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The Blackwell Companion to the Bible and Culture (Wiley Blackwell Companions to Religion #7)
by John F. A. SawyerThe Blackwell Companion to the Bible and Culture provides readers with a concise, readable and scholarly introduction to twenty-first century approaches to the Bible. Consists of 30 articles written by distinguished specialists from around the world Draws on interdisciplinary and international examples to explore how the Bible has impacted on all the major social contexts where it has been influential – ancient, medieval and modern, world-wide Gives examples of how the Bible has influenced literature, art, music, history, religious studies, politics, ecology and sociology Each article is accompanied by a comprehensive bibliography Offers guidance on how to read the Bible and its many interpretations
Anne Frank
by Kem Knapp SawyerTells the incredible story of this courageous young writer. In this groundbreaking new series, DK brings together fresh voices and DK design values to give readers the most information-packed, visually exciting biographies on the market today. Full-color photographs of people, places, and artifacts, definitions of key words, and sidebars on related subjects add dimension and relevance to stories of famous lives that students will love to read.
Beginnings (Sommerfeld Trilogy #2)
by Kim Vogel Sawyer"BETH QUINN left the city to live among the Old Order Mennonites in the small town of Sommerfeld, Kansas, but she doesn't fit in. Her mother has embraced the old life and reconciled with her family, but these people are strangers to Beth and her business focus doesn't fit their ideal for women. With two men now vying for her attention, Beth is torn between a desire for independence and a longing to have someone on whom to depend. New in her Christian faith, will Beth be able to reconcile her old life with the new? Andrew Braun, a member of the Sommerfeld fellowship, works side-by-side with Beth, designing and constructing stained-glass windows. Dare she trust him with her life and her heart? Sean McCauley, whose dad owns a construction company specializing in erecting church buildings, visits Beth's shop and discusses a possible business deal. Is Sean interested in more than a financial alliance? Feelings of unsettledness begin to grow as Beth searches for a place to belong. Will she look to her heavenly Father for guidance and fulfillment? Or will she proceed with her own plans and wind up picking up more than pieces of shattered glass?"
Beneath a Prairie Moon: A Novel
by Kim Vogel SawyerReaders rabid for the sweet historical romances of Tracie Peterson and Tamara Alexander will flock to best-selling author Kim Vogel Sawyer's prairie-set heartwarmer of high society cast-off and the western town that welcomes her.Abigail Brantley grew up in affluence and knows exactly how to behave in high society. But when she is cast from the social registers due to her father's illegal dealings, she finds herself forced into a role she never imagined: tutoring rough Kansas ranchers in the subjects of manners and morals so they can "marry up" with their mail-order brides. Mack Cleveland, whose father was swindled by a mail-order bride, wants no part of the scheme to bring Eastern women to Spiveyville, Kansas, and he's put off by the snooty airs and fastidious behavior of the "little city gal" in their midst. But as time goes by, his heart goes out to the teacher who tries so diligently to smooth the rough edges from the down-to-earth men. How can he teach her that perfection won't bring happiness?
Blessings (Sommerfeld Trilogy #3)
by Kim Vogel SawyerFor as long as she can remember, Trina Muller has had a special affinity with animals. When the local vet, Dr. Groening, recognizes Trina's passion and abilities, he assures her that she can take over his practice when she becomes a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine. But that's a career of which her parents heartily disapprove. Can God be so cruel as to give Trina the gift of healing without also giving her the avenue to use it? Graham Ortmann loves Trina, but when he finds out about her plans to attend college, he's outraged. How can he marry someone who is determined to step outside the dictates of the Old Order Mennonite fellowship? When a young man with a D.VM. in hand approaches Dr. Groening about purchasing his practice, Trina's dreams seem to be crumbling right in front of her. Is this a sign from God that she isn't meant to be a vet after all?
Bringing Maggie Home: A Novel
by Kim Vogel SawyerDecades of Loss, an Unsolved Mystery, and a Rift Spanning Three GenerationsHazel DeFord is a woman haunted by her past. While berry picking in a blackberry thicket in 1943, ten-year old Hazel momentarily turns her back on her three-year old sister Maggie and the young girl disappears. Almost seventy years later, the mystery remains unsolved and the secret guilt Hazel carries has alienated her from her daughter Diane, who can’t understand her mother’s overprotectiveness and near paranoia. While Diane resents her mother’s inexplicable eccentricities, her daughter Meghan—a cold case agent—cherishes her grandmother’s lavish attention and affection. When a traffic accident forces Meghan to take a six-week leave-of-absence to recover, all three generations of DeFord women find themselves unexpectedly under the same roof. Meghan knows she will have to act as a mediator between the two headstrong and contentious women. But when they uncover Hazel’s painful secret, will Meghan also be able to use her investigative prowess to solve the family mystery and help both women recover all that’s been lost?
Bygones (Sommerfeld Trilogy #1)
by Kim Vogel SawyerTWENTY-THREE YEARS AGO, Marie Koeppler left her Old Order Mennonite family and faith to begin an exciting new life with Jep Quinn. But her husband's early death cut her dreams short. Widowed and alone, Marie makes just enough to survive and raise her daughter, Beth, in the outside world. Ensnared by life's rhythms, Marie has but a faint memory of her former life in Sommerfeld, Kansas. That is, until ex-beau Henry Braun suddenly shows up, bearing news: An elderly aunt has died, leaving Beth a house and small café back home. But there's a hitch. To claim the inheritance, Beth must temporarily reside in Sommerfeld. Reluctantly, Marie and Beth return to the Mennonite community Marie had once abandoned. But soon after their arrival, a chain of mysterious thefts raises the community's suspicions against the 'outsiders.' Can Marie prove their innocence, or will she be forced to flee once more? Henry Braun thought he'd gotten his love for Marie out of his system but soon begins to wonder if she's stolen more than his heart. When it's all said and done, can Henry and Marie let bygones be bygones, or has their love been doomed from the start?
Echoes of Mercy
by Kim Vogel SawyerSometimes a secret must be kept for the truth to be revealed. When a suspicious accident occurs at the famous Dinsmore Chocolate Factory in Sinclair, Kansas, Caroline Lang goes undercover as a factory worker to investigate the circumstances surrounding the event and how the factory treats its youngest employees--the child workers. Caroline's fervent faith, her difficult childhood, and compassionate heart drove her to her job as an investigator for the Labor Commission and she is compelled to see children freed from such heavy adult responsibilities, to allow them to pursue an education. Oliver Dinsmore, heir to the Dinsmore candy dynasty, has his own investigation to conduct. Posing as a common worker known as "Ollie Moore," he aims to find out all he can about the family business before he takes over for his father. Caroline and Oliver become fast friends, but tension mounts when the two find themselves at odds about the roles of child workers. Hiding their identities becomes even more difficult when fate brings them together over three children in desperate need. When all is revealed, will the truth destroy the love starting to grow between them?
Grace and the Preacher: A Novel
by Kim Vogel SawyerAt the age of twenty-three, postmistress Grace Cristler has all but given up hope of finding a husband among the narrowing group of eligible men in her town of Fairland, Kansas. But when her uncle decides to retire from the pulpit, Grace is responsible for corresponding with the new preacher set to take his place. She can’t deny the affection growing in her heart for Reverend Rufus Dille—a man she deeply admires but has only met through his letters. Theophil Garrison is on the run from his past. Ten years ago his outlaw cousins convinced him to take part in a train robbery, but Theo fled the scene, leaving his cousins to face imprisonment. Now they’ve finished their sentences, but the plan for vengeance has just begun. Branded a coward and running for his life, Theo has aa chance encounter that could provide him with the escape he needs. But the young man’s desperate con might come at an enormous price for the tenderhearted Grace—and the entire town. Will Grace’s undeserved affection and God’s mercy make something beautiful from the ashes of Theo’s past?
The Grace That Leads Us Home
by Kim Vogel SawyerThey were supposed to spend the rest of their lives together... In the wake of her husband's death, Alice Deaton will do anything to hold her family together. But with life handing her challenge after challenge, will her faith crack under the strain? Or will a kind stranger be able to offer refuge that Alice and her two small children so desperately need?
Guide Me Home: A Novel
by Kim Vogel SawyerWorking in the massive cave might allow Rebekah the chance to bring joy back to her family.But will it claim more than it gives? After tragedy leaves its mark on Rebekah Hardin's family, she plans to help her parents and six siblings honor her beloved brother's memory and alleviate their poverty by working as a guide in the dangerous cave system. Kentucky's renowned Mammoth Cave presents profitable opportunities in for hardworking, capable men. But Rebekah is determined and if it means presenting herself as a himself, then she's up to the job. Under the wing of experienced guide Tolly Sanford, "Reb" begins to learn the complexities of the cave and the two are joined by an aspiring young cartographer, Devlin Bale. The university student has traveled to the hill country to map tunnels--not to fall for a girl in disguise. Can the God who designed miles of underground astonishment shape Devlin's ambitious plans and free Reb from the weight from the past? From the Trade Paperback edition.
In Every Heartbeat
by Kim Vogel SawyerAs three friends who grew up in the same orphanage head off to college together, they each harbor a cherished dream. Libby wishes to become a famous journalist, Pete plans to study to become a minister, and Bennett wants to join a fraternity and have as much fun as possible. But as tensions rise around the world on the brink of World War I, the friends' differing aspirations and opinions begin to divide them, as well. And when Libby makes a shocking discovery about Pete's family, will it drive a final wedge between the friends or bond them in ways they never anticipated?
Just As I Am: A Short Story Extra for What Once Was Lost
by Kim Vogel SawyerIn this romantic 19th century-set short fiction follow-up to What Once Was Lost, while setting the stage for Sawyer's next novel, Echoes of Mercy, a young woman must let go of past rejections to find hope in the meaningful future God wants for her. Daisy Forrester has been raised in Brambleville, Kansas at Dunnigan's Orphan Asylum by Levi and Christina Jonnson. As she has watched younger, more appealing orphans come and go on to new families, Daisy has spent years becoming a valued helper for Ma and Pa Jonnson, as the orphans call them. However, she is coming up on her sixteenth birthday, and it will soon be time for her to make her own way in the world. Nervous about leaving the farm, she turns to the one connection she has out in the world--Robby, a friend who left the asylum before her and is now employed in Sinclair, Kansas at Dinsmore's World Famous Chocolate Factory. Daisy heads for the safe harbor that is his friendship, but the outside world doesn't offer the friendly welcome that Daisy dreams of and Robby faces unique challenges of his own in the form of an eager co-worker bent on sending Daisy back to Brambleville. Can Daisy look beyond her own insecurities to embrace a young man with great affection for her, and a God who calls her 'beloved'--just as she is?
Kansas Weddings: Three Brides Can Never Say Never to Love Again (Romancing America)
by Kim Vogel SawyerLife Isn't Always Easy Following drastic life changes, three Kansas women find it in new stages of life. Will love follow them there? After losing her parents in a fatal accident, Marin Brooks steps into their shoes to care for her brother, John, who has Down syndrome. Marin refuses to place him in an institution, the urgings of family and friends. Philip Wilder helps disabled individuals gain independence, but Marin isn’t interested. God helps these two caregivers reconcile their differences. Carrie Mays, who is about to receive a large inheritance, wants people to look at her and not see dollar signs—she wa be loved for being herself. Rocky Wilder has always dreamed of having money, but now that he has become a Christian, all he wants is to follow the path the Lord has laid cut for him. These two find common ground? Following her drug-related arrest, Angela Fischer is out and in God’s family, but she still feels alone. Her newest Christian friend, Ben Atchison, can’t seem to forgive her past and thinks she’ll always be an addict. Will Ben allow his heart to trust Angela—and the God who promises to make her a new person? Follow the journeys of three Kansas women as they experience changes that turn their worlds upside down and invite love.
Ours for a Season: A Novel
by Kim Vogel SawyerAn Old Order Mennonite couple's vows and beliefs are challenged in this stirring contemporary novel for fans of Cindy Woodsmall or Shelley Shepherd Gray.Anthony and Marty Hirschler are part of an Old Order Mennonite community in Pine Hill, Indiana. The couple has grown apart since a doctor confirmed they would never have children. Marty longs to escape the tight-knit area where large families are valued, and the opportunity to do so arises when her childhood friend, Brooke Spalding, resurfaces with the wild idea of rebuilding a ghost town into a resort community. Brooke hires Anthony to help with the construction, drawing the Hirschlers away from Indiana and into her plan, and then finds herself diagnosed with cancer. Moral complications with Brooke's vision for a casino as part of the resort and the discovery of a runaway teenager hiding on the property open up a world neither the Hirschlers nor Brooke had considered before. Will they be able to overcome their challenges and differences to help the ones among them hurting the most?
Room for Hope: A Novel
by Kim Vogel SawyerIn a desperate time, can Neva find forgiveness for a grievous wrong--and make room for hope? Neva Shilling has a heavy load of responsibility while her husband travels to neighboring communities and sells items from his wagon. In his absence, she faithfully runs the Shilling Mercantile, working to keep their business strong as the Depression takes its toll, and caring for their twins. When a wagon pulls up after supper, Neva and her children rush out--and into the presence of the deputy driving a wagon carrying three young children. The deputy shocks her with the news that Warren and his wife have died, insisting it was their last request that the three children go live with "Aunt Neva." Neva's heart is shattered as she realizes that Warren's month-long travels were excuses for visits with his secret family. She wants nothing more than to forget Warren, but can she abandon these innocent children to an orphanage? Yet if she takes them in, will she ever be able to see them as more than evidence of her husband's betrayal and love them the way God does?From the Trade Paperback edition.
Through the Deep Waters
by Kim Vogel SawyerA past filled with shame can be washed away with a love that conquers all Born to an unloving prostitute in a popular Chicago brothel, timid seventeen-year-old Dinah Hubley was raised amidst the secrets held in every dark, grimy room of her home. Anxious to escape, Dinah pursues her dream of becoming a Harvey Girl, waiting tables along the railroad in an upscale hotel. But when she finds out she isn't old enough, her only option is to accept a job as a chambermaid at the Clifton Hotel in Florence, Kansas. Eager to put everything behind her, Dinah feels more worthless than ever, based on a single horrible decision she made to survive. The Clifton offers a life Dinah has never known, but blinded to the love around her, Dinah remains buried in the shame of her past. When a handsome chicken farmer named Amos Ackerman starts to show interest, Dinah withdraws further, convinced no one could want a sullied woman like her. Despite his self-consciousness about his handicapped leg and her strange behavior, Amos resolves to show Dinah Christ's love. But can she ever accept a gift she so desperately needs?
Waiting for Summer's Return
by Kim Vogel SawyerAll alone on the Kansas prairie, Summer Steadman has few options. With her husband and children lost to illness, she has no desire to continue on farther west to where she and her husband planned to build their future. Instead, she seeks employment in a small Mennonite community in order to be near the graves of her family. Widower Peter Ollenburger, the local gristmill owner, needs someone to teach his young son. When he hears of a "learned woman" in town, he believes she is the answer to his prayers. He soon discovers, however, that helping this outsider may have troublesome consequences. There is little this father will not do for his son, but as the boy begins to look at Summer as more than a teacher, Peter must make a choice. Does he marry this woman to give his son a new mother, or does he marry only for love? Will Summer's broken heart ever be able to love again?
What Once Was Lost: A Novel
by Kim Vogel SawyerA woman meant to serve, a child in the dark, a man standing apart--can these three souls embrace a God with new plans for them? On a small Kansas farm, Christina Willems lovingly shepherds a group of poor and displaced individuals who count on her leadership and have come to see the Brambleville Asylum for the Poor as their home. But when a fire breaks out in the kitchen leaving the house uninhabitable, she must scramble to find shelter for all in her care, scattering her dear "family." With no other options, Christina is forced to approach Levi Jonnson, a reclusive mill owner, to take in a young blind boy named Tommy Kilgore. Levi agrees with reluctance but finds himself surprised by the bond that quickly grows between him and Tommy. As obstacles to repairing the farm pile up against Christina, she begins to question her leadership ability and wonders if she can fulfill the mission to which she's dedicated her life. And when an old adversary challenges Christina, will she find an unlikely ally--or more--in the aloof Levi? Can Levi reconcile with the rejection that led to his hermit-like existence and open his heart and life to something more, especially a relationship with a loving God?
When Grace Sings
by Kim Vogel SawyerWhen trouble roars into quiet Arborville, Alexa and Anna-Grace find themselves the target for discord and exposed secrets. Can they continue to seek the God of all grace amidst the fog of confusion? Alexa Zimmerman wonders if the Old Order Mennonite community in Arborville, Kansas will ever fully accept her. Her family roots here aren't what anyone thought when she first arrived, but she is hopeful that her culinary and hospitality skills will win the skeptics over. The bed-and-breakfast she's operating needs to succeed so Alexa agrees to allow Briley Forrester, the hotshot reporter from Chicago, to stay as a long-term boarder not knowing his real motives for being amongst the Plain folk. But when Alexa agrees to host her cousin Anna-Grace Braun, the presence of extended family brings out Alexa's insecurities and sets Briley on the trail to uncovering a web of hidden truths. Plans for a secure future and the sweetness of young romance hang in the balance when Alexa and Anna-Grace have to face that their secrets are interconnected, binding the two in ways they could not have imagined. They must trust in a loving, heavenly Father and His plan for their futures.From the Trade Paperback edition.
When Love Returns
by Kim Vogel SawyerRiddled with doubt and lingering regrets, will Suzanne and Paul find strength in God to explore a second chance at love? It wasn't easy to move back to the Old Order Mennonite community from which quiet, responsible Suzanne Zimmerman was shamefully sent away as a pregnant teen. Returning twenty years later to take care of her mother, Suzanne and Alexa--the daughter she raised as her own--have spent months rebuilding relationships with her family. Now with the upcoming wedding of their biological daughter, Suzanne and Paul find themselves drawn to one another once again--but with new challenges to face. They have been single parents with painful pasts. Can Paul and Suzanne find the strength to rebuild the loving relationship that was torn apart by their teen pregnancy so long ago? Suzanne must also let go of Alexa as she heads back to Indianapolis to visit friends--and as her chance to find her birth parents. Leaving the bed-and-breakfast in Suzanne's apprehensive hands, Alexa embarks on a journey that will certainly change her life completely. Can mother and daughter trust God to restore all things in His timing?From the Trade Paperback edition.
When Mercy Rains: A Novel (The Zimmerman Restoration Trilogy #1)
by Kim Vogel SawyerShe left, heavily weighted with secrets.But God reveals all things, in His timing. And He redeems them. Suzanne Zimmerman was only seventeen and pregnant when her shamed mother quietly sent her away from their Old Order Mennonite community in Kansas. With her old home, family, and first love firmly behind her, Suzanne moved to Indiana, became a nurse, and raised a daughter, Alexa, on her own. Now, nearly twenty years later, an unexpected letter arrives from Kansas. Her brother asks her to bring her nursing abilities home and care for their ailing mother. His request requires that Suzanne face a family that may not have forgiven her and a strict faith community. It also means seeing Paul Aldrich, her first love. Paul, widowed with an eight-year-old son, is relieved to see Suzanne again, giving him the chance to beg her forgiveness for his past indiscretion. But when he meets Alexa, his guilt flickers in the glare of Suzanne's prolonged secret--one that changes everything. Suzanne had let go of any expectation for forgiveness long ago. Does she dare hope in mercy-and how will her uncovered past affect the people she loves the most?
Where The Heart Leads
by Kim Vogel SawyerAfter his graduation from college, Thomas Ollenburger is filled with big dreams and many questions. What will he do for a career? Should he marry? Where will he call home? Torn between his Mennonite roots on the Kansas prairie and his love for the big city of Boston, as well as his affection for a girl in each location, Thomas is unsure of his place in the world. He has always sought God's leading in his decision-making, but now it seems as if God is staying silent. Has Thomas's heart led him astray?
The Church on the Margins: Living Christian Community
by Mary R. SawyerHistory of Christianity in various minority groups
Walking from East to West: God in the Shadows
by R. S. Sawyer Ravi ZachariasRavi Zacharias was born in India and has literally moved from the East to the West and the West to the East and repeated the cycle again and again to answer skeptics’ questions about whether God is alive, who Jesus is, what is truth, and whether we can really find absolutes. Ravi has spoken of his own journey only in bits and pieces in his other books and talks. It is a journey that has led him beyond his family and culture into a revelation that replaced pantheism with monotheism, and into a relationship with a God the vast majority of his people do not worship. From this new understanding birthed in him by the founder of Christianity, Ravi has gone forward to teach as one of our generation’s great apologists. A life lived in Christ is the greatest argument of all for the living God. Ravi urges the reader to look at the lives that have turned the hearts of people into movements for Christ. In the first three centuries of the church, the Apostles and followers like Polycarp and Tertullian and Origen demonstrated with their lives the truth of the resurrected Christ. A whole line of witnesses from every generation succeeded these who walked in the footsteps of Jesus, with names like Augustine, Catherine of Sienna, Bernard of Clairvaux, Luther, and Wesley leading the procession. But history begins on an individual level. Ravi shows readers his life, in its successes and failures, in its existence in the East and in the West, and in his attempts to bring the truth of Christ to those in any culture who don’t know him. The Hebrew poet has said that a life rich in experiences is a life from which others can learn. This book is about Ravi’s journey, from meaninglessness to the abundant joy of Christ, from East to West and back again, in the all-consuming passion of letting the world know about true freedom, and in whom that freedom is found.