Faithfully walking—and uncovering joy—on a road paved with suffering. The Christian life is marked with great suffering. We live in a fallen and broken world full of disappointments and the loss of dreams. And there is a cost to following Christ—often painfully felt in close relationships. In her book, Still Standing Lina AbuJamra shares how God’s refining process makes Him bigger in our hearts and transforms us into people who are like Him. Our pain can lead to despair and bitterness, or it can make us more like Jesus. But we must be willing to undergo the refining process—and this hurts. Lina shows us the truly amazing and beautiful reality that we can have joy amidst the most difficult of circumstances. Without denying the real pain many of us carry, Lina shows Christians how to rediscover joy. She shows us how God’s presence is our guarantee for joy no matter what we’re going through. Lina looks to current and biblical stories to show us how refined people can be used by God to persevere and build His kingdom. I love talking about God’s radical calling of His children and what it means to follow Jesus wholeheartedly, especially when it hurts. If there is one thing that continues to surprise me as I follow Jesus, it’s the difficulty of the journey, the unexpected delays, the detours, the disappointments, and the waiting. Despite what I know about God, I still catch myself taken aback by the amount of suffering endured in the pursuit of one’s calling. It is my hope that this book inspires hope in the hearts of followers of Jesus who have encountered suffering as they have pursued obedience to Christ. Still Standing is an updated edition, previously published with the title Stripped.

Lorne Gregory was on top of the world the day she married Jamie Jones. But within weeks of their marriage, it became painfully obvious that something was wrong. Believing deeply in her vow to love and support him for better or worse, Lorne pulls out all the stops as she attempts to save her marriage. When she discovers the true extent of Jamie’s double life, Lorne must make a choice: herself or a man who doesn’t deserve her. With God’s help, Lorne finds the courage and strength to persevere. Despite the heartbreak, disappointment, brokenness, and betrayal, she navigates her way to joy and peace. As she searches for hope and redemption, Lorne learns the true power of prayer ... and of God’s saving grace. I’m Still Standing is an intimate journey through Lorne Gregory’s life, a poignant story of how God guides her from a place of brokenness to one of restoration.

My book is based on my 30th year in ministry, the ups & downs pitfalls and the restoring of the things lost! It will make you laugh, cry but strenghthen you through your trials.

No one knows what tomorrow will bring. All we know is that quitting is not an option! It does not matter where you started from in life, whether through rough beginnings or maybe you have consciously taken an unforgettable path in life. All that matters today is that you continue to stand tall. Stand through the pain. Stand through the hurt. Stand through the discomfort. Stand through the trials and tribulations. Stand through defeat. Stand through the heartache. Stand through the betrayal. Stand through the brokenness. Stand through the confusion. And after you have done all you can, continue to stand because the best is yet to come!

In life, trials and tribulations are designed to destroy us. But with God, my challenges with abuse, drug addiction, hardship, betrayal, and loneliness could not break me. As I recount my life’s journey, His presence has been with me through it all. According to Romans 8:28 (AMP), “And we know [with great confidence] that God [who is deeply concerned about us] causes all things to work together [as a plan] for good.” Hope and trust in God always, and you, too, will find yourself still standing.

Samantha grew up in a strict and structured family faces unbelievable obstacles on her own that she kept to herself her entire life. She finally finds the courage to let the love of her life in on some of her past. Samantha dealt with her issues through her faith and seeking therapy. After therapy, Samantha realized that her past is not her present or her future. She realizes that she does get a second chance at life and to make it full of love, happiness, and all the desires of her heart.

Growing up in a prairie farm family, with a very close-knit church community, Paul Vollmin is raised to believe that a Christian should be different. But somehow, even though the Bible tells him that he has changed when he’s accepted Jesus as his savior, he doesn’t feel changed. And as Paul enters a rebellious stage, he starts to indulge his own personal failures, losing touch with his faith and living lie after lie. One day, as a young husband and father, he just can’t sustain it any longer and finds himself hospitalized for severe depression and considering suicide as a viable way out. Still Standing is Paul’s personal story of coming to terms with the past and present in light of a faith in Jesus Christ. Be forewarned, his journey is no idealized picture of what a Christian should look like, but a discovery of how a real life, warts and all, can be transformed by a real God. In frank and frequently very funny fashion, Still Standing provides full disclosure in its chronicle of God reaching into the darkest corners of a man’s being, to bring light and healing to a life of faith gone wrong.

What does it mean to accept God’s grace? New York Times bestselling author Max Lucado believes, “When grace happens, generosity happens.” God’s grace is always there, ready to do wonders in your life. In Grace Happens Here, you’ll learn how to accept His grace and forgiveness and how to extend the same blessing toward others. Inside Grace Happens Here, you’ll find: A presentation page making this a meaningful gift for men and women on birthdays, Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, or when a loved needs encouragement Six impactful lessons about grace Scriptures and stories that will transform your heart and mind with a deeper understanding of God’s healing grace Highly designed pages with photography and call out quote art Grace Happens Here provides a wonderful message about God’s grace and how to apply it to every aspect of your life. Max Lucado looks at grace from all directions and reveals that no matter which way you look at it, God’s grace is always there, ready to do wonders in your life.

Sometimes, grace gets messy. Caleb Kaltenbach was raised by LGBT parents, marched in gay pride parades as a youngster, and experienced firsthand the hatred and bitterness of some Christians toward his family. But then Caleb surprised everyone, including himself, by becoming a Christian…and a pastor. Very few issues in Christianity are as divisive as the acceptance of the LGBT community in the church. As a pastor and as a person with beloved family members living a gay lifestyle, Caleb had to face this issue with courage and grace. Messy Grace shows us that Jesus’s command to “love your neighbor as yourself” doesn’t have an exception clause for a gay “neighbor”—or for that matter, any other “neighbor” we might find it hard to relate to. Jesus was able to love these people and yet still hold on to his beliefs. So can you. Even when it’s messy. “Messy Grace is an important contribution to the conversation about sexual identity for churches and leaders. Caleb's story is surprising and unique, and he weaves it together compellingly. He states his views clearly, leaves room for disagreement, and champions love no matter where you are in this conversation.” —Jud Wilhite, Sr. Pastor, Central Christian Church