New books on pain and suffering, and on faith and family, are now available from Nurturing Faith Books, Good Faith Media’s publishing imprint.
In June 1986, Harold Bryson’s marriage of 23 years ended abruptly. Having returned from a trip late one night, he entered the house to find that his wife and sons were gone. A note on the kitchen counter read, “I have decided to leave,” offering no reason for her departure and no address for where she’d gone.
The absence of his family created shock, disbelief, numbness, panic, hopelessness and many other feelings. Three years later, Bryson experienced an unexpected teachable moment when he heard Carly Simon singing, “I Haven’t Got Time for Pain.”
The lyrics hit Bryson in a strange way, giving him pause. He realized that he hadn’t taken his pain honestly — spiritually, theologically or practically. As he evaluated his futile responses to pain, he realized: “You have to take time for the pain.” So, he did.
In Take Time for the Pain: Pilgrimage Through Suffering, Bryson shares insight gained as he learned about pain and the best help for it, which comes from God.
A native of Mississippi, Bryson received his professional education at Mississippi College and New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary. After his training, he served as pastor of several churches for 18 years, as a professor of preaching at New Orleans Seminary for seventeen years, and as a professor at Mississippi College where he served 10 years.
The things Lynelle Mason has inherited, both the good and the not-so-good, have little to do with money. Among her inheritances are the genes given by her parents and ancestors, along with the places where she has lived, as well as certain people and events. They all are tied together in a bundle Mason chooses to call her inheritance.
In My Inheritance: Family and Faith During the Great Depression and World War II, Mason offers an autobiographical exploration of her inheritances, while encouraging readers to consider and explore their own.
My Inheritance is Lynelle Sweat Mason’s eighth publication with Nurturing Faith Books. A graduate of the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor and Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, Mason is a lifelong learner.
In addition to writing, she is a voracious reader and loves gardening and taking nature photographs. As a resident of Ascension Living and a member of First Baptist Church of Chattanooga, Tennessee, she enjoys offering words of encouragement, hugs and laughter with her ever-growing circle of friends.
Both Take Time for the Pain and My Inheritance are available in paperback for $18 each (with free shipping) from GFM’s bookstore.
An e-book for both titles will be available on Amazon (Kindle) and Barnes and Noble (Nook) soon.
Reflection and resources at the intersection of faith and culture through an inclusive Christian lens.
