Fragile Ornaments Melting Snowflakes And The Healing Light Of Christmas

Not all Christmas ornaments sparkle on tree branches. Some are fragile. Easily broken. And joy often disappears like melting snowflakes. We are just like those ornaments and snowflakes. But there is a healing light that can be found at Christmas.

We hear many discussions today about how traditional hymns and anthems are in conflict with the contemporary songs that now fill our sanctuaries—to the point we designate separate worship services on Sunday mornings. But the traditional and the contemporary need not be at odds. Blending these two approaches together, the prose, poetry, and lyrics of The Melodies of Christ vividly capture the life of Christ as an inspiring way to enhance worship and liturgy. They present compelling images that speak to the soul and lift the heart in praise, adoration, and prayer. These verses serve as a reference and inspiration for creative readings during the seasons of the church year and can also inspire personal contemplative moments for daily meditations. Many of the texts have been set as major choral works and church anthems. This collection of writings combines the traditional and the contemporary in forms of praise and adoration, illustrating the meaning and beauty each approach brings to our worship of God.

Holistic nutritionist and highly-regarded blogger Sarah Britton presents a refreshing, straight-forward approach to balancing mind, body, and spirit through a diet made up of whole foods. Sarah Britton's approach to plant-based cuisine is about satisfaction--foods that satiate on a physical, emotional, and spiritual level. Based on her knowledge of nutrition and her love of cooking, Sarah Britton crafts recipes made from organic vegetables, fruits, whole grains, beans, lentils, nuts, and seeds. She explains how a diet based on whole foods allows the body to regulate itself, eliminating the need to count calories. My New Roots draws on the enormous appeal of Sarah Britton's blog, which strikes the perfect balance between healthy and delicious food. She is a "whole food lover," a cook who makes simple accessible plant-based meals that are a pleasure to eat and a joy to make. This book takes its cues from the rhythms of the earth, showcasing 100 seasonal recipes. Sarah simmers thinly sliced celery root until it mimics pasta for Butternut Squash Lasagna, and whips up easy raw chocolate to make homemade chocolate-nut butter candy cups. Her recipes are not about sacrifice, deprivation, or labels--they are about enjoying delicious food that's also good for you.

A compassionate, shame-free guide for your darkest days “A one-of-a-kind book . . . to read for yourself or give to a struggling friend or loved one without the fear that depression and suicidal thoughts will be minimized, medicalized or over-spiritualized.”—Kay Warren, cofounder of Saddleback Church What happens when loving Jesus doesn’t cure you of depression, anxiety, or suicidal thoughts? You might be crushed by shame over your mental illness, only to be told by well-meaning Christians to “choose joy” and “pray more.” So you beg God to take away the pain, but nothing eases the ache inside. As darkness lingers and color drains from your world, you’re left wondering if God has abandoned you. You just want a way out. But there’s hope. In I Love Jesus, But I Want to Die, Sarah J. Robinson offers a healthy, practical, and shame-free guide for Christians struggling with mental illness. With unflinching honesty, Sarah shares her story of battling depression and fighting to stay alive despite toxic theology that made her afraid to seek help outside the church. Pairing her own story with scriptural insights, mental health research, and simple practices, Sarah helps you reconnect with the God who is present in our deepest anguish and discover that you are worth everything it takes to get better. Beautifully written and full of hard-won wisdom, I Love Jesus, But I Want to Die offers a path toward a rich, hope-filled life in Christ, even when healing doesn’t look like what you expect.

The Rare, Tiny Flower illustrates a deeply touching and thoughtful poem by Kitty O’Meara that, in the form of a parable, celebrates difference, tolerance, and unity. Written by O’Meara in Fall 2020, The Rare, Tiny Flower is in many ways thematically similar to And the People Stayed Home in that it is a commentary on difficult current situations in our world and offers hope for resolution and growth. The poem features a mysterious flower that looks different to each viewer, which leads to strife as everyone insists that their vision is “right.” Leaders and even a botanist are unable to agree on the nature of the flower—it takes a young girl to point out that the flower is, in fact, quite multidimensional. Remarkably, she has the ability to be heard by the squabbling masses, who then see beyond their fighting and commit to connecting with one another. O’Meara’s thoughtful poem includes people realizing and voicing this important lesson: One day, a very special flower blooms in a forest. A special and unusual flower! No one can agree on what color it is. That’s because it looks different to different people. And that’s when the fighting starts… It takes a young girl to point out the truth. But will the people listen?

Psychedelic Christianity discusses what we should hope and believe about the ultimate goal of living and uses psychedelic experience and Christianity as its guiding stars. The book reconciles three seemingly inconsistent claims: that we have already attained the ultimate goal; that there is more than one ultimate goal; that there is and always will be another ultimate goal coming. Psychedelic Christianity also argues that Jesus taught that worldly politics will never lead to the kingdom of heaven.