Summer Book Recommendations Specifically Curated for our Spiritual Seeker
For all of our spiritual seekers with open minds and kind hearts, this summer presents an opportunity for deep introspection and growth through the power of books. We have compiled a list of enlightening books that will speak to your deepest yearnings for spiritual inquiry.
SEPTEMBER NEW RELEASES
Blessed in the Mess: How to Experience God's Goodness in the Midst of Life's Pain
by Joyce Meyer
Renowned Bible teacher and #1 New York Times bestselling author Joyce Meyer shows readers how to not just survive but thrive amidst both the everyday and the monumental messes we experience in life.
Life is often messy. We hear people say, "My life is a mess," or "This situation is a mess." What they mean is that life has become difficult, painful or confusing. But God never promised us a trouble-free life. In fact, His Word tells us to expect the opposite. In John 16:33, Jesus says, "In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world" (NIV).
In Blessed in the Mess, beloved Bible teacher Joyce Meyer shows us how to be blessed in the midst of life's most challenging circumstances. The Bible is filled with instructions on how to handle ourselves when difficulty comes our way, and Blessed in the Mess shares that wisdom through poignant and practical teaching that equips us to remain stable and hopeful in every situation. No matter what problems we may face, there is a way to remain joyful and patient as God works on them. If you have not handled the messy issues or challenges in your life well in the past, then with God's help, you can begin to manage them better, starting now.
This Dream Is Not for You: Learn to Live by Letting Go
by Wade Joye
Believe it or not, the dreams we have for our lives are dangerous. Here, speaker and Bible teacher Wade Joye encourages us to let go of our dreams, surrender our lives to God, and truly live.
"Follow your dreams" is the self-help message of our day. In our schools and universities, media, and culture, and even in church, we are taught to dream big, work hard, and find true happiness in living our dreams. And so we spend our lives chasing.
But as we chase our dreams, we can be met with exhaustion, anxiety, and disappointment. Our circumstances may put our dreams in jeopardy, or even deny them--and we're heartbroken. Or we achieve them and just want more.
Wade Joye offers here a different way. Release your grip on your dreams and trust God with your whole life.
How to Smile
by Thich Nhat Hanh - Jason Deantonis
The final book in the bestselling How To series: simple, refreshing meditations of Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh give us inspiration and tools for transforming our suffering and cultivating happiness
In inspiring passages and simple exercises, Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh teaches us what he calls "the art of suffering." He gives us teachings and tools for transforming suffering as well as ways to touch moments of happiness and smile even while suffering is still there.
Written with characteristic simplicity and wisdom, these insightful meditations--born from the Zen master's lifetime of Zen practice and peacemaking--teach us how to come back to ourselves, calm our body and mind, and not let suffering overwhelm us. When we're willing to face our suffering and look deeply into it, we begin to understand its origins. Transformation and healing become possible, and along with it a greater capacity to understand the suffering of others and resolve conflicts in our relationships.
God Never Gives Up on You: What Jacob's Story Teaches Us about Grace, Mercy, and God's Relentless Love
by Max Lucado
Ever wonder if you've had one too many stumbles for God to use someone like you? If you could benefit from a tale of God's unending, unbending, unswerving love and devotion, let bestselling author and pastor Max Lucado show you how God's grace will transform your life.
God Never Gives Up on You is a book for the members of the Lost Halo Society. For the strugglers among us and the fumbler within us. For those of us who are part saint, part scoundrel. We mean well, but we don't always do well. We have breakthroughs and breakdowns, often in the same hour. We need no reminder of our failures, but we could always use a refresher course on God's perfect plan to use imperfect people to do great things.
AUGUST NEW RELEASES
I Cry in Corners: Embracing Your Feelings, Throat-Punching Anxiety, and Managing Your Emotions Well
by Chari Orozco
Our emotions drive so much of what we do, say, and think, even if we don't realize it. Our response to our feelings--denying they exist, letting them lead our actions unchecked, distracting ourselves to avoid feeling them--can greatly impact our lives and those around us. Emotions are essential for everyday life, but how we navigate them in the storms of life will make or break us.
In I Cry in Corners, charismatic up-and-coming pastor Chari Orozco takes the readers through the life of Jesus, examining the powerful emotional tests he faced and how he responded, from his terror in the Garden of Gethsemane to his righteous anger in the temple to his disappointment when those he loved best betrayed him.
In each chapter, Chari gives readers both practical and spiritual wisdom to help them respond to emotions like Jesus did. How do we steward our emotions when those closest people fail us? We turn around and wash the feet of the ones we love. How do we face temptation? We refuse to get hangry, resist the devil, and remember that our value lies not in what we have but how we love. How do we steward our emotions with maturity when the hurt we've suffered comes from those who claim to know and love Jesus? We do what Jesus did: choose our words wisely, keep our eyes on the joy set before us, and, if necessary, flip over some tables. Our feelings are a gift from God, and through the life and struggles of Jesus, we find a blueprint for honoring your feelings without getting lost in them.
Grit Don't Quit: Developing Resilience and Faith When Giving Up Isn't an Option
by Bianca Juarez Olthoff
Whether by choice or circumstances out of our control, we will have moments where we feel like we've been punched out, dragged down, or knocked out. What do we do in those situations? You must learn to persevere.
Perseverance requires a deep sense of hope, and thought leader, pastor, and podcaster, Bianca Juárez Olthoff, knows that personally. But it's not just any hope. It's a hope firmly rooted in something other than mere wishes and finger-crossing. This is a hope we have in our future that is rooted in the One who can go beyond our wildest dream to accomplish more than we could ever imagine. However, we must be willing to do the work of cultivating grit throughout every circumstance.
Like a River: Finding the Faith and Strength to Move Forward After Loss and Heartache
by Granger Smith
Like a River, a triumphant story of new life birthed out of tragedy, will teach readers how to face their failures, confront their pain, and connect with God--the true source of life.
On June 4th, 2019, country music singer Granger Smith was enjoying a final evening with his kids before heading to Nashville for the CMT Music Awards and his next tour. While helping his daughter London with her gymnastics, his youngest son fell into their pool. Granger did everything he could to get to him, but he was too late. River drowned, and Granger's world shattered.
The days, weeks, and months that followed River's death sent Granger on a dark and painful journey. Every time he closed his eyes, he replayed the horrific event in his mind, and every time he opened his computer, he was bombarded by the critique and criticism of people who blamed him for the accident.
JULY NEW RELEASES
Zen in the Garden: The Japanese Art of Peaceful Gardening
by Miki Sakamoto - Catherine Venner
Spring, summer, autumn, and winter
The seasons come and go, bringing changes both welcome and unexpected
Miki Sakamoto has spent a lifetime tending her garden and reflecting on its mysteries. Why do primulas bloom in snow? Do the trees really 'talk' to one another? What are the black birds saying today? And is there a mindful way to deal with an aphid infestation?
From rising early to walk barefoot on the grass each morning, to afternoons and evenings spent sipping tea in her gazebo or watching fireflies as she recalls her childhood in Japan, in Zen in the Garden Sakamoto shares observations from a life spent in contemplation--and cultivation--of nature.