A Belief System from Beyond the Box PDF Download

Author: Edgar K. Dejean
Publisher: AuthorHouse
ISBN: 143896787X
Category : Theology, Doctrinal
Languages : en
Pages : 210

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Book Description
As I go back to the first blog that I released into cyberspace, I discover that the date was May 27, 2005 and the title was, It's Beyond Me. As I scan forward through all the postings I find that two major themes have developed synergistically: 1. That segment of the formal religious establishment described loosely by the term church, is under stress. The extreme nature of this stress is demonstrated by the current, often-quoted, fearsome phrase - "The Church must change or it will die." 2. The most frequently offered response to this dilemma is the admonition, "We must think beyond the box." Pragmatism indicates that: "The Church must change or it will die," phrase is hopelessly destructive. Might this prediction be more approachable if rephrased as? "The Church must morph, then survive." Survival indicates that it is essential that we determine what it is in the box that we must think beyond. What should be changed so that our belief systems can morph, thus equipping the church to morph to survival? It is my conclusion that my past conceptualizations of God, my core beliefs, have been formed by inhibiting Climates of Cultures, deposited in the box over the ages in an attempt to make God comprehensible. It is my emerging discovery that when we think beyond the box we recognize the Atmosphere of Possibilities, the Incomprehensible God of the Universe. Though our core beliefs may differ we all should be encouraged to hold beliefs that give us the joy of being response-able to Incomprehensible God, the Atmosphere of Possibilities, and responsible to/with comprehensible humanity, including ourselves.

Author: Lecrae Moore
Publisher: Zondervan
ISBN: 0310358043
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 188

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Book Description
When the challenges you've faced threaten to destroy your life, how do you find your way back to the truths you thought you believed? I Am Restored tells the untold story of how Lecrae's past nearly ruined his future--until he learned that the wounds we carry can have the potential to be unlikely guides to healing and freedom for ourselves and others. Throughout I Am Restored, Lecrae documents the shattering yet hopeful story of how he faced the scars of his past--sexual abuse, physical trauma, addiction, and depression--and emerged more fully human than ever before. With remarkable transparency and vulnerability, Lecrae reveals that at the height of his professional success, his life was spinning out of control, driven by a past that he had never confronted and a religious perspective that was incapable of meeting the challenge. I Am Restored takes an unflinching look at the personal and public spaces that are too often at the societal core of our pain and heartache--culture, politics, family, church, and more--and teaches us that forgiveness can be the birthplace of the life that God has created for us. Throughout this powerful, deeply personal account, Lecrae shares the life lessons he's learned about: Confronting the pain and trauma that has shaped your story Breaking the cycle of sin and shame and embracing joy and authenticity Finding hope and healing in the midst of chaos The simple practices that can change your mental, emotional, and spiritual health Leading a life that's bursting with creativity and true freedom I Am Restored is a hopeful, inspiring charge to start your journey to lasting healing today. No matter what your past has held, God is near you, he hears you, and he's not done writing your story.

Author: Edgar K. DeJean
Publisher: Author House
ISBN: 1467870579
Category : Philosophy
Languages : en
Pages : 187

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Book Description
This book is directed toward fulfilling the wisdom of Yogi Berra as stated in the Preface of the book: You got to be very careful if you dont know Where youre going, because you might not get there. There are some readers whose traditional bents may lead them to question the direction(s) the book is taking. The author concedes this but hopes that his integrity of purpose (where hes going) will lead to consideration as opposed to consternation. Here, in no rigid linear sequence, are some (not all) of the areas the book explores. The primate as animal evolved to become the primate as human, first through an awareness of compassion (responsible to species) and later through an awareness of religion (response-able to God). Why, then, has the human forsaken the value and purposefulness of compassion that permitted humanity to evolve and survive, and has become obsessed with taking religious beliefs too seriously (e.g. religious chaos, religious wars)? In keeping with Yogi Berras advice the book was given a sense of direction. First it would explore examples of taking life too seriously. Then expand to observations of taking ones beliefs too seriously followed by taking religion too seriously (religiosity) and finally arrive at taking theology inappropriately where the author suggests that traditionalism and theism have brought Christianity today. The book offers the thought that two essential human capabilities within the purpose for existence are underutilized by humanity: compassion and spirituality. It concludes with the question: Could the intentional utilization of these two possibilities as capabilities support the morphing of Christianity? This book (A Leap to Everyday Spirituality, In the Eternal Atmosphere of Possibilities) is a candid invitation to readers to explore their beliefs, not a request to agree with the author.

Author: Monica A. Coleman
Publisher: Broadleaf Books
ISBN: 1506487106
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 375

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Book Description
Overcome with mental anguish, Monica A. Coleman's great-grandfather had his two young sons pull the chair out from beneath him when he hanged himself. That noose remained tied to a rafter in the shed, where it hung above the heads of his eight children who played there for years to come. As it had for generations before her, a heaviness hung over Monica throughout her young life. As an adult, this rising star in the academy saw career successes often fueled by the modulated highs of undiagnosed Bipolar II Disorder, as she hid deep depression that even her doctors skimmed past in disbelief. Serendipitous encounters with Black intellectuals like Henry Louis Gates Jr., Angela Davis, and Renita Weems were countered by long nights of stark loneliness. Only as Coleman began to face her illness was she able to live honestly and faithfully in the world. And in the process, she discovered a new and liberating vision of God. Written in crackling prose, Monica's spiritual autobiography examines her long dance with trauma, depression, and the threat of death in light of the legacies of slavery, war, sharecropping, poverty, and alcoholism that masked her family history of mental illness for generations.

Author: Bonnie Gray
Publisher: FaithWords
ISBN: 1455598216
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 400

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Book Description
Life is noisy. But what would happen if every day - for the next 40 days - you soaked in God's love as He intimately whispered words of rest just for you? Whispers of Rest is a 40-day devotional detox for your soul, a spiritual journey to refresh you and guide you to greater peace, while helping you discover who God truly made you to be: His beloved. Renew your spirit with powerful affirmations of God's love with uplifting words of Scripture, journaling prompts for reflection, and practical challenges to spark joy. Bonnie will lead you to places of rest, where you can deeply experience the Savior's presence in your everyday life. This beautiful guidebook will create space for your soul to breathe: Soul Care Tips & Trail Notes - Reduce stress and nurture your body and spirit. Daily Beloved Challenges - Brighten your day by taking simple soul care actions. A Simple Prayer Practice - Deepen your intimacy with God through easy-to-enjoy prayer prompts, inspired by classic devotional practices. A lot can happen in 40 days. A new rhythm. A new heart. A renewed faith. Transform your life as you take the journey to say yes to God, embrace your true identity, rediscover your dreams, and begin your healing. Dare to enjoy each day fully and celebrate your calling as the beloved.

Author: Rachel Lewis
Publisher: Baker Books
ISBN: 1493433350
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 272

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Book Description
What to Expect When You're No Longer Expecting When your baby dies, you find yourself in a life you never expected. And even though pregnancy and infant loss are common, they're not common to you. Instead, you feel like a stranger in your own body, surrounded by well-meaning people who often don't know how to support you. What you need during this time is not a book offering easy answers. You need a safe place to help you navigate what comes next, such as: · Coping with a postpartum body without a baby in your arms. · Facing social isolation and grief invalidation. · Wrestling with faith when you feel let down by God. · Dealing with the overwhelming process of making everyday decisions. · Learning to move forward after loss. · Creating a legacy for your child. In Unexpecting, bereaved mom Rachel Lewis is the friend you never knew you'd need, walking you through the unique grief of baby loss. When nothing about life after loss makes sense . . . this book will. "The guide that all parents experiencing pregnancy loss need when leaving the hospital grief-stricken, without a baby in their arms."--LINDSEY M. HENKE, founder of Pregnancy After Loss Support

Author: Susan D. Hill
Publisher: WaterBrook
ISBN: 0307499111
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 258

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Book Description
If you crave the real experience of God’s presence in your daily life… If you sense there’s more to Christianity than service, study, and superficial spirituality… If you’re ready to go beyond knowing about God to truly knowing Him… Here’s where life with God begins. Is God really like a father who cares about the details of our everyday lives? Then why does He often seem so far away, distant in the moments when we could most use a personal touch from Him? So many of us have lived in that unspoken longing. In these incredible stories, you’ll see how one person found that God is not always content to wait for us to discover Him amid the clutter of life. Instead, when we simply hold out our hands, He illuminates our ordinary world and gives us new eyes to see. Closer Than Your Skin traces the journey of an ordinary Christian who longed to move beyond the trappings of faith to genuine life with God. Her story reveals how to overcome the obstacles that most often block such intimate connection. Through this remarkable account, you’ll gain tangible insight into what a daily, vibrant companionship with the Creator really feels like once you wake up to the eternal reality all around you. Interactive study guide included.

Author: Terry Brooks
Publisher: Del Rey
ISBN: 0345509552
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 417

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Book Description
BONUS: This edition contains an excerpt from Terry Brooks's The Measure of the Magic. Terry Brooks won instant acclaim with his phenomenal New York Times bestseller The Sword of Shannara. Its sequels earned Brooks legendary status. Then his darkly enthralling The Word and the Void trilogy revealed new depths and vistas to his mastery of epic fantasy. Armageddon’s Children and The Elves of Cintra took Brooks’s remarkable mythos to a breathtaking new level by delving deep into the history of Shannara. And now, The Gypsy Morph rounds out–with an adventure of unforgettably imaginative scope–the first phase of a new chapter in this classic series. Eighty years into the future, the United States is a no-man’s-land: its landscape blighted by chemical warfare, pollution, and plague; its government collapsed; its citizens adrift, desperate, fighting to stay alive. In fortified compounds, survivors hold the line against wandering predators, rogue militias, and hideous mutations spawned from the toxic environment, while against them all stands an enemy neither mortal nor merciful: demons and their minions bent on slaughtering and subjugating the last of humankind. But from around the country, allies of good unite to challenge the rampaging evil. Logan Tom, wielding the magic staff of a Knight of the Word, has a promise to keep–protecting the world’ s only hope of salvation–and a score to settle with the demon that massacred his family. Angel Perez, Logan’s fellow Knight, has risked her life to aid the elvish race, whose peaceful, hidden realm is marked for extermination by the forces of the Void. Kirisin Belloruus, a young elf entrusted with an ancient magic, must deliver his entire civilization from a monstrous army. And Hawk, the rootless boy who is nothing less than destiny’s instrument, must lead the last of humanity to a latter-day promised land before the final darkness falls. The Gypsy Morph is an epic saga of a world in flux as the mortal realm yields to a magical one; as the champions of the Word and the Void clash for the last time to decide what will be and what must cease; and as, from the remnants of a doomed age, something altogether extraordinary rises.

Author: Ron Pratt
Publisher:
ISBN: 1629995711
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 212

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Book Description
What's the point of being a Christian anymore? Many Christians today are feeling unfulfilled in their walk with God, and they have no idea it's because of the little decisions they're making each day that are leading them into lives of compromise. In Navigate Your Faith Ron Pratt uses a fictional American family to expose how the enemy lures believers into prioritizing their own pleasure, entertainment, or career goals over their relationship with Christ. This erodes their passion for Jesus and causes them to become spiritually bored and have powerless Christian lives. Rather than claiming that God will approve of Christians no matter what they do, as some modern ministers do, Navigate Your Faith challenges readers to take a hard look at their lives and see if they're simply incorporating Jesus into their lifestyles or allowing Him to set them on a course of His choosing. With proven strategies to rebuild lost intimacy with God, this book will help Christians recognize the deceptive tactics of the enemy, break out of complacency, and make a greater impact on the world around them. This book will help you recognize and avoid the deception of today's nominal Christian culture.

Author: James R. Cochrane
Publisher: Edward Elgar Publishing
ISBN: 1802207996
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 507

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Book Description
This revelatory Handbook explores the relationship between religion and health, emphasising the effects of organised religion and spirituality on community, population, and public health. While comprehensively summarising the current state of the field, it focusses on pursuing new pathways vital for human health in a turbulent world.