HELLO FRIENDS!

This week's new arrivals comprises many helpful books to help you get understanding to love God AND Others well - spouse or kids, friends or strangers. Be inspired to love in spite of shortcomings - be it others or yours!

Read more, Learn more, Love more

Seek Honor & Praise from God, Not People.

Many Christians seek the approval of people as much as they seek the approval of God. They may worship and praise the Lord, but would they take a bold stand for righteousness? Or follow God's leading, even if it means losing the approval of others?

It’s time to learn what a life truly surrendered to God — and God alone — looks like. Stop being motivated by fear of others. Live the life He has purposed for you.

Learn to Delight in God and in His Good Gifts

Pumpkin crunch cake. Game night with friends. Jazz music. Baseball. These are good gifts — and potential threats to the worship of God. 

At the heart of the Christian life is a tension between the supremacy of God over all things and the enjoyment of all things for his sake. In this short book, Joe Rigney offers a biblical vision for enjoying God in everything and enjoying everything in God. God's gifts are invitations to know and enjoy him more deeply, and as this truth is impressed upon our hearts, we will discover that the things of earth grow strangely bright in the light of his glory and grace.

We humans talk a lot, so you’d think we’d be good at communicating with one another. But . . . well, we’re not. And the result is hurt, misunderstandings, frustration, division, and sometimes all-out war.

Yet whether we’re trying to repair a relationship, interact on social media, or understand someone whose beliefs differ from our own, there is hope! The people around us bear God’s image. As we learn to treat them accordingly, our communication will become a powerful means of showing God’s love to them.

Laying out eleven key principles for loving conversation, Pastor Tim Shorey guides us to a memorable, scriptural approach to communication that can transform our relationships.

Midlife is a season of challenge and change — professionally, relationally, physically, and spiritually. On our better days, we experience a sense of growing clarity and satisfaction about who we are. We might even be coming to terms with our limitations and vulnerabilities, letting go of some dreams and creating new ones. But many days, we are overwhelmed and exhausted by the intense transitions of this season, leaving us feeling off-balance and insecure. And these challenges reverberate through our marriages, making us wonder how we're going to survive.

Dorothy Littell Greco reminds us that "midlife" doesn't have to be synonymous with "crisis". The demands of midlife actually force us to adjust and adapt, providing new opportunities for discovery and growth within our marriages. Take time to invest in your relationship with your spouse; thrive together as you face the challenges and changes of this era.

Tantrums. Talking back. Throwing things. Meltdowns. Slamming doors. Kids know exactly how to push your buttons. You've tried all sorts of methods, but nothing seems to work.

That's because you're not addressing the root reasons for why kids misbehave, says international parenting expert Dr. Kevin Leman. Here, he reveals exactly why kids misbehave and how you can turn that behavior around with practical, no-nonsense strategies that really work and are a long-term win for both of you.

With his signature wit and wisdom, Dr. Leman helps you see through your child's eyes, revealing why they do what they do, who they learn their behaviors from, and why they continue behaving badly. He identifies the stages of misbehavior, where your child is on the spectrum, and how to not only avoid escalating bad behavior but get on the front end and turn it around for good.

KNOW WHAT YOU WANT, WHY YOU WANT IT

AND WHAT YOU'RE GOING TO DO ABOUT IT

Bob Goff is on a mission to help people recapture the version of their lives they dreamed about before fear started calling the shots. He wants people to dream big! In his revelatory yet utterly practical new book, Bob takes you on a life-proven journey to rediscover your dreams and turn them into reality. In Dream Big he shows how to

• learn to define clearly your dreams for yourself,
• identify the obstacles holding you back,
• come up with a specific plan for reaching goals, and
• develop the tools that will help you act on the plan.

What is it like to be Gay & Celibate in Today's Church?

Based on the most comprehensive study to date

Though we often hear about the "gay problem" today, there is an even deeper problem in the church today -- one that we often overlook. The call to follow Christ is a call to costly obedience for all, not just for gay Christians. 

Far too often, the church has elevated homosexuality above other sins and required a costly obedience from gays that it is unwilling to demand of others. And yet, the answer is not to weaken the demands of obedience. Instead, gay Christians who make the difficult choice to align their lives with the biblical view of sexuality are a gift to the church, reminding all of us that spiritual growth and maturity is costly. There is a price to pay in following Christ and devoting our lives to the call of the gospel, and it is one that we all must pay -- gay and straight Christians alike.

"Eva not breathing. Pray."

That text message was Mel Lawrenz's entry into the harsh reality of losing his thirty-year-old daughter. Things would never be the same. How could he and his family cope with this devastating loss?

In this narrative of grief, Pastor Mel Lawrenz chronicles how his family struggled to survive the sudden death of their beloved daughter. In raw, vivid episodes, he describes the immediacy of the pain and the uncertainty of what comes next. In the agony of traumatic loss, Lawrenz apprehends the realities of love and life and offers insights on how to navigate our life priorities before or after tragedy hits.

You are not alone. You too can find a way forward.