New Releases by Ellen Vaughn

Elisabeth Elliot was a young missionary in Ecuador when members of a remote Amazonian indigenous people group killed her husband Jim and his four colleagues. And yet, she stayed in the jungle with her young daughter to minister to the very people who had thrown the spears, demonstrating the power of Christ’s forgiveness. This courageous, no-nonsense Christian went on to write dozens of books, host a long-running radio show, and speak at conferences all over the world. She was a pillar of coherent, committed faith—a beloved and sometimes controversial icon. And while things in the limelight might have looked golden, her suffering continued refining her in many different and unexpected ways. Her early years, related in Becoming Elisabeth Elliot, traced the transition of a young woman who dealt in “certainties” to the woman who lived with the unknown. Now, being Elisabeth Elliot increasingly meant confronting how much she did not understand. She sought her reference point beyond her own experiences, always pondering what she called the “impenetrable mystery” of the interplay between God’s will and human choices. And it is that strange mystery which shaped the rest of her startling life story.

Discover a reason to believe that God is not finished with today''s generation.

This is a story about relationships--about people who with humor, grit, innovation, expertise, mutual respect, and love were all just crazy enough to make great things happen.

Elisabeth Elliot was a young missionary in Ecuador when members of a violent Amazonian tribe savagely speared her husband Jim and his four colleagues. Incredibly, prayerfully, Elisabeth took her toddler daughter, snakebite kit, Bible, and journal . . . and lived in the jungle with the Stone-Age people who killed her husband. Compelled by her friendship and forgiveness, many came to faith in Jesus. This courageous, no-nonsense Christian went on to write dozens of books, host a long-running radio show, and speak at conferences all over the world. She was a pillar of coherent, committed faith; a beloved and sometimes controversial icon. In this authorized biography, Becoming Elisabeth Elliot, bestselling author Ellen Vaughn uses Elisabeth’s private, unpublished journals, and candid interviews with her family and friends, to paint the adventures and misadventures God used to shape one of the most influential women in modern church history. It’s the story of a hilarious, sensual, brilliant, witty, self-deprecating, sensitive, radical, and surprisingly relatable person utterly submitted to doing God’s will, no matter how high the cost. For Elisabeth, the central question was not, “How does this make me feel?” but, simply, “is this true?” If so, then the next question was, “what do I need to do about it to obey God?” “My life is on Thy Altar, Lord—for Thee to consume. Set the fire, Father! Bind me with cords of love to the Altar. Hold me there. Let me remember the Cross.” –Elisabeth Elliot, age 21

God has always been interested in turning unlikely people into his most fervent followers. Prostitutes and pagans, tax collectors and tricksters. The more unlikely, the more it seemed to please God and to demonstrate his power, might, and mercy. America in the 1960s and 1970s was full of unlikely people--men and women who had rejected the stuffy religion of their parents'' generation, who didn''t follow the rules, didn''t fit in. The perfect setting for the greatest spiritual awakening of the 20th century. With passion and purpose, Greg Laurie and Ellen Vaughn tell the amazing true story of the Jesus Movement, an extraordinary time of mass revival, renewal, and reconciliation. Setting fascinating personal stories within the context of one of the most tumultuous times in modern history, the authors draw important parallels with our own time of spiritual apathy or outright hostility, offering hope for the next generation of unlikely believers--and for the next great American revival. Those who lived through the Jesus Revolution will find here an inspiring reminder of the times and people that shaped their lives and faith. Younger readers will discover a forgotten part of recent American history and, along with it, a reason to believe that God is not finished with their generation.

The inspiring, authorized biography of the woman who left a career in marketing to become the “Mother Teresa of Egypt.” Since 1997, Maggie Gobran and her organization Stephen’s Children have been changing lives in Cairo’s notorious zabala, or garbage slums. Her innovative, transformational work has garnered worldwide fame and multiple Nobel Prize nominations, but her full story has never been told—until now. Bestselling authors Martin Makary and Ellen Vaughn chronicle Mama Maggie’s surprising pilgrimage from privileged child to stylish businesswoman to college professor pondering God’s call to change. She answered that call by becoming the modest figure in white who daily navigates piles of stinking trash, bringing hope to the poorest of the poor. Smart and savvy, as tough as she is tender, Maggie Gobran is utterly surrendered to her mission to the “garbage people” who captured her heart. At her request, the book also spotlights the people she serves—the men, women, and children who prove every day what a little bit of help and a lot of love can do.

DESCRIPTION Jesus is inviting you, "Come to Me." In a world where anxiety and chaos reign, it''s easy to forget the simplicity, the fun, the excitement of being in a close relationship with Jesus. Whether you are emotionally drained, spiritually hungry, or just looking for some fresh inspiration, it''s time to Come, Sit, Stay . . . and rest in His presence. "Ellen Vaughn''s book is a refreshing invitation to consider Christ''s tender words to the weary and a balm for our disquieted souls." DR. RAVI ZACHARIAS Author and speaker "This is an invigorating book, not about religion, but about a relationship with the surprising God who invites us to come to Him and be uniquely refreshed. It is a fun read that goes deep." ERIC METAXAS New York Times best-selling author of Bonhoeffer: Pastor, Martyr, Prophet, Spy "I''ve always loved Jesus'' invitation to come to Him and find rest for our souls. This refreshing book is a great tool to understand more deeply the radical rest that only Jesus can give, and the shimmering, eternal perspective that can actually bring deep peace, right in the midst of our busy days." JONI EARECKSON TADA Founder of Joni and Friends and best-selling author "Ellen Vaughn is brilliant, insightful, funny, Christ-loving, and has a dog named after C. S. Lewis. But to top it off, she is also a terrific writer." RANDY ALCORN Best-selling author and founder of Eternal Perspective Ministries

As a hippie and drug user who had grown-up in a dysfunctional family, Greg Laurie knew what it was to be lost. A seventeen-year-old, long-haired Greg soon discovered his passion for seeing people rescued from hopelessness and transformed into renewed beings with a saving faith in Christ. Laurie quickly became a wonder and an example as to how God could use someone with a sordid past to impact the world with the gospel. Throughout Greg''s autobiography, be encouraged by the trials he overcame and the far-reaching impact these lessons have had. The Lord''s influence in Greg''s life has been thoroughly evidenced by the fruit seen from the ministries Greg has planted, watered, and grown; namely, Harvest Christian Fellowship (one of the largest churches in America) and the Harvest Crusades. Greg Laurie''s legacy has been seasoned with trials and questions, but if God can take a hippie from a severely dysfunctional family and raise him to be one of the nation''s leading evangelists and pastors, what can God do with you?

I''ve told my kids for years that God doesn''t make mistakes," writes Mary Beth Chapman, wife of Grammy award winning recording artist Steven Curtis Chapman. "Would I believe it now, when my whole world as I knew it came to an end?" Covering her courtship and marriage to Steven Curtis Chapman, struggles for emotional balance, and living with grief, Mary Beth''s story is our story--wondering where God is when the worst happens. In Choosing to SEE, she shows how she wrestles with God even as she has allowed him to write her story--both during times of happiness and those of tragedy. Readers will hear firsthand about the loss of her daughter, the struggle to heal, and the unexpected path God has placed her on. Even as difficult as life can be, Mary Beth Chapman Chooses to SEE. Includes a 16-page full color photo insert.

''No one tells a story better than Ellen Vaughn'' ---Chuck Colson Why read a nice book about gratitude? After all, being thankful is not controversial. Everyone agrees that gratitude is a good thing. Nor is it rocket science. It is simple. But radical gratitude is also powerful, provocative, life-changing. It''s like a pair of glasses that get progressively sharper: the more we thank, the more we see to be thankful for. Gratitude is the lens that reveals God''s incredible grace at work. It is the key to tangible, everyday joy. True to Ellen Vaughn''s signature style, this book overflows with unforgettable, surprising stories that show gratitude''s transforming power. It is fun, slightly quirky, deep . . . and immensely refreshing.

Inside this book you will find personal stories and short affirmations, accompanied by inspiring quotes and verses of Scripture.

Alan and Denise Jackson''s life seemed like a fairy tale: high school sweethearts marry young and leave small-town Georgia to pursue big dreams in Music City. They pay their dues, work hard, weather deep disappointments. Then their dreams come true. In fairy tales, the Jacksons'' material success?plus their "perfect" marriage, their three beautiful daughters, and their supportive families?would have signaled a happily-ever-after ending. But real life is different from fairy tales. At the pinnacle of their success, the Jacksons separated. For Alan, musical renown fame, and wealth still did not make up for the marital problems the Jacksons had struggled with for years. And for Denise, building her life around Alan and riding the tide of his success had somehow left her hollow, unsure of just who she really was. You don''t have to be rich and famous to go through struggles like these. Sooner or later, we all come to the point when we relize that real joy and peace isn''t just around the corner of the next achievement, the next relationship, the next new thing. That''s why Alan and Denise Jackson''s story isn''t just a great read and a dramatic, intimate look at the golden world of celebrity. It''s a story of the greatest love of all, the love that will never let you go . . . and how to find it, no matter who you are, where you live, or what you''ve done. "Denise''s story is an inside perspective on the results of the ups and downs of fame. Her personal struggles with life''s ordinary and extraordinary consequences, her passion to have a stronger marriage, and her desire to have a closer walk with God make for a truly inspiring life." ?Carrie Underwood, 2005 American Idol Winner, ACM & CMA Female Vocalist of the Year

Charles Colson has been called, "one of the most important social reformers in a generation." Ten years ago in The Body, Colson turned his prophetic attention to the church and how it might break out of its cultural captivity and reassert its biblical identity. Today the book''s classic truths have not changed. But the world we live in has. Christians in America have had their complacency shattered and their beliefs challenged. Around the world, the clash of world views has never been more strident. Before all of us, daily, are the realities of life and death, terror and hope, light and darkness, brokenness and healing. We cannot withdraw to the comfort of our sanctuaries...we must engage. For, if ever there was a time for Christians to be the Body of Christ in the world, it is now. In this new, revised and expanded edition of The Body, Charles Colson revisits the question, "What is the church and what is its relevance to contemporary culture at large?" Provocative and insightful, Being the Body inspires us to rise above a stunted "Jesus and me" faith to a nobler view of something bigger and grander than ourselves--the glorious, holy vision for which God created the church. Hardcover ISBN 0849917522