James Bryan Smith – författare

In one tragic blow after another, accomplished Christian writer Tim Hudson lost his mother, his close friend, and his two-year-old daughter. Now he’s on the brink of losing his faith.

Room of Marvels takes readers on a silent spiritual retreat with Tim where he is swept up in a dream vision of heaven and given a guided tour by those he has lost. Reminiscent of the C. S. Lewis classic, The Great Divorce, the book carries a contemporary voice that made Library Journal declare it “a good companion to Mitch Albom’s The Five People You Meet in Heaven.”

Remarkably, Room of Marvels mirrors author James Bryan Smith’s own heart-wrenching season of loss when his mother (Wanda), close friend (“Awesome God” singer Rich Mullins), and two-year-old daughter (Madeline) passed away within months of each other.

Updated with a new cover design and epilogue by Smith, the 2007 edition of Room of Marvels will continue to comfort those touched by grief and stir the hunger for heaven in every reader.

Endorsements

“A delightful fantasy.” —Cecil Murphey, coauthor, 90 Minutes in Heaven

“If you’ve ever felt the sting of death from the loss of one you love, Smith’s book will lead you into a warm, inviting room.” —Knight Ridder

“One of those profound, special books that only comes along once in awhile.” —InfuzeMag.com

The Christian faith is about much more than belief and practices - it''s also about the kind of people that we become. Yet some of the biggest barriers to our transformation come from our own toxic narratives about ourselves, narratives that shape the way we see ourselves and the way we interact with the world. We are made with a deep longing in our souls to be wanted, loved, alive and connected to God. Healing our souls requires more than knowing what God thinks about us. Our healing comes not through reason alone, but through revelation. ''The best practice I have seen in Christian spiritual formation'' was Dallas Willard''s endorsement of the Good and Beautiful series a decade ago. Now this fourth book in the series, The Good and Beautiful You, addresses the self-narratives that hinder spiritual growth and the desires of the soul that only God can satisfy. James Bryan Smith reminds us how Scripture reveals the beauty and goodness of our own souls and how we long for healing that only God can provide. Complete with spiritual practices that help us live into that reality, The Good and Beautiful You will serve as a welcome companion on your journey to discover who you truly are in Christ.

THE GOOD AND BEAUTIFUL COMMUNITY is the third book in the Apprentice Series, which along with three other titles forms ''a curriculum for Christlikeness''. THE GOOD AND BEAUTIFUL COMMUNITY focuses on helping us learn how to live as apprentices of Jesus in our ordinary, everyday lives. How do we live out Jesus'' kingdom vision in our families? What impact will our lives with God have on our lives at work? In what ways can we change the world we live in?Each chapter includes a ''soul-training'' exercise to help embed Jesus'' narratives into our minds, bodies and souls, along with questions that can be used for individual reflection or group discussion.

THE GOOD AND BEAUTIFUL LIFE is the second book in the Apprentice Series, which along with three other titles forms ''a curriculum for Christlikeness''.THE GOOD AND BEAUTIFUL LIFE introduces the reader to the kingdom of God and focuses on our inward character, dealing specifically with some of the most problematic vices: anger, lust, lying, worry, judging others and so on. Following the Sermon on the Mount, this book looks at the narratives behind these character flaws and replaces them with Jesus'' narratives about life in the kingdom of God.Each chapter includes a ''soul-training'' exercise to help embed Jesus'' narratives into our minds, bodies and souls, along with questions that can be used for individual reflection or group discussion.

''I noticed that single words from Colossians 3 began to bounce around in my mind, forming a new understanding of the gospel, and a new awareness of who I am, and who my brothers and sisters in Christ are.''Memorising a passage and studying it in depth can offer a deeper sense of the meaning of each word. James Bryan Smith has found Colossians 3:1-17 to be a rich resource for understanding what it means to have our lives hidden in Christ.Each of the thirty short chapters of this book bring out the main truth of just one word or phrase in this rich passage. You''ll also find a simple daily practice to take up, reflection questions and a guide for five weeks of group discussion.