Bøger af Marlena Graves

"Ahora, con la ayuda de Dios, seré yo mismo."Estas palabras del filósofo danés Søren Kierkegaard impactan profundamente a Marlena Graves, una escritora, profesora y activista puertorriqueña. En estas páginas ella describe el proceso de vaciarse a sí misma que le permite subir hacia Dios y convertirse en la verdadera yo a que Dios la llama. Haciendo uso de las profundas tradiciones de los santos cristianos del este y del oeste, ella comparte historias e ideas que han vivificado su transformación. Para Marlena, la formación y la justicia siempre van mano a mano en la senda de una vida balanceada de acción y contemplación.Si deseas más de Dios, este libro ofrece un camino que honra el pasado hacia una vida más profunda.

How do we discern God's will and call in the midst of life's storms?Marlena Graves remembers hearing the passage in Mark 4--the one where Jesus calms the sea--in a whole new way. She recalls, "I was not one of the terrified disciples lacking faith, wondering if I was going to drown and miffed at Jesus for remaining asleep and undisturbed by the perilous storm. . . . I was the little fishing boat carrying Jesus in the storm. A tiny vessel in an uproarious storm on the great Sea of Galilee!"As believers, we are all little vessels carrying Jesus. Our lives, the boats in which we carry Christ and his gospel, will venture out to sea. Storms will come, often when we least expect them. How will we respond? And people will come to us seeking refuge. How will we respond to them?Brimming with keen theological insight and personal stories and speaking with a voice for the marginalized, Graves helps us navigate life's storms and discern when to seek a safe harbor--and ultimately, when to head back out to sea. (After all, boats weren't made to remain in the harbor.) Bearing God is an ideal resource for churches, groups, and personal reflection.

Interweaving biblical insights and personal narratives, this eloquently written book shows how God often uses suffering and desert experiences to form us into Christ's image. Marlena Graves shares her experiences of growing up poor in a house plagued by mental illness as a means to explore the forces God uses to shape us into beautiful people in the midst of brokenness.This book offers a window into suffering through the motif of desert spirituality, revealing how God can use our painful experiences to show himself faithful. While no one welcomes suffering, God often uses desert experiences--those we initially despise and wouldn't wish on anyone--to transform us into beautiful souls who better resemble Jesus. Graves shows how God can bring life out of circumstances reeking of death and destruction, whether those circumstances are crises or daily doses of quiet desperation.Readers who have experienced suffering and question God's purpose for it will benefit from this book, as will counselors, pastors, professors, and mentors. It includes a foreword by John Ortberg and Laura Ortberg Turner.