Its Not What You Think

Join Jefferson Bethke, New York Times bestselling author of Jesus > Religion, as he challenges the accepted view of contemporary Christianity with the world-changing message that Jesus actually brought. Jesus was most upset at people for seeing but not seeing. For succumbing to the danger and idolatry of forcing God into preconceived human ideals. But what if there were a better way? What if Jesus came not to help people escape the world but instead to restore it? It's Not What You Think tells the familiar stories of the scripture in a radically new light, presenting God’s unchanging truths from the Old and New Testaments as the challenging story that it is: a mysterious, compelling narrative with God at the center. Along the way, Bethke reminds us of the life-changing message of Jesus that turned the world upside-down--a world that God is putting back together--teaching us how to: Uncover our true purpose and satisfy our longing for significance Find the kingdom of God wherever we are Embrace the gifts of fellowship and community Praise for It's Not What You Think: "With a deep discernment of the times we're living in, Jefferson spotlights many misinterpreted truths in the Bible and puts a voice to the true heart of God's Word. His desire to bring us into a more intimate encounter with God jumps off of each page. Christians need this book--now more than ever!" --Lysa TerKeurst, New York Times bestselling author of Forgiving What You Can't Forget and president of Proverbs 31 Ministries "It's easy to get stuck in life. To let our faith grow stagnant, our walk grow weary, and our hope grow silent. Jefferson isn't okay with that and has created a book that turns what we think we know upside down. Creative, honest, refreshing. I'm a huge fan of the heart that explodes from this book." --Jon Acuff, New York Times bestselling author of Do Over: Rescue Monday, Reinvent Your Work & Never Get Stuck

After being diagnosed with terminal cancer, a professor shares the lessons he's learned—about living in the present, building a legacy, and taking full advantage of the time you have—in this life-changing classic. "We cannot change the cards we are dealt, just how we play the hand." —Randy Pausch A lot of professors give talks titled "The Last Lecture." Professors are asked to consider their demise and to ruminate on what matters most to them. And while they speak, audiences can't help but mull over the same question: What wisdom would we impart to the world if we knew it was our last chance? If we had to vanish tomorrow, what would we want as our legacy? When Randy Pausch, a computer science professor at Carnegie Mellon, was asked to give such a lecture, he didn't have to imagine it as his last, since he had recently been diagnosed with terminal cancer. But the lecture he gave—"Really Achieving Your Childhood Dreams"—wasn't about dying. It was about the importance of overcoming obstacles, of enabling the dreams of others, of seizing every moment (because "time is all you have . . . and you may find one day that you have less than you think"). It was a summation of everything Randy had come to believe. It was about living. In this book, Randy Pausch has combined the humor, inspiration and intelligence that made his lecture such a phenomenon and given it an indelible form. It is a book that will be shared for generations to come.

A New York Times Best Thriller of the Year An Amazon Best Book of the Month An Apple Best Book of the Month “A tale not just of profound misunderstanding but dynastic wealth and dysfunction, of how money and power can warp a community...[A] shocker of a finale.” —New York Times ''Wicked and smart. Everything you want in a great thriller.'' —Adrian McKinty, New York Times bestselling author of The Chain One secret.Eight cryptic words.Lifetimes of ruin. From the New York Times and internationally bestselling author Wayland Maynard is just eight years old when he sees his father kill himself, finds a note that reads I am not who you think I am, and is left reeling with grief and shock. Who was his father if not the loving man Wayland knew? Terrified, Wayland keeps the note a secret, but his reasons for being afraid are just beginning. Eight years later, Wayland makes a shocking discovery and becomes certain the note is the key to unlocking a past his mother and others in his town want to keep buried. With the help of two friends, Wayland searches for the truth. Together they uncover strange messages scribbled in his father’s old books, a sinister history behind the town’s most powerful family, and a bizarre tragedy possibly linked to Wayland’s birth. Each revelation raises more questions and deepens Wayland’s suspicions of everyone around him. Soon, he’ll regret he ever found the note, trusted his friends, or believed in such a thing as the truth. I Am Not Who You Think I Am is an ingenious, addictive, and shattering tale of grief, obsession, and fate as eight words lead to lifetimes of ruin.

The story of how one council estate lad made good, really very good, and survived – just about – to tell the tale...

A healthy ego is necessary to achieving our goals, to building healthy relationships, and to leading a satisfying and meaningful life. But an ego that gets too big—that becomes egotism—can actually inhibit all those wonderful possibilities. In this luminous guide, David Richo offers wisdom from psychology, myth, and spiritual traditions to show us how to let go of the kind of ego that causes suffering for ourselves and others. As a wonderful result, we gain self-confidence and find new ways to love too. It’s not a matter of getting rid of ego but of seeing through it. When we learn to do that, Dave says, we’ll discover the core of indestructible goodness in our enlightened nature. Then, when we see "big ego" expressed in ourselves or others, we begin to regard it with compassion rather than disdain. We are truly, Dave shows, not what we think but much, much more.

Life can be much easier if we cut its problems down to bite size. . . or at least put on some tenderizer. Too often we do just the reverse. We magnify small problems and make the softer ones tougher. After ministering to over 40,000 people 10 years as a ra

This book is about the author’s personal experience living with paranoia schizophrenia his entire life and how his strong faith in God helped him endure. The story tries to relate his experiences to you the reader who may have a similar mental illness and may need encouragement in carrying out your life to the best of your ability. Mental illness is a very real illness. The general population downplays it sometimes as a character defect in the individual. Research about the cause of mental illness points to a biological or genetic predisposition which could be inherited. For myself I believe it was inherited. I will get into my beliefs on that later on. The environment can also be a factor for some people who develop mental illness. Schizophrenia is a serious mental illness that originates from malfunctioning signals from the brain that effect ones thought processes & behavior. Just because you are diagnosed later in life doesn’t mean you were not born with the illness. The illness has a broad effect on a person’s everyday functioning such as going to school, working, hygiene or social relationships. Once diagnosed with schizophrenia a person is effected usually in a negative manner. Their lives change dramatically. Their ability to carry on a normal routine becomes limited motivation is many times effected because of the side effects of the medication which they are taking. A person may feel tired & listless much of the time. Medication helps with the delusions and hallucinations that exist in an acute episode but can also slow a person down. Outside supports from family & friends can be a huge asset to someone with schizophrenia, exercise (if you can do it), meditation (relaxation techniques), a strong relationship with God, & a stable & secure living environment all can help in coping with the illness as well. Mental health professionals also can be a huge asset & wanting to get help by the person is definitely necessary.