I’ve always loved stories. I love diving in and immersing myself in the fictional lives of characters who will inevitably become to me like dear friends. Autobiographies are no different except that the events depicted—those harrowing, heartbreaking, jaw-dropping, stirring, and inspiring events—are true. As I read these personal stories, my understanding of the world expands. I grow to appreciate those whose life experiences and ways of thinking differ from my own, and, by their example, I’m encouraged to persevere until I’ve overcome the challenges in my own life.
I picked up a copy of this book at a time in my life when I was feeling less than, left out, and lonely. After experiencing the sting of multiple rejections, I had forgotten who I was—a person of incredible value.
But I was encouraged as I read Lysa TerKeurst’s story of being abandoned by her father, which resulted in a deep sense of rejection, and how she was able to heal by embracing her identity as a dearly loved child of God.
Lysa’s personal narrative was interwoven with practical advice in such a caring way that I felt like I was having coffee with a dear friend.
If you are struggling with your sense of belonging, I highly recommend this book.
Do you ever feel left out, lonely, or less than? Learn the secret of belonging, which will help you keep rejections in perspective and be better equipped to foster healthy connections in your relationships.
New York Times bestselling author Lysa TerKeurst shares her own deeply personal experiences of rejection from the perceived judgment of the perfectly toned woman one elliptical over to the incredibly painful childhood abandonment by her father. She leans in to honestly examine the roots of rejection, as well as rejection's ability to poison relationships from the inside out, including our relationship…
This book is for anyone who has ever wondered, What is the purpose of my suffering? and Is there any hope for me?
As someone whose first three decades of life had been fairly carefree, I was surprised when suffering entered my world, and I found this book both instructive and inspiring as I journeyed back to a place of wholeness.
If Jim Daly, who was orphaned as a nine-year-old, abandoned by his stepfather on the day of his mother’s funeral, and endured crushing loneliness, could find hope and unbreakable strength in God and eventually become a man of tremendous impact, then there could be hope for me (and you) too.
Jim Daly, president and CEO of Focus on the Family, managed to rise above his harrowing childhood, which included living in Compton, a suburb of Los Angeles. In his deeply personal memoir, he relives horrors no child should endure. A bloodcurdling neighborhood murder merely serves as the backdrop to the abuse and alcolism within the four walls of his own home, a cycle broken only by the cancer that left him motherless. Orphaned at an early age, Jim saw firsthand the worst this world had to offer. He somehow managed to catch enough glimpse of grace that he knew he…
As a Veteran, I once dismissed Christianity, viewing it as outdated and irrelevant.
But as I witness the West sliding into chaos, I realize how wrong I was. It is no accident that Christianity is under assault while the West is being overwhelmed by a cultural virus that sows discord…
I found Rifqa’s story a fascinating page turner that I could not put down.
I had never before heard an account of anyone so young, so searching, and so desperate for God—desperate for a love they knew to exist and yet remained elusive. I had also never heard of anyone so young who, once coming to faith at the age of 12, was such an ardent and devoted follower that they would go to such great lengths to practice their faith.
Rifqa’s commitment to her faith against incredible opposition was truly inspiring, and the unpredictability of events had me riveted from beginning to end.
Though this book was first published in 1971, its message of courage in the face of tyranny and forgiveness in response to evil remains stunning to this day.
I have read this book twice, twenty years apart, and both times I came away with a sense of awe that because of their strong faith, Corrie ten Boom and her family were willing to risk their own lives to protect those who were being hunted down by the Nazis.
Even when caught and sent to a concentration camp where they endured unspeakable cruelty, Corrie ten Boom and her sister, Betsie, did not lose their faith but instead ministered to the women around them.
I can only hope that I would have the same courage if I were in Corrie’s shoes.
It's World War II. Darkness has fallen over Europe as the Nazis spread hatred, fear and war across the globe. But on a quiet city corner in the Netherlands, one woman fights against the darkness.
In her quiet watchmaking shop, she and her family risk their lives to hide Jews, and others hunted by the Nazis, in a secret room, a "hiding place" that they built in the old building.
One day, however, Corrie and her family are betrayed. They're captured and sent to the notorious Nazi concentration camps to die. Yet even…
As a Veteran, I once dismissed Christianity, viewing it as outdated and irrelevant.
But as I witness the West sliding into chaos, I realize how wrong I was. It is no accident that Christianity is under assault while the West is being overwhelmed by a cultural virus that sows discord…
Sometimes a book makes its way into your hands at exactly the right moment, which was the case for me with Angel Behind the Rocking Chair.
I read this book during my twin pregnancy after receiving a heartbreaking prenatal diagnosis for my son. I knew I might lose him, but this book prepared me for the possibility of raising a child with significant disability. Through Pam Vredevelt’s story of giving birth to a son with Down syndrome, I learned that there can be incredible beauty in a situation that at first seems tragic.
The lessons she learned as she leaned into her faith inspired me to adopt a hopeful perspective and recognize that God can use even the greatest adversity for good.
After the loss of her first baby and the birth of a fourth child with Down Syndrome, Pam Vredevelt felt that she had fallen from God's grasp. As she was soon to discover, however, God was just beginning to hold her tight and lead the way out of her endless pit of despair. With humor and touching insight, Pam unveils her struggle to emerge from darkness into the light in this paperback release of her popular work. Many have been touched by the same anguish; Pam shares their stories and how the supernatural touch of God sustained them through the…
The monitor beeps. Christin Rosa is propped up on pillows in a hospital maternity ward. She’s nearly nine months pregnant and about to give birth to twins, yet she knows that one of them likely won’t survive. She and her husband, Mauricio, have been advised to reduce...to abort “Baby A”—the tiny boy inside her—but the Rosas have decided to fight for their son’s life.
The last several months have felt like waiting for a roller coaster ride to begin, and now the Rosas are preparing for the inevitable plunge they have no way of stopping. They didn’t choose to board this ride, but they trust that God is with them. Now it’s time to have these babies. Let the ride begin.
