But this story of light piercing through the darkness didn’t begin with the birth of a baby boy under a shining star in the city of Bethlehem. From creation to the incarnation to the coming eternal city, Scripture speaks of Jesus’s life-giving presence and light in a dark world.During this Advent season, we celebrate that the hopes and fears of all the years were answered in Jesus, the everlasting light. This five-week Advent experience features daily Scripture reading that traces this theme throughout the Bible, preparing our hearts to encounter Christmas Day in a fresh way. It is also filled with thoughtful extras designed to help you engage this season as people of light, from daily reflection prompts to recipes, crafts, classic Christmas hymns, and more. Join us for Advent 2021 as we celebrate and contemplate The Everlasting Light.

    

    

    

    And so she answers an ad for a mail order bride, hoping to at least find some security for her small family. But is she really ready for a life on the frontier—and for a life with the cold and withdrawn Deputy Holden Smith? Still, Adaline has made a promise, and she does the best she can to make the marriage a happy one. But Holden has been broken by a terrible tragedy, and his heart seems closed to her efforts. And now, far from friends and home, and with Christmas coming soon, Adaline begins to fear she’s made a terrible mistake. Maybe Holden is not the miracle she’s hoped for. But hearts have a way of healing, and love can work miracles of its own!

    The village master has given her his blessing, but on the condition that she return—no matter what— by her 15th birthday. Join Cassie on her adventure, as she battles spiders, creepers and other enemies to find a Prismarine Shard, the one thing that can help her find John. Other books in this exciting Minecraft series Book 1: The Search for John, https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01GGBR5AE? Book 3: Going Home, https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01GGBRDGA? Author’s Note: This short story is for your reading pleasure. The characters in this "Minecraft Adventure Series" such as Steve, Endermen or Herobrine...etc are based on the Minecraft Game coming from Minecraft ®/TM & © 2009-2013 Mojang / Notch

    She prays her time away from home will give her the opportunity to heal her grief after losing her sister—and help diminish the plaguing guilt that haunts her. Despite what everyone says, Mary knows she’s responsible for her little sister’s death. But when Mary has to contend with strange and mysterious occurrences that threaten her safety, she fears she should have never come to the Friesen’s farm – until love comes to the door and her life is forever changed.

    After a fight with her aunt, and a frustrating conversation with her daughter’s father, she sets up an autumn display at her dream home with beautiful thrift store finds.Jordon is mourning the loss of his parents. Weird things, like someone decorating his parents’ porch with his mother’s donated decorations, make grieving harder. Still, the oddness is the distraction, and call to faith, he needs.My True Love Gave to MeCassidy loves her life. She has a job in a vintage store, a cute Seattle bungalow, and a dog who adores her. But being single is getting old. She receives a Christmas party invitation, and an excuse to find a plus-one. Someone from her singles group...?Sean's favorite thing about his delivery job is the pretty woman at the vintage store. But from what he’s overheard, she has plenty of prospects already. Would she be interested in adding him to her dance card?The Wonder of ChristmasCheyenne heads north for Christmas, with no idea that a storm will strand her in the small town of Misty Cove. But when she bumps—literally—into handsome Grady, and learns about a family in need, she realizes God sent her there for a bigger reason than meeting a handsome man. But with the way her pulse kicks up in Grady’s presence, maybe God has a dual purpose in mind.Mountain LaurelWhen tragedy strikes, Laurel is left alone to raise her son. She wonders if the Lord she’s trusted all her life will help her as she raises her feisty boy.Jon, who has loved her for as long as she can remember, is good with her son and steadies her through each crisis that comes along. He’s a close friend, but will she ever be able to love again?Cephalopod CupidWhen Lacey’s boyfriend breaks up with her it opens the opportunity to join a research vessel for six-months.Then she meets an autistic boy who shares her love of Gabriel the giant Pacific octopus. And Anders, his dad.Lacey considers staying. It might be crazy to give up her dream for a man she barely knows. It might seem crazier still to stay so she can protect her beloved cephalopod from himself.But sometimes love means letting go.To Hear the Angels SingDevlin enjoys her role as temporary guardian of her niece while her sister goes through drug rehab, but it isn’t easy. If she works dinner shifts, her job at a Seattle restaurant brings in enough. So, when her niece is invited to evening rehearsals for a church show, the free childcare is hard to pass up. But when they learn Devlin knows how to sew, she’s enlisted as costume designer. How will she find time?One of Jonah’s favorite parts of his job as church worship leader is directing the music for the kids’ Christmas musical. Between his job and writing his own music, he barely has time for a social life. But there’s something about the costumer for the show this year that gets him thinking. Could there be more to life than music?The Heart of ChristmasWhen Wynn sees police lights at Misty Cove’s one-and-only bar, she goes inside to investigate, just in time to see her ex-boyfriend punch the star of her favorite TV show in the face. What is Ryland Sage doing in their tiny Pacific Coast town? Since Wynn is the only medical help for miles around, she has to stitch his face—and maybe his heart—while protecting her own heart from the worldly charmer.Prairie RoseFor years, Rose has lived alone with her dog. Mitch, a handsome, unmarried neighbor, brings her a bright red geranium and insists on helping with chores. But who should appear but the scoundrel husband who deserted her years ago. Later, a pre-teen runaway adds his troubles to hers, so Rose decides to recapture the peace and serenity of Christmas.

    Determined to achieve her dream of a career in music, she strikes out on her own. Her new life away from her family is a reality check, and she soon finds her life on a downward slide.Two years on, her dream is still out of reach, and she's nearing rock bottom. With hope nearly gone and feeling no joy in the season that was once her favorite, Alessia wanders into a church in search of warmth and some quiet.He gave up his life in order to bring his brothers to justice.Gio Morgan (formerly known as Giovanni Moretti) was born into a mob family, but he'd never fit in. When he made the decision to testify against his mob boss brothers, he knew it meant the end to that life.He now lives in New Hope Falls in order to be close to his half-sister, Cara. He is trying to build a new life for himself, and part of that is participating in the church's 24 hour a day open door ministry for the month of December.Will a connection forged in the quiet of a church during the early morning hours be the start of something new? Or will it lead to heartbreak if the draw of a dream is to powerful to resist?

    He never thought he’d find love again after the death of his wife and son. Natalie Porter and her son, Tommy are traveling to Chicago so that she can give birth to a child that she can’t keep. When Tommy goes missing on the train, Natalie and Ken cross paths in the search to find her son, but end up finding so much more in each other. When Natalie is forced to get off the train after going in labor, Kenneth decides to go with her, offering her a whole new life if she’ll only let him. Will Natalie accept his offer to be her husband and adopt the baby she so desperately wants to keep? Could the love that bloomed between them in such a short amount of time, be real?

    Little does she realize, when she falls deathly ill on the journey there he will abandon her, leaving her stranded and sick on the station platform. Even the small town doctor refuses to take her in for fear that she will infect his other patients. Help comes in an unexpected guise, a humble mercantile owner named Abe Graham, once a physician, nurses the ailing Collette. And Collette’s body is not all that finds healing – Abe’s heart discovers a renewed purpose. Will Collette’s dream of a Thanksgiving wedding still take place? And can Abe shake off his past disappointments and embrace a new future? Brides For All Seasons Vol. II is a beautiful historical holiday romance series. Each book in the collection is a standalone story designed to warm your heart with seasonal love and romantic adventure.

    Many kids don't understand the big words written in the Bible. Having a book that is Bible based but puts words on their levels would be great. Children can watch the pages of the Bible come to life through illustrations and words they can understand. There's no reason why ever child wouldn't want a book about a man being eaten by a fish or a little boy killing a giant.

    She is in the midst of planning the annual Christmas Nativity play when newcomer Noah Miller arrives in town to spend Christmas with his cousins. Encouraged by her father to welcome the new arrival, Rachel asks Noah to be a part of the Nativity. Despite Rachel’s engagement to Samuel King, a local farmer, she finds herself irrevocably drawn to Noah and his carefree spirit. Reserved and slightly shy, Noah is hesitant to get involved in the play, but an unlikely friendship begins to develop between Rachel and Noah, bringing with it unexpected problems, including a seemingly harmless prank with life-threatening consequences that require a Christmas miracle.Will Rachel honor her commitment to Samuel, or will Noah win her affections?

    At any given time there are thousands of churches seeking a lead pastor.  While a great resume, a friendly smile and a memorable sermon will convince many, what should local congregations focus on to find a new shepherd?  Chris Brauns believes to find a great preacher the search must focus on God's Word and how the candidate relates to it and preaches from it. This book is a must have resource for search committees and church leaders addressing the needs of churches in the transition of pastoral leadership.  It assists by approaching their responsibilities in a biblical way and providing critical help in key practical matters.  From the initial formation of a search committee to the final terms of agreement with the new pastor, Brauns shows you how to "major on the majors" and away from subjective approaches of evaluating candidates and their sermons.  Great also for pastors or pastoral students to know how to prepare, the book includes such practical tools as interview questions for candidates and the top mistakes search committees make.

    Some church music is dull. But here’s the thing: If Jesus had been boring, the disciples wouldn’t have followed him and the Pharisees wouldn’t have killed him. So if you’re bored, don’t waste another minute. If your church service feels like a failed pep rally that never leads to the actual game, then it’s time for you to follow Jesus onto the field where the opposition is real and the stakes are extraordinary. It will get messy. It won’t always be comfortable. But you’ll make a difference. And you’ll discover that nobody’s bored out there. Nobody.