Biographies
Showing 101–150 of 1550 resultsSorted by latest
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Invisible Thread : The True Story Of An 11-Year-Old Panhandler, A Busy Sale
$18.99Add to cartStopping was never part of the plan…
She was a successful ad sales rep in Manhattan. He was a homeless, eleven-year-old panhandler on the street. He asked for spare change; she kept walking. But then something stopped her in her tracks, and she went back. And she continued to go back, again and again. They met up nearly every week for years and built an unexpected, life-changing friendship that has today spanned almost three decades.
Whatever made me notice him on that street corner so many years ago is clearly something that cannot be extinguished, no matter how relentless the forces aligned against it. Some may call it spirit. Some may call it heart. It drew me to him, as if we were bound by some invisible, unbreakable thread. And whatever it is, it binds us still.?
Now with new material that brings the life-changing story up to date for its tenth anniversary, An Invisible Thread is “a book capable of restoring our faith in each other and in the very idea that maybe everything is going to be okay after all” (Catherine Ryan Hyde, author of Pay It Forward).
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Running On Broken Legs
$22.99Add to cartTake undersized five-year-old farm girl Elinor, give her the polio that not only cripples her but also nearly kills her, then give her an impossible dream. In her childhood and again as a college student she rebels against the plan. Finally, she embraces the dream, and it leads Elinor to one of the most primitive, rugged places on earth and to a life that brawny international explorers would envy.
For nearly eighteen years Elinor deals with murdering tribal people, a devastating earthquake and the relief efforts that follow, joys, triumphs, depression, peace, life-threatening illnesses, recovery, and friendship with the Kimyal tribal people, whom she comes to deeply respect and love. The Kimyal people give her the name Bad Legs, which to them reflects how her weak body shows them God’s love. Finally, the late effects of Elinor’s original polio force her to leave the place and people that her heart has embraced. She must find a way to say goodbye.
In typical Kimyal fashion, Elinor tells a story to picture a profound truth: our weaknesses can be the conduit of strength beyond our own.
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Fierce Mercy : Daring To Live Out God’s Compassion In Bold And Practical Wa
$29.99Add to cartAbby Johnson thought she knew what mercy was when she ushered desperate women toward abortion as the director of a Planned Parenthood facility. She was wrong. It wasn’t until she understood the blood on her hands that she personally experienced the power of God’s fierce yet tender mercy to transform her life. But she never imagined what could happen once she allowed that very mercy to infiltrate her life and spill out into a hurting world.
In Fierce Mercy, Abby calls you to experience a transformation of your own. Against the backdrop of her first decade involved in the pro-life movement, Abby helps you discover God’s unrestrained mercy at work in your own life and take steps toward becoming a channel of that life-changing mercy in the world around you. She shows you how to model God’s mercy, freely offer mercy to those who seem undeserving, respond with mercy when others err or offend, and bear witness to God’s unrestrained compassion so that others may know him.
This is Abby’s challenge to you: dare to do what is hard, what is right, and what is good. And do all of it in love.
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Shackled : One Woman s Dramatic Triumph Over Persecution, Gender Abuse, And
$16.99Add to cartSentenced to Death for Her Beliefs Mariam Ibraheem was finally rising above her difficult childhood and building a new life for herself. Born to a Muslim father and an Ethiopian Orthodox Christian mother, she grew up in poverty in a refugee camp in Sudan. Her father left the family when she was only six, and her mother raised her in the Christian faith. Left without family after the deaths of her beloved mother and sister, she was beginning to move past her grief-earning a medical degree, marrying the man she loved, and having a baby boy. But one day in late 2013, her world was shattered when an unknown relative on her father’s side reported her to the police. The authorities said she was considered a Muslim because of her father’s background. She had broken the law by marrying a Christian man, and she must renounce her Christian beliefs and abandon her marriage. Under intense pressure, Mariam repeatedly refused to deny her faith. After a lengthy trial in a Sharia court, she was charged with apostasy and adultery, and she was imprisoned with her nine-month-old son, Martin, on Christmas Eve. There, awaiting sentence, she learned she was pregnant with her second child. A few months later, Mariam was sentenced to 100 lashes and death by hanging by a Sharia court.Shackled is the stunning story of a courageous young woman who was willing to face death rather than deny her faith, who took a stand on behalf of all people who suffer from religious persecution and all women who are maltreated because of their gender and beliefs. Follow Mariam’s story from refugee camp to life under Islam to imprisonment and sentencing to giving birth while shackled in prison to her remarkable escape from death following an international outcry and advocacy involving diplomats, journalists, religious freedom activists, human rights groups, and even Pope Francis.
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Who Do I Think I Am
$27.00Add to cartThis hilarious and thoughtful memoir from comedy legend Anjelah Johnson explores questions of identity, belonging, and her two dreams as a kid: to be an actress and to be a chola.
You may know Anjelah Johnson for her viral sketch “Nail Salon” (over 100 million views globally) or her beloved ghetto-fabulous MadTV character Bon Qui Qui, but it’s her clean humor and hilarious storytelling that make her one of the most successful stand-up comedians and actresses today.
With her razor-sharp wit, Anjelah recounts funny stories from her journey–from growing up caught between two worlds (do chips and salsa go with potato salad?) to unexpectedly embracing faith (“I love Jesus, but I will punch a ‘ho”) to her many adventures in dating (she may or may not have accepted dates simply for the food). Through it all, Anjelah transforms from a suburban-adjacent kid with Aquanet-drenched hair into a devoted Christian who abstains from drinking and premarital sex, into a mall-famous Oakland Raiders cheerleader, and then an actually famous comedian traveling the world and meeting people from all-walks of life, including Oprah. No biggie. (Huge biggie.) As she travels the world, Anjelah has eye-opening experiences, and she morphs from square, rigid Anjelah into “Funjelah,” and learns that she can still ride with Jesus without squashing the other parts of her personality.
Anjelah’s stories explore subjects such as navigating your racial identity, finding your place in the world, chasing your crazy dreams, embracing the messiness of an evolving faith, and searching for belonging and meaning. Through her journey, Anjelah gets closer to discovering her true identity and encourages readers to have the audacity to dream big.
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Sanctuary : The True Story Of An Irish Village, A Man Who Lost His Way, And
$16.99Add to cartFor decades, his family rescued lost and forgotten donkeys in the Irish countryside.He had no idea that one day, the donkeys would rescue him.
Patrick Barrett grew up on the back of a donkey. In the small village of Liscarroll, the young boy helped his family run a sanctuary for abandoned and abused donkeys. Struggling in school, Patrick only felt truly accepted in the presence of these funny, fuzzy, touching animals. It was like magic, how he and the donkeys understood each other. He became a true “donkey whisperer”-reading their body language, communicating with them in ways they could understand, and teaching himself how to “speak” in their distinctive calls.
But when Patrick was of age, he shipped out with the Irish Army and encountered unimaginable wartime horrors in Lebanon and Kosovo. In the aftermath, he returned home a broken man, sinking into the depths of PTSD and addictions. He believed nothing could save him. But he hadn’t counted on the donkeys.
Sanctuary is the remarkable true story of how faith turned one lost man’s life around with the help of the rescue animals who loved him. It’s an antidote to despair and a call to hope, revealing the beauty and wonder of Ireland as you’ve never seen it before
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Madison Park : A Place Of Hope
$19.99Add to cartWelcome to Madison Park, a small community in Alabama founded by freed slaves in 1880. And meet Eric Motley, a native son who came of age in this remarkable place where constant lessons in self-determination, hope, and unceasing belief in the American dream taught him everything he needed for his journey to the Oval Office as a special assistant to President George W. Bush.
Eric grew up among people whose belief was to give and never turn away from your neighbor’s need. There was Aunt Shine, the goodly matriarch who cared so much about young Motley’s schooling that she would stand up in a crowded church and announce Eric’s progress or his shortcomings. There was Old Man Salery, who secretly siphoned gasoline from his beat-up car into the Motleys’ tank at night. There were Motley’s grandparents, who bought books for Eric they couldn’t afford, spending the last of their seed money. And there was Reverend Brinkley, a man of enormous faith and simple living. It was said that whenever the Reverend came your way, light abounded. Life in Madison Park wasn’t always easy or fair, and Motley reveals personal and heartbreaking stories of racial injustice and segregation. But Eric shows how the community taught him everything he needed to know about love and faith.
This charming, engaging, and deeply inspiring memoir will help you remember that we can create a world of shared values based on love and hope. It is a story that reveals the amazing power of faith in God and each other. If you’re in search of hope during troubled times, look no further than Madison Park.
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Leftovers : Baylor, Betrayal, And Beyond
$18.99Add to cartEver since he was a young boy, Matt Sayman wanted to play basketball. He played for hours on end, studied other players, and attended numerous basketball camps. His family believed in his dream, too, even agreeing to move to Texas when one of Matt’s favorite coaches left Pennsylvania for the Lone Star State.
Matt eventually received a full athletic scholarship from Baylor University. He was only six-feet-four but what he lacked in height, he made up for in skill and positive attitude. He was destined to go pro after graduation.
Then the summer before his senior year, the bottom falls out of Matt’s world. A player goes missing…and is found dead. A teammate is the murder suspect. A coach is accused of paying players under the table. Some receive drug-free urine samples to pass off as their own. And through it all, Matt is supposed to be the glue who holds the Baylor basketball team together.
In The Leftovers: Baylor, Betrayal, and Beyond, Matt shares his personal story of dealing with the fallout after tragedy and trouble nearly sank Baylor’s program. Matt was senior co-captain, but with a short-manned team of leftover players, there was no way to have a winning season. There was no way some talent scout would take a chance on him.
Matt’s hope and faith were shaken because of the scandals that summer. He had just turned twenty-one in January and began to party and drink heavily. His post-Baylor years included a DWI, a difficult divorce, and broken relationships. Matt struggled to find peace. On his thirtieth birthday, just a few days after a deep conversation with his pastor, Matt said goodbye to alcohol and surrendered his life to God. This book tells the story of Matt’s personal redemption.
The Leftovers is also a story of the redemption of Baylor University’s men’s basketball program; Matt’s team with a young new head coach forged the Baylor team that won the 2021 NCAA men’s basketball championship.
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Gentle On My Mind
$19.99Add to cartThe page-turning, never-before-told story of Kim Campbell’s roller-coaster thirty-four-year marriage to music legend Glen Campbell, including how Kim helped Glen finally conquer his addictions only to face their greatest challenge when he was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease.
Kim Campbell was a fresh-faced twenty-two-year-old dancer at Radio City Music Hall when a friend introduced her to Glen Campbell, the chart-topping, Grammy-winning, Oscar-nominated entertainer. The two performers from small Southern towns quickly fell in love, a bond that produced a thirty-four-year marriage and three children.
In Gentle on My Mind, Kim tells the complete, no-holds-barred story of their relationship, recounting the highest of highs-award shows, acclaimed performances, the birth of their children, encounters with Mick Fleetwood, Waylon Jennings, Alan Jackson, Alice Cooper, Jane Seymour, and others-and the lowest of lows, including battles with alcohol and drug addiction and, finally, Glen’s diagnosis, decline, and death from Alzheimer’s.
With extraordinary candor, astonishing bravery, and a lively sense of humor, Kim reveals the whole truth of life with an entertainment giant and of caring for and loving him amid the extraordinary challenge of Alzheimer’s disease. This is a remarkable account of enduring love, quiet strength, and never-faltering faith.
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Opal Lee And What It Means To Be Free
$18.99Add to cartThe true story of Black activist Opal Lee and her vision of Juneteenth as a holiday for everyone celebrates Black joy and inspires children to see their dreams blossom. Growing up in Texas, Opal knew the history of Juneteenth, but she soon discovered that many Americans had never heard of the holiday that represents the nation’s creed of “freedom for all.”
Every year, Opal looked forward to the Juneteenth picnic–a drumming, dancing, delicious party. She knew from Granddaddy Zak’s stories that Juneteenth celebrated the day the freedom news of President Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation finally sailed into Texas in 1865–over two years after the president had declared it! But Opal didn’t always see freedom in her Texas town. Then one Juneteenth day when Opal was twelve years old, an angry crowd burned down her brand-new home. This wasn’t freedom at all. She had to do something! Opal Lee spent the rest of her life speaking up for equality and unity. She became a teacher, a charity worker, and a community leader. At the age of 89, she walked from Fort Worth, Texas to Washington, D.C., in an effort to gain national recognition for Juneteenth.
Through the story of Opal Lee’s determination and persistence, children ages 4 to 8 will learn:
*all people are created equal
*the power of bravery and using your voice for change
*the history of Juneteenth, or Freedom Day, and what it means today
*no one is free unless everyone is free
*fighting for a dream is worth every difficultyFeaturing the illustrations of New York Times bestselling illustrator Keturah A. Bobo (I am Enough), Opal Lee and What It Means to Be Free celebrates the life and legacy of a modern-day Black leader while sharing a message of hope, unity, joy, and strength.
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Asian Harvest: : An Autobiography
$18.99Add to cartA gripping autobiography from missionary and Bible courier Paul Hattway, author of The Heavenly Man
Paul Hattaway was a high-school dropout from New Zealand–homeless, hungry, and lonely–before he found faith. But once he encountered the love of God and read the Bible, Paul never looked back. The rest of his life has centered on making sure all the people of Asia have Bibles of their own.
Through his ministry Asian Harvest, Paul has traveled to Laos, Vietnam, Bangladesh, India, Thailand, and many other Asian countries bringing the gospel with him. His ministry has provided over ten million Bibles to China alone, and has sponsored more than fifteen hundred Asian missionaries.
The story of Paul’s conversion, the fascinating places he’s faithfully followed God to, the struggles with the realities of the mission field and other missionaries, and the incredible miracles God has performed along the way make An Asian Harvest a remarkable, inspiring read.
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Rescuer : One Firefighter’s Story Of Courage, Darkness, And The Relentless
$19.99Add to cartThe true story–told with heart-pounding action and heart-melting romance–of a heroic firefighter forced to confront an emergency even he can’t handle: saving himself.
Jason Sautel had it all. Confident in his abilities, trusted by his firefighting brothers, and nationally recognized for his heroism, he was making a name for himself on the mean streets of Oakland, California. There was no emergency he couldn’t handle, and his adrenaline-fueled job helped him forget the suicidal thoughts of his dark childhood . . . until the day he looked into the eyes of a jumper on the Bay Bridge and came face to face with an evil he recognized in his own heart.
In the following months, a series of traumatic emergency calls–some successful, others haunting failures–drove Jason into a deep depression. Even as he threw himself into his work as the model firefighter, he sank deeper and deeper, realizing he could never rescue everyone . . . or even save himself. Just as he was ready to take his own life, Jason began to see hints of hope: the relentless power of love. Packed with dramatic action and romance, vulnerability and inspiration, The Rescuer is a compelling story of courage, faith, redemption, and the one Person who really can rescue us from the darkness.
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Joni : An Unforgettable Story (Anniversary)
$19.99Add to cartOne of the most beloved Christian autobiographies of modern times, Joni highlights the unforgettable story of a young woman’s courageous struggle to find hope after a broken neck left her completely paralyzed.
On a hot July afternoon, Joni Eareckson Tada’s life was dramatically altered in a split second. A reckless dive into shallow water took an athletic young woman from health and success to life as a quadriplegic in a wheelchair. In the forty-five years since the release of this book–which has more than five million copies in print in over forty languages–Joni’s earnest struggle to find hope has resonated with millions of readers around the world. The hard-earned truths she shares in this special edition reveal the power of God’s love to transform, as well as the triumph of faith over pain and suffering.
Joni’s message has inspired people facing all types of challenges, helping them overcome their own limitations with a determined smile. In this updated edition, you will discover how to stay satisfied in God through disappointment and affliction. Filled with practical insights, Joni will help you find hope in every hardship.
This commemorative 45th anniversary edition features updated photos, as well as an all-new chapter in which Joni describes her current battle against two different cancers, her daily struggle with chronic pain, and the joys of leading a global outreach to people living with disability.
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Daughter Of Destiny
$19.99Add to cartWherever Kathryn Kuhlman went, people who once thought miracles impossible learned to believe in miracles.
Before she died, she asked that only Jamie Buckingham be allowed to write her official biography-withholding nothing. Here, then, is the story, not of a plaster saint, but of a very human woman-of marriage and divorce, of betrayal within her own staff, of the shadowy events that surrounded her death. It is the story of Kathryn Kuhlman that few knew, as she wanted it told-all of it. It is the story of the redhead from Missouri who became the foremost woman evangelist of the 20th century.
Enhanced with personal photographs from Kathryn’s family album, illustrating her life story.
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Gladys Aylward : The Little Woman With A Big Dream
$14.99Add to cartWhile in her twenties, Gladys Aylward (1902-1970) felt called to serve God in China and enrolled at missionary school. After failing her exam and being told that she couldn’t go, she was eventually given the opportunity by an elderly missionary in China who needed a young woman to help her.
The only problem was that she needed to pay for her journey there. China is a very long way away! So Gladys worked day and night until, eventually, she had enough for a train ticket to China.
But her train stopped in Siberia and wouldn’t go any further. Gladys had to cross a dark forest, surrounded by packs of hungry wolves.
She met scary people who thought she was a spy. She sneaked onto a ship, and then took another boat, another train, a bus and lastly a donkey!When she eventually arrived, the villagers were deeply suspicious and threw mud at her! But, with time, Gladys earned the trust of those around her and helped the elderly missionary, Jeannie, to run a guesthouse for tired travelers, where they would read them stories from the Bible every night.
Children will enjoy this beautifully illustrated children’s biography, which can be read to young children aged 4-5 and read by children aged 6 plus.
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Betty Greene : The Girl Who Longed To Fly
$14.99Add to cartBetty Greene (1920-1997) wanted to learn to fly from the age of 7. And with some money given to her by her uncle, that’s exactly what she did.
When World War II started, Betty used her skills to serve with the Women Airforce Service Pilots (also known as WASPs). She even became part of a research project that sent pilots way up high, through the stratosphere!
Once the war had ended, she brought her passion for flying and her passion for the Lord Jesus together, and helped to set up a mission which is known today as the Mission Aviation Fellowship (MAF).
Throughout her life, Betty made over 4,640 flights and served in 12 countries, landing in around 20 more.
Children will enjoy this beautifully illustrated children’s biography, which can be read to young children aged 4-5 and read by children aged 6 plus.
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Food Saved Me
$26.99Add to cartFor the first time, New York Times bestselling cookbook author and wellness advocate Danielle Walker writes the full story of her journey to finding life again through the healing power of food.
After being diagnosed with an extreme form of ulcerative colitis, an autoimmune disease, at 22, Danielle made it her personal mission to effectively manage her symptoms through lifestyle and diet without sacrificing her passion for great-tasting, healthy food. Thousands of recipes and three New York Times bestselling cookbooks later, Danielle is a beacon of hope in the autoimmune world, helping millions of readers who suffer from disease, allergies, or chronic ailments find freedom and experience deep healing.
Now, in Food Saved Me, Danielle pens her first memoir, reflecting on the journey that brought her here: a decade-long cycle of diagnosis, trauma, debilitating sickness, remission, recovery, setbacks, hope, and healing. Danielle’s resilience in the face of sickness and loss led her to new ways of cooking, which ultimately redeemed her health and the ideal of hospitality. Through her tribulations and triumphs, you’ll find that no matter what your ailment, there is hope-you can live a full, happy, and healthy life without ever feeling hungry, excluded, or deprived. Because the truth is, food can radically change our lives for the better.
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Let Justice Roll Down Young Readers Edition
$9.99Add to cartHis brother died in his arms, shot by a deputy marshal. He was beaten and tortured by the sheriff and state police. But through it all, he returned good for evil, love for hate, and progress for prejudice, and he brought hope to black and white alike.
The story of John Perkins is a gripping portrayal of what happens when faith thrusts a person into the midst of a struggle against racism, oppression, and injustice. It is about the costs of discipleship–the jailings, the floggings, the despair, the sacrifice. And it is about the transforming work of faith that allowed John to respond to such overwhelming indignities with miraculous compassion, vision, and hope.
Perhaps more now than ever, young people need to read his story. This youth edition of the book Christianity Today named as one of the top fifty books that have shaped evangelicals will inspire a new generation to seek justice, love mercy, and walk humbly with God in the face of radical social change.
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Born To Give
$18.99Add to cartHow does God get the Word out to a lost and dying world?
This book will inspire you to see yourself as a tool for God’s kingdom. God has a ministry for everyone, and He will use what you make available to Him.
Missionary-preacher David Grant’s name has become synonymous in the Assemblies of God with riveting storytelling that makes listeners laugh one minute and cry the next. Very human stories of a kid growing up in Southern parsonages mix with deeply moving stories that expose great human need around the world and the great heart of our compassionate God who cares for the neediest and exploited.
In Born to Give, Grant tells his own riveting story, of a young boy who gave God his life in an offering pan at the invitation of a legendary missionary and became a missionary to the nations, ministering throughout Southern Asia, Europe, and Asia Pacific, and to victims of sexual slavery. Inspiring both laughter and tears, Born to Give is a refreshing and real story that will lead readers to place their own lives and resources in God’s miracle-working hands and engage with Him to bring hope in a broken, unjust world.
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Mitkas Secret : A True Story Of Child Slavery And Surviving The Holocaust
$34.99Add to cartThe remarkable life story of Mitka Kalinski, who survived seven years of enslavement-while still a child-to a Nazi officer during and after World War II
Mitka Kalinski had never revealed his past to anyone. Not even to his wife or his four children.
But in 1981, three decades after it had all ended, Mitka finally broke his silence about the horrors he had endured during the Holocaust and in the years immediately afterward: not only German concentration camps and sadistic medical experiments but also seven years of enslavement in the household of a Nazi officer, “Iron” Gustav Dorr.
Having been orphaned before the war, Mitka did not know his origins or even his name. Torture, slavery, and a false name stripped him of his identity entirely. Thus, when he immigrated to the United States in 1951, Mitka seized the opportunity to bury his past and forge a new life. He lived the American life in all its fullness and moved to Nevada with his beloved wife, Adrienne, and their children. But the secret he carried became an increasingly heavy burden, preventing wholeness and healing.
This is Mitka’s account of facing the past, confronting his captors, connecting with lost relatives, and finding peace in the rediscovery of his origins. For Mitka, this also meant reclaiming his Jewish heritage-a journey that gave him a new sense of purpose and freedom from the lingering effects of trauma that had filled his life to that point. By the end, Mitka’s Secret is less a story of survival and more one of redemption and transformation-from hidden suffering to abundant joy.
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Brave Face : Two Cultures, Two Families, And The Iraqi Girl Who Bound Them
$19.99Add to cartThe inspirational story of an American woman who moved mountains to secure medical treatments-and eventually a home-for a severely burned Iraqi girl thousands of miles away. Now available in trade paper.
It was a typical Sunday morning in 2006 when Barbara Marlowe first saw the photo that changed her life-a photo of four-year-old Teeba Furat Fadhil, whose face, head, and hands had been severely burned during a roadside bombing in the Diyala Province of Iraq. It was Teeba’s eyes that captivated Barbara. They were wide, dark, and soulful. They seemed to cry out across oceans with a single message: Help me
Barbara’s story of responding to that cry is as inspiring as it is improbable. With a powerful faith and determination, she overcame obstacle after obstacle to bring Teeba to the United States for medical treatments-and unexpectedly, to ultimately offer her a home.
A Brave Face includes material written by Teeba, now a young woman, and her Iraqi mother, Dunia, at key moments in their stories. The book also explores the connection forged between Barbara and Dunia over the past decade-a deep bond between two mothers that has flourished despite the distance, the strife of war, and the horrors of Al-Qaeda and ISIS.
In the end, this is a story of hope. A story of building bridges. A story of the always astonishing power of self-sacrificial love.
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Thomas Merton : An Introduction To His Life, Teachings, And Practices
$16.99Add to cartAn introduction to the spiritual legacy of Thomas Merton
Thomas Merton was a Trappist monk and one of the most influential spiritual figures of the 20th century. His writing on contemplation, monastic life, mysticism, poetry, and social issues have influenced generations and his legacy of interfaith understanding and social justice endures to this day. Thomas Merton: An Introduction to His Life, Teachings, and Practices offers an exploration of Merton as a monk, as a writer, and as a human being. Author Jon M. Sweeney delves into Merton’s life and ideas with an appreciation for his work and a deep understanding of the spiritual depth that it contains.
Thomas Merton offers a unique view of the popular and sometimes controversial monk, braiding together his thoughts and practices with the reality of his life to create a full portrait of a pivotal figure. The Merton revealed in its pages is a source of inspiration and insight for those wrestling with questions of faith and spirituality.
At its core, the book is about the search for wholeness–a search Merton undertook himself throughout his lifetime and one readers can also embark on as they draw inspiration and guidance from his life.
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Corrie Ten Boom
$14.99Add to cartInspiring children’s biography of Corrie ten Boom, who saved hundreds of Jewish people during World War 2.
In 1940, the Germans invaded the Netherlands, and Corrie ten Boom and her family helped to hide as many Jewish people as possible. They even had a secret room built in her bedroom.
Corrie and her sister were caught by the German army and sent to a concentration camp, where God made sure they always had a Bible to read and plenty of opportunities to share the good news about Jesus.
Corrie’s trust in God gave her the strength to go on until the war ended. From then on, Corrie talked about her life to big crowds, saying, “There’s no pit so deep that God’s love is not deeper still”.
Children will enjoy this beautifully illustrated children’s biography of Corrie ten Boom, who saved hundreds of Jewish people during World War 2.
Can be read to young children aged 4-5, and read by children aged 6 plus.
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Victor : The Final Battle Of Ulysses S. Grant
$24.99Add to cartIn some ways, everything in our world seems out of control, but turmoil has been a part of the evolution of our nation since its founding. America has endured extremely dark periods in its history-the Revolution, World War II, and perhaps the darkest time of all, the Civil War.
But in darkness, leaders emerge to shine a light of hope to guide the people into the future. During the dark days of the American Civil War, one leader-Ulysses S. Grant-emerged to guide the nation to victory, then to the beginnings of reconciliation. As Lieutenant General, he defeated the rebellion. As Chief of the Army, he provided a stabilizing presence during the Andrew Johnson impeachment. As Presidential candidate, he spoke for every American in his slogan: “Let Us Have Peace.” But there is one story of Grant’s heroism that is rarely told.
Perhaps the most dramatic season in Grant’s life came in his final two years. After leaving the White House he lost all his money in a massive Ponzi scheme. Then only a few months later he received the devastating news that he was dying of throat cancer. Dr. Craig von Buseck uncovers the inspiring and intimate side of this historical legend while providing an in-depth look at the last two years of Grant’s life. Often glossed over in other biographies, the tale told in Victor! focuses on these events. It reveals the driving force behind the winning strategy in his final battle- the campaign to restore his family’s fortune, to ensure his wife is cared for after his death, and to write his memoirs to remind the world that the Civil War was about slavery and a new birth of freedom.
Frederick Douglass, eulogized Grant as “a man too broad for prejudice, too humane to despise the humblest, too great to be small at any point. In him the Negro found a protector, the Indian a friend, a vanquished foe a brother, an imperiled nation a savior.” Victor! gives a glimpse into the life and character of this man that evoked such a tribute from the greatest African-American mind of the 19th Century.
Victor! offers a unique narrative approach allowing readers to hear the voice of a dying General Grant as he writes his memoirs and takes readers back in time to key turning points in the War Between the States-Vicksburg, The Wilderness, Cold Harbor, and ultimately, Appomattox. As Grant is constantly jarred back to the present pain, exhaustion, and sadness as he slowly dies of cancer, readers will be inspired by his courage and tenacity to persevere in
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Betsey Stockton : The Girl With A Missionary Dream
$14.99Add to cartInspiring children’s biography of Betsey Stockton, who followed her dream of being a missionary despite being born enslaved.
When young Betsey joined a missionary voyage to Hawaii, everyone was shocked. “A single woman, who was born enslaved, going to mission? How extraordinary!”
But that’s exactly who Betsey was-an extraordinary girl who believed in an extraordinary God!
Follow her adventurous five-month journey across the Pacific Ocean. A journey of laughter, tears, prayer and even a newborn life! A journey that would take her to the shores of beautiful Hawaii, where she would finally be able to do what she’d always dreamt of-be a missionary.
How extraordinary indeed.
Children will enjoy this beautifully illustrated children’s biography of Betsey Stockton (c. 1798-1865), who, despite being born enslaved, follows her dream of being a missionary to Hawaii.
Can be read to young children aged 4-5, and read by children aged 6 plus.
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Gods Hostage : A True Story Of Persecution, Imprisonment, And Perseverance
$18.00Add to cartIn 1993, Andrew Brunson was asked to travel to Turkey, the largest unevangelized country in the world, to serve as a missionary. Though hesitant because of the daunting and dangerous task that lay ahead, Andrew and his wife, Norine, believed this was God’s plan for them.
What followed was a string of threats and attacks, but also successes in starting new churches in a place where many people had never met a Christian. As their work with refugees from Syria, including Kurds, gained attention and suspicion, Andrew and Norine acknowledged the threat but accepted the risk, determining to stay unless God told them to leave.
In 2016, they were arrested. Though the State eventually released Norine, who remained in Turkey, Andrew was imprisoned. Accused of being a spy and being among the plotters of the attempted coup, he became a political pawn whose story soon became known around the world.
God’s Hostage is the incredible true story of his imprisonment, his brokenness, and his eventual freedom. Anyone with a heart for missions, especially to the Muslim world, will love this tension-laden and faith-laced book.
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Biografia De Charles Spurgeon – (Spanish)
$16.99Add to cartLibro de Juan Carlos de la Cruz sobre la Biografia de Charles Spurgeon, su vida ministerial y los sucesos mas remarcados de sus mas de cuatro decadas.
Escribir una biografia es una tarea compleja para intentar dibujar en unas pocas hojas con palabras la vida de alguien, y tarea complicada cuando hay poca informacion documental y testimonial del biografiado. Pero analizar la vida de un personaje del cual existe tanta informacion, como el caso de Carlos H. Spurgeon, probablemente complique mas la situacion. Tenemos sus decenas de libros (cerca de 200 entre escritos y editados), sus miles de sermones, sus decenas de articulos de revistas, sus diarios, sus cartas, una enorme biografia escrita por su esposa y su secretario, y, literalmente, cientos de trabajos biograficos y criticos de toda extension imaginable sobre este personaje. Podriamos decir, de forma muy coloquial, que a “Spurgeon se le puede encontrar hasta en la sopa”.
Pero biografias bien trabajadas de Spurgeon en espaol, no hay muchas y menos actuales. En esta obra pretendemos actualizar y ampliar al denominado “El Principe de los Predicadores” al publico moderno en lengua hispana.
Trabajamos este libro en forma de una cronologia detallada desde la infancia hasta su madurez.
Cada capitulo se ordena por:
*Su vida
*Su teologia,
*Su ministerio de enseanza,
*Su predicacion,
*Su vida familiar,
*Su vida de oracion
*Sus otros ministeriosTe invitamos a emprender esta aventura inolvidable para conocer la vida de Carlos H. Spurgeon, el cual debe estar entre las biografias que no te puedes dar el lujo de no conocer.
Charles Spurgeon’s Biography
This book by Juan Carlos de la Cruz, on the Biography of Charles Spurgeon, his ministerial life and the most remarkable events of his more than four decades.
Writing a biography is a complex task to try to draw someone’s life on words, and complicated task when there is little documentary and testimonial biographical information. But, analyzing the life of a character of which there is so much information, such as the case of Carlos H. Spurgeon, probably complicates the situation further. We have dozens of his books (about 200 between writings and edits), thousands of his sermons, dozens of his magazine articles, his diaries, his letters, a huge biography written by his wife and his secretary, and literally hundreds of biographical works and critics of every imaginable extension of that character. We could say in a very colloquial way
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Nudges From Heaven
$11.99Add to cartThere are certain experiences in one’s life that would seem best forgotten. Other moments are a celebration and collection of incredible experiences resembling a beautiful tapestry which should be displayed. This book is a combination of both-the moments fondly remembered as well as the ones… well, the ones when I wish I would have listened to the prompts of heaven.
Throughout our lives, we all experience nudges from heaven, and with such a nudge comes a choice. The choices we make affect those around us, especially those closest to us. Every choice has a ripple effect, either for good or bad.
This book provides an inside look at some of the choices I’ve made in the hopes that you will recognize God’s voice and feel His nudge in helping you navigate this thing we call life.
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100 Extraordinary Stories For Courageous Girls
$12.99Add to cartGirls are world-changers! And this deeply inspiring storybook proves it!
Just for the girls in your life, ages 8 and up, this collection of 100 extraordinary stories of women of faith–from the Bible, history, and today–will empower them to know and understand how women have made a difference in the world and how much smaller our faith (and the biblical record) would be without them. Featuring full-page, colorful illustrations alongside the true stories of amazing women like Lydia, Naomi, Rahab, Rebekah, Jane Austen, Corrie ten Boom, Bethany Hamilton, Rosa Parks, Mother Teresa, and dozens more, the stories of these 100 women will encourage and inspire girls to become the world-changers God created them to be!
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J I Packer
$25.99Add to cartJ. I. Packer was one of the most influential evangelical theological and spiritual writers of the twentieth century. In this beautiful recollection of Packer’s life and faith, Alister McGrath explores his many contributions to theology and spirituality, engagingly setting out the central themes of his work for a new generation of readers.
J. I. Packer was one of the most influential evangelical theological and spiritual writers of the twentieth century, best known for his classic work Knowing God. In the 1990s Christianity Today readers named him one of the most influential theologians of the twentieth century, second only to C. S. Lewis. But who was Jim Packer, and what is the story of the man behind the writings? Alister McGrath, a bestselling author and friend of Packer, tells the story of Packer’s faith and how it sustained him during his time in England and Canada. Along the way he explores Packer’s many contributions to theology and spirituality, alternating narrative with reflection. By engagingly setting out Packer’s ideas and the central themes of his work, McGrath helps to explain why Packer and his writing continue to be so helpful to millions on the journey of encountering God. This beautiful recollection of a giant of the Christian faith is both a celebration of his life and the perfect introduction to his thought and writings for a new generation of readers.
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Wurmbrand : Tortured For Christ: The Complete Story
Original price was: $22.99.$10.00Current price is: $10.00.Add to cartOn February 29, 1948, Richard Wurmbrand was arrested by the secret police. His crime? Leading Christian worship and witnessing – both of which were illegal under Romania’s atheistic Communist regime. Because of Richard’s faithfulness to Christ, he endured 14 years of prison and torture, while his wife, Sabina, suffered three years in a labor camp.
In spite of these hardships, Richard and Sabina had an unshakeable faith in Christ. Wurmbrand explores the inspiring lives of Richard and Sabina urmbrand, combining their complete stories into a single volume for the first time. Your faith will be inspired as you go deep inside the darkest prison cells to see how the light of Christ continues to shine from the hearts of those totally committed to Him.
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When I Wished Upon A Star
$29.99Add to cartGrowing up as a patient with congenital heart disease, Brandon Lane Phillips often felt alone. He knew no one else who had his heart condition and believed no one understood his condition. Brandon believed he would die young. Like many congenital heart patients, he wondered if he would have a long life. It is only natural to question one’s mortality when open-heart surgery is what enabled you to survive childhood.
Brandon worried that his heart defect caused his parents’ divorce and questioned just how much his illness had affected his siblings since so much extra attention was devoted to him. He longed to have the type of close relationship with his father that he saw on many of his favorite TV shows.
At 11 years of age, he was so desperate to find answers that he asked God to show him that He loved him. Soon after, he received a wish to meet child actor Jeremy Miller from TV’s Growing Pains. Brandon had wished to meet him because he envied his “perfect” fictional family. After one of the show’s stars told Brandon that God had a plan for his life, Brandon left the set that evening feeling that the trip had been orchestrated as an answer to his prayer.
There are several God-like coincidences that occur along Brandon’s path of becoming a pediatric cardiologist. Many times when Brandon would face a life experience big enough to shake his faith, an improbable experience would occur that would remind him of his wish and God’s answer to his prayer. Throughout his career, he would encounter other patients who felt alone and had questions about their own mortality.
Brandon chose medicine as his profession because he greatly admired his childhood pediatric cardiologist. And even though a need for a second open-heart surgery at the beginning of medical school threatened Brandon’s dream of becoming a physician, he would ultimately be trained by the very physicians who had cared for him.
Brandon’s journey of hope found within the pages of When I Wished Upon a Star is a story of giving back and finding purpose in life through the intervention of God’s great grace and perfect timing.
The other life examined in this book belongs to Jeremy Miller, child actor, celebrity wish, and the friend who played an important role in Brandon’s journey. Brandon’s life truly changed forever after having met Jeremy on the television set of Growing Pains.
While Brandon was dealing with his struggles, so too was Jeremy. In When I Wished Upon a Star, Jeremy shares “s
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Brave Heroes And Bold Defenders
$19.99Add to cartMeet men who have used their God-given talents to live out their faith to the fullest. They come from a variety of backgrounds, eras, and ethnicities, but each one has answered the Lord’s call on their life in bold and innovative ways.
Children of all ages will be inspired by the stories of:
*C.S. Lewis-professor and author of the influential Chronicles of Narnia series
*Tim Tebow-athlete, Heisman trophy winner, and outspoken follower of Christ
*Chuck Colson-author, political advisor, and criminal turned prison reformer
*John Newton-clergyman, abolitionist, and writer of Amazing Grace
*Father Damien-priest who dedicated his life to helping lepers in HawaiiThese and the 45 other defenders of the faith featured in this book have made a profound impact on the world around them, and in many cases changed the course of history. Strong, smart, and sometimes outspoken, these men are tremendous examples of God’s love in action.
These inspiring profiles will captivate kids’ imaginations and encourage them to discover their own gifts and how they can use them to glorify God.
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Hope In A Scattering Time
$36.99Add to cartThe first biography of the best-selling author of The Culture of Narcissism and other modern American classics
Historian and social critic Christopher Lasch (1932-1994) was an odd subject for a story in People magazine. Yet there he was, featured in a July 1979 issue, thanks to a national fascination with his latest book, The Culture of Narcissism. It was perhaps the strangest moment in the life of an unpredictable thinker who always questioned assumptions, challenged orthodoxies, and blurred neat distinctions between divergent political ideologies and cultural agendas.
Eric Miller has now written the first book-length treatment of Lasch’s life and work. Drawing on Lasch’s published writings, his personal correspondence, and interviews with his friends, students, and colleagues, Miller weaves together the story of this enigmatic and perceptive figure. He captures the evolution of Lasch’s understanding of the world and his fight for clarity and insight in a muddled, scattered age.
From the liberalism of the early 1960s to Freudian-Marxian socialism to cultural populism and self-proclaimed radicalism, Lasch never stood still in his intellectual journey, and he continued to offer a sharp, prophetic outlook on American life until his untimely death in 1994. This one and only Christopher Lasch biography tells the remarkable story of a crucial intellectual figure whose restless questioning still points us to the hope for a better way.
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Kierkegaard : A Single Life
$24.99Add to cartDiscover a new understanding of Kierkegaard’s thought and his life, a story filled with romance, betrayal, humor, and riots.
Kierkegaard, like Einstein and Freud, is one of those geniuses whose ideas permeate the culture and shape our world even when relatively few people have read their works. That lack of familiarity with the real Kierkegaard is about to change.
This lucid new biography by scholar Stephen Backhouse presents the genius as well as the acutely sensitive man behind the brilliant books. Scholarly and accessible, Kierkegaard: A Single Life introduces his many guises-the thinker, the lover, the recluse, the writer, the controversialist-in prose so compelling it reads like a novel.
One chapter examines Kierkegaard’s influence on our greatest cultural icons-Kafka, Barth, Bonhoeffer, Camus, and Martin Luther King Jr., to name only a few. A useful appendix presents an overview of each of Kierkegaard’s works, for the scholar and lay reader alike.
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Desmond Tutu : A Spiritual Biography Of South Africa’s Confessor
$55.00Add to cartThe first biography of its kind about Desmond Tutu, this book introduces readers to Tutu’s spiritual life and examines how it shaped his commitment to restorative justice and reconciliation.
Desmond Tutu was a pivotal leader of the anti-apartheid movement in South Africa and remains a beloved and important emblem of peace and justice around the world. Even those who do not know the major events of Tutu’s life-receiving the Nobel Peace Prize in 1984, serving as the first black archbishop of Cape Town and primate of Southern Africa from 1986-1996,and chairing the Truth and Reconciliation Commission from 1995-1998-recognize him as a charismatic political and religious leader who helped facilitate the liberation of oppressed peoples from the ravages of colonialism. But the inner landscape of Tutu’s spirituality, the mystical grounding that spurred his outward accomplishments, often goes unseen.
Rather than recount his entire life story, this book explores Tutu’s spiritual life and contemplative practices-particularly Tutu’s understanding of Ubuntu theology, which emphasizes finding one’s identity in community-and traces the powerful role they played in subverting the theological and spiritual underpinnings of apartheid. Michael Battle’s personal relationship with Tutu grants readers an inside view of how Tutu’s spiritual agency cast a vision that both upheld the demands of justice and created space to synthesize the stark differences of a diverse society. Battle also suggests that North Americans have much to learn from Tutu’s leadership model as they confront religious and political polarization in their own context.
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Dorothy L Sayers
$20.99Add to cartFrom detectives to Dante – the life of the creator of Lord Peter Wimsey
Dorothy L Sayers was a woman of contrasts. A strong Christian, she had a baby by a man she did not love – out of wedlock. Possessing a fierce intellect, she translated Dante – and also created one of the most popular fictional detectives ever, in Lord Peter Wimsey. With no new biographies on Sayers having been published for some time, Colin Duriez reassesses her, her life, her writings, her studies and her faith. Drawing on previously unpublished material, particularly her collected letters, he brings to life a fascinating woman.
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Hiding Place : 35th Anniversary Edition (Anniversary)
$29.99Add to cartCorrie ten Boom was a woman admired the world over for her courage, her forgiveness, and her memorable faith. In World War II, she and her family risked their lives to help Jews escape the Nazis, and their reward was a trip to Hitler’s concentration camps. But she survived and was released-as a result of a clerical error-and now shares the story of how faith triumphs over evil. For thirty-five years Corrie’s dramatic life story, full of timeless virtues, has prepared readers to face their own futures with faith, relying on God’s love to overcome, heal, and restore. Now releasing in a thirty-fifth anniversary edition for a new generation of readers, The Hiding Place tells the riveting story of how a middle-aged Dutch watchmaker became a heroine of the Resistance, a survivor of Hitler’s death camps, and one of the most remarkable evangelists of the twentieth century.
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She Made Me Laugh
$16.99Add to cartMost people likely know of Mother Teresa’s great faithfulness to God’s call as she started her ministry to the poor in Calcutta. But at the time, few knew that she had lost all sense of God’s presence, love, and sometimes the assurance that God existed at all. Astonishingly, for 50 years, the saint’s life was spent in what she called “the darkness.” Yet, somehow Mother Teresa managed to get up every morning and say yes to God. And not only did she say yes, she came to accept the darkness, while also allowing a sense of humor and even playfulness to shine through. This book is a memoir of the author’s direct experiences with Mother Teresa during a trip to Calcutta in 1996 when she discovered that sense of humor first hand. It is also an extended reflection on the beloved saint’s “dark night of the soul” and what that might mean for spiritual seekers today.
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Can We Trust The Bible On The Historical Jesus
$28.00Add to cartThe debate between Ehrman and Evans along with Stewart’s introductory framework make this book an excellent primer to the study of the historical Jesus, and readers will come away with a deeper appreciation for the ongoing quest for the historical Jesus.
This book features a learned and fascinating debate between two great Bible scholars about the New Testament as a reliable source on the historical Jesus. Bart Ehrman, an agnostic New Testament scholar, debates Craig Evans, an evangelical New Testament scholar, about the historical Jesus and what constitutes “history.” Their interaction includes such compelling questions as: What are sound methods of historical investigation? What are reliable criteria for determining the authenticity of an ancient text? What roles do reason and inference play? And, of course, interpretation? Readers of this debate-regardless of their interpretive inclinations and biases-are sure to find some confirmation of their existing beliefs, but they will surely also find an honest and well-informed challenge to the way they think about the historical Jesus.
The result? A more open, better informed, and questioning mind, which is better prepared for discovering both truth and contrivance. The debate between Ehrman and Evans along with Stewart’s introductory framework make this book an excellent primer to the study of the historical Jesus, and readers will come away with a deeper appreciation for the ongoing quest for the historical Jesus.
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When The Glass Slipper Breaks
$7.99Add to cartBased on the fabled life of Cinderella, When the Glass Slipper Breaks by author Beth Withers Banning offers a journey through the good and bad relationships that impart life lessons to prepare women for their “ultimate Prince Charming.”
When the Glass Slipper Breaks is a poignant account of the author’s past experiences. The book strategically walks the readers through the complexities of relationships and reveals with transparency the learnings gleaned in each circumstance. Ms. Withers Banning offers insights into overcoming the hurt and pain of a broken heart; and follows the path of tragedy and joy, and dreams coming true. Tempered with statistical accounts of the importance men bring to the life of a woman, this book is designed to guide women in search for their soul mate.
People tend to harden their hearts, so they will never be hurt again instead of taking the wounds of broken relationships and letting them mature us for strong, healthy relationships. It is the author’s hope that this book can lend perspective on the value of good, bad and ugly relationships to find Prince Charming who will be a forever love. Join the author on her walk through Neverland to find her Prince Charming and see what happens. You don’t want to miss out on this dream come true experience.
When the Glass Slipper Breaks will appeal primarily to women but also to men who are seeking to build a lasting relationship. It will remind readers to use their experiences as stepping stones to find wisdom, hope and healing from a broken heart.
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Sex And The City Of God
$17.99Add to cartWhen Carolyn Weber moved to Oxford University to study, she didn’t expect to find God there. But she did. As she grappled with her newest and most important relationship, she also found that there was another invitation: to think bigger about love. In this book we follow Weber through courtship and into marriage and parenthood. Now a literature professor, Weber reflects on her relationship with a sometimes-absent father and how that has shaped her. Through her personal story, as well as spiritual, theological, and literary reflection, Sex and the City of God explores what life looks like when we choose to love God first.
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Deceived No More
$18.99Add to cartDeceived No More is the dramatic and inspirational story of Doreen Virtue’s transformation from bestselling New Age teacher into a Bible-believing, God-obeying Christian. The book weaves in the Bible stories that inspired Doreen to trust God, such as Ruth, Esther, Jeremiah, and Daniel.
Deceived No More is based on Doreen’s observation that people stray from God because they don’t trust or know God. Only through studying God’s Word, which Doreen demonstrates with enthusiasm, can we get to know God’s heart.
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Other Side Of The Wall
$20.99Add to cartChristians have lived in Palestine since the earliest days of the Jesus movement. The Palestinian church predates Islam. Yet Palestinian Christians find themselves marginalized and ostracized. In the heated tensions of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, the voices of Palestinian Christians are often unheard and ignored. This book provides an opportunity to hear the realities of life on the ground from a leading Palestinian pastor and theologian. Munther Isaac gives the perspective of Palestinian Christians on the other side of the separation wall surrounding most Palestinian West Bank cities today. Isaac laments the injustices suffered by the Palestinian people but holds out hope for a just peace and ways to befriend and love his Jewish and Muslim neighbors. In contrast to the dominant religious and nationalistic ideologies and agendas for the region, he offers a theology of the land and a vision for a shared land that belongs to God, where there are no second-class citizens of any kind. “This book is my invitation to you,” Isaac writes, “to step into the other side of the wall and listen to our stories and perspective. It is my humble request to you to allow me to share how Palestinians experience God, read the Bible, and have been touched and liberated by Jesus-a fellow Bethlehemite who has challenged us to see others as neighbors and love them as ourselves. . . . This book paints a picture of our story of faith, lament, and hope. And I invite you to join and listen, on our side of the wall.”
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Gospel Music Life
$16.49Add to cartWhat do Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Tammy Wynette, Larry Gatlin, Barbara Mandrell, The Oak Ridge Boys, The Statler Brothers, and The Everly Brothers have in common? They were all influenced in their formative years by gospel music legends, The Blackwood Brothers Quartet!Billy Blackwood, the son of multi-Grammy Award winning, James Blackwood, Sr., tells the inside story of this gospel music dynasty, their formation and chart-topping career, their triumphs and tragedies. A Gospel Music Life takes us behind the scenes of one of the most influential families in American music history and reveals the personal struggles and subsequent reemergence of Billy Blackwood, the current leader of the Blackwood Brothers Quartet. “I have always looked at the Blackwood Brothers as the “Class” of gospel music. They have always been leaders and icons in the gospel music industry. I am so pleased that Billy is carrying on the tradition of the Blackwood Brothers.”Duane Allen, The Oak Ridge Boys”James Blackwood, R. W. Blackwood, Bill Shaw, Bill Lyles, and Jackie Marshall were at the center of my early musical development. James was one of the very best in our field and his son, Billy, is now carrying on the tradition. I love Billy’s heart and urgency in making sure the next generation understands the history and perseverance of this grand group. For all gospel quartet music lovers, this is a must read.”Bill Gaither, Gospel music artist, songwriter and historian”Billy Blackwood is not only a gifted musician who sings the gospel but he lives it. His must-read life heritage and story in gospel music is candidly transparent yet masterfully seasoned with God’s amazing grace. Billy’s redemptive journey is a real life-changer, from emptiness, brokenness and repentance, to faith, transformation and restoration.”Buddy SmithSenior Vice President, American Family Association, Tupelo, Mississippi BILLY BLACKWOOD has spent the majority of his life in music. Billy’s dad, James, was an original member of the Blackwood Brothers Quartet. The Blackwood Brothers began in Mississippi in the 1930’s and have taken gospel music around the world. They were an early influence on Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, the Statler Brothers, the Everly Brothers, Barbara Mandrell and the Mandrell Sisters, Larry Gatlin and the Gatlin Brothers, and many others. Billy began traveling with the Blackwood Brothers as a teenager, making the career switch to secular music in the mid-seventies as part of Voice, an opening act
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After Life : My Journey From Incarceration To Freedom
$20.99Add to cartThe true-life story of the woman whose life sentence for non-violent drug trafficking was commuted by President Donald Trump thanks to the efforts of Kim Kardashian West–an inspiring memoir of faith, hope, mercy, and gratitude.
How do you hold on to hope after more than twenty years of imprisonment? For Alice Marie Johnson the answer lies with God.
For years, Alice lived a normal life without a criminal record–she was a manager at FedEx, a wife, and a mother. But after an emotionally and financially tumultuous period in her life left her with few options, she turned to crime as a way to pay off her mounting debts. Convicted in 1996 for her nonviolent involvement in a Memphis cocaine trafficking organization, Alice received a life sentence under the mandatory sentencing laws of the time. Locked behind bars, Alice looked to God. Eventually becoming an ordained minister, she relied on her faith to sustain hope over more than two decades–until 2018, when the president commuted her sentence at the behest of Kim Kardashian West, who had taken up Alice’s cause.
In this honest, faith-driven memoir, Alice explains how she held on to hope and gave it to others, from becoming a playwright to mentoring her fellow prisoners. She reveals how Christianity and her unshakeable belief in God helped her persevere and inspired her to share her faith in a video that would go viral–and come to the attention of celebrities who were moved to action.
Today, Alice is an icon for the prison reform movement and a humble servant who embraces gratitude and God for her freedom. In this powerful book, she recalls all of the firsts she has experienced through her activism and provides an authentic portrait of the crisis that is mass incarceration. Linking social justice to spiritual faith, she makes a persuasive and poignant argument for justice that transcends tribal politics. Her story is a beacon in the darkness of despair, reminding us of the power of redemption and the importance of making second chances count.
After Life features 16 pages of color photographs.
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Real Prison Real Freedom
$15.99Add to cartPrisons, an integral part of society, generally are not familiar to most people. Length of sentence and treatment by others in the prisons vary widely. The immediate “Man-in-charge” of each prison unit is the warden, who has some flexibility within TDCJ guidelines. Warden Dr. Keith Price gained a reputation for turning around some chaotic prison units. He knows from experience that at best, prisons are very difficult places for people, whether they are behind the bars or in front of them.
“People that wind up in prison, inmates, generally are society’s rejects,” Price said. “They’ve been unable to do the things other people do to make life a success, whether it’s because of an abusive parent, addiction to some substance, stupidity, being unable to read or write, they’ve been failures and have chosen alternate means, that is crime.”
Price also knows officers have a challenging life, “The correctional officer, has to deal with people so maladjusted that society says they can’t live amongst them anymore. It’s conflict day after day, hour after hour and it really takes a toll, from broken marriages to financial problems to substance abuse. It’s continual.”
The Texas Prison System was named “one of the best” in the country by a leading penology expert. However, shortly after that, a Federal Judge took control of the entire Texas Department of Corrections for “unconstitutional treatment” of inmates. TDC denied and resisted many of the reforms the judge ordered. The result was chaos. Too few guards, rampant gangs, gang wars and overcrowding were the norm for several years. The court kept control 20 years and finally the prison system adapted to the new (and constitutional) ways of operating. At the same time Texas prison population doubled, and more than doubled, again.
During that time, 19-year-old Rickie Smith began a 10-year sentence in TDC on a drug charge. He joined the gang wars, in the Aryan Brotherhood and then made his own personal war with prison officers. He could have been released in a few short years, but, in 3 separate trials juries added 3 ninety-nine-year sentences for him to serve. Trial transcripts have many references in testimonies to how dangerous Rickie Smith is–even calling him “the most violent inmate” in TDC.
REAL PRISON / REAL FREEDOM is a biography of Rickie Smith and how his life intersects with the woes of the prison system and with Warden Keith Price.
Naturally, he wanted out, knowing that realistically it will n
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Precious Moments In Hell
$33.99Add to cartThis is a story of my life and how I was able to overcome yeas of torture, typical hardships, and trauma. This shows the path that led me to a very different ending than a lot of the people that I came across in my life. This also tells a little bit about where the characters are now in their life as a contrast to where they were in the beginning of the story. It follows me through the precious moments in my life. There were some incredible miracle type moments in my life where I just had to look at the person standing next to me and say, “How in the hell did that just happen?” They seemed like hopeless times in hell, but as I look back, I can see how those moments helped shape me into who I am today. Today I am a loving grandmother, a writer, and a free spirit who is able to make choices for myself. This is a far cry from where my life started. I am by no means a Chicken Soup for the Soul type, I am a Precious Moments in Hell type Sometimes you don’t have a life that gives you time to be lovey dove, you only have a moment . . . As a person thinks, so are they . . . Prov. 23:7 NASB
