What's New at Cross Reference Library? - Life’s Tough, But it Could Always be Worse

Forgotten Girls - All over the world, women and girls face starvation, displacement, illiteracy, sexual exploitation and abuse. In fact, statistics show that the world’s most oppressed are overwhelmingly female. Moved by their plight, Kay Marshall Strom and Michele Rickett took a trip across continents to partner with ministries working to help females and to interview girls in some of the most difficult places in the world. These pages hold those girls’ stories: stories of deep pain and suffering, inspiring courage, and incredible hope. They are the stories of girls who have discovered their value in God’s eyes, in the midst of cultures that have rejected them. They are stories of rescue and redemption by God working through compassionate people--people like you. These pages might hold pieces of your story as well, as the authors invite you to pray and speak on behalf of the millions of women and girls who still need to know how much they’re worth. The authors provide specific, practical action steps and prayer points that allow you to get involved as God leads.  

Un-Common - Author Carey Scott invites you to journey alongside her as she introduces you to women from the Word who chose to live uncommon lives even in the toughest circumstances. From stepping into scandalous situations to breaking cultural norms to risking the departure of a comfortable life, you will discover hope and motivation to live God’s way in a world that screams, “Tuck your faith away! Just be normal like everyone else!” Now more than ever, it’s time to step into something new...something life-changing and life giving. God is asking you to shine His light into a world that needs to know there is a better way to live. And  when you say yes to becoming uncommon, it's a radical act of obedience to the One who created you to be extraordinary. With authenticity, vulnerability, humor, and refreshing boldness, Uncommon will empower you to rise up...to reject the common...to embrace your calling...and to live in a way that points others to God. Buckle up, friend. It’s time to be uncommon.

Hope When Your Heart is Breaking - You’ve lost someone you love. Or you’re on the brink of losing your marriage...your dreams...your health. Or perhaps the trauma of your past pursues you into the present. Your life is going to change. Which way it goes won’t be decided by your loss but by the choices you make. At the crossroads of grief, one road will lead to hope and healing. The other, to more hurt. Hope When Your Heart is Breaking is an honest look at both roads, and how your greatest loss can lead to your greatest gain. Author Ron Hutchcraft writes from the deep well of his own devastating loss and grief, pointing you to practical steps that lead to peace and wholeness. This book is a pathway to hope--a roadmap through the pain of grief and loss. Discover new strength through a new closeness to others and to God. Make the decisions that lead to comfort, growth, and life.

Growing up, I was always complaining, like most kids do, about how hard my life apparently was. Yet my dad would always reply, “Well, at least you don’t live in a tin hut in Uganda, eating the latest grab from the local dumpster.” After a while it became a little joke between the two of us. But as I began to read Forgotten Girls, I started to realize how truly blessed I am. The stories that Kay Marshall Strom and Michele Rickett heard while on their journey were just devastating. The first story they tell is about a little Indonesian girl named Beti. She was an orphan girl who was brutally beaten and abused by the local witch doctor who took her in. The Christian seminary that was in the village at the time heard about her mistreatment and were able to rescue her. Each of the stories that were found by these two authors are all examples of how much God loves us. Even when hope seems so far away and it looks like God has just forgotten about us, the perfect miracle happens and we realize that God never left us in the first place. Another part of life that always seems like the “end of world” is being Un-Common. I know that I can personally say that being myself in public constantly feels like a bad idea. But author Carey Scott reassures her readers through personal experience and biblical examples, that it is ok to be exactly who God made you to be. The final book I read through was Hope When Your Heart Is Breaking. This book was written by a guy who had gone through some devastating losses over the past few years. He lost his wife unexpectedly and his father passed away during an open heart surgery. But Ron Hutchcraft reminds us that in those circumstances, there is still hope. In chapter two, he tells a story about his last moments with his dad. When his dad was preparing for his open heart surgery, he asked Ron to read the Twenty-third Psalm. So he read verses one through three, but once he stopped, his father continued from memory with verses four through six. Ron could tell that his dad was at peace in that moment feeling the hope in those verses. And not too long after, as Ron put it, “Biblically, he relocated to “the house of the Lord forever.” So if life seems pretty insane right now and you need a little hope and encouragement, come on down to the Cross Reference Library and check out these very special page turners!

“Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever.” (Psalm 23:4,6)