Let Your Life Speak: Listening for the Voice of Vocation

Author: Parker J. Palmer

Hardcover: 128 pages
Publisher: Jossey-Bass; 1 edition (September 10, 1999)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0787947350

Product Description

With wisdom, compassion, and gentle humor, Parker J. Palmer invites us to listen to the inner teacher and follow its leadings toward a sense of meaning and purpose. Telling stories from his own life and the lives of others who have made a difference, he shares insights gained from darkness and depression as well as fulfillment and joy, illuminating a pathway toward vocation for all who seek the true calling of their lives.

From the Inside Flap

"Is the life I am living the same as the life that wants to live in me?" With this searching question, Parker Palmer begins an insightful and moving meditation on finding one's true calling. Let Your Life Speak is an openhearted gift to anyone who seeks to live authentically.The book's title is a time-honored Quaker admonition, usually taken to mean "Let the highest truths and values guide everything you do." But Palmer reinterprets those words, drawing on his own search for selfhood. "Before you tell your life what you intAnd to do with it," he writes, "listen for what it intAnds to do with you. Before you tell your life what truths and values you have decided to live up to, let your life tell you what truths you embody, what values you represent."Vocation does not come from willfulness, no matter how noble one's intentions. It comes from listening to and accepting "true self" with its limits as well as its potentials. Sharing stories of frailty and strength, of darkness and light, Palmer shows that vocation is not a goal to be achieved but a gift to be received.As we live more deeply into the selfhood that is our birthright gift, we find not only personal fulfillment. We find communion with others and ways of serving the world's deepest needs.A Compassionate and Compelling Meditation on Discovering Your Path in LifeWith wisdom, compassion, and gentle humor, Parker J. Palmer invites us to listen to the inner teacher and follow its leadings toward a sense of meaning and purpose. Telling stories from his own life and the lives of others who have made a difference, he shares insights gained from darkness and depression as well as fulfillment and joy, illuminating a pathway toward vocation for all who seek the true calling of their lives."Parker Palmer's writing is like a high country stream-clear, vital, honest. If your life seems to be passing you by, or you cannot see the way ahead, immerse yourself in the wisdom of these pages and allow it .

About the Author

PARKER J. PALMER is senior associate of the American Association for Higher Education and senior advisor to the Fetzer Institute. In 1998, he was named one of the thirty most influential senior leaders in higher education. Author of such widely praised books as The Courage to Teach and To Know As We Are Known, he holds a Ph.D. from the University of California at Berkeley. He is a member of the Religious Society of FriAnds (Quaker) and lives in Madison, Wisconsin.

Let Your Life Speak: Listening for the Voice of Vocation

The Treasure Principle: Unlocking the Secret of Joyful Giving

Author: Randy Alcorn

Hardcover: 128 pages
Publisher: Multnomah Books (September 6, 2005)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1590525086

Book Description

Flip-Flop Your Concept of Giving!

Bestselling author Randy Alcorn introduced readers to a revolution in material freedom and radical generosity with the release of the original The Treasure Principle in 2001. Now the revision to the compact, perennial bestseller includes a provocative new concluding chapter depicting God asking a believer questions about his stewardship over material resources. Readers are moved from the realms of thoughtful Bible exposition into the highly personal arena of everyday life. Because when Jesus told His followers to “lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven,” He intended that they discover an astounding secret: how joyful giving brings God maximum glory and His children maximum pleasure. Discover a joy more precious than gold!

Priceless treasure is within your reach. And with it, liberating joy.

In Randy Alcorn ’s The Treasure Principle, you’ll unearth a radical teaching of Jesus—a secret wrapped up in giving. Once you discover this secret, life will never look the same. And you won’t want it to!

Pull Out Section:

Do it. Ask God what’s on your mind…. Open my eyes, Father. What am I holding on to that’s robbing me of present joy and future reward? Discover the all-new prayer guide inside!

“Supercharged with stunning, divine truth! Lightning struck over and over as I read it.” John Piper , Senior Pastor, Bethlehem Baptist Church , Minneapolis

“The Treasure Principle will change your life! This book is destined to become a classic.” Howard Dayton , Co-CEO, Crown Financial Ministries

“The Scripture passages and illustrations really ring true. Just what I needed!” Hugh Maclellan , President, The Maclellan Foundation

“I enthusiastically endorse The Treasure Principle. I hope millions will read it.” Ronald W. Blue , Founder and CEO, Ronald Blue & Company

Story Behind the Book

After years of writing and teaching on the theme “God owns everything,” in 1990 Randy Alcorn was sued by an abortion clinic (for peaceful, nonviolent intervention for the unborn). Suddenly he had to resign as a pastor and was restricted to making minimum wage. Legally unable to own anything, Randy gave all his book royalties to missions work and need-meeting ministries. He and his family have experienced the reality of The Treasure Principle—that God really does own everything, takes care of us, and graciously puts assets into our hands that we might have the joy and privilege of investing in what will last for eternity.

About the Author

Randy Alcorn is the founder and director of Eternal Perspective Ministries (EPM). He is the bestselling author of twenty books, with over one million in print, including the novels Deadline, Dominion, Lord Foulgrin's Letters and the Gold Medallion winner Safely Home. His fourteen nonfiction works include ProLife Answers to ProChoice Arguments, and the stewardship classic Money, Possessions and Eternity. He and his wife, Nanci, live in Gresham , Oregon , and have two grown daughters, Karina and Angela. He enjoys hanging out with his family, biking, tennis, research, and reading.

The Treasure Principle: Unlocking the Secret of Joyful Giving (LifeChange Books)

For Women Only: What You Need to Know about the Inner Lives of Men

Author: Shaunti Feldhahn

Hardcover: 208 pages
Publisher: Multnomah Books (July 28, 2004)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1590523172

Book Description

What’s going on in a man’s mind? From their early days, every woman has struggled to understand why males behave the way they do. Even long-married women who think they understand men have only scratched the surface. Beneath a man’s rugged exterior is an even more rugged, unmapped terrain. What bestselling author Shaunti Feldhahn’s research reveals about the inner lives of men will open women’s eyes to what the men in their life—boyfriends, brothers, husbands, and sons—are really thinking and feeling. Men want to be understood, but they’re afraid to “freak out” the women they love by confessing what is happening inside their heads. This book will guide women in how to provide the loving support that modern men want and need. The Truth About His Inner Life He Desperately Wants You to Know What's going on in there? Ever been totally confused by something your man has said or done? Want to understand his secret desires and fears, his daily battles that you know nothing about? In a woman-to-woman conversation you’ll never forget, Shaunti Feldhahn takes you beneath the surface into the inner lives of men. This book is about the things we just don’t ‘get’ about guys. With findings from a groundbreaking national survey and personal interviews of over one thousand men, For Women Only is full of eye-opening revelations you need to not only understand the man in your life, but to support and love him in the way he needs to be loved. Grounded in biblical hope, you will discover how to love your man for who he really is—not who you think he is. Story Behind the BookI had no idea how clueless I was about men until I interviewed a bunch of them for my last novel. Initially, I just wanted a little insight so I could write my main (male) character. But pretty soon I found myself astonished, over and over again blurting out, “That’s what you’re thinking?” So I did more interviews. After the novel hit shelves, dozens of women told me they also had been astonished by what I included. Clearly I wasn’t the only one who needed more insight on this! To lay the groundwork for this nonfiction book, I wrote out the half-dozen things from these interviews that had most surprised me—things that appeared to be universal to most men—that women desperately needed to know. I conducted a professional national survey of men to test my findings. Yep—the survey substantiated every single one. These findings are fascinating—and they have already changed my life and marriage. I can’t wait to share them!

About the Author

Shaunti Feldhahn started out as an analyst on Wall Street and ended up a surprise bestselling author, encouraging the Christian community toward service and outreach with the #1 bestseller Y2K: The Millennium Bug - A Balanced Christian Response. Also an author of message fiction, Shaunti is a newspaper columnist on women's issues, contributing the conservative opinion for the Atlanta Journal- Constitution's popular online "Woman to Woman" column. Shaunti and her husband, Jeff, are active leaders in their church, leading a home group that encourages married couples toward greater intimacy with God and each other

For Women Only: What You Need to Know about the Inner Lives of Men

For Men Only: A Straightforward Guide to the Inner Lives of Women

Author: Shaunti Feldhahn ,Jeff Feldhahn

Hardcover: 192 pages
Publisher: Multnomah Books (April 3, 2006)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1590525728

Book Description

Finally—You Can Understand Her!

Women: complicated and impossible to understand? Do you love and want to please the woman in your life, but just can’t seem to figure her out? That was before For Men Only. Now at your fingertips is the tool that will unlock the secret to her mysterious ways. Through hundreds of interviews and the results of a scientific national survey of women, this book demonstrates that women are actually not random and that they really can be systematized and “mapped.” In fact, much to men’s delight, this book shows that women are actually quite easy to understand and please—as long as you know what it is they need. This simple map will guide you to loving your wife or girlfriend in the way she needs to be loved.

Finally. You Can Understand Her!

Women: complicated and impossible to understand? Have you given up trying to “get” the woman in your life? If so, you are in for a pleasant eye-opener: She can be understood. Even better—you can make her happy. Which will make you happy. The bestselling author of For Women Only teams with her husband to offer men the key to unlocking the mysterious ways of women. Through Shaunti and Jeff Feldhahn ’s national scientific survey and hundreds of interviews, For Men Only reveals what you can do today to improve your relationship. And believe it or not, as Jeff assures men, “It’s not splitting the atom.” What makes her tick? What is she really asking (but not actually saying)? Take the guesswork out of trying to please your wife or girlfriend and begin loving her in the way she needs. Easily. For Men Only is a straightforward map that will lead you straight into her heart.

And for every guy who rarely reads a manual: Quick-Start Guide Included!

“When we featured Shaunti’s book For Women Only on FamilyLife Today , the phone rang off the hook! When Shaunti and Jeff come back on our broadcast, I’m buying some more phones. This is fresh and relevant—good stuff for every marriage. Read it!”

Dennis Rainey President, FamilyLife

Story Behind the Book

“As I was writing For Women Only to help women understand the inner lives of men, over and over I heard that men wished there was a way to understand their wives, but they felt it was probably impossible. I heard from them, ‘You are writing this little slim volume about men, but if it was about understanding women, it would have to be the size of an encyclopedia! Women are random and complicated!’ These men were surprised and encouraged when I assured them that women are neither random nor complicated, and we can be understood. Men just want to love their wives well, and For Men Only will help them do that.” —Shaunti Feldhahn

About the Author

Shaunti Feldhahn is a bestselling author, newspaper columnist, and public speaker. She holds a master's degree in public policy from Harvard University and has worked on Wall Street and Capitol Hill. Shaunti is a nationally syndicated weekly columnist on women's issues for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Jeff Feldhahn is the president and CEO of World2one, a tech company that he helped found in 1999. Also an attorney, he graduated from Harvard Law School and has worked at law firms in New York and Atlanta specializing in corporate law and nonprofit organizations. Shaunti and Jeff are active leaders in their church and enjoy encouraging married couples toward greater intimacy with God and each other.

For Men Only: A Straightforward Guide to the Inner Lives of Women

Intimate Issues: 21 Questions Christian Women Ask About Sex

Author: Linda Dillow ,Lorraine Pintus

Hardcover: 288 pages
Publisher: WaterBrook Press (April 6, 1999)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1578561493

Book Description

Intimate Issues answers the twenty-one questions about sex most frequently asked by Christian wives, as determined by a nationwide poll of over one thousand women. Written from the perspective of two mature Christian wives and Bible teachers–women who you’ll come to know as teachers and friends–Intimate Issues is biblical and informative: sometimes humorous, other times practical, but always honest. Through its solid teaching warm testimonials, scriptural insights, and experts’ advise, you’ll find resolution for your questions and fears, surprising insights about God’s perspective on sex, and a variety of practical and creative ideas for enhancing your physical relationship with the husband you love. With warmth and wisdom, authors Linda Dillow and Lorraine Pintus speak woman to woman: examining the teachings of Scripture, exposing the lies of the world, and offering real hope that every woman’s marriage relationship can become all it was intended to be in God’s design. From the Inside FlapIntimate Issues answers the twenty-one questions about sex most frequently asked by Christian wives, as determined by a nationwide poll of over one thousand women. Written from the perspective of two mature Christian wives and Bible teachers–women who you'll come to know as teachers and friends–Intimate Issues is biblical and informative: sometimes humorous, other times practical, but always honest. Through its solid teaching warm testimonials, scriptural insights, and experts' advise, you'll find resolution for your questions and fears, surprising insights about God's perspective on sex, and a variety of practical and creative ideas for enhancing your physical relationship with the husband you love.
With warmth and wisdom, authors Linda Dillow and Lorraine Pintus speak woman to woman: examining the teachings of Scripture, exposing the lies of the world, and offering real hope that every woman's marriage relationship can become all it was intended to be in God's design.

About the Author

Linda Dillow is the author of several books, including A Mother’s Journey, Calm My Anxious Heart and the best-selling Creative Counterpart. A sought-after speaker, she ministers at women’s conferences across the United States, Europe and Asia. Linda is the mother of four grown children and grandmother of two. She and her husband, Jody, lived overseas for 17 years and now make their home in Monument, Colorado.

Lorraine Pintus is a freelance writer, conference speaker, Bible teacher and ministry worker. Her articles have appeared numerous magazines, including Decision, Discipleship Journal, and Focus on the Family. She is also the author of Diapers, Pacifiers and Other Holy Things. Lorraine and her husband Peter are founders of Hearts at Home Ministries, a Christian training and development organization. They live with their two children near Colorado Springs.

Intimate Issues: 21 Questions Christian Women Ask About Sex

Stepping Up: A Journey Through the Psalms of Ascent, Member Book

Author: Beth Moore

Paperback: 192 pages
Publisher: LifeWay Christian Resources (November 1, 2007)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1415857431

Book Description

Takes a look at the pilgrimage theme found in Psalms 120 134 and explores the major feasts of Israel. For the ancient Israelites, pilgrimage was a three-times-per-year journey to the temple in Jerusalem; for New Testament believers all of life becomes a journey together toward the new Jerusalem. Contains homework for six sessions. Leader Kit, Leader Guide, and Audio CDs available separately. (7 sessions)

About the Author

Known for presenting the Scripture in living color, Christian speaker, author, and ministry leader Beth Moore brings joy and excitement in Christ to life through words. Her deep love for the Savior is obvious; her style of speaking electric. She loves the Lord, loves to laugh, and loves to be with His people.

Beth first realized God was seizing her future for full-time ministry at the age of 18. She conceded all rights to the Lord she had loved since childhood. Being confident of God's calling on her life, she finished her degree at Southwest Texas State University where she met and married Keith Moore.

In the years that followed, Beth served the Lord by teaching Mothers Day Out, speaking at women s luncheons, retreats, and seminars, leading Christian aerobics, and teaching Sunday School. At the request of her first Bible study class, she wrote daily homework on the Old Testament Tabernacle. That material later became Beth s first published Bible study, A Woman s Heart, God s Dwelling Place. Ten Bible studies and numerous books have followed. Beth speaks at conferences all over the United States and enjoys getting to serve women of every age and denomination. She is passionate about women knowing and loving the Word of God, which she says is life out of the pit for her.

Beth and Keith praise God for 28 years of marriage. They enjoy traveling, hiking, drinking coffee on the back porch, eating Mexican food, making each other laugh, and being grandparents. The Moores live in Houston, Texas, with their dogs, Beanie and Sunny. They have two adult daughters, Amanda and Melissa. Amanda and her husband, Curtis, serve at a church in the Dallas area and have an 18 month old son named Jackson. Melissa, who shares her mother s appreciation for original languages, recently received her Master s degree in Biblical exegesis.

Stepping Up: A Journey Through the Psalms of Ascent, Member Book

Traveling Mercies: Some Thoughts on Faith

Author: Anne Lamott

Paperback: 288 pages
Publisher: Anchor (February 15, 2000)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0385496095

Book Description

Anne Lamott claims the two best prayers she knows are: "Help me, help me, help me" and "Thank you, thank you, thank you." She has a friend whose morning prayer each day is "Whatever," and whose evening prayer is "Oh, well." Anne thinks of Jesus as "Casper the friendly savior" and describes God as "one crafty mother."Despite--or because of--her irreverence, faith is a natural subject for Anne Lamott. Since Operating Instructions and Bird by Bird, her fans have been waiting for her to write the book that explained how she came to the big-hearted, grateful, generous faith that she so often alluded to in her two earlier nonfiction books. The people in Anne Lamott's real life are like beloved characters in a favorite series for her readers--her friend Pammy, her son, Sam, and the many funny and wise folks who attend her church are all familiar. And Traveling Mercies is a welcome return to those lives, as well as an introduction to new companions Lamott treats with the same candor, insight, and tenderness. Lamott's faith isn't about easy answers, which is part of what endears her to believers as well as nonbelievers. Against all odds, she came to believe in God and then, even more miraculously, in herself. As she puts it, "My coming to faith did not start with a leap but rather a series of staggers." At once tough, personal, affectionate, wise, and very funny, Traveling Mercies tells in exuberant detail how Anne Lamott learned to shine the light of faith on the darkest part of ordinary life, exposing surprising pockets of meaning and hope.

From the Author

Everywhere I traveled in the last five years or so to talk about writing, I found myself approached by people in the audience who would want to talk to me about God instead. Rather than wanting to hear about plot or character development, they wanted to confide that they had a relationship with God, too, and they wanted to hear stories from my church. Thirteen years ago, I first lurched--very hung over--into a little church in one of the poorest communities in California. Without this church, I do not think I would have survived the last few years of my drinking. But even so, I had written about the people there only in passing. I did, however, speak about the church whenever I could, sheepishly shoehorning in a story or two. But it wasn't really until my fifth book (Operating Instructions) that I came out of the closet as a real believer. In talking to many many people about this over the years, I found that our one common denominator was that we were all stunned to discover that faith and devotion could shimmer big enough to include all of us--even people like me.I started to realize that there was a great hunger and thirst for regular, cynical, rag-bag people to talk about God and goodness and virtue in a tone that didn't frighten and upset you, or make you feel that you were doing even more poorly than you'd thought.Once I turned my mind to this, all of these stories, moments and connections started appearing to me. When I told them to people--to readers or to friends--they were almost relieved. It was so great to start comparing notes about this faith of ours, to be funny and sarcastic and attitudinally challenged about it, and still be people who could be devoted to God. We no longer had to feel that we were crazy or self-righteous or losers, or pathetic for having that faith. We were just maybe a little different.Soon all kinds of people starting giving me soul food in the form of stories, insights, feedback, great lines, jokes and bumper stickers, and I started to put that soul food back into circulation. And because a lot of this material we were sharing comes from our most human and private and real and vulnerable places, it turns out to be both unbelievably funny and very very touching.So I don't think of TRAVELING MERCIESas a book about religion at all, but rather as a handbook, or maybe a sort of owner's manual, for people who are trying to live faithfully: which is to say, learning to cooperate with grace--even (or especially) when real life rears its very confusing head. It's a book about some of us who--surprising even ourselves--came to believe in a loving God who is with us always--even on bad thigh days, even in the midst of homework wars with our children--a God who does not roll His or Her eyes at us even when we are trying to buy cars, or date, who does not forsake us, even when we whine, or are bad to each other. It is about my experiences with a God who loves me, chooses me, forgives me, every step of the amazing way.

About the Author

Anne Lamott is the author of Operating Instructions and Bird by Bird, and of five novels, including Rosie and Crooked Little Heart. She lives in northern California with her son.

Traveling Mercies: Some Thoughts on Faith