Political turmoil during the life of Jesus affected his ministry and caused him deep concern that he was not reaching the people with God’s message of love. Leaders in Palestine had been corrupted with Greek and Roman influence, causing a growing divide between the rich and the poor. Pharisees were fighting the trend by demanding a harsh adherence to Mosaic law laid down in Leviticus, which caused a greater burden on the poor, who could not follow the law of sacrifices for atonement. The people were desperately hoping for the messiah. After Herod Antipas had John the Baptist beheaded, Jesus knew of the real dangers he faced by those in power and by the Pharisees who saw thousands following him as a loss of their influence. After the second year of his ministry, Jesus knew that there were plots to have him killed. As a result, he shifted his ministry into areas away from Galilee and Judea, and he pleaded with people not to call him the messiah, the savior the people had been hoping for. The Last Shepherd is a story of how politics during the life and ministry of Jesus influenced his mission. But the gospels give only two of the events recorded in Luke 13:1–5. This novel records them all.

    See, the older we get the more that we’re supposed to recognize that God moves on his own time, but it gets hard. Honestly, I didn’t have a clue whatsoever that I would have to go through something in life so harsh as this. On the days that I felt lonely and like the walls were closing in on me, I just called on God. Some days I wake up in the morning and decide that I’m not praying anymore or I’m just tired. God would instantly tap me on the shoulder and whisper… “Just a little bit of faith, Annabelle. That’s all you need. Keep going.” “But God you said…” “Keep going, Annabelle.” Many nights I’ve cried in my prison cell while studying my Bible, tear drops blurring out my passage. I often wondered what my life would’ve been like if I wouldn’t have ever met him. I wondered what it would’ve been like if I wouldn’t have ever gone to that church. What it would’ve been like if my Mama would have never died and left me out here all alone? What it would’ve been like if I… Then God tapped me on my shoulder again, and I turned around looking for him. The small dark cell is where I was sitting as tears still poured from my eyes. I can still hear Him say. “Now imagine what it be like if you would have never accepted me as your Lord and savior. I know what I’m doing, Annabelle. I don’t make mistakes. Come here and let me show what I’m talking about…”

    Even though Quentin gave Chloe twenty million dollars to leave quietly, she longs for love and hopes that a move to Washington DC will expand her options to a new elite crowd. When Chloe meets ex-NFL star, Dustin McArthur, she thinks she's finally met the man of her dreams. He's sinfully handsome, lives in an exclusive neighborhood in Georgetown and knows how to show Chloe a great time, all while being the perfect gentleman. Chloe is sure she's struck the jackpot with Dustin, and hesitates to tell him about her past gold digger ways. But while Dustin seems like the whole package, there are a few chinks in his knight's armor. A wild past has left him with four children by four women, his finances are in disarray, and the A-list life he leads is merely smoke and mirrors provided by his NFL friends and Chi Kappa Psi Fraternity brothers. When Chloe and Dustin's secrets are revealed, will there be enough love to cover their multitude of sins? Or will Chloe's replacement fall short of the original? This is a novella.

    

    So, as you will see, you being here will be quite a treat for all of the monsters. While some of the monsters will love your company in their quaint little world, there are others that may not take too kindly to seeing you. The royal guard will see you don’t live long if they catch you. You’ll be faced with countless trials and tasks in the Underground, and just like in the human world, you’ll have choices to make when you face these trials. Do you run, or do you fight? Do you hide in a closet, or do you eat the cheese that you found in your coat pocket from last year?

    

    

    It takes the reader on a journey through the lives of minstrels and storytellers; weavers, potters, ironsmiths and carvers; farmers and cooks; and poet rebels.Find out how these men and women shaped Indian civilization and made it richer with their skills and their wondrous innovations. From the first storytellers who wove tales of great imagination and then passed them down generations, to skilled workers who discovered how to weave cotton or created marvelous works of art like the Chola bronzes; from the farmers who fed everyone and even adopted new seeds and crops that have become staples now to poet rebels like Kabir and Guru Nanak who changed society with love and songs.Concise yet filled with relevant details and accompanied by attractive colour illustrations, the Exploring India series will make history fascinating and unforgettable for every reader.

    He’s trying to overcome his scandalous history. Together, forgiveness might give them a second chance. Nurse’s aide Naomi Deacon desperately wants to heal her devastated soul. After caring for her fiancé in his final months, she’s returned to her small hometown alone and looking for direction. So when a pregnant teenager needs in-home care, Naomi takes the job… even though the young woman’s step-brother is the bad boy who broke her heart.Jess Schroder is lucky to have survived his wild teenage years. With time, he’s grown into a man compassionate enough to take in his expecting step-sister. But when the only woman he ever loved is part of the package, he’s painfully reminded of their lost passion.As they prepare for the baby’s arrival, the two high-school sweethearts rekindle old feelings. But Jess doesn’t know how to prove he’s really changed. And Naomi carries a dark secret from their past that could destroy any hope for their future.Can Naomi and Jess forgive their younger selves to build a new, better life?Finding Home is the second book in the sweet Family Bonds Christian romance series. If you like characters with depth, trust built through faith, and stories filled with compassion, then you’ll adore Carolyne Aarsen’s touching novel. Buy Finding Home to see destiny find its way today!

    When Quinn the Owl makes a new friend, a firefly named Blink, she is filled with joy. But one night, Quinn wakes up to find her friend has disappeared in a flash. “Momma, why didn’t God make Blink stay with me? Didn’t he know how much I loved him?”“God doesn’t always stop bad things from happening, Quinn. But He does promise that He will always be with you, and He will never stop being your friend.” Beautifully illustrated and thoughtfully written, Quinn Says Goodbye is designed for children dealing with different kinds of loss, whether it be death of a pet or a family member, or simply the loss of a favorite toy. Remind little ones that although people and things might not be in their life forever, God will never leave them.

    This volume includes several of Tolstoy's stories for children.

    Reeves truly was the most unusual US Marshal to ever serve this country. His accomplishments earned him the title of the most feared lawman in the wild and untamed Indian Territory. The reader will follow his never ending contacts with murders, robbers, horse thieves and whiskey runners. His remarkable life should be an inspiration for any reader. They will be impressed, and astonished by his fearlessness, dedication to honor, commitment to the law and his impact on history. Bass Reeves Lawman is the second of a trilogy based on the true life of Bass Reeves, the first Black US Marshal west of the Mississippi. You will follow him from as he meets famous people of the time. Pistol Pete, Belle Starr, Judge Isaac Parker, Heck Thomas and Sam Sixkiller were just some of the famous and infamous who crossed paths with this amazing man. Bass Reeves was born a slave, escaped captivity during the Civil War. His years of service, as a US Marshal, to the lawless Indian Territory helped write the history of Oklahoma. His honor, accomplishments and courage makes him eligible to be called the greatest lawman of his time. Bass Reeves’ story will make any lover of the old west wonder why he is not more famous. The history of the Old West is filled with stories of heroes and villains, and those stories have been a source of fascination for generations. The fact that the stories of these unique and colorful characters continue to intrigue people is a true testament to the grit and determination it actually took to tame a wild and unpredictable country. Among those stories, readers will seldom find a character that overcame more challenges and had more determination than Bass Reeves. As a slave, Reeves served a man who ultimately became the Speaker of the House of Texas. He was a participant in the Civil War and escaped to the lawless Indian Territory that is now Oklahoma. His life with the Indians, gave him the skills to make him a great tracker and hunter of outlaws. He learned five languages and gained respect of the Indians of the Territory, which made him one of the few who could gain information and accomplish the task of hunting down the lawless. Bass Reeves faced challenges in his new homeland that would have destroyed a lesser man, but his natural gifts of determination and intelligence helped mold the man into one of the most feared and respected lawmen in history. The story of Bass Reeves was illuminated in his day by only a flicker of candlelight, because he was black. If he had been a white man, the entire world would have known of his great exploits, and his name would have been mentioned with the likes of Wyatt Earp, Bat Masterson and Bill Hickok. If the real truth had been known, the name of Bass Reeves would have been a beacon of historical light, shining brighter than any of his contemporaries. The truth is, many of those more famous lawmen also reveled in some of the less honorable sides of life, like gambling, prostitution, profiteering, murder and vengeance. To the contrary, research into the life of Bass Reeves has shown that he strictly obeyed the laws of the land and strove to treat the men he hunted with even more respect than was customary for that time in history. Amazingly, Reeves stuck to these high standards in a wild territory that was often filled with greater danger than any of his contemporaries could have even imagined. Bass Reeves brought law to a territory of outlaws that spread out over seventy thousand square miles. He arrested more than three thousand offenders and delivered them to face judgment before Judge Parker, in Fort Smith, Arkansas.

    The only mystery he knows is the one that involves the hidden cave and the secret book that shows the way to the Sunshine Country - and Palko longs to go there. He has heard that in that land there is no darkness or fear, sickness or weeping. Soon he has his grandfather, Uncle Martin and the whole village wondering about the amazing little book that tells them such wonderful truths about the love of God and the forgiveness of sins. Even Father Malina starts to ask questions. But then there is the mystery about Palko's past and another little boy who went missing - Uncle Martin is trying to find him and Palko promises to do the same. Will they find the little boy after such a long time? Are they in fact looking in the right place? Perhaps the mystery isn't so mysterious after all.

    She and her new husband Bradley have been planning this trip for as long as they have been planning their lives together it seems, and now that they've left Independence, Missouri on the wagon train west, it appears that all of their dreams are coming true. Within just a few short weeks of leaving, however, the harsh realities of life on the wagon train strike Hannah hard and she is forced to realize that the adventure she envisioned with Bradley is not at all what it seemed. Will Hannah overcome hardship when her adventure out west takes a tragic turn for the worse? Book 2: Mail Order Bride Caroline: The Lord guides Caroline to an ad in the newspaper from a gold miner in Bannack who is searching for a lovely woman to become his bride. Soon, she joins the wagon train and anxiously makes the journey out west to start her new life. When she arrives, however, she discovers that the man she chose may not be the man she thought he was. She must decide where her loyalties lie—and if she can find it in herself to look beyond Bailey’s past and accept him for the man he is today. Book 3: Mail Order Bride Louisa: After the death of her sweetheart, Louisa feels that there is nothing left in life for her, and wonders what she could possibly do to fill the years that lie ahead. When her sister suggests for Louisa to become a mail order bride for one of the men in the frontier, Louisa is appalled, but with the prospect of her sister and brother leaving on the wagon train with their cousins, Louisa knows that she must make the decision to either be left alone without any relatives and only her painful memories, or to enter marriage with a man she doesn't know. Book 4: Mail Order Bride Emily: Emily has never quite fit in with the rest of the high society young women who are supposed to be her peers. Raised in privilege—and expected to live up to the part now that she is old enough to marry—Emily cares more about her dream of becoming a teacher than the idea of hosting fancy tea parties and being courted by potential suitors. Feeling that she cannot continue being told what to do any longer, Emily makes the bold decision to go out west so that she can start a school and teach the children of the Frontier. In order to fulfill her dream, however, she must become a mail order bride. Book 5: Mail Order Bride Charlotte: After the death of their parents, Charlotte and her brother Victor only have each other left in the world. Well past marrying age at thirty years old, Charlotte has nearly resigned herself to spending her life taking care of Victor when she suddenly discovers that he has been planning for them to move away from Philadelphia and seek out their futures in the Frontier town of Bannack. Though Victor refuses to admit it, Charlotte knows that having a single sister following him around is limiting to him, so she decides to take responsibility for herself and find a man who is looking for a wife. Book 6: Mail Order Bride Betsy: Betsy always knew that love would find her eventually, and until then, she would be happy watching the young men who lived in her mother's boarding house court their sweethearts on the front porch.

    He weathered those hard times, and God blessed him with five more children. But now that his children are grown and living their own lives, Joel worries that the devourer has once again set his sights on the family that God has blessed.For the most part, Joel’s children are successful and rich yet very unhappy. Joel realizes that giving his children more money will not make them happy, nor will it secure a place in heaven for them, when their hearts and souls are not fully committed to Christ. So, Joel Morrison decides to change his will in an attempt to teach his children a lesson in giving. He invites his children on a family vacation in the Bahamas to tell them that he will be giving most of his money away to charity. However, Joel’s declaration is not the biggest surprise of their vacation.Shockwaves are sent throughout the Morrison family, the likes of which they may never recover from.