Religious Personal Development

Kate Braestrup's life was transformed by the loss of her husband; now Kate faces the possibility that she may lose her son. As a young mother, Kate Braestrup discovered the fierce protectiveness that accompanies parenthood. In the intervening years - through mourning her husband and the joy of remarriage and a blended family - Kate has absorbed the rewards and complications of that spirit. But when her eldest son joins the marines, Kate is at a crossroads.

In the 1980s, Erika Bornman’s family join, and ultimately move to, KwaSizabantu, a Christian mission based in KwaZulu-Natal, which is touted as a nirvana, founded on egalitarian values. But something sinister lurks beneath ‘the place where people are helped’. Life at KwaSizabantu is hard. Christianity is used to justify harsh punishments, and congregants are forced to repent for their sins. Threats of physical violence ensure adherence to stringent rules. Parents are pitted against children. Friendships are discouraged.

This is not how this was supposed to go! I had envisioned many more decades with my husband Robb in the complicated, beautiful life of marriage. But in the course of 12 hours, our family of four became a trio, and since that day my boys and I have been creating a new life in an upside-down world. This new book is in a lot of ways is a sequel to And Life Comes Back, to answer the question: “And then what happened - after the crisis became reality and your life began again?”

You'll meet people who know about darkness, yet still look for light and laughter. Bob finds life and fellowship at the natural burial ground that is his wife's last resting place. Kim's baby lived for only eight days yet left a lasting impact on her mother's heart and on the world. Matthew, who has prostate cancer, lives alone but learns to join song with others travelling a similar road. Ruth has a global pandemic to contend with on top of secondary cancer; while she can't choose her circumstances, she can choose to focus on all that remains possible.

Life spills out of books—giving you plenty to talk about! But Honey for a Teen’s Heart will do more than strengthen the bonds between you and your son or daughter. You’ll also learn how to help your teen catch the reading habit and become a lover of good books. Gladys Hunt’s insights on how to read a book, what to look for in a book, and how to question what you read will challenge you and your teenager alike. It’s training for life! And it’s fabulous preparation for teens entering college.

Meditation is a simple practice available to all. Research over the past two decades concludes that mindfulness meditation exerts beneficial effects on physical and mental health as well as cognitive performance. This means you can reduce stress and increase calmness, clarity, and happiness. Billionaire hedge fund manager Ray Dalio was quoted as saying, “Meditation, more than anything in my life, was the biggest ingredient of whatever success I’ve had.”

Affairs end marriages, everyone knows that. Based on a true story, this is a tale not only about restoration, but how God used betrayal to change one man's life forever.

Each of us is living a story-the story of our life. For Sam Collier, his story started with rejection, because when he and his twin sister were born, their biological mother gave them up for adoption. Though Sam loved his adoptive family, life sometimes felt like a puzzle missing crucial pieces. But it was also the way God would reach into Sam's life and show him that he didn't have to write his own story-because it was really God who was telling his story through Sam.

In India, two out of every three people are under the age of thirty-five. These are men and women who grew up with the internet and the advent of smartphones and social media. But when it comes to love and marriage, they’re expected to adhere to thousands of years of tradition. It’s that conflict between obeying convention and embracing modernity that drives journalist Mansi Choksi’s The Newlyweds. Choksi shines a light on three young couples who buck against arranged marriages in the pursuit of true love, illustrating the challenges, shame, anger, triumph, and loss their actions set in play.

This book is my personal contribution to the Great Commission, chronicling my spiritual journey from early adolescence to a deeper understanding of salvation. As a curious child, I wondered about God and the origins of the world, inspired by my mother's guidance rooted in Proverbs 22: 6. When I was baptized in my youth, I believed I had achieved spiritual fulfillment, yet I later realized my growth had stalled because I relied solely on church services and Sunday school without engaging in personal Bible study.

Infidelity. Deceit. Murder. Faith. Forgiveness. Restoration. One of the most remarkable true stories you’ll ever hear. Diane Nichols received repeated phone calls from a stranger. The female caller mocked and ridiculed her, eventually disclosing the most painful news a wife could hear: Diane’s husband, John, was having an affair with the 19-year-old caller.

Civil marriage ceremonies are increasingly popular, but it can be difficult to choose readings which are appropriate in a non-religious setting. A few well-known poems tend to appear regularly at civil ceremonies, but if you are looking for something different, this book could be the answer. Non-Religious Wedding Readings contains a selection of 77 poems and prose passages on love and marriage from various writers dating from the 17th to the 20th century.

Faith to Foster is a candid look into the life of ordinary foster parents T.J. and Jenn Menn. It is a journey chronicling their decision-making process, how the children arrived, the birth parents struggle to rehabilitate, help from friends and family, emotional goodbyes, and how faith in Jesus empowered them through it all. TJ and Jenn share their experiences and feelings in a way that encourages any listener to serve their neighbors, not just foster parents. Faith to Foster reminds Christians how God can use them to make a difference in their community.

To live in hearts we leave behind is not to die. In recent years non-religious funerals have become more common, but without an established canon of texts to fall back on, it can be difficult to plan an appropriate service for a loved one who had no religious belief or connections. Texts recommended by secular humanists, especially modern texts, can sometimes sound trite or overly informal.

In this beautifully crafted memoir, best-selling author and business leader Joe Sweeney weaves a remarkable tale of friendship, spirituality, and even some of the mischief that characterizes the unlikely 32-year relationship he enjoyed with a modern-day saint. She had a way about her, he said, and it was unlike anything he had encountered as a lifelong Catholic with honest questions about his faith, spirituality, and the meaning of life. A Light Shines Through Us guides listeners of all faiths, and those claiming no faith, on a journey of spiritual exploration and discovery.

Ministry is hard. Much like marriage, it's full of unanticipated challenges, requires a great deal of selflessness, and often comes with little reward. Marriage and ministry together? It's a unique calling, yet couples who enter into it seldom receive adequate preparation, training, or even warning! Geoff and Sherry Surratt have been at both marriage and ministry together for over 30 years and have seen the highs, the lows, and everything in between - they've managed to figure out a way to make it all work together.

As a student of the well respected teachings of Neville Goddard, I found that the essential shift to success on my journey came ONLY when I learned that you must first accept that everything is internal. Consciousness is the only reality. You can test these simple Approved Guidelines in your own research to find out that the truth is real. The Law of Assumption shows you that the world is truly within. Law of Attraction was wrong because it held to the belief that the world is outside of you. Until you accept this, you will not be successful.

If you gave me this book at age seven and told me the last couple of chapters would be my life one day, I would have said you were crazy and that you have the wrong family in mind. Because my mom and dad would still be married and living in a normal house with normal cars. We would have a golden retriever named Zach and a ginger cat named Ginger. A picture-perfect family. But that all came crashing down for me. No one should have to go through the things we did....

The Bible doesn't expressly talk about dating and we take this as a license to start making things up. Most of the time Christian dating looks very similar to the world's way, only with a cross around its neck. The way we date invites pain, baggage, break-ups, and confusion. It is at best unhelpful and at worst harmful. We need to do something different. We need to do something better. We need to rethink the way we think about dating. That's what this book is about. This book was written to change a paradigm.

Whatever you're searching for, Poetry Inspires Me to Heal is your guide to emotional healing, personal growth, and inner peace. This soothing and reflective audiobook by S.L. Conduite is a quick listen filled with therapeutic and inspirational poetry that fits seamlessly into your day—whether during a hectic commute, a quiet moment, or whenever you need a lift.