Download or read book Beyond Awkward Side Hugs written by Bronwyn Lea and published by Thomas Nelson. This book was released on 2020-04-07 with total page 224 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: It Doesn’t Have to Be This Weird When it comes to relationships between men and women, we have more questions than answers: How do we keep relationships with the opposite sex healthy—and still hug each other after small group? Is it possible for married men and women to be friends with people of the opposite sex? What does it mean to be a woman if you’re not a wife, or a man if you’re not a husband? Jesus’ pattern for church living was one of family—of brothers and sisters living in intimate, life-giving community with each other. With story, sensitivity, and hope, Beyond Awkward Side Hugs invites us to leave behind eroticized, fear-based patterns and move toward gendered, generous relationships between men and women of character as we love one another as Jesus did. “Beyond Awkward Side Hugs is a deep well of biblical wisdom, and Lea has written with nuance and clarity, humor and grace.” —Jen Pollock Michel, author of Surprised by Paradox and Keeping Place “The church desperately needs a bigger vision for how men and women can flourish together in ministry and friendship, and Bronwyn Lea paints a vivid picture for how we’ll get there.” —Steve Wiens, author of Shining Like the Sun, Beginnings, and Whole

Download or read book The Psychology and Neuroscience of Hugging written by Sebastian Ocklenburg and published by Springer Nature. This book was released on with total page 43 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Power Agency and Women in the Mission of God written by Susan L. Maros and published by Wipf and Stock Publishers. This book was released on 2024-05-10 with total page 291 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This volume fulfills the need for an accessible academic book that addresses the gender issues that women face as Christian disciples, whether in formal leadership roles or engaging leadership in informal means, and considers these issues in the context of world Christianity. In an era in which mission is “from everywhere, to everywhere,” when local churches strive to be missional, and when Christians are engaged in intercultural ministry, this book invites a scholar-practitioner conversation, engaging multiple disciplines and perspectives to explore the role of women in the mission of God. An interdisciplinary and intercultural conversation about women will enrich the church’s ongoing effort to be faithful to God’s call to women (and men) to participate in God’s work in the world.

Download or read book Together in Ministry written by Rob Dixon and published by InterVarsity Press. This book was released on 2021-09-28 with total page 140 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Women and men are designed to work together in fulfilling God's mission on earth. Yet God's original intent for equal partnership has been so distorted that churches and organizations continually struggle to foster healthy mixed-gender ministry collaboration. Is it even possible to return to the Genesis ideal of co-laborers in today's contexts? Longtime ministry leader Rob Dixon knows it's possible—though it takes intentionality, courage, and wisdom. Based on qualitative field research among ministry practitioners, Together in Ministry offers a prophetic roadmap for individuals and communities as they seek to develop flourishing ministry partnerships for women and men. Organized around the key domains of inner life, community culture, and intentional practices, this model identifies ten key attributes of partnerships that are both personally satisfying and missionally effective. For each attribute Dixon presents research findings and biblical examples, along with benefits, barriers, and practical next steps. With plenty of real-life stories from ministry leaders and reflection questions in each chapter, Together in Ministry casts a compelling—and encouraging—vision for flourishing partnerships and equips teams and individuals with next steps for making that vision a reality.

Download or read book Restore My Soul written by Laura L. Smith and published by Discovery House. This book was released on 2022-07-27 with total page 255 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The book of Psalms is full of wonderful passages that illuminate the intimate connection we get to have with our Father. Despite the chaos of our busy lives, the Father is frequently whispering to our souls to spend time with Him. Dive into the power of the Psalms and be inspired to praise God as you read Restore My Soul: The Power and Promise of 30 Psalms.

Download or read book How to Stay Standing written by Alli Patterson and published by Baker Books. This book was released on 2023-01-24 with total page 238 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Trouble in life is inevitable. Collapse is not. You want to live a "good life" and be a "good person," but life can shift right under your feet and get messy and unpredictable. How do you stay strong and hopeful when you see cracks forming in your relationships, at work, or even in your own character? Is your faith strong enough to help you stand when life tries to knock you down? In How to Stay Standing, Alli Patterson will show you how to build a faith that can withstand anything the world throws at it. Drawing insight from the parable of the wise and foolish builders, Alli helps you get honest about the foundation you are building on and offers three simple rhythms revealed from the words of Jesus--come, hear, practice--that will produce a faith that cannot be shaken and a life that stands firm. You already know the place in your life where something is just not working right now. But the next storm doesn't have to take you down. The waters may be rising, but Jesus left you the wisdom and practical help you need to stay standing. "Alli Patterson's contagious joy and generous spirit make her a trusted guide through Scripture to help you build a life--and faith--that can stand against anything."--Lisa Harper, speaker, Bible teacher, and bestselling author of Life 100 Day Devotional

Download or read book Fearing Bravely written by Catherine McNiel and published by NavPress. This book was released on 2022-02 with total page 235 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Jesus commands us to love our neighbors. So why are so many Christians taught to fear their neighbors? The American church is known as a people who are afraid, who have been nurtured through fear into hatred, and who have moved from hatred to violence--or at least to neglect. This fear, too often lived out boldly in the name of Jesus, is a false religion. God instructs us to welcome strangers. We are not to withhold hospitality or help from anyone in need. So why do we fear strangers, especially those needing hospitality, afraid that their presence may threaten what we have? Jesus taught us to love our enemies. We are to pray for those who actively harm us. Instead, we create enemies in our minds, seeing anyone who thinks, believes, looks, or lives differently from us as dangerous, a threat to our way of living. The Christian community exists to declare and demonstrate God's love and to follow Jesus in practicing love over fear, even in unsafe times and places. It's time to reclaim our brave fear of God and risk transformative love for the sake of our neighbors, the strangers among us, and our enemies. We are people of the Kingdom. Fearing Bravely teaches us that we have nothing to fear. Instead, we can respond to our fear problem with a brave love that emerges from choosing to let our fear of God overcome our fear of everything else. Catherine McNiel writes with conviction, wisely guiding us to recognize our fear and, with God's help, not let it limit us to love courageously all who are among us.

Download or read book Keys to Bonhoeffer s Haus written by Laura M. Fabrycky and published by Fortress Press. This book was released on 2020-03-24 with total page 302 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In Keys to Bonhoeffer's Haus, Laura M. Fabrycky, an American guide of the Bonhoeffer-Haus in Berlin, takes readers on a tour of Dietrich Bonhoeffer's home, city, and world. She shares the keys she has discovered there--the many sources of Bonhoeffer's identity, his practices of Scripture meditation and prayer, his willingness to cross boundaries and befriend people all around the world--that have unlocked her understanding of her own life and responsibilities in light of Bonhoeffer's wisdom. Keys to Bonhoeffer's Haus tells his story in new ways and invites us to think beyond him into our own lives and civic responsibilities. Fabrycky shows readers how to consider what befriending Bonhoeffer might mean for us and the ways we live our lives today. Ultimately, through her transformative tour of Bonhoeffer's Berlin, she inspires readers to discover and embrace responsible forms of civic agency and loving, sacrificial action on behalf of our neighbors.

Download or read book Miscarried Hope written by Rachel Lohman and published by Baker Books. This book was released on 2023-08-29 with total page 170 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: No grief is quite like the grief that follows pregnancy loss. But true hope and redemption are available, even in the heartbreak of miscarriage and stillbirth. For any woman who feels alone, doubtful, and overwhelmed with sorrow, this book invites you on a guided journey to rediscover the transforming hope of the gospel after pregnancy or infant loss. Built on new research from interviews with more than 400 pregnancy loss moms, Miscarried Hope helps you move through the Five Stages of Hope, while addressing cultural stigmas and challenges to grieving your loss. Through profound parallels between pregnancy loss and Holy Week, Rachel invites you to follow in the footsteps of Jesus's disciples as they grieved his death, waited in the silence, and rediscovered hope in his resurrection. With biblical truth and practical comforts for coping with the day-to-day pain of loss, Miscarried Hope leads you along a gentle road to finding hope again.

Download or read book Dream Brave written by Wai Jia Tam and published by Baker Books. This book was released on 2024-01-30 with total page 163 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: No Dream Is Too Small--or Too Big--for God Do you have dreams you long to fulfill yet feel you just can't? Wai Jia felt that way. Having met abandoned girls in Nepal who were traumatically evicted repeatedly, she longed to do more. Inspired by their audacious hope, she dared to dream brave--and, at the age of 18, raised $100,000 to build them a home, changing their lives forever. Since then, her life has been a series of radical yeses to God's call to faith. Today, as a multi-award-winning, international humanitarian, physician, and nonprofit founder, Tam addresses the self-doubt and fear we all have. Through powerful stories, biblical insights, and practical principles, she invites readers to embrace risk and push past setbacks. If you've ever felt too small to pursue your dreams, now is your time to step out in faith--and watch God do something far greater than you imagined. Dream brave. "Wai Jia Tam's story of faith and perseverance has been a great blessing to witness. Love God, dream His dreams, and pursue them without fear."--HEIDI G. BAKER, PhD, co-founder and executive chairman of the board, Iris Global "An inspiring and delightful book about having bold, brave dreams for God and seeing how He brings them to reality."--J. JOHN, REVEREND CANON "Wai Jia truly lives out the axiom that God did not call us to be safe, but He called us to be brave."--PASTOR BENNY HO, senior pastor, Faith Community Church, Perth

Download or read book The Grown Woman s Guide to Online Dating written by Margot Starbuck and published by Thomas Nelson. This book was released on 2020-08-11 with total page 224 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Does the thought of joining a dating site invoke feelings of fear and anxiety—or, worse, insecurity or unworthiness? If so, then The Grown Woman’s Guide to Online Dating is the book for you. With practical advice about how these sites work, what to expect, and when to join and quit, along with proven tips for making the most of them, The Grown Woman’s Guide equips readers with all they need to take the plunge. Four years after an unexpected divorce, bestselling writer and funny lady Margot Starbuck found herself venturing into the unknown waters of online dating. What she discovered surprised her—and changed her. With her signature sharp wit and a solid biblical foundation, Margot shares what she learned, including how to: determine which sites are best and what to expect; write a first message that is most likely to get a response; avoid common pitfalls in creating your profile; and live out the truth that you are God’s beloved. So dive into embracing your true value and drawing closer to God even in the midst of fear and questions. Because whatever your endgame might be, richness awaits. Margot promises, “You got this, girl!” “Gives you concrete steps for dating well, from the beginning to the end, all while reminding you just how loved you already are.” —Chrystal Evans Hurst, bestselling author and speaker “With humor, wisdom, and practical answers, Margot’s heart and voice shine through this book, and I can’t wait to send it to my single friends!” —Bianca Juarez Olthoff, pastor, speaker, and author of the bestselling How to Have Your Life Not Suck

Download or read book That Was Awkward written by Emily Flake and published by Penguin. This book was released on 2019-10-15 with total page 130 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A Lit Hub “Most Anticipated Books of 2019” A Read It Forward “Perfect Gifts for a White Elephant Exchange” From New Yorker humorist Emily Flake, a hilarious, oddly enlightening book of illustrations, observations, and advice that embraces the inescapable awkwardness of two human beings attempting to make physical contact with each other. We've all been there. You encounter the mother of your recent ex. That guy your best friend dated sophomore year. That friend-of-a-friend who you've met once but keeps popping up in your "People You May Know" feed. Do you shake hands? Do you hug? Do you--horrors--kiss on the cheek? And then the inevitable: The awkward hug. That cultural blight we've all experienced. Emily Flake--keen observer of human behavior and life's less-than-triumphant moments--codifies the most common awkward hugs that have plagued us all. Filled with laugh-out-loud anecdotes and illustrations, astute observations, and wise advice, That Was Awkward is a heartwarming reminder that we're all in this together, grasping hastily at each other in an attempt to say: let's embrace to remind ourselves of our essential and connecting humanity, but also, please don't touch me for more than three seconds.

Download or read book A Hundred Days Till Tomorrow written by L. S. Case and published by SparkPress. This book was released on 2023-06-20 with total page 235 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Her past is restless. Her future is vulnerable. The longest summer of her life has begun. Employed by her town’s historical society, Miranda Blair preserves brick-and-mortar landmarks from yesterday but has spent two decades running from her past. Having never been able to afford life’s indulgent toppings, she’s settled for vanilla. Miranda is coaxed from her childhood home when she’s named the sole heir to her estranged grandmother’s estate. Gertrude Blair has outlined a hundred-day stay at her New England cottage as a prerequisite for the inheritance. Begrudgingly, Miranda accepts this unorthodox final request from the woman who never deserved the title “grandma.” In idyllic Cobblers Hill, shingled homes boast charming front porches and roses entwine white picket fences. But Gertrude’s abandoned property needs a makeover as desperately as Miranda does. And while remnants from Miranda’s history dwell within the dark paneled cottage walls, no strings attached prevails as her motto—until, that is, she meets the emerald-eyed guy next door.

Download or read book The Sense of an Ending written by Julian Barnes and published by Vintage. This book was released on 2011-10-05 with total page 158 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: BOOKER PRIZE WINNER • NATIONAL BESTSELLER • A novel that follows a middle-aged man as he contends with a past he never much thought about—until his closest childhood friends return with a vengeance: one of them from the grave, another maddeningly present. A novel so compelling that it begs to be read in a single setting, The Sense of an Ending has the psychological and emotional depth and sophistication of Henry James at his best, and is a stunning achievement in Julian Barnes's oeuvre. Tony Webster thought he left his past behind as he built a life for himself, and his career has provided him with a secure retirement and an amicable relationship with his ex-wife and daughter, who now has a family of her own. But when he is presented with a mysterious legacy, he is forced to revise his estimation of his own nature and place in the world.

Download or read book The Deeply Formed Life written by Rich Villodas and published by WaterBrook. This book was released on 2021-08-31 with total page 290 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: During our chaotic times, discover five forgotten values that can spark internal growth and help us reconcile our Christian faith with the complexities of race, sexuality, and social justice. WINNER OF THE CHRISTIANITY TODAY BOOK AWARD Most believers live in the state of “being a Christian” without ever being deeply formed by Christ. Our pace is too frenetic to be in union with God, and we don’t know how to quiet our hearts and minds to be present. Our emotions are unhealthy and compartmentalized. We feel unable to love well or live differently from the rest of the world—to live as people of the good news. New York pastor Rich Villodas says we must restore balance, focus, and meaning for our souls. The Deeply Formed Life lays out a fresh vision for spiritual breakthrough following five key values: • Contemplative Rhythms Value: slowing down our lives to be with God. • Racial Justice Value: examining a multi-layered approach to pursuing racial justice and reconciliation. • Interior Examination Value: looking beneath the surface of our lives to live free and love well. • Sexual Wholeness Value: exploring how our sexuality connects with our spirituality. • Missional Presence Value: living as the presence of Christ in a broken world. The Deeply Formed Life is a roadmap to live in the richly rooted place we all yearn for: a place of communion with God, a place where we find our purpose. Praise for The Deeply Formed Life “The Deeply Formed Life is a book for our time. Honest, wise, insightful, funny, and—above all—deep. The way Rich and New Life Fellowship hold emotional health and racial justice together is beyond inspiring. This is spiritual formation for the future of the church.”—John Mark Comer, pastor of teaching and vision at Bridgetown Church and author of The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry “I’ve studied the Bible under Pastor Rich’s leadership for close to a decade. The core values he shares in this book serve as guidance, not only for how we should live as Christians in an ever-changing world but also for how we can live a life of purpose—that consistently and enthusiastically points to Jesus.”—Susan Kelechi Watson, actress from the awardwinning television series This Is Us

Download or read book Beyond Repair written by Rose Fresquez and published by Rose Fresquez. This book was released on 2020-10-05 with total page 233 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Her past is a string of bad choices. Is falling for a wanted ex-gang member one more? Hiding from her troubled past, Jules Demski sequesters herself in the mountains of Eron, Colorado, the only place she’s ever felt safe. Her solitude is shattered when an injured man staggers into her family’s barn. Burned once and still in repair, the last thing she needs is another criminal on her hands. If she can only convince her heart of this, she just might be able to resist the interloper’s charm. Former gangster Lorenzo Macedo has cleaned up his act, but now he’s running for his life. He stumbles upon a barn just as a bullet pierces his body. Jules appears standoffish and cold, but the tender way she nurses Lorenzo reveals a soft-hearted, passionate woman aching for her own wounds to be healed. No woman has ever set his blood on fire like Jules, but he has nothing to offer her except a life on the run. Can Jules and Lorenzo find redemption in the small town, or are their lives Beyond Repair? Read the other books in the Eron Outsiders 1.Complex 2. Choices 3. Beyond Repair 4. Stand Out 5. Crystal Clear

Download or read book Beyond Lucky written by Sarah Aronson and published by Penguin. This book was released on 2011-06-30 with total page 169 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Ari Fish believes in two things: his hero-Wayne Timcoe, the greatest soccer goalie to ever come out of Somerset Valley-and luck. So when Ari finds a rare and valuable Wayne Timcoe trading card, he's sure his luck has changed for the better. Especially when he's picked to be the starting goalie on his team. But when the card is stolen-and his best friend and the new girl on the team accuse each other of taking it-suddenly Ari can't save a goal, everyone is fighting, and he doesn't know who, or what, to believe in. Before the team falls apart, Ari must learn how to make his own luck, and figure out what it truly means to be a hero.