Recommendations based on "How to Handle Adversity"

In a world that's difficult to make sense of, and a season that's so often overtaken by consumerism, here you'll find heart-stirring illustrations and thought-provoking meditations designed to show you the raw, powerfully sacred story of Christmas in a new light.Has the joy of the holiday season become painfully dissonant with the hard edges of life? Do you feel weary from the way Christmas has become a polished, predictable brand? You aren't alone. For too many of us, Christmas has lost its wonder. What if we stopped treating the Christmas story as something that happened a long time ago and started believing that it's a story that's still happening today?From celebrated artist and storyteller Scott Erickson comes Honest Advent, 25 days of illustrations and meditations that will help you rekindle the wonder of this season. Honest Advent creates a space for you to encounter the Incarnate Christ in unexpected places: like a pregnancy announcement in an era of political unrest and empirical bloodshed, the morning sickness of a Middle Eastern teenager, and the shocking biology of birth that goes far beyond the sanitized brand of Christmas as we know it today.Within the pages of Honest Advent, Erickson teaches us the valuable lessons he's learned about: Finding hope and light in the darkest winters What it means to embrace the unexpected How God uses everyday vulnerability to help us understand ourselves, and our faith, betterThrough powerful benedictions, prayers, and questions for honest reflection, you'll discover how the wonder of God-with-Us is still happening today: in your unexpected change of plans, your unaccomplished dreams, your overcrowded lodging, and your humble stories of new beginnings.Praise for Honest Advent:"Scott Erickson's beautifully crafted book helped me see God-with-Us with fresh eyes. Honest Advent is no shallow seasonal gift book; it's an invitation to explore the divine flourishes of everyday human vulnerabilities. A transformative read, regardless of the time of year."--Jonathan Merritt, author of Learning to Speak God from Scratch"Beautiful. Evocative. A wake-up call to the mystery of life."--John Mark Comer, author of The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry

Personal Transformation, That Is Grounded In Self-love And Has Greater Inner Peace As The Goal, Will Naturally Teach You How To Love Better. Seeing Yourself Clearly Opens The Door To Compassion For Yourself And Other People. Love Enters Our Lives In Many Forms: Friends, Family, Intimate Partners. But All Of These Relationships Are Defined By The Love We Have For Ourselves. If We See Our Relationships As Opportunities To Be Fully Present In Our Healing And Learn To Love Each Other Better, Yung Pueblo Assures Us That We Can Transform And Meet Each Other With Compassion Instead Of Judgment. In How To Love Better, Yung Pueblo Examines All Aspects Of A Relationship, From The Rose-colored First Days When You May Be Hesitant To Show Your Full Self, To The Challenges That Can Arise Without Clear Communication, To Dealing With Heartbreak And Healing As You Close A Chapter Of Your Life. The Power Of Looking Inward Remains At The Core Of All His Teachings. Ego And Attachment Can Become Barriers In A Relationship, So The More Self-aware You Become, The More You Can Support Your Partner And Yourself. Yung Pueblo's Understandings On Embracing Change, Building A Foundation Of Honesty, And Learning To Listen Selflessly Will Resonate Regardless Of Where You Are In Your Healing Journey. And His Unique Combination Of Poetry, Personal Experience, And Thoughtful Advice Will Help You Grow And Strengthen All Your Relationships-- Provided By Publisher.

We plot. We plan. We assume things are going to go a certain way. And when they don't, we find ourselves in a new place---a place we haven't been before, a place we never would have imagined on our own. It is the difficult and the unexpected, and maybe even the tragic, that opens us up and frees us to see things in new ways. Many of the most significant moments in our lives come not because it all went right but because it all fell apart. Suffering does that. It hurts, but it also creates. This book is an exploration of the complex relationship between suffering and creativity, driven by the belief that there is art in the agony.

We often try to do a lot for God--without him. Relaxed is a call to let go of spiritual performance, reject our cultural tendency to live under pressure, and find freedom to walk with God and toward God, one gentle step at a time. Jesus was never in a hurry to be anywhere other than where he was, trusting and obeying his Father. Could the same be said of us We long to know peace, purpose, and contentment, but life's stresses, the world's discouragements, and our own striving for growth get in the way. In Relaxed, pastor and teacher Megan Fate Marshman explores what it means to set aside our addiction to trying to figure everything out and relish a slower, compelling, powerful, and relaxed life with God. As Megan takes us word by word through Proverbs 3:5-6, she helps us discover: The joy of a continual, intimate relationship with God What God calls us to do with the burden of shame and guilt What it looks like to be relaxed in the midst of grief, financial stress, mistakes, and fatigue The freedom and forgiveness of being found "in Christ" How to incorporate rhythms of walking with God into our everyday routines God never intended for us to be in control. As we lean away from our own understanding and into an intentionally relaxed spiritual life, we join Jesus in trusting a God who knows what he is doing--and isn't worried about a thing.

A compelling collection of the life-changing writings of William James William James—psychologist, philosopher, and spiritual seeker—is one of those rare writers who can speak directly and powerfully to anyone about life’s meaning and worth, and whose ideas change not only how people think but how they live. The thinker who helped found the philosophy of pragmatism and inspire Alcoholics Anonymous, James famously asked, “is life worth living?” Bringing together many of his best and most popular essays, talks, and other writings, this anthology presents James’s answer to that and other existential questions, in his own unique manner—caring, humorous, eloquent, incisive, humble, and forever on the trail of the “ever not quite.” Here we meet a James perfectly attuned to the concerns of today—one who argues for human freedom, articulates a healthy-minded psychology, urges us to explore the stream of consciousness, presents a new definition of truth based on its practical consequences, and never forecloses the possibility of mystical transcendence. Introduced by John Kaag and Jonathan van Belle, these compelling and accessible selections reveal why James is one of the great guides to the business of living.

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.

In this bestselling testimony, the author draws on her own life experiences with abuse, incest, teenage motherhood, and a dependence on public assistance to teach others that hardships can help in growth, healing, and learning to love, and that yesterday's tears can nourish the seeds of hope, renewal, and strength that lie deep within.

The pastor and founder of Redefined TV offers a transformative journey to self-love and healing, revealing how addressing our inner struggles is the key to loving others and fulfilling God's purpose. “Heart Rehab helps you move from hurt to healing, and guides you through a process to repair the hole in your soul—and become whole.”—Jon Gordon, bestselling author of The Energy Bus and The Carpenter When our inner world feels messy and out of control—we’re stuck in damaging patterns, haunted by traumatic memories, struggling in relationships—it’s tempting to imagine worst-case scenarios and exhaust ourselves by trying to bury the brokenness and put on a happy heart. Sound familiar? If you are worn out from the pain of unhealed wounds clouding your mind and stealing your joy, Jerry Flowers, Jr., invites you to pause, breathe, and dare to believe that God’s destiny for you is much more than merely settling and surviving. Heart Rehab offers a respite, a caring shoulder, an encounter with the transforming power of the Great Physician. The grace and truth within these pages will meet you in your deepest hurts, quiet your crowded soul, and fill you anew with strength and hope. As you engage the wisdom here, a revived version of you will emerge—one that: • finds healing from past trauma and loss; • breaks free from overthinking and catastrophizing; • grows in trust of God’s good plans; • navigates relationships with wisdom and confidence; and • learns to love God, yourself, and others from a place of wholeness. This refreshing reality awaits on the other side of your heart rehabilitation.

When is the last time you thought about the state of your soul Bestselling author John Ortberg guides you through practical steps to restoring your soul so you can finally experience a life of wholeness, balance, and hope. In an age of materialism and consumerism where many people try to buy their way to happiness, many souls are starved and unhealthy, unsatisfied by false promises of status and wealth. We've neglected this eternal part of ourselves, focusing instead on the temporal concerns of the world--and not without consequence. Including reflections from his decades-long relationship with his friend and mentor Dallas Willard, Ortberg presents another classic that will help you discover your soul--the most important connection to God there is--and find your way out of the spiritual shallow-lands to true divine depth. Join Ortberg as he guides you through the three distinct aspects of Soul Keeping: Discovering what the soul is Learning what the soul needs Experiencing the joy of a restored soul With his characteristic insight and an accessible, story-filled approach, Ortberg will help you connect more deeply every day with the God who gave you life to bring more meaning, hope, and abundance to that life. Praise for Soul Keeping: "This book will not only help you to realize that you have a soul, an interior life, and reveal its importance, but will also give you some tools and handles to grab as you develop that life. It will help you to get grounded again, or even for the first time, with the One who first breathed that life into you, and Who desires every day to breathe more and more life into every corner of your being." --Dr. Henry Cloud, New York Times bestselling author of Boundaries and Changes That Heal

An honest, soul-searching pursuit of biblical answers to one of Christianity's most challenging questions: What do you do when God meets your prayers with silence? Many of us have struggled with prayers that seem to go unanswered, and Pete Greig has been down that difficult road of doubt. This book is both intensely personal and deeply theological—a book born out of his wife Sammy's fight for her life after a horrifying diagnosis. The acclaimed author of Red Moon Rising wrestles with the hard side of prayer, how to respond when there seem to be no answers, and how to cope with those who seek to interpret our experience for us. For those struggling with prayer, God on Mute brings a message of hope and comfort, but also a better understanding of how we communicate with our Creator. Using the timeline of Holy Week (from Maundy Thursday through Easter Sunday) as a template, Greig explores four main questions about prayer from all angles: How am I going to get through this? Why aren't my prayers being answered? Where is God when he seems silent? When every prayer is answered...what does that mean? Silence in response to our most heart-felt prayers is the hardest thing for a person of faith to wrestle with. The world collapses. Then all goes quiet. Words can't explain what we're going through. People avoid you and don't know what to say. So you turn to Him and you pray. You need Him more than ever before. But somehow even God Himself seems on mute. And this sinks into us with a sense of futility... But even in this crushing silence, there is a way forward. Here is a story of faith, hope, and love beyond all understanding. Includes guide for group discussion.