Relationship Growth

Nearly every marriage starts out happy, and if we're honest, nearly every marriage at some point becomes unhappy. Is there a solution? Kevin and Marcia Myers, married for 37 years through nearly every challenge a couple can face, emphatically say yes. Rooted in Scripture and contemporary insights from the Myers' marriage, as well as real stories from other couples, this revelatory book shows how any marriage can regain depth, meaning and, yes, happiness.

After the tragic loss of her son and a marriage that ended in divorce and near-bankruptcy, world-renowned health and transformation expert Danette May found her life in shambles. But when her support seemed to come from few and her options seemed the most far between, she began to hear a voice inside her telling her it was time. May never predicted that her journey would take her into a world bikini competition, to a sacred healer in Costa Rica, or through a process of heart-wrenching forgiveness. Yet it was her soul's calling that led her there.

Rob and Kristin Bell introduce a startling new way of looking at marriage, The Zimzum of Love. Zimzum is a Hebrew term where God, in order to have a relationship with the world, contracts, creating space for the creation to exist. In marriage, zimzum is the dynamic energy field between two partners, in which each person contracts to allow the other to flourish. Mastering this field, this give and take of energy, is the secret to what makes marriage flourish.

We're facing an identity crisis. For decades our culture has tried to blur the lines between men and women, to make gender irrelevant, all in the name of equality. It’s a message that has slowly infiltrated our marriages, our homes, and even our churches. Yet instead of creating harmony, this message has only caused confusion, ultimately leading to a tragic breakdown of relationships and families. Divine Design calls us back to God’s original intent for men and women.

If you’re not getting the respect, the money, or the opportunities you deserve, it’s time to tap into the power of communication. Whether you’re an introvert or extrovert, these tips will help you master your people skills and rapidly advance your career. And if you’re already a decent communicator, this book will skyrocket your life to the next level. Armed with the right knowledge and techniques, anyone can improve their communication skills, make their work life easier, and fast-track their success.

Perhaps in no other way do we more vibrantly reflect our creator than with our creativity. Whether through music, writing, baking, painting, posting on social media, dancing, or any other form of artistic expression within our grasp, we were created to create. Yet, there are times we may be unsure about our art, times when our creating and making doesn't feel possible or purposeful or practical. Rachel Marie Kang wants you to know that your art is not peripheral to life—it is at the very heart of why you exist and what you have to offer to yourself and to the world.

Just as ships can struggle in stormy seas, many of us face relationship challenges. Anxious attachment can often be at the heart of these issues. But you don't have to endure heartache. Explore how anxious attachment quietly affects your bonds. Learn the keys to lasting, happy connections: self-awareness, good communication, and a solid self-esteem that brings security to you and your relationships.

With this thirty-day approach, you can develop your empathy skills as tools for self-love and empowerment. Empathy expert and entrepreneur Michael Tennant weaves together scholarly research with his personal journey of loss, substance use, anxiety, and depression to explore how empathy can benefit both our inner lives and our larger community.

Women long for deep and lasting friendships but often find them challenging to make. The private angst they feel regarding friendship often translates into their own insecurity and isolation. Christine Hoover offers women a fresh, biblical vision for friendship that allows for the messiness of our lives and the realities of our schedules.

Drawing from the wisdom in his books Your Road Map for Success, Talent Is Never Enough, Developing the Leaders Around You, Failing Forward, The 360 Degree Leader, Winning with People, and Leadership Gold, John C. Maxwell provides in Self-Improvement 101 the essentials all leaders need to keep striving for excellence no matter where they are or what they are doing.

The Mentoring Project’s flagship mentoring resource is its field guides. These long-form pieces provide practical guidance on various aspects of life as a Christian, like finances, purity, technology, work, and more.

Addressing diverse issues depends on improving your soft skills - such as time management, team-building, communication and listening, creative-thinking, and problem-solving. But this isn’t as easy as it may seem. Sue Ashford has the solution. In this timely book, she introduces Flexing - a technique individuals, teams, and entire organizations can use to learn, grow, and develop their skills and knowledge with every new project, work assignment, and problem. Flexing empowers you to embrace any challenge and adapt to any change, yielding valuable takeaways that ensure growth.

How to Think with Intention dissects some of the most powerful mental blocks we can have: blocks in belief, confidence, self-protection, and growth. These have been deeply programmed into us, and while that’s not our fault, it is now our responsibility. You’ll gain incredibly actionable approaches to noticing and changing your thoughts, and ultimately controlling them.

Did you know that many Olympic athletes use positive affirmations to help them perform at their best? The more self-belief you have, the less stressed and defensive you’ll be when challenges arise, and for athletes, this means that they can push past their limiting beliefs and focus entirely on what they want to achieve. This is a superpower everyone could use, not just athletes.

Males look to be served. Men look to be of service. Emmy Award - nominated actor best known for his role on Queen Sugar and transformational speaker Dondré Whitfield challenges us to be real men in this provocative look at the power found in serving others.

Every Christian isn't called to adopt, but everyone is called to care for orphans. The evangelical adoption movement is but one strand in a long cord of Christian care for orphans. While adoption trends have fluctuated over time in different contexts, the Bible has not changed its position. The gospel is decidedly pro-adoption and on the side of the orphan. Yet many obstacles stand in the way of the Christian's mission to provide care to the least of these. So, what now?

Drs. Les and Leslie Parrott and Dr. David Olson - renowned marriage experts and founders of the two largest marriage support organizations, SYMBIS and PREPARE/ENRICH - share what they have learned from decades of research involving more than five million couples. Packed with practical and proven methods, data-driven techniques, and immediately usable strategies, Helping Couples is the ultimate guide for coaches, counselors, and clergy who want to know what really works.

When someone you know is hurting, you want to let them know that you care. But many people don't know what words to use - or are afraid of saying or doing the wrong thing. This thoughtful, instructive guide, from empathy expert Dr. Kelsey Crowe and greeting card maverick Emily McDowell, blends well-researched, actionable advice with the no-nonsense humor and the signature style of McDowell's immensely popular Empathy Cards to help you feel confident in connecting with anyone experiencing grief, loss, illness, or any other difficult situation.

Do you have anyone in your life who can't seem to stick with a project, meet a deadline, or even clean up after themselves? All of us feel we deserve special treatment sometimes. Some people live with this entitled attitude. If you have a difficult relationship with an entitled person, or if you have discovered entitlement in yourself, understand this: It doesn't have to stay this way. There is a cure. It's called the Hard Way and it works. Dr. Townsend offers daily steps, such as risk-taking, to help you or those you love choose the Hard Way.

Unfortunately, children don’t come with operating instructions, so raising even the most compliant kids can sometimes be disconcerting. Acknowledging that some youngsters are more challenging than others, Dr. James Dobson offers real help with establishing parent-child relationships, maintaining sanity, and banishing guilt. A Doctor of Philosophy in child development and the founder of the international organization Focus on the Family, Dr. Dobson has become one of America’s most respected family therapists.