Widower Jack Ransom's family-owned café is going bankrupt. He needs help, but not the kind his eight-year-old daughter dreamed up. Writing a letter to her favorite television celebrity, Sydney Ryan, star of Ryan to the Rescue, is bad enough. Now the station decides to use his restaurant and sends the star to seal the deal. Chef Sydney Ryan built an empire turning around failing restaurants. If she doesn't get Jack's approval, her latest episode could be her last. With her contract up for renewal, she does what's needed to make everyone but the handsome, stubborn owner happy.

As Christians, we know that we are new creations in Jesus. So we try to act differently, hoping this will make us more like Him. But changing our outward behavior doesn’t change our hearts. Only by God’s grace can we be transformed internally. Renovation of the Heart lays a biblical foundation for understanding what best-selling author Dallas Willard calls the “transformation of the spirit”—a divine process that “brings every element in our being, working from inside out, into harmony with the will of God.” This fresh approach to spiritual growth explains the biblical reasons why Christians need to undergo change in six aspects of life: thought, feeling, will, body, social context, and soul. Willard also outlines a general pattern of transformation in each area, not as a sterile formula but as a practical process that you can follow without the guilt or perfectionism so many Christians wrestle with. Don’t settle for complacency. Accept the challenge Renovation of the Heart offers to become an intentional apprentice of Jesus Christ, changing daily as you walk with Him.

This practical student edition of Dallas Willard’s classic Renovation of the Heart helps you enjoy the greatest adventure in life: to follow Jesus and to become more like him. To be transformed—like a caterpillar into a butterfly—opens up a whole new world of possibility. To be changed from the inside out, into a life lived as though Jesus himself were living it, is good for you and healing for the world around you. Renovation of the Heart for Students offers a vision for life change that’s not a matter of managing sin but of giving yourself increasingly to God—from your heart to your mind to your body to your relationships. Experience God in a full, true, and intimate way. See your world through different eyes. Walk in the assurance that God is with you and for you. Love your neighbor as yourself. Renovation of the Heart for Students brings insights from one of the most important thinkers of the past century into your everyday life and includes engaging activities and exercises reflections for deeper insight prayers tailored to today’s students prompts for group use Experience the joy of life with God in the company of your friends with Renovation of the Heart for Students.

In Pursued by Grace: A Pastor's Restorative Journey, Colin recounts his experience of moral failure and his public and humiliating removal from ministry as a lead pastor of a large congregation. He candidly shares the effects this had on his family and on himself as a husband, father, and member of the clergy. Supported by references from the scriptures and lessons learned from other literature, Colin weaves his own story in with a very thorough examination of what leads someone—especially a Christian leader—to sin. He offers a firsthand account of the true cost of sin, and juxtaposes that humiliating and alienating ordeal with the tender, yet firm, love of his Heavenly Father, his loyal wife, his family and his supportive friends. Pursued by Grace is a story of redemption, restoration and resilience in the face of failure. While of particular interest to pastors, bible college students, and other Christian and secular leaders, this book provides important reflections and lessons for anyone struggling to avoid temptation, recover from doing wrong, and follow a Christian path.

A Real Simple Best Book of the Year A deeply moving story of an epic home renovation in the Pacific Northwest—from New York Times–bestselling author of The Scent Keeper In this mesmerizing memoir-in-essays, Erica Bauermeister renovates a trash-filled house in eccentric Port Townsend, Washington, and in the process takes readers on a journey to discover the ways our spaces subliminally affect us. A personal, accessible, and literary exploration of the psychology of architecture, as well as a loving tribute to the connections we forge with the homes we care for and live in, this book is designed for anyone who’s ever fallen head over heels for a house. It is also a story of a marriage, of family, and of the kind of roots that settle deep into your heart. Discover what happens when a house has its own lessons to teach in this moving and insightful memoir that ultimately shows us how to make our own homes (and lives) better. “ . . . for anyone who has wondered where home is and how to find it, fix it, love it, and leave it for later as well.” —Laurie Frankel, New York Times–bestselling author of This Is How It Always Is

When considering building a home, couples look for the right architect, right builder, and the right decorator to make their dream house a reality. They work with these people to sketch out plans for the structure of the house; determine what materials to use in building the house; and which decorations to use how to make the house warm and cozy. Accomplishing their goal and making sure they get exactly what they are paying for is in part due to everyone working off of the same set of blueprints and plan while they are exercising their unique talents and skills in getting the house completed. With the same care and even more, couples should invest in building their marital houses. Making sure they are working from the same plan, laying a solid foundation in the process and doing the work needed to keep their house intact and standing strong. In Renovating Your Marriage, Dr. Johnny Parker speaks to you and your spouse about building a house of togetherness brick by brick from the foundation up. He encourages you to consider the two possible foundations upon which marriages are built; then walks you through an inspection of your marital house, room by room. Is your marital house standing on a firm foundation or has it been shaken? Are you in need of a marriage renovation? Dr. Parker wants to help you answer these questions and make the changes necessary to give your love a new look.

This book is a call for change. Even more, it calls for open conversation about change. For too long, many in the Church of the Nazarene have considered the doctrine of holiness off limits, a sacred cow, impervious to all forces of cultural modification and theological renewal. It's time for a real change, because the church needs renovation! These 100+ essays from Millennial and Xer leaders explore how holiness might be understood and lived today.