The film classic, "It's a Wonderful Life," named the most inspirational American film ever produced, has entertained and inspired millions of viewers since its release in 1946. In fact, many families make watching this story of George Bailey an annual, Christmas tradition. Now pastor and author Greg Asimakoupoulos has taken the movie's message a step further with a new book Finding God in "It's a Wonderful Life." The film was not made as a religious piece at all, but, as Greg asserts and proves, we can see God at work in every scene. And he shows us how, in chapters such as "Broken Banister Knobs," "Learning to Dance with Adversity," "Reclaiming 320 Sycamore Street," "When God Sends an Angel instead of Money," "Saving Harry Bailey," "Suffering When It's Not Your Fault," and so much more. Each chapter highlights an important movie scene, relationship, or theme and makes a spiritual point. Even those who haven't seen the film will understand the plot as Greg describes it, and people who know the movie so well they can recite the dialogue will find themselves nodding in agreement, appreciating Greg's thoughtful insights. The chapters are concise and written in an engaging style--an easy read. And each one concludes with "Questions for Reflection." These questions can be helpful for individuals, of course, but will also be ideal for group discussions.

As I look back on the tragedy of a family of seven being torn apart with both parents gone within a year of each other, it is almost unbelievable. As time passed and I turned fifteen, a lot of changes were taking place in my life. When I was given an opportunity to get out of the situation I was in, I felt that anything that can be better than this, so I did what would cause me to make a change. Sometimes, that does not work out for the best, but in my case, it brought a week of miracles to me. As I look back, I know that God had heard my sighs for love for family and desire to be a good person. I was not even looking for a boyfriend, but God gave me a husband-to-be, who made a promise to find my siblings. As you read, you will find that, four years later, that promise was fulfilled.

Its easier to give in to self destructive forces that hurt our lives than it should be in this world. Not every person thrives in life, some people lose sight and lose their way in life and become detached. There is an old saying people say “Life is what happens when you plan on doing something else.” There is also the saying “Life is what you make it.” But one should never forget the old saying “To live is the rarest thing in the world, most people just exist.” Hopefully if you live a life where you seem to just simply “exist” perhaps reading this book can help you “live” a very good life. But any person that knows what it is to “live” must know the value of knowing what “God” is to them. Every person has their own kind of god that works just for them. I want this book to help you find that special something in life that can be God to you.

Twenty inspiring messages drawn from my own personal well, including topics like: goal setting and goal keeping, asking for blessings and receiving blessings, remembering to smile in the good times and trusting God in the bad, pursuing love with all your heart and dealing with the loneliness that sometimes results believing that God can do anything, moment by moment, and enjoying His sanctuary in the mean time keeping your feet forward and your knees bent so you don't get sideswiped by obstacles in your way being who you are and telling your story the power of prayer and the blessing of perseverance excavating your heart to expand your capacity and digger deeper to go deeper with God

In this National Bestseller, Mary Katherine Backstrom shares heartbreaking and hilarious stories of how God uses each "mess" in our lives to bring us closer to Him. She shows us that it's okay to celebrate exactly where we are right now—holy, hot mess and all. A lot of people struggle with the concept of being holy. But the fact is, even the hottest of messes are being shaped—right now—into Jesus' likeness. In this book, Mary Katherine shares the sometimes-hidden evidence of God's work in her life and shows you that it's okay to embrace the hot messes. Mary Katherine will share both hilarious and vulnerable stories about faith, friendships, motherhood, marriage, and depression. She will cover the topics that plague our hearts every day with raw, honest truth and a side of laughter. Mary Katherine invites you into her story as a friend, encouraging you to embrace the hot messes in your life. Because we are all a work in progress, and as long as we are alive, we are under construction—and construction sites tend to be messy.

Anker examines 19 popular films, showing how they convey a range of striking perspectives on the human encounter with God. Organized by genre, these selected films present different, surprising ways in which God shows up amid the messy circumstances of life.

I spent some years in my early Christian life struggling. Those early years were anything but wonderful. I knew I needed to read through the Bible and have an early-morning quiet time. I just couldn't connect the dots between what the Bible said and what was happening in my real life. What I needed was a story (devotional) that would relate to my life and also point to the truth I was reading in the Bible. I noticed I had more joy reading the Bible when I was reading those daily scriptures along with a short story that helped the scriptures "come alive," so to speak. You may find some of my stories outside the mainstream of "church thought." However, they will bring you into the life of another person and hopefully help you connect the story with the truth of scripture. I pray some of them will help you find God in your life's situations and circumstances. If one story touches one person, I'll consider that a success.