The concept of blessing pervades the everyday life of Christians—from testimonies recounting God's provision, to praise songs, to wishing someone well. In fact, the term has been so integrated into Christian language that it is rarely considered thoughtfully. In the pages of Scripture, blessing seems to be either physical or spiritual, but a fuller biblical-theological approach reveals that God's blessing has always been both spiritual and physical. In Divine Blessing and the Fullness of Life in the Presence of God, William Osborne traces the theme of blessing throughout Scripture as he guides readers into a deeper understanding of how God's gracious benevolence impacts the everyday lives of Christians.

RCIA teams often struggle with getting catechumens and candidates to participate regularly in the church's liturgy. Those who do often feel bored or confused, or they see it as a nice tradition or an inconvenient obligation rather than the heart of our Catholic faith. So we fill the gap with more catechesis that explains the liturgy to seekers, and we pray they will have a better personal experience on Sunday. Yet neither causes them to love the liturgy as we do. In Divine Blessing: Liturgical Formation in the RCIA, Timothy P. O'Malley shows us how we can break out of a classroom model about liturgy and instead invite seekers to be formed by the Risen Christ through the liturgy. This book will give you a process for preparing your catechumens and candidates to learn the liturgy's symbolic language of self-giving love that will sustain them with divine blessing and train them to be Christ's disciples in the world.

Pain is pain, but the degree of pain varies. The greatest pain of my life was when I was raped in the presence of my sons. Furthering my anguish, my son's hands and legs were tied to a tree. It was sad, horrific, traumatic, embarrassing, degrading, dehumanizing and unpleasant. I preferred to die than to live. I even pleaded with the rapist to kill me instead, but by the grace of God they did not. My children and I suffered through war and became wanderers in Congo, Tanzania, Zambia and Namibia. Continually in search of peace, shelter and food, these sufferings and hardships reduced us to the lowest of low. Moving to Sweden, our prayers were answered and we soon had hope for a better life with pportunities for education and a life worth living.

In this remarkable New York Times bestseller, Joel Osteen offers unique insights and encouragement that will help readers overcome every obstacle in their lives.

The ordinary moments of life can be sacred, if we simply take a moment to notice. This collection of prayers, poems, and meditations offers a brief respite from the hectic, harried pace of our days. Open it when the spirit moves you or when the spirit feels distant--the words will be here to inspire, calm, and encourage you either way. From gifted poet and empathetic pastor Meta Herrick Carlson, Ordinary Blessings collects blessings for loving yourself, enduring hard things, authenticity, living with others, and the rhythms of each day. Pause, take a deep breath, and open these pages to find that you've been standing on holy ground all along.

When Nouwen was asked by a secular Jewish friend to explain his faith in simple language, he responded with "Life of the Beloved, " which shows that all people, believers and nonbelievers, are beloved by God unconditionally.

"Rick Thomas invites his readers to enter into a place for "mature audiences" only, to listen as he recounts the darkest time in his life and how, through his journey of intense suffering, he was led to spend four years in the Book of Job. What he discovered was that the book wasn't really about Job (the most famous sufferer of all time) - but about God, and in particular - about learning to trust God in all our circumstances. This book is especially rich with biblical references to support his conclusions on why we are "called" to suffer. Consistent with his biblical counseling background, Rick gives the reader specific calls to action at the end of each chapter, making it not only an engaging read but practical as well. The book can be used for personal devotions, used in a small group setting or given away as a gift - it will bless the giver and the receiver!" Nancy Hohmann, Enid, Oklahoma