Stepping onto the American Idol stage just weeks after his first wife’s unexpected death, Danny Gokey experienced both the pinnacle of hope and the depth of despair. But his story began long before that. Danny’s dreams began to form when he was a child, only to take a turn he never could have predicted. As life unfolded, he learned that true purpose is found in relationships, and destiny is sometimes born out of our darkest moments. Now Danny wants you to embrace that same promise of hope. In this book, he shares his experiences in the high and low moments and offers compelling, hard-won wisdom to help you reach beyond your greatest challenges. Whether you struggle with relationships, loss, anger, self-esteem, or doubt that your dreams can come true, Danny’s down-to-earth encouragement and positive outlook will transform your life and reveal how you can move toward hope and take the next step to truly making a difference.

Have you ever felt hopeless? Perhaps you're facing circumstances you never prepared for or even imagined. Maybe you're looking for any hint of encouragement, any inkling that this--whatever your this might be--won't last forever or destroy you. Maybe you're afraid to hope or perhaps you're not even sure what hope is. Whether you're new to faith or a lifelong Christ follower, holding onto hope can be hard. Create in Me a Heart of Hope is a six-week Bible study packed with relevant observations and applications, as well as daily prayers and Scripture memorization. Perfect for individuals or small groups, this study will help you - learn where hope comes from and the difference it can make in your life - cling to God's truth and assurance when you're waiting or overwhelmed, when you've been hurt, or when you feel trapped - begin living with confidence as you firmly grasp the hope God is offering Whatever you're facing, God's unshakable hope can meet you there.

On a rainy August night, two female bodies are found on the side of the road. An unplanned night of underage drinking leads to a single car crash that has life-changing consequences. The driver, Melissa Ann, is left paralyzed from the neck down, forced to face life at 18 in a new body she wasn't prepared for. After a series of destructive decisions as a teenager, Hope, Love, and Me, walks through the next decade of a young woman's struggle for a new life, highlighting her humor and tenacity. Hope, Love, and Me is the story of a fight for redemption as Melissa Ann struggles to maintain her worth and identity in a physically driven world. Left in a culture focused on comparison, she is left to fight the hopelessness the world offers her. Behind every face is a powerful story, and nothing is ever quite as it seems.

"Gives Me Hope (GMH) offers user-submitted true stories of kindness and generosity. The stories are sentimental and, at times, almost heartbreakingly sweet. ... How can you not love the world after reading these stories]?" --CNN " GivesMeHope.com ... where people share uplifting moments and shore each other up against the vagaries of life." --Los Angeles Times " Gives Me Hope] serves it up straight--no chaser necessary." --Esquire At GivesMeHope.com, visitors are invited to submit real-life stories that answer the profound question, "What gives you hope?" As diverse and touching as the human experience itself, the stories tell of life's magical moments. In this book, the very best of these stories are told artfully through the use of powerful, full-color imagery.

For years Christians have been asking, "If you died tonight, do you know where you would go?" It turns out that many believers have been giving the wrong answer. It is not heaven. Award-winning author N. T. Wright outlines the present confusion about a Christian's future hope and shows how it is deeply intertwined with how we live today. Wright, who is one of today's premier Bible scholars, asserts that Christianity's most distinctive idea is bodily resurrection. He provides a magisterial defense for a literal resurrection of Jesus and shows how this became the cornerstone for the Christian community's hope in the bodily resurrection of all people at the end of the age. Wright then explores our expectation of "new heavens and a new earth," revealing what happens to the dead until then and what will happen with the "second coming" of Jesus. For many, including many Christians, all this will come as a great surprise. Wright convincingly argues that what we believe about life after death directly affects what we believe about life before death. For if God intends to renew the whole creation—and if this has already begun in Jesus's resurrection—the church cannot stop at "saving souls" but must anticipate the eventual renewal by working for God's kingdom in the wider world, bringing healing and hope in the present life. Lively and accessible, this book will surprise and excite all who are interested in the meaning of life, not only after death but before it.

As 11-year-old Hope struggles to live under the pressures of her verbally abusive mother, she's tempted to run away but instead chooses resilience. She creates a secret safe haven and an innovative point system (giving herself points for every bad thing her mother says to her); finds comfort and inspiration from Anne Frank, The Diary of a Young Girl; and gains a support team. Ultimately, Hope is able to confront her mother about her hurtful words and help her begin to change.

Find Me Unafraid tells the uncommon love story between two uncommon people whose collaboration sparked a successful movement to transform the lives of vulnerable girls and the urban poor. With a Foreword by Nicholas Kristof. This is the story of two young people from completely different worlds: Kennedy Odede from Kibera, the largest slum in Africa, and Jessica Posner from Denver, Colorado. Kennedy foraged for food, lived on the street, and taught himself to read with old newspapers. When an American volunteer gave him the work of Mandela, Garvey, and King, teenaged Kennedy decided he was going to change his life and his community. He bought a soccer ball and started a youth empowerment group he called Shining Hope for Communities (SHOFCO). Then in 2007, Wesleyan undergraduate Jessica Posner spent a semester abroad in Kenya working with SHOFCO. Breaking all convention, she decided to live in Kibera with Kennedy, and they fell in love.Their connection persisted, and Jessica helped Kennedy to escape political violence and fulfill his lifelong dream of an education, at Wesleyan University. The alchemy of their remarkable union has drawn the support of community members and celebrities alike—The Clintons, Mia Farrow, and Nicholas Kristof are among their fans—and their work has changed the lives of many of Kibera’s most vulnerable population: its girls. Jess and Kennedy founded Kibera’s first tuition-free school for girls, a large, bright blue building, which stands as a bastion of hope in what once felt like a hopeless place. But Jessica and Kennedy are just getting started—they have expanded their model to connect essential services like health care, clean water, and economic empowerment programs. They’ve opened an identical project in Mathare, Kenya’s second largest slum, and intend to expand their remarkably successful program for change. Ultimately this is a love story about a fight against poverty and hopelessness, the transformation made possible by a true love, and the power of young people to have a deep impact on the world.

Draws on research to offer strategies for adopting a high-hope attitude and shaping a successful future, and provides real-life examples of people who create hope and have changed the lives of their communities.

I Hope You'll Still Love Me documents the multifaceted experience of being South Asian and LGBTQIA+. These narratives explore coming out to yourself and family and friends, falling in love, recovering from heartbreak, battling body image issues, searching for spaces to be simultaneously queer and South Asian, the influence of fanfiction, navigating religion, the demand for perfection, transracial adoption, being transgender and South Asian, gender confirmation surgery, finding community, and so much more. Through tales of vulnerability, heartbreak, and triumph, contributors lay their truth out for readers, to tell those going through similar experiences that they are not alone, and to guide loved ones who are invested in understanding.

A 9-session Bible study that will challenge your perspective of the local church and help you embrace your part in helping the church fulfill its calling.