Blessed Are The Weird

This is a book for everyone who wants to lead a deep, true, and passionate life and leave the world better for having passed this way.

Warning: If modern church culture makes perfect sense to you, and you always fit in seamlessly, don’t read this. As for the rest of us… While American church culture (and American culture at large) seems largely designed for the extroverted, it’s estimated that half of the American population is introverted, and they’re often left wondering how, even if, they fit in the kingdom of God. As one of them, popular radio host Brant Hansen brings news. It’s wonderful, refreshing, and never-been-said-this-way-before good news. In his unique style, Hansen looks to answer questions that millions of people carry with them each day: If I don’t relate to God as emotionally as others do, is something wrong with me? How does one approach God, and approach faith, when devoid of the “good feelings” that seem to drive so much of evangelical church culture? How does God interact with those who seem spiritually numb? Is the absence of faith-based emotion a sign of that God has moved on or was never there? What if we aren’t good at talking to people about our faith, or good at talking to people at all? What if I’m told I’m too analytical, that I “think too much”? Where does a person who suffers from depression fit in the kingdom? Is depression a sure sign of a lack of faith? This book is good news for people who are desperately looking for it. (And for their loved ones!) It’s also for those who want to believe in Jesus, but inwardly fear that they don’t belong, worry that don’t have the requisite emotion-based relationship with God, and are starving for good news. Blessed Are the Misfits is going to generate discussion, and lots of it. It’s simultaneously highly provocative and humbly personal. It’s also leavened with a distinct, dry, self-effacing humor that is a hallmark of Hansen’s on-air, writing, and public speaking style.

“I’m just not that creative” is a common refrain in today’s society. But according to author and creative coach Jacob Nordby, nothing could be further from the truth. Every human being is creative, and having a regular creative practice is a vital key to a happy and fulfilling life. If we don't exercise our creativity regularly, our lives can feel dull, stagnant, and rote. Many people live this way and believe “this is just the way life is,” without realizing that developing a regular creative practice can be the cure to what ails them. Nordby knows this all too well. By the time he reached his midthirties, he was running a successful mortgage company and lived in a big house with fancy cars. But he felt like he was dying inside. Starting and maintaining a creative practice is what saved his life. Now, in this powerful book, he explains how he traded in his stagnant way of life for one full of meaning and purpose, and offers specific steps to help you build your own creative practice. The Creative Cure is a call for a revolution, fostering change where all change must begin: within. This internal change will allow you to express your own creative gifts, cultivate happiness, and experience the unique feeling of fulfillment that only a creative practice can offer. Packed with powerful, transformative exercises, this book is the medicine you need to find and reinvigorate your creative soul.

"When people describe my lifestyle or family as weird, I find comfort," writes author Craig Groeschel. He then shares a Christ-centered philosophy, on everything from money to scheduling to purity, to help you break out of the normal rut and live according to the rhythms of God’s grace and truth of his word. Normal people are stressed, overwhelmed, and exhausted. Many of their relationships are, at best, strained and, in most cases, just surviving. Even though we live in one of the most prosperous places on earth, normal is still living paycheck to paycheck and never getting ahead. In our oversexed world, lust, premarital sex, guilt, and shame are far more common than purity, virginity, and a healthy married sex life. And when it comes to God, the majority believe in him, but the teachings of scripture rarely make it into their everyday lives. Simply put, normal isn't working. Groeschel’s WEIRD will help you break free from the norm to lead a radically abnormal (and endlessly more fulfilling) life.

Criminal investigating officer Hanne Wilhelmsen considers the possibility of a serial killer as she tracks down a series of numbers written in blood appearing on walls all over Oslo.

Please note: This is a companion version & not the original book. Sample Book Insights: #1 I was born with a hole in my heart, and I have always felt too open to life. I never felt like I fit in, and I often revealed too much or placed myself in awkward situations that those with more savoir-faire would not have risked. #2 The world needs us to unlock the codes and symbols that are inside us. We need to embrace our differences and find genius in the anomalous beauty of ourselves. #3 The word weird has strong ties to the ideas of fate and destiny. It was originally used to describe the Fates or Norns in Norse mythology, who controlled human destiny as they cared for great Yggdrasil, the World Tree from which everything springs. #4 We were born in a special era with important gifts. It is easy to look at those who seem to have smooth paths and wonder what is wrong with us. But it is worth everything to live by our own lights and know for sure that we are doing our own thing in this world.

Brother Hiob, on missionary work in the Himalayan wilderness, discovers a village guarding a miraculous tree whose branches sprout books instead of fruit. These books chronicle the history of the kingdom of Prestor John, and Hiob becomes obsessed with the tales they tell.

What If You Could Change the World without Changing Your Daily Routine? When you’ve been transformed by God’s love, you can’t help but want others to experience the same grace and freedom. But how do you share it without scaring them away or offending them? For most Christians, “evangelism” is an intimidating word that suggests handing out tracts to strangers or doing other awkward things. But what if there was a more organic, more authentic way to share your faith with your friends, neighbors, and coworkers? Dave and Jon Ferguson have found five simple, straightforward practices that will allow any believer to do just that. And by consistently living them out, you can affect not just individual lives but your entire neighborhood and community—one person at a time.