Religious Grief

Dallas Willard spent his life making eternal living concrete for his friends. After his unexpected passing in 2013, the kaleidoscope of memories and the diversity of the lives he had touched could not be confined to one or even two memorial services but three. It is this wide breadth of impact that inspired friends, family, colleagues, students, and leaders of the church to gather their reflections on this celebrated yet humble theologian and philosopher.

"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.

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 ...

Erika Cantrell adores attending weddings, perhaps because she’d had the dreamy husband and perfect marriage. Once. But that was gone. Now she dedicates herself to her work at a pediatric practice and she’s happy to make a difference in the lives of others. Cody Stiers, a rugged organic farmer has moved to the wide-open spaces of Montana. Open to a second chance at love after his own marriage ended years ago, Cody is finally hopeful about his future. They meet at a wedding, and the chemistry is instant. Drawn to Erika's beauty and spirit, Cody doesn't hesitate to ask her out. But despite...

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 ...

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...

“From the first day of my life you’ve been a guiding light for me through this journey...now it’s my turn.” How We Love is the second book in the continuing story of two families who meet at a time in their lives when changes seem to be taking place almost every day. As Mae and Elsie come to terms with the limitations brought about by the disease that has forever altered their lives their families struggle to do the same. How We Love is the story of mothers and daughters and granddaughters...and the family they are surrounded by. It is a story of what is important and what is not ...

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. A new student named Grace Eicher moves into the community to attend Megan Yoder’s school. Despite her best efforts, Megan finds herself drawn to the sad little girl and her baby brother, but especially to their widowed father. Is widower Jacob ready for someone new in his life, and will the children accept Megan as family? Will Megan leave her ailing mother for a chance at love?...

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.

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.

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...

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. The Yoder women struggle to survive after Jeremiah Yoder succumbs to a battle with cancer. The family risks losing their farm and their livelihood. They are desperate to find a way to keep going. Will Miriam and her daughters be able to work together to keep their family afloat? Will God pull through for them and provide for them in their time of need? A Promised Tomorrow is the ...

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. Rebecca Yoder is twenty years old and fears she might be single forever. At one point, she was on the verge of being engaged to a handsome young man in town. Then things went sour, leaving Rebecca to wonder what is wrong with her and whether she is unlovable. Can she let go of her memories with her lost love long enough to find joy with another? Or, will her insecurities keep her from...

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.

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.

Years ago Harry's cheating caused her heartbreak and a broken marriage...yet some bonds are unbreakable.Twila Westin has already visited the canyon several times since her mother’s return to her childhood home. But unlike her sister and brothers she’s yet to meet her mother’s new neighbor and friend, Clay Tobin. So far their schedules hadn’t allowed for it. Each time she was there to visit he’d been off somewhere filming another movie. And each time the simple fact that he was reminded her of her father and how much the two men had in common. She knew this time when she arrived at...

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".

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.