Mothering is messy. Our joy and hope in raising children doesn’t change the reality that being a mom can be frustrating, stressful, and tiring. But just as God is using us to shape our children, God is using our children and motherhood to shape us. In The Better Mom, author Ruth Schwenk, herself a mother of four children, encourages us with the good news that there is more to being a mom than the extremes of striving for perfection or simply embracing the mess. We don’t need to settle for surviving our kids’ childhood. We can grow through it. With refreshing and heartfelt honesty Ruth emboldens moms to: Find freedom and walk confidently in purpose Create a God-honoring home environment Overcome unhealthy and destructive emotions such as anger, anxiety, and more Avoid glorifying the mess of mom-ing or idolizing perfection Cultivate life-giving friendships At the heart of The Better Mom is the message that Jesus calls us to live not a weary life, but a worthy life. We don’t have to settle for either being apathetic or struggling to be perfect. Both visions of motherhood go too far. Ruth offers a better option. She says, “It’s okay to come as we are, but what we’re called to do and be is far too important to stay there! The way to becoming a better mom starts not with what we are doing, but with who God is inviting us to become."

"God's Grand Plan of the Ages" captures the highlights of the more comprehensive book The Divine Plan of the Ages. Though brief in nature, this 96-page booklet shares a satisfying explanation of age-old questions: Why does a God of love permit the evil we see in the world? Why are there tsunamis and earthquakes that kill thousands—and wars that kill millions? Why must we experience pain, heartache and finally death? When will God's Kingdom come and His will be "done on earth as it is in heaven?" "God's Grand Plan of the Ages" also covers the signs of the "Time of the End" prophecied in the book of Daniel (Daniel 12:1-4). Daniel's predicition that knowledge would be increased is happening before our very eyes as we see the Brain Age coming in at an unprecedented rate. Though technology has been a blessing in many ways, man's selfishness and greed is also leading the world to an ever increasing "time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation." What a comfort to know, that this trouble is a prophetic sign indicating that we are on the brink of the "Golden Age" that mankind has longed for since the dawn of history! God's Kingdom will be more wonderful, more glorious, more all encompassing, than all the dreams of philosophers, poets and sages. There will be a world of peace (Psalm 46:9) The heal ing of all the defects of humanity (Isa iah 35:5,6) Moral integrity will be planted in every heart (Jeremiah 31:33) All the dead of past ages will be raised to life again (1 Cor. 15:22) Sorrow, pain, tears and death itself will cease (Revelation 21:4) "No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived, what God has prepared for those who love him" (1 Corinthians 2:9) We hope you will receive a blessing from reading this booklet. We also recommend reading The Divine Plan of the Ages, available FREE on a DVD offered on the back of the booklet. It is but the first book in a series of six that covers every major doctrine of the Bible as a topical study with a harmony that is unprecedented in Christian literature. This six-volume set is also available FREE on the DVD—or at cost, in a hard bound edition.

As a mom, you want to give your best to your family. Motherhood is incredibly rewarding, yet its challenges can leave you feeling anxious, inadequate, and overwhelmed with mom guilt. Trusted author Ruth Schwenk of Pressing Pause and The Better Mom blog will help you learn to give yourself grace as you grow in wisdom with The Better Mom Devotional. As a busy mom of four kids, Ruth understands the stress of raising a family and trying to do it all perfectly, but she has uncovered a secret: becoming a better mom doesn't start with what you are doing but with who God is inviting you to become. In The Better Mom Devotional, 100 devotions filled with Scripture, prayers, and reflection questions will help you discover: How God uses motherhood to change you from the inside out Intentional ways to deepen your faith in any season of parenting The true calling of motherhood: training, disciplining, and loving your children well The life-giving impact of honest, loving friendships This devotional is a great fit for: Mothers of small children and teenagers Small groups, women's Bible study groups, and personal daily reflection Mother's Day, birthdays, and holiday gifting With Ruth's encouragement, you can overcome mom guilt, stop trying to be the perfect mom, let go of the endless to-do list of motherhood, and experience the most challenging but rewarding adventure yet--becoming The Better Mom.

Life Is Never Mainly About Love and Marriage. So Learn to Live and Date for More. Many of you grew up assuming that marriage would meet all of your needs and unlock God's purposes for you. But God has far more planned for you than your future marriage. Not Yet Married is not about waiting quietly in the corner of the world for God to bring you "the one," but about inspiring you to live and date for more now. If you follow Jesus, the search for a spouse is no longer a pursuit of the perfect person, but a pursuit of more of God. He will likely write a love story for you different than the one you would write for yourself, but that's because he loves you and knows how to write a better story. This book was written to help you find real hope, happiness, and purpose in your not-yet-married life.

The author of Desiring God reveals the biblical evidence to help us see and savor what the pleasures of God show us about Him. Includes a study guide for individual and small-group use. Isn’t it true—we really don’t know someone until we understand what makes that person happy? And so it is with God! What does bring delight to the happiest Being in the universe? John Piper writes, that it’s only when we know what makes God glad that we’ll know the greatness of His glory. Therefore, we must comprehend “the pleasures of God.” Unlike so much of what is written today, this is not a book about us. It is about the One we were made for—God Himself. In this theological masterpiece—chosen by World Magazine as one of the 20th Century’s top 100 books, John Piper reveals the biblical evidence to help us see and savor what the pleasures of God show us about Him. Then we will be able to drink deeply—and satisfyingly—from the only well that offers living water. What followers of Jesus need now, more than anything else, is to know and love—behold and embrace—the great, glorious, sovereign, happy God of the Bible. “This is a unique and precious book that everybody should read more than once.” —J.I. PACKER, Regent College, Vancouver, British Columbia