An ideal sanctuary and a dream come true–that’s what Margaret Lane feels as she takes in God’s gorgeous handiwork in Mount Rainer National Park. It’s 1927 and the National Park Service is in its youth when Margie, an avid naturalist, lands a coveted position alongside the park rangers living and working in the unrivaled splendor of Mount Rainier’s long shadow.

But Chief Ranger Ford Brayden knows too well how awe-inspiring nature can quickly turn deadly. Ford is still haunted by his father’s death on the mountain, and the ranger takes his work managing the park and its growing crowd of visitors seriously. The job of watching over an idealistic Senator’s daughter with few practical survival skills seems a [ … ]

In a shallow light-speed world, how can we really know and be known by another person?  How do we make true friends?

The Digital Age is all about change, but the need for true friendship never changes.  We are designed for real engagement with others—for affirmation that goes beyond a simple “like” on social media, for connection over meals, for hope and excitement about the future. Above all, we need to be known and accepted for who we are. But how do we find and maintain this kind of friendship in a fluid and frenetic culture?

In Known, Dick and Ruth Foth offer inspiration and proven practices that build relationships through personal storytelling, affirmation, covenant, and dreaming.  They draw on years [ … ]

In a World that Thrives on Fear, Have Faith

Terrorism. Racism. Refugees. Political vitriol. Our culture is driven by fear. Compared to all previous generations, we are more safe, live longer, hurt less, and earn more. Yet, we are more afraid than ever.

Our faith has fallen prey to this culture of fear. Fear slips into our souls, leaving us not only afraid, but on edge and constantly anxious. No longer a safe harbor, a source of strength, and a bastion for love, faith has become a caricature of the real thing. We are left wondering, questioning, even disillusioned.

We face a defining moment. Will we cave in to fear or rise in faith? Stephan Bauman, the [ … ]

You Can’t Really Live Without It
 
“Where there is no vision, the people perish” (Proverbs 29:18, kjv)Tired of living half a life—or even a waking nightmare? Struggling to find meaning in a job you don’t like? Facing graduation or mid-life changes in a faltering economy? Wishing you could rekindle a dream you gave up long ago?

It’s time to get your vision checked!

In this practical, energizing guide, pastor and author Craig Groeschel shows how to live life fully by finding, naming, and achieving your unique, God-given goal. The secret: knowing your chazown, a Hebrew word for “vision,” “dream,” or “revelation.”

You’ll see how to identify your chazown by taking a fresh look at your core values, spiritual gifts, [ … ]

In spite of their differences, Trey Walker Stafford knows he owes his life to cowboy and legendary rancher Sam Stafford—the uncle who rescued him after his parents’ death. Trey had left the Double S Ranch to pursue music against Sam’s wishes, but returns to central Washington when he learns he’s the best match for a procedure that could save Sam’s life. Although Trey’s found country music fame and success, he’s also endured the tragic loss of his wife. He croons about love, but struggles with a yawning emptiness he can’t explain.

Overwhelmed by a growing list of challenges, but mistrustful of Stafford men, single mother Lucy Carlton reluctantly accepts Trey’s help to revive her crumbling farm [ … ]

Living Out the Word Made Flesh
 
“Sixty years ago I found myself distracted,” Eugene Peterson writes. “A chasm had developed between the way I was preaching from the pulpit and my deepest convictions on what it meant to be a pastor.”And so began Peterson’s journey to live and teach a life of congruence—congruence between preaching and living, between what we do and the way we do it, between what is written in Scripture and how we live out that truth.

Nothing captures the biblical foundation for this journey better than Peterson’s teachings over his twenty-nine years as a pastor. As Kingfishers Catch Fire offers a never-before-published collection of these teachings to anyone longing for [ … ]

Get Lost. . . and Find What Really Matters

We are made for freedom and adventure, friendship and romance. Yet too much of life is spent unfulfilled at work, restless at home, and bored at church.  All the while knowing there is something more. You’ll find some of life’s best moments waiting for you over a campfire, on a river—even in that coffee shop or brewery you didn’t know you’d discover along the way. It’s time to begin the search.

In the literary spirit of well-worn tales about America’s open road, this poetic, honest, often hilarious collection of essays shows how to embark on adventures that kindle spiritual reflection, personal growth, and deeper family connections.

From [ … ]

Could She Come to Love the Questions Themselves?

The church wasn’t just a part of Andrea Lucado’s childhood. It was her childhood. It provided more than happy moments. It provided an invitation to know Jesus.

When Andrea arrived in Oxford the year after she graduated from college, she expected to meet God there. What she didn’t expect was that God would be much bigger than she’d believed.

In this engaging memoir, Andrea speaks to all of us who wrestle with doubt and identity. “So many nights in Oxford,” Andrea writes, “I felt like the details of my faith were getting fuzzier. Nights turned restless with questions. I questioned God’s existence, and the doubt was getting into my bones.”

In English Lessons, Andrea [ … ]