The 12 Books of Christmas - Peace On Earth

The Sound of Sleigh Bells - Beth Hertzler works alongside her beloved Aunt Lizzy in their dry goods store and serves as a contact between Amish craftsmen and Englischer retailers. But remorse and loneliness still echo in her heart every day, and she still wears dark dresses to indicate her mourning of her fiance. When she discovers a large, intricately carved scene of Amish children playing in the snow in an Englischer store, something deep inside Beth’s soul responds, and she wants to help the unknown artist find homes for his work. Lizzy sees the changes in her niece when Beth shows her the woodworking, and after meeting Jonah, the artist, she is determined that Beth come to know this man whose hands create healing art. But it’s not that simple—Beth has cut herself off from any possibility of romance. Will Lizzy’s elaborate plan to reintroduce her niece to love work? Will Jonah be able to offer Beth new hope and a second chance at real love—or just more heartbreak?

Christ in the Carols -  “This Christmas will be different.” Every year you tell yourself that. Every December you promise that you’re going to make time for wonder. For pondering the Story of stories. But somehow the crush of holiday activities often leaves us feeling like lonely observers instead of participants in the true meaning of Jesus’ birth. So come closer to Christmas. To Christ. Let this devotional be your guide as it leads you through thirty-one readings guaranteed to leave you awestruck at Jesus, our Emmanuel. Discover little-known stories and meaningful insights about your best-loved carols. And experience the warmth of the songs of the season. This Christmas season really can be different. Let Christopher and Melodie Lane take you on a journey toward the Jesus of Bethlehem. We promise you’ll love every minute you invest in discovering Christ in the Carols.  

Cosmic Christmas - We know the Christmas characters well: the singing angels, the simple teenage girl, the surprised carpenter… We know the Christmas story so well: journey to Bethlehem, no room, stable, shepherds, star, hosts of angels, wise men… But do we know all the characters? Do we know the whole story? What about the hidden happenings that might have led to the Savior’s birth? Was the arrival of Jesus a quietly profound event? Or could it have been the result of heavenly battles, angel armies, and a scheming Satan? Envision a confrontation in heaven between the King of creation and the rebellious Satan. Threats, challenges, a gauntlet laid on the floor of the sky. And then the passage from heaven to earth — “There was a war in heaven” the Bible states (Revelation 12:7). Angels battling Satan’s armies as they transport the essence of heaven itself. Come along as author Max Lucado takes us on a journey into his imagination — pulling back the curtain as we see what might have taken place one “Cosmic Christmas”

The Purpose of Christmas -  Why is Christmas such a big deal? If you stop to think about it, it is astounding that the simple, unassuming birth of a peasant baby boy more than two thousand years ago in the Middle East can today cause traffic jams every December in places like New York City, Tokyo, and Rio de Janeiro. The night Jesus was born in Bethlehem, a small group of poor shepherds were quietly tending their flocks of sheep in a nearby field, looking up at the stars. Nothing seemed any different from a thousand other nights. But what was about to happen would transform not only their lives but billions of other lives as well. The world would never be the same again. Regardless of your background, religion, problems, or circumstances, Christmas really is the best news you could get. In his powerful yet compassionate voice, Rick Warren explains how God designed Christmas to meet your three deepest needs and how understanding and receiving God’s three Christmas gifts to you will transform your life forever. An instant classic, this book is one to be read every Christmas season and then passed on to friends, family members, and loved ones. 

“Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom His favor rests.” The famous praise that the shepherds heard the angels proclaim the night of Jesus’ birth, is brought back every Christmas season. Either through home decor or holiday cards, we are presented with the hope of “Peace on Earth.” And in the holiday books that I chose for this week, the characters and authors are all either: hoping for peace, finding peace, fighting for peace, and also proclaiming peace. In The Sound of Sleigh Bells, we find Beth weighed down by grief with the recent loss of her beloved husband. Her Aunt Lizzy longs to help her find peace in this hard time but through this story, that proves to be quite difficult. While Beth’s peace in life is everyone’s hope, authors Christopher and Melodie Lane help us find Christ in the Carols. This holiday devotional gives us a brief history of the carols and also what we can take from their messages. For example, even though it wasn’t technically wasn’t a Silent Night, author Joseph Mohr captures a moment of peace, a holy hush that surely settled over Bethlehem as all of heaven viewed His birth. And speaking of heaven’s view of things, Max Lucado’s Cosmic Christmas gives us an interesting view of Christ’s coming through the eyes of the angels. God asks Gabriel to deliver a couple important things to earth, a message to the virgin Mary and God’s ultimate gift. But the journey from heaven to earth was not going to be easy. The angels knew that the devil would do anything to prevent God’s gift from making it to earth. This battle for everlasting peace put in this perspective reminds me of the song, The Champion by Carman. The Champion represents the fight between Jesus and Satan during the time of the crucifixion. In a very powerful way, this song describes the excruciating pain Jesus underwent in this gruesome battle between good and evil. The song ends with Jesus’ victory and peace on earth finally gained. After all, that is why He is the Prince of Peace, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus,” Philippians 4:6-7. So come on down to the Cross Reference Library and discover some of these amazing holiday reads.

What’s in the Cross Reference Library? New Christmas Books!

The Promise and the Light - It was a time of defeat, of disappointment, of darkness. But one day…one day, the ancient promise said, there would be light. A young carpenter, a teenage girl and an elderly priest find themselves in the middle of one of the greatest adventures in history. They will encounter soldiers and rebels, angry relatives and mysterious visitors. Donkeys will escape, doors will be slammed, and friends will be lost and made. And they will see the light begin to dawn. The promise is coming true. But no one ever thought it would happen quite like this. 

This Christmas Night - Christmas is the most thrilling season of the year. As we look back over the years, memories of many Christmases flood our minds. Christmas cards that we read and reread, the smell of pine drifting through the house, the fireplace crackling—all of these things turn our thoughts to those we love. Most of all, Christmas is when our minds go back to that lowly manger in Bethlehem, and we hear beyond the noise of our materialistic world the soft flutter of angels’ wings. We see the tenderness of a mother with her first-born Son…we feel the softness of a Baby. Amid the glitter and busyness of the season, Billy & Ruth Graham hope that you will experience anew the miracle and meaning of that Christmas night.  

Christmas Quotes From Billy Graham - “Don’t leave Jesus in the manger; don’t remember Him only at Christmas. Instead, learn to walk with Him every day, as you pray and read His Word and ask Him to help you.”

“Mary and Joseph were just as familiar with the facts of life as we are. But they also realized something was happening that had never happened before: God alone would be the child’s father. In other words, this child would be absolutely unique—not only because He would be born of a virgin, but because He would be both fully man and fully God. God was coming to live among us!”

“As this Christmas approaches, I pray you will look at Jesus—as He is revealed in the pages of the New Testament—with an open heart and mind. When you do, you’ll discover not only that God is real, but that He loves you and wants to transform your life.”

“On that first Christmas over 2,000 years ago, God did something that we can barely grasp: He became a man. Think of it: The God who created the universe stooped down from Heaven and became a human being!”

The 12 Books of Christmas! Love is in the Air!

The Bridge - Molly Allen lives alone in Portland, but she left her heart back in Tennessee with a man she walked away from five years ago. They had a rare sort of love she hasn’t found since. Ryan Kelly lives in Nashville after a broken engagement and several years on the road touring with a country music duo. He can still hear Molly’s voice encouraging him to follow his dreams; Molly, whose memory stays with him. At least he can visit The Bridge—the oldest bookstore in historic downtown Franklin—and remember the hours he and Molly once spent there. For thirty year, Charlie and Donna Barton have run The Bridge, providing the people of middle Tennessee with coffee, conversation, and shelves of good books—even through dismal book sales and the rise of digital books. Then in May, the hundred-year flood swept through Franklin and destroyed nearly every book in the store. Now the bank is pulling the lease on The Bridge. Despondent and without answers, Charlie considers the unthinkable. Then tragedy strikes, and suddenly, everything changes. In the face of desperate brokenness and lost opportunities, could the miracle of a second chance actually unfold?

Celebrate His Love - “Keep Christ in Your Christmas.” “Jesus Is The Reason for the Season.” “Happy Birthday, Jesus!” The buttons and bumper stickers make it seem like Christians, of all people, should know and experience what “Christmas is all about” — but it doesn’t always seem to work that way. Sometimes those inside the church are as much at a loss to put their finger on the essential “spirit of Christmas” as are those for whom Christmas is nothing more than credit cards, tinsel, and a long weekend off work. In this study, Dr. David Jeremiah helps us return to the basic essentials of the greatest event in human history: the incarnation of the eternal Son of God as a Baby in Bethlehem. Why then? Why there? And why does the world still celebrate it today? Travel with Dr. Jeremiah to one of the most humble, insignificant towns in ancient Israel to observe and understand the Christmas story like you never have before. Search the Old Testament prophets for their insights into this world-changing event, hundreds of years before it happened. Marvel at the miracle of God in human flesh, and learn the truths that can change your life right now because God chose to redeem mankind in this unique and beautiful way.  

The Christmas Lamp - Roni Elliot loves Christmas in Nativity, Missouri. A lifelong resident, she cherishes every traditional decoration and activity—from the precariously placed town Christmas tree, to the church’s elaborate cantata, to ice-skating at the local rink. To her, these customs are Christmas. The town’s traditions, and the tourists they attract, also pull in half the city’s annual revenue. And it’s all threatened when the new highway bypasses Nativity—diverting much-needed traffic and sending the townspeople into a spirit-crushing panic. Jake Brisco, an outside financial consultant, has been hired to get Nativity back on its feet. Jake comes across as a Scrooge whose only concern seems to be slashing budgets and dashing holiday joy. And sparks fly as Roni’s beloved traditions fall prey to “fiscal responsibility.” Will the spirit of Christmas survive the realities of small-town finance? Or can Jake and Roni negotiate a compromise that saves the day?

The Miracle of Christmas -  John MacArthur’s Miracle of Christmas goes to the heart of what Christmas is really about: “The birth of Jesus —Immanuel, God with us, the promised Messiah—who came to save His people from their sins.” “It may be the biggest and most popular of all our holidays, but Christmas is in jeopardy just the same. A subtle but sure erosion is eating away the season’s true significance.” MacArthur offers this book “as an antidote to two prevailing philosophies that are stealing Christmas”

• An effort to mythologize the Christmas story

• And a tendency to secularize it

With reverence and a contagious sense of wonder, John MacArthur details every biblical fact known about the birth of Jesus, stressing that “Christmas should be a time of real joy and gladness, as opposed to the manufactured sentiment and wild revelry that characterize the way the world observes Christmas.” The simple fact is: That baby in the manger is God. That’s the heart and soul of the Christmas message.”

For lots of people across the country, sitting down for a Christmas movie marathon is a tradition that has become gradually more popular over the past several years. Hallmark Christmas movies are no exception, giving us a fair amount of Christmas spirit and romance. And when I first read the descriptions for The Bridge and The Christmas Lamp, the plots each reminded me of a few Hallmark films I have seen. The main character leaves home for a while, on a journey to find themselves or the job of their dreams, coming back months or years later, at Christmas time. They then find that their hometown hadn’t changed in that time and neither had their first love. In the end, they discover that they didn’t even need to leave home in the first place, and that everything they needed was right in front of them the whole time. Unfortunately, that describes what happens to believers who are led astray for a while. They grow up in a life of faith, family and love, keeping God at the center of their lives. Then out of the blue, something life changing happens (or a distraction orchestrated by the devil occurs). They leave home, believing they are alone and confused. But weeks, months, or even years later they are brought back home, and discover that after all this time, God never left His home in our hearts either. The fact that He will never leave us or forsake us, is better than any Hallmark romance. And that love is exactly what we are celebrating this Christmas season. In Celebrate His Love and The Miracle of Christmas authors Jeremiah and MacArthur express the importance of Jesus’s birth in this magical time of year. Both authors noticed that the purpose of this holiday has been twisted and changed. Children all over the world believe that Santa travels in a sleigh full of gifts drawn by eight reindeer. But the gift they should be looking for isn’t under the tree. The gift they must discover is in the center of the Nativity. The gift God presented to us in His Son Jesus. So come on down to the Cross Reference Library if you want to check out any of these festive books. 

“Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; He is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”

–Luke 2:11-12

What’s in the Cross Reference Library? Our Nativity series!

Why the Nativity? - Every year, millions of people around the world celebrate Christmas. But what does it all mean?

• Why did God choose a young virgin named Mary and a simple carpenter named Joseph to bring his only Son into the world? 

• Why was the Son of God born in a lowly manger in a small town called Bethlehem?

• Who was this infant named Jesus that the prophecies foretold would save the world from sin and suffering? 

• And what does the nativity story mean for us today?

Drawing from both the Old and New Testaments, noted pastor and theologian David Jeremiah provides answers to 25 of the most thought-provoking questions surrounding the most pivotal moment in human history—the birth of Jesus Christ. 

The Nativity Story - In The Nativity Story, developed from the screenplay by Mike Rich, Angela Hunt fleshes out the characters and histories of the people who lived through the miracles and mysteries surrounding the birth of Jesus Christ. This well-researched story is based on the scriptural account. Journey back through time as you relive what they experienced and celebrate the wonder of Immanuel, God with us. 

Why the Nativity? Study Guide - Often in life, we can’t make sense of the events that go on around us. We wonder why certain things happen and simply must trust in God’s sovereignty and authority over all things. But the events and details that lead to the birth of Jesus are so clear and logical that they cannot be speculated to be by mere chance. With God, there are no coincidences. His plans are perfect and before all time He set in motion the people and events that lead to Christ’s birth. In, Why the Nativity? we will discover how the most minute details of His coming were foretold in Old Testament prophecies. We will see that from the Davidic lineage of Jesus and His Virgin birth, to the worship by angelic hosts, common shepherds and wise men, that God was pointing us to the birth of the Messiah. Join Dr. Jeremiah now as we explore this intricate and beautiful story of just how and why God sent Jesus to be born as a child. You will come away seeing that it was for the redemption of man and for the submission of sin, and that it was all for the glory of God. 

Note: The, Why the Nativity? Docudrama can be found on the homepage of the KCMI website if you’d like to watch that along with these amazing books.

The 12 Books of Christmas - Joy to the World!

One Imperfect Christmas - Christmas is the season of miracles, but when blame and guilt keep two people apart, sometimes a miracle needs a helping hand. Natalie Pearce loves Christmas so much she’d gladly make it a year-round celebration—until her mother suffers a massive stroke while taking down the decorations. Natalie’s guilt over not being there to help her mom soon builds a wall that separates her from the rest of her family, including her husband Daniel and their teenage daughter. As the next December approaches, the last thing Natalie wants to be reminded of is another Christmas season. Will her family’s tenacious love and an unexpected Christmas gift from her mother help Natalie mend the broken pieces of their lives?

Stories Behind the Best-Loved Songs of Christmas - Behind the Christmas songs we love to sing, lie fascinating stories that will enrich your holiday celebration. Taking you inside the nativity of over thirty favorite songs and carols, Ace Collins introduces you to people you’ve never met, stories you’ve never heard, and meanings you’d never have imagined. The next time you and your family sing “God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen,” you’ll have a new understanding of its message and popular roots. You’ll discover how “Angels from the Realms of Glory,” with its sublime lyrics and profound theology, helped usher in a quiet revolution in worship. You’ll learn the strange history of the haunting and powerful “ O Holy Night,” including the song’s surprising place in the history of modern communications. And you’ll step inside the life of Mark Lowry and find out how he came to pen the words to the contemporary classic “Mary, Did You Know?” Still other songs such as “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel” trace back to mysterious origins—to ninth-century monks, nameless clergy, and unknown commoners of ages past. Joining hands with such modern favorites as “White Christmas” and “The Christmas Song,” they are part of the legacy of inspiration, faith, tears, love, and spiritual joy that is Christmas. From the rollicking appeal of “Jingle Bells” to the tranquil beauty of “Silent Night,” the great songs of Christmas contain messages of peace, hope, and truth. Each in its own way expresses a facet of God’s heart and celebrates the birth of his greatest gift to the world—Jesus, the most wonderful Christmas Song of all.

A Dog Named Christmas - When Todd McCray, a developmentally challenged young man still living on his parents’ Kansas farm, hears that a local animal shelter is seeking temporary homes for its dogs during the days leading to Christmas, he knows exactly what he wants for the holidays. His father objects, but Todd’s persistence quickly wins out. Soon the McCray’s are the short-term foster family for a lovable pooch the young man names Christmas. But what about all the other dogs who will be forced to spend the Yuletide season in cages? In the days that follow, Todd uses his special gifts of persuasion to encourage his hometown to participate in the “Adopt a Dog for Christmas Program.” What follows from his small act of kindness will teach his family, and his community, about peace on earth and good will toward men—and animals. 

A Better December - Combining true stories with pen-and-ink illustrations, this book uncovers our December longings. In bite-sized chapters of Solomon’s advice to frazzled, lonely people at Christmas, Steve Estes presents the ancient sage as penning his own blockbuster Proverbs to help future readers through the year’s shortest days and longest nights. Meant to be shared with all who wish for a better December, it points the way to real comfort and a true home.

As we are winding down to the last four books of Christmas, I would really like to talk about joy. Over these last couple weeks I have talked about how God's promised peace and His love everlasting are very important concepts when thinking about the Christmas story. So when I was deciding on what books to read through this week, joy seemed to be a common Christmas concept in these four books in particular. I guess I probably assumed that due to the key words in the titles: Perfect, Best-loved songs, Dog, and Better. I don’t know about you, but the idea of any of those words in my life usually brings me a whole ton of joy. Little did I know that the people in these books had to go through a long journey of hardship before reaching their point of joy. At the beginning of One Imperfect Christmas the joy that the characters feel goes away faster than the pain. But just like in most stories the character must discover for themselves how to find their joy again(even if it takes 100 pages to get there!). The next book that heightened my Christmas spirit was, Stories Behind the Best-Loved Songs of Christmas. What I found inside were not the back-stories I was expecting from these classic carols. Many of them were either written during a time of war, sadness, or even a time of great understanding in the writers’ lives. I think my favorite book out of all four of these would have to be A Dog Named Christmas. Not just because there is a dog involved, but also because the story itself is really good. So come on down to Cross Reference and check out some of these joy-filled books. I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas season and even more well wishes for the new year!!!

What’s New in the Cross Reference Library? What Are We Fighting For?

Rora - The winds from the valley known as Pelice carried an ominous tale of sorrow and destruction. The army of black-robed Inquisitors had laid siege to the defenseless inhabitants of the valley, burning villages, destroying churches, and killing those who refused to renounce their faith. Yet high on a granite mountain above the land that forms the border between Italy and France stood Joshua Gianavel—one man who held the fate of a nation in his hands. He would not allow the same desolation to reach his home and people in the valley of Rora without a fight. With lionlike courage and a small band of farmers and peasants, he would wage warfare against Europe’s mightiest army with a brilliance the world has never seen. Based upon the true story of the historic stand of the Waldenses in 1655, Rora is a spellbinding tale of a legendary hero, of international intrigue and subterfuge, of cloak-and-dagger tactics, and of a faith that refused to die. 

The Alabaster Cross -  Trapped in a world of anger, 29-year-old Bryan Whittaker cannot move on with his life until he takes a journey into his past…a dangerous journey that will lead him into the heart of the Amazon RainForest. Instead of the revenge he seeks, Bryan finds Diana and through her love he is able to make peace with his past and find redemption. A deeply human story about the complexities of love between a man and a woman, parents and children, a brother and a sister, and ultimately the transforming power of divine love. If you’ve ever struggled to restore a broken relationship you will identify with Bryan’s journey as he strives to make peace with his past.

What’s New in the Cross Reference Library? World War II Fiction

The Winter Rose - Grace Tonquin is an American Quaker who works tirelessly in Vichy France to rescue Jewish children from the Nazis. After crossing the treacherous Pyrenees, Grace returns home to Oregon with a brother and sister who lost their parents during the war. Though Grace and her husband love Elias and Marguerite as their own, echoes of Grace’s past and trauma from the Holocaust tear the fragile new family apart. More than fifty years after they disappear, Addie Hoult arrives at Tonquin Lake, hoping to find the Tonquin family. For Addie, the mystery of what happened to them is a matter of life and death for her beloved mentor Charlie, who is battling a genetic disease. Though Charlie refuses to discuss his ties to the elusive Tonquins, piecing together their story is the only way to save his life—and potentially mend the wounds from his broken past. 

Fun Facts About The Winter Rose - The author, Melanie Dobson, came up with the idea for this WWII novel in the midst of the 2020 pandemic when she had heard about the American and British Quakers in France who helped Jewish children during World War II. According to Dobson, “The Winter Rose is not meant to be a reflection of modern-day Quakerism but a historical account of one woman who devoted her life to Christ and caring for His children. It is also a tribute to the men and women who sacrificed their lives to transport kids of all ages over the Pyrenees. 

The Forgotten Names - Five years after the highly publicized trial of Klaus Barbie, the "Butcher of Lyon," law student Valérie Portheret began her doctoral research into the 108 children who disappeared from Vénissieux fifty years earlier, children who somehow managed to escape deportation and certain death in the German concentration camps. She soon discovers that their rescue was no unexplainable miracle. It was the result of a coordinated effort by clergy, civilians, the French Resistance, and members of other humanitarian organizations who risked their lives as part of a committee dedicated to saving those most vulnerable innocents.

Theirs was a heroic act without precedent in Nazi-occupied Europe, made possible due to a loophole in the Nazi agenda to deport all Jewish immigrants from the country: a legally recognized exemption for unaccompanied minors. Therefore, to save their children, the Jewish mothers of Vénissieux were asked to make the ultimate sacrifice of abandoning them forever. Told in dual timelines, The Forgotten Names is a reimagined account of the true stories of the French men and women who have since been named Righteous Among the Nations, the children they rescued, the stifled cries of shattered mothers, and a law student, whose twenty-five-year journey allowed those children to reclaim their heritage and remember their forgotten names.

 Fun Facts About The Forgotten Names - Spanish author, Mario Escobar, first learned about Valerie Portheret and her work from a French newspaper, discovering how her story has moved French society. Through that, Mario Escobar wrote The Forgotten Names. In the Clarifications From History section of his book, Escobar shares something incredible:

“It is true that Valerie dedicated herself to identifying the names of the 108 children and locating them personally. Thus began a journey that lasted more than twenty-five years, a journey to return to those children their original identities and to listen to their stories. By 1994 she had identified the names of 93 of the 108 children from a list found in the archives of the Alliance Israelite Universelle, a French organization. In 2003 she uncovered eighty-two of the waivers from the Venissieux camp in which parents signed away their parental rights and entrusted their children to members of Amitie Chretienne. Among the children on the list of those rescued from Venissieux was a girl named Eva Stein. Eva was one of the last children Valerie found, and not until 2018. Altogether, Valerie has identified the names of all 108, has reconstructed the stories of 90 of the children, and has personally met with as many as of the children and the rescue workers as possible.”

My Thoughts - World War II novels are quite possibly my favorite sub-genre in our library, and here’s why: There was so much pain and devastation that came from that time. The concentration camps, the Blitz, countries and families falling apart. It would have been so easy to lose hope in the midst of all that pain and suffering. But as many authors and researchers have found, hope wasn’t lost. Like the people that these two books are based on, there were courageous heroes who helped where they could and never lost faith. And that ‘s why I love World War II books. They remind us that no matter how dark things get, there’s always a light.

What’s New in the Cross Reference Library? Safely Home by Randy Alcorn

What It’s About - “Is this the day I die?” Li Quan’s father had taught him from childhood to ask this question everyday. He told young Quan, “One day the answer will be yes, and on that day you must be ready.” 

Quan stiffened at the shout behind him. The voice rang with the authority of the Gong An Ju, the Public Security Bureau. “You meet in the night like the criminals you are. How dare you defy the law? In three minutes,”Scarbrow said matter-of-factly, “we will shoot every man and woman—and child—who does not declare himself loyal to the people rather than the gweilos, foreign devils.” Quan, Ming, and Shen clasped each other’s hands. Quan breathed deeply and braced himself, “Surely this is the day.” 

American business executive Ben Fielding has no idea what his brilliant old college roommate is facing in China. After twenty years he expects to pick up where they left off. But when they’re reunited in China, the men are shocked at what they discover about each other. The paths they’ve walked have shaped their lives and loyalties in radically different ways. Thrown together in an hour of encroaching darkness, watched by unseen eyes, both must make choices that will determine not only the destinies of two men, but two families, two nations…and two worlds.

What’s New in the Cross Reference Library? Holding Onto The Relationships That Matter

Forgiving What You Can’t Forget - Have you ever felt stuck in a cycle of unresolved pain, playing offenses over and over in your mind? You know you can’t go on like this, but you don’t know what to do next. Lysa TerKeurst has wrestled through this journey. But in surprising ways, she’s discovered how to let go of bound-up resentment and overcome the resistance to forgiving people who aren’t willing to make things right. With deep empathy, therapeutic insight, and rich Bible teaching coming out of more than one thousand hours of study, Lysa will help you: 

• Learn how to move on when the other person refuses to change and never says they’re sorry.

• Walk through a step-by-step process to free yourself from the hurt of your past and feel less offended today.

• Discover what the Bible really says about forgiveness and the peace that comes from living it out right now. 

• Identify what’s stealing trust and vulnerability from your relationships so you can believe there is still good ahead. 

• Disempower the triggers hijacking your emotions by embracing the two necessary parts of forgiveness. 

Closer To God - A deep connection with God is not only possible, but vital to a vibrant life. And this powerful, 40-day devotional will help you enjoy the deeper life with God that you long for. Through the pages of Closer to God, written by Bible teacher Jeannie Cunnion, you will be equipped to: 

• Remove the barriers to experiencing God in your daily life

• Enjoy the life-altering benefits of His tangible presence, or “withness”

• Live Spirit-strong in a profoundly new way

If you desire to feel God’s soul-refreshing presence and hear Him speaking in your everyday life, this book is for you. Join Jeannie in discovering the profound difference God’s empowering presence makes, and how we can enjoy more of it, starting today. 

What’s New in the Cross Reference Library? Who is Your Unsung Hero?

Behind the Lights - In this inspiring debut memoir, Helen Smallbone, mother of seven creative children―including Christian music artists for KING & COUNTRY and Rebecca St. James―chronicles the family’s journey of faith across the ocean to go where God was leading. Written from a mother’s perspective, Helen shares stories of peaks, valleys, and a family trusting God for provision. Helen Smallbone’s heartfelt story illustrates what it means to really let God lead, which almost always means living outside the box of how the world says to live. How did an ordinary Australian family produce two Grammy Award–winning artists―Rebecca St. James and for KING & COUNTRY? What happened to bring the Smallbones through closed doors and to new beginnings in the US? In Behind the Lights, Helen shares not only these stories of her family but of the life lessons they all learned along the way. In 1991 Helen and her husband, David, packed up their family and sixteen suitcases to move from Australia to the United States. Completely isolated from the support of family and friends, they relied on God to provide them with hope and direction. Helen watched her children join forces as Rebecca St. James’ career grew, soon followed by blossoming careers for the others―as artists, entrepreneurs, filmmakers―and the rise of Joel and Luke for KING & COUNTRY on Christian music charts. Helen shares untold stories and insights into how her family worked and stuck together, constantly relying on their faith to guide the way. No matter where you are in life, Helen shows through her own experiences that what God has done in her life, He will do in yours, too.

Unsung Hero - Based on a remarkable true story, Unsung Hero follows Helen and her husband David Smallbone as they move their family from Down Under to the States with nothing more than their seven children, suitcases, and their love of music. As Helen and David set out to rebuild their lives, they begin to realize the musical prowess in their children, who would go on to become two of the most successful acts in inspirational music history: five time GRAMMY Award-winning artists for King & Country and Rebecca St. James. 

My Thoughts: My first experience with music from For King & Country was when I first heard their song, “God Only Knows.” It was my senior year, and I felt like I had to make all these decisions before graduation. I was tired and overwhelmed. But then I heard this song. It talks about how God knows I’m tired and He knows what I’ve endured. His love is greater than all the pain and heartache. From there, I have fallen in love with such songs as: Together, Burn the Ships, Fix My Eyes, and What Are We Waiting For? When I heard that there was going to be a movie made about their family, I was definitely going to go see it in theaters. And what I saw was a beautiful film about faith through adversity, the power of prayer, and of course, it’s about the love of family. I am disappointed to say that I had not heard of Rebecca St. James before seeing the movie. But her song that was featured at the end of the film, “You Make Everything Beautiful,” is definitely a new favorite and I will be looking for more of her music for sure. If you would like to learn more about how Rebecca St. James got her start in Christian music, and how the Smallbone family navigated life in America, come on into the Cross Reference Library and check out Helen’s book. And don’t miss out on the amazing film as well.