In 1975 Carolyn Proctor underwent a routine surgery in an Atlanta hospital. The day before she was to return home, she was sitting up in bed, catching up on office work, chatting with her sister who had come to visit, and talking to her mother, Julia, on the phone. A few hours later, Carolyn began to hemorrhage; although doctors operated to stop the bleeding that evening, they were unable to wake her afterward. Carolyn had slipped into a coma, and scans showed very little brain activity. Waiting for their mother to come home were five-year-old Jody and his sister, Becky. Carolyn, Julia, Jody, and Becky didn’t know it yet, but their lives had changed forever.

 

After months in limbo, Jody and Becky were still asking for their mother, and their grandmother was advised to tell them that Carolyn had died. After all, it was only a matter of time until the inevitable end came. Julia refused, and took Jody to see Carolyn in the hospital. What happened next marked the beginning of Carolyn’s journey back to her family.

 

Told by Jody, this is a remarkable story of how God works through loved ones to accomplish his will for us. If you have ever wondered how to make sense of tragedy or difficult circumstances, this will inspire you to discover God’s purpose behind it all. And if you have ever wanted to give up on the power of hope and love, be ready to have your faith renewed.

It was 3:12 a.m. when Cindy Curtis Johnson and her husband, Glenn, got the knock on their front door that every parent dreads: their son, Brandon, was dead. Brandon died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound only hours after he and Cindy had what she describes as a wonderful conversation on the phone. In the days and months that followed, Cindy was forced to reexamine everything in her life: her experiences, her relationships, her assumptions about God’s plans for her, and her dreams for the future.

 

In this searingly honest book, Cindy reveals how Brandon’s death has helped her make sense of her life, from being teased by classmates when she was a child to her difficult relationship with her mother-in-law. With God’s help, she has also found the courage to face the darkest feelings, the ones we try to avoid, such as guilt—why didn’t she insist that Brandon see a therapist?—and anger—where were her friends and family members when she needed them most?

 

As a professional, Cindy knows that this process can empower anyone suffering from loss. She doesn’t stop there, though. She not only illuminates a path that will help you understand tragedy’s place in your life, but also encourages you to use this time to think seriously and specifically about the person you want to become now. Join Cindy on her journey of healing and hope as you identify God’s plan for you.

Stacy Beebe had plans for her life—marriage and at least three children by the time she turned thirty. Marrying Dan while both were still young and in college was only the beginning. By the time they had graduated, started jobs, bought a house, and celebrated their first pregnancy three years later, it looked like they were well on their way to painting the wonderful life portrait Stacy had envisioned.

Then came the miscarriage. What followed was a journey familiar to anyone who has struggled with the heartache of infertility. It may be your story, too: endless doctor’s visits, a life dictated by the calendar, the strain on a marriage, disappointment after disappointment, the search for answers and solutions, and the awkwardness of friends and loved ones who aren’t sure what to say. And what was God’s role in this? Although she and Dan had always made Him the foundation of their marriage, Stacy even wondered if they were being punished for something.

Only when she decided to look for guidance rather than answers did Stacy begin to feel a sense of peace. Today, twenty-one years later, Stacy and Dan are the parents of two beautiful boys. Theirs is a story of hope and inspiration, but even more, it’s a story of the many gifts to be had when we surrender our own brushes and allow God to paint our life portraits.

This collection of true short stories shares the life of Laurel Perrigo, a city girl from Detroit who moved to the country in Tennessee. There she began to accumulate farm animals, including goats, horses, and dogs—and to journal her experiences and insights. A photo collection also accompanies the stories.

Through these vignettes, readers will gain knowledge about various farm animals and the care they require, and they will learn the personal spiritual life lessons that those experiences taught Laurel.

Urban readers will come away with new insights into country living, while rural readers will relate to the stories of Laurel’s farm. All readers are invited to have spiritual reflections on how God uses everyday situations to reveal Himself to us and bring us closer to Him.

A Year of Thinking Deeply about the Good Book provides an introduction and guide for readers contemplating the challenge of reading and studying the Bible over the course of a year. Each chapter highlights the main messages of the books of the Bible and guides readers through commentaries on each of those books. Author John Ash begins each chapter with a key Bible verse, uses his photographs as illustrations, and shares guidance in an approachable manner.

 

On occasion, the chapters pull together surprising references, bringing an eclectic array of voices into the conversation. The introduction to the gospel of John, for example, moves from Phil Collins, the rock singer and drummer, to Abraham J. Heschel, the Jewish scholar, and then to N. T. Wright, Anglican theologian. This conversation helps to draw readers into a deeper exploration of what the Bible meant in the days of its authors and what its message is for believers in today’s world.

 

If you find yourself mulling over life’s big questions—wondering how we came to be together in this life, what does God call us to do, why we face a world bent on violence, and what hope can we offer one another—then A Year of Thinking Deeply about the Good Book can take you along a yearlong path of reading the Bible and seeking God’s answers to those big questions.

The first time Denise Briley took her two youngest children to one of the churches in their new town, they were greeted warmly. When the family arrived the next week, this time with eleven-year-old Clayton in his wheelchair, no one even made eye contact with them. Fortunately, the family found another church where all of them felt welcome. Although the church community didn’t have experience working with people with disabilities, volunteers came forth to support the Brileys and help Clayton attend Sunday school and church.

 

Born with severe cerebral palsy, Clayton inspired a special-needs ministry that grew to 80–100 participants, including volunteers. Children and their families who had never been able to attend church before found a welcoming community where they no longer felt isolated.

 

This is the story of Denise and her beloved son Clayton, who passed away in 2009 at the age of twenty-five. It is the story of a mother’s devotion and of her journey to places she never expected to be, doing God’s work in a way she never could have foreseen. Honest and courageous, Denise shares not only her love and grief, but her struggle to find direction after Clayton’s death. But whenever she needed a sign of God’s presence, he sent her a feather. Feathers from Heaven challenges us to think about how we include people with disabilities in our churches, and to look for signs of God’s grace in our own lives.

Jennifer was a “good girl”—so how did she end up pregnant at seventeen? By the time the baby was born, her boyfriend had moved away; he said they could keep their long distance relationship strong, but they didn’t. They broke up, and Jennifer was left alone with a new baby and parents who looked at her differently. She was no longer their little girl; she was now a little mom. Having always wanted to go to college, Jennifer was disturbed by the lack of good educational programs for young mothers. She struggled, not only with her education, but with the way society—and friends—looked at her and her baby. Life was forever changed, and she felt very alone … until she remembered there was someone who would always love and support her, no matter the situation. Moving Forward is the true story of Jennifer Thomas—teenage mother, college graduate, wife, and follower of Christ. As soon as Jennifer turned her face to the Lord, she found hope. Her path rarely went in the direction she had planned, but God always has the best intentions for His children. A personal retelling of a painful path, Moving Forward will move you and make you believe in a limitless Savior.

A Study of Ezra and Nehemiah: Restoration through Comfort and Strength explores the insights offered by these two often-neglected biblical books for Christians seeking encouragement and sustenance from God’s Word in the midst of trying times. Author Charlotte Travis leads readers through historical details, connections with other parts of the Bible, and spiritual insights that flow from each verse of Ezra and Nehemiah. Daily studies, spanning twenty-one weeks, help students discover the riches that God gives to all who trust His Word and who desire to serve God by building His Kingdom in their lives and in the world around them.

 

Each day’s study begins by inviting readers to pray. An approachable introduction places the day’s passage in context. A verse-by-verse exploration asks questions and guides readers through the passage. Each day features a memory verse and encouragement to take notes on the day’s study.

 

Christians who see the challenges to their faith often find great value in guides that point clearly to the mighty arm of God and His work to overcome adversity in their daily lives. If you seek wisdom from God’s Word, confidence that He protects His people, and hope in the face of evil, then A Study of Ezra and Nehemiah can provide you with the resources for immersing yourself in two books that offer precisely these gifts.

God sometimes says and does scary things, especially in Old Testament scripture. When we come across these stories, too often we either shy away from the challenge they present or allow them to undermine our convictions and faith in a loving God.

 

The ancient love story of Hosea and his wife Gomer is one such account, as it chronicles the Lord’s grief and pain as the people of Israel turn their backs on Him. In Chains Falling: A Study of Rebellion and Redemption in Hosea, author and Bible teacher Jamy Fisher brings us a profound, powerful, and life-changing study of the Book of Hosea, showing how by looking deeper we can perceive God’s ever-open heart even in the midst of His great sadness and absolute justice.

 

Through Fisher’s six-week study, presented in thirty daily lessons, we see that to walk God’s path is to hear His truth about our lives, even about our weakness and sin, and know he is never satisfied to leave us unredeemed. He could force us to obey Him, but God does not love us out of obligation and does not want us to love Him out of fear. With insightful questions and journal prompts, Chains Falling takes us through God’s grief to the call for redemption and real repentance to our role as readers and leaders and, finally, to understanding that love and contentment lie in simply walking with Him wherever he leads.

Jesus gives the Holy Spirit to make people his followers and to guide them as disciples. Disciples of the Holy Spirit helps Christians to understand the work of the Holy Spirit, to clarify the role of the Spirit in their lives as believers, and to guide them along moral paths so they may embrace the Spirit’s gifts and bear fruit to the glory of God.

Author George P. Kimber taps his knowledge and experience from nearly six decades of discipleship as an evangelist, pastor, teacher, and professor to explain the gifts and fruits of the Holy Spirit. He outlines God’s need for disciples in today’s challenging times. He tells how the Holy Spirit empowers individuals to follow Jesus’ unique model of discipleship. He describes the ethics of discipleship that Jesus taught in his Sermon on the Mount and that his apostles carried out in their ministries. He reinforces the truth that godly love underlies all of the Holy Spirit’s work in the lives of disciples.

Disciples of the Holy Spirit will guide you both in understanding how the Holy Spirit’s gifts and fruits come to life in your discipleship and in applying moral principles to the faithful practice of the Spirit’s gifts. In the end, you will come to know the Holy Spirit and its holistic work in your life.

Trevor Williams was just like any other 11-year-old kid.  The gift he received for his 11^th birthday, however, quickly changed the pace of his common, average life. After suffering some very foolish choices of his own making, Trevor finds himself working with the FBI in an attempt to bring down a very mysterious man who is out to get him.  This journey takes him on an adventure he will never forget.  Children and parents alike with enjoy following Trevor through the ups, downs, twists, and turns of The Dangerous Gift.

How do you respond when life takes an unexpected turn—when tragedy strikes? You find yourself facing a heartbreak that is beyond the sight of recovery. Your life has been rocked.

 

Using parallels from the book of Job and drawing from his own life experience, author Joe Champion tackles the tough questions that arise when circumstances make it seem as if life is spinning out of control. Rocked is about real stories, real people, and real pain. God has clear guidelines for us to follow, a love that is impossible to ignore, and the strength to not only get us through the difficult times but lead us out with victory. Using straightforward points and candid stories, Champion reveals both practical and spiritual ways to overcome any tragic situation and connect to the real hope and power of the Word of God.

 

Rocked is a deep look into the heart of man and the heart of God. Ageless questions about bad things happening to good people can never be answered without looking into the character of the Lord. He loves unconditionally and can comfort us when we are in pain. Rocked takes scripture, breaks it down, and gives us insight into God’s heart.