Bücher veröffentlicht von Crown Publishing Group

"For a long time, no one pulling the strings in the comedy world thought that an over-fifty woman from rural Tennessee could make it in the industry. But Leanne Morgan has defied the odds, reaching millions with her musings on hormones, low-rise britches, Weight Watchers, and her opposites-attract relationship with her husband, Chuck. In her charming southern accent, Morgan brings readers inside her quest to find her voice after spending many years trying to figure out what that meant. Along the way, we learn how she grew up as a butcher's daughter, landed a husband with health insurance, honed her stand-up technique selling jewelry at house parties, embraced the glories of aging, and surrendered to the comfort of wearing big flesh-toned panties"--

"In Habits for Healing, Nakeia Homer sheds light on simple, powerful acts that move us toward healing and help us to escape patterns of burnout, toxic relationships, and emotional exhaustion. Drawing on her work guiding others and her own experience of healing from a traumatic childhood, she helps readers find healing in their everyday rhythms. For example: A drive home from work can become an opportunity for self-care Keeping a daily to-do list is a surprising way to ease into acceptance The practice of becoming curious about others' motivations frees us from taking their words personally"--

Rich Mullins was more than a musician. He was a poet and thinker who left behind a timeless legacy. As a columnist for Release magazine for nearly six years, Rich shared his musings on faith and life, conveying the wonder and awesomeness of his God with the same depth and simplicity that characterized his music. The World As I Remember It is a collection of these personal writings, complemented by striking photography and some of Rich's most memorable quotations. This one-of-a-kind collection will be cherished not only by his fans, but by anyone who appreciates fresh, deep spiritual nourishment. Rich Mullins was more than a musician. He was a poet and thinker who left a legacy of deep gratitude, humility, and delight before the dace of an awesome God. Here you'll find a treasury of Rich's engaging, intimate reflections on faith and life. Revealing the spiritual meaning behind the simplest events, Rich muses about subjects ranging from fear to contentment, childlikeness to emptiness, from war to music. This is a feast for anyone who appreciates fresh, deep spiritual nourishment. As you savor the arresting ideas of one of modern Christianity's most ardent pilgrims, you'll find your adoration focused on your Creator, Redeemer, and Inpirer. Story Behind the Book For nearly six years, Rich shared his thoughts about faith and life through his columns in Release magazine. When his first column was published in the spring of 1991, the editors introduced him this way: "Rich not only has a lot to say...he also has a unique way of saying it. And although Mr. Mullins could easily fit into that intellectual bohemian-type category (we're sure he could hold his own in a discussion with any theologian or philosopher of old), most often, his message is a straightforward call back to the principles of faith. He's a poet, a scholar, a gentleman, and yes, just a little bit off-center. But that's why we like him, and are pleased to welcome Rich to Release with this regular column. We trust you'll love him and what he has to say as much as we do..." Rich had a way with words, and a collection of his writings seems an appropriate tribute to a man who has been referred to as "the greatest songwriter of our time."

"How would your life look if you gained years of wisdom, guidance, and strategy while you were asleep? That's exactly what you receive when you tap into the power of God's voice in your dreams!"--

The encyclical letter Lumen Fidei is the great monument of the Year of Faith declared by Pope Benedict XVI and brought to completion by Pope Francis. It is a capstone of the year, but at the same time a milestone of a long road, a road we have only begun to travel: the road of the New Evangelization." -from the Foreword by Scott Hahn On June 29, 2013 Pope Francis issued his first papal letter reflecting on the nature of belief and the need to renew our faith for a bright future of charity and love for all. "The light of Faith: this is how the Church's tradition speaks of the great gift brought by Jesus," Pope Francis writes. "In John's Gospel, Christ says of himself: 'I have come as light into the world, that whoever believes in me may not remain in darkness.'" Here is an illuminating work inviting all to lead a more spiritual and faith-based, a reminder that with faith comes service, and with service to others and to God comes heaven on earth.

You believe in God. You're trying to serve Him. But do you know how to truly love Him-and let Him love you? As a Bible-believing churchgoer, author Shellie Tomlinson harbored a secret in her good-girl heart. She longed for something more than routine faith; she wanted to love God with a genuine, all-consuming passion. So she got honest with Him: "I admit it. I don't love you like I should, but I want to love you. Help me!" In Heart Wide Open, Shellie invites you to answer the call of your restless heart and refuse to settle for anything less than the intimate friendship of God. Through her heartfelt and honest words, you'll find practical inspiration to help you…· exchange your "just enough Jesus" mindset for an all-out pursuit of Him· put sizzle in your Bible study by asking God to show you the wonder of His Word· trade formulaic devotions for a devoted life Are you ready to stop struggling to make time for God and instead live every moment with God? Discover how to live with your heart wide open.

Have you ever ditched a friend for a guy? Filled your journal with more thoughts about guys than God? Found yourself jealous because that other girl gets all the dates? Maybe it's time to get lost-in God. Discover how to get so lost in God that a guy has to seek Him to find you. Dannah Gresh traces God's language of love through Scripture to help you pursue your heart's deepest desires and seek love the way God designed it to be. Because once you identify your true longings and let God answer them, you'll know just how to respond when romantic love comes along. With a guided ten-day Love Feast Challenge, Get Lost will help you see for yourself how getting lost in God opens the door to lifelong fulfillment.

Prepare Now for America's Fall The enemies of free-market capitalism have launched their final attack. History's most powerful nation soon will be reduced to an isolated, impoverished country with no influence over international affairs. A close reading of prophecy reveals no mention of the United States. The wealthiest and most powerful nation in history will play no visible role in the culminating events of this age. Prophecy expert Grant R. Jeffrey has exposed the hidden causes behind the rapid disappearance of America as we know it. No longer will other nations count on America to come to their aid. Aggressor nations will not have to fear the possibility of U.S. retaliation because very soon, America will be too weak to take action. And just at the time when the United States is weakened nearly beyond recognition, the Antichrist will unleash his evil rule over the world. When America falls, the collapse will come rapidly. It is to your advantage to know in advance what to look for. In One Nation, Under Attack you will find a workable plan to help you protect your family and your future from the far-reaching economic devastation to come.

Improve your most important relationships-starting today. At the end of the day in this all-too-short life, what matters most is relationships. Spouse, parent, child, friend-whoever your closest loved ones are, they warrant more than a passing glance; they deserve an intentional and meaningful relationship with you. The One Month to Love thirty-day challenge is the greatest adventure you'll ever take, helping you deepen the important relationships in your life. Authors Kerry and Chris Shook use timeless, biblical wisdom to walk through three stages of relationships: First Glance, Second Look, and Lasting Love. Many of us have launched into the exciting First Glance phase. When we then tiptoe into the Second Look, reality sets in, and often friendships weaken, families suffer, marriages crack. Now learn how to experience the deep, satisfying lifelong relationships of lasting love. All it takes is one chapter a day. If your marriage is broken, restoration is possible. If your friendship is frail, a fresh start is possible. Even if you've made mistakes in all your relationships, lasting love is still possible. "With God all things are possible" (Matthew 19:26). Includes a weekly focus and daily readings to guide you through the process.

Night's chill tickled her skin. Lonnie pressed her hands together and glanced up. He was even more handsome up close. Having grown up the shy, awkward daughter of Joel Sawyer, she'd hardly spoken to any boy, let alone the one who had mothers whispering warnings in their daughter's ears and fathers loading shotguns. Pretty Lonnie Sawyer is shy and innocent, used to fading into the background within her family, and among the creeks and hollows of the Appalachian hills. Though her family is poor and her father abusive, she clings to a quiet faith. But when handsome ladies' man and bluegrass musician Gideon O'Riley steals a kiss, that one action seals her fate. Her father forces her into a hasty marriage with Gideon-a man she barely knows and does not love. Equally frustrated and confused by his new responsibilities, Gideon yearns for a fresh start, forcing Lonnie on an arduous journey away from her home in Rocky Knob. Her distant groom can't seem to surrender his rage at the injustice of the forced matrimony or give Lonnie any claim in his life. What will it take for Gideon to give up his past, embrace Lonnie's God, and discover a hope that can heal their two fractured hearts? Gideon only ever cared about himself. Now that Lonnie is his wife, will he ever be worthy of her heart?

A thoughtful, accessible work on the beauty of love and the splendor of the body, inspired by Pope John Paul II.Christianity has long been regarded as viewing the body as a threat to a person's spiritual nature and of denying its sexual dimension. In 1979, Pope John Paul II departed from this traditional dichotomy and offered an integrated vision of the human body and soul. In a series of talks that came to be known as "the theology of the body," he explained the divine meaning of human sexuality and why the body provides answers to fundamental questions about our lives. In Called to Love, Carl Anderson, chairman of the world's largest catholic service organization, and Fr. Jose Granados discuss the philosophical and religious significance of "the theology of the body" in language at once poetic and profound. As they explain, the body speaks of God, it reveals His goodness, and it also speaks of men and women and their vocation to love. Called to Love brings to life the tremendous gift John Paul II bestowed on humanity and gives readers a new understanding of the Christian way of love and how to embrace it fully in their lives.

In this fascinating account of the search for the remains of the world's first pope, none other than Peter, the chief apostle of Jesus, Thomas J. Craughwell takes us on one of the most exciting archaeological finds of the twentieth century. In 1448 a team of architects and engineers brought Pope Nicholas V unhappy news: the 1,100-year-old Basilica of St. Peter suffered from so many structural defects that it was beyond repair. The only solution was to pull down the old church--one of the most venerable churches in all of Christiandom--and erect a new basilica on the site. Incredibly, one of the tombs the builders paved over was the resting place of St. Peter. Then in 1939, while reconstructing the grottoes below St. Peter's Basilica, a workman's shovel struck not dirt or rock but open air. After inspecting what could be seen through the hole they'd made in the mausoleum's roof, Pope Pius XII secretly authorized a full-scale excavation. What lay beneath? The answer and the adventure await. In this riveting history, facts, traditions, and faith collide to reveal the investigation, betrayals, and mystery behind St. Peter's burial place.

"To truly know Lewis, one must become familiar with the body of literature that marked his life. Jim Bell and Tony Dawson give curious students of Lewis a glimpse of the books and authors that informed his life's work and kindled his imagination."--Jerry Root, coeditor of The Quotable C. S. Lewis and a C. S. Lewis scholar C. S. Lewis was one of the most influential thinkers and writers of the twentieth century. But who influenced C. S. Lewis? What were the sources of his inspiration? Who were his spiritual mentors? Drawn from Lewis's personal library, annotations, and references from his writings, this book includes more than 200 selections from literary giants such as Dante, Augustine, and Chaucer, as well as more contemporary writers such as G. K. Chesterton, Dorothy L. Sayers, George MacDonald, and J.R.R. Tolkien, providing a vast array of inspiration from those who have shone forth as messengers of light in Lewis's own thinking, writing, and spiritual growth. In this treasury, you will… · Glean wisdom on living a devout life from Andrew Murray and Brother Lawrence· Tap into fantasy and imagination with William Wordsworth and Geoffrey Chaucer· Ponder creation and poetry alongside Sir Walter Scott and Aristotle · And much more!

The riveting story of Pope St. Celestine V, the pope who retired from the papacy.At the close of the tumultuous Middle Ages, there lived a man who seemed destined from birth to save the world. His name was Peter Morrone, a hermit, a founder of a religious order, and, depending on whom you talk to, a reformer, an instigator, a prophet, a coward, a saint, and possibly the victim of murder. A stroke of fate would, practically overnight, transform this humble servant of God into the most powerful man in the Catholic Church. Half a year later, he would be the only pope in history to abdicate the chair of St. Peter, an act that nearly brought the papacy to its knees. What led him to make that decision and what happened afterward would be shrouded in mystery for centuries. The Pope Who Quit pulls back the veil of secrecy on this dramatic time in history and showcases a story that involves deadly dealings, apocalyptic maneuverings, and papal intrigue.

Tomáš Halík is a wise guide for the post-Christian era, and never more so than in his latest work, a thought-provoking and powerful reflection on the relationship between faith, paradox, change, and resurrection. As the challenges of cultural secularization and dwindling congregation size confront religious communities across North America and Europe, and the Catholic Church in particular, Tomáš Halík is a prophetic voice of hope. He has lived through the political oppression and intolerance of religion that defined Communist Czechoslovakia, and he draws from this experience to remind readers that not only does crisis lead to deeper understanding but also that any living religion is a changing religion. The central messages of Christianity have always seemed impossible, from peace and forgiveness in the face of a harsh world to love and self-sacrifice despite human selfishness to the victory of resurrection through the defeat of the cross. Acceptance of paradox therefore is the way forward, Halík explains. It is a difficult way that offers an unclear immediate future, but it is ultimately the only honest way.

True beauty is not about how you look…but how you live.Women are constantly bombarded with the lie that how we look is far more important than who we are. It's time for a clarion call back to the truth.Journey with gifted storyteller Kim Meeder as she encourages women to see that true value is defined by our Creator and that our worth has a purpose of eternal proportions.Real beauty isn't a look, it's an action. It can be found by making one crucial, life-defining choice-to lay down personal ambitions and selfish desires, pick up your sword of encouragement, and fight for those who are losing their battle for hope. As you do, fierce beauty is revealed-along with lasting value, fulfillment, and joy. In Fierce Beauty, Kim shares inspiring true stories from her own life of adventure, love, and loss-including her parents' shocking death when she was nine years old and her struggles with self acceptance, knowing God, and standing for Him. Through it all, you'll discover life lessons about trust, transformation, surrender, forgiveness, and genuine purpose.Ultimately, life comes down to one question: Will you serve yourself or your King? Includes discussion guide for individuals or groups. "You were not created to be a princess of entitlement but a warrior, fighting to bring love and hope to the world." - Kim Meeder

Reeling from an unexpected betrayal, can Sylvia find relief from the echoes of her past…or will they shape her future forever? Although Sylvia Fisher recognizes that most Old Order Amish women her age spend their hours managing a household and raising babies, she has just one focus-tending and nurturing the herd on her family's dairy farm. But when a dangerous connection with an old beau forces her to move far from home, she decides to concentrate on a new start and pour her energy into reviving another family's debt-ridden farm.After months in rehab, Aaron Blank returns home to sell his Daed's failing farm and move his parents into an easier lifestyle. Two things stand in his way: the father who stubbornly refuses to recognize that Aaron has changed and the determined new farmhand his parents love like a daughter. Her influence on Aaron's parents could ruin his plans to escape the burdens of farming and build a new life.Can Aaron and Sylvia find common ground? Or will their unflinching efforts toward opposite goals blur the bigger picture- a path to forgiveness, glimpses of grace, and the promise of love.

A house shrouded in time. A line of women with a heritage of loss.As a young bride, Susannah Page was rumored to be a Civil War spy for the North, a traitor to her Virginian roots. Her great-granddaughter Adelaide, the current matriarch of Holly Oak, doesn't believe that Susannah's ghost haunts the antebellum mansion looking for a pardon, but rather the house itself bears a grudge toward its tragic past.When Marielle Bishop marries into the family and is transplanted from the arid west to her husband's home, it isn't long before she is led to believe that the house she just settled into brings misfortune to the women who live there.With Adelaide's richly peppered superstitions and deep family roots at stake, Marielle must sort out the truth about Susannah Page and Holly Oak- and make peace with the sacrifices she has made for love.

"With his engaging blend of travelogue, conversations with a wise and charismatic spiritual father, and musings on the big questions of life and death, Professor Markides takes us as companions on his journey of discovery. The insights that he communicates with such enthusiasm are timely ones: here at last is a writer who challenges the seeker after mystical understanding and Eastern spirituality to discover Christianity." -Dr. Elizabeth Theokritoff, independent scholar and co-editor of The Cambridge Companion to Orthodox Christian TheologyIn Inner River, Kyriacos Markides-scholar, researcher, author, and pilgrim-takes us on a thrilling quest into the heart of Christian spirituality and mankind's desire for a transcendent experience of God. From Maine's rugged shores to a Cypriot monastery to Greece's remote Mt. Athos and, ultimately, to an Egyptian desert, Markides encounters a diverse cast of characters that allows him to explore the worlds of the natural and the supernatural, of religion and spirit, and of the seen and the unseen. Inner River will appeal to a wide range of readers, from Christians seeking insights into their religion and its various expressions to scholars interested in learning more about the mystical way of life and wisdom that have been preserved in the heart of Orthodox spirituality. Perhaps most important, however, is the bridge it offers contemporary readers to a Christian life that is balanced between the worldly and the spiritual.

Wish You Were Here: Travels Through Loss and Hope is the story of Amy Welborn's trip to the island of Sicily with three of her children five months after her husband's sudden death from a heart attack. Her journey through city and countryside, small town and ancient ruins, opens unexpected doors of memory and reflection, a pilgrimage of the heart and an exploration of the soul. It is an observant and wry memoir and travelogue, intensely personal yet speaking to universal experiences of love and loss. Along the narrow roads and hairpin turns, the narrative reveals the beauty of the ordinary and the commonplace and asks stark questions about how we fill the empty places that a loved one leaves behind. It is a meditation on the possibility of faith, one that is unflinching, uncompromising, and altogether unsentimental when confronted by the ultimate test of belief. This book is not only a well-told memoir, but a testimony to the truth that love is stronger than death.

Our generation needs a reformation. But a single person won't lead it.A single event won't define it. Our reformation will be a movement of reformers living creatively, compassionately, courageously for the cause of Christ. This reformation will not be born of a new discovery. It will be the rediscovery of something old, something ancient. Something primal. -Mark Batterson, Primal What would your Christianity look like if it was stripped down to the simplest, rawest, purest faith possible? You would have more, not less. You would have the beginning of a new reformation-in your generation, your church, your own soul. You would have primal Christianity. This book is an invitation to become part of a reformation movement. It is an invitation to rediscover the compassion, wonder, curiosity, and energy that turned the world upside down two thousand years ago. It is an invitation to be astonished again.

War threatens the peaceful land of Chiril… can one painter-turned-reluctant-swordsman really help? With an invasion of her country imminent, Tipper Schope is drawn into a mission to keep three important statues from falling into the enemy's clutches. Her friend, the artist Bealomondore, helps her execute the plan, and along the way he learns to brandish a sword rather than a paintbrush. As odd disappearances and a rash of volatile behavior sweep Chiril, no one is safe. A terrible danger has made his vicious presence known: The Grawl, a hunter unlike any creature encountered before. To restore their country, Tipper, Bealomondore, and their party must hide the statues in the Valley of the Dragons and find a way to defeat the invading army. When it falls to the artistic Bealomondore to wield his sword as powerfully and naturally as a paintbrush, will he answer Wulder's call for a champion?

An impassioned call to heal the wounds of our planet and ourselves through the tenets of our spiritual traditions, from a winner of the Nobel Peace Prize It is so easy, in our modern world, to feel disconnected from the physical earth. Despite dire warnings and escalating concern over the state of our planet, many people feel out of touch with the natural world. Nobel laureate Wangari Maathai has spent decades working with the Green Belt Movement to help women in rural Kenya plant-and sustain-millions of trees. With their hands in the dirt, these women often find themselves empowered and "at home" in a way they never did before. Maathai wants to impart that feeling to everyone, and believes that the key lies in traditional spiritual values: love for the environment, self-betterment, gratitude and respect, and a commitment to service. While educated in the Christian tradition, Maathai draws inspiration from many faiths, celebrating the Jewish mandate tikkun olam ("repair the world") and renewing the Japanese term mottainai ("don't waste"). Through rededication to these values, she believes, we might finally bring about healing for ourselves and the earth.

Love is a choice you make every day.Content in her comfortable marriage of twenty-two years, Jane Lindsay never expected to watch her husband, Brad, pack his belongings and walk out the door of their Manhattan home. But when it happens, she feels powerless to stop him, or the course of events that follow Brad's departure.Jane finds an old ring in a box of relics from a British jumble sale and discovers a Latin inscription in the band along with just one recognizable word: Jane. Feeling an instant connection to the mysterious ring bearing her namesake, Jane begins a journey to learn more about the ring-and perhaps about herself.~In the sixteenth-century, Lucy Day becomes the dressmaker to Lady Jane Grey, an innocent young woman whose fate seems to be controlled by a dangerous political and religious climate, one threatening to deny her true love and pursuit of her own interests.As the stories of both Janes dovetail through the journey of one ring, it becomes clear that each woman has far more influence over her life than she once imagined. It all comes down to the choices each makes despite the realities they face.

The inspiration for the film starring Anthony Hopkins, journalist Matt Baglio uses the astonishing story of one American priest's training as an exorcist to reveal that the phenomena of possession, demons, the Devil, and exorcism are not merely a remnant of the archaic past, but remain a fearsome power in many people's lives even today.Father Gary Thomas was working as a parish priest in California when he was asked by his bishop to travel to Rome for training in the rite of exorcism. Though initially surprised, and slightly reluctant, he accepted this call, and enrolled in a new exorcism course at a Vatican-affiliated university, which taught him, among other things, how to distinguish between a genuine possession and mental illness. Eventually he would go on to participate in more than eighty exorcisms as an apprentice to a veteran Italian exorcist. His experiences profoundly changed the way he viewed the spiritual world, and as he moved from rational skeptic to practicing exorcist he came to understand the battle between good and evil in a whole new light. Journalist Matt Baglio had full access to Father Gary over the course of his training, and much of what he learned defies explanation.The Rite provides fascinating vignettes from the lives of exorcists and people possessed by demons, including firsthand accounts of exorcists at work casting out demons, culminating in Father Gary's own confrontations with the Devil. Baglio also traces the history of exorcism, revealing its rites and rituals, explaining what the Catholic Church really teaches about demonic possession, and delving into such related topics as the hierarchy of angels and demons, satanic cults, black masses, curses, and the various theories used by modern scientists and anthropologists who seek to quantify such phenomena.Written with an investigative eye that will captivate both skeptics and believers alike, The Rite shows that the truth about demonic possession is not only stranger than fiction, but also far more chilling.