Recommendations based on "The Adventure of Faith A Journey Into the Heart of God"

If God has promised to give us the “peace that passes understanding,” why do we sometimes feel so anxious? What are we so afraid of? Are there ways of living that lead to peace? Conversely, are there ways of thinking and acting that lead to anxiety and a conflicted life? How does Jesus embody peace and where did his peace come from? Finding the Peace God Promises sets our longings for peace beside God’s promise to provide it. Exploring the stories that shape us, the memories that define us, and the relationships that connect us, bestselling author Ann Spangler looks for ways to help us become more peaceful. What can we learn from Scripture, from Jewish tradition, from the Amish and others about rest, simplicity, healing, and peace? The stories she shares and the answers she discovers may surprise you, enabling you to experience the transformative peace God wants you to have.

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 RenewalDo 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.

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.

When is the last time you thought about the state of your soul?The health of your soul isn't just a matter of saved or unsaved. It's the hinge on which the rest of your life hangs. It's the difference between deep, satisfied spirituality and a restless, dispassionate faith.In an age of materialism and consumerism that tries to buy its 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.Bestselling author John 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. With characteristic insight and an accessible story-filled approach, Ortberg brings practicality and relevance to one of Christianity's most mysterious and neglected topics.

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.

Sink deep into the everyday goodness of God and savor every moment In this daily devotional, Shauna Niequist becomes a friend across the pages, sharing her heart with yours, keeping you company, and inviting you into the abundant life God offers. And there are recipes, too, because spiritual living happens not just when we read and pray, but also when we gather with family and friends over dinners and breakfasts and late-night snacks. These recipes are Shauna's staples, and each one should be enjoyed around a table with people you love. So read and learn and pray and cook and share. Remember to savor each day, whatever it holds: work and play, coffee and kids, meals and prayers and the good stuff and the hard stuff. Life is all about relationships, and your daily relationship with God is worth savoring in every moment.

From the bestselling author of Start Where You Are and My Friend Fear, a beautifully illustrated journal that celebrates what makes each of us uniquely amazingMeera Lee Patel's first guided journal, Start Where You Are, has inspired hundreds of thousands of readers through a rare combination of stunning watercolor art and thoughtful, empowering prompts and quotations.Her next journal will pick up the journey, encouraging readers to recognize and embrace what makes them truly special. A booster shot of self-care when you need it most, this beautiful, intimate book will be a touchstone for anyone looking to better understand themselves so they can clear out the "noise" and be who they are.

A fresh way of thinking about spirituality that grows throughout life In Falling Upward, Fr. Richard Rohr seeks to help readers understand the tasks of the two halves of life and to show them that those who have fallen, failed, or "gone down" are the only ones who understand "up." Most of us tend to think of the second half of life as largely about getting old, dealing with health issues, and letting go of life, but the whole thesis of this book is exactly the opposite. What looks like falling down can largely be experienced as "falling upward." In fact, it is not a loss but somehow actually a gain, as we have all seen with elders who have come to their fullness. Explains why the second half of life can and should be full of spiritual richness Offers a new view of how spiritual growth happens?loss is gain Richard. Rohr is a regular contributing writer for Sojourners and Tikkun magazines This important book explores the counterintuitive message that we grow spiritually much more by doing wrong than by doing right.

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.

This novel is inspired by the major motion picture, Letters to God, scheduled for theatrical release in spring 2010. Viewers of the film will be eager to read more of this inspiring story. Tyler, a nine-year-old boy, is stricken with incurable brain cancer and begins to write letters to God. He turns his suffering into spiritual lessons for his widowed mother, his embittered adolescent brother, and a troubled postman. Letters to God probes some of the most important and most-often-asked questions that trouble people of faith: "Why do we suffer?" "Where is God?" "Why do godly, faithful children have to battle cancer?" This inspiring story of hope will help readers from all walks work toward greater understanding of God's presence and care.