Perhaps that’s because it is so hard to experience lasting happiness.In The Saints’ Guide to Happiness, Robert Ellsberg suggests that some of the best people to show us are holy men and women throughout history—from St. Augustine to Flannery O’Connor, Thomas Merton to St. Theresa of Avila and Mother Theresa.These people weren’t saints because of the way they died or their visions or wondrous deeds. They were saints because of their extraordinary capacity for goodness and love, which—in the end—makes us happy.

    Prayer is simple. Prayer seems like it should be so simple. Yet when it comes to actually praying, it often feels awkward and complicated.I mean, what should you actually pray about? What do you say? Is there anything you should or shouldn't say? Do you have to speak out loud? Where do you even start?To make matters worse, we've heard about prayer for so long that we feel awkward asking about it. It's like having to ask a person's name after knowing them for years. We're embarrassed to ask because we really should know their name by now.Then comes the reality and craziness of life. Between work, parenting, walking the dog, a full inbox, keeping up on social media--who has time to pray?The truth is, prayer is simple. It's like talking; talking with a good friend. Here's the best part: No matter where we are in life, God can't wait to talk with us.What does it look like to pray in the midst of your life? What do you say when you don't know how to pray? I'm asking the same questions. Let's talk.

    It would alsomake a good RCIA resource as well as a blockbuster stimulus fordiscussions."—Book Nook, Pecos BenedictineThe authors answer the question, "Why Be Catholic?" fairly and squarely, showing a deep appreciation about what is good in Catholicism and a penetrating honesty about the Church's shortcomings. Rohr and Martos also examine what it means to be Catholic in the United States today. Finally, to answer the title question in a more personal way, they present portraits of some outstanding Catholics, especially those we call saints, who have found personal fulfillment by living their faith to the utmost.After reading this book, you will appreciate more fully the unique heritage of the Catholic Church. You will understand how its magnificent tradition enriches the lives of Catholics today and propels the ever-changing Church into the 21st century and third millennium. A popular resource for RCIA, evangelization and religious education.

    "When you can feel in your cells that you're coming to the end of your tour of duty," he said, "what is the spiritual work of this time, and how do we prepare for the mystery?"Davidson, who has a seeker's heart and a skeptic's mind, jumped at the chance to spend time with him. She'd long feared that death would be a complete annihilation, while Reb Zalman felt certain that "something continues." He said he didn't want to convince her of anything. "What I want is to loosen your mind." Through their talks, he wanted to help people "not freak out about dying," and enable them to have a more heightened and grateful life.For two years, they met every week, and this is Davidson's memoir of what they learned and how they changed. Interspersed with their talks are sketches from Reb Zalman's extraordinary life. He barely escaped the Nazis, became an Orthodox rabbi in the US, was married four times and had eleven children, one from a sperm donation to a lesbian rabbi, and formed friendships with leaders of other faiths, such as Thomas Merton and the Dalai Lama. Breaking with the Orthodox, he founded the Jewish Renewal Movement to encourage people to have a direct experience of God.During their time together, Davidson was nearly killed by a suicide bomb, and Reb Zalman struggled with a steep decline in health. Together they created strategies to deal with pain and memory loss, and found tools to cultivate simplicity, fearlessness, and joy—at any age. Davidson includes twelve exercises so that readers may experience what she did—a sea change in facing what we all must face: mortality.

    In Daring to Ask for More, Melody Mason has shone the light of God’s Word on the path to true revival—Holy Spirit-inspired, daring, audacious prayer. I know this book will be a tremendous blessing to many.Doug Batchelor, President and Speaker, Amazing Facts If prayer is “the key in the hand of faith to unlock heaven’s storehouse” as Steps to Christ declares, then Melody Mason’s new book is long overdue. Daring to Ask for More is precisely God’s strategic appeal to this generation living on the edge of eternity. Daring to Ask for More indeed! May our hearts be stirred up as never before to seek God through prayer as never before, while there is still time.Dwight K. Nelson, Senior Pastor, Pioneer Memorial Church, Andrews University Melody Mason’s new book, Daring to Ask for More, is driving me to my knees. My needs are so great and my resources so few, what self-righteousness it is to pray so little. Thank you for that push!Frank Fournier, President, ASI

    Timothy Treadwell had just been dragged into the alders to be eaten alive, but she was a city girl who was clueless when it came to bear safety and how to survive an attack by one. She could have lived if she had only known what to do.   Adventurer, author, and bush pilot, Tom Hron, who's spent a lifetime flying floatplanes and helicopters in Alaska's and Canada's most dangerous bear country, tells about real-life attacks and relates them to survival. He takes on the so-called experts and tells you what NOT to do. Blacks, browns, grizzlies, and polar bears--he covers them all in 240 spell-binding pages, and what you read may save your life.

     Did you know that 40% of bariatric surgery patients regain weight within 5 years of having weight loss surgery? When it comes to long-term weight-loss surgery success, you've got to get a handle on your emotions and motivation. The food will always be there, and it’s not about knowing WHAT to eat, but instead, transforming your relationship with food. This is why conquering your MINDSET is essential. If you are not in the right head-space, you can slide backward and enter the danger zone of regaining weight. Unfortunately, the cravings, emotional impulses, and habits to eat whatever and whenever still pop up after surgery. Even with the knowledge of what to eat, you will also need to learn how to manage yourself and your mindset around food. Fancy meal plans won’t help you if you haven’t tackled the most difficult part of having weight loss surgery; your brain! After investing so much time to get your body where you want it, is having the wrong mindset worth the risk of sabotaging all you've worked hard to achieve? In Bariatric Mindset Success, you will be guided by Kristin, a professional psychotherapist and a successful gastric sleeve post-op patient through her most coveted weight loss surgery success strategies. She’ll guide you through the WLS basics as well as advanced mindset, motivation, and emotional techniques to help you stay focused and on track through the ups and downs of life. You’ll gain practical tools and techniques to create lifestyle habits that keep you focused on WLS success for life, not just in the short term. Also, she gives you tools to handle friendships and relationships after weight loss surgery in addition to giving you a compass for living your best life, beyond the weight loss. Ready to get started? Scroll up to the top of the page and click on the “Add to Cart” button.

    Looking up at the stars or witnessing a beautiful sunrise leaves us feeling like there has to be more to our existence. Is there more out there than this? Who am I? What is my purpose? The answers to these questions are hidden in the Natural Laws of the Universe. These Cosmic Laws govern ALL things and shape our inner and outer worlds. They do not leave uncertainty or doubt. They are the key to ALL things in existence and they can help you to achieve anything you desire out of life. Unlock the secrets of the universe to help open your mind to a more fulfilling life. What you will gain from this book: Learn that there is more to life than what there seems How to gain knowledge and anything you want in life Why we are not told about the laws and why they are hidden from us How the laws are the key to ALL existence How to stop struggling and start living a meaningful life The Law of Attraction is one of the best known universal laws. It can help manifest anything you desire, but combined with other valuable laws it will reshape your thinking and bring more meaning to your existence. Not only can you have anything you desire, you can increase your quality of life and make more sense of the world around you. This book could be the most life changing book you've ever read. You can be in complete control of your life and the world around you by understanding the laws that govern all things. Take advantage of the hidden secrets of the universe and start living the life you deserve. Scroll up and grab a copy now!

    VOICES IN MY EAR was originally published by Futura in 1980 and immediately became a bestseller. MORE VOICES IN MY EAR in 1981. We still get many telephone calls and letters asking where the books can be obtained. Doris Stokes was a celebrated medium who confounded sceptics by the uncanny accuracy of her readings. In Australia she filled the Sydney Opera House and was mobbed in the streets. In America 'Charlie's Angels' was moved from its primetime slot to make way for her. In Britain she filled the Albert Hall, and radio phone-ins caused blocked lines and an avalanche of mail. Doris Stokes possessed an amazing gift - exceptional psychic powers that over the years of her extraordinary life brought joy and comfort to thousands of people.

    Good Book is what happens when a regular guy—an average Job—actually reads the book on which his religion, his culture, and his world are based. Along the way, he grapples with the most profound theological questions: How many commandments do we actually need? Does God prefer obedience or good deeds? And the most unexpected ones: Why are so many women in the Bible prostitutes? Why does God love bald men so much? Is Samson really that stupid?

    Kevin Watson has written a fresh new guide to the theory and practice of the Wesley class meeting, an essential element of truly Wesleyan spirituality. This book is for clergy and congregations who are looking for ways to develop deeper discipleship. The class meeting is made workable without losing its essential dynmic as a gospel-based accountable community. Watson has resurrected the class meeting and given it new meaning, showing its relevance for the church today and how it may be a perfect means for church renewal.

    According to Joshua Trachtenberg, it is not possible truly to understand the experience and history of the Jewish people without attempting to recover their folklife and beliefs from centuries past.Jewish Magic and Superstition is a masterful and utterly fascinating exploration of religious forms that have all but disappeared yet persist in the imagination. The volume begins with legends of Jewish sorcery and proceeds to discuss beliefs about the evil eye, spirits of the dead, powers of good, the famous legend of the golem, procedures for casting spells, the use of gems and amulets, how to battle spirits, the ritual of circumcision, herbal folk remedies, fortune telling, astrology, and the interpretation of dreams.First published more than sixty years ago, Trachtenberg's study remains the foundational scholarship on magical practices in the Jewish world and offers an understanding of folk beliefs that expressed most eloquently the everyday religion of the Jewish people.

    The growing realization that he was gay coupled with his parents' use of religion to justify abuse and neglect led Dennis to have a very complicated relationship with love, God, and organized religion. After suffering a violent hate crime, forced institutionalization, and heartbreak after heartbreak, Dennis was desperate for love and acceptance--he just didn't know where to find it. Walk a mile in Dennis's shoes and see from his eyes how the only love that can truly make you whole is that of the Savior.

    Although Kathleen Norris’s best-selling Dakota: A Spiritual Geography has brought her to the attention of many thousands of readers, she is first and last a poet.  Like Robert Frost, another poet identified with a particular landscape, she can reveal the miraculous in the ordinary, and she writes with clarity, humor, and deep sympathy for her subjects.

    We're three mothers from three faiths -- Islam, Christianity, and Judaism -- who got together to write a picture book for our children that would highlight the connections between our religions. But no sooner had we started talking about our beliefs and how to explain them to our children than our differences led to misunderstandings. Our project nearly fell apart.""After September 11th, Ranya Idliby, an American Muslim of Palestinian descent, faced constant questions about Islam, God, and death from her children, the only Muslims in their classrooms. Inspired by a story about Muhammad, Ranya reached out to two other mothers -- a Christian and a Jew -- to try to understand and answer these questions for her children. After just a few meetings, however, it became clear that the women themselves needed an honest and open environment where they could admit -- and discuss -- their concerns, stereotypes, and misunderstandings about one another. After hours of soul-searching about the issues that divided them, Ranya, Suzanne, and Priscilla grew close enough to discover and explore what united them."The Faith Club" is a memoir of spiritual reflections in three voices that will make readers feel as if they are eavesdropping on the authors' private conversations, provocative discussions, and often controversial opinions and conclusions. The authors wrestle with the issues of anti-Semitism, prejudice against Muslims, and preconceptions of Christians at a time when fundamentalists dominate the public face of Christianity. They write beautifully and affectingly of their families, their losses and grief, their fears and hopes for themselves and their loved ones. And as the authors reveal their deepest beliefs, readers watch the blossoming of a profound interfaith friendship and the birth of a new way of relating to others.In a final chapter, they provide detailed advice on how to start a faith club: the questions to ask, the books to read, and most important, the open-minded attitude to maintain in order to come through the experience with an enriched personal faith and understanding of others.Pioneering, timely, and deeply thoughtful, "The Faith Club"'s caring message will resonate with people of all faiths.For more information or to start your own faith club visit www.thefaithclub.com