By living the wabi sabi life, Westerners would be seeking to find peace and truth through nature, harmony and the little things. Readers can explore all aspects of this wondrous way of life: - Wabi sabi working - doing what one loves and not overdoing it; Wabi sabi eating - valuing the humble and familiar and savouring the exotic; Wabi sabi socializing - gleaning the lessons of the ancient tea ceremony; Wabi sabi creativity - enriching one's life by; valuing individual moments. The author serves as a highly eloquent guide on the reader's journey to a simpler, more fulfilling life

    Every late-night conversation with a hurting friend and each precious, adopted child needing a little extra tender loving care—exhausting, yet imperative, ways to be extensions of the gospel. In each of these vignettes illustrating Lisa’s overextended life, we learn that even in the middle of our own pure motives and hectic schedules, it is only by resting in God’s sovereign mercy that we are able to keep risking our hearts to serve his people and fulfill the callings he has placed on us.Real life . . . abundant life . . . godly life is about loving Jesus and the people he allows us to rub shoulders with well—which means some days you’ll be stretched emotionally and physically. You’ll feel overextended. Thankfully God will expand our hearts and calendars to accommodate the calling. He is in the business of supplying us with new mercies every morning . . . new candles to burn, for more lives needing his light.

    I don't much like going. So, what now?"What's happening to the Church? Why are so many people who for decades have been faithful, steady churchgoers (and others who want to start going to church but can't seem to find one that meets their needs) losing interest in even attending church, let alone getting involved? What is fundamentally wrong with the "types" of churches (Seeker, Bible, Emergent, Liberal, Evangelical) that dot the religious landscape? Larry Crabb believes it is time to rethink the entire foundation and focus of what we know today as church -- everything we're doing and are wanting to see happen. In his most honest and vulnerable book to date, the author reveals his own struggles in this area and then offers a compelling vision of why God designed us to live in community with Him and others, and what the church he wants to be a part of looks like."

    The ingrown church is a common phenomenon. It is the "norm" for contemporary evangelical and Protestant churches. But ingrownness is a pathology. It can destroy the vital spiritual health of a church. It must, therefore, be combated with the norms of Scripture. And that is why this book was written. Outgrowing the Ingrown Church is a masterful mix of biblical principle, objective analysis, and personal experience. It traces the author's own growing awareness of the problem of ingrownness in his calling as a pastor, seminary professor, and evangelist/missionary. In his own discovery of the power and presence of God he discovered the tendency of the church to live by its own power and resources. This is a book written to help change churches by changing the individuals who read it. It offers one an unparalleled challenge to be evaluated, revitalized, and then used by God for the work of ministry. Thus it is a book not merely for pastors, but for the whole body of Christ. "I have never been as excited about any book concerning church growth as when I read this book . . . . (His biblical) principles, if followed, transform individual lives and then lead to a movement within a church to change the whole congregation," writes John Guest in the foreword.

    It is the quality of these, whatever the size of the organisation, which make the difference between organisations which thrive, and those which stagnate.This is not to argue for soft, easy and comfortable options. Instead it considers how top leaders manage to walk the line between the impossible and the possible, between the undoable and the doable, and to create conditions for productive work which transcend the difficulties which come towards us every day. Instead of dodging them, they embrace them. And by navigating high challenge, low threat, they show how others how to do the same.

    You can take dominion over the supernatural environment for the Kingdom of God! Dawna De Silva presents a strategy for spiritual victory. Get ready to discern the enemy's tactics and learn how to use your weapons of warfare to enforce Jesus' victory over forces that war against your mind, your family, and your region!  Don’t be blind to the unseen reality—every Christian is in the midst of a supernatural conflict.  Don’t fall victim to the enemy! Every Christian can release God’s power into places and situations under the influence of evil.  Through the power of the Holy Spirit, you can transform your spiritual environment from darkness to light. Dawna De Silva shows you how. Through her revelatory teaching, you will learn to… Discern the spiritual atmospheres and forces at work around you Draw from the Holy Spirit’s presence within you to release God’s Kingdom power Demonstrate the authority of Jesus over the powers of darkness Join the fight! When God’s Kingdom advances, darkness must flee. *Enhance your learning with the companion e-Course, DVD study and interactive manual.

    Leadership by the Book is an exceptional new book, brimming with insights, ideas, tools, and tactics for becoming a successful leader. Written in the parable format of Ken Blanchard's bestselling The One Minute Manager. and Raving Fans, it tells the story of a professor and a minister who school a young professional in management skills and ethics. Citing Jesus as a source for practical lessons in effective leadership, the authors explore the concept of "servant leadership" and offer simple strategies for bringing vision and values to any organization. Individuals will learn how to:Achieve goals without sacrificing character or faithInspire and sustain commitment and others to give their bestBuild teamwork and celebrate successesFind personal passion and meaning in workSure to be required reading for managers and employees, Leadership by the Book can also be applied in day-to-day life by parents, coaches, entrepreneurs, and community leaders everywhere.

    Yohannan challenges us that we, too, can touch godliness as we follow Jesus down the path of total surrender and submission. Chapter by chapter, he gently confronts us with truth that few others are willing to tell us-truth that leads to the abundant life we so desire.Plus, the included study guide offers thought-provoking questions and pointed action steps to move us beyond mere head knowledge to heart transformation. Great for a small group study!

    What Jesus started was a movement that began small, with intimate conversations designed to build disciples into apostles who would go out in the world and seed it with God's kingdom vision. That movement grew rapidly and spread wide as people recognized the truth in it and gave their lives to the power of it. That movement is still happening today, and we are called to play our part in it.

    Yet, research shows we are less happy than women 40 years ago. Today, we can “have it all.” So why is happiness declining?In Happy Women Live Better, bestselling author Valorie Burton unlocks the secret to your personal happiness. She reveals 13 happiness triggers–choices that can boost your joy right now, even in the midst of deadlines, children, marriage, dating, and squeezing in a workout or girls' night out. Through these happiness triggers, you will learn tobounce back from stress and adversity faster.enjoy deeper satisfaction in your marriage and friendships.maximize career opportunities and increase your income.fight off depression, colds and other illnesseslive longer!Valorie talks about the cultural shifts and modern challenges that threaten women’s happiness, such as increased stress from increased demands, earning more money than men, constant comparisons brought on by social media and reality television, and many more. Learn to navigate these issues and join thousands of women in a modern movement that empowers you to take control of your happiness.

     We search for our calling in careers, hobbies, and even ministries, but Christians actually know their calling from birth. We are all called into God's community and onto his mission. There is no greater calling. Once we are in Christ, we are no longer orphans. Everyone has a place in the people of God. But how do you live out that calling? What does it look like to be God's new community? How can we fulfill our role in his mission? In Called Together, Jonathan Dodson and Brad Watson help us discover what it means to be a people made for community and mission. Through reflection on the foundational concepts of gospel, community, and mission, it will help you form healthy missional communities. Filled with practical guidance for leaders and everyday people, it will guide you into a deeper and more deliberate experience of being the church together.

    Some struggle to redefine these categories and some seek to reclaim them, while others reject them outright, with or without providing new terms to guide us forward.But words and their meaning matter; our confusion has a cost. Competing priorities pressure us to stretch our mission definitions as wide as they can go, releasing our people to creatively engage in service of every description. Some churches turn away from traditional mission efforts all together, giving preference to local service and evangelism while outsourcing any cross-cultural effort to those who surely must be more effective than we would be.As an unfortunate result of these tendencies, many of our churches lack a coherent, compelling sense of what we're all about as we engage with the world. And if we lose our scriptural moorings, how far will our missions efforts drift?Matthew Ellison and Denny Spitters call us to refocus our gaze on the gospel and the Great Commission. They assert that thinking must come before doing and shape our world mission practices and priorities. When Everything Is Missions is for church and ministry leaders and all who look to clarify their own answers to questions like these:What is the mission of God? What is the mission of the Church? Is every Christian a missionary?

    He suggests ways t

    S. Lewis, Max Lucado, and Meryl Streep are all introverts? Even though introverts make up half the population, most people still don't fully understand what it means to be one. Research shows the qualities introverts may see as struggles can be their greatest strengths. Introverts don't need to act more like extroverts to thrive, lead, and make a difference. Instead, they need to truly understand who God created them to be so they can avoid pitfalls like insecurity or anxiety and bravely offer their gifts to the world.In this transformative book, Holley Gerth dives into the brain science behind introversion to help you understand the psychological, relational, and spiritual aspects of being an introvert. She explores how introverts can make meaningful connections, experience quiet confidence, cultivate soul-filling solitude, exercise unexpected influence, and much more.If you're an introvert, or if you love, lead, or share life with an introvert, you need this empowering, insightful book!

    This book is filled with inspirational stories and practical ideas that families can begin implementing today to bring Christ and Christ-like living into the center of their home.  This resource isa perfect gift to give to new parents and it also has discussion questions at the end of each chapter which also makes it a perfect resource for family small groups.