The author points out that it is not the mere presence of suffering but how a Christian reacts to it which determines one's spiritual growth through sorrow and pain. Paul Billheimer warns Christians not to waste their sorrows, but to transform them.

Adversity: God’s Training Ground for His Children This eye-opening discussion on the role of suffering in the Christian life reveals God’s sometimes surprising tools for maturing and training His church. Paul Billheimer, a well-loved writer and pastor, brings the promise of an amazing depth of spiritual growth for those who endure and trust God during life’s difficulties. Struggling Through a Difficult Time? Knowing that God has planned for you to benefit from your sorrow, you can learn to respond in a brand-new way—seeing it not as a punishment or interruption, but as an opportunity to grow into your unique role as Christ’s eternal bride. Billheimer encourages you not to waste your sorrows, but embrace them with an attitude that will ensure they produce God’s best in you. It will bring a brand-new joy and purpose to every circumstance that comes your way.

The well known Austrian poet and spiritual writer, Rainer Maria Rilke encouraged his young friend not to be a "waster of sorrows," but to use them in a positive way as a means to help him grow in holiness. And isn't this the challenge for all of us? Everyone has sorrows in life. The important question is: what can we do with them so that we don't waste them? Whether our sorrows are personal or communal, how can we share our mutual vulnerability so that we can connect with others in a way that leads to growth? For over thirty years as a psychotherapist and spiritual director, Peter C. Wilcox has listened to people's stories about their lives. Often, parts of their stories involve sorrows of one kind or another. Some people become overwhelmed by their sorrows while others have learned how to integrate them into their lives in a positive way. This book is an invitation to discover how we can learn to integrate our sorrows into our own lives so that we can grow psychologically and spiritually. It suggests nine ways that we can reflect on our sorrows to deepen our spiritual lives, so that as Rilke wrote to his friend, we don't "waste them."

Popular, dedicated nature worshiper, Aristide Luca Therion, becomes President of the waning United States of America when President Biship Beckwith dies in a fiery plane crash. Therion implements Project Final Unity, an electrical blackout covertly contrived by the German Union allies and Minden Lauer, Therion's spiritual mistress. The blackout is soon out of control, shutting down the entire country and bringing about chaos, anarchy, and famine. Will believers be able to once again bring hope or is this The Beginning of Sorrows? Note from Publisher: Due to the overall sales of the first two books in the Omega Trilogy, we regret to report that the third book, Seven Golden Vials, will not be releasing. However, we are happy to announce a new series from Gilbert Morris, debuting in the spring of 2003, tentatively titled "The Creoles." Be looking for the first book to hit bookshelves early next year.

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER “It’s undeniably thrilling to find words for our strangest feelings…Koenig casts light into lonely corners of human experience…An enchanting book. “ —The Washington Post A truly original book in every sense of the word, The Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows poetically defines emotions that we all feel but don’t have the words to express—until now. Have you ever wondered about the lives of each person you pass on the street, realizing that everyone is the main character in their own story, each living a life as vivid and complex as your own? That feeling has a name: “sonder.” Or maybe you’ve watched a thunderstorm roll in and felt a primal hunger for disaster, hoping it would shake up your life. That’s called “lachesism.” Or you were looking through old photos and felt a pang of nostalgia for a time you’ve never actually experienced. That’s “anemoia.” If you’ve never heard of these terms before, that’s because they didn’t exist until John Koenig set out to fill the gaps in our language of emotion. The Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows “creates beautiful new words that we need but do not yet have,” says John Green, bestselling author of The Fault in Our Stars. By turns poignant, relatable, and mind-bending, the definitions include whimsical etymologies drawn from languages around the world, interspersed with otherworldly collages and lyrical essays that explore forgotten corners of the human condition—from “astrophe,” the longing to explore beyond the planet Earth, to “zenosyne,” the sense that time keeps getting faster. The Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows is for anyone who enjoys a shift in perspective, pondering the ineffable feelings that make up our lives. With a gorgeous package and beautiful illustrations throughout, this is the perfect gift for creatives, word nerds, and human beings everywhere.

How are we as Christians called to respond when cancer invades our lives, whether our own bodies or those of our friends and family? On the eve of his own cancer surgery, John Piper writes about cancer as an opportunity to glorify God. With pastoral sensitivity, compassion, and strength, Piper gently but firmly acknowledges that we can indeed waste our cancer when we don't see how it is God's good plan for us and a hope-filled path for making much of Jesus. Don't Waste Your Cancer is for anyone touched by a life-threatening illness. It first appeared as an appendix in Suffering and the Sovereignty of God. Repackaged and republished, it will serve as a hope-giving resource for healthcare workers, pastors, counselors, and others caring for those with cancer and other serious illnesses. The booklets are also available in packs of ten.

If following Jesus involves a life of sacrifice and suffering, is it wrong for a Christian to seek purpose and joy in this world? Many Christians sense a tension between their desire to enjoy life in this world—the beauty of God’s creation, the rich love of deep relationships with others—and the reality that this world is fallen and broken, in need of redemption. How can we embrace and thrive in the tension between enjoying creation and promoting redemption? By living out our God-given purpose. As “worldly saints,” created in the image of God, we are natural creatures with a supernatural purpose—to know and love God. Because we live in a world that is stained by the curse of sin, we must learn to embrace our nature as creatures created in the image of God while recognizing our desperate need for the grace that God offers to us in the gospel. Writing in a devotional style that is theologically rich, biblically accurate, and aimed at ordinary readers, Mike Wittmer helps readers understand who they are, why they are here, and the importance of the story they tell themselves. In Becoming Worldly Saints, he gives an integrated vision that shows how we can be heavenly minded in a way that leads to earthly good, empowering believers to seize the abundant life God has for them.