When Faith is Forbidden - Grab your passport and come along on a 40-day journey into hostile and restricted nations, where we’ll meet brothers and sisters who refuse to deny Christ despite being beaten, imprisoned, or even killed for their faith. When Faith is Forbidden will introduce you to a Chinese Christian woman who called six months in prison “a wonderful time.” We’ll go through armed checkpoints to meet an Iraqi pastor praising God just eight days after assassins’ bullets ripped into his flesh. And we’ll sit down for a cup of tea with others from our Christian family in Iran, Eritrea, Turkey, Jordan, and other nations. Each stop on this 40-day journey will provide inspiration and encouragement through the story of a persecuted believer. You’ll also find space for reflection and a suggested prayer as you grow to understand the realities of living under persecution--and learn from the faithful examples of these courageous believers on the frontlines of faith.
If We Make It Home - When four college friends graduated from the University of Northwest Oregon, their lives stretched before them, full of promise and vows to stay connected. Now they haven’t spoken in twenty-five years, but three of them find themselves in the same place--back at their alma mater. When they discover their fourth friend, Hope, has died, Jenna, Ireland, and Vicky decide to embark on a hiking adventure to honor her memory--and for reasons of their own. They never bargained for the dangers they face in an unforgiving wilderness. Now they’ll have to work together if they hope to make it home alive. And the exposure of their secrets may be even more dangerous than their exposure to the elements. While the three women fight to survive in this rugged land, their toughest battles may be with themselves.
Thirsty for More - We’ve all been there: “dry seasons” when God feels distant and far away. But did you know that during the first three centuries of the church, many men and women purposefully moved into actual desserts to seek God? They understood something that we have missed: the desert is not a place of vast nothingness but a place where we can truly experience God’s provision, restoration, and intimacy. Through Scripture and personal stories of her own times of waiting and struggle, Allison Allen offers a fresh perspective for those who long to see God in their dry seasons. She shows how God can use these times in our lives to reveal himself to us, to give us rest, to get our attention, to show us our strength, to help us experience his blessings, and more.
It is said, “Don’t judge a book by its cover,” which is why for this week’s blog I decided to judge these books by their intriguing titles. In my free time, I enjoy reading books and watching movies that involve lots of heart, adventure, and a well-written plot. So when I was deciding on which new items to write about, I was quickly drawn to the words: Forbidden, If we make it, and Thirsty. As weird as that makes me sound, looking at the most depressing words in the title first, I wanted to know one thing. How do the people in these books overcome the obstacles placed before them? Skimming through the stories between the covers, the answer to that question became obvious. Their trust in Jesus Christ never ceased. Even when all hope seemed lost, they still believed that God would take care of them. So I stated what I got from the adventurous side of the titles, but where is the heart? In When Faith is Forbidden, I could see right away that it was the Faith of the persecuted Christians that got them through. If We Make It Home contains one of the most welcoming words in the English language; Home. I’m sure that by the end of that story, Vicky, Ireland, and Jenna knew that “Home is where the Heart is.” And finally, in Thirsty for More, I knew that there was More information in store for me in Allison Allen’s walk through the desert. So if you are feeling lost or alone right now, I recommend these three books to come check out here at the Cross Reference Library.