Kirjahaku

Just as Christmas can promise so much and often deliver so little, our own lives can seem bittersweet when we consider dreams we may have had that never came to pass. But, as George Bailey discovered in the classic Christmas movie It’s a Wonderful Life, it is never too late to re-evaluate our lives, to find so much to be thankful for, and to live again. This can also be a time to discover new hope in our relationship with God. To Live Again is an original Advent course based on, and inspired by, It’s a Wonderful Life. In four weekly study sessions, structured around key scenes from the film, it explores the following themes: • Hopes and Dreams • When Life Doesn’t Go Our Way • In the Dark Times • The Right Perspective Each section includes timing references for watching scenes from the movie on a DVD, questions for discussion in groups or for private reflection, activities and suggested prayers.

Humbug and Happiness is an original Advent course based on the classic Christmas movie A Christmas Carol (released as Scrooge in the UK) starring Alastair Sim. In four weekly study sessions, structured around key scenes from the film, it explores several Christian themes arising from it.

Sometimes we don’t really know why we’re fearful. It might be that we are generally anxious people. We tend to worry about everything. Of course, some fear can be quite legitimate. But if we find we’re overanxious and it’s affecting our lives – that can become a problem. Author Sheila Jacobs became ill in her early thirties with Ménière’s disease, and it virtually destroyed her life, mainly due to anxiety. She became uncomfortable outside the confines of her own home, even when her physical health had radically improved. She simply couldn’t live a normal life for many years. In the end, realising just how much of a prison she was in, she found the answer. Her biggest problem was an inability to truly walk in forgiveness, and trust. Forgiveness opened the door for a bigger experience of God, and consequently release from the kind of fear that prevented her from even going to church. Whatever your fear, whatever your circumstances, even if you feel shattered, like a broken mirror, you are not alone. You don’t have to fear ‘the void’ – whatever that ‘void’ is for you. Sheila shares some of her story in A Little Book of Rest, which contains five weeks of material to help you overcome your fears and enjoy life to the full once again – facilitating an encounter with the Prince of Peace, in whom there is no fear.

In this book we meet Jane for the first time. She hates school and doesn’t have many friends. The one thing she enjoys is writing science fiction. But are Jane’s stories just fiction? Or have aliens really landed on earth? Is their mission to break up families – will Jane’s family be next? Jane discovers there’s only one person she can turn to, but will he help her? From the book: “I’d been waiting for this moment; waiting, hoping, watching. Now it was happening right before my eyes – and I was terrified.”