Recommendations based on "Ending Your Day Right"

"In his life and writing, Michael Yankoski walks a tightrope between action and contemplation, and, behold, in ways we can all learn from, he manages to find a sort of essential balance." — Philip Yancey, author of What's So Amazing About Grace"This book is a joy to the soul and a delight to the heart. It is destined to become a classic within the genre of contemporary spiritual and religious writing." — Phyllis Tickle, compiler of The Divine HoursFrustrated and disillusioned with his life as a Christian motivational speaker, Michael Yankoski was determined to stop merely talking about living a life of faith and start experiencing it. The result was a year of focused engagement with spiritual practices—both ancient and modern—that fundamentally reshaped and revived his life. By contemplating apples for an hour before tasting them (attentiveness), eating on just $2.00 a day (simplicity), or writing letters of thanks (gratitude), Michael discovered a whole new vitality and depth through the intentional life.Guided by the voice of Father Solomon—a local monk—Yankoski's Sacred Year slowly transforms his life. Both entertaining and profound, his story will resonate with those who wish to deepen their own committed faith as well as those who are searching—perhaps for the first time—for their own authentic encounter with the Divine.

From the international bestselling author of Awareness, a pocket-sized guide that will bring you to new levels of spiritual awareness.The Way To Love contains the final flowering of Anthony de Mello's thought, and in it he grapples with the ultimate question of love. In thirty-one meditations, he implores his readers with his usual pithiness to break through illusion, the great obstacle to love. "Love springs from awareness," de Mello insists, saying that it is only when we see others as they are that we can begin to really love. But not only must we seek to see others with clarity, we must examine ourselves without misconception. The task, however, is not easy. "The most painful act," de Mello says, "is the act of seeing. But in that act of seeing that love is born." Anthony De Mello was the director of the Sadhana Institute of Pastoral Counseling in Poona, India, and authored several books. The Way To Love is his last.

Enter a simpler way of living by unhurrying your heart, embracing the relaxed rhythms of nature, and discovering the meaningful gift of growing slow.  We long to make a break from the fast pace of life, but if we're honest, we're afraid of what we'll miss if we do. Yet when going big and hustling hard leaves us stressed, empty, and out of sorts, perhaps this can be our cue to step into a far more satisfying, sustainable pace. In this crafted, inspiring read, beloved author Jennifer Dukes Lee offers a path to unhurried living by returning to the rhythm of the land and learning the ancient art of Growing Slow.  Jennifer was once at breaking point herself, and tells her story of rude awakening to the ways her chosen lifestyle of running hard, scaling fast, and the neverending chase for results was taking a toll on her body, heart, and soul. But when she finally gave herself permission to believe it takes time to grow good things, she found a new kind of freedom. With eloquent truths and vivid storytelling, Jennifer reflects on the lessons she learned from living on her fifth-generation family farm and the insights she gathered from the purposeful yet never rushed life of Christ. Growing Slow charts a path out of the pressures of bigger, harder, faster, and into a more rooted way of living where the growth of good things is deep and lasting.  Following the rhythms of the natural growing season, Growing Slow will help you: Find the true relief that comes when you stop running and start resting in Jesus Learn practices for unhurrying your heart and mind every day Let go of the pressure and embrace the small, good things already bearing fruit in your life And engage slow growth through reflection prompts and simple application steps

For anyone who longs for a consistent prayer life yet struggles with distractions, doubts, or knowing where to start, bestselling writer and beloved speaker Chrystal Evans Hurst offers a simple and heartfelt method for having meaningful conversations with God, one day at a time.  The kind of intentional, fervent prayer life we'd like to experience often seems intimidating or just out of reach. Chrystal knows how that feels and shares her own relatable journey through the challenges and joys of deepening her prayer life. Showing up to pray just one day at a time, Chrystal found a simple yet powerful practice that made consistent prayer amazingly doable. A warm and encouraging writer, Chrystal shares the same supportive help she found for talking with God specifically and intentionally throughout the day.  With relatable stories and timeless Scripture, The 28-Day Prayer Journey offers three prompts each day to guide you through an easy yet intimate prayer experience. From giving thanks, hearing God, and making requests to simply knowing what to say, Chrystal gives practical explanations and easy steps for the core tenets of prayer, including: Praise and Thanksgiving--offering gratitude to God Repentance--seeking forgiveness from God Asking--presenting your requests to God Yielding--surrendering to God The 28-Day Prayer Journey will strengthen your faith and transform your life with the profound experience of communicating with a loving God. Whether you are new to prayer or well-versed in communication with God, this hopeful and supportive guide will help you experience God's presence in ways you never have before through the practice of meaningful prayer.

New York Times bestselling author Rachel Held Evans embarks on a quest to find out what it really means to be part of the Church. Like millions of her millennial peers, Rachel Held Evans didn't want to go to church anymore. The hypocrisy, the politics, the gargantuan building budgets, the scandals--church culture seemed so far removed from Jesus. Yet, despite her cynicism and misgivings, something kept drawing her back to Church. And so she set out on a journey to understand Church and to find her place in it. Centered around seven sacraments, Evans' quest takes readers through a liturgical year with stories about baptism, communion, confirmation, confession, marriage, vocation, and death that are funny, heartbreaking, and sharply honest. A memoir about making do and taking risks, about the messiness of community and the power of grace, Searching for Sunday is about overcoming cynicism to find hope and, somewhere in between, Church.

According to Pastor Mark Batterson in his book, The Circle Maker, “Drawing prayer circles around our dreams isn’t just a mechanism whereby we accomplish great things for God. It’s a mechanism whereby God accomplishes great things in us.”  Do you ever sense that there’s far more to prayer, and to God’s vision for your life, than what you’re experiencing? It’s time you learned from the legend of Honi the Circle Maker—a man bold enough to draw a circle in the sand and not budge from inside it until God answered his prayers for his people.   What impossibly big dream is God calling you to draw a prayer circle around? Sharing inspiring stories from his own experiences as a circle maker, Mark Batterson will help you uncover your heart’s deepest desires and God-given dreams and unleash them through the kind of audacious prayer that God delights to answer.

Have you ever longed for a comeback? We all know what it feels like to have life disappoint us and not work out as we'd hoped. We all know what it's like to long for something different, something better, something more. The Comeback celebrates new beginnings. It offers encouragement and perspective, and it's for you if you feel frustrated or confused, if you're sorrowing or in pain, if you've made mistakes or are grieving, if you're disappointed or feel as though life doesn't make sense. The good news is that God is in the business of giving fresh starts to people. He gives hope to the hopeless. Direction to the directionless. Help to those who need help. God is always good, all the time, and God's plans will always prevail, even when our plans don't. God already knows what the solutions are. No matter what kind of disappointment or grief or pain or trouble or heartache you encounter, God always offers a new beginning, a change of heart, or a powerful spiritual turnaround. God offers the way forward, and his pathways are always good. Your current circumstances will not get the final say in your life. God is the God of the comeback, no matter what kind of challenge you're facing. And your story can become a great comeback story too.

Daily reminders for growth and positive change, from the New York Times bestselling author of SET BOUNDARIES, FIND PEACE and DRAMA FREECONSIDER THIS is a collection of messages intended to uplift, support, and guide us deeper into ourselves. Instead of focusing on what others should do, or who's holding us back, or trying to control external influences, licensed therapist Nedra Glover Tawwab will help you shift your perspective for the better.In this inspiring book of daily insights, Nedra delivers food for thought, friendly reminders, and perspective shifts to help us stay true to who we are and what matters most. Topics include setting boundaries, rising above drama, expressing ourselves with clarity and integrity, and finding peace and joy every chance we can get.This empowering and embraceable book will help us stay the course - and grow more fully into ourselves every day.

Love Is Calling. How Will You Answer? One of our greatest desires is to know we are loved by our Creator. Yet the depth of our apprehension is often equally strong: If I listen, we wonder, what will God say? If I open myself up to blessings, what will God require in return? As we trace this line of thinking, the God of all goodness becomes, in our minds, the God of our worst fears. Embrace a Love That’s Worth the Risk. God is far greater than our most expectant dreams. While he does often ask everything of us, he actually wants everything for us. He doesn’t want blind loyalty or bored religious compliance; he longs for nothing less than our entire passionate self–something most of us have yet to glimpse. God’s desire is that people lean in, listen, and wrestle with him so that they can respond to him without fear. Can this God be trusted? Absolutely. Will the journey be easy? Not a chance. But once you learn to listen to love, you’ll find that there’s only one way you can adore this unmanageable, unpredictable, wild, and unruly God: with your whole heart.

The teen years can be a confusing time of figuring out where you belong, who you are, what you can do, and who you can become, all while searching for a sense of safety as you engage with the world. In All I Am, these core needs of belonging, identity, ability, purpose, and security are explored through God's traits in the Bible, showing readers 13 and up that the great I AM not only meets our needs because of all the amazing things he is, but how we also embody those traits because we are his children. Inside the pages of All I Am are 90 devotions from a Catholic perspective that use conversational language to apply God's truth to your life through relatable examples and real-world applications, each helping you think, act, and be like Jesus and grow your faith and self-esteem. Content also includes: Scripture from the NRSV edition A two-color interior with an engaging design "Digging Deeper" and "Rest and Remember" features for deeper daily or weekly reflection Encouraging quotes from saints, popes, and inspiring Catholics Original and traditional Catholic prayers that help you easily connect with God every day All I Am is perfect for: Graduation gifts, Confirmation, and holiday presents Encouraging teens in their faith journey Use in spiritual development classes