is God when we are hurting or in despair? How can we find hope even when we feel hopeless?

Pain, struggle, and despair are part of life, and they test our character as God's people. John Wimmer approaches these challenges to our faith realistically and thoughtfully. He does not offer easy answers or platitudes like "Everything happens for a reason."

We can't always understand or control many things that happen to us, but we can choose how we respond to our circumstances. Wimmer encourages us to view times of difficulty as opportunities for spiritual and personal growth. Rather than diminishing our faith, pain and despair can lead us to greater trust in God. To endure through such times is a blessing.

This inspiring book offers practical help for moving from pain and despair to hope. Wimmer reminds us that with hope we also have faith—not the false belief that our lives will be pain-free but the assurance that God will be with us through our most challenging times and lead us to deeper levels of spiritual growth and wisdom.

Click here for an interview with John Wimmer.

When You Come Unglued... Stick Close to God

Tue, 24 May 2022 16:00:55 GMT

Even when your life and faith seem broken, God loves you and wants you to enjoy a life abundant in blessings, freedom, and opportunity.

Motivational speaker, spiritual guide, and mentor to women, Patricia Wilson offers a wise and lighthearted take on the serious business of maturing in faith. Her deliciously candid descriptions of contemporary life reveal the ways we lose touch with God. Then she shows us how to reconnect and stick close.

"Sticking close to God is not as easy as I thought it would be," Wilson writes. "Not because God moved on to someone less difficult and demanding, but because I keep forgetting that my walk with God requires a conscious, daily decision. That's what this book is all about: how to stick close to God, even on those days and through those times when life comes unglued!"

If you allow it, God can begin to work in you wherever you are.

How to Pray

Tue, 24 May 2022 16:00:47 GMT

"Prayer is not an occasional exercise to which you turn now and then; it is a life attitude. It is the will to cooperate with God in your total life."

—E. Stanley Jones

This reissue of a popular booklet and primer on prayer by renowned evangelist E. Stanley Jones brings his excellent—and practical—advice to a new generation. Topics include the steps of prayer, the time and place for prayer, how prayer brings us into a deeper relationship with God, and more.

New to this edition, Tom Albin expands on key elements of prayer and provides background information about Jones and his ministry.

This audiobook is read by Dr. Dan Eischen. Dr. Eischen is a retired United Methodist minister from Oklahoma. In addition to his ministerial degrees, he received a degree from the American Broadcasting School in Tulsa and enjoyed a sixteen-year career in radio broadcasting with an emphasis in news and voice-overwork for commercials. He has also recorded books for the Oklahoma Library for the Blind.

KEY FEATURES

Short, easy-to-read helps for building a prayer life
Additional information about E. Stanley Jones and his ministry

For Sabbath's Sake

Tue, 24 May 2022 16:00:39 GMT

Discover a spiritual practice that helps you maintain spiritual, emotional, physical, and mental health.

"We toiled on computers seven days per week, rising as early as 4:00 a.m. to squeeze in spiritual quiet time before we both retreated to our respective laptops, typing the days (and weekends) away. Though I grew up keeping Sundays sacred, six years into our marriage, we'd fallen into the trap of using the Lord's Day to catch up. … At its worst, our church attendance was less than 50 percent. … I began, for the first time in my life, to understand why people don't attend church services."

—J. Dana Trent, chapter 1

In our culture of constant busyness, most of us feel like we're never caught up. The lines between home and work have blurred as we stay tethered to our mobile devices and computers. Many people use weekends to catch up on errands and other work that doesn't get done during the week. God's commandment to "Remember the Sabbath day and keep it holy" seems like a relic from a simpler time.

Many Americans balk at the idea of setting aside a whole day for worship, rest, and time with those who matter most to them. Yet we long for more time to spend on what matters most—unrushed time to rest, reconnect with friends and loved ones, and deepen our relationship with God.

An ancient spiritual practice exists that can help restore balance to our lives: the practice of keeping sabbath. But how exactly do we manage to build time for sabbath into our busy lives? Dana Trent explores this question in For Sabbath's Sake.

With humor and honesty, Trent reveals her own struggles with setting apart a day devoted to God, rest, and community. This book traces the rich history of sabbath, helps you find ways to overcome barriers to this spiritual practice, and suggests achievable ways to build sabbath into your life.

Spoken into Being

Tue, 24 May 2022 16:00:31 GMT

"Tell me a story." Countless parents and grandparents have heard that request from children. People of all ages are captivated by a good story.

Storytelling helps us makes sense of the events of our lives, the world around us, and God. When we tell stories, we speak a world into being—just as God did in the creation accounts in the book of Genesis.

"Everyone is a storyteller," says author Michael Williams. You don't have to be a professional storyteller to be able to tell good stories. In this book on storytelling as spiritual exploration, Williams shares stories from his life and offers practical prompts that guide us to tell our own stories. He reminds us that we have been spoken into being as part of a much larger story. Using poetry, personal narrative, and retellings of biblical stories, Williams leads us to a deeper knowledge of the power of narrative.

The stories that capture our attention shape us into who we are now and the persons we will become. Not all stories serve us well, however. Stories of fear stop us in our tracks and become roadblocks on the journey, while stories of fantasy, no matter how alluring, are dead-end streets.

Spoken into Being points to a path beyond fear and fantasy, a way toward encounters with God, in whom all things are being made new.

Christ Beside Me, Christ Within Me

Tue, 24 May 2022 16:00:21 GMT

Many Christians long to sense God's presence in their everyday lives but don't know how. Inspired by the ancient form of prayer practiced by the Celtic people, Beth Richardson offers a multitude of short prayers—blessings—that embrace every aspect of daily life.

A sense of joy about ordinary moments of the day pervades this book. Many of the blessings came to Richardson during one of her daily activities—walking her dogs. As she welcomed the day, she thought about celebrations, challenges, and other situations people she loved were facing.

The result is a lovely collection of prayers that recognize God's presence in each moment, from waking to sleeping, from birth to death. The blessings will help readers acknowledge the richness of the gifts of life; express their feelings about special moments such as births, marriages, and graduations; offer words to pray during times of struggle; and give them a way to pray for the world and all its people.

KEY FEATURES

Short, simple prayers to read aloud or memorize
Organized for simple accessibility
Digital versions feature color photography

Beads of Healing

Wed, 18 May 2022 20:19:26 GMT

Healing from trauma begins with the courageous act of telling your story.

Yet many survivors of trauma are afraid to tell anyone about their deeply painful and personal experience(s). Trauma survivors often feel shame, guilt, fear, and anger. They may also carry deep spiritual wounds, such as feeling abandoned or punished by God. They may wonder how they can ever trust God.

In Beads of Healing, Kristen Vincent shares her story of childhood trauma and how she eventually found God's peace, healing, and wholeness. She tells how, over 35 years after the trauma, she encountered God as never before in the presence of a Christian community. In this setting where she felt safe and loved, and through the help of spiritual practices like scripture reading, prayer, group sharing, and reflection, she finally found the peace she had been seeking since age 7.

Vincent models how to name feelings of grief, anger, abandonment, shame, and fear. She gives readers ideas for ways to use prayer beads as a safe way to enter conversations with God, to talk honestly with their Creator, and open themselves to God's love.

This powerful story of one woman's journey to spiritual healing offers hope for all trauma survivors, as well as those who have experienced loss, hurt, or other spiritual wounds. Each chapter includes

a scripture passage that supports the chapter theme
truth-telling (the author talks about the chapter theme from her perspective)
reflection questions
a prayer bead experience
a listening focus (a line to repeat with your prayer beads)
an opportunity to check in with yourself before moving forward

NOTE: The author recommends that readers study this book with someone: a therapist, pastor, spiritual director, or support group. Beads of Healing features a Leader's Guide with an outline for 16 sessions, links to instructions for making prayer beads, and a guide to using prayer beads.

This book will be a valuable resource for pastors, counselors, and others who provide support for trauma survivors.