Breathe Again

How to Live Well When Life Falls Apart

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"If you are struggling with what your life looks like right now, this book offers real help and tangible hope."--Sheila Walsh, cohost of Life Today and author of It's Okay Not to Be Okay

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You can thrive, not just survive, no matter what life throws at you.

No one gets to skip the tough stuff. Niki Hardy knows. After losing both her mother and sister to cancer, she too was diagnosed. Eventually she discovered that it was possible to find hope, peace, trust, joy, and even laughter in the midst of it all and that life doesn't have to be pain-free to be full.

With plenty of her British humor and loads of practical advice, Niki shows you how to

· replace soul-destroying myths of suffering with the hope-building truths of God
· escape the suffocating mire of survival mode by learning God's life-giving practices for thriving
· uncover more joy, peace, comfort, and connection, despite your circumstances
· laugh when all you want to do is cry, scream, or dive headfirst into a gallon of ice cream


"Niki Hardy eloquently unfolds her powerful story with raw, vulnerable honesty that cuts to the heart of the human condition."--JD Chandler, national media personality, K-LOVE Radio Network

"Filled with life-giving hope, practical help, and the perfect blend of real-life humor we need when life falls apart!"--Renee Swope, bestselling author of A Confident Heart and former radio cohost, Proverbs 31 Ministries


Niki Hardy is a speaker and writer who, alongside her husband, Al, founded CityChurch in Charlotte, North Carolina, where they now live with their three kids and two crazy Goldendoodles. A cancer survivor, tea drinker, and teller of bad jokes, she'd love to connect with you at www.nikihardy.com if she can't hug you in person.


Endorsements

"If you are struggling with what your life looks like right now, this book offers real help and tangible hope. Niki writes with empathy, humor, and gut-level honesty. You'll find a friend within these pages."

Sheila Walsh, cohost of Life Today and author of It's Okay Not to Be Okay

"Where is God in the midst of your pain? What happens when you're too tired and exhausted to pray? Whatever you're going through (the death of a loved one, an illness, a divorce, etc.), it's comforting to know that you're not alone. Niki Hardy has been through the valley of the shadow of death and eloquently unfolds her powerful story with raw, vulnerable honesty that cuts to the heart of the human condition. I would recommend this book to anyone going through a health crisis and to anyone struggling with the issue of real, active faith in the midst of a silent, raging tempest."

JD Chandler, national media personality, K-LOVE Radio Network

"Filled with life-giving hope, practical help, and the perfect blend of real-life humor we need when life falls apart! This book holds the truth we need and the companionship of the friend we want to walk through days that leave us gasping for air and seasons that make us wonder how we'll ever survive. Through the death of loved ones, her own battle with cancer, and one hard thing after another, Niki asked God tough questions and fought to find the answers we all need. I highly recommend Breathe Again! I'm getting a copy to keep and a few to give away, and you should too!"

Renee Swope, bestselling author of A Confident Heart and former radio cohost, Proverbs 31 Ministries

"Niki Hardy is the voice you need to hear when life goes the opposite of what you imagined. I'm buying Breathe Again in bulk to stock our arsenal of books that we keep around to give away to friends and family. This book is a gift."

Myquillyn Smith, Wall Street Journal bestselling author of Cozy Minimalist Home

"This is a gem of a book--just as its author is a gem of a person. Niki is vulnerable and real about pain and suffering, whether her own or others', but she doesn't leave us there. She points us back to God and gives us spiritual encouragement and some down-to-earth practices that we can engage in if we want to thrive and not just survive the tough times. A must-read for anyone who feels they are in a pit of any kind right now--or anyone who ever has been or will be, which just about covers us all, I think."

John Peters, rector of St. Mary's, Bryanston Square, London, England

"My friend Niki knows firsthand what it's like to feel like everything is falling apart, and somehow, in the midst of it all, draw closer to God. Niki leads us on a journey that will take each one of us straight to the feet of Jesus. And she does it with stunning vulnerability, biblical truth, and even humor. (Reading along, I couldn't help but laugh as I imagined her, with her British accent, talking about her "bum," "the loo," and "rubbish.") I would recommend this beautiful book to anyone who doesn't simply want to survive but to rise up and thrive."

Jennifer Dukes Lee, author of It's All Under Control and The Happiness Dare

"We never expect hard times to happen. But they do. And sometimes those times get really hard! And then we don't like it. We struggle. We wrestle with God. We wonder where he is. Niki has been there. She has struggled and wrestled and wondered. And God showed up. He found her. She found him. And she not only survived . . . she thrived. In a realistic way and without relying on clichés, Breathe Again points us to find God in life's toughest places. If you are struggling, you can tell that Niki 'gets it.' And then you can tell that God showed up in down-to-earth ways that grounded her and gave her life. Breathe Again shares in concrete ways how God showed up and what Niki did in that journey. Her honesty and practicality are refreshing. If you are in a 'hole,' God can speak to you through Breathe Again."

Palmer Trice, founder and former director of The Barnabas Center in Charlotte, NC

"Breathe Again is a healing salve for life-weary readers. With a unique combination of practicality and beauty, Niki travels with us . . . addressing the hard questions we have . . . helping us get to a place of greater understanding, acceptance, freedom, and joy. This book is important. It is an evergreen resource I will keep close to recommend often."

Lisa Whittle, author, Bible teacher, podcast host of Jesus Over Everything

"Maybe you're walking through a hard place in your life right now. Niki Hardy's Breathe Again is like holding the hand of a trusted friend who guides you through the tough stuff. She doesn't flinch from the lonely and soul-kicking moments when you can barely take the next breath. Why? Because she has been there herself and come out on the other side. Niki reminds us that no matter how deep our sorrow, Jesus is deeper still. But she doesn't leave us with platitudes. She seasons her story with prayer, Scripture, and practical tools to keep us moving so we don't get stuck in our pain."

Marilynn Chadwick, author of Sometimes He Whispers, Eight Great Ways to Honor Your Husband, and Woman of Valor

"Delivered with transparency, honesty, and vulnerability, Breathe Again provides practical, interactive tools that will equip you to live well when your life is shattered. Don't read this book merely for information; instead, read this book with a commitment to apply those tools to your own life."

Anna LeBaron, author of The Polygamist's Daughter: A Memoir

"Niki Hardy will have you laughing and crying your way to healing. Perhaps the healing won't occur physically or relationally or circumstantially. Maybe nothing will change at all except you . . . as you learn to breathe again."

Wendy Speake, author of multiple books, including The 40-Day Sugar Fast and Triggers

"If you're drowning in overwhelming anxiety or fear because of a life-altering crisis or change, Niki is the friend steering toward you in the lifeboat that is this book. With warmth, humor, and tell-it-like-it-is honesty, Niki's words are a kind companion within your circumstances. Breathe Again is the place where your unanswered questions and unresolved emotions meet God's abundant presence. Read this book and know you're not alone."

Kristen Strong, author of Back Roads to Belonging and Girl Meets Change

"Everyone loves a good story, and Niki Hardy is a wonderful storyteller. Weaving real-life dramatic accounts of bravehearted souls who put the pieces back together in the midst of their pain, Niki shines light on the difficulties and rewards of resilience. And she does this brilliantly from a well-balanced biblical perspective. In Breathe Again Niki inspires us to believe our shattering losses are not our final chapters and in the process helps us to embrace our suffering. Sadly, a lot of people don't come back after loss because the journey is too daunting. Niki Hardy has personally climbed out of the pit of despair. Breathe Again is her story of the road out."

Aaron Früh, author of Bounce

"When life knocks you down, you don't need platitudes, you need straightforward practices to help you through. Breathe Again provides needed empathy from and for those acquainted with pain. With wit and candor, Hardy equips those who are hurting to face each day as a Thriver."

Katie M. Reid, national speaker and author of Made Like Martha: Good News for the Woman Who Gets Things Done

"Niki's encouragement to literally breathe again is a call to intention. As believers, it's easy to stumble and then attempt to thrive, but Niki offers permission-giving practices to truly live again. And again. A humble, witty read that compels us toward truth and offers gulps of grace-air."

Bekah Pogue, author of Choosing REAL, Pasture founder, spiritual director-in-training, soul listener at bekahpogue.com


The Author

  1. Niki Hardy
    © Patrice Hinnant

    Niki Hardy

    Niki Hardy is a speaker and writer whose work has appeared in Christian Today and Living by Design Ministries and on Premier Radio. After leaving corporate life in London, she trained as a teacher at Kings College, London, before studying theology...

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