In Unexpected Blessings in the Midst of my Pain, Betty shares with you her life?s experiences at work, retirement and with physical pain. Follow her story as she recounts her life?s experiences after losing her job of 28 years, at age 58 remarrying after being divorced 18 years. Moving from Chicago to Canton OH and founding a social service agency. Accompany her as she was stricken with Occipital Neuralgia (a migraine-type headache), spending months without a clear diagnosis and without relief. Witness how she learned to put her faith in God and take charge of her own medical care and found a way out without medication.

What if our actual lives aren't 'written' like a simple story? Nor like a book that flows neatly and sequentially from 'chapter-to-chapter' via a rigidly linear plot. But written, instead, through a series of creative interludes or moments. Further still, what if our lives shouldn't simply happen to us? But, rather, be lived through our affirmative acts of seeking 'life.' As part of an ongoing, active quest. A human quest for deeply spiritual lives of continuously 'becoming.' In Unbinding the Perpetual Soul, Jeffrey C. Tucker writes via a series of essays. These diverse, accessible, engaging, creative, and provocative essays are organized around our human quests for 'being.' For to 'be' entails continuous and challenging, but highly rewarding, quests for things such as identity, wellbeing, belonging, truths, things sacred, healing, transcendence, and meaning. Questing is not an easy journey, to be sure. But it's life changing. It's exhilarating. It's exciting and rewarding. And while far from certain in its destination, one thing is for sure: you'll be a better, healthier, and far more actualized person in the process. You'll be more spiritually 'whole' and grounded. So join in this quest, if you will. An inclusive, soulful, unbinding, and life-giving one at that.

Follow God's process for growth and find hope in life's darkest moments with Bishop T.D. Jakes's uplifting stories and advice from his own faith journey. In this insightful book, #1 New York Times bestselling author T.D. Jakes wrestles with age-old questions: Why do the righteous suffer? Where is God in all the injustice? Bishop Jakes tells crushing personal stories from his own journey -- the painful experience of learning his young teenage daughter was pregnant, the agony of watching his mother succumb to Alzheimer's, and the shock and helplessness he felt when his son had a heart attack. Bishop Jakes wants to show you how God uses difficult, crushing experiences to prepare you for unexpected blessings. If you are faithful through suffering, you will be surprised by God's joy, comforted by His peace, and fulfilled with His purpose. Crushing will inspire you to have hope, even in your most difficult moments. If you trust in God and lean on Him during setbacks, He will lead you through.

As people, we all struggle with stress, moments of panic, times of confusion, and other times that we feel overwhelmed and we can't sleep. And if it was up to the devil, he would be more than happy to medicate all of us with his fake remedies of alcohol and drugs. He is an opportunist, experienced in using our problems, our vulnerability, our wounding, our pain, our traumatic past experiences to get us where he wants. He is good at offering temporary relief for deeper crises of the soul. This is my true story of God stepping into my messy, shattered, and broken family life and rescuing me. You see, freedom, according to Satan, is being away from God. I don't think my son had any idea of who the devil was or how cunning he could be. He befriends to destroy, he gives to take away. As a mother of an adult struggling with addiction, my life was paralyzed. Every breath increased my pain of hopelessness and despair. I felt afraid, alone, and abandoned by God. God seemed distant, absent, silent, and unconcerned. I felt like running, but there was no place to hide. Was God punishing me? Where and how did I go wrong? Sharing my painful journey was not an easy step. I tried at all costs to hide this painful part of my life. It took years in my classroom of pain for my mind to be unshackled by the Teacher, the Holy Spirit. I no longer need to hide nor be ashamed of my challenges with my prodigal son. Nevertheless, breaking free from shame, stigma, and judgment is a process that took years. When we only let others see the beautiful parts of our stories, avoiding our broken painful chapters, we mislead people, and perhaps they envy us for what they falsely think are perfect lives. Worse, we misrepresent the power of the good news that reaches down into our broken souls, hearts, and lives to provide peace from our broken pieces. Dear waiting, praying, and expecting parents of struggling children, I believe God wants to usher you to your own breakthrough, healing, and freedom. You can learn to relinquish your child(ren) to God. Do not lose hope. Have faith. In his time, he will make all things beautiful for us! God wastes nothing, even our pain.

Christopher and Hilda Talley were living what they thought was the American dream. They had two beautiful and healthy daughters, a comfortable home, cars, clothes, food on the table, a wonderful faith community, and two terrific jobs they loved. They played at life just as hard as they worked for their lifestyle, traveling in the United States and to foreign lands as often as possible. But in 1999, that all came crashing down. Hilda went from a happy and healthy person to someone who struggles for every breath she takes, after an inadequately trained pesticide tech came into her office. Two minutes after he left, she was fighting for her life. The chemical permanently damaged her lungs and vocal cords and led to two debilitating diseases: reactive airways dysfunction syndrome and vocal cord dysfunction. Their family life changed instantly. In God in the Midst of Thorns, Christopher and Hilda share their story, a story intertwined with the testament of God’s love and the power of Christian community, as they began their journey of learning to live a new normal. The Talleys discuss how, in their struggle for understanding, they both found a new and deeper relationship with God.

Discover a renewed sense of God's purpose and find the courage to pursue your greatest dreams with this comforting guide to spiritual fulfillment and success. Albert Einstein once said, "Problems cannot be solved with the same mind-set that created them." To resolve our problems and deal with our mistakes, we must be willing to be transformed by God's process of healing and strengthening. We have a tendency to think of our present situation in polarizing terms: good or bad, up or down. Due to the seasonal nature of our life experiences, this is an easy trap for many of us. We overlook the fact that there are transition times, such as the season between graduation and the amazing job; between divorce and remarriage; between the failure and the success. The Shift explores the ways we can survive the seasons in between with the courage that comes only when you're sure of God's purpose for your life.

Ste Casey explores the experience of unanswered prayers and the struggle to understand why God does not bring about the desired changes in life.

Written for Christian men struggling with any form of sexual brokenness, this resource helps men understand that sexual sin starts in their minds and hearts and shows them how knowing Christ breaks their chains, builds spiritual brotherhood, and helps them take practical steps to re-create their minds in a God-focused direction. The ...

Is it possible that good things can come out of our broken dreams? Worship leader and recording artist Laura Story’s life took an unexpected turn when her husband, Martin, was diagnosed with a brain tumor. Their lives would never be the same. Yes, with God all things are possible. But the devastating news was that no cure existed to restore Martin’s short-term memory, eyesight, and other complications. The fairy-tale life Laura had dreamed of was no longer possible. And yet in struggling with God about how to live with broken dreams, Laura has found joy and a deeper intimacy with Jesus. In When God Doesn’t Fix It, Laura helps you understand that: We aren’t the only ones whose lives have taken unexpected turns Even heroes of our faith experienced brokenness Despite our flaws and stories, God can use us in extraordinary ways God may not fix everything. In fact, although your situation might not ever change or get better, with Jesus you can. Not because of your faith, but because of the faithfulness of God.