Power Families

Ever tried a 'quick' grocery run with your toddler, only to feel like you’ve walked into a circus, minus the entertaining clowns and popcorn? I know that scenario all too well. Parenting isn't about living up to everyone else's expectations but rather tuning into and accommodating our children's unique needs. This journey revealed something universal: our parenting struggles are real, and they're shared. Whether it's the frantic morning rush, persuading a child to eat their greens, or navigating an explosive tantrum in public, parenting is ripe with opportunities for growth.

Find the Holy Spirit throughout the Bible. Dr. Jack Hayford, founding pastor of The Church on the Way, has led a team of anointed leaders to produce the New Spirit-Filled Life Kingdom Dynamics Audio Devotional in the New King James Version (NKJV). This outstanding resource offers a fresh look at the Scriptures and the work of the Holy Spirit, addressing important issues of Spirit-filled living in the context of solid biblical scholarship.

Everyone needs some faith and hope! This book is just the ticket, with a collection of some of the best stories from Chicken Soup for the Soul's past on answered prayers, the power of love, family, and making a difference. These true stories, written by regular people, tell of prayers answered miraculously, amazing coincidences, rediscovered faith, and the serenity that comes from believing in a greater power, appealing to Christians and those of other faiths - anyone who seeks inspiration.

In this multi-biographical history of a family in India, Shantaben enters an arranged marriage at age 14. Before she can join her husband in Africa, she must serve his family for several years. Arriving in Kenya, Shantaben dreams of having her own family. But she finds no community, no support, and no medical resources. Their first year together claims the life of their child and nearly ends Shantaben’s. Sustained by her culture and faith, she survives.

When Steve Friedman was a child growing up in the suburbs of St. Louis, the game of golf was, to him, mysterious and dark. His father’s passion for it caused friction in his marriage and eluded the interest of his youngest son, who was devoted instead to basketball. For that and many other reasons, the two failed to bond, ultimately leading to an awkward and unhappy relationship. But Friedman never forgot the love his father had for golf, and after many years, when he was in his 40s, he reached out and asked his dad to teach him the game.

Motherhood is demanding (to say the least), but when all of your mental and physical energy is directed towards a tiny human, you are neglecting yourself. And when you are neglected, you don’t have the energy or strength to take care of your completely dependent newborn. But you’re probably thinking how can I possibly put my needs above those of my baby? The truth of the matter is, your baby needs you to be at your best, and this is achieved through self-care. Self-care has many misconceptions, and due to the prefix, it’s all too often associated with selfishness.

Have you heard the question, "Mommy, do you love me?" or "Who do you love the most?" It's never easy to answer, especially to a little one who thinks your heart belongs only to them. Bowen is the center of his parents’ world. But what will happen when baby Bella comes into that world? Will his parents still love him, or will their hearts belong to someone else? Through fun interactions with his mom, Bowen will realize that his heart is big enough to love more than one person at a time.

Dan Savage’s mother wants him to get married. His boyfriend, Terry, says “no thanks” because he doesn’t want to act like a straight person. Their six-year-old son, D.J., says his two dads aren’t “allowed” to get married but that he’d like to come to the reception and eat cake. Throw into the mix Dan’s straight siblings, whose varied choices form a microcosm of how Americans are approaching marriage these days, and you get a rollicking family memoir that will have everyone - gay or straight, right or left, single or married - howling with laughter.

When we fall in love and find the perfect person of our dreams, most of us don’t stop to evaluate their family. Sadly, the man or women of your dreams can have parents who can literally derail your marriage, taking it from a fairy tale to a nightmare, in what feels like an instant. One of my favorite quotes is: “When did my life go from a Hallmark movie to a Lifetime movie?” This was my life.

Learn to manage time, pay attention, switch focus, remember details, and multitask effectively in 30 days to unlock your brain's unstoppable potential. Does the mere thought of time management cause you anxiety? Does procrastination seem like a perpetual roadblock on your path to success? Are you a teenager struggling to navigate the complexities of adolescence, or a parent trying to help your child become the best version of themselves? If so, you're in the right place.

Society thrives when the family thrives. A family thrives in wholeness and completion. Take the king or queen off a chess board and the game doesn’t go as it should. You take the queen, and every other piece is exposed and vulnerable. You take the king, and the game is over. Sadly, we’ve watched incompleteness in the family increase dramatically in our lifetimes. There are certainly many factors at play in that reality, but the one I want to target here is a powerful one. It’s the Dad factor.

People of every age long for the gift of The Blessing—the unconditional love and approval that comes from healthy relationships with your family and with the world around you. This life-changing gift is essential for instilling a deep sense of worthiness and unshakable emotional well-being. In The Power of the Blessing, you'll learn about these five keys to improving your relationships. God has always been interested in blessing his people, and we are called to bless others. Choose to speak the power of the blessing today!

Joy Williams has been celebrated as a master of the short story for four decades, her renown passing from one generation to the next even in the shifting landscape of contemporary writing. And at long last the incredible scope of her singular achievement is put on display: 33 stories drawn from three much-lauded collections and another 13 appearing here for the first time in book form.

French-born American chef Sophie Valroux had one dream: To be part of the 1% of female chefs running a Michelin-starred restaurant. From spending summers with her grandmother, who taught her the power of cooking and food, to attending the Culinary Institute of America, Sophie finds herself on the cusp of getting everything she's dreamed of.

A pioneering music educator reveals how music can supercharge early childhood development - and how parents and educators can harness its power.

Being a teenager has never been easy, but in recent years, with the rise of the Internet and social media, it has become exponentially more challenging. Bullying, once thought of as the province of queen bees and goons, has taken on new, complex, and insidious forms, as parents and educators know all too well.

Has it ever happened with you, that before you enter a big interview or presentation you had been preparing for months now, you hear a voice telling you to just call it quits? You look for the source of it and it turns out that it is coming from within you? People, it is time to meet your inner critic. It tells you to run to some far-off land, dump your phone in the water, and be free from the shackles of worldly chaos and worries!

Ivona divorced the love of her life, Vlaho, a decade ago. They met as students at the turn of the millennium, when newly democratic Croatia was alive with hope and promise. But the challenges of living in a burgeoning country extinguished Ivona’s dreams one after another—and a devastating secret forced her to set him free. Now Vlaho is remarried and a proud father of two, while Ivona’s life has taken a downward turn. In her thirties, she has returned to her childhood home to care for her ailing father.

Macey and Ben Samuelson have much to be thankful for: great friends, a beautiful - if high-maintenance - Victorian house on idyllic Tybee Island, and a rock-solid marriage. The only thing missing is what they want the most. After her fifth miscarriage in six years, Macey worries that the family they’ve always dreamed of might be out of reach. Her sister suggests adoption, but Macey and Ben aren’t interested in pursuing that path...until a three-legged Golden Retriever named Keeper wags his way into their home and their hearts.

Red’s inexplicable power over the wind comes from her mother. Whenever Ruby "Red" Byrd is scared or angry, the wind picks up. And being placed in foster care, moving from family to family, tends to keep her skies stormy. Red knows she has to learn to control it, but can’t figure out how. This time, the wind blows Red into the home of the Grooves, a quirky couple who run a petting zoo, complete with a dancing donkey and a giant tortoise. But just when Red starts to settle into her new life, a fresh storm rolls in, one she knows all too well: her mother.