With refreshing honesty, winsome humor and a keen understanding of human nature, Payleitner delivers a surprising and thought-provoking commencement address from God's point of view. Every remark is a fresh and relevant restatement of truths found in Scripture, which are shown in subtle, yet profound footnotes at the bottom of each page. Graduates are reminded of God's love, faithfulness and trustworthy plan for their lives. In the final pages, Psalm 37:4 yields a surprise ending for those who trust God. -An inspired gift for high school and college grads. -Vividly "Imagined" from God's eternal perspective. -Content is a retelling of specific Bible verses revealed in footnotes right on the same page. -In its first year, Jay's book 52 Things Kids Need from a Dad sold more than 90,000 copies through Choice Books. The success of that title launched a new "52 Things" franchise for the publisher, for which Jay continues to write. -Stunning full-color interior design. Deluxe cover finishes.

"It's widely acknowledged that American parents from different class backgrounds take different approaches to raising their children. Upper and middle-class parents invest considerable time facilitating their children's activities, while working class and poor families take a more hands-off approach. These different strategies influence how children approach school. But missing from the discussion is the fact that millions of parents on both sides of the class divide are raising their children to listen to God. What impact does a religious upbringing have on their academic trajectories? Drawing on 10 years of survey data with over 3,000 teenagers and over 200 interviews, God, Grades, and Graduation (GGG) offers a revealing and at times surprising account of how teenagers' religious upbringing influences their educational pathways from high school to college. GGG introduces readers to a childrearing logic that cuts across social class groups and accounts for Americans' deep relationship with God: religious restraint. This book takes us inside the lives of these teenagers to discover why they achieve higher grades than their peers, why they are more likely to graduate from college, and why boys from lower middle-class families particularly benefit from religious restraint. But readers also learn how for middle-upper class kids--and for girls especially--religious restraint recalibrates their academic ambitions after graduation, leading them to question the value of attending a selective college despite their stellar grades in high school. By illuminating the far-reaching effects of the childrearing logic of religious restraint, GGG offers a compelling new narrative about the role of religion in academic outcomes and educational inequality"--

Practical life skills and tips for college seniors and graduates. Covers finding a church and an apartment, moving, work attire, dinner etiquette, health insurance. Also covers money issues such as student loans, checking and savings accounts, investing, credit and debit cards, retirement plans, and taxes.

True faith is hard. More than mere sentimentalism, faith often calls for a deep and resilient trust in God—especially when the going gets tough and the road is dark. In Things Not Seen, author Jon Bloom encourages readers with 35 imaginative retellings of stories from the Bible that illustrate the importance of living by faith. A follow-up to the author's previous book, Not by Sight: A Fresh Look at Old Stories of Walking by Faith, this inspiring volume explores the lives of Abraham, Moses, Saul, John the Baptist, and more—helping readers remember God's promises, rely on his grace, and follow his leading regardless of the circumstances. The book includes a foreword by popular author and blogger Ann Voskamp.

Designed to meet the needs of today's grads, this devotional contains 180 one-page readings for those entering new territory and finding their own way through life. God's Graduate: Continuing Education for Everyday Life covers topics such as integrity, faith, serving, success and failure, work, the world, forgiveness, and prayer-challenges graduates will face daily. Each reading ends with a "Continuing Education" section, relating a scripture verse to the topic presented. In a world full of mixed messages, this invaluable, inspirational resource is one no grad should be without.

This bestselling graduation gift addresses questions grads will encounter as they move into the next phases of life. It is a wonderful keepsake full of answers straight from God's Word. Beautifully packaged in a stylish teal Leathersoft with foil stamping and a ribbon marker, this book is a perfect fit for today's graduates.

The United States is one of the most highly educated societies on earth, and also one of the most religious. In The God Problem, Robert Wuthnow examines how middle class Americans juggle the seemingly paradoxical relationship between faith and reason. Based on exceptionally rich and candid interviews with approximately two hundred people from various faiths, this book dispels the most common explanations: that Americans are adept at keeping religion and intellect separate, or that they are a nation of "joiners." Instead, Wuthnow argues, we do this—not by coming up with rational proofs for the existence of God—but by adopting subtle usages of language that keep us from making unreasonable claims about God. In an illuminating narrative that reveals the complex negotiations many undertake in order to be religious in the modern world, Wuthnow probes the ways of talking that occur in prayers, in discussions about God, in views of heaven, in understandings of natural catastrophes and personal tragedies, and in attempts to reconcile faith with science.