Filling The God Shaped Void

"God-Shaped Hole will change you as a reader, writer and human. It is rare books like this one that remind me why I fell in love with the written word." — Colleen Hoover When I was twelve, a fortune teller told me that my one true love would die young and leave me all alone... When Beatrice Jordan meets the unpredictable Jacob Grace, the two wild souls become instant allies. Together they discover an escape in each other's creativity and insecurities, while running from secrets they cannot seem to shake — or a fate that could throw them to the ground . . . This 15th Anniversary reissue of Tiffanie DeBartolo's classic love story introduces a new audience of dreamers to a quintessentially real and raw vision of spirit, and inspires everyone to live — and love — as vividly as possible. "This generation's Love Story." — Kirkus "If Holden Caulfield were a twenty-seven-year-old woman living in LA, this is the book he'd write, or read. It's very fast and very funny, and at its core it's that rarest of things - a truly convincing love story." — Dave Eggers "With wit and humor, the author brings these characters and their quirky, artsy friends alive. Bottom Line: You'll dig it" — People

In Filling the God-Shaped Void, Penny Mary Hauser looks at ways to approach the issues of anxiety and personal struggle using perspectives that touch the truth of who we are. She addresses the?God-shaped void? every struggling person faces, acknowledging the constant challenges, and brings a daily message filled with God?s mercy, grace, and forgiveness. These daily meditations offer a Christ-centered guide for daily spiritual growth during this challenging time and always.

Blaise Pascal, the precociously brilliant contemporary of Descartes, was a gifted mathematician and physicist, but it is his unfinished apologia for the Christian religion upon which his reputation now rests. The Penseés is a collection of philosohical fragments, notes and essays in which Pascal explores the contradictions of human nature in pscyhological, social, metaphysical and - above all - theological terms. Mankind emerges from Pascal's analysis as a wretched and desolate creature within an impersonal universe, but who can be transformed through faith in God's grace. For more than seventy years, Penguin has been the leading publisher of classic literature in the English-speaking world. With more than 1,700 titles, Penguin Classics represents a global bookshelf of the best works throughout history and across genres and disciplines. Readers trust the series to provide authoritative texts enhanced by introductions and notes by distinguished scholars and contemporary authors, as well as up-to-date translations by award-winning translators.

The generation of Catholics who have come of age since Vatican II is different in many respects from Catholics of their parents' generation. These younger Catholics have grown up in a world - and a Church - which has changed tremendously in a very short period of time. They were raised in a society which encouraged them to question what their parents accepted on faith. They were formed by a system of religious education which was in many ways struggling to keep up with rapid social change. John Paul II is a pope for these times. He recognizes that today's young people have many questions. He sees emerging in them a deep and sincere faith struggling for definition and for support. In response, he has designated a special, bi-annual event - World Youth Day, where he comes to youth to bring the truth and the love of the Roman Catholic Church. In this book, Mary Beth Bonacci joins with John Paul II in bringing young Catholics a clearer understanding of the Church and their role in it. She takes his quotes from the five World Youth Day events and "unpacks" them, explaining the truths of the faith clearly and concisely. This book is perfect for the Catholics of "Generation X" - and for Catholic "youth" of any age who wish to understand and to deepen their faith. "Bonacci conveys the pope's message with excitement and verve. I wish I had this book as a teenager. Mary Beth speaks to teens with a rare openess and understanding." -Karl Keating, Author, Catholicism & Fundamentalism "A long overdue, down to earth but precise presentation of the truths of our Catholic Faith, not only for young people, but even for older folk who may have never been presented with the solid content of the Church's faith." - Rev. Msgr. Michael Wrenn, Author, Catechisms and Controversies

Recapture Your Heart's Truest Longings Deep in her heart, every woman longs for a man to see her beauty and cherish it. We long to be pursued and courted, and to make love to someone who truly loves us for keeps. Yet today, 'healthy and normal' implies giving ourselves sexually with no expectation of depth, intimacy, or commitment. We're expected to handle our relationships with men with no jealousy when they're threatened, no fear of their ending, and no grief when they do. The proof of our equality with men has become our ability to flatline a broken heart. Compassionate counselor Paula Rinehart understands the high price a woman pays in loosening her sexual boundaries, and the unique role sex plays in forging a bond meant to last a lifetime. She shows you how to break free from the bondage of misused sexuality and how to create a whole new start with men.

An essential feature of religious experience across many cultures is the intuitive feeling of God's presence. More than any rituals or doctrines, it is this experience that anchors religious faith, yet it has been largely ignored in the scientific literature on religion. Starting with a vivid narrative account of the life-threatening hike that triggered his own mystical experience, biologist John Wathey takes the reader on a scientific journey to find the sources of religious feeling and the illusion of God's presence. His book delves into the biological origins of this compelling feeling, attributing it to innate neural circuitry that evolved to promote the mother-child bond. Dr. Wathey, a veteran neuroscientist, argues that evolution has programmed the infant brain to expect the presence of a loving being who responds to the child's needs. As the infant grows into adulthood, this innate feeling is eventually transferred to the realm of religion, where it is reactivated through the symbols, imagery, and rituals of worship. The author interprets our various conceptions of God in biological terms as illusory supernormal stimuli that fill an emotional and cognitive vacuum left over from infancy. These insights shed new light on some of the most vexing puzzles of religion, like the popular belief in a god who is judgmental and punishing, yet also unconditionally loving; the extraordinary tenacity of faith; the greater religiosity of women relative to men; religious obsessions with sex; the mysterious compulsion to pray; the seemingly irrepressible feminine attributes of God, even in traditionally patriarchal religions; and the strange allure of cults. Finally, Dr. Wathey considers the hypothesis that religion evolved to foster reproductive success, arguing that, in an age of potentially ruinous overpopulation, magical thinking has become a luxury we can no longer afford, one that distracts us from urgent threats to our planet. Deeply researched yet elegantly written in a jargon-free and accessible style, this book presents a compelling interpretation of the evolutionary origins of spirituality and religion.

If you are reading this, thank you for picking it up! This book is my attempt to share what my experience has been coming to know Jesus Christ and the abundant happiness and life that surround that. The book intends to use real-life examples from my own sinful living and put them in comparison to some useful biblical truths that share the same theme—a man with a God-sized hole. The more I put into it, the bigger it got, and ultimately the consequences became dire at best. The life that I lived trying daily to seek satisfaction through alcohol, drugs, sex, money, perceived power, or popularity led down a road full of consequences, losses, heartache, and nothing to show for it but loneliness, fear, and a desperation to survive (thank God!). Once the bottom was hit, God had no place for me to go but up, and I don’t mean heaven. He helped me to live a life that is far more abundant and purposeful than I ever could have dreamed before. I was completely shortsighted, often wanting so much more but simply not able to attain or keep the feeling I wanted living in my own strength. Ultimately over the years as you will see in this book, the void grew darker and deeper. It’s a quick read, intended to keep pace and interesting. You will not find this book to be overly theological, but I have attempted to pack it with enough truth to be useful for nonbelievers and believers alike. It can be a great reminder or a large blinking warning sign, and my only hope is that you find it to have been useful in understanding the void that we all have that God intends for Himself to fill. No matter where you stand on that, I hope you enjoy the ride. It was a bit bumpy for me. Happy reading and blessings.

"Ehrlich’s insightful self-help guide will resonate with Christians wishing to streamline an overstuffed life."—Publishers Weekly Logically, we all know our purpose in life is not wrapped up in accumulating possessions, wealth, power, and prestige—Jesus is very clear about that—but society tells us otherwise. Christian Minimalism attempts to cut through our assumptions and society’s lies about what life should look like and invites readers into a life that Jesus calls us to live: one lived intentionally, free of physical, spiritual, and emotional clutter. Written by a woman who simplified her own life and practices these principles daily, this book gives readers a fresh perspective on how to live out God’s grace for us in new and exciting ways and live out our faith in a way that is deeply satisfying.