Religious Love

Martha Plinket’s plans are derailed when a group of Indians intercept her train. Stranded in the mountains, how will Martha escape and find her way home? Gabriel Marsh has given up living in society for his secluded mountain cabin. His only interaction with humans is with the Indians he trades with. His peaceful quiet is interrupted when it becomes clear his only option is to rescue Martha and take her into town. A place he hasn’t been to for years. Their troubles are far from over when Gabriel discovers the fate of his family.

Young Julia King is so beaten down by her tyrant stepmother that she despairs of ever being free. She fears for her life and those of her two young brothers. Unbeknownst to Julia, her cowered father finally devises a way for her to be rescued from her fearful enslavement. No one would ever suspect that her kidnapping was part of an elaborate plan to bring her into the arms of Western cowboy, Lester Royce. Julia's heart still fears for her father and brother's safety, but a surprise like no other awaits her on the day of her wedding.

Jessica Winters’ father is a stubborn and onerous man. In his drive to make his mark, he drags his family west, only to be slain on the treacherous trail, leaving his daughters to defend themselves in the open wilds. No horses, no wagon. No hope but in God. When the sheriff’s son, Nicolas Holloway, discovers the girls sheltering in a cave, it takes a sensitive heart to coax them out. But there is more that Nicholas wants to coax from this gentle and courageous girl—the answer to a question he will ask only one special woman.

Having lost her entire family through a terrible plague aboard the boat that brought her to America, Leslie Logan still hopes for a better life in this land of opportunity. Opportunity for 19-year-old Leslie seems as far away as her forsaken homeland, and circumstances go from bad to worse. Her last hope is to travel west as a mail-order bride. Little does she realize that her trip to Green River is on false pretenses, and that she will not be welcomed by the man who supposedly invited her there. Only the kindness of a poor young farmer offers a ray of hope for the young girl.

When 16-year-old Charlotte Stevens discovers an unusual map and letters among her grandfather’s things, she becomes obsessed with the inscription on the back of the faded papers: “If you care, take this dare. Beyond the shadows, radiance blazes.” Her curiosity carries her to North Dakota, to an old acquaintance of her late grandfather, but before her arrival, the man who held the secrets she so longed to uncover dies. It seems her search has come to an abrupt end, but a new discovery awaits her in his dusty home—one that will introduce her to a treasure beyond any price.

When Teresa Gordan’s well-respected and rich parents are supposed lost at sea, she finds herself under the care of a grasping aunt. Aunt Tiffany intends to posses the poor girl’s inheritance by marrying her off to her wastrel brother. Such dire measures require Teresa to flee west, but when she arrives, she finds that the locals' reception cold as ice. Despite her growing love for Isaac Murdoch, the local pastor and man of her dreams, she vows to cut him loose and make her own way, whatever the consequences. But Isaac knows his calling is to be beside this fascinating young woman.

Callie is the daughter of a rich but heartless industrialist in Baltimore. She witnessed the heartbreaking death of her neglected mother, and now her father insists she marry to extend his business empire. Plucky Callie refuses, insisting that she would rather marry a poor railroad worker than become the plaything of a rich man. Frederick Cameron, the intended match for poor Callie, determines to test the young lady's noble insistence that she marry for love and not money. His grand scheme causes him to travel and step down from the high place of privilege, with startling results.

Sixteen-year-old Laura Ferguson's taste for adventure takes her on a journey that leads from tragedy to triumph. Despite her plans for a round trip to the farthest reaches of the nation she so loves, she finds herself in Sandpoint—a wild and uninspiring Western mining town. Tragic news from the mines keeps Laura in the town to care for a heartbroken traveling companion. Little does she know that from this very tragedy, a triumph of love is about to be told—a story of redemption, liberation, and the binding of two young hearts forever in true love.

Doris Watson comes from humble circumstance, but when her family is blackmailed and her life threatened, the young lady is sent to safety. Her trip to safety is hijacked by the evil intent of a dangerous yet beautiful lady on the train—a stranger with a clever plan to implicate Doris in a spate of jewelry robberies and crush her family. Only Basil Dermott, a young man from Nebraska with a nose for the truth and an eye to uncover wrongdoing, has the means to absolve Doris from these spurious accusations. In his quest, Basil discovers not just the missing riches, but Doris' heart too.

Orphaned Gwendolyn knows she will be thrown to the street on her 18th birthday—just one year away. All she dreams of is to be part of a loving family, and know and marry a man who will truly cherish her. When naïve Gwen is convinced to run away with smooth-talking Oscar Hunter, her longing for love blinds her to his true intentions. Abandoned as a child, she is now abandoned again by the man she thought she loved. It is only the kindness of an elderly Christian mother traveling on the same westbound train that saves Gwendolyn from utter despair.

Bethany's family is facing ruin at the hands of her father's unscrupulous business partner. The only route to salvage the family honor and fortune is a proposal from a rich western magnate—a 65-year-old man in need of a bride. Teenage Bethany insists her father agree to the arrangement, and despite his protests, she heads west to an unknown and frightening future. Only at the very last moment as she stands trembling at the altar is the real story behind the old man's request revealed and Bethany's sacrificial love rewarded.

What would it be like if someone were completely, 100 percent for you? The loser. The rising star. The drug addict. The good Christian kid gone bad. The undeserving overwhelmed with gratitude. Whoever you are and wherever you’ve been—Jesus is for you. Not when you clean up your act or when...

Isabella, or the Pot of Basil (1818) is a poetic retelling of a story from The Decameron by Giovanni Boccaccio. The poem relates the sad fate of two victims of youthful love. The aristocratic and nubile Isabella is intended for marriage to an eligible suitor but falls in love with the plebeian Lorenzo. Isabella's brothers murder Lorenzo and bury his body, the location of which is revealed to Isabella by a ghost. She exhumes the body and re-inters the head in a pot of basil.

In this creative retelling of the parable of the Prodigal Son, the youngest son, Wander, was willing to give up everything for his independence—including a relationship with his father and brother Goodness. With his father's cash in hand, he left for the alluring towns of Perfection, Prosperity, and Popularity. Each new town brought a brief sense of happiness, but eventually, as the excitement wore off, he was overcome by a deepening sense of emptiness. It was then that Wander remembered his father's words.

… The story of usmay be over,but the story of me continues on. And what becomes of mein the chapters ahead, can only be written by me. Anyone who has lived a full life knows that their journey is certain to be filled with ups and downs that must be ridden like a wave until the seas calm again. Shelley Brown shares a look into her heart and experiences in candid reflections that address the challenges, loves, losses, and triumphs we all experience while here on Earth.

Tested, Tried, but I Survived, by Kimberly Moses and co-authors, is a beacon of light in this hour. Initially, many don't believe in God's miraculous power to deliver until they get in a situation and call unto him. Amazingly, God answers. Tested, Tried, but I Survived is about God's miraculous hand. We must learn how to see God in the storm. If he rescued the people in this book, he will do it for you. Know that you are next in line for your miracle.

Temptation looms large in love poetry and religious poetry, but over the centuries, poets have described and explored the topic of temptation from a variety of different perspectives, choosing some very unusual metaphors to illustrate the dangers - or the delights - of temptation. Here are six all-time favorites.

Life and love are things we all cherish. Our appreciation for life and everything it represents becomes exceedingly more significant in all spheres, of which the most important on earth is humanity. The Joy of Poems celebrates life and love in all their various forms. Love is the origin and point of departure for beginning and continuing any relationship in life. Of all the emotions, it is the most important and essential. Author Angel M. Jimenez writes poems with passion about the beautiful exposures and experiences of life

This thought provoking collection of poems walks down the reader’s memory lanes and captivates him as the subtle and realistic words of the poem come alive, leaving him with great hope and understanding of the mystery called life.

Election seasons can cause division on a variety of issues. But what happens when you disagree with someone in your local church community? Authors Jonathan Leeman and Andy Naselli propose that Christians should learn how to disagree on such issues with a spirit of gracious understanding by recognizing the importance of what binds us together as a local church body — the gospel of Jesus Christ.