Are we considered strong if we do not fall when life pushes us to the ground? Do our faith and belief tell us that we cannot let our misery affect us because as the saying goes, “we must bear patience”?In this book, author Liyana Musfirah takes readers on a reflective journey of discovering the strength that emerges from each of our painful and scarring episodes. This is the book that celebrates what God has given women — the resilience to withstand emotional, spiritual, or even physical hardships.

    As distant in time from the Five Books of Moses as Updike is from Shakespeare, these Late Biblical books are innovative, entertaining literary works. Women often stand center stage. The Song of Songs is a celebration of young love, frankly sensuous, with no reference to God or covenant. It offers some of the most beautiful love poems of the ancient world. The story of Queen Esther’s shrewd triumph is also a secular entertainment, with clear traces of farce and sly sexual comedy. The character of Ruth embodies the virtues of loyalty, love, and charity in a harmonious world. Enigma replaces harmony in Daniel’s feverish night dreams. The apocalyptic strangeness of Daniel echoes in works from the New Testament’s Book of Revelations to the lyrics of Bob Dylan. And Jonah, the tale of a giant fish who, on God’s command, swallows the prophet and imprisons him in his dark wet innards for three days, ends with a question that lingers, unanswered, leaving the reader to ponder the many limitations of humankind.

    This book will help ensure that your faith is built on Christ alone and the assurance of spending eternity with Him, not the sometimes-scary flow of history. You will also get a complete education on Islam and its possible role in the End Times.”Joel RichardsonNew York Times bestselling author and internationally recognized teacherArab Spring, Christian Winter will help you tie newspaper headlines to your scriptural knowledge of the Last Days. Ralph Stice draws a clear link between the Arab Spring and the rise of a worldwide power that appears to be ushering in the coming Antichrist. This book will also show you what you need to watch for in tomorrow’s news and guide you on how to fortify your faith for stormy days ahead. The Western Church has much to learn from Christian brothers and sisters in the Middle East. Familiar Scripture passages are unfolding with new clarity to believers everywhere.Learn:•Why the Arab Spring had to happen to fulfill scriptural prophecy•How the Arab Spring led to the unleashing of pure Islam •Which nation could be the crucial link between East and West and produce an Antichrist figure•The responses of Middle Eastern Christians to intense persecution and what we Western believers can learn from themFear not! He will never leave us nor forsake us (Hebrews 13:5). We will discover Jesus in a fresh way when we face true persecution. How will your faith withstand the great distress, unequaled from the beginning of the world until now—and never to be equaled again (Matthew 24:21)? Brothers and sisters in Christ are facing this reality every day, right now. About the Author Ralph Stice has lived in Islamic communities on three continents over 11 years’ time as a witness for Christ. During that time, he has interacted with a wide variety of Muslims at many levels of society. He also has read widely on the subject of Islam and has spoken in nearly 100 churches about the world’s second-largest religion. He has recently founded RWS Ministries, a non-profit organization determined to inform Christians about Islam and inform Muslims about Jesus’s true identity and lordship. He blogs frequently on developments in the Islamic world and is a keen observer of political and spiritual developments in the Middle East.

    These quotes are a source of inspiration and motivation.Read these quotes to meditate and think about all the wisdom they contain.

    Matt McRaid, whose ancestors left the island more than a century before, joins a team of ruthless treasure hunters in search of untold wealth. One of their number is killed within hours and others soon follow. At first their deaths are put down to freak accidents but after only a couple of days in this mysterious place it becomes apparent to Matt that the true cause is far more strange ... and much more dangerous both to them and the whole of humanity.

    The novel gives an insight into the life and times of Isaiah and his wife Bethulah, a prophetess. Their courtship and marriage is depicted sensitively and with humor. Gifted with eagle-like vision Isaiah is able to see the glory who is Jesus. Seer, statesman, evangelist, teacher and preacher, he is called by God to give a message which is often rejected. He lives during the reign of five kings, serving those kings who are men of faith loyally, but scorned by those who have fallen into idolatry. These are turbulent times with wars and rumors of wars and peoples being carried off into exile by the cruel Assyrians. To ensure Jerusalem's water supply in times of siege, wise King Hezekiah has a 1/3 mile tunnel built under Jerusalem, an amazing feat for that era. There are times of joy, with the Passover Feast being re-introduced with great celebrationsSurrounded by a group of disciples in his latter years, Isaiah pens his great work to the glory of God.His words resonate down the centuries: 'Unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given' and 'He was pierced for our transgressions.'Also in the series: Abigail: a Home for God. The story of David's 3rd Wife.

    Rumi is one of the greatest poetical geniuses and spiritual masters in human history. His name stands for Love and ecstatic flight into the infinite. Today, Rumi is one of the most widely read poets in the west and has been described to be on par with Beethoven, Shakespeare and Mozart. During a 25 year period, Rumi composed over 70,000 verses of poetry focusing on diverse and varied topics. Rumi’s influence goes beyond nationalities and ethnicities with his work having been translated in numerous languages around the world. His work is mystical and intensely philosophical, with poems of fiery soulful expression, to passionate love verses filled with yearning and desire. Rumi describes the life of mystics as a “gathering of lovers, where there is no high or low, smart or ignorant, no proper schooling required.” He believed in a life journey following a love-based principle free of guilt, fear and shame. The bringing together of a wealthy nobleman and a poor wanderer serve as a reminder to us all that inspiration can come from anywhere and anyone can aid us in advancing our growth.

    She and her mother had always assumed she’d graduate high school, be set up with the right boy, and have a beautiful wedding with white lace and pareve vanilla cream frosting. But at twenty-two, Tzippy’s fast approaching spinsterhood. She dreams of escape; instead, she leaves for a year in Jerusalem. There she meets–re-meets–Baruch, the son of her mother’s college roommate. When Tzippy last saw him, his name was Bryan and he wore a Yankees-logo yarmulke. Now he has adopted the black hat of the ultra-orthodox, the tradition in which Tzippy was raised. Twelve weeks later, they’re engaged...and discovering that desire and tradition, devotion and individuality aren’t the easiest balance. Hilarious, compassionate, and tremendously insightful, The Outside World illuminates an insular community, marvelously depicting that complicated blend of faith, love, and family otherwise known as life in a modern world.

    Robert Pinsky, former poet laureate of the United States, plumbs the depths of David’s life: his triumphs and his failures, his charm and his cruelty, his divine destiny and his human humiliations. Drawing on the biblical chronicle of David’s life as well as on the later commentaries and the Psalms—traditionally considered to be David’s own words—Pinsky teases apart the many strands of David’s story and reweaves them into a glorious narrative.Under the clarifying and captivating light of Pinsky’s erudition and imagination, and his mastery of image and expression, King David—both the man and the idea of the man—is brought brilliantly to life.

    As a member of the Skverers, one of the most insular Hasidic sects in the US, he knows little about the outside world—only that it is to be shunned. His marriage at eighteen is arranged and several children soon follow. Deen's first transgression—turning on the radio—is small, but his curiosity leads him to the library, and later the Internet. Soon he begins a feverish inquiry into the tenets of his religious beliefs, until, several years later, his faith unravels entirely. Now a heretic, he fears being discovered and ostracized from the only world he knows. His relationship with his family at stake, he is forced into a life of deception, and begins a long struggle to hold on to those he loves most: his five children. In All Who Go Do Not Return, Deen bravely traces his harrowing loss of faith, while offering an illuminating look at a highly secretive world.

    Along the way we will walk unknown passageways, known only to the prophets of old, as we search for the true location of the lost temples of Solomon and Herod. We will also lift a candle into the dim recesses of history and uncover secrets about the Ark of the Covenant and the gold Mercy Seat's prophetic obligation as it relates to the future Millennial temple."

    Enjoy modern poetry, scanned pieces of typed words on scraps, and full color original artwork.Open your mind and let your heart go on an adventure.

    For seven years, she has raised her daughter without a father.Scott Lamar never meant to abandon his daughter and pregnant girlfriend, but life happened, and college provided a means of escape. All that changed when he found faith in God, and now he wants to make up for his past mistakes. Is it ever too late to do the right thing?Mistletoe and Mochas by Lynnette BonnerChelsea Tan looks up from the mocha she's making to see Cannon Jones. She nearly drops the cup. He hasn't contacted her once in the past several weeks. She'd gotten his message loud and clear. But now he wants to spend time with her? Well, he'll just see how gullible she is this time! Cannon hopes Chelsea will understand the reasons he hasn't been in contact. But she's as frosty as the Seattle air the week before Christmas. He'd better put on all his charm. Maybe with the help of a few mochas and some mistletoe all will not be lost.Cephalopod Cupid by Kathleen FreemanLacey McDowell has the best job in the world. She's a Marine biologist at the Seattle Aquarium. Her favorite "exhibit," an octopus escape artist named Gabriel, should make the coming Christmas merry enough. But with her friend marrying her ex-boyfriend, it may be time for a change. The N.O.A.A. research vessel in port is looking for a marine biologist. But how can Lacey leave Gabriel? And what about the boy who loves her favorite cephalopod, or his father, a handsome executive who's moving to Seattle?Christmas Bells are Ringing by Lesley Ann McDanielHaving recently relocated to Seattle, Shelby longs for someone special in her life. When a handsome green-eyed stranger walks into the coffee shop where she works, her interest is piqued. Later, she finds a bag containing five beautiful hand-painted Christmas bells on the cream and sugar table. No one comes back to claim it, so she decides to do a little detective work. Does she dare hope that it will lead her to the stranger with the magnetic green eyes?Seattle Rayne by Sylvia StewartLoneliness has hovered over Rayne DeMarco's life. Frequent infusions of coffee have neither enlivened her flagging business as a freelance writer nor her social life. Seattle's gray winter skies seem to mirror her life. Then a mama cat with three rambunctious kittens finds a home in her above-the-garage apartment, and a handsome Montana cowboy, Matt Hayes, walks back into her life. Add a puppy who needs a little love and you have a Seattle romance that is as sure to warm your heart as the hot coffee Seattleites crave.All I Want for Christmas by Janalyn VoigtWhen Corey broke Hailey's heart, her best friend Matt picked up the pieces. If Matt wasn't a cubicle worker moonlighting as a Seattle street musician, this would be easy. But never mind that he stirs her emotions, Hailey can't afford a drag on her ambitions. She needs to climb the career ladder to keep her childhood home. Matt isn't about to tell Hailey that the 'fiddle' he carries is a Stradivarius or that he owns a tuxedo, not after his fiancé ditched him for a man with more money.

    Suspicions of murder began to surround her stepfather, a German doctor named Dieter Krombach, but Bamberski could only hope the truth would prevail. But when the authorities gave up their pursuit, he knew he had to act. So against the odds, Bamberski embarked on an obsessive quest to capture and punish his daughter’s killer. In this riveting true story by Joshua Hammer, a father travels to the limits of law in search of justice.

    Gad was adopted by a white Jewish family in Chicago. For her parents, it was love at first sight--but they quickly realized the world wasn't ready for a family like theirs.Marra's biological mother was unwed, white, and Jewish, and her biological father was black. While still a child, Marra came to realize that she was "a mixed-race, Jewish unicorn." In black spaces, she was not "black enough" or told that it was OK to be Christian or Muslim, but not Jewish. In Jewish spaces, she was mistaken for the help, asked to leave, or worse. Even in her own extended family, racism bubbled to the surface.Marra's family cut out those relatives who could not tolerate the color of her skin--including her once beloved, glamorous, worldly Great-Aunt Nette. After they had been estranged for fifteen years, Marra discovers that Nette has Alzheimer's, and that only she is in a position to get Nette back to the only family she has left. Instead of revenge, Marra chooses love, and watches as the disease erases her aunt's racism, making space for a relationship that was never possible before.The Color of Love explores the idea of yerusha, which means inheritance in Yiddish. At turns heart-wrenching and heartwarming, this is a story about what you inherit from your family--identity, disease, melanin, hate, and most powerful of all, love. With honesty, insight, and warmth, Marra B. Gad has written an inspirational, moving chronicle proving that when all else is stripped away, love is where we return, and love is always our greatest inheritance.