Grateful Grace

An extraordinary true story of grace, mercy, and the redemptive power of God When her father was murdered, Laurie Coombs and her family sought justice—and found it. Yet, despite the swift punishment of the killer, Laurie found herself increasingly full of pain, bitterness, and anger she couldn’t control. It was the call to love and forgive her father’s murderer that set her, the murderer, and several other inmates on the journey that would truly change their lives forever. This compelling story of transformation will touch the deepest wounds and show how God can redeem what seems unredeemable.

Grace complains about "having to" clean her room, wash her hands and do her chores. She doesn't realize that, by learning to think differently, she can change her perspective from negative to positive. In this story, Grace discovers that her attitude has the power to determine her thoughts and emotions. Can Grace go from feeling burdened to being grateful? "At any age, it is hard to feel that you have little or no choice in your day-to-day life. Grace realizes that if she can look at expectations in a different way, both her day and mood improves. This book is a perfect choice to share with children in summer camp, school, in therapy and at home." --Theresa Fraser, CYC-P, CPT-S, MA, RP, RCT, CT, trauma, loss and attachment clinical specialist "Grateful to Be Grace is not another book that tells kids to behave. It shows that when Grace makes the choice to be thankful, her perspective and attitude change. I love how Grace's parents model encouragement rather than focusing on poor behavior. It's a feel-good book. Children are empowered to learn the ways they can experience gratitude." --Jill Osborne, EdS, LPC, CPCS, RPTS, author of Sam Feels Better Now! "Grateful to be Grace is a sweet story about making choices. Delivered in rhyme with colorful pictures, the book helps children consider their options and consequences when choosing between immediate gratification and longer-term gains. When children understand the reasoning behind a parental request, they are more willing to show compliance. This story helps children take responsibility for the decisions they make--a valuable lesson they will utilize throughout life. A bonus is the positive role models represented in a blended family and the representation of racially diverse characters." --Laurie Zelinger, PhD, ABPP, RPT-S, Board Certified Psychologist, author of Please Explain "Anxiety" to Me! Learn more at www.MaggyWilliamsAuthor.com From Loving Healing Press www.LHPress.com

Grace Elliott is a grief-stricken woman confronted with ongoing tragedy and loss, whose fantasies of being liberated from her agonizing existence are paralleled by the gruesome tale of the lovelorn Kent Clark. Kent regards himself a hopeless romantic, ceaselessly pursuing his perfect mate. As Kent’s deluded quest for love turns up nothing but bodies, homicide detective Erin Taylor relentlessly pursues the madman, determined to end the massacre. The psychological dance between criminal and crime-fighter, and victim and killer, increases in tempo until Grace is faced with a final, heart-pounding dilemma. Is her wretched life worth fighting for?

A scientifically groundbreaking, eloquent look at how we benefit -- psychologically, physically, and interpersonally -- when we practice gratitude. In Thanks!, Robert Emmons draws on the first major study of the subject of gratitude, of “wanting what we have,” and shows that a systematic cultivation of this underexamined emotion can measurably change people’s lives."--

Winner of the Heart & Soul Book Awards for children's literature. Grateful Grace is the story of a little girl who shows gratitude in every situation. She believes that there is always something to be grateful for, and the more grateful you are the happier you are. And the happier you are for what you already have, the more good things that come to you.

In a consumer-driven world where we’re told we need and deserve more, Susan Muto, executive director of the Epiphany Association, reminds us that gratefulness is a gift from God. In Gratefulness: The Habit of a Grace-Filled Life, she reveals that grateful living is not another new fad but has been the way of saints and Christian mystics for centuries. Many popular secular books today explore how embracing gratitude can lead to a happier, healthier life. In contrast, Muto, a renowned author, speaker, and teacher, approaches gratitude from a uniquely Catholic perspective. In this insightful, inspiring book, she explores how life-changing a spirit of gratefulness can be by using both personal and well-known examples of the struggles and rewards of grateful living. Muto and companions such as Julian of Norwich, St. Thérèse of Lisieux, Henri J. M. Nouwen, and Dorothy Day highlight the power of gratitude as a grace from God and walk with us as we learn to practice thankfulness. We start the journey toward gratefulness by embracing gratitude in all circumstances and end it by thankfully accepting the missions God entrusts to each of us. Along the way, we begin to accept God’s grace by understanding the benefits of positivity and dangers of negativity, the redemptive power of prayer, and the lasting fruits of thankfulness. A spirituality of gratitude reminds us that, even without the possessions, luxuries, or leisure time society claims are the most important things in life, God still loves, cares, and knows what’s best for us. Muto also provides practical tools that help us embrace this grace in our lives.

The Wilbur Award-winning book Grateful is now available in paperback and with an updated subtitle. If gratitude is good, why is it so hard to do? In Grateful, Diana Butler Bass untangles our conflicting understandings of gratitude and sets the table for a renewed practice of giving thanks. We know that gratitude is good, but many of us find it hard to sustain a meaningful life of gratefulness. Four out of five Americans report feeling gratitude on a regular basis, but those private feelings seem disconnected from larger concerns of our public lives. In Grateful, cultural observer and theologian Diana Butler Bass takes on this “gratitude gap” and offers up surprising, relevant, and powerful insights to practice gratitude. Bass, author of the award-winning Grounded and ten other books on spirituality and culture, explores the transformative, subversive power of gratitude for our personal lives and in communities. Using her trademark blend of historical research, spiritual insights, and timely cultural observation, she shows how we can overcome this gap and make change in our own lives and in the world. With honest stories and heartrending examples from history and her own life, Bass reclaims gratitude as a path to greater connection with god, with others, with the world, and even with our own souls. It’s time to embrace a more radical practice of gratitude—the virtue that heals us and helps us thrive.

When Grace encounters a series of disappointments and obstacles in her everyday life she reunites with an old, wise, woodland creature seeking advice. She learns the power of gratitude and acknowledging the good things in life that we often take for granted.

Naikan is a Japanese word that means "inside looking" or "introspection." A more poetic translation is "seeing oneself with the mind’s eye." Drawing on Eastern spiritual and psychological traditions, Naikan is a unique method of self-reflection for cultivating self-awareness, gratitude, empathy, and a path for moving forward in our lives. Naikan began as a spiritual practice in the Buddhist tradition and is now recognized by psychologists as an effective tool for helping people navigate the path of personal relationships, addictions, and other mental health challenges. This edition commemorates the 20th anniversary of this influential work’s first publication. Author Gregg Krech, now after 30+ years of teaching Naikan, shares the depth of his experience with essays, parables, poems, quotations, and recommended reflection exercises, and includes new material on relationships, a 7-day practice program, and an updated appendix for counseling professionals. The unique structure of Naikan illuminates truths that we may otherwise overlook and that can have a dramatic impact on our understanding of life, our relationships, and our daily experience of being alive. More than a philosophy, Naikan is a deep and transformative practice that can open us up to a different understanding of how we have lived and where to go from here.

A flourishing, fulfilling life is possible—no perfection required! Too many of us think we have to have it all together in order to live a meaningful life. Instead of feeling put together, we end up feeling inadequate, overwhelmed, and exhausted as we try to figure out how to do it all. Author, business owner, and mom to three Lara Casey has been there, too. In Cultivate, she offers this grace-filled advice: we can't do it all and do it well, but we can choose to cultivate what matters Written as part encouragement anthem and part practical guide, Cultivate offers wisdom from God's Word alongside lessons Lara has learned in her own life--and in her garden--giving you the tools you need to: Discern what matters most to you Embrace the season of life that you're in Find the joy and freedom that comes with cultivating what matters Let Lara be your guide as you learn to cultivate what matters, little by little, with the help of God's transforming grace. Praise for Cultivate: "Cultivate is rich soil for the soul! Whether you are a new sprout, just beginning to brave life in the light; a tender shoot fighting for space among rocks and weeds; or a mature plant in need of nurture and pruning, this book will help you thrive. With her characteristic honesty, humility, and patience, Lara Casey uses her spiritual 'green thumb' to gently nudge us toward an intentional life of godliness and growth. If you are ready for a new season of spiritual growth, dig into Cultivate and get ready to bloom!" --Elizabeth Laing Thompson, author of When God Says "Wait"