Recommendations based on "All I Am A Catholic Devotional for Discovering Who You Are in God"

A “special work” (J. S. Park) that honors life’s deep griefs, great joys, and unsettled in-betweens through every sacred season, assuring us that we are never alone “Oh, I love this book. . . . Honest and hopeful, masterfully written, both a balm and a bolstering.”—Shauna Niequist, New York Times bestselling author Exquisitely told and urgently resonant, Even After Everything is a love letter to anyone who has opened their heart only to be hurt. Stephanie Duncan Smith proposes that it’s not through grit or forced resilience that you will find a way forward, but through receiving the full spectrum of our lives, just as we receive the empathy of God-with-us in every moment. Duncan Smith’s disorientation began when she lost her first pregnancy on the winter solstice, just as the world readied to celebrate its most historic birth on Christmas. Then a new yet uncertain pregnancy unfolded parallel to the pandemic, until nearly one year to the day of her loss, she gave birth to her daughter at the peak of mortality in their city. These contradictions compelled Duncan Smith into a desperate search for steadiness, which she found in the liturgical year as a grounding force and the promise that we are seen by God in every season. In Even After Everything, Duncan Smith traverses the church’s circle of time and reorients herself and us in the sacred story told through Advent, Epiphany, Lent, Holy Week, and Ordinary Time. She reveals the sacred year—through its endless interplay of love, loss, risk, and resurrection—as a mirror to the human experience, an anchor for turbulent times, and a womb strong enough to encompass every human care. At its heart lives the promise of God-with-us, inviting us into the spiritual practice of taking courage in the trust that we are accompanied in everything, and love will always have the last word.

NATIONAL BESTSELLER • ECPA BESTSELLER • Are you sick of waiting for your “real” life to begin? This joy-filled daily devotional offers the abundant peace that comes when you place your trust in God’s plan and start living today—from the founder of the Honey Scoop. “Ashley’s timely wisdom will draw you in and leave you feeling equipped and encouraged to begin each day with joy.”—Rebekah Lyons, bestselling author of Rhythms of Renewal Do you have big dreams and can hardly wait to start the future God has planned for you? But maybe you haven’t yet arrived where you want to be. Perhaps you yearn for the spouse you’ve been praying for, the career you’ve been working toward, or the life you’ve been hoping for. Whatever your longings, waiting can be difficult. But you don’t have to wait until God answers your prayers to embrace where He has you today. The truth is, you’re not just hanging around for what comes next—you’re in a meaningful process of becoming the person God created you to be. This daily devotional from the founder of the Honey Scoop will fill you with encouragement to help you deepen your faith as you trust God with your life and its sweetness exactly where you are right now—not where you will be someday. You don’t need to waste your current season as you wait for what’s next. Discover how you can experience more joy, more purpose, and more trust in God today, and make the most of these holy, God-given days as you embrace The Joy of the In-Between.

A compassionate, shame-free guide for your darkest days“A one-of-a-kind book . . . to read for yourself or give to a struggling friend or loved one without the fear that depression and suicidal thoughts will be minimized, medicalized or over-spiritualized.”—Kay Warren, cofounder of Saddleback ChurchWhat happens when loving Jesus doesn’t cure you of depression, anxiety, or suicidal thoughts? You might be crushed by shame over your mental illness, only to be told by well-meaning Christians to “choose joy” and “pray more.” So you beg God to take away the pain, but nothing eases the ache inside. As darkness lingers and color drains from your world, you’re left wondering if God has abandoned you.You just want a way out.But there’s hope.In I Love Jesus, But I Want to Die, Sarah J. Robinson offers a healthy, practical, and shame-free guide for Christians struggling with mental illness. With unflinching honesty, Sarah shares her story of battling depression and fighting to stay alive despite toxic theology that made her afraid to seek help outside the church. Pairing her own story with scriptural insights, mental health research, and simple practices, Sarah helps you reconnect with the God who is present in our deepest anguish and discover that you are worth everything it takes to get better.Beautifully written and full of hard-won wisdom, I Love Jesus, But I Want to Die offers a path toward a rich, hope-filled life in Christ, even when healing doesn’t look like what you expect.

Reading Notes To Myself is one of those rare experiences that comes only once in a great while.  The editor who discovered the book said, "When I first read Prather's manuscript it was late at night and I was tired, but by the time I finished it, I felt rested and alive.  Since then I've reread it many times and it says even more to me now."  The book serves as a beginning for the reader's exploration of his or her own life and as a treasury of thoughtful and insightful reminders.

When you breathe in all the grace available to you and release everything that is outside of your control, you'll discover peace that surpasses your circumstances. All it takes is practice. If you feel overwhelmed with anxiety about the future, you're far from alone. For many of us, when we're not worrying about what is to come, we find ourselves wrestling with things from the past. Where does that leave us today Morgan Harper Nichols has learned the answer to this question. She has examined stories from her own life and the lives of people around the world and noticed a common thread: we all long for peace. We're all seeking light and life. But these things don't happen passively. Peace Is a Practice invites you to become an active peacemaker in your own life, starting right where you are, and in some of the most unexpected places. As these words and images inspire you to take daily steps toward peace, you'll uncover the key to: Embracing the beauty of the present Letting go of regret of the past and fear of the future Developing a path toward meaning and authenticity Approaching life's challenges with faith and a calm confidence Feeling peace even in the midst of uncertainty or difficult times In every moment, there is something as deep and boundless as a winding river waiting to be found--a true peace that flows, beckoning you to rest and be still.

Becoming who you were before the world told you who you had to be. You're not alone when it comes to experiencing shame or fear of not being enough. Shame isn't felt only by those who have gone through failure or trauma or been told they'll never amount to anything. Many people—even those who are considered successful—struggle with a sense that they are deficient or inadequate. Drawing on a rich variety of personal experience, Scripture, spiritual formation classics, psychology, and relational neuroscience; award-winning author and pastor Ken Shigematsu shows how a deep, experiential encounter with the love of God can heal us of our shame, make us whole again, and inspire us to fulfill our purpose by making a faithful contribution to the world. Now I Become Myself will help you: Break free of an unhealthy self-image and from jealousy of others' achievements. Discover how beauty and spiritual joy can help you overcome the unhealthy shame you're clinging to. Create space in your life to draw close to Jesus and deepen your sense of God's boundless love for you. Written with pastoral compassion and understanding, Shigematsu's stories and teachings will uplift you and help you break free from the feeling of not being enough so that you can find rest in the security of God's grace. Each chapter concludes with a prayer exercise intended to nurture your relationship with the God who formed you in love and created you in beauty.

A life-changing guide to accessing the new life Jesus came to bring—from the bestselling author of Having a Mary Heart in a Martha World   “You’ll emerge from this reading experience a changed woman.”—Liz Curtis Higgs   You long to serve God with grace and strength and reflect Christ in every word and action. Yet you find yourself continually struggling to bring that vision to life in your daily walk. At our very core, every one of us is a “twisted sister” within whom the flesh and spirit are battling constantly for control. We are afflicted with a chronic disconnect between our good-girl desire to put Jesus first and our bad-girl realities that crowd our thoughts and push Him out of the way. In Having a Mary Spirit, Joanna Weaver directs your gaze past your own shortcomings to the God who stands ready, willing, and able to make a new woman out of you. She equips you with biblical insights and practical tools to partner with Christ, inviting Him into the hidden places of your soul and giving Him full permission to redeem and renovate. Drawing on the stories of the biblical Marys (Mary, mother of Jesus; Mary, sister of Martha; and Mary Magdalene) and others whose experience with God transformed their lives, Joanna points you toward lasting personal transformation—soul-deep change that results in a complete makeover—from the inside out.   Includes a fourteen-week Bible study (adaptable to twelve weeks) for both individual reflection and group discussion.

One hundred relatable prayers for talking to God during all those busy, joyful, hard, or mundane moments of each day when you can't seem to find the right words. Prayer—the act of entering into conversation with God—is one of the hallmarks of our faith. Yet, prayer also tends to be one of the spiritual practices believers struggle with the most. So how do we cultivate a lifestyle of “praying without ceasing”? Tama Fortner, author and ghostwriter of several bestselling books, understands this challenge all too well. But she also knows the peace and comfort that comes when we bring every moment of our days—from the small annoyances and great joys to the seemingly insurmountable challenges and seasons of doubt—to the feet of our Father. In Prayers for Each Moment, she shares one hundred prayers that you can turn to whether you're feeling worried, excited, conflicted, or grateful. Each prayer comes with a related Scripture verse, and an additional section includes Prayers to Pray Together. Prayers include: When Five O’clock on Friday Seems Like It Will Never Come When I Need to Hear God’s Voice When I’m Awake in the Night When I've Absolutely Crushed It The struggle to know how to pray is nothing new. Even the disciples asked Jesus to teach them how to pray, and he gave them—and us—the beautiful template we now know as “the Lord’s Prayer.” Just as we can use that prayer as a springboard for the cries of our own heart, may the prayers in this book help encourage you to practice your own rhythm of sharing your heart with God.

Find hope and purpose as you discover that you're right where you're supposed to be. Maybe you thought you'd be further along by now. Or have a different kind of life. Maybe you thought that relationship would have happened, that dream would have come true, that path would have opened up--and it didn't. Or you feel stuck, behind, not sure if you made a wrong turn somewhere. You're trying to make sense of what is, even if what "is" is not what you thought it would be. Or maybe you're searching for a moment of peace before carrying on. Getting Through What You're Going Through by poet and writer Tanner Olson explores these ideas and offers you hope through it all. You don't have to just "get through"; you can "go through"--all the ups and downs, disappointments, unexpected surprises--knowing that God is present and hope remains. In this collection of over one hundred poems and reflections, Tanner shows that God's timing may be slow until it isn't. Every day presents a gift to open. And hope is there to be found in the simplest things--a cup of coffee, a good friend, a single pancake. If you're feeling stuck, unsettled, or even just happy to be here, know that hope remains and you're right where you're supposed to be.

#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER  What do you do when God’s timing seems questionable, his lack of intervention hurtful, and his promises doubtful? Lysa TerKeurst unveils her heart amid shattering circumstances, inviting you to live assured when life doesn't turn out like you expected. Life often looks so very different than we hoped or expected. Some events may simply catch us off guard for a season, but others shatter us completely. We feel disappointed and disillusioned at best and overwhelmed and hopeless at worst. We quietly start to wonder about the reality of God’s goodness and why he allows us to suffer and experience grief and loss. Lysa TerKeurst understands this deeply. But after many tears, godly counseling, and prayerful seeking, she's also discovered that our disappointments can be the divine appointments our souls need to radically encounter God. In It's Not Supposed to Be This Way, Lysa invites us into her own journey of faith and, with grit, vulnerability, and honest humor, helps us to: Stop being pulled into the anxiety of disappointment by discovering how to better process unmet expectations and other painful situations. Train ourselves to recognize the three strategies of the enemy, so we can stand strong and persevere through unsettling relationships and uncertain outcomes. Discover the secret of being steadfast and not panicking when God actually does give us more than we can handle. Shift our suspicion that God is cruel or unfair to the biblical assurance that God is protecting and preparing us. Know how to encourage a friend and help her navigate hard realities with real help from God's truth, the Bible. Look for additional biblically based resources and devotionals from Lysa: Good Boundaries and Goodbyes Forgiving What You Can't Forget Uninvited You're Going to Make It Embraced Seeing Beautiful Again