Scripture reveals a God who meets us where we are, not where we pretend to be. No More Faking Fine is your invitation to get honest with God through the life-giving language of lament. If you've ever been given empty clichés during challenging times, you know how painful it is to be misunderstood by well-meaning people. When life hurts, we often feel pressure--from others and ourselves--to keep it together, suck it up, or pray it away. But Scripture reveals a God who lovingly invites us to give honest voice to our emotions when life hits hard. For most of her life, Esther Fleece Allen believed she could bypass the painful emotions of her broken past by shutting them down altogether. She was known as an achiever and an overcomer on the fast track to success. But in silencing her pain, she robbed herself of the opportunity to be healed. Maybe you've done the same. Esther's journey into healing began when she discovered that God has given us a real-world way to deal with raw emotions and an alternative to the coping mechanisms that end up causing more pain. It's called lament--the gut-level, honest prayer that God never ignores, never silences, and never wastes. No More Faking Fine is your permission to lament, taking you on a journey down the unexpected pathway to true intimacy with God. Drawing from careful biblical study and hard-won insight, Esther reveals how to use God's own language to come closer to him as he leads us through our pain to the light on the other side, teaching you that: We are robbing ourselves of a divine mystery and a divine intimacy when we pretend to have it all together God does not expect us to be perfect; instead, he meets us where we are There is hope beyond your heartache, disappointment, and grief Like Esther, you'll soon find that when one person stops faking fine, it gives everyone else permission to do the same.

Take comfort in knowing that God hears you. The story of Hannah in 1 Samuel tells of one woman’s personal heartache and trust in the One who could fulfill her desires. She poured her heart out to God, and He heard her. The Our Daily Bread devotions selected for this collection reassure you that God is with you, God is for you, and God hears you. The personal stories and Scripture passages lift you up and remind you that God is bigger than the trials you face.

Through powerful messages and interviews with people who found their Higher Power, Finding God will help readers discover the meaning and manifestation of God. Foreword by Anne Lamott Here is an opportunity to listen in on fascinating conversations with people who found God when they didn't really want to and weren't even looking. Through a series of deeply personal interviews with individuals from different walks of life, the authors conduct a captivating discourse on discovering a "higher power." The interview subjects are not proselytizers, nor are they interested in comparing spiritual states. Their stories are neither tidy nor definitive. What they offer, however, is a remarkable, refreshing, and ultimately satisfying mosaic on the meaning and manifestation of God.Key features and benefitsinterviews honor personal experiences and reveal universal truthsimparts a hopeful, empowering messageforeword written by Anne Lamott, author of Traveling Merciesauthors received 2002 IPPY award for "A Bar on Every Corner"About the authors Jack Erdmann is an accomplished salesman and businessman who has more recently made a name for himself as a popular author and lecturer. He lives in the San Francisco area.Larry Kearney, a poet and novelist, has published nine books of poetry. He lives in Larkspur, California.

If you are young (or young only in heart ) and attempting to discover who you are meant to be, Fr. Mark Mossa can help you find the ways God is already in your life. Mossa provides an honest and entertaining account of how he, as a younger adult, now a Jesuit priest, attempts to find God's will for his life. Mossa's friends tell him that he has a talent for making weird (they politely say different) connections. He responds that images, lyrics, and repeatedly quoted lines from popular culture stick with us because they connect with something deep down inside of us and say something meaningful about our human experience. We need only take some time to reflect on our experience--and that is what Mark Mossa helps us to do--and we'll see that God has already been trying to communicate with us in unexpected and surprising ways. Maybe even weird ways The audio edition of this book can be downloaded via Audible.

Know God better through a study of His names. Today’s culture and others’ views, even those of other Christians, can present a distorted view of God. Some suggest God exudes qualities He does not possess such as being unloving or apathetic toward His creation. In a world where we find people creating God in their own image, studying God’s names can remind us that we are created in His. In fact, one of the best ways to know God’s true character and grow closer to Him is to study His names. In The Names of God, Melissa Spoelstra leads women on an exploration of the many names of our triune God—from El and Elohim to Yahweh and its many combinations to names such as Abba, Jesus, and Holy Spirit...and many others. As women study the names of God, their ideas about God will become more grounded in what His names tell them, and thus more personal, allowing a greater trust in Him to share the details of their lives. Whether having walked with God for many years or just starting out in a relationship with Him, by the end of this study women will not only know more about God but will know Him better—because through the discovery of God’s names, they will discover Him! Components for this six-week Bible study, each available separately, include a Participant Workbook, a Leader Guide, DVD with six 25-minute segments (with closed captioning), and a boxed Leader Kit containing one of each component. This Bible Study Includes: - A six-week study of the names of God. - Inspires women to have a more personal and trusting relationship with God. - DVD features dynamic, engaging teaching in six 25-minute segments. - Strong, solid Bible study from popular Bible teacher and speaker Melissa Spoelstra.

Do you long for something more in your relationship with God? The good news is that “something more” does not mean “doing more.” God is not waiting for you to get your spiritual life “right.” He wants to be with you right where you are. The real question is not “What does God want from you?” but “What does God want for you?” Sharon Jaynes understands what it’s like to have a “glory ache”—a longing to experience God’s presence on a daily basis. She also knows how easily working for God can get in the way of intimacy with God. And she’s discovered that we tend to make our faith journey much too hard. In A Sudden Glory, Sharon uses Scripture and story to help you erase the line between your “spiritual life” and your “daily life” as you enter the sanctuary of God’s presence even in the middle of your busy, messy day. Here you will find your eyes opened to moments of sudden glory in which the Creator assures you of His love as you live and move and have your being in Him. Here you will discover true freedom—the freedom of experiencing God in a deeper and more intimate way than ever before. Includes Bible study and discussion guide.

The phenomenally popular MasterLife series is now in paperback! The four six-week courses in the series are all designed to revitalize practicing Christians -- enabling them to make Christ the Master of their lives -- and to master their own lives by developing a personal, lifelong, obedient relationship with Him.This remarkable study guide is divided into four complete and discreet parts. The Disciple's Cross, instructs Christians to practice the six biblical disciplines of a disciple. In The Disciple's Personality, they are taught to live in the Spirit and become more like Christ. The Disciple's Victory depicts the loyal Christian's triumphs over the world, the flesh, and the devil. And finally, Christians are asked to look within themselves and identify their stage of growth and role in ministry in The Disciple's Mission.