Then, just as her ministry was poised to explode, Kasey was diagnosed with an aggressive form of cancer that shattered her spirit and rocked her faith to its core. Sick, frightened, and in pain, Kasey suddenly found herself facing the greatest challenge of her life—believing her own message.In Raw Faith, Kasey chronicles her courageous battle with cancer, taking readers on a candid and poignant journey of faith and discovery, from the depths of despair through triumphant victory.Drawing on a variety of Bible stories and characters, Kasey discovers and distills the singular truth that has existed since time began: while change and uncertainty are inevitable, God is always unchanging, and He is always faithful—even when our circumstances might tempt us to think otherwise.

    T. Suzuki was the author of more than a hundred works on the subject in both Japanese and English, and was most instrumental in bringing the teachings of Zen Buddhism to the attention of the Western world. Written in a lively, accessible, and straightforward manner, An Introduction to Zen Buddhism is illuminating for the serious student and layperson alike. Suzuki provides a complete vision of Zen, which emphasizes self-understanding and enlightenment through many systems of philosophy, psychology, and ethics. With a foreword by the renowned psychiatrist Dr. Carl Jung, this volume has been generally acknowledged a classic introduction to the subject for many years. It provides, along with Suzuki’s Essays and Manual of Zen Buddhism, a framework for living a balanced and fulfilled existence through Zen.

    It is also filled with seasonal delights, from daily prayer prompts and reflection questions to holiday recipes, festive hymns, and Christmas crafts.

    It's an activity. It's something you do. And participating in the act of love is the secret to understanding God's love--the secret to a life well lived. Building on the foundation of the New York Times bestseller, Love Does, the Love Does video study (DVD/digital video sold separately) is a case study in love done--a love that's practical, functional, active. Not a "love" that has all the right answers. Not a "love" with ulterior motives. Not a "love" that's all talk or paralyzed by doubt. But a radically alive love that's an intentional participation in God's world.How is that kind of love done?The how is what this study is about. Real growth happens when you learn how to tap into the empowering, energizing love of God. Using it fills you. Risking it secures you. Giving it satisfies you.Each of the five sessions in the Love Does video study explores a different aspect of God's active love through Bob Goff's teachings and stories:I'm With You - we've been given the invitation to love. Taking it seriously is where life meets faith.Free to Fail - exploring the nature of failure, how it works, and what God does with it.Audacious Love - understanding why receiving love is essential to giving love.Be Not Afraid - chasing out the anxieties that keep us from acting and living the life that Jesus has called us to.Follow Me - delving into how to bring our passions and plans together and bind them to God's plan.This study guide provides teaching notes, discussion questions, Bible study, between-session activities and a practical application called "Putting Love into Action," which gives you the opportunity to put the principles you have learned into real-life practice.It's time to step off the ledge and fall into God's immeasurable love.Designed for use with the Love Does Video Study (9781400206292), sold separately.

    Easwaran taught meditation for over forty years, and his instructions are practical and clear. He shows you how to choose a spiritual text, or passage, from the world's great traditions that embodies your highest ideals. With regular practice, meditation becomes your lifeline, taking you to the source of wisdom deep within and guiding you through all the challenges of daily life.This short ebook is an extract from Passage Meditation by Eknath Easwaran.

    It is an honest account of one man’s journey to complete abandonment of ‘the self’ and the Western principles that we use to define ourselves. Professor Herrigel imparts knowledge from his experiences and guides the reader through physical and spiritual lessons in a clear and insightful way.Mastering archery is not the key to achieving Zen, and this is not a practical guide to archery. It is more a guide to Zen principles and learning and perfect for practitioners and non-practitioners alike.

    What are the peak experiences of enlightenment? How could these states profoundly enhance, and yet simplify, the workings of the brain? Zen and the Brain presents the latest evidence. In this book Zen Buddhism becomes the opening wedge for an extraordinarily wide-ranging exploration of consciousness. In order to understand which brain mechanisms produce Zen states, one needs some understanding of the anatomy, physiology, and chemistry of the brain. Austin, both a neurologist and a Zen practitioner, interweaves the most recent brain research with the personal narrative of his Zen experiences. The science is both inclusive and rigorous; the Zen sections are clear and evocative. Along the way, Austin examines such topics as similar states in other disciplines and religions, sleep and dreams, mental illness, consciousness-altering drugs, and the social consequences of the advanced stage of ongoing enlightenment.

    S. Eliot, and Jrgen Moltmann's new book is a powerful testament to personal hope in chaotic, even catastrophic times.As Moltmann's award-winning volume The Coming of God laid out the systematic framework of eschatology (the doctrine of the ''last things''), so here he explores the personal meaning of that fundamental affirmation for Christians. Debunking the classic images of Christian apocalyptic scenarios, the final struggle between God and Satan, Christ and the AntichristArmageddonMoltmann instead shows that Christian expectation of the future has nothing to do with these but everything to do with new beginnings and a horizon of hope. Three parts explore three particular beginnings: birth (childhood and youth), rebirth (failures and defeats), and resurrection (death, judgment, afterlife).This brief volume promises to be one of Moltmann's most personal and compelling books.

    Its rather absurd to identify a first-century homeless Jew as God revealed, but a bunch of us do anyway. In this book, Tripp Fuller examines the historical Jesus, the development of the doctrine of Christ, the questions that drove christological innovations through church history, contemporary constructive proposals, and the predicament of belief for the church today.Recognizing that the battle over Jesus is no longer a public debate between the skeptic and believer but an internal struggle in the heart of many disciples, he argues that we continue to make christological claims about more than an event or simply the Jesus of history. On the other hand, C. S. Lewiss infamous liar, lunatic, and Lord scheme is no longer intellectually tenable. This may be a guide to Jesus, but for Christians, Fuller is guiding us toward a deeper understanding of God. He thinks its good newsgood news about a God who is so invested in the world that God refuses to be God without us.

    God always has a better idea. And it most often requires us to move in the opposite direction.In The Opposite Life, pastor and author Alex Seeley explains the secret to living a powerful and abundant life through the upside-down kingdom of God. Each chapter unpacks the opposite-life principles that begin with our way of thinking and yield miraculous results. They includedeath vs. lifefear vs. faithlast vs. firstlove vs. hateworry vs. worshipgive vs. receiveimpossible vs. possibleWe all want the blessed life but sometimes go about it in the wrong way. God’s promises are conditional. He says follow Me, and I will change your weakness into strength, your foolishness into wisdom, and your nothing into everything.

    The Way of the Heart Kindle edition is perfectly portable ~ take it with you for inspiration wherever you go. The profoundly rich 12 lessons of The Way of the Heart are the first of 35 formal lessons given by Jeshua ben Joseph during the years 1995-1997. May the deep spiritual insight, knowledge, and lovingkindness contained in this volume guide and inspire you toward living a life of Unconditional Love.

    But what they deliver is fleeting.Jesus knew about this quest. He came to show us that peace is possible in this life, not just the next one. Yet Christianity, the very religion that claims Jesus as its own, has often built the biggest barriers to him and the life he promised. Celebrated speaker and pastor Shane Hipps revives the faith with a fresh and persuasive understanding of the message of Jesus. The shocking truth is that Jesus proclaimed "eternal life" as a present reality that dwells within each of us. A transformative breakthrough, this book goes beyond "religion" or "spirituality" and cuts to the heart of our humanity and existence. It's about realizing that we already possess what we are searching for, and that the Heaven we long for isn't just a gift when we die, but a gift while we live.

    Through explorations of the three pillars of Zen--teaching, practice, and enlightenment--Roshi Philip Kapleau presents a comprehensive overview of the history and discipline of Zen Buddhism.  An established classic, this 35th anniversary edition features new illustrations and photographs, as well as a new afterword by Sensei Bodhin Kjolhede, who has succeeded Philip Kapleau as spiritual director of the Rochester Zen Center, one of the oldest and most influential Zen centers in the United States.

     In Signs of the Second Coming, you’ll learn about the signs Moses, Jesus, and the Old Testament prophets said to look for. Signs such as: • The Jewish people back in the land of Israel • The Jewish people back in control of Jerusalem • And the worldwide spread of the Gospel More importantly, you’ll learn that almost all of the signs the prophets said to look for are present right now… Could ours be the generation of His return? Study the signs for yourself and decide if our generation is destined to witness one of the greatest events in all of history – the Second Coming of Jesus Christ.

    Once extracted from the mangled metal, and suffering from massive injuries, Valerie was hospitalized and placed on life support while doctors waited to harvest her organs. But Valerie was more alive than she had ever been. As she stood in the radiant presence of Jesus, He wrapped her into Himself, assuring her of His love and of the promise that heaven is only a breath away. Heaven Is a Breath Away is a thrilling firsthand account of the home that awaits Christians when they draw their last breath here on earth. With open arms, Christ welcomes to heaven those who belong to Him. Rarely has this vision been told in such exquisite detail. It will undoubtedly comfort those who have lost loved ones or are near death themselves. Heaven Is a Breath Away gives hope and encourages faith by sharing the heaven Jesus promised-a real place, magnificent in scope and beauty, permeated with iridescence, and alive with divine energy and love.