Our suffering is of many kinds - spiritual, mental, emotional, physical, psychological. It may be inflicted on us from outside ourselves, or be churned up from within us by forces we little understand. This collection arranged around Christ's Seven Last Words is meant to enliven the hope and peace that lead to joy in suffering and allow us to embrace our cross. It is a reminder of what is always certain: that God IS, that God is LOVE, that LOVE created us, that we ARE because God first loved us, that His love never wearies or wavers. "We all long for such genuine helps and such sweet reminders as this.there is a profound truth in every other line, and the rest is you singing to Him. That is what you represent to others, Kathryn -- His unconditional love, along with your own. It comes through so beautifully." Carol O'Reilly, TCRNews.com

A revolutionary approach to dealing with life's challenges that guides readers in how to face them and to recognize them as gifts from God. At one time or another everyone finds themselves questioning, "Does God still love me? Is there a purpose for all this pain?" Drs. Meier and Henderson teach readers how to face painful struggles head-on in a way that allows them to grow and mature emotionally and spiritually. In this timely book they explore the seven most common life challenges: Injustice Rejection Loneliness Loss Discipline Failure Death In addition they offer the three reasons we often miss the gifts these challenges can be. This unique approach to an age-old problem will encourage and challenge readers to grow through their struggles instead of wasting energy trying to avoid them altogether.

"Schizophrenia" is by many accounts the most devastating illness of our time. In this book, Elahe Hessamfar uses her personal encounter with her daughter's illness to bring the reader to experience the pain and anguish of those who suffer so intensely. She candidly discusses the gripping and dark realities her family has faced in the midst of this journey and exposes that the ride isn't easy, but it can be fruitful and purposeful, and it can be a journey of joy and peace if understood from the intended perspective. This is a fascinating and deeply theological portrayal of madness under the mighty hand of God. It challenges and awakens the reader to a heightened awareness about self, community, pain, brokenness, sin, grace, and redemption. This is the first truly biblically based, theological interpretation of madness in conversation with psychiatry and social sciences. Hessamfar passionately discusses the shortcomings of our current medical model of mental illness and directs the reader's attention to the mistreatment of those the medical community labels with "schizophrenia." She argues that not only is "schizophrenia" not pathological but it touches on the most fundamental fragilities of the human soul, and hence, it is a critical pastoral issue. Hessamfar offers tangible, inspiring, and life-changing solutions for those dealing with this most elusive and mysterious phenomenon--solutions that would bring hope and healing to the hopeless people chained in the abyss of madness.

This wide-ranging historical survey provides an indispensable resource for those interested in exploring, teaching, or studying English spirituality. In two stand-alone volumes, it traces history from Roman times until the year 2000. The main Christian traditions and a vast range of writers and spiritual themes, from Anglo-Saxon poems to late-modern feminist spirituality, are included. These volumes present the astonishing richness and variety of responses made by English Christians to the call of the divine during the past two thousand years.

Reprint of the original, first published in 1864.