The astonishing, Job-like story of how an existence filled with loss, suffering, questioning, and anger became a life filled with shocking and incomprehensible peace and joy. Vaneetha Risner contracted polio as an infant, was misdiagnosed, and lived with widespread paralysis. She lived in and out of the hospital for ten years and, after each stay, would return to a life filled with bullying. When she became a Christian, though, she thought things would get easier, and they did: carefree college days, a dream job in Boston, and an MBA from Stanford where she met and married a classmate. But life unraveled. Again. She had four miscarriages. Her son died because of a doctor's mistake. And Vaneetha was diagnosed with post-polio syndrome, meaning she would likely become a quadriplegic. And then her husband betrayed her and moved out, leaving her to raise two adolescent daughters alone. This was not the abundant life she thought God had promised her. But, as Vaneetha discovered, everything she experienced was designed to draw her closer to Christ as she discovered "that intimacy with God in suffering can be breathtakingly beautiful."

Wade Whitehouse, divorced, estranged from his young daughter, spends his days as a well-driller, snow-plow operator, and policeman, his nights in a wind-swept trailer park. But when a union boss is killed in an apparent hunting accident near Wade's home, and he is convinced that it is murder, he seizes the event as a chance to right many wrongs—unaware that as he unravels the mystery he himself will become unravelled. Soon his hunger for justice and self-respect become inseparable from a desperate violence.

Who am I? What am I here for? Does anyone love me? Do I have worth? Adversity can lead to doubt on the deepest levels: compared to others who have it "all together," our lives, with our difficulties, can seem beyond our ability to deal with daily tasks, let alone bigger topics like purpose, love, or faith. Daniel Ritchie was born facing a unique kind of adversity: he was born without arms. Yet after he surrendered his life to Christ as a young man, he learned that only in Christ could true worth and purpose be found--freeing him from others' comparisons and restrictions to live a full life that seemed impossible. Daniel's story will teach you to tackle life's challenges with grace and creativity--as he shows you how to see your life through Christ's eyes.

The biggest barrier to faith is life itself. Divorce. Cancer. Infertility. Death. There are times in our lives in which God seems very far away. We don't understand His silence. We only feel the intensity of our pain and the echoing question of 'why?' The Bible declares that God is good, but can we still believe this when our lives are falling apart? In Keep Believing, Dr. Pritchard affirms what the Bible declares: that God is good and His mercy endures forever. This is true regardless of our moment-by-moment experience. God has provided comfort in our times of struggle and healing in our times of hurt through the balm of His Word. You believed in the light of day; will you still believe at midnight? Search the Scriptures with Dr. Pritchard for words of encouragement and hope. Put your confidence in the God who sorrowfully watched His Son suffer at Calvary for your benefit. Know that the same loving heavenly Father has everything completely under control. He is with you and longs to comfort you as you struggle through your hard times. Take a tell-tale look at your devotion to the Lord and His never-ending love and commitment to you in Keep Believing. You served God in the sunshine; will you now serve him in the shadows?

Focusing on the intersection of Christianity and politics in the American penitentiary system, Jennifer Graber explores evangelical Protestants' efforts to make religion central to emerging practices and philosophies of prison discipline from the 1790s through the 1850s. Initially, state and prison officials welcomed Protestant reformers' and ministers' recommendations, particularly their ideas about inmate suffering and redemption. Over time, however, officials proved less receptive to the reformers' activities, and inmates also opposed them. Ensuing debates between reformers, officials, and inmates revealed deep disagreements over religion's place in prisons and in the wider public sphere as the separation of church and state took hold and the nation's religious environment became more diverse and competitive. Examining the innovative New York prison system, Graber shows how Protestant reformers failed to realize their dreams of large-scale inmate conversion or of prisons that reflected their values. To keep a foothold in prisons, reformers were forced to relinquish their Protestant terminology and practices and instead to adopt secular ideas about American morals, virtues, and citizenship. Graber argues that, by revising their original understanding of prisoner suffering and redemption, reformers learned to see inmates' afflictions not as a necessary prelude to a sinner's experience of grace but as the required punishment for breaking the new nation's laws.

Edith Schaeffer comes directly to grips with the eternal question of why we face suffering and affliction in this life, showing us how to trust in God alone for comfort.

God has provided a way for all people, not just scholars, to know that the Bible is the Word of God. John Piper has devoted his life to showing us that the glory of God is object of the soul’s happiness. Now, his burden in this book is to demonstrate that this same glory is the ground of the mind’s certainty. God’s peculiar glory shines through his Word. The Spirit of God enlightens the eyes of our hearts. And in one self-authenticating sight, our minds are sure and our hearts are satisfied. Justified certainty and solid joy meet in the peculiar glory of God.

Can anything good come out of suffering? Is there anything purposeful in the grief or pain you may be feeling right now? There are no easy answers to these questions and any attempt at an answer runs the risk of seeming trite or inappropriate to our unique situation. The author of this book has a terminal illness, which has produced in him not only an uncertainty about the future, but a deep sense of compassion for those who are also suffering. The book is his attempt to bring encouragement to those who feel helpless and alone by giving a perspective on affliction that is not ordinarily discussed. The book is not a daily devotional, but a compilation of the blogs he has written over the last three years that have been helpful to many. You may not be walking the path of affliction, but you could give the book a read and pass it on to someone who is on the journey.

Looking Unto Jesus The issue of religion has bothered the minds of men and women through the ages. Many are so confused they do not know which way to follow and so many have been misled. There are so many questions about this subject but very few insufficient answers. The book in your hand is a well-researched work that proffers answers to all relevant questions concerning the subject of religion and man. The author’s careful approach reveals to the reader the deceptions of the enemy, the mind of God, the rightful position of the believer and what his focus should be so that he does not continue to fall victim to evil manipulations. It is a must read for all those who want to get out of confusion.

Rick Renner unearths a rich treasure trove of truths in his remarkable devotional. Drawing from an extensive study of both the English Bible and New Testament Greek, Rick illuminates 365 passages with more than 1,285 in-depth Greek word studies. Far from intellectualizing, he blends his solid instruction with practical applications and refreshing insights. Find challenge, reassurance, comfort, and reminders of God's abiding love and healing every day of the year.