Recommendations based on "Discerning the Voice of God How to Recognize When God Speaks"

Life is turbulent. On that, we can all agree. Disappointed dreams, broken relationships, identity crises, vocational hang-ups, wounds from the past--there are so many ways life can send us crashing up against the rocks.In this deeply personal book, Jonathan Martin draws from his own stories of failure and loss to find the love that can only be discovered on the bottom. How to Survive a Shipwreck is an invitation to trust the goodness of God and the resilience of your soul. Jonathan's clarion call is this: No matter how hard you've fallen, no matter how much you've been hurt, help is on the way--just when you need it most.With visionary artistry and pastoral wisdom, Jonathan Martin reveals what we'll need to make it through those uncharted waters, how we can use these defining experiences to live out of our depths, and why it will then become impossible to go back to the half-life we once lived.

The now--this moment--is the true source of happiness and peace and the key to living a fulfilled and meaningful life. [i]Embracing the Now[/i] by Gina Lake is a collection of short essays about the now that can serve as daily reminders of the deepest truths. Full of clear insight and wisdom, it explains how the mind keeps us from being in the now, how to move into the now and stay there, and what living from the now is like. It also explains how to overcome stumbling blocks to being in the now, such as fears, doubts, judgments, misunderstandings, distrust of life, desires, and other conditioned ideas that are behind human suffering."By becoming aware of what else is showing up in life in this moment besides thoughts, we can begin to really live in this moment and respond to it naturally, uncluttered by our mental commentary. We are in the moment, but without the ego's influence on it. Spiritual freedom is when the voice of the ego no longer dominates and colors the landscape of life. Rather, this voice is one small aspect of the landscape, one other thing that comes and goes in this landscape. This voice becomes impersonal, something that has no more personal relevance than the bird's song or the temperature of the room. It's experienced, but not experienced as "you." Then it's possible to experience the Experiencer, the true self that is behind all life and behind our life. This Experiencer is in love with life, and when we let it live us, we are in love with life, and our actions and words express that. Freedom from the ego brings a relaxation into the true self and the possibility of being that in the world instead of the ego."

Highlighting the presence of God's perfect peace, Elizabeth George helps women know God's perfect peace in every circumstance in their lives. They will discover how to respond to the needs of others; mature in Christ; and overcome anxiety. The "heart response" sections help readers grasp Paul's teachings and focus on God's loving provisions.

A gorgeous memoir that honors life’s deep griefs, great joys, and unsettled in-betweens through every sacred season, assuring us that we are never aloneExquisitely told and urgently resonant, Even After Everything is a love letter to anyone who has opened their heart only to be hurt. Stephanie Duncan Smith proposes that it’s not through grit or forced resilience that you will find a way forward, but through receiving the full spectrum of our lives, just as we receive the empathy of God-with-us in every moment.Duncan Smith’s disorientation began when she lost her first pregnancy on the winter solstice, just as the world readied to celebrate its most historic birth on Christmas. Then a new yet uncertain pregnancy unfolded parallel to the pandemic, until nearly one year to the day of her loss, she gave birth to her daughter at the peak of mortality in their city. These contradictions compelled Duncan Smith into a desperate search for steadiness, which she found in the liturgical year as a grounding force and the promise that we are seen by God in every season.In Even After Everything, Duncan Smith traverses the church’s circle of time and reorients herself and us in the sacred story told through Advent, Epiphany, Lent, Holy Week, and Ordinary Time. She reveals the sacred year—through its endless interplay of love, loss, risk, and resurrection—as a mirror to the human experience, an anchor for turbulent times, and a womb strong enough to encompass every human care. At its heart lives the promise of God-with-us, inviting us into the spiritual practice of taking courage in the trust that we are accompanied in everything, and love will always have the last word.

When is the last time you thought about the state of your soul?The health of your soul isn't just a matter of saved or unsaved. It's the hinge on which the rest of your life hangs. It's the difference between deep, satisfied spirituality and a restless, dispassionate faith.In an age of materialism and consumerism that tries to buy its way to happiness, many souls are starved and unhealthy, unsatisfied by false promises of status and wealth. We've neglected this eternal part of ourselves, focusing instead on the temporal concerns of the world-and not without consequence.Bestselling author John Ortberg presents another classic that will help you discover your soul-the most important connection to God there is-and find your way out of the spiritual shallow-lands to true divine depth. With characteristic insight and an accessible story-filled approach, Ortberg brings practicality and relevance to one of Christianity's most mysterious and neglected topics.

A compassionate, shame-free guide for your darkest days“A one-of-a-kind book . . . to read for yourself or give to a struggling friend or loved one without the fear that depression and suicidal thoughts will be minimized, medicalized or over-spiritualized.”—Kay Warren, cofounder of Saddleback ChurchWhat happens when loving Jesus doesn’t cure you of depression, anxiety, or suicidal thoughts? You might be crushed by shame over your mental illness, only to be told by well-meaning Christians to “choose joy” and “pray more.” So you beg God to take away the pain, but nothing eases the ache inside. As darkness lingers and color drains from your world, you’re left wondering if God has abandoned you.You just want a way out.But there’s hope.In I Love Jesus, But I Want to Die, Sarah J. Robinson offers a healthy, practical, and shame-free guide for Christians struggling with mental illness. With unflinching honesty, Sarah shares her story of battling depression and fighting to stay alive despite toxic theology that made her afraid to seek help outside the church. Pairing her own story with scriptural insights, mental health research, and simple practices, Sarah helps you reconnect with the God who is present in our deepest anguish and discover that you are worth everything it takes to get better.Beautifully written and full of hard-won wisdom, I Love Jesus, But I Want to Die offers a path toward a rich, hope-filled life in Christ, even when healing doesn’t look like what you expect.

This is an out of print book. Please click the link above for the 2021 edition.Are you searching for a way to teach God’s truth and purpose to your young children? The creators of the bestselling Jesus Storybook Bible created a gorgeous and innovative collection of 101 simple-yet-profound thoughts on faith. Thoughts to Make Your Heart Sing is perfect for family devotions, bedtime, storytime, or even as a companion to The Jesus Storybook Bible.Jago and Sally Lloyd-Jones’ Thoughts to Make Your Heart Sing: Is perfect for children ages 6 to 10 Shares profound spiritual truths from the Bible in a conversational tone—drawing insights from creation, history, science, the writings of great thinkers and preachers and writers, and more Is accessible yet theologically rich revealing biblical truth in word and image—all working together and designed to do one thing: to make the reader’s heart singThoughts to Make Your Heart Sing is a thoughtful gift for birthdays, baptisms, baby showers, adoption celebrations, Valentine’s Day, Easter, and holiday gift giving. Sally Lloyd-Jones’ rich text and Jago’s award winning illustrations will turn your child’s eyes toward the God who loves them with a Never Stopping, Never Giving Up, Unbreaking, Always and Forever Love.

“The kind of book that stays with you.”—KIM KARDASHIAN“A reminder [that] you’re never walking alone.”—JAY SHETTY“Imbued with both spiritual insight and emotional clarity.”—GWYNETH PALTROWThe renowned psychic medium and New York Times bestselling author of Signs explains how our loved ones who have passed continue to communicate with us, steering us to discover our purpose and create lives of meaning, connection, and love.Who am I, really? Why am I here? How can I more fully understand my connections to others and the world around me? And how does that understanding reveal the magic the universe has to offer?According to Laura Lynne Jackson, to answer these questions is to live an illuminated life.Jackson knows that her psychic gifts are not unique to her. She believes that everyone is capable of perceiving energy and identifying and interpreting messages sent to us by the Other Side. In Guided, Jackson shows that our loved ones who have passed form our own Team of Light, and that they never stop sharing their wisdom with us. By embracing the connections they reveal, we are put on a path to our best life—a life that Jackson calls illuminated.An illuminated life is one characterized by connectedness and creativity. It is one of alignment with purpose. It is a life of peace and confidence. And it is a life every one of us can discover for ourselves, if only we are open to the guidance that is sent our way.In Guided, Jackson shares the unforgettable and moving experiences of regular people who have learned how to respond to the messages sent to them by their Teams of Light in order to discover their higher paths. Offering solace and comfort though times of grief, and full of inspiring, motivating stories, Guided points the way toward an illuminated life for us all.

Your Invitation Awaits… You’ve tried harder. You’ve been more intentional. You’ve done everything “right.” In your search for meaning and purpose, you’ve placed your hope in many different things—only to find yourself at a turning point, quietly asking, Is this it? Is this all there is? If the direction of your life is leading you away from peace, contentment, and true fulfillment, Emily Lex has some great news to share with you: God is offering you a better way. A way of real rest. A way of quiet confidence. A way to free yourself from expectations. A way to become the person he created you to be. A way to learn his unforced rhythms of grace. Do you breathe a sigh of hope when you hear this holy and gentle invitation from Jesus? “Come to me… Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.” If so, then you are ready to accept his offer to recover and renew your life. Start your journey today.    

In this bestselling testimony, the author draws on her own life experiences with abuse, incest, teenage motherhood, and a dependence on public assistance to teach others that hardships can help in growth, healing, and learning to love, and that yesterday's tears can nourish the seeds of hope, renewal, and strength that lie deep within.