Book picks similar to
When You Don't Like Your Story: What If Your Worst Chapters Could Become Your Greatest Victories? by Sharon Jaynes
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The Better Mom Devotional: Shaping Our Hearts as We Shape Our Homes
Ruth Schwenk - 2018
Motherhood is incredibly rewarding, yet its challenges can leave you feeling anxious, inadequate, and overwhelmed with mom guilt. Trusted author Ruth Schwenk of Pressing Pause and The Better Mom blog will help you learn to give yourself grace as you grow in wisdom with The Better Mom Devotional.As a busy mom of four kids, Ruth understands the stress of raising a family and trying to do it all perfectly, but she has uncovered a secret: becoming a better mom doesn't start with what you are doing but with who God is inviting you to become.In The Better Mom Devotional, 100 devotions filled with Scripture, prayers, and reflection questions will help you discover:How God uses motherhood to change you from the inside outIntentional ways to deepen your faith in any season of parentingThe true calling of motherhood: training, disciplining, and loving your children wellThe life-giving impact of honest, loving friendshipsThis devotional is a great fit for:Mothers of small children and teenagersSmall groups, women's Bible study groups, and personal daily reflectionMother's Day, birthdays, and holiday giftingWith Ruth's encouragement, you can overcome mom guilt, stop trying to be the perfect mom, let go of the endless to-do list of motherhood, and experience the most challenging but rewarding adventure yet--becoming The Better Mom.
Stressed-Less Living: Finding God's Peace in Your Chaotic World
Tracie Miles - 2012
STRESSED-LESS LIVING offers life-changing, heart-renewing, long-lasting remedies that will bring peace, even when things feel out of control.
Raising Grateful Kids in an Entitled World: How One Family Learned That Saying No Can Lead to Life's Biggest Yes
Kristen Welch - 2016
You love your children--don't you want them to be happy and to fit in?Kristen Welch knows firsthand it's not that easy. In fact, she's found out that when you say yes too often, it's not only hard on your peace of mind and your wallet--it actually puts your kids at long-term risk. In Raising Grateful Kids in an Entitled World, Kristen shares the ups and downs in her own family's journey of discovering why it's healthiest not to give their kids everything. Teaching them the difference between "want" and "need" is the first step in the right direction. With many practical tips and anecdotes, she shares how to say the ultimate yes as a family by bringing up faith-filled kids who will love God, serve others, and grow into hardworking, fulfilled, and successful adults.It's never too late to raise grateful kids. Get ready to cultivate a spirit of genuine appreciation and create a Jesus-centered home in which your kids don't just say--but mean!--"thank you" for everything they have.
Awful Beautiful Life: When God Shows Up in the Midst of Tragedy
Becky Powell - 2019
Becky Powell faced the unthinkable on May 16, 2013. Her husband Mark called and said, "I've done something terrible." Within hours, she learned that he had taken his own life and, over a period of several years, millions of dollars from friends and colleagues. Everything she believed to be true, the very fiber of her marriage, was called into question. Within a week, rather than planning carpool runs and volunteer fundraisers, she owed almost one hundred creditors millions of dollars and had her own team of ten lawyers. She was also the subject of open FBI, SEC and DOJ investigations--and faced potential criminal charges. And, although she instantly denounced every cent of Mark's $15M in life insurance and promised to repay every penny taken, her lawyers knew that in reality she faced years of court battles and lawsuits, and possible jail time. Yet from that first horrific moment, God was there. He showed up in His Word, in Becky's friends, in her lawyers and in the generosity of those around her. He worked miracles. CNBC, the Wall Street Journal, Forbes, and others covered the first moment, but what about the last? What about the story in which God gives your next breath because you can't find it on your own? What about the story of a mom and three kids trying to make sense of their pasts, present and future while living under a microscope?Awful Beautiful Life is Becky's journey through the two years surrounding Mark's death and how she overcame. It came down to a loving God who surrounded her, a present and dedicated family, and friends, who made her life, offered her sanctuary and showed up for her and her kids in tangible ways. This is a story of remarkable grit, strength, and what the Body of Christ in action looks like.
Simplify: Ten Practices to Unclutter Your Soul
Bill Hybels - 2014
Overwhelmed. Overscheduled. Sound familiar? Today's velocity of life can consume and control us . . . until our breakneck pace begins to feel normal and expected. That's where the danger lies: When we spend our lives doing things that keep us busy but don't really matter, we sacrifice the things that do.What if your life could be different? What if you could be certain you were living the life God called you to live--and building a legacy for those you love? If you crave a simpler life anchored by the priorities that matter most, roll up your sleeves: Simplified living requires more than just cleaning out your closets or reorganizing your desk drawer. It requires uncluttering your soul. By eradicating the stuff that leaves your spirit drained, you can stop doing what doesn't matter--and start doing what does.In Simplify, bestselling author Bill Hybels identifies the core issues that lure us into frenetic living--and offers searingly practical steps for sweeping the clutter from our souls.
Confronting Jezebel: Discerning and Defeating the Spirit of Control
Steve Sampson - 2003
Individuals ruled by the flesh, who cooperate with this spirit, sow discord, presumption, rebellion, insubordination and a host of other marks of Satan's kingdom. In this biblical, balanced, and eye-opening study, Steve Sampson, a gifted prophetic teacher, explains the origins and history of this insidious spirit, as well as how it functions through leaders in positions of spiritual authority. Because the Jezebel spirit is fueled by self-centeredness and self-promotion, Sampson helps readers understand how our flesh must be ruled by God and put under subjection to the Holy Spirit. He also offers readers clear signals of the presence of this spirit and specific direction for those who find themselves battling this subtle and destructive influence.
A Brief Theology of Periods (Yes, Really): An Adventure for the Curious Into Bodies, Womanhood, Time, Pain and Purpose—And How to Have a Better Time of the Month
Rachel Jones - 2021
And whether yours are mildly annoying, utterly debilitating or emotionally complicated, most of us have at one time or another asked: Why?!This warm, light-hearted, real, honest and at times surprising book gives a biblical perspective on menstruation, as well as a whole lot more. Beginning with periods, Rachel Jones takes readers on an adventure in theology, weaving together wide-ranging reflections on the nature of our bodies, the passing of time, the purpose of pain, and the meaning of life.One thing is for sure: you've never read a Christian book quite like this one.Whether you're in need of hope and help, or are just downright curious, you'll be refreshed and encouraged by this book. As Rachel puts it, "Whoever you are, my aim is that you reach the end of this book celebrating who God has made you, how God has saved you, and the fact that he speaks liberating and positive truth into all of life's experiences (even periods)".
The Happiness Dare: Pursuing Your Heart's Deepest, Holiest, and Most Vulnerable Desire
Jennifer Dukes Lee - 2016
And Jennifer Dukes Lee was no different. For years, she wrestled with a constant nagging sense that she wasn't as happy as she could be. At the same time, she felt guilty for wanting something so "shallow." After all, doesn't God only care that we find joy in our circumstances? Or is it possible that God really does want us to be happy?Determined to get answers, Jennifer embarked on a quest to find out whether our happiness matters to God and, if so, how to pursue it in a way that pleases him.In The Happiness Dare, you'll learn what she discovered, including how to:Understand the five happiness styles and maximize yoursOvercome the four biggest obstacles that stand in the way of your happinessFind your happiness sweet spot--the place, relationship, or activity that gives you the greatest sense of well-beingDiscover what you can do in just five minutes a day to be happierWill you take the dare?Join Jennifer in the pursuit of your truest, most satisfied, and most faith-filled self.
Satisfied: Finding Hope, Joy, and Contentment Right Where You Are
Alyssa Bethke - 2021
Be skinny, but not too skinny. Work and hustle but stay home and be a good mom. Be wild and free while tidy and pure. Love your husband but be independent. In Satisfied, Alyssa Bethke shares a compelling collection of relatable essays that will help you embrace and cultivate beauty in your life. Along with healthy recipes and cozy home images, Satisfied will provide you with the knowledge that you are not alone in your fight to be fulfilled. Alyssa shows you the ways in which you are enough—not only for those around you, but for yourself.
Zig Ziglar's Life Lifters
Zig Ziglar - 2003
This beloved author and speaker has shared his wisdom, his sorrows, his humor, and his faith with millions who are the better for it.Zig continues his life's mission with a new book designed to encourage and build hope, whatever your life circumstances are. Life Lifters offers vignettes on various topics such as attitude, love, inspiration, relationships, goal setting, and motivation that will help you become “excited about your country, your family, and your future” and will provide you a lift in your attitude and enjoyment of life.
The Way of the Heart: The Spirituality of the Desert Fathers and Mothers
Henri J.M. Nouwen - 1981
Nouwen, one of the greatest of all spiritual writers, invites us to search deeply for the well-springs that nourish true ministry in his classic The Way of the Heart. Interweaving the solitude, silence, and prayer of the fifth-century Egyptian Desert Fathers and Mothers with our contemporary search for an authentic spirituality, The Way of the Heart not only leads us to a fuller encounter with God, but to a more creative ministry with our fellow human beings. Here is one of the most profound works from a writer known for his fresh and perceptive insights—and who stands alongside C.S. Lewis and Thomas Merton as an essential Christian scholar and thinker.
Confessions of a Good Christian Girl: The Secrets Women Keep and the Grace That Saves Them
Tammy Maltby - 2007
It is also a passionate testimony to the Lord's eagerness to cleanse and heal those who turn to Him. And it is a fervent appeal to God's people to own up to the sin, brokenness and shame in our midst and to extend to each other the same persistent, healing grace that Jesus extends to us.
Expecting to See Jesus: A Wake-Up Call for God's People
Anne Graham Lotz - 2011
And, she wants to make sure you and all other Christians are ready for that moment when your faith becomes sight.Anne knows from personal experience that it's in the busyness of our days, as we're drifting in comfortable complacency, that we most need a wake-up call--a jolt that pushes us to seek out a revival of our passion for Jesus that began as a blazing fire but somehow has died down to an ineffective glow.In Expecting to See Jesus, Anne points out the biblical signs she sees in the world all around us and shows how you can experience an authentic, deeper, richer relationship with God in a life-changing, fire-blazing revival.
Relational Intelligence: The People Skills You Need for the Life of Purpose You Want
Dharius Daniels - 2020
Using Jesus's relational framework for choosing the twelve disciples, this book gives you the tools you need to define, discern, align, assess, and activate your relationships to unlock your greatest potential. Years of ministry leadership experience have taught Dr. Dharius Daniels that there's no such thing as a casual relationship. All of our relationships either push us forward into our God-given purposes or hold us back from who we're meant to be. If you're serious about taking your life to the next level, you should be serious about taking your relationships to the next level, too.Scripture gives us a blueprint for the way relationships should be managed, and this blueprint helps us construct and grow relationships that are fruitful. It tells us that our spiritual, physical, financial, emotional, and professional progress is greatly impacted by who we allow to be a part of our lives and what part we allow them to play. Relational Intelligence reminds us that with our destiny on the line, relationships are too consequential to nonchalantly roll the dice in managing them.Daniels shows us that relationships were part of God's design, and when we understand and apply what God has to say about them, we can finally learn to:Reflect on the people that God has placed in our livesAvoid unnecessary relational turmoilBe intentional in each of our relationshipsAccomplish our God-given purposeWhen your purpose is on the line, the cost of relational unintelligence is too great to pay. Join Daniels as you uncover the secret to gaining the relational intelligence you need to build the purposeful life that you want.
Between Heaven and the Real World: My Story
Steven Curtis Chapman - 2017
Now, for the first time, Steven openly shares the experiences that have shaped him, his faith, and his music in a life that has included incredible highs and faith-shaking lows. Readers will be captivated by this exclusive look into Steven's childhood and challenging family dynamic growing up, how that led to music and early days on the road, his wild ride to the top of the charts, his relationship with wife Mary Beth, and the growth of their family through births and adoptions. In addition to inside stories from his days of youth to his notable career, including the background to some of his best-loved songs, readers will walk with Steven down the devastating road of loss after the tragic death of five-year-old daughter Maria. And they'll experience his return to the stage after doubting he could ever sing again. Poignant, gut-wrenchingly honest, yet always hopeful, Steven offers no sugary solutions to life's toughest questions. Yet out of the brokenness, he continues to trust God to one day fix what is unfixable in this life. This backstage look at the down-to-earth superstar they've come to love will touch fans' lives and fill their hearts with hope. Includes black-and-white photos throughout.