The Inside of the Cup: Spiritual Formation from the Inside Out

True spiritual formation isn’t about doing more—it’s about becoming more whole, rooted, and alive in Christ. In The Inside of the Cup, Jeanie Shaw invites readers to move past surface-level faith and into a grace-filled, intimate relationship with God. Combining personal honesty with decades of lived wisdom, she explores how our view of God shapes our identity and discipleship, guiding readers through essential themes like forgiveness, lament, memory, and imagination. It is a gentle, practical invitation to grow from the inside out, supported by two companion workbooks available for families and small groups.

The Inside of the Cup: Workbook for Individuals and Small Groups

The Inside of the Cup: Workbook for Individuals and Small Groups is a practical companion to Jeanie Shaw’s book on spiritual formation. Designed for personal discipleship or small group study, this accessible guide moves readers past external checklists into a wholehearted, Christ-centered life. Through reflection prompts and experiential exercises, it explores essential themes like gratitude, lament, identity, and vulnerability. Ultimately, it provides the practical tools needed to engage with God authentically and experience lasting spiritual growth from the inside out.

The Inside of the Cup: Workbook for Families

How do we nurture a faith in our children that lasts beyond Sunday mornings and moves past mere behavior? The Inside of the Cup: Workbook for Families is a practical companion designed to help parents and kids (ages 5–18) move from performance-based religion to a spiritual life that flows from the inside out. Through age-appropriate prompts and simple spiritual practices, this workbook helps families focus on identity and character rather than just conduct. Whether used at the dinner table or during casual conversation, it offers a gentle path to building healthy habits, opening the heart, and growing together in a lived relationship with Jesus.

What Now, God? Finding God in Transitions

In What Now, God? Finding God in Transitions, Jeanie Shaw digs deep into our hearts and lives using biblical, personal, and contemporary examples while offering wisdom and practical advice for navigating transitions of all kinds. Exploring one’s identity, core values, and transitional habits, she offers insights into both grieving and celebrating change. While vulnerably sharing her transition journeys, she leads us straight to the heart of God, reminding us that we are not alone. After each chapter, voices of men and women, both young and older, share ways they found God in uncertain, transitional times.

The View from Paul’s Window: Paul’s Teachings on Women

The result of a three-year study on this topic, I offer this book that challenged me and brought greater understanding to a topic so important to me and others. Because this is such an important and controversial topic, I vetted the manuscript with scholars and teachers to garner their input to make this as meaningful and accurate as I could. I share the contents to give you a peek inside, along with a review from Gordon Ferguson.

Part 1: Digging into Scripture
Chapter 1: Meeting Exo-Jesus and Herman Newticks
Chapter 2: Culture Matters: The Garden Culture and Redemption’s Counterculture
Chapter 3: Paul’s Window Seat
Chapter 4: The New Woman: The Burning of the Bras Veils
Chapter 5: Church Culture in Corinth and Ephesus
Chapter 6: Addressing Dressing: You Were What You Wore
Chapter 7: Soap Opera or Scripture? Childbirth, Widows, Deception, Silence, Authority, and Order
Chapter 8: How Silent Is Silence?

Part 2: Aiming Toward Progress in Partnerships
Chapter 9: Partnership and Unity in Ephesians Five
Chapter 10: Embracing Paradoxes
Chapter 11: Women as Fellow Workers
Appendix A: American Chattel Slavery as Compared to Ancient Greco-Roman Slavery
Appendix B: Historical Highlights and Lowlights of Women: From Paul’s Day Through the Restoration Movement
Appendix C: New Wineskins Retreat: A Powerful Example of Inclusion
Endnotes
Bibliography

Review From Gordon Ferguson:

Several years ago, Jeanie Shaw sent out an early draft of this book to me and a number of other teachers, asking for our honest input. What she had written so rattled the cage of my traditions that my response to her was very negative in both content and tone. In fact, I thought it might damage our relationship in spite of how long and close it had been. But she simply practiced what she had written about in the book. She did not cower down in the face of male aggression, but spiritually and respectfully continued to make her points and ask probing questions of me. When God helped me get my emotions in check and start engaging my brain, Jeanie helped me discover my systemic chauvinism and genderism as I began to dig more deeply into important issues of biblical interpretation. As a result, I discovered truths I had been missing and wrote a couple of articles on the topic myself, which can be found on my teaching website.
Many of the most respected teachers in our family of churches have been highly commendatory of Jeanie’s book. Among them are Tom Jones, Douglas Jacoby, Steve Staten, Michael Burns, Steve Kinnard, Ed and Deb Anton, Kay McKean, James Becknell, Tammy Fleming and a number of other well-known leaders. Steve Kinnard, one of my favorite teachers, wrote the excellent Foreword to the book. I think it is a must read for all disciples, male and female. After my wife Theresa read my first article on the topic, she wanted to know what to read next. Giving her the manuscript of Jeanie’s book was a no-brainer. While it is not as long (and complicated) as some books on the topic, it gets right to the heart of the issues in a very readable and understandable way. Her approach is a breath of fresh air in the world of academia where treatments of difficult topics tend strongly toward being rather difficult to read and often unnecessarily complicated. I highly commend both Jeanie and her writing on this important subject. Please read it – soon!

Spiritual Leadership for Women

Do you wish your life had greater impact? Are you looking for ways to be more effective in helping other women know God? Do you wish you had more confidence to mentor others? Spiritual Leadership for Women looks to the lives of Biblical women (some who never intended to be leaders) to draw out applications for today’s woman.
Gain inspiration from the stories of contemporary Christian women who are making a difference across the globe. Savor “pearls of wisdom” from elders’ wives across the world. Draw on the collective wisdom from different eras and cultures to develop godly leadership skills you can pass on from generation to generation.
Whatever your role–whether sharing the Bible with a friend, leading a small group, raising children, leading in business, or working in the full-time ministry–this book will equip you to fulfill your God-given role. Join women from across time and across the globe, as you embrace the principles of Spiritual Leadership for Women.
Order from www.ipibooks.com

Re-Examining Our Lenses

Sometimes, the various ways we interpret the written Word can cloud our view of the Living Word. In Re-Examining Our Lenses, Jeanie Shaw asks us to consider how a selective-literal, Western, and scientific hermeneutic, especially common to those from Restoration church backgrounds, profoundly influences how we view discipleship and spiritual growth. Offering revised lens options for greater clarity and an increased spirit of unity, she invites us to deepen our intimacy with God. As you read these pages and gain clarity, you will be challenged and thrilled to discover new ways to renew and rejuvenate your relationship with the ever-present, living God.

Jesus the Master Teacher: Transforming our Hearts

An Aging Grace: Collected Wisdom on Aging Gracefully

As my friends and I are aging, I longed to gather a collection of wisdom on all kinds of aging issues from wise, spiritual men and women. Thus, this anthology was born. Authors share with raw honesty, wisdom,, and humor.as they share, instruct, and inform on topics such as health, finances, relationships, joy, intimacy, attitudes toward aging, continual learning, retirement,, and much more. This book has been received with much enthusiasm and can be purchase from IPI Books or Amazon.

Wednesdays With Wyndham: Godly Wisdom for Everyday Life

This book is my favorite, as it is written from the deep recesses of my heart. A collection of stories of wisdom I gained from my late husband, this book is meant for all ages and stages of life. I am honored to share such important nuggets of wisdom for life. Don’t miss this one.

Here is an excerpt from the foreword by Gordon Ferguson:

This short volume is simply the best devotional book I have ever read, hands down. It rises above whatever I would rank second by a fair margin. I think of sermons that have made a difference in my life with God and people, and what made them have that effect. They were those which enabled me to take away one application that changed me. In a similar way, each of Jeanie’s chapters has distilled gems of wisdom (about wisdom) into bite-sized chunks that leave you full in spite of their brevity….
I am excited with anticipation for you, the reader, as you begin reading what will be a life-altering experience. I need say no more. Just start reading.
You can find it on Amazon.com.

The Sacred Journey: Finding God in Caregiving

This book is a collection of vulnerable, inspirational, and informational stories by caregivers who have found God’s support amid their trials. If you are a caregiver, or know a caregiver, you need to read this book. This book has brought encouragement, practical wisdom, hope, and comradery to many readers.

Fruity Tunes and the Adventures of Rotten Apple

Several years ago my church was having a large gathering of several thousand people. We had limited space for children’s classes and needed to combine several hundred preschool children and teach them for an hour (or so.) As often happens, necessity is the mother of invention. Thus, the Fruity Tunes story was born.

Through props, songs, Bible verses and a story of good overcoming evil (stories for kids often need a villain, right?) this little story started to come alive. I tested the story/play with my grandchildren – and they loved it. I believe children are so eager to learn.

After recruiting some high school and college students with lots of energy, great voices and a shining example we were able to teach and entertain hundreds of children.

The story was so well received that I decided to put it in a book. This book is particularly designed for children ages 3 to 10. You can order from amazon.com . Proceeds help some of the orphans I met in Romania.

Rosie and Opal: Finding Hope

This little children’s book is based on a true story. I wrote this after an inspiring visit to “Hope Elephants”. The relationship between Rosie, Opal and Dr. Jim is sure to touch your heart. You can read more about Rosie, Opal and Dr. Laurita at hopeelephants.org. 

 Sadly, Dr. Jim Laurita tragically lost his life due to an accident. He had devoted his profession to the care of “his girls”—Rosie and Opal, and to furthering education about the nearing extinction of Asian elephants. Each year, over thirty thousand elephants are killed for their ivory tusks.

This book has been “test read” with many children.  The first reading, to a group of about sixty kindergartners at a public school, was met with keen attentiveness, smiles, laughter, and great feedback on lessons learned. Order from amazon.

The Helping Garden

This book was inspired by my hairdresser, who began offering (free of charge) her services to those who had lost their jobs. She continues to do this on her day off. This little story communicates a story of love and sharing resulting from this “snowball-effect-grass-roots-helping-one- another” initiative. It will help children (and adults) better understand the importance of finding ways to help others.

After her beloved bookstore is torn down, Maria thinks of ways to help those affected by the loss. She plants special seeds in the dirt where the bookstore once stood. As she plants these “helping seeds,” one by one her friends begin helping others. Soon, something extraordinary happens in the lot where the bookstore once stood…bringing joy to the entire town.
Order from amazon.com .

My Morning Cup

I worked on this book for about five years…but it had been working on me for a life time.  I feel so blessed to have my “cup of learning” from God refilled on a daily basis.  I’ve heard from many that this book has helped them better learn to apply the Scriptures to their own life situations.  I hope you will be enriched as we share a morning cup together.

From the back cover:  In the mornings, Jeanie Shaw pours herself a cup of coffee and settles in to read God’s word.  In these special times with God, he fills her  spiritual cup with his truth and guidance.  Although she is careful not to pour her coffee to overflowing, God is not as “careful.”  She finds that her cup from God overflows on a daily basis.  Hence, the title, My Morning Cup.

As Jeanie shares experiences from her life that are amazing, scary, or amusing, you will find yourself saying, “I can’t believe all this has happened to her!”  This is a Christian book, so all the stories are true.  But more important than the stories themselves is the spiritual “cup of learning” that Jeanie draws from them all…and shares with us in this fourth volume of the Wisdom for Life series of women’s devotional books.

Sample Chapters:

When There’s a Knife in Your Back; When the Toddler Falls Out; When You Get Sprayed With Gasoline; When the Person Beside You Sets Himself on Fire; When There’s a Deer in Your Bathtub; When Your House is on Fire,…. 

You may order directly from me at [email protected] , IPI Books, Amazon.

There’s a Turkey at Your Door

Turkeys started showing up in force in my neighborhood this past year.  After some unlikely encounters with them, I began thinking about the ways we are often surprised, perplexed, discouraged, or encouraged by encounters with “life issues” that we don’t expect.  From this thought, “There’s a Turkey at Your Door and other devotional thoughts” was born. 

In a series of short chapters that feature anecdotes ranging from the humorous to the heartwarming, There’s a Turkey at Your Door takes you on a journey to explore the Bible’s many applications to daily life. As Jeanie invites you into her life and into God’s word, you’ll laugh out loud, shed a few tears, and discover lasting spiritual insights. So come on in, the door’s wide open.

This new book by Jeanie is all about life and love. As a spiritual wife, mother, grandmother and leader, the values and loves of her life jump out on virtually every page.  These spiritual insights can not only change our day, but over a period of days can change our spiritual character.  The book contains a treasure chest of daily spirit food, a simple concept producing a profound result!  I wholeheartedly urge you to read this book – whether you are a male or female (perhaps especially if you are a male!). I promise you will be delightfully entertained and highly blessed! —Gordon Ferguson – director, Pacific School of Ministry and author of numerous Christian books

You can order the book from me or from Amazon.

When the Chicken Hits the Fan

Order from Amazon.com.

Every Day is a New Chance

Funny. Touching. Honest. Inspiring. Hopeful. In Every Day Is a New Chance, Jeanie invites you into her life and heart as she shares her life’s conundrums, difficulties, and treasures. You will feel as if you are sitting with an old friend as you discover ways to take the best chances with your own life situations. The fourth in her “Morning Cup Devotionals” series, Every Day Is a New Chance infuses Scripture into life’s ordinary moments-transforming them to the extraordinary.

Order from IPI Book or at Amazon.

These books make great discussion groups or book club reads:

Jacob’s Journey

I wrote this book (my first book) at the beginning of a journey that changed my life…for the better.  The journey has been much more difficult than I could have imagined…sort of like a path I traveled this morning. The path was rocky.  Poison ivy, along the sides of the path, seemed to be “eager for attack”.   Walking the path produced some sweat or “glow” (if you want a more dainty word).  However, beyond the hill and at the end of the path I witnessed a most spectacular panoramic view of our gorgeous rocky New England coast.  Isn’t it often the case… that in order to catch the most breathtaking views you must first take a journey?

From the back cover:  Come with Jeanie Shaw on an incredible journey of faith and love…Jacob’s Journey.  Jeanie shares the story of her family’s adoption of a Romanian orphan and the insights she gained about God’s adoption of his children.  Heart-moving and heart-challenging, this book will bring tears and smiles, heartaches and belly laughs…all wrapped up together.  Jacob will journey right into your heart and give you a deeper understanding of adoption and a more personal relationship with your heavenly Father.   You may order directly from me. Contact me at [email protected].

Understanding Goose: For anyone who has felt different, rejected, or empty

The genesis of this book came from trying to better understand my adopted son, Jacob. As I learned so many things, it became clear to me that the lessons I was learning about adoption issues were common needs touching areas way beyond adoption. Thus, the book!  If you don’t understand what a goose has to do with this journey…keep reading…

Beginning with the true story of a goose, Understanding Goose explores the issues of loss, grief, rejection, identity, trust, shame, intimacy and control…and how they affect our lives. This book moves beyond mere self-analysis to help readers discover the fulfillment that comes when we look to God for healing and self-worth. Without the Scriptures and a relationship with God (which secular teachings often avoid), we miss the most significant and crucial path to healing!  It is my conviction that all things work better when based on principles that have their origins in God’s word.  May you find rest for your soul as you come to ‘Understand Goose’.” Order from amazon.com. 

Jacob’s Journey

I wrote this book (my first book) at the beginning of a journey that changed my life…for the better.  The journey has been much more difficult than I could have imagined…sort of like a path I traveled this morning. The path was rocky.  Poison ivy, along the sides of the path, seemed to be “eager for attack”.   Walking the path produced some sweat or “glow” (if you want a more dainty word).  However, beyond the hill and at the end of the path I witnessed a most spectacular panoramic view of our gorgeous rocky New England coast.  Isn’t it often the case… that in order to catch the most breathtaking views you must first take a journey?

From the back cover:  Come with Jeanie Shaw on an incredible journey of faith and love…Jacob’s Journey.  Jeanie shares the story of her family’s adoption of a Romanian orphan and the insights she gained about God’s adoption of his children.  Heart-moving and heart-challenging, this book will bring tears and smiles, heartaches and belly laughs…all wrapped up together.  Jacob will journey right into your heart and give you a deeper understanding of adoption and a more personal relationship with your heavenly Father.   You may order directly from me. Contact me at [email protected].