Between a Rock and a Grace Place: Divine Surprises in the Tight Spots of Life


Carol Kent - 2010
    All their appeals have been exhausted at both the state and federal levels---humanly speaking, they have run out of options.But despite their hopeless situation, Carol and her husband live a life full of grace. Kent reveals how life's problems become fruitful affliction where we discover the very best divine surprises, including peace, compassion, freedom, and adventure. Through the Kent's remarkable ongoing journey, Jason's riveting letters from behind bars, and true 'grace place' stories from the lives of others, Between a Rock and a Grace Place reveals that when seemingly insurmountable challenges crash into our lives, we can be transformed as we discover God at work in ways we never imagined. With vulnerable openness, irrepressible hope, restored joy, and a sense of humor, Carol Kent helps readers to find God's 'grace places' in the middle of their worst moments.

He Leadeth Me


Walter J. Ciszek - 1973
    Captured by the Russian army during World War II and convicted of being a Vatican spy, American Jesuit Father Walter J. Ciszek spent some 23 agonizing years in Soviet prisons and the labor camps of Siberia. He here recalls how it was only through an utter reliance on God's will that he managed to endure. He tells of the courage he found in prayer-a courage that eased the loneliness, the pain, the frustrations, the anguish, the fears, the despair. For, as Ciszek relates, the solace of spiritual contemplation gave him an inner serenity upon which he was able to draw amidst the arrogance of evil that surrounded him. Learning to accept even the inhuman work of toiling in the infamous Siberian salt mines as a labor pleasing to God, he was able to turn adverse forces into a source of positive value and a means of drawing closer to the compassionate and never-forsaking Divine Spirit. He Leadeth Me is a book to inspire all Christians to greater faith and trust in God-even in their darkest hour.

The Other Side of Beauty: Embracing God's Vision for Love and True Worth


Leah Darrow - 2017
    She shows how we can reclaim true and lasting beauty—the kind that doesn’t depend on self-doubt, exploitation, or comparison—when we reflect God’s glory and embrace our value as he made us to be: strong, brave, and free. Only when we learn to see ourselves as God does can we leave behind our culture’s definitions and demands and find joy in The Other Side of Beauty.

Miracles from Heaven: A Little Girl, Her Journey to Heaven, and Her Amazing Story of Healing


Christy Wilson Beam - 2015
    One sunny day when she was able to go outside and play with her sisters, she fell three stories headfirst inside an old, hollowed-out tree, a fall that may well have caused death or paralysis. Implausibly, she survived without a scratch. While unconscious inside the tree, with rescue workers struggling to get to her, she visited heaven. After being released from the hospital, she defied science and was inexplicably cured of her chronic ailment. MIRACLES FROM HEAVEN will change how we look at the world around us and reinforce our belief in God and the afterlife.

Wake Up to Hope: Devotional


Joel Osteen - 2016
    When you wake up in the morning, it's easy to lie in bed thinking negative thoughts. You don't realize it, but that's setting the tone for a lousy day.In this devotional, Joel and Victoria Osteen offer an inspiring tool to help you set your mind for a positive, happy, faith-filled day. You will read Scripture, reflect on a daily reading, pray a special prayer, and meditate on a thought for the day -- all with a goal to starting the day off grateful, thinking about God's goodness, expecting His favor, and setting the tone for a blessed, productive day. Just a few minutes each morning can make a big difference. When you wake up to hope, you'll not only have a better attitude but you'll see more of God's blessings and favor.

Divine Mercy for Moms: Sharing the Lessons of St. Faustina


Michele Faehnle - 2016
    Faustina Kowalska is one of the most celebrated of all Catholic devotions. In this, their first book, Catholic bloggers and speakers Michele Faehnle and Emily Jaminet break open the history, practices, and prayers associated with the devotion, guiding busy moms to receive God’s message of Divine Mercy and pass it on to others through their words, deeds, and prayers. In her famous Diary: Divine Mercy in My Soul, St. Faustina Kowalska recorded a series of visions of Jesus where he revealed the Chaplet of Divine Mercy and promised that anything can be obtained with the prayer if it is compatible with his will. St. John Paul II formally established the Divine Mercy devotion and canonized Faustina in 2000. The Marians of the Immaculate Conception are dedicated to spreading the Divine Mercy devotion the foreword for this book was written by Fr. Michael E. Gaitley, MIC, author of Divine Mercy Explained and 33 Days to Morning Glory. In Divine Mercy for Moms, Michele Faehnle and Emily Jaminet of the Columbus Catholic Women’s Conference—one of the largest annual Catholic women’s conferences in the country—draw upon their own experiences to introduce you to St. Faustina and her five essential elements of the Divine Mercy message:The image of the Merciful JesusThe Feast of Divine MercyThe Chaplet of Divine MercyThe House of MercySpreading the honor of Divine MercyWith heartwarming stories and practical advice, this book reveals that mercy is not just a gift to be received in the confessional but a spiritual resource that strengthens those who extend themselves in word, deed, and prayer. Designed for personal or group study, Divine Mercy for Moms celebrates the infinite mercy of God and the role of Mary, the Mother of Mercy, in the lives of all believers.Divine Mercy for Moms was the winner of a 2017 Catholic Press Association Book Award: Family Life (Third Place).

Revelations of Divine Love


Julian of Norwich
    Through these 'showings', Christ's sufferings were revealed to her with extraordinary intensity, but she also received assurance of God's unwavering love for man and his infinite capacity for forgiveness. Written in a vigorous English vernacular, the Revelations are one of the most original works of medieval mysticism and have had a lasting influence on Christian thought. This edition of the Revelations contains both the short text, which is mainly an account of the 'showings' themselves and Julian's initial interpretation of their meaning, and the long text, completed some twenty years later, which moves from vision to a daringly speculative theology. Elizabeth Spearing's translation preserves Julian's directness of expression and the rich complexity of her thought. An introduction, notes and appendices help to place the works in context for modern readers.

Delivered: True Stories of Men and Women Who Turned from Porn to Purity


Matt Fradd - 2013
    The pious man whose fairytale marriage was almost destroyed by his fierce addictionThe young woman who escaped a broken and abusive childhood only to become ensnared in porn's seamy underworldThe couple who tried everything to beat the pain and shame of porn in their homeThe female musician who thought porn was a guy thing until she got hooked herselfand five other inspiring tales of liberation from the ravages of pornography.Delivered is proof that no one is beyond the reach of God's healing grace.

Chasing Francis: A Pilgrim's Tale


Ian Morgan Cron - 2006
    Follow Chase's spiritual journey in the footsteps of Francis, and then begin one of your own through the pilgrim's guide included in this book.

Catherine of Siena


Sigrid Undset - 1951
    Known for her historical fiction, which won her the Nobel Prize for literature in 1928, Undset based this factual work on primary sources, her own experiences living in Italy, and her profound understanding of the human heart. One of the greatest novelists of the twentieth century, Undset was no stranger to hagiography. Her meticulous research of medieval times, which bore such fruit in her multi-volume masterpieces Kristin Lavransdatter and The Master of Hestviken, acquainted her with some of the holy men and women produced by the Age of Faith. Their exemplary lives left a lasting impression upon the author, an impression Undset credited as one of her reasons for entering the Church in 1924. Catherine of Siena was a particular favorite of Undset, who also was a Third Order Dominican. An extraordinarily active, intelligent, and courageous woman, Catherine at an early age devoted herself to the love of God. The intensity of her prayer, sacrifice, and service to the poor won her a reputation for holiness and wisdom, and she was called upon to make peace between warring nobles. Believing that peace in Italy could be achieved only if the Pope, then living in France, returned to Rome, Catherine boldly traveled to Avignon to meet with Pope Gregory XI. With sensitivity to the zealous love of God and man that permeated the life of Saint Catherine, Undset presents a most moving and memorable portrait of one of the greatest women of all time.

Ten Prayers God Always Says Yes To: Divine Answers to Life's Most Difficult Problems


Anthony DeStefano - 2007
    Anthony DeStefano, author of the bestselling" A Travel Guide to Heaven, " knew there had to be an answer to this mystery, so he set out on a quest to find prayers that God says yes to" all the time." The result is an extraordinary new book that has the ability to dramatically change the lives of readers of all faiths.Each short, powerful prayer in "Ten Prayers God Always Says Yes To" addresses a particular problem people commonly face in life--from accepting the existence of God to trying to make ends meet; from getting through terrible suffering to coping with everyday stress; from overcoming fear to finding your God-given destiny. Presented with a certainty and vigor that are sure to pique the interest of even those who are not spiritually inclined, these prayers will help readers find solutions to life's most difficult situations and provide meaningful and inspiring answers to the vexing questions we have about the purpose of our time on earth.In a world awash with superficial self-help books and deceptive gimmicks, "Ten Prayers God Always Says Yes To" is the real thing. Using hundreds of scriptural references to support his claims, DeStefano writes in a simple, straightforward, and uplifting manner that makes the most profound theological matters understandable to all. In the words of the author, "This is a spiritual treasure chest that is available to everyone....This book is about prayers that work--really, truly work."

Be Healed


Bob Schuchts - 2014
    In the tradition of beloved spiritual teachers like Francis MacNutt and Michael Scanlan, Be Healed offers in book form Bob Schuchts's popular program for spiritual, emotional, and physical healing through the power of the Holy Spirit and the sacraments.

Dance, Stand, Run: The God-Inspired Moves of a Woman on Holy Ground


Jess Connolly - 2017
    But it's not cheap—true grace compels us to change.  That’s where holiness comes in.Beloved writer, speaker, and bestselling coauthor of Wild and Free Jess Connolly will be the first to admit that not long ago, like many women, she grasped grace but she had forgotten holiness. Dance, Stand, Run charts her discovery that holiness was never meant to be a shaming reminder of what we “should” be doing, but rather a profound privilege of becoming more like Christ. That’s when we start to change the world, rather than being changed by it.Dance, Stand, Run is an invitation to the daughters of God to step into the movements of abundant life: dancing in grace, standing firm in holiness, and running on mission. Through story and study, Jess casts a fresh vision for how to live into your identity as a holy daughter of God, how to break free of cheap grace and empty rule-keeping, and finally, how to live out your holy influence with confidence before a watching world. Spoiler alert: it’s a beautiful thing.For anyone longing to take their place in what God is doing in the world, Dance, Stand, Run will rally your strength, refresh your purpose, and energize your faith in a God who calls us to be like Him.

The Love That Made Mother Teresa: How Her Secret Visions and Dark Nights Can Help You Conquer the Slums of Your Heart


David Scott - 2014
    But she was a woman with a will whose strength has been matched by few souls in history. Mother Teresa broke death’s stranglehold on the poor of Calcutta, and she showed us how to conquer the sin and darkness in what she called the “slums of the hearts of modern man.” Part biography and part spiritual reading, these pages bring to light little-known stories from Mother Teresa’s life that will help you to grow in your love of God. You will learn her approach to reading Scripture, what enabled her to persevere through agonizing nights, and the remarkable — some would say mystical — events that led her to start the Missionaries of Charity. In considering Mother Teresa, her private visions, and her secret sufferings, David Scott has discovered scores of early episodes and chance encounters that point to later, larger meanings. These remarkable patterns, he suggests, show that Mother Teresa’s life was choreographed from above, as if a divine script had been written for her from before her birth. In these pages, you will meet for the first time the Mother Teresa who challenged the ancient Goddess of Death and became the first saint of our global village. You will read as she describes, in long-secret letters, the dark night of her soul. The woman you will meet is one that God himself sent to you as a clear sign that despite pain and suffering in our lives and in our world, God’s good love will prevail . . . beginning in the slums of our hearts. We are all called to holiness, and the saints are sent to us as “real life” examples of God’s love. With Mother Teresa as your guide, you’ll learn how to follow God’s call and find holiness in a world marked by the shadow of death and growing indifference to God. Indeed, you’ll learn how to be an everyday missionary of Christ’s love in the ordinary activities of your daily life.

The Agony of Jesus


Padre Pio - 1974
    One of his few writings, the booklet also includes many pictures of Blessed Padre Pio from throughout his ministry. Padre Pio's beautiful and descriptive manner of writing provide a wonderful spiritual insight into that last night of Jesus' human life.