It provides a glimpse into the life and spirituality of St. Pio of Pietrelcina, who has often been called "The greatest mystic of the 20th Century." More than thirty individuals, all who had met Padre Pio, were interviewed for this first edition book. The author and her husband, Deacon Ron Allen, have traveled to many parts of the United States in order to record the personal testimonies of Padre Pio's friends from near and far.

    Each of the 150 devotions include a prayer and Scripture verses that nurture your spiritual life by helping you to live in God’s presence. Live Loved is a wonderful self-purchase for men and women wanting to deepen their relationship with God with a daily devotional. This beautiful 150-day devotional makes a great gift for loved ones needing inspiration or encouragement, birthdays, and holiday gift giving.  Each day includes:A ScriptureA timely devotional excerpted from the collection of Max’s worksA thoughtful prayer to bring you closer to HimMax Lucado is a trusted voice and provides his readers easy-to-understand insight on how you can live the way God intended. You can live loved.

    They provide relaxed and informal settings which facilitate growth in grace and understanding. Orlando Saer provides a realistic and practical guide for anyone leading or wanting to lead such a group. This book will give you the tools you need as a leader to see your group thrive.

    Kara the falcon finds his world transformed when he vows never to kill another animal again, even if his very survival is depends on it.A tale of life, love, and self-sacrifice as they occur among both the meek and the powerful animals in a forest. Kara is the fastest, fiercest, and consequently loneliest falcon in the forest--until he vows, as the result of a moving experience, to never again kill another animal, even if it threatens his own survival.

    What I witness, what I feel, what I think, what I fear, what I treasure. I write about life, which is our greatest gift." —Mattie Stepanek, 1990-2004Mattie J. T. Stepanek lived and died a child, but he had the spirit of a giant. Affected by a rare and fatal neuromuscular disease, Mattie lived almost fourteen years but in that time became a poet, best-selling author, peace activist, and a prominent voice for the Muscular Dystrophy Association. Before his death in June 2004, his five volumes of Heartsongs poetry sold more than a million copies.Reflections of a Peacemaker: A Portrait Through Heartsongs is the final collection of Heartsongs that Mattie was working on when he died. It includes the last poem Mattie penned along with a special collection of unpublished poetry, photographs, and artwork spanning the decade from when he began writing Heartsongs at age three.Culled from the thousands of poems, essays, and journal entries Mattie left behind, the entries in Reflections of a Peacemaker create a portrait of Mattie in his own words. In these poems he explores disability, despair, and death but also the gifts he finds in nature, prayer, peace, and his belief in something "bigger and better than the here and now." The poems are grouped by theme such as playful, stormy, sacred, and final Heartsongs, with each section introduced by a personal tribute from the likes of Maya Angelou, Oprah Winfrey, Larry King, and former President Jimmy Carter.In the words of Mattie's mother, Jeni Stepanek, who has published Reflections of a Peacemaker at her son's request, "In reading these poems we enter Mattie's world and gain insight through a child who somehow balanced pain and fear with optimism and faith."

    Eugene Boylan discusses the nature and ways of prayer, the difficulties that you’re likely to face if you don’t pray, the purpose of meditation, and more. He examines all this not from a theoretical standpoint, but from the perspective of the individual Catholic who’s trying to pray better. As such, this book offers you solid encouragement to press on in prayer.

    Michael Heiser examines the ancient context of Scripture, explaining how its supernatural worldview can help us grow in our understanding of God. He illuminates intriguing and amazing passages of the Bible that have been hiding in plain sight. You'll find yourself engaged in an enthusiastic pursuit of the truth, resulting in a new appreciation for God's Word. Why wasn't Eve surprised when the serpent spoke to her? How did descendants of the Nephilim survive the flood? Why did Jacob fuse Yahweh and his Angel together in his prayer? Who are the assembly of divine beings that God presides over? In what way do those beings participate in God's decisions? Why do Peter and Jude promote belief in imprisoned spirits? Why does Paul describe evil spirits in terms of geographical rulership? Who are the glorious ones that even angels dare not rebuke? After reading this book, you may never read your Bible the same way again

    Because of the cultural distance between the biblical world and our contemporary setting, we often bring modern Western biases to the text. For example:When Western readers hear Paul exhorting women to "dress modestly," we automatically think in terms of sexual modesty. But most women in that culture would never wear racy clothing. The context suggests that Paul is likely more concerned about economic modesty--that Christian women not flaunt their wealth through expensive clothes, braided hair and gold jewelry.Some readers might assume that Moses married "below himself" because his wife was a dark-skinned Cushite. Actually, Hebrews were the slave race, not the Cushites, who were highly respected. Aaron and Miriam probably thought Moses was being presumptuous by marrying "above himselfWestern individualism leads us to assume that Mary and Joseph traveled alone to Bethlehem. What went without saying was that they were likely accompanied by a large entourage of extended family.Biblical scholars Brandon O'Brien and Randy Richards shed light on the ways that Western readers often misunderstand the cultural dynamics of the Bible. They identify nine key areas where modern Westerners have significantly different assumptions about what might be going on in a text. Drawing on their own crosscultural experience in global mission, O'Brien and Richards show how better self-awareness and understanding of cultural differences in language, time and social mores allow us to see the Bible in fresh and unexpected ways. Getting beyond our own cultural assumptions is increasingly important for being Christians in our interconnected and globalized world. Learn to read Scripture as a member of the global body of Christ.

    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.

    A collection of inspirational writings includes reflections on love, prayer, giving, service, poverty, forgiveness, and Jesus.

    On a cold January morning in 1981, a knock on an apartment door began what would become one of the bloodiest crime sprees in Arkansas history. In the coming days the bodies of newlyweds Larry and Jawana Price, businessman Holly Gentry, and Police Detective Ray Tate were discovered. They had been executed in cold blood and discarded like so much trash. What kind of person murders four people in cold blood? Did the right one go to prison?Praise for Anita Paddock, author of Blind Rage and Closing Time!“Paddock is a gifted storyteller, and Blind Rage is a riveting read.”– Sonny Brewer, author of The Poet of Tolstoy Park “The newest and strongest voice in true crime writing . . . makes you feel as if you are there, seeing what happened, and feeling the terror and sorrow of those felled by these brutal crimes.” – Marla Cantrell, author and Arkansas Art Council Fellow “Somehow [the author] is able to create tension and suspense even when the outcome is already known. She has a way of making each character as familiar as the guy next door, be they ordinary people or despicable creeps! Truman Capote, even though you can't roll over, maybe you should step aside because a new ‘true crime’ star is here!”– John McFerran

    This book offers a Catholic understanding of the four ancient temperaments that will bring you closer to God and help you discover the path to holiness that's right for you. Learn how to identify and understand the four temperaments that determine our reactions, guide our choices, color our understanding, and serve as the foundation of our moral and spiritual life.

    A worldwide bestseller published in countless sizes and bindings, translations and languages. Sworn by in court, fought over by religious people, quoted in arguments. The Bible is clearly no ordinary book. How can you begin to read and understand it as a whole? In this excellent overview, Vaughan Roberts gives you the big picture—showing how the different parts of the Bible fit together under the theme of the kingdom of God. He provides both the encouragement and the tools to help you read the Bible with confidence and understanding. And he points you to the Bible's supreme subject, Jesus Christ, and the salvation God offers through him.

    After showing the origins of fundamentalism, he examines representative anti-Catholic groups and presents their arguments in their own words. His rebuttals are clear, detailed, and charitable. Special emphasis is given to the scriptural basis for Catholic doctrines and beliefs.

    You catch your child posting something inappropriate on the Internet. Someone in your small group is depressed. A relative was just diagnosed with an incurable disease. When those you know and love experience trouble, you don't want to hand out pat answers or religious platitudes. Instead, you want to offer real hope and help from God's Word. You know it's true, but how does an ancient book, written thousands of years ago, connect with our twenty-first century problems? In CrossTalk: Where Life and Scripture Meet, Michael R. Emlet gives you the tools to connect the Bible to your life and to the lives of your family, friends, neighbors, and coworkers. You will learn to understand people and God's Word in ways that promote gospel-centered, rich conversations that help you and those you know grow in love for God and others. This book will make the whole Bible come alive to you. Instead of platitudes, you can offer a cup of living water to those who are struggling in this broken world.