Foster Joy

In this engaging narrative, Nathan Foster draws insights from saints of old to uncover fresh ways of living for the contemporary, postmodern Christian. Through his successes, struggles, and failures, Foster invites listeners on a journey of freedom, pain, frustration, and ultimately joy as he learns to rise above selfish desires, laugh at his own failures, and fall in love with God.

I love being on the ice and am grateful for my hockey career, but the off season is my favorite time of the year because it brings me my one true love—my daughter, Bowie Jane. Between my job and my ex-wife living across the country, the time I get to spend face-to-face with my kiddo is limited, though we make up for it with summers full of fun adventures. We’re thick as thieves and take full advantage of our time together, but the distance away from her is killing me.

As we open up to life and love and each other, as we awaken from our dream of separation, we encounter not just the bliss of existence, but its pain, too; not only life's ecstasy, but also its agony. Healing doesn't always feel good or comfortable or even "spiritual", for we are inevitably forced to confront our shadows, fears, and deepest longings - those secret parts of ourselves that we have denied, repressed, or deemed "negative" and unworthy of our love.

If you’re wondering if God can truly move in the life of someone with all the odds stacked against her, look no further than Tori Hope Petersen. Tori grew up in the foster care system, a bi-racial child in a confusing and volatile world. Growing up with a mentally ill mother and living in twelve different foster homes, nothing was in her favor. And yet, even with a miniscule chance of graduating college and a great risk of being homeless, jobless, and on drugs, Tori overcame every negative stereotype that attacked her. However, Tori will tell you she did not overcome. Christ did.

Children’s future successes depend on developing the abilities to innovate, be resilient in the face of their mistakes, problem-solve creatively, and collaborate with peers effectively. However, standard American educational practices—stressing memorization, grades, and testing—are failing to foster these skills. There is one complete system of education that effectively supports the natural development of such essential abilities: Montessori. Montessori education expert Paula Lillard Preschlack offers a clear explanation of how the Montessori approach helps children.

As a teenaged war hero, Brax Rutledge decided to disappear, causing untold hurt to his family and damage to his soul. Now, having finally surrendered to Christ, he grapples to find his purpose in the life he nearly threw away. While he works to achieve fame as a record-setting pilot, an old friend begs him to take on a complicated rescue effort. Thrown together with the girl he could never have, he must choose between his goals or her wellbeing—time and time again.