Pastoral leaders will welcome this parish-proven, highly adaptable, and Christ-centered bereavement program. Created by nationally recognized hospice care and bereavement specialist, M. Donna MacLeod, following the death of her daughter nearly twenty years ago, Seasons of Hope offers twenty-four scripture-based sessions for those who are grieving. These are organized into four six-week seasons that are self-contained and non-sequential. All group sessions follow the same simple format and flow with a comforting blend of commentary, scripture, prayer, simple group exercises, faith-sharing, and Catholic tradition. Seasons of Hope is highly adaptable to fit the individual needs of the grieving in the parish. The comprehensive guidebook and four participant journals, one for each season, give you everything you need from beginning to end.

Although God promised to be ever-present and faithful, some situations in life can be so overwhelming that they get in the way of our faith. Combining Scripture passages with brief meditations, Hope for All Seasons helps us with fresh point of view on reasons to put our trust in God, no matter what. Each selection reminds us that God will never fail—He will follow through on His Word, and He will not allow us to be consumed by the everyday challenges of life.

He Restores My Soul is the ideal devotional to take with you during your day: small enough to fit into your handbag or briefcase, readings that is short enough to read whenever you have a moment to reflect, and with a powerful message to encourage and uplift you when you need it most. In He Restores My Soul Solly Ozrovech and Johan Smit guide us on a journey through the year – Easter, Pentecost, Christmas and New Year. The reflections, poems, prayers and devotional readings will provide you with a reminder of God’s love and grace, as well as the the assurance that He will renew, restore, lead and protect you.

2016 Speaker's Book Award — Shortlisted A look back over Bartleman’s seventy years, from his childhood of poverty to becoming the Queen’s representative in Ontario. James Bartleman, Ontario’s first Native lieutenant governor, looks back over seventy years to his childhood and youth to describe how learning to read at any early age led him to dream dreams, empowering him to serve his country as an ambassador. In time, Bartleman’s exciting and fulfilling career as a Canadian diplomat took him to a dozen countries around the world, from Bangladesh to Cuba, and from Australia to South Africa. After a vicious beating in a hotel room robbery in South Africa, however, he was forced to come to terms with a deepening depression. In the end, Bartleman found new meaning in life when he became the Queen’s representative in Ontario and mobilized the public to support his initiatives championing books and education for Native children. Seasons of Hope is the extraordinary story of an extraordinary man, and of his constant journey to hope.

What season of life are you in? Each of us goes through periods of life that have a certain character—a few months or a few years, good times or difficult circumstances, times of brilliant joy or periods of dark clouds. Often we say, “It’s just the season of life I’m in.” But did you know that just as God has purposes for the seasons of nature, he also uses seasons in your life to grow you, work with you, and talk to you? Richard Blackaby explains in The Seasons of God how understanding the principles of the seasons can offer us hope, direction, insight, and intimacy with God himself. It’s a thoughtful exploration of God’s patterns at work in our lives—how His will is being carried out in the best way…at the best time. Your plans, your relationships, your career, your ministry—all have their unique God-intended moment. God’s Word expresses it this way: “For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven.” So what’s your season of life? And what is God telling you through the season you’re in?

Seasons of Hope is a unique grief support program for Catholics that focuses on the spiritual side of grieving the death of a loved one. It invites those who mourn to accompany one another and to meet Christ through scripture, prayer, reflection, and simple activities that offer comfort and help to foster healing and spiritual growth. The updated Seasons of Hope Leader’s Guide and four journals can be used by a parish grief ministry. Individuals are also able to use the journals for personal reflection and prayer. You can start with any of the four journals, each of which covers a standalone “season” of six sessions that each have their own theme rooted in a passage from scripture. The Seasons of Hope program was created by author M. Donna MacLeod following the death of her daughter and has been used in thousands of parishes by tens of thousands of people since its original release in 2007. Updates to the new edition of the Leader’s Guide include: a new introduction; a new chapter about offering group sessions online; revised content and activities that meet the challenges and needs of the contemporary Church and culture; an updated resource list; access to online facilitator training materials; and information about caring for those living grief from losses such as suicide, overdose, miscarriage and other child loss, natural disasters, or homicide. The Leader’s Guide continues to include FAQs about creating and sustaining successful grief ministries in your parish. It also provides outlines and scripts for the six group sessions of each season. Those sessions include scripture, prayer, reflection, activities, and faith sharing. The Seasons of Hope Journals, which are perfect for individual and group use, have been revised with a new introduction and updated resource listings. The journals also include Bible references, reflections, prayers, and space for writing.