A Campus Life 1990 Book of the Year Here's an indispensable book for any Christian contemplating marriage or seeking guidance in finding a life partner. Drawing from personal experience and his years of counseling singles and couples, Blaine Smith takes a refreshingly candid and openhearted stance as he helps you think through these and other questions: Are the two of you compatible? Are your expectations realistic? Should dating be part of the courtship process? What if one of you has been divorced? How can you deal with the fear of commitment? How do you find God's will in all this? This revised edition tackles the tough questions single Christians face today in a culture that often idolizes personal fulfillment and devalues marriage commitment. Smith's common-sense approach, informed by biblical principles, debunks myths about marriage while offering wise counsel on marriage versus singleness, friendship and dating, compatibility, expectations, fear, problem-solving, communication and compassion.

This timely book provides effective methods and authentic examples of teaching about climate change through digital and multimodal media production in the English Language Arts classroom. The chapters in this edited volume demonstrate the benefits of addressing climate change in the classroom through innovative media production and cover a range of different types of media, including video/digital storytelling, social media, art, music, and writing, with rich resources for instruction in every chapter. Through the engaging ideas and strategies, the contributors equip educators with the critical tools for supporting students’ media production. In so doing, they offer new perspectives on how students can employ media and production techniques to critique the status quo, call for change, and acquire new literacy skills. As the effects of the climate crisis become increasingly visible to the youth population, this book helps foster and support youth agency and activism. Youth Media Creation on the Climate Change Crisis: Hear Our Voices is a necessary text for students, preservice teachers, and educators in literacy education, media studies, social and environmental studies, and STEM education. The eBook+ version of the text features embedded audio and video components as well as interactive links to reflect the multimodal nature of students’ work, spotlighting how youth media production supports the development of students’ critical literacy skills and shapes their voices and identities.

This timely book provides effective methods and authentic examples of teaching about climate change through digital and multimodal media production in the English Language Arts classroom. The chapters in this edited volume demonstrate the benefits of addressing climate change in the classroom through innovative media production and cover a range of different types of media, including video/digital storytelling, social media, art, music, and writing, with rich resources for instruction in every chapter. Through the engaging ideas and strategies, the contributors equip educators with the critical tools for supporting students’ media production. In so doing, they offer new perspectives on how students can employ media and production techniques to critique the status quo, call for change, and acquire new literacy skills. As the effects of the climate crisis become increasingly visible to the youth population, this book helps foster and support youth agency and activism. Youth Media Creation on the Climate Change Crisis: Hear Our Voices is a necessary text for students, preservice teachers, and educators in literacy education, media studies, social and environmental studies, and STEM education. The eBook+ version of the text features embedded audio and video components as well as interactive links to reflect the multimodal nature of students’ work, spotlighting how youth media production supports the development of students’ critical literacy skills and shapes their voices and identities.

How can we discover God's will for the complicated decisions of time, money, relationships, education and career? How do we know which is best among a variety of "good" options? In this updated and substantially expanded edition, M. Blaine Smith shows how God unfolds his plan for our lives-through the Bible, prayer, reason, abilities, circumstances, desire and the counsel of others. He packs each chapter with stories which illustrate how he and other Christians have learned to make decisions that please God.

The hope of finding someone wonderful to marry is the most intense dream most of us ever experience. Yet the challenge seems impossibly great for so many of us. In this compassionate and deeply practical book, Blaine Smith offers a mountain of advice and encouragement to those at their wits end searching for a spouse. Drawing on decades of experience teaching and counseling singles, he provides multiple strategies for finding a marriage partner, including many you haven't likely thought of before. Smith writes with a heart for the special issues Christians face in looking for marriage. Yet anyone will find benefit in his insights and practical advice.

Smith also looks closely at expectations, and how they can help or quickly defeat us in our search for a mate. Friendship, he stresses, much more than romance, is at the heart of a blissful, healthy, enduring marriage. Grasping this time-honored principle can simplify our marriage quest, sometimes greatly, for we recognize possibilities we haven't considered. Smith looks carefully at what sort of friendship works best for marriage, and at what role romance and sexual attraction should, in fact, play.

Other topics include - Embracing the desire for marriage Why your prospects of finding someone are good - regardless of age Rebounding from rejection Why you probably don't have "the gift of singleness" God's guidance in your marriage quest Recognizing opportunities you already have Getting others' help in finding someone to marry Changes - major and minor - that can help you The best places for meeting someone Dating and launching a serious relationship Using Internet matching services effectively Taking initiative effectively as woman Making every day count

M. Blaine Smith, a Presbyterian pastor, is author of nine books, including The Yes Anxiety, Overcoming Shyness, and the best-selling Should I Get Married?. He is director of Nehemiah Ministries in Washington, D.C.

WHAT ARE YOUR STRONGEST DESIRES FOR THE FUTURE?

A new job or career? Marriage? A lifestyle change? Mastering a skill? A creative accomplishment? An athletic triumph? Your dreams are often far more within your reach than you realize. God has ordained each of our lives to certain accomplishment, Blaine Smith stresses. He has given us the capacity to dream big -- and those dreams that stand the test of time are often a vital indication of what he wants us to do with our lives. We must not be too inclined to "play it safe," but need to stay open to new steps of faith.

In this new book (April 2012), Blaine provides a strong mix of encouragement and practical help for taking these steps and putting your dreams in motion. He examines the positive role of desire in the Christian life, which so often is neglected in Christian teaching. He looks carefully at problems we face in finding permission to embrace our heart's desires. And he encourages us to continue to think big and pursue fresh dreams for as long as God gives us the ability.

Reach Beyond Your Grasp will help you to: Identify which of your dreams are most important to pursue Successfully set goals to achieve your dreams Understand how faith and hope relate to your achievements Draw on others' help successfully Pray effectively about your dreams Deal with setbacks and move beyond them Deal with fears of failure and success Joyfully succeed

This book will give you the heart to reach that new horizon, and the know-how to do it. It's time to expand your sights and embrace God's bigger picture for your life

M. Blaine Smith, a Presbyterian pastor, is author of ten books, including Knowing God's Will, The Yes Anxiety, and Should I Get Married?. He is director of Nehemiah Ministries in the Washington, D.C. area.

SOLUTIONS TO YOUR NEEDS MAY BE MORE WITHIN YOUR REACH THAN YOU REALIZE In this short book (71 pages), Blaine Smith stresses that we Christians too often fail to take needed initiative toward meeting needs we have, solving problems, and pursuing goals and dreams. We assume faith requires us to wait passively for the Lord to provide. Yet so often we would show greater faith and trust in Christ by taking initiative. We would find ourselves happier and more successful by being active, and would contribute more to the mission of Christ. Smith explains why, and he offers a simple principle for deciding when to wait or initiate, based on how people resolved this question in Scripture. Smith also looks at other liberating principles related to taking initiative, including- We are more capable of finding good answers to our problems and needs than we imagine, because of how God has fashioned our mind and influences it. By continuing to strive for solutions, we're sometimes surprised by sudden, welcome insight. Doing something toward a need, no matter how mundane, usually beats doing nothing, and opens us to God's greatest blessings. During our lifetime most of us experience a number of blatant opportunities which God doesn't wish us to accept. This is an especially encouraging principle to understand, for we're not obliged to go through the wide open door if it doesn't align with our long-term priorities. Our prayers are often more effective than we think, and we honor God by being bold and persistent with our requests. While we're called to turn the other cheek, we're not to be a doormat to anyone's abuse. We're expected to stand up for ourselves when others treat us unfairly. And turning the other cheek, rightly understood, is a high form of assertiveness. You'll find Should I Wait in Faith or Step Out in Faith? filled with practical advice and encouragement, to help you find answers to your needs and to realize your highest potential for Christ Note: Chapter 6 of this book, Faith and Assertiveness, and part of chapter one are adapted from Blaine Smith's Overcoming Shyness. The other five chapters are published here for the first time in book form.

The world needs what makes you unique

In this classic on Christian self-image, Blaine Smith stresses the importance of cherishing your personal distinctiveness - as a gift of God, and a vital indication of what he wants you to do with your life. And he looks carefully at what this means. He considers how self-esteem and humility should fit together for the Christian. And he gives you solid biblical reasons to view your personality, talents and gifts, physical features, and special circumstances positively and appreciatively. His accent is on encouragement and re-inventing the way you see yourself as a child of God.

This book will help you to: Appreciate your personality, talents and physical features as God's handiwork Be more alert to golden opportunities to invest your life Understand how self-esteem and humility fit together in the Christian life Break through "self-consistency" to achieve a genuinely more positive, healthy self-concept Base your identity not just on one talent or characteristic, but on your unique combination of features Break the habit of comparing yourself unfavorably to others

Ralph T. Mattson comments: "More people are likely to be blunted in their growth by poor perceptions of their individual worth than by inflated egos. Innumerable Christians have embarked on their life's calling with profound misunderstanding of their uniqueness and self-worth, thereby missing many of the delights of full-orbed Christian living.

"One of a Kind is a welcome corrective. It encourages us to abandon self-depreciation for a realistic biblical view of ourselves without false positivism. In dealing with the subjects of humility, self-esteem, ideals, body image, and personality, Blaine Smith covers the most commonly expressed concerns people are likely to have about themselves."

Ralph T. Mattson, author of Finding a Job That You Can Love

Blaine Smith's One of a Kind (originally published in 1984 by InterVarsity Press) is re-issued by SilverCrest Books.

WHAT A RADICAL DIFFERENCE EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE MAKES With this extraordinary benefit, we're happier, more productive and successful. We love and help others more effectively. Our health likely improves as well. Without it, our emotions so often defeat us. We worry incessantly about catastrophes that never occur. We lose our temper easily. We cave in to despair over a setback, missing any silver lining. We give in to the urge to rescue someone, when we're already overextended. We tire unnecessarily.

The emotionally intelligent person is far less susceptible. She understands her feelings well, and handles them adeptly. He also knows how to draw many benefits-even from his negative emotions. In this warm and insightful book, Blaine Smith looks carefully at what emotional intelligence is, and why it's vital for the Christian. He explains how you can achieve it, offering much practical counsel, and drawing on many fascinating biblical and personal examples. He looks at issues common to everyone, and at many unique to us as believers.

Emotional Intelligence for the Christian will help you to: Avoid emotional freefalls into anger, despair, anxiety Understand anger's pitfalls as well as its positive role Grow more optimistic about your future, and gain greater motivation for steps of faith Better prepare yourself emotionally for solving problems and recognizing God's guidance Understand when your desires signal God's will for you Appreciate your unique temperament and its benefits More effectively love and serve others for Christ

The goal of growing wiser emotionally is highly achievable for any of us who take it seriously. This book will give you both the inspiration and practical guidance to make it happen

M. Blaine Smith is director of Nehemiah Ministries, in the Washington, D.C. area, and author of many books, including Overcoming Shyness and The Yes Anxiety.

From the big city beat to a blue jean retreat with a true best friend. An echo through a canyon of truth. Circles of lies. Which way can one go when reality is so close to to the razorz edge. Promises are for people who can not keep their word? Grand naivity? To laugh like a child is great for the soul until the heart is broken and one is left crying like a baby. Dreams will not die as long as the desire within burns. Stop for a moment and check this out. Why ask why? Kick your feet up. Do not let video games kill old fashioned radio. Rock and Roll WILL NEVER DIE BABY! OW! 9/4/09

(Originally The Optimism Factor: Outrageous Faith Against the Odds)

There's a strange connection between the exercise of our faith (wobbly though it may be) and the growth of optimistic hope in our hearts. Outrageous faith, Blaine Smith calls it. And he explains why, as he examines the role of positive expectation in the Christian life.

Blaine believes that faith is the most underappreciated benefit in the Christian life today. Christians who do emphasize faith often take it to an unhealthy extreme--just believe anything can happen and God will accomplish it for you. Yet most Christians don't emphasize faith enough, even though it is upheld constantly in Scripture as the means by which we receive the grace of God and every benefit he provides.

In this book Blaine looks closely at what the biblical attitude of faith involves. He concludes that it means an overwhelmingly optimistic view of God and of his willingness to provide the best for each of us. He considers how we can exercise faith in the most authentic sense, by taking challenging steps to realize our personal potential. And he offers practical wisdom on how to: rekindle our optimism when it's lost rebound from disappointment distinguish healthy faith from unreasonable expectations find the heart to make new beginnings overcome our fears of change handle our shifting view of God let go of problems that aren't ours

Blaine Smith's The Optimism Factor, first published by InterVarsity Press, is republished by SilverCrest Books Praise for The Optimism Factor

"A profound, practical and positive exposition of the importance of living our faith, and in the process, seeing our lives both realistically and with the optimism that comes only from surrender to Christ." - JACK KEMP, former New York congressman and secretary of HUD

"Smith helps readers move from discouragement to hope, learning to win through failure." - Bookstore Journal

"Read this book and you will find your misconceptions of faith trashed . . . . The twenty-six chapters make this book an ideal daily devotional." - Moody Monthly

Editors' Choice - Family Bookshelf, 1995

"It was the most terrifying experience of my life. It took most of the year to get up my resolve. Finally I sat down by the phone, a friend at my side coaxing me on. I began to dial the number . . . but then my finger pressed the receiver button and the call was canceled.

"This went on for several evenings. Wednesday night had a sense of now or never. If I waited any longer, it would be too late in the week. Finally, I completed dialing the number. Her father answered, and I asked if she was home. Now I was fully committed. I wondered if I would faint."

Blaine Smith did get that date. Gradually he learned a lot about how to handle his shyness. Now he shares his insights and counsel with others show struggle with the pain of shyness and who see it holding them back socially, in the workplace-and even spiritually.

Indispensable advice for: Sharpening your people skills Breaking the panic cycle Balancing faith and assertiveness Making shyness work for you Taking control (one half-step at a time) Tips for facing an audience

"As a shy person myself, I found countless reasons for hope in Overcoming Shyness. Blaine offers detailed, practical helps-always authentic, never gimmicky or artificial. All the shy people in the world owe Blaine Smith a tremendous debt of gratitude for writing this book." STEPHEN A. HAYNER, Ph.D., President, Columbia Theological Seminary, former president InterVarsity Christian Fellowship

"I didn't buy this book. Somebody gave it to me. I'd rather not say who. I read it sitting at home on Friday nights and thought it was pretty good, considering I had nothing better to do. I don't go along with all he says about being more assertive, but what do I know? Maybe a person should be. Scripture says that the meek shall inherit the earth. Do we want to? I don't know. But we are going to, then this book would probably help us run things, assuming we accept the deal. We'll see." GARRISON KEILLOR, humorist, creator, "A Prairie Home Companion" Author, Lake Wobegon Days

This edition of Overcoming Shyness is a reprint of the original by M. Blaine Smith, first published in 1993 by InterVaristy Press. Smith, a Presbyterian pastor, is author of nine books, including Marry a Friend, Knowing God's Will, and Should I Get Married?. He is director of Nehemiah Ministries in the Washington, D.C. area.