What happens when the storm does not pass? When the pain does not stop? When the prodigal does not return? When our sins continue to taunt us? When we make the same mistakes and break the same hearts again and again? When the chasm between what we do and what God intends widens until we can't even see the other side? In six very special encounters recorded in the Gospels, Jesus addressed the too much and the too late scenarios of our lives. Pastor, teacher and author Shane Stanford brings these meetings vividly to life, offering a glimpse of Jesus' passion for restoring the unrestorable and redeeming the unredeemable. As a hemophiliac who lives with HIV and hepatitis-C, Stanford has deeply and personally experienced the too much and the too late of life, and recognizes his own story in these six appointments with Jesus. In When God Disappears, he helps us to do the same: to see ourselves in these messy, all too-human Jesus encounters and to experience the grace and hope of a God who has not forgotten us.

Virtually everyone has—or will—face crises of life and faith. These pivotal times are part of everyone's spiritual journey. Why then do some people emerge from the crisis with their faith intact while others give up on God, the church, and holy living? If God Disappearscomes alongside the Christian who is spiritually drifting—or is on the verge—or knows someone who is considering leaving God and the church behind—and compassionately empowers them to re-embrace their faith. Author David Sanford shares nine “faith wreckers†and nine “faith builders†to help us better understand which circumstances and attitudes undermine our faith and which ones draw us closer to God.

Our most important battles are not always with the 'giants out there'--those external challenges which we all face. The greatest battles are often within ourselves. Too often, we diminish our own potential in ministry, business, and in life. Shane Stanford and Brad Martin frame their powerful book on one of the most well-known and well-loved stories in history: David and Goliath. We all feel like the seemingly powerless, scrawny boy David sometimes. And we all must face “giants”—those challenges that threaten to overwhelm us in ministry, work-life, and in our personal lives. Five Stones is a series of clear and compelling lessons. Each lesson arms the reader with practical and powerful tools of self-discovery, so that the reader’s own liabilities, opportunities, convictions, and capabilities are revealed. Like modern-day Davids, readers will leave this book empowered to conquer challenges, in ministry and in life, with clear-eyed confidence and well-grounded hope.

Friedman examines how God gradually becomes hidden as the Bible progresses, and this phenomenon's place in the formation of Judaism and Christianity.

When it first appeared in Erma Bombeck's Mother's Day column in 1974, When God Created Mothers was an instant success, clipped from newspapers, tucked into purses, and tacked onto refrigerators all over America. Now in this beautiful keepsake edition, Bombeck's moving words are paired with original art that bring to life the warm portrait of motherhood contained within.An angel marvels at the detail and overtime that the good Lord is putting into his creation of mothers. Despite the six pairs of hands and the three pairs of eyes that every mother needs, the angel thinks she has discovered a flaw:"There's a leak," she pronounced. "I told you that you were trying to put too much into this model.""It's not a leak," said the Lord. "It's a tear.""What's it for?""It's for joy, sadness, disappointment, pain, loneliness and pride.""You are a genius," said the angel.The Lord looked somber, "I didn't put it there."Every mother will treasure this moving tribute, penned by America's most beloved expert on motherhood.

A life of unanswered questions, broken relationships, and poor decisions disrupts a relationship with God and creates crisis. Deanna Favre, a breast cancer survivor and wife of NFL legend Brett Favre, and Shane Stanford, an HIV-positive minister, have both lived such a life. Chronic hopelessness was part of their everyday lives as it is for many people. But Deanna and Shane discovered the transforming grace and strength of a God who provides answers for questions and possibilities for uncertainties. The Cure for the Chronic Life is a guide for the journey out of hopelessness. In its pages, discover the power of redeeming love and the hope of living in Christ.

What causes some people—in spite of incredible challenges—to be more alive and content than others? When Shane Stanford discovered he was HIV positive at the age of sixteen, he knew he had a choice: he could feel sorry for himself, or he could live as passionately and boldly as possible. Now, more than twenty years later, Stanford speaks nationwide about what it means to turn a positive diagnosis—or any difficult circumstance—into an opportunity for positive living. If you want to appreciate life to the fullest, this A Positive Life Ebook reveals nine basic yet powerful lessons for living well. What does it mean to be satisfied with never being satisfied? Why is simplicity a key to finding joy? Most importantly, what does it look like to live, laugh, and love in community as Jesus did—with dirty hands and feet and a love of adventure? Stanford reminds you that even struggles offer glimpses of grace. Choosing how to live out that grace is the key to making life matter—and to being more alive than ever before.