Well-known author, psychologist ; and priest Fr. Benedict ; Groeschel draws on his own years of personal experiences in ; dealing with people's problems, tragedies and "darkness" as ; he offers help and guidance for any Christian troubled or ; burdened by life. If you are struggling with fear, anxiety, ; grief, loss of loved ones, hurt, anger or anything that ; makes life difficult or the road through it dark, then this ; book was written for you. Fr. Benedict offers practical ; suggestions on how to keep going and even grow with the ; help of God's grace, even when this help seems remote. ; The Christian response to the problem of evil and ; suffering began with the cross of Christ. Our answer is ; inseparable from the cross-from Jesus' own encounter with ; evil and his triumph over it. In this light, Fr. Benedict ; recalls some of our most frequently encountered sorrows and ; griefs: the failure of friends, financial and personal ; insecurity, the failure of some in the Church, our own ; inconsistent behaviors and weaknesses, and the death of ; loved ones. As we examine these painful experiences, he ; shows that we can find solutions in the Gospel and in the ; lives of saints, heroes, and very brave ordinary people. ; "Many guides have been written for people struggling with ; the mystery of evil. But each generation, each age has its ; own dark background in front of which the struggle to keep ; going must be worked out. In every age, men ask 'how am I ; going to go on to arise from darkness?' It is that which my ; book will address." Fr. Benedict Groeschel, ; CFR

Father Groeschel, the highly respected author, psychologist, spiritual director and leader of renewal in the religious life, has written a brief but comprehensive practical guide for all those interested in private revelations, the reports of visions and other extraordinary religious phenomena that are so widespread in these times. Because of the intense interest in extraordinary religious experience that ranges from Medjugorje to the New Age, Groeschel's book is an urgently needed resource that gives practical norms to everyone on how to evaluate these claims. Drawing on spiritual classics and Church documents not readily available, he summarizes the Church's perennial wisdom on this topic. He also offers an alternative to unusual and extraordinary ways of knowing the things of God, which is a normal everyday opportunity open to all called "religious experience"--the action of grace operating in the context of a human life that can become a powerful source of virtue and holiness. Father Groeschel skillfully directs the reader to the humbler and safer path which discerns God's presence in prayer, Scripture, the sacraments and love of neighbor. The great example of this path to holiness is St. Thérèse of Lisieux who, though having very few extraordinary experiences, was filled with a profound awareness of God's presence and said, "To ecstasy, I prefer the monotony of sacrifice."

This remarkable life story tells of one woman's battle to turn from a life of terror into the woman God destined her to become. Barbara survived a childhood of trauma and abuse only to find herself battling to overcome her dysfunctional past and generational curses handed down to her. Through her faith in the Lord, regardless of the many setbacks and continuous battles with issues from her past, layer by layer, the Lord redeemed her from the distorted, “ugly” reflection she saw in her mirror every day. Remarkably, she survived multiple suicide attempts and she has found laughter and light at the end of her ordeal. Now she wants to share her journey with others who need to know God has a destiny for everyone.Truth and transparency found within this book produces an awe-inspiring transformation and testimony to healing through the Lord. It is designed to encourage the reader to embark on their own path to healing by acknowledging one's past, reflecting one's personal struggles, and being brave enough to face the “inner” battles in order to bring forth freedom and new life.

Brian Warth: born into a world divided by race and gang affiliations, filled with violence. He grew up with one goal: to belong to the gang. To earn their acceptance and respect. To be cool. He knew no other life, no other future, no other dream. His earliest memories were filled with violence, loss, fear, and death. One older brother was gunned down in the streets and died in his teens. Another survived being riddled with bullets. Despite this, he followed in their footsteps. Despite knowing the pain of his brother's death, he was involved in the shooting death of a rival gang member, inflicting on others what he had suffered. At age sixteen, he was tried as an adult and sent to prison for life. Brian Warth: born again in the Los Angeles prison system, in a world divided by race and gang affiliations, weighed down with guilt, grief, rage and despair. His mind and heart claimed and cleansed by Christ, he had one goal and dream: To take the fresh hope of the Gospel to everyone in his new world. On the outside were people who loved him, who had prayed for him since his gang years. Their hope: to be granted parole. However, in power was a governor who declared that the only way a "lifer" was going to leave prison while he was governor was in a pine box. Let Brian tell you in his own words of his journey downward into the world of gangs, how he finally came face-to-face with the consequences of his actions and attitude, and the spiritual journey that followed, bringing him upward from the lowest point a man could ever face in his life. You, too, will arise.

* Instant New York Times Bestseller * Indie Bestseller * In this stunning new fantasy novel from international bestselling author C. S. Pacat, heroes and villains of a long-forgotten war are reborn and begin to draw new battle lines. This epic fantasy with high-stakes romance will sit perfectly on shelves next to beloved fantasy novels like the Infernal Devices series, the Shadow and Bone trilogy, and the Red Queen series. Sixteen-year-old dock boy Will is on the run, pursued by the men who killed his mother. Then an old servant tells him of his destiny to fight beside the Stewards, who have sworn to protect humanity if the Dark King ever returns. Will is thrust into a world of magic, where he starts training for a vital role in the oncoming battle against the Dark. As London is threatened and old enmities are awakened, Will must stand with the last heroes of the Light to prevent the fate that destroyed their world from returning to destroy his own. Like V.E. Schwab’s A Darker Shade of Magic and Shelby Mahurin’s Serpent & Dove, Dark Rise is more than just high intrigue fantasy—it’s fast-paced, action-packed, and completely surprising. Readers will love exploring the rich setting of nineteenth-century London. This thrilling story of friendship, deception, loyalty, and betrayal is sure to find a passionate audience of readers.

A mysterious traveler intervenes in an epic holy war in this “impressive, challenging debut” of the critically acclaimed fantasy epic (Publishers Weekly, starred review). The first book in R. Scott Bakker's Prince of Nothing series introduces readers to a strikingly original and engrossingly vivid new world. With its language and classes of people, its cities, religions, mysteries, taboos, and rituals, The Darkness That Comes Before has drawn comparison to J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings and Frank Herbert’s Dune. Bakker’s Eärwa is a world scarred by an apocalyptic past, evoking a time both two thousand years past and two thousand years into the future. As untold thousands gather for a crusade, two men and two women are ensnared by a mysterious traveler, Anasûrimbor Kellhus—part warrior, part philosopher, part sorcerous, charismatic presence—from lands long thought dead. The Darkness That Comes Before is a history of this great holy war, and like all histories, the survivors write its conclusion.