We all need more joy and faith in our lives! A beloved classic of children's literature, Pollyanna, the best-selling 1913 story by Eleanor H. Porter, shows how orphaned child Pollyanna Whittier transforms an entire town for the better with her "glad game" - optimism, faith, and determination to look for the good in everything. Yet the story is also so much more than that! If all you know of Pollyanna is the Disney film version or reading the book as a child, you may find reading it as an adult surprising. The gentle satire as Pollyanna's exuberant joy contrasts with the dutiful but joyless views of God and life held by the adults around her is aimed at grown-up church-going readers, not children. Pollyanna has so much to teach us about living a meaningful Christ-like life, growing spiritually, and experiencing deeper joy, the joy God created us to hold fast to and cherish. Includes the full text of the original story plus: an introduction to the book; discussion questions for book groups; suggestions for playing Pollyanna's "Glad Game"; a detailed Bible-based devotional for each chapter, to dig deeper into the lessons in the story; personal journaling prompts for each chapter; a reference list of Bible verses about joy. This paperback includes both the full text of the story and the journaling prompts, but does not include blank space for your responses. A "journal only" print version with ample writing space (but without the full original Pollyanna story) is also available. Experience more God-given joy today!

The young orphan Pollyanna is sent to live with her stern Aunt in a dour New England town. Refusing to be cast down by her circumstances, Pollyanna begins teaching the town "the glad game", which her father taught her. To play, one must find something to be glad about in every situation. Gradually, the irrepressible girl brings happiness and light to the lives of everyone around her. Pollyanna is a children's literature classic.

As Pollyanna grows up she continues her philosophy of gladness, bringing happiness to all those around her.

"The New York Times bestselling author of Lessons from Madame Chic and At Home with Madame Chic reminds us about a quality that is scarce in our fast-paced, wired world: poise, it's power, and how to cultivate it"--

If you have a soft spot for Eleanor H. Porter's beloved novel Pollyanna, you should definitely add Just David to your reading list. Written just a few years after Porter penned her best-known work, this emotionally resonant and uplifting tale mines many of the same themes, albeit from a starkly different vantage-point. David is a young boy who has lived an extremely sheltered life in the mountains, with just his father and his beloved violin to keep him company. When his father is beset by a grave illness, David is thrust out of his idyllic existence and is forced to grapple with the reality of the outside world. Will this innocent be able to make it through this trying time with his virtue -- and his life -- intact?

God wants us to live in joy. We can be sure of that, because He tells us so, often! If we follow Jesus, we should have joy. But that doesn't mean it's easy. Most of us experience fleeting moments of happiness. Maybe sometimes, amazingly, even days, weeks, or months of it. But we're not in the habit of joy. Inevitably, something will happen to knock us out of our joy.One of the reasons the book and film of Pollyanna is so beloved is the emphasis on gladness. Pollyanna faced many external difficulties with faith and a joyous determination to see the best in everything. Dig deeper into the spiritual truths about living a joyful life contained in the story with this journaling devotional. There's a devotional for each chapter of the original story, with a quote from the book, my personal response to the issue the chapter raised, questions to think about, and relevant Bible verses. Take the time to ponder and journal your answers, and feel your joy grow!This book provides space to write your own notes, prayers, and responses, but doesn't include the text of the original story.

God has used the book of Romans to change many lives since it was written almost 2,000 years ago, including Saint Augustine’s back in the 4th century, Martin Luther’s in the 16th, John Wesley’s in the 18th —and mine in the 20th! So I’ve written this study guide to help you reap the benefits from this life-changing book, too. Each lesson in this study focuses on a different aspect of renewing your mind, based on different passages from the book of Romans. Some days you’ll read just a verse or two, while other days you’ll read whole chapters. But if you’ll keep reading through the suggested passages each day, by the end of this study you’ll have read through the entire book of Romans. At the end of each chapter, I’ve included some “Questions for Reflection” that you can use for personal reflection or group discussion. The study is divided into 40 lessons (counting the Introduction and Conclusion), so you can complete the study by doing one lesson a day for 40 days, or five lessons a week for eight weeks, or a lesson a week for 40 weeks, whichever suits you or your group best. At the end of this book, I’ve included four additional devotionals that I wrote, plus one that my wife Lana wrote, after Lana’s diagnosis with Stage 4 cancer, which took place midway through writing this series. I’ve included these special messages to highlight the importance of keeping your mind focused on God’s perspective on your life at all times. May God bless you as you seek to renew your mind, day by day, and may your life be transformed in the process. Eric Elder