Religious Grief

A young widow shouldering heavy burdens. A farmer ready to lend a hand. Iris Mast is grieving her late husband and overwhelmed by single-parenthood. To make matters worse, her mother is battling with early-onset dementia. Starved for options, Iris moves back home and assumes her mother’s role as the town’s herbalist. Iddo Yoder is a farmer who lives outside of Cardinal Hill. One day, he goes into the herbalist’s shop to buy a remedy for his father’s ailment. When he meets Iris, he is instantly drawn to her for he, too, lost a spouse as well as his son. How will Iris manage raising a...

"Okay, Lord, you can have him. But if he must die, I want it to be for something big. I want someone’s life to be changed forever." This is what Laura Sobeich prayed when she found out her 17-year-old son had only one year to live. With this desperate prayer, she released her son to God’s will. At that point, Zach Sobiech was just another teenager battling cancer. When his mother told him to think about writing good-bye letters to family and friends, he decided instead to write songs. One of them, "Clouds", captured hearts and changed not one life but millions, making him an international sensation.

They had very little in common. Their lives couldn’t be more different. The paths they’d chosen veered in completely opposite direction of the other in more ways than could be counted. Yet each knew the ultimate and painful cost of loving. They both knew that would never change. But they share more than an undeniable common bond…one that brings them together to form an even stronger friendship when nothing else could. And it is that bond that brings them together in the effort to do all that they can for a young girl who like them struggles to find her way in the midst of overwhelming...

Embark on an emotional and transformative journey in "Hope Returns," the gripping third book of the compelling Hope series. Hope Rodriguez's life has been a tumultuous ride, filled with twists and turns that defy her expectations. In this poignant installment, the depths of her resilience and the power of human connection come to light. Awakening in the somber confines of a hospital's behavioral unit after a failed suicide attempt, Hope finds herself under the compassionate care of Dr. Miller, a seasoned psychiatrist. Through their sessions, she learns the significance of embracing a ...

In the quiet college town of Binghamton, New York, two souls on unexpected journeys collide in a love story fraught with moral dilemmas, shattered faith, and the search for redemption. Rabbi Nachman Shapiro, a widower haunted by the tragic loss of his wife and infant daughter, escapes to Binghamton to find solace in his faith and work. But as he buries himself in his new life, the last thing he expects is Leah Sandler—a brilliant yet broken history professor with a past as painful as his own. Once part of an insular religious world, Leah has fought her way to a prestigious academic career...

A 29-year-old son and only child passes. He nudges his mother to open up to spirit so she can build a new relationship with him. Letters to David unlocks a door to spirit and offers hope for parents who have suffered tragic grief. There is an immediacy and accessibility to Claudia and David's relationship that provides laughter, tears, and hope to those grieving what they see as the "end" of a relationship. Enclosed, you will find valuable tools for healing and growth. We don't die, and our loved ones remain with us forever.

Vaughan Roberts surveys the Christian worldview and seeks to apply these principles to the many complex questions surrounding assisted dying. This short book gives an overview and a starting point for constructive discussion as we seek to live in a world with different values and love, serve, and engage with the questions surrounding euthanasia.

Emily Curtis is used to dealing with her problems while under the hood of an old Chevy, but when her mom dies, Emily’s world seems shaken beyond repair. Driven from home by hospital bills they can’t pay, Emily and her dad move in with his wealthy sister, who intends to make her niece more feminine - in other words, just like Whitney, Emily’s perfect cousin. But when Emily hears the engine of a 1970 Dodge Challenger and sees the cute gearhead Zander next door, things seem to be looking up. But even working alongside Zander can’t completely fix the hole in Emily’s life.

Three abandoned children… Two erstwhile sweethearts… One missing sister… And no problem? After Iris Delaney kissed him and ran off eleven years ago, Camden La Salle never wanted to see her again. But Iris is back in town caring for her nieces and baby nephew, and she needs his help. Can Camden let go of their past history to help Iris with her present crisis for the sake of the children’s future well-being in this second chance Christian coastal romance with a side of suspense? Iris’s Issues… When Iris Delaney’s five-year-old niece calls her unexpectedly to tell her that her ...

Jenna Camden knew nothing would be the same again. She felt like a guest in her own home...empty rooms echoed with precious memories, quiet nights filled with shadows of so many cherished yesterdays. Nothing was the same. Not even Christmas.A Christmas love story of hope, courage, and the enduring strength of love… Jenna didn’t have to look around her home with its colorful and shining Christmas decorations, the tall Christmas tree in her front room with the many Christmas ornaments that told in a special way the story of her family, to know that no matter what she did it would never ...

On a February day in 2008, Forrest Church sent a letter to the members of his congregation, informing them that he had terminal cancer; his life would now be measured in months, not years. In that remarkable letter, he wrote: "In more than one respect, I feel very lucky." He went on to promise that he would sum up his thoughts on the topics that had been so pervasive in his work-love and death-in a final book.

More than a decade ago, Jerry Sittser prayed for the protection of his family, yet three of his loved ones - his daughter, his wife, and his mother - died in an automobile accident. What went wrong? When God Doesn't Answer Your Prayer takes an honest and probing look at the problem of unanswered prayer. In doing so, it draws us ever deeper into a relationship with the God who is the end of all our prayers, the object of our faith, and the one who fulfills our deepest longings.

The Yoder Family Saga follows widow Miriam Yoder and her four unmarried daughters, Megan, Rebecca, Josephine, and Lillian, as they discover God’s plans for them and the hope He provides for a happy tomorrow. Miriam Yoder is unsure about Abe Schmidt’s role in her family’s life despite the fact that her daughter Josephine has been working for him and sees him as a father figure. When Josephine discovers that Abe and her mother were once in a romantic relationship, she enlists the help of her sisters to reunite them. Will Abe forgive Miriam for past hurts? Will Miriam allow herself to ...

Welcome to Morrissey County! This fictional region in Pennsylvania Amish country is home to several generations of strong-willed Amish women who know what they want in life, even if others disagree. Join these women on their search for love and acceptance. Morrissey County, 1979 Sarah Kauffman has always abided by the Ordnung, and not only because her father happens to be the town’s bishop and would, she feels, disown her if she didn’t. But when her mother passes away, she longs to escape the clutches of her father and run away to the Englisch world. When her father wants her to marry ...

When your life falls apart - through a death, a lost relationship, a diagnosis - you want more than anything to know that your pain has a purpose. And that beyond your pain, a new day awaits. Tricia Lott Williford discovered this in a few tragic hours when her 35-year-old husband died unexpectedly. In And Life Comes Back, she writes with soaring prose about her tender, brave journey as a widow with two young boys in the agonizing days and months that followed his death.

A Journey Through Grief, Loss, Hope and Recovery will benefit those working through sorrow, and those comforting others. Choosing to thrive in the midst of trauma, loss, and illnesses that change lives forever for both young and old alike is the underlying message in this audiobook. It is never easy, but there is hope to thrive and not just survive the journey to recovery. In some way, pain, loss, and tragedy unmistakably touch all of our lives.

Charlie, a musical theater nerd with a deep appreciation for sprinkle-topped ice cream and other snack foods, is active in his church and comes from a family who loves and appreciates him for exactly who he is, purple pants and all. Tim, a lover of crinkle-cut pickles, black olives, and other forgivably disgusting crudités, belongs to a conservative Christian pastor and devout mother who move to the rural town to staff a small church that, predictably, holds little place for Tim. After meeting online and attending a youth group at another church, Tim and Charlie become fast friends.

What do we think of when we think about heaven? What might it look like? Who or what might be there? Since humans began to huddle together for protection thousands of years ago, these questions have been part of how civilizations and cultures define heaven, the good place beyond this one. In this engrossing cultural history of heaven, Catherine Wolff delves into how people and cultures have defined heaven over the centuries. She describes how different faiths and religions have framed it, how the sense of heaven has evolved, and how nonreligious influences have affected it.

Chiara Luce, a girl full of vitality, suddenly fell gravely ill. And, strangely, moment by moment, a new life full of light began to unfold for her. She was 18 when she died, yet she had lived to the full. On September 25, 2010, Chiara Luce was beatified by Pope Benedict XVI and is now known as "Blessed Chiara Badano".

Time doesn’t heal all wounds. Love does. Amy Harte, an Emergency Medicine physician, lost her mother to cancer suddenly on the day of her residency graduation one year ago. As a doctor, she struggles with not being able to save her mother and experiencing her best day on her worst. Since then, she has turned from her relationship with God in her guilt and grief. Near the fateful day’s anniversary, her father calls to tell Amy the bank may take her childhood home. Amy knows she must save the house that holds the last precious memories of her mother. Meanwhile, Amy meets a gorgeous ...