Author Nick Thompson recognizes that pride is our worst enemy. If pride is our chief foe, then humility is our chief friend, even though its company may be painful. But spiritual growth is a descent—we must grow downward. Defining humility as “the downward disposition of a Godward self-perception,” Thompson walks us through the practical implications of this definition, leading us to embrace a God-centered perspective on the self. With winsome illustration and warm pastoral instruction, Growing Downward shows us that the path of humility, though difficult, is the way to true meaning and fulfillment in Jesus Christ. Table of Contents: Preface Introduction: Toward a Definition of Humility Part One: Existential Humility 1. Dependent Creatures 2. Covenantal Creatures 3. Temporal Creatures Part Two: Ethical Humility 4. Fallen Sinners 5. Delusional Sinners 6. Hopeless Sinners Part Three: Evangelical Humility 7. Represented Believers 8. Foreloved Believers 9. Adopted Believers Part Four: Ecclesiological Humility 10. Devoted Members 11. Imperfect Members 12. Missional Members Part Five: Eschatological Humility 13. Grave-bound Mortals 14. Judgment-bound Mortals 15. Eternity-bound Mortals

In Growing Down, Michael Kelley wrestles with Jesus' words that the kingdom of heaven belongs to the likes of little children.

Yikealo was a young father when his government rounded him up and sent him to one of the deadliest places on the planet to learn how to kill. It would take years of hard sacrifice just to regain his freedom... and more than a decade of uncertainty just for a chance to see his family again. “As for walls and fences to pen us in, there are none. We are free to leave, if we choose, but there is nowhere for us to go and almost certain death for anyone who tries.” Yikealo Neab was born into a bloody conflict his grandparents started and grew to adulthood watching the same conflict take his friends and threaten his children. After being forcibly conscripted and sent to the Danakil Depression, where more than just the extreme heat and old Russian landmines can kill, he must face the very real possibility that, should he manage to survive, he might never see his family again. I Will Not Grow Downward is a heartbreaking memoir of struggle and determination, of loss and exile... and ultimately of redemption. Yikealo’s story is a powerful reminder of the strength of the human spirit to endure, particularly of those living in violence and oppression and those fleeing from them. It offers students of contemporary East African history an exceptionally rare glimpse inside the highly secretive and brutally repressive regime known as Africa's Hermit Kingdom, but it is also a gift and an inspiration for anyone searching for proof that faith and perseverance can overcome even the most insurmountable of obstacles. I Will Not Grow Downward is part of the Dreams of Freedom collection, stories of resilience from Eritrea, the small war-torn nation known as the North Korea of Africa.

Photographic book documenting seven years spent in Delhi, India.

Celebrating twenty years in print, this essential illustrated guidebook for adolescent boys--part manual, part older brother--is now available as a refreshed edition, with new and updated content. With 150,000 copies sold, this appealingly illustrated guidebook to puberty--now updated with brand new content relevant to today's kids--is the perfect companion for boys and parents preparing for this important milestone. Written in consultation with preteen boys, this guide offers a supportive, practical approach, providing clear and sensitive answers to common issues--from what physical changes you might experience, to what puberty is like for girls, to how to handle the sexual feelings you may be starting to experience. This revised edition features new sections on: - body image - sexual harassment and consent - using social media safely Complete with funny and informative interior illustrations, What's Going on Down There? will give boys the facts they need to feel confident about this new phase of their lives.

"What do you want to be when you grow up?" That might be one of the worst questions anyone could ever ask a teenager. Our society pushes you to grow up, to stand on your own two feet, to chase after meaningful pursuits. But what if there was a better way to grow, a better path to follow, a richer life to lead? Grow Down is built around the idea that there is a better way to grow: by rooting yourself through a life centered in Jesus. Using Colossians 2:6-7 as a backdrop and a tree as a visual, this book envisions a generation that chooses to be un-adulterated. That's the priority for author Ken Castor, who has worked with teenagers and young adults for more than 20 years. Like a tree, a follower of Christ must root deeply into Jesus, find all nourishment to stand strongly through life in him, and then naturally impact others with fruit and shade, protection, and life-breathing air. As you grow down into Jesus, you'll draw up the resources you need to stand through any pressures, and then you'll overflow with an abundance of life that this grownup world so desperately needs.

As with the poems of Donne, Herbert, and Hopkins, the artistic meditations in this collection are first and foremost outstanding poems; next they are lyrical and religious-and much else as well. Some are humorous in a quiet ways, others illustrate connections between people and among living creatures. These are poems that will touch you, instruct you without being didactic, charm you into reading the rest of them, and leave you knowing you will return to this volume to read again and again for the wonder and the magic of the words.