Bittersweet is the idea that in all things there is both something broken and something beautiful, that there is a moment of lightness on even the darkest of nights, a shadow of hope in every heartbreak, and that rejoicing is no less rich even when it contains a splinter of sadness. It’s the practice of believing that we really do need both the bitter and the sweet, and that a life of nothing but sweetness rots both your teeth and your soul. Bitter is what makes us strong, what forces us to push through, what helps us earn the lines on our faces and the calluses on our hands. Sweet is nice enough, but bittersweet is beautiful, nuanced, full of depth and complexity. Bittersweet is courageous, gutsy, audacious, earthy. This is what I’ve come to believe about change: it’s good, in the way that childbirth is good, and heartbreak is good, and failure is good. By that I mean that it’s incredibly painful, exponentially more so if you fight it, and also that it has the potential to open you up, to open life up, to deliver you right into the palm of God’s hand, which is where you wanted to be all long, except that you were too busy pushing and pulling your life into exactly what you thought it should be. I’ve learned the hard way that change is one of God’s greatest gifts, and most useful tools. Change can push us, pull us, rebuke and remake us. It can show us who we’ve become, in the worst ways, and also in the best ways. I’ve learned that it’s not something to run away from, as though we could, and that in many cases, change is a function of God’s graciousness, not life’s cruelty.” Niequist, a keen observer of life with a lyrical voice, writes with the characteristic warmth and honesty of a dear friend: always engaging, sometimes challenging, but always with a kind heart. You will find Bittersweet savory reading, indeed. “This is the work I’m doing now, and the work I invite you into: when life is sweet, say thank you, and celebrate. And when life is bitter, say thank you, and grow.”

    It can find you in the everyday. Learn to walk in a way that glorifies Jesus and receive freedom, not beyond your fear and pain, but within it.We are fragile and we know it. Sometimes, living with Christ in a messed-up world feels less like victory and more like walking uphill. Ann Voskamp, the New York Times bestselling author of One Thousand Gifts, sits at the edge of her life and her own unspoken brokenness and asks: What if you really want to live abundantly before it's too late? What do you do if you really want to know abundant wholeness?This one's for the lovers and the sufferers. This one's for the busted ones who are ready to bust free, the ones ready to break molds, break chains, break measuring sticks, and break all this bad brokenness with an unlikely good brokenness. You could be one of the Beloved who is broken—and still lets yourself be loved.Ann desperately wants you to know:God is attracted to the broken, the sin-sick, and those in needThe very things people are most ashamed of are the exact broken things that draw God to his peopleYou can live in the face of your unspoken painYou can discover and trust this broken way—the way to not be afraid of broken thingsThe Broken Way is simple in presentation, written in Ann’s unique style—a new way for desperate Christians in need of a fresh revelation of the grace of God.

    First Latin American. And a new pope who chose as his first act a simple request: please pray for me.The recent resignation of Pope Benedict XVI took the world by surprise and for good reason. More than 600 years had passed since a pope last left his post.Jorge Mario Bergoglio, now Pope Francis, is a man of prayer, a man of action, and a humble man who has always promoted others over himself. In fact, it was Bergoglio who bowed out of the running in the papal election of 2005 to facilitate the rise of Benedict XVI.However, the new pope faces a Catholic Church in crisis--a church that has lost the media pull of John Paul II and is still hounded by pedophile scandals and the filtration of documents from former papal administrations. His first year may not be an easy one, but neither this man nor the church itself has ever shied away from the challenges thrust upon them.Pope Francis is austere and simple but has vast theological training. He is a man of his time but one who also travels by subway and bus just like any other citizen. Tirelessly fighting poverty and marginalization, he is a beacon of hope for the poor, persecuted sectors of the church. Has a Catholic spring finally arrived after a very long winter?Francis is the complete biography of a humble man who has suddenly become one of the most powerful and influential men on the planet.

    There was a woman.There was a cross. But in factthey have hung him too high to be touched.—from "A Woman Wipes the Face of Jesus"

    Garrett Connolly thought he'd found a lasting love, but instead has left his home for a new start. Fellow deputies, Sage and Garrett find themselves working side by side to solve escalating vandalism aimed at the influx of affluent residents in their small northwoods town. Who is targeting the homes of new people who bring so many needed jobs and fresh cash to the struggling community? On the personal side, can Sage feel love again? Is Garrett chancing a rebound romance, a big mistake? And should fellow deputies be feeling more than friendship? Welcome back to Steadfast, Wisconsin, a town with people and mysteries you may never forget.

    He never thought he’d find love again after the death of his wife and son. Natalie Porter and her son, Tommy are traveling to Chicago so that she can give birth to a child that she can’t keep. When Tommy goes missing on the train, Natalie and Ken cross paths in the search to find her son, but end up finding so much more in each other. When Natalie is forced to get off the train after going in labor, Kenneth decides to go with her, offering her a whole new life if she’ll only let him. Will Natalie accept his offer to be her husband and adopt the baby she so desperately wants to keep? Could the love that bloomed between them in such a short amount of time, be real?

    Online marketing. Self-help books. Movies, magazines and gym memberships. Even church attendance and social media streams have become a means of comparing ourselves to impossible standards. Am I pretty enough? Hip enough? Spiritual enough?We fear the answer is “No.”When a brutal bout with cancer changed how she looked, talked, and lived, Michele Cushatt embarked on a soul-deep journey to rediscover herself. The typical self-esteem strategies and positivity plans weren’t enough. Instead, she needed a new foundation, one that wouldn’t prove flimsy when faced with the onslaught of day-to-day life.With raw personal stories, rock-solid biblical teaching, and radical truths on which to rebuild your life, I Am will help you:• End the barrage of negative self-talk with an empowering new narrative.• Refuse to ride the rollercoaster of others’ opinions and start believing what God’s says about you.• Stop agonizing over past regrets and failures and make peace with God’s sovereign plan for your life.• Leave insecurity behind as you exchange temporary fixes for an identity established on God’s unchanging affection.I Am reminds us that our value isn’t found in our talents, achievements, relationships, or appearance. It is instead found in a God who chose us, sent us, and promised to be with us—forever.

    Instead, she discovered she’d been granted an invaluable chance to witness firsthand what she calls the “spiritual work of dying”—the work of finding or making meaning of one’s life, the experiences it’s contained and the people who have touched it, the betrayals, wounds, unfinished business, and unrealized dreams. Instead of talking, she mainly listened: to stories of hope and regret, shame and pride, mystery and revelation and secrets held too long. Most of all, though, she listened as her patients talked about love—love for their children and partners and friends; love they didn’t know how to offer; love they gave unconditionally; love they, sometimes belatedly, learned to grant themselves. This isn’t a book about dying—it’s a book about living. And Egan isn’t just passively bearing witness to these stories. An emergency procedure during the birth of her first child left her physically whole but emotionally and spiritually adrift. Her work as a hospice chaplain healed her, from a brokenness she came to see we all share. Each of her patients taught her something—how to find courage in the face of fear or the strength to make amends; how to be profoundly compassionate and fiercely empathetic; how to see the world in grays instead of black and white. In this poignant, moving, and beautiful book, she passes along all their precious and necessary gifts.

    Barely does she set foot on American soil before she is embroiled in the schemes and intrigues against the British Crown...Daniel Haynes is a bold and courageous post-rider, whose Christian beliefs more him to work secretly in the fight for freedom from England... and whose revolutionary activities put him in constant danger... Amid the conflict and drama of the Colonies in uprising, these two people meet, drawn together by circumstance and unexpected emotions. But tragedy and treachery separate them, and only their faith in God - and a miracle - can bring them together again. A gripping drama of love and triumph is set against the colorful backdrop of pre-Revolutionary America.

    . . yet sometimes it seems tough to fully believe it. What would your world be like if you truly felt beautiful and lived every day full of that confidence and joy? Fashion journalist Lauren Scruggs knows how it feels to search for beauty. She grew up knowing of God's love, but never fully understood what that love meant, or how it extended to the deepest parts of her soul--until a horrible accident that resulted in the loss of both her left eye and hand. In her darkest hours, everything Lauren believed was tested. Yet it was there that God showed her where real beauty comes from: the unfailing love of the Creator. God's love is what truly makes us lovely. Using stories from Lauren's accident, recovery, and experiences in the fashion world, Your Beautiful Heart explores issues that teen girls face every day: body image, self-worth, peer pressure, and much more. Whether you read the book on your own or with a group of friends, Lauren's personal message of love, faith, and value will show you what it means to be a girl who radiates with true beauty.

    This devotional is your definitive guide to… • Unpacking the Daniel Fast • A Closer Connection with God • The Four Keys to Powerful Prayer • How Fasting and Prayer Produces Breakthrough The book you’re holding walks you through Pastor Scott Williams’ own discovery of the Daniel Fast and the amazing life change, breakthrough, and success that followed. Since then, he’s done it on an annual basis for over a decade and has taught others to do the same. The results have been staggering! All 21 days come power packed daily dose of... • Scripture • Devotionals • Journal Ideas • Prayers • Fasting Tips Start a journey toward more intimacy with God as you learn to Fast Like Daniel.

    Each gripping story is sure to encourage and inspire, offering hope and a sense of wonder. - When Steve rolled his car, he should have been killed. Why didn't he die that day? - Caleb and Penny moved to a poor part of town to serve their community. But when one group of neighbors makes and sells drugs, will God's angels protect them? - Bob's MS was getting progressively worse. Could God heal such a debilitating disease?Whether you've experienced God's miracles or aren't sure if you believe in them, explore fascinating true stories like these and many more. You'll be in awe of God's power as you get a glimpse of how he personally cares for each of his children--including you.

    As the darkness has crept in, your brave prayers may have given way to fearful pleas that your kids would experience God's kingdom—in a safe and comfortable way. This generation needs heroes of the faith and your child can be one of them, but that will require you to be strong and BRAVE. You and I must call out the bold Christ followers within our children and help them face the unknown future with divine confidence. Brave Moms, Brave Kids is an equipping tool that will help you...identify the qualities present in true greatnessreject "mommy fears" and replace them with immovable truthlearn strategies for praying for and training your children more effectivelydevelop seven key lessons we must teach our children to live for JesusCourage starts with you, Mama. If you're going to raise a hero, you must become a hero—because brave kids need brave moms. Let's do this, together. Love, Lee

    Many of us have misplaced that craving, overindulging in physical pleasures instead of lasting spiritual satisfaction. For a woman struggling with unhealthy eating habits, Made to Crave will equip her to: Break the 'I'll start again Monday cycle' and start feeling good about herself today Stop beating herself up over the numbers on the scale and make peace with the body you've been given Discover how weight loss struggles aren't a curse but, rather, a blessing in the making Replace justifications that lead to diet failure with empowering go-to scripts that lead to victory Eat healthy without feeling deprived Reach a healthy weight goal while growing closer to God through the processDesigned for use with the video.