Spiritual Memoir

Natalie Boonstra was diagnosed with Madelung’s Deformity at just ten years old. The corrective surgery for this painful, one-in-two-million congenital wrist disorder was successful but left the very visible daughter of a well-known public figure with emotional scars, insecurity, and self-doubt. Both arms are noticeably short in proportion to the rest of my body, and this physical difference caused a great deal of insecurity and self-doubt. But then I realized who Jesus says I am.

For anyone who feels caught in the tension between the beauty of God’s story and the ugliness of human hypocrisy, Why I Still Believe by apologist and Professor Mary Jo Sharp is the hopeful story of an unlikely convert and an approachable case for believing in God when you want to walk away from Christianity.

After decades of atheism and hard living, author Dan Wakefield experienced a profound religious awakening that led him back to the church. He describes his religious journey, fraught with peaks and pitfalls, and his hard-won realization that faith is not static. In a continuing quest to maintain his faith over the long-haul, Wakefield speaks plainly about the challenges of maintaining one's convictions in today's complex, secular world. Wakefield's acknowledgement that each day holds the promise of renewal will resonate with listeners who seek to keep their faith.

If you have ever wondered why life is sometimes unfair, if God really hears your prayers, or if you just can’t figure out Scripture, My Fight With God promises to stir you into new conversations with your heavenly Father and deepen your personal walk with Jesus. Written with a strong, cut-to-the-chase approach, the author’s refreshing and natural responses to questions and situations that you face everyday will make you laugh as well as scratch your head more than once as you wonder “Gee, how did he know that’s what I was thinking?”

The Charismatic Movement came and went. Rick Dewhurst experienced most of it, dating back to 1980. From John Wimber’s Vineyard Church in Anaheim, to the Kansas City prophets, to Rick Joyner’s MorningStar Ministries, to the Toronto Blessing, he was there to see it all. This is his memoir, focusing on the spiritual highlights of his 40-year journey.

Almighty is His Name is the riveting story of God's hand of protection as missionary, SoPhal Ung, and his family fought for their lives in Cambodia. Although the Vietnamese invaded Cambodia in 1979, SoPhal started a house church, which grew from five members to 600 in eight months. He was arrested for this "illegal" activity, imprisoned, severely beaten, and chained by hand and foot, losing 75 pounds in the terrible ordeal. God miraculously spared his life on numerous occasions.

David Brainerd's diary is a poignant testament to the relentless pursuit of faith amidst the challenges of missionary life in colonial America. As a Puritan of Puritans, Brainerd's unwavering commitment to Calvinist theology shaped every facet of his existence, from his thoughts to his actions, all dedicated to the glorification of God. Sent as a missionary to the Native Americans in Pennsylvania during the 18th century, Brainerd's diary chronicles his struggles, triumphs, and deep spiritual introspection throughout his brief yet impactful life. Within the pages of Brainerd's diary, readers...

WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU REALLY FELT HIS TOUCH? Every believer believes in miracles, but few realize that God performs them in their own life more than they realize. Through these exciting, true accounts the author shows that divine interventions occur all the time and that recognizing them is necessary for a fulfilling Christian Life.

Grace and grit have truly met and embraced in the author's unflinchingly honest and compassionate account of her lifelong journey as a spiritual seeker. —Cynthia Bourgeault This is the story of a woman's spiritual journey: from the restrictions of growing up as Catholic female in the 1950s to her emotional and spiritual liberation as a Sufi—and to her ultimate return to a new understanding of Christianity. Building on the foundations of the Sufi and Christian mystics, Della Penna's memoir is sometimes funny, sometime heartbreaking—and always points toward more universal truths beyond ...

Finding Joy in Suffering. Quite a title right? Usually you wouldn’t think that joy and suffering would exist together. But in my life, they have. I’ve experienced great suffering and loss early on in my life, and many have asked me how I continue to put a smile on my face having lived through what I have. Ever since I was a kid, my response has been, “I don’t know, it’s because of Jesus.” For a while, I couldn’t understand why I had joy in my heart after my mother died. But I knew that God was providing joy in ways that I couldn’t begin to explain.

What They Meant for Evil is the account of that unimaginable journey. With the candor and purity of a child, Rebecca recalls how she endured fleeing from gunfire, suffering through hunger and strength-sapping illnesses, dodging life-threatening predators - lions, snakes, crocodiles, and soldiers alike - that dogged her footsteps, and grappling with a war that stole her childhood. Her story is a lyrical, captivating portrait of a child hurled into wartime, and how through divine intervention, she came to America and found a new life full of joy, hope, and redemption.

Case Keenum has traveled one of the most unique paths in the NFL. Recruited by just one college, undrafted, and released three times, Case has overcome every obstacle to become a successful starting quarterback. Keenum shares stories from every stage of his life, starting out as a ball boy for his father’s college team in West Texas, going on to win a state title in high school, and rewriting the NCAA record book at the University of Houston. A devastating knee injury almost derailed his football career, but helped him get closer to the woman who would soon become his wife.

For Ann Voskamp, the notion of being able to give thanks was lost between her gnawing anger and deep resentment toward God for his unfair dealings in her life and the lives of others. Having suffered from agoraphobia and anxiety for much of her life, she despaired of finding a joy of her own. Then, a friend dared her to write a list of a thousand blessings. Over the months that followed, she made some profound discoveries.

In Ley Lines of Love, Olivia Ames Hoblitzelle shares wisdom gained from a lifetime of spiritual seeking and devoted practice. A dedicated practitioner of Buddhism, she shares many remarkable stories about her inner journey, including the joys of learning from enlightened teachers. She also recounts how her years of involvement with a devotional tradition from India ended in an archetypal story of disillusionment.

About the Author: Dr. Bill Rosnett holds three earned degrees: BA in Ministry; MS in Counseling; Doctor of Practical Theology (major in counseling). He is also a certified Life Coach and a Certified Pastoral Coach. He has been a missionary in Germany and in the located ministry in churches in Colorado, Arkansas, Illinois and Texas since 1973. About the Book: The book was written to encourage Christians to recognize and appreciate God's leading in their own lives. It is also meant to share lessons and to encourage Christians to share their own stories, of which they are experts in, as ...

In Coming Clean, Seth Haines writes a raw account of his first 90 days of sobriety, illuminating how to face the pain we’d rather avoid, and even more importantly, how an abiding God meets us in that pain. Seth shows us that true wholeness is found in facing our pain and anxieties with the tenacity and tenderness of Jesus, and only through Christ's passion can we truly come clean.

Becky Powell faced the unthinkable on May 16, 2013. Her husband, Mark, called and said, "I've done something terrible." Within hours, she learned that he had taken his own life and, over a period of several years, millions of dollars from friends and colleagues. Everything she believed to be true, the very fiber of her marriage, was called into question. Yet from that first horrific moment, God was there. Awful Beautiful Life is Becky's journey through the two years surrounding Mark's death and how she overcame.

Do you feel like you are barely holding on? Let the golden thread of God's presence be the calm on the other side of chaos. It could be that he is weaving a brilliant new beginning in the middle of your mess. Join beloved worship leader Darlene Zschech as she traces God’s goodness through her recent transitions. No matter what we're going through, Darlene urges us to maintain joy in the middle of it all.

What Catholic guy made money as an organ-grinder's assistant, spent one-on-one time with John Paul II, met a very nice Thai prostitute, and confessed his sins on a beanbag chair? Lino Rulli, of course!

As a troubled teenager, Tamara Laroux just wants the pain to go away. Crying out to God for forgiveness, she makes the heart-wrenching decision to end her life. As she plummets from her body to a place of vast darkness, torment, and agony, Tamara instantly realizes the finality of her rash decision and begs God to save her.