Religious Life

Life Lessons covers topics of the heart and mind, often with related stories from the Scriptures. Ninety concise and to-the-point chapters speak to everyday topics we all may experience on any given day from dawn to bedtime.

Joseph F. Smith was born in 1838 to Hyrum Smith and Mary Fielding Smith. Six years later both his father and his uncle, Joseph Smith Jr., the founding prophet of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, were murdered in Carthage, Illinois. The trauma of that event remained with Joseph F. for the rest of his life, affecting his personal behavior and public tenure in the highest tiers of the LDS Church, including the post of president from 1901 until his death in 1918.

When Jay Cross heals a paralyzed man just by touching his hand, and is able to do it again and again for the sick and the frail, his quiet, peaceful world is thrown into utter turmoil. At the same time, only a few hours away, David Kreutzer wipes his hand across his wife's forehead, curing her failing eyesight. Instead of approaching the ability with fear and reluctance, he sees the bright glow of dollar signs. Millions of them. Where did this power come from? Why were both men chosen? And who is the mysterious stranger lurking in the shadows, waiting for his chance to destroy them both?

Becky Powell faced the unthinkable on May 16, 2013. Her husband, Mark, called and said, "I've done something terrible." Within hours, she learned that he had taken his own life and, over a period of several years, millions of dollars from friends and colleagues. Everything she believed to be true, the very fiber of her marriage, was called into question. Yet from that first horrific moment, God was there. Awful Beautiful Life is Becky's journey through the two years surrounding Mark's death and how she overcame.

WHITE CAT BLACK CAT - The Hunter ******************************************** One hot summer day, in front of the fan The white cat was sweating as only cats can When outside the window he suddenly spied A tiny bird chirping on the other side. The cat stretched hard, from his back to his front, And thought, “What a great day to go out and hunt!”

This memoir and biography unfolds the inspiring internal and external spiritual odyssey of Yamuna Devi's devotional life recalled in her memories, talks, journals, and writings as well as the remembrances of the author and other associates and friends. It is supplemented with relevant complimentary music and narrative featuring Yamuna.

Chosen by the Guardian as one of the one hundred best nonfiction books of all time, Olaudah Equiano’s searing first-person account helped awaken contemporary readers to the nightmare of slavery.

Pastor and scholar Patrick Henry Reardon travels through the Gospel narratives to discover the real Jesus, to see him through the eyes of those who knew him best—the apostles, his community, believers who vividly portrayed him in stories filtered through their own faith. Through these living, breathing accounts, we contemplate who God’s Son really was and is—and we understand how he came to redeem and sanctify every aspect of every human life.

A fascinating biography of Freda Bedi, an English woman who broke all the rules of gender, race, and religious background to become both a revolutionary in the fight for Indian independence and then a Buddhist icon. She was the first Western woman to become a Tibetan Buddhist nun - but that pioneering ordination was really just one in a life full of revolutionary acts. Freda Bedi broke the rules of gender, race, and religion - in many cases before it was thought that the rules were ready to be challenged.

In this provocative new contribution to public theology, world-renowned theologian Miroslav Volf (named "America's New Public Intellectual" by Scot McKnight on his Jesus Creed blog) and Matthew Croasmun explain that the intellectual tools needed to rescue us from our present malaise and meet our new cultural challenge are the tools of theology. A renewal of theology is crucial to help us articulate compelling visions of the good life, find our way through the maze of contested questions of value, and answer the fundamental question of what makes life worth living.

Welcome to the imaginative brain of Omar! Omar and his family have just moved, and he is NOT excited about starting at a new school. What if the work is too hard or the kids are mean or the teacher is a zombie alien?! But when Omar makes a new best friend, things start looking up. That is, until a Big Mean Bully named Daniel makes every day a nightmare! Daniel even tells Omar that all Muslims are going to be kicked out of the country.... Could that possibly be true? Luckily, Omar's enormous imagination and goofy family help him get through life's ups and downs.

The remarkable life, career, and faith journey of the star of The Love Boat and The Mary Tyler Moore Show. For 16 years, millions of Americans welcomed Gavin MacLeod into their living rooms every Saturday night. This veteran of stage and screen transformed himself from a seasoned character actor into the leading, lovable father-figure of The Love Boat at the height of TV's boom years. For more than 30 years, Gavin MacLeod has served as the global ambassador for Princess Cruises.

In Andy Lewter's powerful novel "The Black Pontiff," a young boy from Chicago's dangerous South Side rises to become the first African American pope in history, challenging centuries of tradition and igniting a global spiritual revolution. Elijah Turner's journey begins in the gang-infested streets of Chicago, where a chance encounter with a local priest offers him an escape through education. From Catholic school to Notre Dame University, the seminary, and beyond, Elijah navigates prejudice and politics while developing his vision of a more inclusive Church. When Pope Francis dies in 2025,...

Augustine is widely considered to be the most influential theologian in church history after the apostle Paul. Dramatically converted from a life of licentiousness to one of wholehearted devotion to Christ, the humble North African pastor quickly established himself as a leading figure within the ancient church. In Augustine on the Christian Life, historian Gerald Bray explores the rich spirituality of this extraordinary man, examining his historical context, approach to the Christian life, and work as a preacher and teacher of God’s Word.

Love arrives when it's least expected. And, with the person least expected! Maggie Golding, the unconventional and artistic 50-something designing the Christmas window displays at Pettett & Mayfields London department store, never expected to fall in love with Edgar Pettett, staid and sensible heir to the business. They couldn't be more different. But he's kind, sweet, a delight to be with, and willing to accept her as she is. Even with her rainbow-coloured hair, and her coat to match. Ed would far rather be wearing Wellingtons and jeans while caring for the dairy cattle on his farm than ...

How did a 19th Century farm girl from New England start a worldwide healing movement, open a college, build a church, write a book on healing which has remained a best seller for over 100 years, begin three magazines, open a publishing house, and start a daily newspaper which, by the second decade of the 21st century, has won seven Pulitzer Prizes and more than a dozen Overseas Press Club awards? Sibyl Wilbur’s contemporary account of this stunning life is written with all the verve and romance of the period and brings its subject to life.

In this “jewel of a novel” (The Observer), Hilary Byrd flees his demons and the dark undercurrents of contemporary life in England for a former British hill station in south India. Charmed by the foreignness of his new surroundings and by the familiarity of everything the British have left behind, he finds solace in life’s simple pleasures, travelling by rickshaw around the small town with his driver Jamshed and staying in a mission house beside the local presbytery where, after a chance meeting, the Padre and his adoptive daughter Priscilla take Hilary under their wing.

Anne Rice’s second book in her hugely ambitious and courageous life of Christ begins during his last winter before his baptism in the Jordan and concludes with the miracle at Cana. It is a novel in which we see Jesus - he is called Yeshua bar Joseph - during a winter of no rain, endless dust, and talk of trouble in Judea. Legends of a virgin birth have long surrounded Yeshua, yet for decades he has lived as one among many who come to the synagogue on the Sabbath. All who know and love him find themselves waiting for some sign of the path he will eventually take.

Jenna, Livvy, Heather, and Manda strive for their best in their respective sports: gymnastics, figure skating, ice dancing, and downhill skiing. Their ultimate goal: the Olympics.

A football player who is trying to save his brother! A dancer who's trying to forget her past! Will they save each other? Boston Brady, running back for the Miami Surf, only wanted three things from his month at a beach resort—to take care of his brother, train for football, and forget his ex-girlfriend! When he is suckered into taking dance classes by his brother, he never expected to get stuck with the one woman he'd accidentally infuriated upon arriving. The beautiful and talented Addison Adair, former coach from Dancing With The Stars only wants two things--a spot on Jive ...