Showing results by narrator "Nan McNamara" in All Categories

Cora couldn't have been happier: Matt Greystone was coming to town! The rookie sensation had just signed a huge contract with the Yankees, coming to the team from Arizona, where he won 17 games as a starting pitcher for the Diamondbacks. But an arm injury requiring rehab had sidelined his meteoric rise, and this was her chance to meet him! A diehard Yankee fan, Cora was delighted when Matt invited her to a weekend pool party. On the plus side, she got to meet Derek Jeter. On the minus side, she had a puzzle of her own to solve when a couple of guests got killed.

When life sends us trouble, we should pray. When we experience blessings, we should pray. When a friend or loved one is going through a difficult time, we should pray. We know this. Yet too often we don't know exactly what to say - so we say nothing.

American history has profoundly shaped, and been shaped by, Christianity. This engaging introduction provides a brisk and lively yet deeply researched survey of these intertwined forces from the colonial period to the present. Elesha Coffman tells the story of Christianity in the United States by focusing on thirteen key events over four centuries of history. The turning points are as varied as the movements they track, including a naval battle, a revival, a schism, a court case, an outpouring of the Spirit, an act of terrorism, the election of a bishop, and the election of a president.

This epic novel follows one extraordinary American woman as she grieves and triumphs through the horrific realities of three wars that threaten the men she loves.

No parent enjoys discipling...but we know it's important, so we grit our teeth and make it happen! Or can it be more than something we just "put up with"? Sara Wallace, a mother of five, brings you a personal, frank account of her own journey with discipline - and introduces an entirely new way to look at it. Not as something we do to our children, but as something we do for them. We can be glad when our children disobey while still in our care - they are showing us where they need to be strengthened and encouraged, giving us a chance to shape their hearts.

At prestigious Oxford University, an American student searches for the truth about her mother's death in this eerie, suspenseful thriller that blends money, murder, and black magic.

Ditch negative thought patterns and comparisons, and step into God’s promises with these 10-minute devotions for teens and young adults. With more pressure than ever to have it all and curate the perfect life, it’s a daily challenge to preserve our happiness and inner peace. Embracing Imperfect contains a year’s worth of assurances that God loves you, exactly as you are.

Trawling through the lawless corners of the dark internet is the last thing respectable bank manager, Rachel Foreman, expected to be doing. But she’s just been fired after falling for a cyber-scam, resulting in the identity-theft and online targeting of a female Fortune 500 CEO, accused, among other things, of the murder of a disgruntled former employee.

In May of 1976, twenty-four-year-old Carol Menaker was impaneled with eleven others on a jury in the trial of Freddy Burton, a young Black prison inmate charged with the grisly murders of two white wardens inside Philadelphia's Holmesburg Prison. After being sequestered for twenty-one days, the jury voted to convict Mr. Burton, who was then sentenced to life in prison without parole.

The way of Christ is countercultural. It doesn't go with the flow, compromise on truth, or stay silent in the face of injustice—so neither can we. No matter how young or old we are, or how much or how little influence we think we have, God calls us to boldly engage our upside-down culture through the lens of his truth. With powerful examples from Scripture and stories from teens today and through the centuries, Sara Barratt equips teens to live with a biblical worldview, approach today's hot-button issues with godly wisdom, and influence their generation for the glory of God.

While we can’t see the brain, it sends signals to us and those around us. Just as the colors of a traffic light send drivers a signal to go, slow down, or stop, our brains signal to our emotions and affect our behavior toward others. In Signals, Cherilyn Orr introduces a common language and imagery to help everyone manage their emotions. Rooted in neuroscience and the Bible, this approach has been used around the world because its spans across all cultural contexts. 

Is your church a rowboat church or a sailboat church? Rowboat churches depend largely on human effort. When church budgets shrink and membership declines, rowboat churches frantically row harder against a current. Sailboat churches, on the other hand, take up the oars, hoist sails, and rely on the Holy Spirit to guide them. Arguing that churches should be "sailboats," Joan S. Gray encourages listeners to shift concern from the many daily, practical concerns of their local church to fresh ideas that can be found using the guidance of the Holy Spirit.

After escaping war-torn France, where 18 members of her family were murdered in the Holocaust, Gisèle Huff arrived in the US with her mother. It was 1947, and they had $400 to their name. Gisèle quickly found her footing in America, eventually earning a PhD at Columbia University, running for Congress, and launching a spectacular career in K–12 education.

In a world marked by transience, envy, and rootlessness, committing to staying put is a radical, unusual act. Hungry for rootedness, Courtney Ellis and her family decided to truly commit to a place and a people God had given them for a season, to grow some deep roots and discover what it would mean to be “all in.” Through winsome storytelling, Courtney demonstrates that there is tremendous growth when we stop holding a community at arms’ length and open ourselves to the blessing of stability, the grace of limits, and the joy of presence.

In Ordinary on Purpose, Mikala shares her heartfelt journey in a raw and revealing way as she invites you to lay down your own endless chase for perfection and embrace this beautiful, messy life exactly as it is with our perfect, loving God right by your side. What would it look like to stop pretending to be "perfect" and be ordinary? Instead of always feeling overwhelmed and alone, you might discover the beauty of a good, hard life grounded in the radiant hope of God's unending love. Life happens in the ordinary, after all.

We in the church do not speak the same language as the culture. We use many of the same words, but they rarely mean the same thing. And speaking louder isn't the answer. If we are to faithfully and effectively share the Good News, we have to translate Jesus. Embracing and unpacking the bilingual nature of spreading the gospel, pastor and teacher Shauna Pilgreen shows you how to learn the language of the culture so that you can clearly communicate the love of God in the three places Christ and culture meet: the gate, the cross, and the table.

Somebody's getting married . . . And Jen's going to be a grandma, any minute. Her daughter-in-law's mother has dropped the ball for the baby shower and the wedding has come out of the blue. Faith, Carrie, and Jen have to manage both events—but will any of them be the star of the show?

The Angels of Christmas: Hearing God's Voice in Advent, a four-week Advent study by Susan Robb, explores the four angelic visits surrounding the birth of Jesus with Zechariah, Mary, Joseph, and the shepherds. In this study, the listener will explore the visits and dive deep into the history of the angel Gabriel—and other angels—in the Old Testament. The Angels of Christmas uses these four angelic appearances to discuss God's presence in history and our lives today. The messages of the angels hold meaning for listeners both then and now.

In Money Matters for Nonprofits, Melisa makes complex topics easy to understand with lots of examples and clear explanations of how financial statements work. With this resource at your fingertips, you as a board member will feel equipped to better advise your nonprofit and make an even greater difference in the world.

In Southern California, it's twinkle lights on palm trees, boat parades with colored lights everywhere, gondola rides, and beachfront mansions decorated with Santas. But also cookie exchanges, house decorating contests, and hot chocolate. And Jen is determined to recreate all of her grandmother's Christmas traditions, if it's the last thing she does.