For all those who have ever felt useless to God, J. I. Packer and Carolyn Nystrom offer this encouraging look at characters from Scripture who all failed, but who God used for his glory. Includes study questions, prayer suggestions and journaling ideas.

“Beyond Hope and Despair” is the second in the Galanor Saga Series. It picks up exactly where Volume I (“Beyond Good and Evil”) leaves off. It is a novel written in three parts (Books One. Two and Three). Each can be read as a separate work or, as designed, as part of the complete novel. Book One finds Galanor (who is now the commander of an elite mercenary corps known as the Panther Legion) on the field of a recently fought battle. He has lost his will to live and, since the death of beloved Kara, and her entire universe, by his actions, insane with guilt and despair. Azool visits Galanor while he wanders among the dead, and renews his demand (only now with more vigor) for Galanor to join him in his struggle to “free” reality from “order.” Following Galano’s rebuke Azool visits the Legionnaires with sudden madness. This causes them to turn on one another. The most affected by this is Pharon, who, under Azool’s influence (which continues throughout the novel) turns on his lifelong friend. Galanor finds himself swept up in court intrigue and falling in love with the empress, whose husband had commissioned Galanor’s Legion to defend his borders. This put Galanor at direct odds with the empire’s High Lord General, Sargon. Sargon aligns himself with a wizard, who has a personal grudge with Galanor dating back to Atlantis. Together they plot to kidnap the empress and destroy Galanor in the process. After a long series of devastating encounters Galanor, on the verge of death, is sent into the desert to die. He is rescued by a shadowy, mythical figure who begins his road to mental and spiritual recovery, outside the bounds of reality. Book Two finds Pharon and the entire remaining members of the Panther Legion, in prison awaiting death at the hands of Sargon (who has taken control of the empire from the feckless emperor, who grieves over his wife’s absence). Azool has been visiting Pharon, who has now become his agent. Galanor, having left the care of his benefactor, has taken on a new companion (who had been given to him while he was being healed). He is a powerful, sleek dog named Anubis, whose spiritual and physical presence helps Galanor cement some of the soul saving lessons he had learned (though he cannot recall how). Together, they meet a young warrior and priestess who are on a desperate mission to save their city from sure and certain destruction at the hands of a vast, marauding army. Galanor must choose between returning back for his comrades or going forward, in search of the kidnapped empress and helping the young couple and their city. He chooses the latter while conceiving a plan to do the former. After a devastating battle to free the now enslaved city, Galanor is swept into the arms of a goddess who wants him for her own. He also discovers an old and trusted friend along the way. His friend, Enkidu, tells him of a “world beneath the world” that might help his kidnapped love. It is a place where only the dead may enter. He and Anubis do so. Book Three finds the young warrior in search of an old friend and warrior chief whom Galanor and Pharon had rescued during a sea battle. This man and his band of elite stealth warriors, agree to help the young warrior free the Legionnaires before their execution. Galanor and Anubis cross into the land of shadows and emerge in a land not far from where the empress has been imprisoned by the insane wizard. Pharon and the Legionaries are freed and with the aid of the stealth warriors, become the agents of fate. Galanor encounters Azool one last time in a battle of wills. He defeats an old enemy and does battle with the wizard to rescue the woman he loves. As “Beyond Good and Evil” was a novel about the power of love and commitment, “Beyond Hope and Despair,” is a novel about the power of redemption.

Drawing on a host of philosophers such as Arthur Schopenhauer, Gabriel Marcel, Josef Pieper, Paul Ricoeur, Viktor Frankl, Eric Voegelin, Bernard Lonergan, Roger Scruton, John Caputo, and Ludwig Wittgenstein, as well as theologians like Hans Urs von Balthasar, Karl Rahner, Hans Küng, Pope Benedict XVI and Pope Francis, this book argues passionately for the place of hope as the ‘beyond’ of both a will-o’-the-wisp, facile optimism, on the one hand, and a world-weary, fatuous pessimism, on the other. Drawing on the philosophy of Advaita Vedanta in the concluding chapter, it suggests that only by living from the Self as distinct from the ego can we know ultimate peace and experience the bliss of being that is beyond both hope and happiness. These philosophical reflections are both timely, as the publication appears amid the Coronavirus crisis, and wise. It is warmly recommended for its breadth and depth of knowledge. This book will appeal to students of both Eastern and Western philosophy, as well as spiritual seekers.

Spiritual "heart trouble" is a threat to every believer living in this world, but God has provided help in His word. Explore these various helps for your heart, both in terms of pastoral counsel and comfort, with the author. Besides general comfort from Holy Scripture, pastor Gowens offers specific counsel in individual chapters on Depression, Disappointment, Loneliness, Mistreatment, Grief, Guilt, and Fear.

Gold. With that one little word and its promise of fabulous wealth, people from all parts of the world came to British Columbia in the 1850s and 1860s. Most were ill equipped for the difficult terrain, the icy water, and the inhospitable climate. Some found the motherlode. Others settled for becoming rich merchants. Most became impoverished, and a large number lost their lives. With new roads and new settlers, the gold rush helped build Canada’s West. This pictorial history tells the stories of the Fraser and Cariboo gold rush and of the lives involved in that tumultuous but decisive event in Canadian history.

How are Christians to live in such difficult times? Unique of all people, Christians are called to embrace a hopeful outlook on life. Mere Hope offers the core, Christ-centered perspective that all Christians share, and that Christians alone have to offer a world filled with frustration, pain, and disappointment. For those in darkness, despair, and discouragement, for those in the midst of trials, suffering, and injustice, mere hope lives. The spirit of the age is cynicism. When our leaders, our families, and our friends let us down at every turn, this isn't surprising. But we need another perspective; we need hope. Rather than reflecting resigned despair or distracted indifference, author Jason Duesing argues, our lives ought to be shaped by the gospel of Jesus—a gospel of hope.

A young Amish woman, searching for truth and love amidst tradition, returns to her home state of Indiana after a season in Montana, hoping to understand where exactly her heart belongs.

Remember that God never fails in a world that disappoints and reclaim your hope in Him through 60 days of warm, story-based devotions from Lori Hatcher. Grow closer to God as you reflect on His generous nature and unwavering commitments. Strengthen your prayer life with thought-provoking prompts, and replace anxiety with trust while encountering Bible truths about the Source of hope, your amazingly faithful God.

Diagnosed with Stage 4 melanoma skin cancer at 40 years old, her doctors said she would never make it to 41 - but then something extraordinary happened! For more info visit us at http://whenhopeneverdies.com