Shannon Guerra

We never know how far our callings will take us when we start pursuing them. Our initial rose-colored ideas only get us ankle deep along the shore before reality sinks in, and we're faced with opposition from out of nowhere, obstacles we don't know how to solve, and expenses that threaten to suck us under.At some point, we have to decide if it's really worth the sacrifice to turn our vision into reality. And if it's a daydream, maybe it's not worth it. But if it's a mission the Lord has called you to, then it's a different story.This, friends, is a different story: One about family, grit, and the cost of saying yes.It turns out that achieving a dream is not about walking into the sunset with romantic fanfare playing, because redemption and accomplishment rarely look like the end of a sugar-coated, feel-good movie. It's more about God moving in deep and lasting triumph in spite of everything the enemy throws at us.

We know God has a calling for our lives. So how do we let go of our fear and control, and trust Him with the unknowns?We abide. God has breakthrough ahead we would never expect - but we need to surrender to Him first.

We know what God is calling us to do, so how do we overcome our tendencies to hold back, procrastinate, and come up with good excuses? How do we do the work that needs done, cooperate with change, and find joy in the process?We abide. God knows we want to get it right, and He, too, wants us to get it right. He's a good father who wants to teach us how to steward the pressure and change, and let them manifest as conviction.In volume five of Abide: A Year of Growing Deep and Wide, we pursue obedience to move forward.We learn that the cost of disobedience is much higher than the pain of going outside our comfort zone, but obedience allows us move in freedom. When we abide and obey, it changes our days, and then it changes our lives, and then it changes the lives around us.Obedience allows us to move forward into something better - something we might not even have the capacity to see. But God sees it, and He rarely allows warriors to play on the sidelines while a battle rages. He mobilizes His people for breakthrough, and it begins with obedience.

What do we do when God calls us out of our comfort zone, but we're fighting fear, doubt, and insecurities? How do we take that step when we're overwhelmed with our excuses and all of the unknowns?We abide. God knows we need to hear Him in these steps, and He wants to be heard. He knows all of our obstacles and inabilities, and He's deeply in love with surrendered hearts that obey Him anyway.In volume four of Abide: A Year of Growing Deep and Wide, we find bravery for the next step.We learn that we gain nothing by withholding. We lose big time when we grasp at perfectionism and pride, but we gain everything when we lean in and know our need for Him. God is still taking the Red Seas in our lives and holding the water back for His people.So if He asks us to step out, are we willing? Bravery for the next step comes when we live by faith, not shrinking back, ignoring all of our excuses and fears. And the victory we step toward is never just for ourselves; nations and generations will be transformed by our brave obedience.

What does God think about the longings of our soul? Are our dreams for real, and for now? And if they are, how can we know what to do about them?We abide. God doesn't put these things inside us to tease us, and we don't have to fear missing His direction because He is big enough to make it known as we abide with Him.In volume three of Abide: A Year of Growing Deep and Wide, we find clarity for our longing. We learn that we are doing big, significant things with our daily, small, steadfast moves of obedience. We learn to hold our expectations with an open hand, because without surrendering the dream to God, it becomes an idol - and then a nightmare. And we see that there is a messy beauty to works in progress...and we are all a work in progress. Clarity in the longing comes when we take Him at His word, knowing He is faithful, even as we work toward something we cannot see. Because we are the ones He is growing, and He doesn't waste a thing.

Moms, you pour yourselves out day after day. How about some powerful refilling, in small, manageable doses?Short chapters. White space. Deep-down hope, and out-loud laughter. Because you have what it takes. You are not alone - we're in this together. Whether you see it or not, you are making progress. You are persevering, and standing your ground. You're stronger than you used to be. You are watched over and known by the God who notices every detail, and He meets you in these mundane moments and is breathing them into mighty movement. This is the entire Work That God Sees series in one: all six little books with their snarky recipes, crafty patterns, and questions for personal journaling or small group discussion, plus 25 pages of new stories, recipes, and lessons you can learn at someone else's expense. Watch out for the cayenne pepper - don't say I didn't warn you.

Adoptive and foster families working through attachment issues often feel alone. But it doesn't have to be that way - communities around them can intentionally be part of the solution instead of unintentionally being part of the problem. Without that support, adoptive and foster families live in isolation.Shannon Guerra learned this first-hand after she and her husband adopted two children in 2012, and she started writing shockingly transparent blog posts about what her family was going through at home, at the doctor's office, and in her heart as a mama. And then adoptive and foster families started writing back. Their overwhelming, unanimous theme was, "This is what I've wanted to tell people for so long. I wish everyone who knows our family could read this." This book is the result. It is now used in churches, offices, ministries, and communities as the must-have, easy-read resource for training and explaining attachment issues to those who need to know as soon as possible how to support adoptive and foster families.In about 100 pages, Upside Down provides information and insight that transforms an outsider's assumptions into an insider's powerful perspective. Because adoptive and foster families should never feel alone, and our communities can be equipped to make sure they never feel that way again.

Has motherhood taken some unexpected turns? Do you struggle with feeling like you're never enough? You've done so much, and prayed so hard - but do you feel like you have very little to show for all your blood, sweat, and tears?Motherhood can break us wide open. But this is where God pours in, brings truth and healing, and makes us stronger than before. These 60 pages of powerful encouragement meet you right where you are in this season of questions and remind you who you are: Resilient. If steadfastness is pushing through to break-through, resilience is rising again after devastation or loss. They both move forward and they often go together. We are steadfast when we have survived the waiting; we are resilient when we have survived the breaking. And then we are unstoppable.For anyone feeling tied to their past, between a rock and a hard place, not sure how this thing ends: God isn't done with you yet.

Capable: adjective, able to perform. Having what it takes. Qualified. Overwhelmed moms, there's good news for you: This is who you are.It doesn't always feel like it though, does it? In the middle of the mess and the mayhem, we often feel exactly the opposite. There's too much to do. We feel behind. If we could only have a quick win, a fresh start, a reset for our thinking patterns, we might get our feet underneath us again.It might be right here. Fifty pages of candid encouragement - no sugar-coating, no la-la rainbows - just real truth to hold onto in the midst of the overwhelm, reminding you who you are: Capable. You were made for this.

Adoptive and foster families working through attachment issues often feel alone. But it doesn't have to be that way - communities around them can intentionally be part of the solution instead of unintentionally being part of the problem. Without that support, adoptive and foster families live in isolation.Shannon Guerra learned this first-hand after she and her husband adopted two children in 2012, and she started writing shockingly transparent blog posts about what her family was going through at home, at the doctor's office, and in her heart as a mama. And then adoptive and foster families started writing back. Their overwhelming, unanimous theme was, "This is what I've wanted to tell people for so long. I wish everyone who knows our family could read this." This book is the result. It is now used in churches, offices, ministries, and communities as the must-have, easy-read resource for training and explaining attachment issues to those who need to know as soon as possible how to support adoptive and foster families.In about 100 pages, Upside Down provides information and insight that transforms an outsider's assumptions into an insider's powerful perspective. Because adoptive and foster families should never feel alone, and our communities can be equipped to make sure they never feel that way again.

It's significant that paper is made from the same material He was nailed to. He still uses it to heal us, show us more of Him, and conquer what's harassing us.God speaks when we listen. And sometimes, we listen better with paper in front of us so we can write down the revelations and insights He gives us. This guided journal is for writers, emotional processors, deep thinkers, and anyone who wants to dig deeper in their own journey of hearing God and knowing He is with them in every moment. Using excerpts from Oh My Soul in conjunction with thought provoking questions and prompts from scripture, Christian classics, and classic literature, the Oh My Soul Companion Journal will help you grow further with God and press into more powerful breakthrough with every page you write.

Every day. Every minute. Every situation. He is the God with us.But, oh my soul, be prepared for the encounters with Him to surprise you.We want to pray - to hear God better, and to know His will for all the messy, mundane details of our life. But does He still speak to us when we are distracted, grumpy, overwhelmed, and unprepared? How can we have "quiet time" with God when there's no quiet, and no time? Can we really know the will of God and move forward in obedience, in spite of fears and failures?And, if we're really honest with Him, will He strike us with lightning? Or will we end up praying with boldness and authenticity like never before?

Every day. Every minute. Every situation. He is the God with us.But, oh my soul, be prepared for the encounters with Him to surprise you.We want to pray. To hear God better. To know His will for all the messy, mundane details of our life. But does He still speak to us when we are distracted, grumpy, overwhelmed, and unprepared? How can we have "quiet time" with God when there's no quiet, and no time? Can we really know the will of God and move forward in obedience, in spite of fears and failures?And, if we're really honest with Him, will He strike us with lightning? Or will we end up praying with boldness and authenticity like never before?