A book that has and continues to move hearts.

    draws on personal stories infused with humor and wisdom to extract impactful life lessons. He walks us through some of his most career-defining moments to emphasize the importance of living life with the punchline in mind. With a comedian's cadence and a dependable friend's outstretched hand, Michael Jr. addresses provocative issues including race, policing in America, forgiveness, socio-economics, and faith with gritty familiarity. While you will find yourself laughing out loud, at its core, FUNNY HOW LIFE WORKS reveals that if you pay close attention, the obstacles you face day to day are part of a much bigger plan that can help you realize and fulfill your life's mission. Like many of us, Michael Jr. wrestled with several moments of uncertainty, from living in his car to being held up by officers, but he never lost sight of the bigger picture. In this inspiring and self-reflective book, he implores us to do the same.

    She’s ready to make the best of her new life, but when faced with a gruff, uncaring husband and a lonely ranch in need of repair, she’s not sure she’s up to the task. Abraham knows life on his ranch is hard. In fact, it’s even scared off several brides already. While every man needs a wife to help with the home and children, he’s not sure what woman would want him to share it with. But when Cora's life is in danger, Abe is forced to admit what he knew all along, and find a way to open his heart to this kind and lovely woman.

    He wants to be in a relationship with us, but for some reason we can’t seem to find the time. The time to pray, the time to read our Bibles, the time to sit and be still with God. In today’s fast-paced culture of instant downloads and drive-through lattes, we learn that faster is better, that slowing down is not an option. But if we look at Scripture carefully, we see that this is the exact opposite of how God has called us to live.Specialists say it takes 30 days to form a habit. It’s time we made being with God a habit – an unbreakable one. In 30 Words, you’ll find the encouragement to open your heart, mind, and soul to God. Each day you’ll focus on a single word about God and our relationship with him. Full of key verses to meditate on, as well as quotes and teachings from Christian leaders, 30 Words will help you make a habit of spiritual development—one that will transform you from the inside out.

    . By studying such rich and varied names as Adonay, El Shadday, Abba, Yeshua, Lamb of God, and Prince of Peace, readers will encounter a God who is utterly holy, powerful, surprising, merciful, and loving. Each weeks study includes: Background information to help readers understand the name A key Scripture passage in which the name was first or most significantly revealed A series of questions for individual or group study A list of Bible passages for further reflection Based on Praying the Names of God and Praying the Names of Jesus but containing additional questions for reflection and study, this unique Bible study is designed to help individuals and groups explore the most important of Gods names and titles as they are revealed in the Bible. Also included is a helpful pronunciation guide to the Names of God in Ancient Hebrew and Koine Greek.

     Rose couldn’t wait to meet her husband, only she didn’t realize that he had never wanted a wife. Tired of playing servant to her father, Rose Johnson decides to become a bride. She had been corresponding with William Dunn for the past six months and couldn’t wait to join him in Hope Creek to become his wife and mother to his twins. When she steps off the train in the strange frontier town, Rose realizes William Dunn isn’t who he proclaimed himself to be. Arriving on William’s ranch, Rose realizes the lies have been far flung.  In a hopeless situation, the only light in Rose’s life is the twins. She soon falls in love with them, knowing that she couldn’t leave no matter what the circumstances. When she happens upon an injured man late one winter’s night, her instinct is to cry out for help. But something in the stranger’s eyes settled her and she takes to caring for him in his time of need instead. Only a week before Christmas, Rose doesn’t have the heart to turn him out in the cold. Besides, time with him warms her heart. Who is the stranger in the barn? Which way will Rose turn? Does she follow her heart? Can she leave the children she has grown to love? Will Christmas become a magical moment for Rose?

    You wonder why they picked you--why did they pick now? Is something wrong with you? Are you the only one in this battle? Anxiety Elephants is a 31 Day Devotional written to help you have hope and tools in overcoming the anxiety bombarding your life. It will be evident throughout the book that you are not alone on this journey. God is with you, and will help you stomp out the fear and despairing moments suffocating your heart, mind, and soul. Encouragement will come through scripture, real-life stories from the author, and advice on what to do when those triggers go off signaling an attack. By the end, you will find practical ways to trample the Anxiety Elephants and place the enemy under your feet.

    But Gari Meacham writes that we fall short of being desperate for God, or we miss the longed-for romance with God we hear about in scripture.  We're uncertain how to distinguish our longings from our fears.  When, says Meacham, did our longings turn to hauntings? And when did we buy into the counterfeit yearnings for control, and the insecurity, perfectionism and other attitudes that quench Spirit Hunger?The answer to Spirit Hunger is to engage God like never before. In this book Meacham shows through her story and the stories of others how to turn worry into belief, problems and heartaches into a life of intimate prayer, and sighs for intimacy into closeness with God.  She discusses her discoveries about prayer including why asking is sometimes hard, how we can notice and track God's movements as we seek his answers, and why it’s sometimes such a struggle to believe after we've prayed.Meacham writes, "With the authenticity of my own life stories--marriage to a professional baseball player, struggles with severe food bondage, and a father who was a quadriplegic--I came to the crisp realization that my prayer life and my belief needed to match. Spirit Hunger provides a clear path towards matching these heart cries--leading away from crumbs and counterfeit, to a hungering for God."

    But if a church is on a downward trend, how can it turn around? Taking Your Church to the Next Level explains the impact of age and size on churches and outlines the improvements that must be made at each point for a church to remain fruitful and faithful to its mission. McIntosh deftly describes the cycles of fruitfulness and the importance of continual improvement to diminish destructive forces that keep a congregation from its mission. Church leaders, pastors, and all who care about the church and desire to see it experience biblical growth will benefit from the sage wisdom offered in these pages.

    Dreams are on hold, prayers seem unanswered, and life can feel hard. And just when we think we have it all together, life happens again! During these times it can be difficult to see God in our situations and trust him with the future.With empathy and wit, Debbie Alsdorf uses the book of Philippians to encourage women to lean on God, to live one day at a time, to rejoice and not to worry, and to give thanks to God in all circumstances of life. The confidence and peace readers will gain from the perspective presented in this loving book will help them live fully in the moment, in every season of life.

    These daily readings offer the skeptic, the over-committed the opportunity to make room-perhaps just enough room-for God to show up. The weeks leading up to Christmas can spark a strong spiritual longing for more. Although it may never be articulated, we sense beneath those longings is a yearning for an experience of God. These brief writings address the challenges and realities of the season and include a simple action, ritual or meditation designed to gently steer the reader toward the deeper meaning that underlies the season. Smart, witty, edgy--and always hopeful--readings by Quinn Caldwell include a brief prayer for each morning and evening during the entire Christmas season. This book takes seriously the modern person's hunger for meaning and import in a season that feels increasingly frivolous. Includes a calendar with one easy task to do each day.

    Scholastica monastery in Atchison, Kansas. The Benedictine sisters who invited Valente presented her with a view of monastic life and wisdom that brought spiritual healing to her fast-paced life--and promises to do the same for her readers. The first time Judith Valente arrived at Mount St. Scholastica monastery, she came prepared to teach a course on poetry and the soul. Instead, she found herself the student, taking lessons from the Benedictine sisters in the healing nature of silence, how to cultivate habits of mindful living, and the freeing reality that conversion is a lifelong process. With the heart of a poet and the eye of a journalist, she tells how her many visits and interviews with the Benedictine sisters forced her to confront aspects of her own life that needed healing--a journey that will invite readers to healing of their own. A beautiful and heartfelt work that crosses The Cloister Walk with Tuesdays with Morrie, Atchison Blue will resonate with readers of Thomas Merton, Henri Nouwen, Mary Gordon, and Anne Lamott.

    In Evangelism by Fire he lays out the principles necessary for effective evangelism, showing how God operates through anyone who is willing to follow His plan. The Gospel is as vital today as it was when Jesus walked the shores of the Sea of Galilee, and nations urgently need the life-giving message of the cross right now. Filled with biblical principles, prophetic messages, and personal examples, Evangelism by Fire will inspire you to bring the focus of your life and ministry back to the Great Commission.

    His work on earth is not complete without us.” In this featured excerpt from The Supernatural Power of a Transformed Mind, Bill Johnson defines every believer’s role in God’s master plan—all of us are essential and unique.

    She uses that frightening personal experience to encourage listeners to stand well back from the line that separates the Lord’s territory from Lucifer’s. Plus, in a special bonus second talk, she reflects on the good that resides in the sisters of the Church. Includes bonus talk, "If We Build It, They Will Come."