Many are looking to spirituality as a means of disengaging from this life--to experience the transcendent or discover personal wholeness. On the other hand, much of popular Christian thought seems to be about avoiding the corruption of the world by being pious and following the rules. But Jesus offers a radical model for living. As the Incarnate One who dwelt among us to accomplish the mission of God, he teaches us how to dwell in the world for the sake of the world. If we are to become like him, we must learn what it means to live out this missional spirituality in the places we dwell. What does a Christian life deeply rooted in the logic of the Incarnation look like? Missional teacher and pastor Barry Jones shares his vision for authentic Christian spirituality focused on becoming more like Jesus. We dwell in a specific place and time in history, with unique bodies and in a world for which God has great purposes of redemption. This presence in the world should lead us to pattern our lives after the life of Jesus who was a boundary breaker, a shalom-maker, a people-keeper, and a wounded-healer. Jesus' life shows us what it looks like to be fully human, to be whole and holy . . . to be in the world and not of the world, to live passionately for the world and not protectively withdrawn from it, says Jones. Allowing the logic of the Incarnation to inform our vision of the spiritual life corrects the tendency toward a self-oriented pursuit of transcendence or a negative spirituality of behavior modification and disengagement from the world. Including practical suggestions for real-life application and questions for discussion, Jones describes living a missional life from a place of deep connection with and dependence on God. Not only must we have a clear and compelling vision of the life we want to live, but we must also cultivate the spiritual disciplines necessary to live out our vision in the specific contexts of day-to-day life. We need a renewed vision of Christian spirituality that leads us to be conformed into the image of Christ who dwelt with us for us.

    It is an ache for the homecoming. The Greeks called it nostalgia.  Post-modern man, homeless almost by definition, cannot understand nostalgia. If he is a progressive, dreaming of a utopia to come, he dismisses it contemptuously, eager to bury a past he despises. If he is a reactionary, he sentimentalizes it, dreaming of a lost golden age. In this profound reflection, Anthony Esolen explores the true meaning of nostalgia and its place in the human heart. Drawing on the great works of Western literature from the Odyssey to Flannery O'Connor, he traces the development of this fundamental longing from the pagan's desire for his earthly home, which most famously inspired Odysseys' heroic return to Ithaca, to its transformation under Christianity. The doctrine of the fall of man forestalls sentimental traditionalism by insisting that there has been no Eden since Eden. And the revelation of heaven as our true and final home, directing man's longing to the next world, paradoxically strengthens and ennobles the pilgrim's devotion to his home in this world. In our own day, Christian nostalgia stands in frank opposition to the secular usurpation of this longing. Looking for a city that does not exist, the progressive treats original sin, which afflicts everyone, as mere political error, which afflicts only his opponents. To him, history is a long tale of misery with nothing to teach us. Despising his fathers, he lives in a world without piety. Only the future, which no one can know, is real to him. It is an idol that justifies all manner of evil and folly. Nostalgia rightly understood is not an invitation to repeat the sins of the past or to repudiate what experience and reflection have taught us, but to hear the call of sanity and sweetness again. Perhaps we will shake our heads as if awaking from a bad and feverish dream and, coming to ourselves, resolve, like the Prodigal, to "arise and go to my father's house."

    the way Jesus did. Discover the God-given evangelistic tools that will enable you t

    They each have a matching gemstone to go with it.In The Dragon's Valentine we meet the eldest Falk brother, Callius. He is on a mission to find a Castle and his one true mate, one he can trust with his diamond rose....“She’s given up on love, but he’s just begun…”In The Dragon’s Christmas Gift our attention shifts to Alexsander, the youngest brother of the four. He has resigned himself to a life alone, until he meets her…“His heart is frozen; can she change his mind about love?”The Dragon’s Heart is the story of Edric Falk who has vowed never to love again, but that changes when he meets his feisty mate, Joselyn Curacao.“Some wounds run deep, can a Dragon’s heart be unbroken?”Lastly, you can meet Nikolai Falk in The Dragon’s Secret.“She just wants a little fun, he’s looking for a lifetime.”I loved writing each and every one of these brothers’ tales and I hope you will enjoy reading them!Del mare alla stella,C.D. Gorri

    

    and love. Enjoy a summer journey to Italy with A Tuscan Legacy! When Isabella Rossi invites each of her adult grandchildren to her estate in the Tuscan hills for her eightieth birthday, she hopes to reunite a family fractured by distance, death, and secrets. The birthday gift of a painting, arriving unsigned and with no sender's details, rips open old heartbreak. One family secret has already been revealed, her youngest son Albertino's illegitimate English daughter. Now it seems there could be yet more secrets. Returning home, the cousins, scattered across three continents, each discover their lifetime love. When they gather again at the villa as summer ends, the remaining secrets are revealed. But can they be forgiven, or will the mistakes of the past be repeated? All nine of the original stories are included, plus a bonus tenth novella set the following year! Book 1 That’s Amore (That’s Love) by Marion Ueckermann When Rafaele and Jayne meet again in Tuscany, two years after dancing the night away together, is it a matter of fate or of faith? Book 2 Luna Rosa (Blushing Moon) by Elizabeth Maddrey When Nick, a piano tuner and closet composer, meets Louisiana, a diva-like pianist, will they be able to navigate diverging goals in order to play love’s duet? Book 3 Rapsodia (Rhapsody) by Alexa Verde A risk-taking photographer with a crushed spirit and a control-addicted pizzeria chain owner with a crushed heart... What will it take for them to trust in God and love again? Book 4 TI Amo (I Love You) by Marion Ueckermann American missionary Michael tells Alessa, the tour guide he's just met, that one day she'll be his wife, but she's vowed to remain single. Can anything sway her to fall in love? Book 5 La Fiamma Sacra (The Sacred Flame) by Clare Revell Forged in love’s sacred flame, can a firefighter and a widowed single mother find the path God has set for them? Book 6 Bella Notte (Beautiful Night) by Heather Gray Piero packs light, loves adventure, and sticks to a two-dates-only rule. Felicity’s job takes her around the world, but that's all the adventure she craves. She has little use for Piero the Playboy. Book 7 Solo Tu (Only You) by Narelle Atkins Sienna Rossi is torn between her new life in Australia and her longing for home. Aussie teacher Dave likes the freedom of his nomadic lifestyle. Can they risk everything for love? Book 8 Dolce Vita (Sweet Life) by Autumn Macarthur In the haze of a Tuscan summer, can teacher Rachel learn to surrender her fears and hurts, then embrace the life God intends for her? A sweeter life of love, with her old friend, Jon. Book 9 La Risposta (The Answer) by Autumn Macarthur When a wedding brings the family back to the the villa at summer's end, unexpected answers emerge. But is it too late to heal two broken hearts and renew a loveless marriage? BONUS NEW NOVELLA! Book 10 Innamorata (Sweetheart) by Autumn Macarthur Is eighty-one too old for romance? When a beau from her teens returns to Tuscany, widowed Isabella Rossi is about to find out! Don't miss this inspirational Christian romance series, brought

     Runes-book1: Raine does not believe in magic or the supernatural, until her new neighbor, Torin, uses weird markings to heal her. Now she is on a mission to find out what he is and what he knows about her missing father. Immortals-book 2: Raine and Torin are meant to be together, but destiny deities have erased Torin's memories and he can't remember her. Too bad they didn't take into account his feelings for Raine or hers for him. The fight for the right to love each other has just begun. Grimnirs-book 3: Released from a psych ward, Raine's best friend, Cora, doesn’t want to see souls anymore or the reapers collecting them, until Echo storms into her life. He is one reaper she cannot resist. Will Raine finally tell Cora the truth about her new friends?

    6 HOT Men who know how to take control.Affairs, cougars, scandals… the Smith brothers have it all. None of them have a straight forward love life…even the ones that think they do.Escape into their whirlwind romance as the Smith Brothers promise to entertain you all day and night.  Stories included in the box set: The Perfect Boss She’s innocent…My assistant…And way younger. I’m the last man she should be with. At the same time, though…  I’m the only man who’d do anything for her.She’s supposed to be mine. I’m way too obsessed to let her go. Especially now that she’s pregnant.  I’ll do whatever it takes to claim my family.  Tempt Me Forever “A rock band drummer dating a billionaire!” That in itself sounds like a joke. And also like an unattainable fantasy. But as luck would have it.. Our two worlds collide. It causes an explosion… and a ton of drama. And now, he’s down on one knee. Do you think I should say yes? Rock Hard Freya Brown…She is simply perfect…I thought I’ve found my love…Only to realize that I messed up again,But I’m too obsessed to let her go,And I’ll do everything to make her mine But this girl just doesn’t know it yet! Blind In Love I know it’s forbidden…her daughter is elder to me.I know it’s dangerous…her ex is a stalker.And yet, I’m falling for my teacher!But looks like destiny doesn’t want us to be together.I am forced to move out to New York,  It’s been four long years, and I am back – to claim what’s mine.  But would she still be waiting for me?  Head Over Heels Falling in love with the girl next door was never the plan!But she’s tempting, alluring, exciting and I can’t stop myself from being drawn in to her dangerous world.The deeper I sink, the harder it will be to get out, Yet, I can’t stop myself from falling. Head over heels in love with her. Ellie will create an explosion in my life, I just know it. But love makes you do some pretty crazy things, right? And I’m going to win her back. No matter what it takes! Unexpected Baby I hate her…I’ve always hated her, And it will never change.

    Take a trip to Myrtle Beach and get swept away in the romance of it all as the members of the Hunt family each find their happily ever after. The Hunt Family box set is a complete series that contains five full-length, sweet romances by bestselling romance author Brooke St. James. Meet Me in Myrtle Beach (Book 1) Paige Spears was on her way to a job interview when she first met Diane Hunt. The two of them made friendly conversation while waiting for their breakfast, and Diane ended up asking Paige to come work for her for the summer. Paige was reluctant about beginning her corporate career anyway, so she jumped at Diane's offer. As luck would have it, her first assignment was to spend a week in Myrtle Beach with Diane and her family. Paige quickly found herself in a car with a woman she'd just met, headed to a place she'd never been, and about to be on a vacation with people she didn't know. She thought she'd make the best of it and enjoy one last summer adventure before joining the real world. She had no idea this trip would change her life forever. Kiss Me in Carolina (Book 2) It's been said that the best time to find love is when you aren't looking for it. Rachel Stephens was solely focused on completing her last year of dental school and love wasn't even on her radar. She also wasn't excited about having London Ryder has a houseguest. The two weren't necessarily the best of friends, so when London came to L.A. to visit her A-list actor boyfriend, Rachel wondered why she asked to stay with her. In fact, she was beginning to wonder if this actor was really even London's boyfriend in the first place. Rachel never expected London to bring her along on a film shoot. She certainly never expected to spend an afternoon alone with the actor who might just turn out to be the man of her dreams. California’s Calling (Book 3) Charlotte Ritchie was traveling halfway across the world to attend her brother's wedding. She and a small group of family and friends planned on spending the week prior to the wedding volunteering at a rescue center in Kenya. Her new sister-in-law had grown up there with her missionary parents, and everyone thought it was the perfect way to celebrate the event. Falling in love might not have been on Charlotte's to-do list that week, but as we all know, life doesn't always turn out the way we plan. She would slip briskly into an intimacy from which she'd never recover. Back to the Beach (Book 4) Having a crush on someone who barely seems to notice you is never easy. It only leads to heartbreak and disappointment. Mia Hunt occasionally found herself in that very situation. Fortunately, her dream guy lived all the way across the country and their encounters were rare. Nico Torres had plans to spend a week on vacation with the Hunt family at their Myrtle Beach home, and Mia feared there'd be no escaping him. After their first encounter that week, she wasn't so sure she wanted to escape. She just hoped she could survive the trip without falling for him all over again. The last thing she needed was another broken heart. It’s About Time (Book 5) Evan Hunt had spent most of his adult life working as an environmentalist and living out of a duffle bag. It came as a total shock when his father suddenly confronted him about setting goals for his future. Evan wasn't much for following rules and his instinct was to simply ignore what his dad was saying. However, he decided it was time to set his sights on success just to prove to his family that he could do it.

    In "Walking wtih God "by John Eldredge, the details are intimate and personal. The invitation is for us all. What if we "could" hear from God . . . often? What difference would it make?All day long we are making choices. It adds up to an enormous amount of decisions in a lifetime. How do we know what to do?We have two options.We can trudge through on our own, doing our best to figure it all out.Or, we can walk with God. As in, learn to hear his voice. Really. We can live life with God. He offers to speak to us and guide us. Every day. It is an incredible offer. To accept that offer is to enter into an adventure filled with joy and risk, transformation and breakthrough. And more clarity than we ever thought possible.

    J. G. Vos wrote a series of studies of the Larger Catechism that first appeared in Blue Banner Faith and Life (1946-49) and has never circulated widely. G. I. Williamson has edited Vos's commentary, and P&R is publishing it in book form for the first time. Because the Larger Catechism supplements the Shorter Catechism on such topics as the church and the means of grace, Presbyterians dare not ignore it. This edition of J. G. Vos's commentary will encourage a recommitment to the Larger Catechism.