- Table View
- List View
Before and After Muhammad: The First Millennium Refocused
by Garth FowdenA new historical framework integrating Islam into European and Asian historyIslam emerged amid flourishing Christian and Jewish cultures, yet students of Antiquity and the Middle Ages mostly ignore it. Despite intensive study of late Antiquity over the last fifty years, even generous definitions of this period have reached only the eighth century, whereas Islam did not mature sufficiently to compare with Christianity or rabbinic Judaism until the tenth century. Before and After Muhammad suggests a new way of thinking about the historical relationship between the scriptural monotheisms, integrating Islam into European and West Asian history.Garth Fowden identifies the whole of the First Millennium--from Augustus and Christ to the formation of a recognizably Islamic worldview by the time of the philosopher Avicenna--as the proper chronological unit of analysis for understanding the emergence and maturation of the three monotheistic faiths across Eurasia. Fowden proposes not just a chronological expansion of late Antiquity but also an eastward shift in the geographical frame to embrace Iran.In Before and After Muhammad, Fowden looks at Judaism, Christianity, and Islam alongside other important developments in Greek philosophy and Roman law, to reveal how the First Millennium was bound together by diverse exegetical traditions that nurtured communities and often stimulated each other.
Before Buddha Was Buddha: Learning from the Jataka Tales
by Rafe MartinDiscover how ordinary beings—a deer, a robber, a monkey, a parrot, and more—make up the past lives of the Buddha before he was Buddha.The jataka tales are ancient Buddhist stories found in both the Pali Canon and Sanskrit tradition, recounting the many past lives and ongoing spiritual work of Shakyamuni Buddha on his way to his final birth as Siddhartha Gautama. In them we find the Buddha facing difficulties, making tough choices, doing hard work, falling down and getting back up—the kind of continuing effort of spiritual practice that all beings face. Before Buddha was Buddha focuses on a selection of particular jataka tales in which the Buddha in past lives faces temptations and struggles with self-doubt as well as his own shortcomings. In these tales he’s not beyond life’s messes—its challenges and disasters—but is down in the mix, trudging through the mud with the rest of us. Each story, presented in brief, is followed by a commentary pointing to its relevance to our lives and practice-realization today.
Before I Wake
by Dee HendersonThe sheriff of Justice Illinois is hunting a killer. Women visiting town are being murdered, tourists in nice hotels, money still in their billfolds, jewelry still on the dresser. Quiet kills - they go to sleep and never awaken. The sheriff is not pleased to find the new detective in town, Rae Gabriella, working the case on behalf of one of the families. She's staying in the same hotel as one of the victims - and her classy looks and upscale car suggest she could be the next victim.
Before I Wake
by C. L. TaylorA mother risks everything to uncover the truth behind her daughter's botched suicide attempt To the outside world, Susan Jackson has it all-a loving family, successful husband, and beautiful home-but when Charlotte, her teenage daughter, steps in front of a bus and ends up in a coma, she is forced to question all of it. Desperate to find out what caused Charlotte's suicide attempt, she discovers a horrifying entry in her diary: "keeping this secret is killing me. " As Sue spins in desperate circles, she finds herself immersed in a dark world she didn't know existed-and the closer she comes to the truth, the more dangerous things become. Can she wake up from the nightmares that haunt her and save her daughter, or will Charlotte's secret destroy them both?
Before The King's Majesty (Canterbury Studies In Spiritual Theology)
by Raymond ChapmanLancelot Andrewes (1555-1626) was a towering figure in the formative years of the Church of England. Averse to the puritanical spirit of the age, he helped to create a distinctive Anglican theology, moderate in outlook and catholic in tone. He believed that theology should be built on sound learning, he held a high doctrine of the Eucharist and he emphasised dignity and order in worship. His influence defines Anglicanism to this day.A devout scholar and gifted linguist, he served as Dean of Westminster and under James I became Bishop of Chichester, then Ely and finally Winchester. In 1604 he was appointed as one of the translators of the Authorized Version and became responsible for most of the Old Testament. It was as a preacher that he achieved the greatest fame and he was a favourite of Elizabeth I, James I and Charles I. His spiritual classic, "The Private Devotions of Lancelot Andrewes" was for personal prayer what the "Book of Common Prayer" was for the worship of the Church. This is a wide selection from his writings and a general introduction.
Before Orthodoxy: The Satanic Verses in Early Islam
by Shahab Ahmed“The most systematic, critical study of an especially important tradition from early Islamic history, the so-called incident of the Satanic verses.” —ChoiceOne of the most controversial episodes in the life of the Prophet Muhammad concerns an incident in which he allegedly mistook words suggested by Satan as divine revelation. Known as the Satanic verses, these praises to the pagan deities contradict the Islamic belief that Allah is one and absolute. Muslims today?of all sects?deny that the incident of the Satanic verses took place. But as Shahab Ahmed explains, Muslims did not always hold this view.Before Orthodoxy wrestles with the question of how religions establish truth?especially religions such as Islam that lack a centralized authority to codify beliefs. Taking the now universally rejected incident of the Satanic verses as a case study in the formation of Islamic orthodoxy, Ahmed shows that early Muslims, circa 632 to 800 CE, held the exact opposite belief. For them, the Satanic verses were an established fact in the history of the Prophet. Ahmed offers a detailed account of the attitudes of Muslims to the Satanic verses in the first two centuries of Islam and traces the chains of transmission in the historical reports known as riwayah.Touching directly on the nature of Muhammad’s prophetic visions, the interpretation of the Satanic verses incident is a question of profound importance in Islam, one that plays a role in defining the limits of what Muslims may legitimately say and do?issues crucial to understanding the contemporary Islamic world.
Before Sexuality: The Construction of Erotic Experience in the Ancient Greek World
by David M. Halperin John J. Winkler Froma I. ZeitlinA dream in which a man has sex with his mother may promise him political or commercial success--according to dream interpreters of late antiquity, who, unlike modern Western analysts, would not necessarily have drawn conclusions from the dream about the dreamer's sexual psychology. Evidence of such shifts in perspective is leading scholars to reconsider in a variety of creative ways the history of sexuality. In these fifteen original essays, eminent cultural historians and classicists not only discuss sex, but demonstrate how norms, practices, and even the very definitions of what counts as sexual activity have varied significantly over time. Ancient Greece offers abundant evidence for a radically different set of sexual standards and behaviors from ours. Sex in ancient Hellenic culture assumed a variety of social and political meanings, whereas the modern development of a sex-centered model of personality now leads us to view sex as the key to understanding the individual. Drawing on both the Anglo-American tradition of cultural anthropology and the French tradition of les sciences humaines, these essays explore the iconography, politics, ethics, poetry, and medical practices that made sex in ancient Greece not a paradise of liberation but an exotic locale hardly recognizable to visitors from the modern world. In addition to the editors, the contributors to this volume are Peter Brown, Anne Carson, Franoise Frontisi-Ducroux, Maud W. Gleason, Ann Ellis Hanson, Franois Lissarrague, Nicole Loraux, Maurice Olender, S.R.F. Price, James Redfield, Giulia Sissa, and Jean-Pierre Vernant.
Before Taliban: Genealogies of the Afghan Jihad
by David B. EdwardsIf you want to read one book to understand the background to the political conflicts in Afghanistan and the Taliban's rise to power, this is the book. Edwards tells the stories of three men--a Marxist politician, a tribal leader, and an Islamic militant--to explain the complex political culture of Afghanistan.
Before the Door of God: An Anthology of Devotional Poetry
by Jay Hopler Kimberly JohnsonBefore the Door of God traces the development of devotional English-language poetry from its origins in ancient hymnody to its current twenty-first-century incarnations. The poems in this volume demonstrate not only that devotional poetry—poetry that speaks to the divine—remains in vigorous practice, but also that the tradition reaches back to the very origins of poetry in English. There is a sense in these pages that the tradition of lyric poetry that developed was nearly inevitable, given the inherent concerns of the genre. <p><p>Featuring the work of poets over a three-thousand-year period, Before the Door of God places the devotional lyric in its cultural, historical, and aesthetic contexts. The volume traces the various influences on this tradition and identifies features that persist in devotional lyric poetry across centuries, cultures, and stylistic differences. To scholars, literary professionals, and general readers who find delight in fine poetry, this anthology offers much to contemplate and discuss.
Before the Flood: The Biblical Flood as a Real Event and How It Changed the Course of Civilization
by Ian WilsonIn the six hundredth year of Noah's life, in the second month, the seventeenth day of the month, the same day were all the fountains of the great deep broken up, and the windows of heaven were opened. And the rain was upon the earth forty days and forty nights.The great Biblical flood so described in Genesis has long been a subject of fascination and speculation. In the 19th century the English archbishop James Ussher established it as having happened in the year 2348 B.C., calculating what was then taken as the age of the earth and working backward through the entire series of Biblical "begats." Proof of the flood, which is an element of so many creation myths, began in earnest when archaeology started connecting physical evidence with Biblical story. The dream of proving the Bible as literal truth has proven irresistible, producing both spurious claims and serious scholarship.As best-selling historian Ian Wilson reveals in this fascinating new book, evidence of a catastrophic event has been building steadily, culminating in the work of William Ryan and Walter Pitman. Several years ago Ryan and Pitman had posited that around 5600 BC there had an inundation in the Black Sea of such proportions that it turned the freshwater lake into a saltwater lake by connecting it to the Mediterranean. Were that true, they estimated that there would be signs of civilization 300 feet below the surface of the Black Sea. In September 2000, using his famous underwater equipment, Robert Ballard (of SS Titanic fame) explored parts of the Black Sea near the Turkish shore and found the remains of wood houses. There had been a flood, and whether God's wrath or not it had destroyed everything around it for hundreds of miles, killing tens of thousands of people.Exploring all the archeological evidence, Wilson explains how the Black Sea flood and the Biblical flood have to be connected. In particular, Wilson argues, learnedly and persuasively, that the center of the civilized world was further to the West than previously thought-not in Egypt or Mesopotamia but in what is today Northern Turkey. The earliest, antediluvian civilizations may have migrated east into those places we have come to call the cradles of civilization, forced by the Black Sea flood to create new settlements.Scrupulous in its details and compelling in its sweep, Before the Flood is narrative detective history at its most provocative, contributing a vital new chapter to the debate about the Bible and origins of the modern world.
Before the Gregorian Reform: The Latin Church at the Turn of the First Millennium
by John HoweHistorians typically single out the hundred-year period from about 1050 to 1150 as the pivotal moment in the history of the Latin Church, for it was then that the Gregorian Reform movement established the ecclesiastical structure that would ensure Rome’s dominance throughout the Middle Ages and beyond. In Before the Gregorian Reform John Howe challenges this familiar narrative by examining earlier, "pre-Gregorian" reform efforts within the Church. He finds that they were more extensive and widespread than previously thought and that they actually established a foundation for the subsequent Gregorian Reform movement.The low point in the history of Christendom came in the late ninth and early tenth centuries—a period when much of Europe was overwhelmed by barbarian raids and widespread civil disorder, which left the Church in a state of disarray. As Howe shows, however, the destruction gave rise to creativity. Aristocrats and churchmen rebuilt churches and constructed new ones, competing against each other so that church building, like castle building, acquired its own momentum. Patrons strove to improve ecclesiastical furnishings, liturgy, and spirituality. Schools were constructed to staff the new churches. Moreover, Howe shows that these reform efforts paralleled broader economic, social, and cultural trends in Western Europe including the revival of long-distance trade, the rise of technology, and the emergence of feudal lordship. The result was that by the mid-eleventh century a wealthy, unified, better-organized, better-educated, more spiritually sensitive Latin Church was assuming a leading place in the broader Christian world. Before the Gregorian Reform challenges us to rethink the history of the Church and its place in the broader narrative of European history. Compellingly written and generously illustrated, it is a book for all medievalists as well as general readers interested in the Middle Ages and Church history.
Before the Religious Right: Liberal Protestants, Human Rights, and the Polarization of the United States (Intellectual History of the Modern Age)
by Gene ZubovichWhen we think about religion and politics in the United States today, we think of conservative evangelicals. But for much of the twentieth century it was liberal Protestants who most profoundly shaped American politics. Leaders of this religious community wielded their influence to fight for social justice by lobbying for the New Deal, marching against segregation, and protesting the Vietnam War. Gene Zubovich shows that the important role of liberal Protestants in the battles over poverty, segregation, and U.S. foreign relations must be understood in a global context. Inspired by new transnational networks, ideas, and organizations, American liberal Protestants became some of the most important backers of the United Nations and early promoters of human rights. But they also saw local events from this global vantage point, concluding that a peaceful and just world order must begin at home. In the same way that the rise of the New Right cannot be understood apart from the mobilization of evangelicals, Zubovich shows that the rise of American liberalism in the twentieth century cannot be understood without a historical account of the global political mobilization of liberal Protestants.
Before the Scarlet Dawn
by Rita GerlachIn 1775, Hayward Morgan, a young gentleman destined to inherit his father's estate in Derbyshire, England, captures the heart of the local vicar's daughter, Eliza Bloome. Her dark beauty and spirited ways are not enough to win him, due to her station in life. Circumstances throw Eliza in Hayward's path, and they flee to America to escape the family conflicts. But as war looms, it's a temporary reprieve. Hayward joins the revolutionary forces and what follows is a struggle for survival, a test of faith, and the quest to find lasting love in an unforgiving wilderness.
Before the Scarlet Dawn
by Rita GerlachIn 1775, Hayward Morgan, a young gentleman destined to inherit his father's estate in Derbyshire, England, captures the heart of the local vicar's daughter, Eliza Bloome. Her dark beauty and spirited ways are not enough to win him, due to her station in life. Circumstances throw Eliza in Hayward's path, and they flee to America to escape the family conflicts. But as war looms, it's a temporary reprieve. Hayward joins the revolutionary forces and what follows is a struggle for survival, a test of faith, and the quest to find lasting love in an unforgiving wilderness. "Filled with true-to-life characters whose struggles will linger with readers long after the last page is turned, Before the Scarlet Dawn is a memorable story of Revolutionary War-era England and America." - Amanda Cabot, author of Summer of Promise "Rita Gerlach has written a colorful historical with a feisty heroine on a search for survival, romance, and a place to belong." Cynthia Hickey, author of the Summer Meadows mysteries "Ms. Gerlach's unique literary prose has once again captured my heart with a stirring tale of love and loss, desperation and hope during one of the most uncertain times in American History--the Revolutionary War. I cannot wait for the next book in the series!" - MaryLu Tyndall, author of Surrender the Dawn "A stirring story of love and its consequences, Before the Scarlet Dawn will draw you in from the start and not let you go again." ~ Roseanna M. White, author of Love Finds You in Annapolis, Maryland and Jewel of Persia "While reading Before the Scarlet Dawn, you'll travel back in time--and from England to Maryland--without ever leaving your easy chair! This is a big, beautiful, well-told story of love, faith, and the struggles of war that changed lives...and hearts. I can't wait to read the next book in this series!" Loree Lough, best-selling author of more than 80 award-winning books, including reader favorite From Ashes to Honor
Before the Season Ends (The Regency Trilogy #1)
by Linore Rose Burkard Nick HarrisonAriana Forsythe is sent to her wealthy aunt's London townhouse and thrust into the world of the upper crust. Trouble finds her with an instant enemy in Lady Covington, an aging beauty. Ariana must team up with the Paragon, the darkly handsome and powerful Phillip Mornay, to quench the scandal. She can trust God's hand in her life, but can she resist Mr. Mornay's increasing claim on her heart? When she finds herself betrothed to him, she is faced with a terrible choice--and she must make it soon, before the season ends!
Before the Throne (An 8-Week Bible Study): Finding Strength Through Prayer in Difficult Times
by Crickett KeethWhere do you go when life overwhelms you? Before the Throne.God&’s people know they can turn to Him when times get tough. Instead of trying to fix things on our own, we can enter God&’s throne room in prayer. The access granted to us by Jesus our High Priest is our comfort when the world is turned upside down. In Before the Throne, Crickett Keeth, author of On Bended Knee, offers a follow-up study of eight prayer warriors from Scripture who turned to God when times became difficult. You&’ll learn to pray with:Moses in times of disappointmentThe Psalmists in times of needJonah in times of disobedienceHezekiah in times of battleHabakkuk in times of questioningJesus in a time of intercessionPaul in times of hardshipRevelation saints in times of worshipCrickett&’s studies are known for taking you deep—then even deeper!—into God&’s Word. As you study these prayers, you&’ll be strengthened as you see how these godly Bible characters poured out their hearts to God and how He responded to them. You&’ll learn how to pray with the same power when you feel weak, helpless, stressed, or afraid. As you turn your focus toward God&’s character through prayer, He will supply the strength you need to face whatever is before you. Because that&’s the privilege you have when you come Before the Throne.&“Let us then approach God&’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.&” Hebrews 4:16
Before the Throne (An 8-Week Bible Study): Finding Strength Through Prayer in Difficult Times
by Crickett KeethWhere do you go when life overwhelms you? Before the Throne.God&’s people know they can turn to Him when times get tough. Instead of trying to fix things on our own, we can enter God&’s throne room in prayer. The access granted to us by Jesus our High Priest is our comfort when the world is turned upside down. In Before the Throne, Crickett Keeth, author of On Bended Knee, offers a follow-up study of eight prayer warriors from Scripture who turned to God when times became difficult. You&’ll learn to pray with:Moses in times of disappointmentThe Psalmists in times of needJonah in times of disobedienceHezekiah in times of battleHabakkuk in times of questioningJesus in a time of intercessionPaul in times of hardshipRevelation saints in times of worshipCrickett&’s studies are known for taking you deep—then even deeper!—into God&’s Word. As you study these prayers, you&’ll be strengthened as you see how these godly Bible characters poured out their hearts to God and how He responded to them. You&’ll learn how to pray with the same power when you feel weak, helpless, stressed, or afraid. As you turn your focus toward God&’s character through prayer, He will supply the strength you need to face whatever is before you. Because that&’s the privilege you have when you come Before the Throne.&“Let us then approach God&’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.&” Hebrews 4:16
Before There Were Kings: A Literary Analysis of the Book of Judges (Bulletin for Biblical Research Supplement)
by Elie AssisFollowing the great periods of national leadership by Moses and Joshua, the book of Judges depicts the stewardship of various judges that rose to power to solve local religious and military challenges in the premonarchic period. This volume provides a close reading of the entire book of Judges, taking seriously the distinct elements of the book and how they are interconnected.Elie Assis explores the ways in which the ideology and theology of Judges unfold through a careful literary analysis. Moving beyond the cycle of sin, punishment, and salvation, Assis demonstrates how differences in the descriptive language applied to each judge, as well as the evaluations in the opening and concluding chapters, provide clues as to the organization and message of the text. Most works on Judges focus on the historical background of the period or the historical process of the book’s composition and seek to dissolve its stories into component parts. In contrast, Before There Were Kings points to the deep underlying unity of Judges and the function of the individual stories within the whole.New and carefully drawn insights related to the purpose of each section and the themes that shape the book as a whole make this a groundbreaking, programmatic contribution to research on the book of Judges. It will be of particular interest to students and scholars of the Old Testament and the Hebrew Bible.
Before Utopia: The Making of Thomas More’s Mind
by Ross DealyBefore Utopia demonstrates that Thomas More’s Utopia (1516) is not, as is widely accepted, a rhetorical play of spirit but is instead built from a particular philosophy. That philosophy was not Platonism, but classical Stoicism. Deeply disturbed in his youth by the conviction that he needed to decide between a worldly and a monastic path, Thomas More’s outlook was transformed in 1504 by Erasmus’ De taedio Iesu and Enchiridion. As a consequence, he married in 1505 and wholeheartedly committed himself to worldly affairs. His Lucian (1506), written after working directly with Erasmus, adopts the Stoic mindset; Erasmus’ Praise of Folly (1511) shows from beginning to end the workings of More’s life-changing Stoic outlook. More’s Utopia then goes on to systematically illustrate the Stoic unitary two-dimensional frame of thought within an imaginary New World setting. Before Utopia is not just a book about Thomas More. It is a book about intellectual history and the movement of ideas from the ancient world to the Renaissance. Ross Dealy emphasizes the continuity between Erasmus and More in their religious and philosophical thought, and above all the decisive influence of Erasmus on More.
Before We Gather: Devotions for Worship Leaders and Teams
by Zac M. HicksA 52-week devotional for ministry leaders and worship teams to prepare their hearts and minds for the service and make the worship experience of their church more meaningful.Anyone involved in organized worship has probably seen what worship can be, and they've wondered: How can we tap into that transformative spirit more often? How can we overcome the problems of urgency, fatigue, and the temptation to just go through the motions? How can we gather before God, consistently ready to receive his presence?In Before We Gather, Zac Hicks—author of the best-selling book The Worship Pastor—provides a unique, year-long devotional that focuses the attention of worship teams and individuals on God. This book offers biblical reflection in a simple, engaging style, helping worship teams set the tone of a gathering by developing a rich theology of worship through the practice of prayer.Full of field-tested devotionals specifically designed for pre-service prayer times, each entry has a simple, three-part format: read a passage, reflect on it, and then spend time in focused prayer that will propel worshipers into the service.The 52 entries can be used once a week over the course of an entire year and are also indexed according to themes, individual Scripture verses, and the church calendar, allowing you to adapt and use this resource in the way that best fits your context.
Before We Were Us
by Denise HunterShe can&’t remember. He can&’t forget.When Lauren Wentworth wakes up in the hospital after falling from a ladder, she has more questions than answers. Way more. She knows where she is—the wilds of New Hampshire. But she&’s apparently lost the last four months of her life. Is she really contemplating forfeiting her big-city dream job for a position at a rustic resort? And how did her number one nemesis become her adoring boyfriend?Jonah Landry is crushed to learn Lauren has forgotten their entire summer together. Terrified of losing her for good, he determines to help her remember their deep connection as she finishes her obligation to the resort. But soon it becomes apparent Lauren doesn&’t want to remember falling in love with him or rethinking the entire course of her career. She wants to pretend the summer never happened and move on with her life. Without him.As Lauren falls back into the steady routines of resort work with Jonah, she&’s relieved her memories haven&’t returned and remains resolute about her big-city future. But as autumn leads into winter, she begins to see glimpses of the Jonah she&’s forgotten. Will she be able to resist the steady love of this patient man? Or is her heart destined for its own freefall?Charming contemporary romanceBook length: approximately 83,000 wordsStand-alone novelIncludes discussion questions for book clubs
Before You Climb Any Higher: Valley Wisdom for Mountain Dreams
by Thomas NelsonWe long for mountaintop experiences, but they&’re difficult to achieve and impossible to maintain without the rest, nourishment, and strength found in lush, life-giving valleys. GRAMMY Award winner Jonathan McReynolds shows us why having a valley mindset is not what you think—it&’s about receiving God&’s grace, love, and encouragement as His beloved child. Life is full of mountains to ascend, driven by our dreams, ambitions, and callings. But it doesn&’t take much for even the strongest climbers to grow weary or lose their way. It&’s important to have a &“mountain mindset&” to help us establish goals, to make steady progress, to achieve success, to do big things for God. A great mission requires from us a little grind, a little hustle, a little competition. But also plenty of time in the valley.Most people equate valley moments with difficulty and pain, but a &“valley mentality&” is different according to Jonathan McReynolds. He&’s reached the mountaintop—GRAMMY Award, nationwide tours, millions of followers, and more—but he experienced more refreshment, rest, and encouragement from the Lord off the mountain. He writes, &“The valley is not about finishing anything, studying anything, or doing anything, but simply being a child of God.&” In Before You Climb Any Higher, readers will discover: Taking breaks from climbing is necessary for your mental healthWays to find rest, renewal, and authentic community in the valleyIdentity should never be wrapped up in success and accoladesHow to prepare for the mountain climb with lessons learned in the valleyIt&’s possible to live abundantly in the valley and on the mountain We are more than our accomplishments, more than our mountaintop accomplishments. We are sons and daughters of God, who is calling us to rest in the valley, to replenish our souls, to be formed by the Spirit, to discover abundant life that is found only in Him.
Before You Get Engaged
by David GudgelBefore You Get Engaged offers priceless advice and direction for daters who are considering popping (or answering) the big question. Author and counseling pastor David Gudgel teams with his son, Brent, and Brent's girlfriend, Danielle, using anecdotes, dialogue, and diary entries to discuss the twelve relational indicators indispensable to a healthy, lasting marriage, including:Would you marry you?Are you spiritually connected?Are you better together than apart?Have you considered what God has to say?Complete with fun and endearing proposal tips as well as ways to gently ask your significant other for more time, Before You Get Engaged will equip you with the insight, confidence, and peace to make one of the biggest decisions of your life.
Before You Hit Send: Preventing Headache and Heartache
by Dr Emerson EggerichsWhen will we learn?With every sunrise we are given plenty of new examples of people “Hitting Send” and soon regretting it. Social media means what it says: it is social! Our methods of communication today allow for something to potentially be broadcast to everyone from Pekin, Illinois to Peking, China. But it’s not only Twitter fanatics who can find themselves in trouble. Every single one of us is capable of falling prey to this growing plague.Every day we have the potential of both verbal and written blunders. It makes no difference if we are talking to a stranger over a meat counter, chatting on a cell phone with our mother, or sending an e-mail to a coworker; we can and do miscommunicate and people can and do get the wrong idea. When we don't pause long enough to think before speaking or writing, it commonly yields a misunderstanding and leads to a clash. We end up being the person who said, “You know that sphere of the brain that stops you from saying something that you shouldn't? Well, I don’t have one of those.” This book is about preventing that misunderstanding and allowing for understanding. Said another way, preempting people from getting the wrong idea and enabling them to get the right idea! We all need work in this area in far more ways than just glancing through a checklist. From external examples to internal turmoil, Before You Hit Send is about the four things we must think through before communicating. In all things we wish to say or write, we would be wise to ask ourselves,Is it true?Is it kind?Is it necessary?Is it clear? When we ask and answer these four questions honestly, we will be thinking wisely before we speak. But to explore this fully, we need to find out a whole lot more about ourselves and uncover why we consciously and subconsciously get into these communication disasters to begin with. You may be surprised what you discover about yourself. Shall we begin?
Before You Meet Your Future Husband: 30 Questions to Ask Yourself and 30 Heartfelt Prayers
by Robin Jones Gunn Tricia GoyerBestselling author Robin Jones Gunn teams up with author and teen advocate Tricia Goyer on a devotional for young single women to help them establish God-honoring thinking and beliefs that will lay a firm foundation for their future marriage.Movies, television, and novels feature glamorous portrayals of dating and marriage, giving us unrealistic expectations of what true love looks like. A beautiful counterpoint to those dreamy fantasies, Before You Meet Your Future Husband focuses on three areas you, as a young woman, need to address in preparing for marriage:• your heart—nurturing a place where healthy love can grow• your head—realigning your thoughts with biblical truth• your hands—learning to make the most of your God-given potentialThis uplifting, interactive devotional helps you approach dating from a place of peace and strength, whether you&’re in a relationship now or simply hope to be married one day. With a focus on your own transformation, Before You Meet Your Future Husband offers biblical guidance, real-life stories, thought-provoking questions, and intentional prayers to help you prepare now for the future God has in store for you.Discover the freedom and contentment that come from preparing for a God-honoring, life-giving relationship.