Showing results by narrator "Carla Mercer-Meyer" in All Categories

No relationship is perfect - but it can be better. The secret to stronger relationships isn't to become more charming or funny or to solve the world's problems or to just try harder. All you have to do is listen. It's that simple. Yet our noisy culture hasn't equipped us to do this. With warmth and a touch of humor, personal coach and expert communicator Becky Harling shares simple, practical listening tools that will help you become a person others are drawn to and want to spend time with.

Do you remember your first love? Have you ever wondered what would happen if you had a second chance to follow your heart? In this collection of novellas written by award-winning and best-selling authors, come home to Echo Ridge as summer winds down and hearts once broken and lost are given one more chance, a second chance to love. This collection includes novellas by Lucy McConnell, Janette Rallison, Cami Checketts, Heather Tullis, and Rachelle J. Christensen.

They've escaped the Breeders, yet their journey has just begun. Riley and Clay are once again on the run from the Breeders. The group may have escaped the deranged experiments at the hospital, but as one of the world's last free women, Riley can never be safe. On the road back home, Riley and her crew are captured by a band of savage men. Their destination: the Citadel, run by a bizarre religious prophet named the Messiah. Somehow he knows their secrets. He wants them to join his group of Believers, but only if they'll drink the baptismal water and swear allegiance.

Emily Miller tells her personal story of how being a single, female victim of a home invasion drove her to try to obtain a legally registered gun in Washington, D.C. The narrative - sometimes shocking, other times hilarious in its absurdity - gives the listener a real-life understanding of how gun-control laws only make it more difficult for honest, law-abiding people to get guns, while violent crime continues to rise.

Throughout scripture and church history, women have been central to the mission of God. But all too often women have lacked opportunities to minister fully. Many churches lack visible examples of women in ministry and leadership. Tara Beth Leach, senior pastor of her denomination's flagship church, issues a stirring call for a new generation of women in ministry: to teach, to preach, to shepherd, and to lead.

Whether it’s the TV or radio continually playing in the background or the persistent pinging on our phones, the constant noise and frenetic pace of modern life can be overwhelming. The cacophony of cultural messages that permeate the air produces an inner restlessness that says, “You should be doing more, saying more, posting more, and sharing more.” More than ever, we need sanctuary, not only as a refuge from the noise around us but also as a place where God’s truth can be clearly heard.

Sixteen-year-old Riley Meemick is one of the world's last free girls. When Riley was born, her mother escaped the Breeders, the group of doctors using cruel experiments to bolster the dwindling human race. Her parents do everything possible to keep her from their clutches - moving from one desolate farm after another to escape the Breeders' long reach. The Breeders control everything and they're hunting Riley.

They've escaped the Breeders. They've broken out of the Citadel. Now, after all they've been through, Riley, Clay, and Ethan know one thing for sure: nothing tastes sweeter than freedom. And no one can rest easy with Auntie Bell in bondage.

At age 12, Ashlee Nichols fell in love with her brother's best friend, Beau Jacobsen. Everyone thought she was cute, and that her crush was simply a crush. But her young heart had known he was the one, and she had planned on marrying him as soon as she was old enough. Unfortunately, when she confessed her feelings to Beau, he'd laughed, patted her on the head and told her he was flattered. Sure, Beau had been 22 at the time, but she knew she wouldn't always be a little girl. Just when she turned 18 and was finally old enough to date him, Beau joined the Army and was deployed to Afghanistan.

After her husband became an agnostic, Stina Kielsmeier-Cook was left "spiritually single" - struggling to live the Christian life on her own, taking her kids to church by herself, and wrestling with her own questions and doubts. In this memoir, Kielsmeier-Cook tells the story of her mixed-faith marriage and how she found community in an unexpected place: an order of Catholic nuns in her neighborhood. As she spent time with them and learned about female Catholic saints, she began to see that she was not "spiritually single" after all - and that no one really is.

A Nor'easter is predicted in Coldwater Cove and storm chaser Emma Ross is desperate to improve warning times with her research so no one has to live through what she did. Armed with her equipment, she sets out to capture the storm, but captures a group of men and girls crossing the frozen ice instead. When she tries to help, they shoot at her. Navy SEAL Gunner Nash is on leave, choosing the cove for its lack of tourists in the harsh winter months as his destination. After three tours of duty, he prefers to be alone. While ice fishing, he hears the shot and discovers a wounded Emma.

Sarah Ivill contends, “As we study prayer through the lens of the unfolding story of Scripture, it will teach us how to pray, but more importantly it will reveal the Covenant God to whom we pray.” And such an endeavor provides the foundation and motivation necessary to enrich our prayer life. See how Old Testament prayers find their fulfillment and transformation in Christ. Discover boldness and joy in prayer because Christ is the high priest who gives us access to the throne of grace. Moreover, look forward to an eternity in which our prayers will consist of unhindered praise.

These 50 true inspirational stories as told by the people who lived them will encourage your heart and fill you with hope. No matter what life circumstances you're facing, God is right there with you. He's with you in the middle of the pain, the heartbreak, and the unknown. You'll be inspired, awed, and comforted by these intimate real-life moments of when God showed up mysteriously, tangibly and gloriously offering his love, his peace, his deliverance, his comfort, and his healing power.

In Sacred Mundane, Kari Patterson pulls open the dusty blinds to let the light of truth shine in. Even the most unremarkable life is an opportunity to see, know, love, and be utterly transformed by a God who knows no bounds and who upsets every expectation. He eagerly awaits your invitation to fill your world with mundane miracles and holy habits. Through her entertaining narrative, candid real-life stories, Bible study, and practical instruction, Kari will take you by the hand to discover the beautiful sacredness in the life you already lead.

Carrie Kennersly, a veterinary technician, has become known for baking healthful and popular dog treats at the clinic where she works, in the town of Knobcone Heights, California. When a friend moves away, Carrie buys her bakery and converts half into a Barkery to sell her canine delights. But Myra and Harris Ethman, who own a local store selling pet products, hate the new competition. After publicly badmouthing Carrie and antagonizing family and other townsfolk with her big mouth, Myra is found dead with a Barkery biscuit beside her.

"I do" is only the beginning of a successful marriage. Filled with inspiring scripture and thought-provoking questions, #staymarried: A Couple's Devotional helps engaged and married couples strengthen their relationship with each other and God - in only 30 minutes a week. You and your spouse will learn to connect meaningfully and communicate honestly over the course of 52 couples devotionals. Guided discussions teach you to explore the joys and challenges waiting in your new life, while closing prayers offer you the chance to give thanks and meditate on what you've learned.

Jordan Burke, billionaire owner of Burke Enterprises, doesn't have time to date. His sister thinks it's time for him to find love and sets him up with her best friend, but Jordan can't leave his work behind. After the disastrous date, a stray puppy saves his life, and Jordan meets a woman who makes him rethink his priorities. Madison is attracted to Jordan from their first meeting but wary of his billionaire status. Despite her fears, she can't ignore the pounding of her heart and the sparks flying between them or the tender way Jordan has with his new puppy.

When Lexi Burke escaped the remnants of a cold winter in Chicago, it wasn't a random vacation. She left the hectic pace of Burke Enterprises behind with enough money to retire at age 32, intent on settling into the idyllic island life... until she met local photographer Derek Mitchell - a talented man with a grudge against rich tourists. From art night to snorkeling lessons, hiking, and chopping coconuts, Lexi can't talk herself out of spending time with the handsome, hardworking man who knows the value of every dollar. She also can't find a way to tell him the truth about herself.

You were made for more than this life has to offer. In Age of Crowns, Kori de Leon will awaken the dreamer in you as she invites you to explore glorious images of the "Age to Come". This book is an inspiring examination of how the future hope of heaven changes your today. It will teach you how to faithfully await (and prepare for) the "Age to Come", as well as how to live a more purposeful and fulfilling life with Christ here and now.

In these profound reflections on the mysteries of life and death, Stone unpacks how childbirth reveals our anxieties, our physicality, our mortality. All who are born or give birth will someday die. While living and working in one of the world's most impoverished countries, teacher, doula, and mother Rachel Marie Stone unexpectedly caught a baby without wearing gloves, drenching her bare hands with HIV-positive blood. Already worried about her health and family and whether her service was of any use, Stone grappled with realities of human suffering, global justice, and maternal health.