What's New at Cross Reference Library - Thrillers, closeness to God, and Biblical sexuality

When Ivy Rose returns to her hometown to oversee her late grandmother’s estate sale, she soon discovers that the woman left behind more than trinkets and photos frames - she provided a path to the truth behind Ivy’s adoption. Shocked, Ivy seeks clues to her past, but a key piece to the mystery is missing. Twenty-four years earlier, Harvey James finds an abandoned newborn who gives him a sense of human connection for the first time in his life. His desire to care for the baby runs up against the stark fact that he is homeless. When he becomes entwined with two people seeking to help him find his way, Harvey knows he must keep the baby a secret or risk losing the only person he’s ever loved. In The Edge of Belonging, a dual-timeline story from debut novelist Amanda Cox, the truth takes center stage as Ivy and Harvey grapple with love, loss and letting go.

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 deserts 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 in Thirsty for More 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, and to help us experience his blessings.

Disheartening conversations about sexuality are all around us. Sexual abuse. Sex addition. Gender confusion. Brokenness. Shame. But what if all this pain presented an invitation: an opportunity to pursue the heart of God and become Jesus’ disciples. In Rethinking Sexuality, Dr. Juli Slattery - renowned expert on sexuality and biblical truth - equips you to understand how every sexual question is ultimately a spiritual one, view sexuality not as a problem to solve but as a territory to reclaim, see how sexuality is rooted in the broader context of God’s heart for us, grasp the bigger picture of sexual challenges and wholeness, and shift the challenge from combating sexual problems to proclaiming and modeling sacred sexuality. Instead of arguing with the world about what’s right and wrong about sexual choices, discover a broader and more effective approach in this practical and groundbreaking resource. As you encounter the pain of sexual brokenness - your own or someone else’s - you’ll ultimately collide with, and point others to, the love and grace of Jesus.

In Nine by Rachelle Dekker, Zoe Johnson has spent most of her life living in the shadows - never drawing attention to herself, never investing in people or places. But when a wide-eyed, bedraggled teenager with no memory walks into the diner where Zoe works, everything changes. Against her better judgement, Zoe, who has been trying to outrun her own painful memories of the past, finds herself attempting to help a girl who doesn’t seem to have any past at all. With little warning, they must follow the only sure thing they know - a woman hundreds of miles away will either save them… or be the last person to see them alive.

In Irene Hannon’s novel Point of Danger, radio talk show host Eve Reilly is used to backlash from her pot-stirring on-air commentary and interviews. But now it seems a disgruntled listener is resorting to more than angry words to express their displeasure. When a suspicious package arrives on her doorstep, Eve turns to law enforcement for help. Police detective Brent Lange can’t find any evidence to link the string of unsettled incidents that follows, but he’s convinced they’re connected. As the harassment grows more menacing, it becomes clear someone wants Eve’s voice silenced - permanently. But unless he can track down her elusive foe, the gutsy woman who is willing to take risks for what she believes - and who is swiftly winning his heart - may not survive.

Cross Reference Library is located at 209 East 15th Street in Scottsbluff, NE,
and is open Monday through Friday from 9:00am-5:00pm.

What's New at Cross Reference Library - Rest, Unplugging, Motherhood and more!

News of Christians being killed overseas occasionally makes the headlines, but it’s rarely covered by mainstream media and often quickly fades away. While the world has been fixated on jihadist threats in the Middle East, terrorists from Nigeria to Kenya have had free reign to massacre on a scale far beyond that of terrorists in Iraq and Syria. Drawing from on-the-ground experience and personal testimonials, Rev. Johnnie Moore and Rabbi Abraham Cooper - two of the world’s leading advocates for religious freedom and human rights - explain what’s happening to Christians across Africa, why it matters, and what must be done now in The Next Jihad.

Are you addicted to your phone? Do you find yourself engaging online but unengaged with the people right in front of you? Do you spend hours scrolling through Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube videos? Have your devices become divisive - dividing you from family, friends, and most importantly God? Perhaps you need a screen sabbatical! The 40 Day Social Media Fast by Wendy Speake will help you unplug from screens in order to plug into your real life - with the help of a very real God. Imagine forty days not hunched over your phone. Imagine forty days with your eyes lifted up.. Imagine forty days with empty hands. Imagine forty days without seeing or hearing all those little notifications. Imagine taking a much-needed break from social media in order to get social with God and your loved ones again. It’s going to be amazing. What are you waiting for?

Michelle Medlock Adams and Bethany Jett understand the struggles - and the joys - of motherhood from the inside out. They know what it’s like to be both healer and disciplinarian, cheerleader and worrier-in-chief. With input from moms around the country, they’ve nailed down what Christian moms really want to talk about in They Call Me Mom. From their own experience with the crazy world of parenting as well as the most requested, most talked about topics online, Michelle and Bethany have created this devotional that speaks straight to the heart of the mommy life. You’ll love this lighthearted, transparent take on the real life ups and downs mothers face through all stages of parenting. Whether you’ve just brought home your first baby or you have a mob of kids and zero time, you’ll find relatable worlds and helpful encouragement in these pages. And with one devotion for every week of the year, it’s easy to fit in a few minutes with God in the middle of a full parenting life!

What does it mean to truly find rest? Jesus tells us that he “will give us rest”. But what does that look like in a society marked by increasing rates of over-commitment and burnout? Too many of us have built unhealthy cycles of rest, striving and straining against God’s intent for our lives. In Finding Soul Rest, Curtis Zackery provides a practical guide to finding the deep soul rest that Jesus promises. And it all centers around renewing and restoring our relationship with Christ. This thoughtful devotional on rest calls us to the intentional work of self-examination, helping us move toward a purposeful and sustainable life with Jesus. Through thoughtful reflections on Scripture and devotional questions, readers will rediscover their identity in rhythm with God.

Cross Reference Library is located at 209 East 15th Street in Scottsbluff, NE,
and is open Monday through Friday from 9:00am-5:00pm.

What's New at Cross Reference Library - Romance, Amish Fiction and Loneliness

Despite our connected world - and partly because of it - we are lonelier than ever. Social media tricks us into thinking that we are engaged in genuine friendships. Yet instead of intimacy, we got little more than what amounts to digital small talk. But there is a solution. With plenty of good humor and practical advice, Jack Eason invites you to discover the benefits of doing life together with other brothers and sisters in Christ. Grounding his message in Scripture, Eason helps you learn the obstacles to real community, reimagine what real friendship looks like, discover a place of true belonging, and more. If you’re tired of feeling lonely, the encouragement and community building in The Loneliness Solution is just what you need.

When Elizabeth Kaufman received the news of her husband’s death at the Battle of Vicksburg in 1863, she felt only relief. She determined that she would never be at the mercy of any man again even if it meant not having a family of her own. Then along came Aaron Zook… Despite the severity of his injuries, Aaron has resolved to move west and leave the pain of the past behind him. He never imagined that the Amish way of life his grandfather had rejected long ago would be so enticing. That, and a certain widow he can’t get out of his mind. Yet, even in a simple community, life has a way of getting complicated. In Softly Blows the Bugle by Jan Drexler, Aaron soon finds that while he may have left the battlefield behind, there is another fight he must win - the one for the heart of the woman he loves.

AD 309. Rome teeters on the brink of war. Constantine’s army is on the move. On the Rhine frontier, pagan Germanic barbarian Brandulf Rex joins the Roman army as a spy. Down in Rome, senator’s daughter Junia Flavia finds herself embroiled in anti-Christian politics as she works on behalf of the church. As armies converge and forces beyond their control threaten to destroy everything they have worked for, these two people from different worlds will have to fight together to bring down the evil Emperor Maxentius. But his villainous plans and devious henchmen are not easily overcome. Will Rex and Flavia live to see the Empire bow the knee to Christ? Or will their part in the story of Constantine’s rise meet an untimely and brutal end? Find out in The Constantine by Bryan Litfin.

Focused on a career in medicine and not on romance, Willa Duvall is thrown slightly off course during the summer of 1865 when she discovers a never-opened love letter in a crack of her old writing desk. Compelled to find the passionate soul who penned it and the person who never received it, she takes a job as a nurse at the seaside estate of Crestwicke Manor. Everyone at Crestwicke has feelings - mostly negative ones - about the man who wrote the letter, but he seems to have disappeared. With plenty of enticing clues but few answers, Willa’s search becomes even more complicated when she misplaces the letter and it passes from person to person in the house, each finding a thrilling or disheartening message in its words. Laced with mysteries large and small, Joanna Davidson Politano’s The Love Note is a romantic Victorian era tale of love lost, love deferred, and love found, and is sure to delight.

In The Key to Love by Betsy St. Amant, the only thing Bri Duval loves more than baking petit fours is romance. So much so that she’s created her own version of the famous Parisian love-lock wall at the bakery where she works in Story, KS. She never expects a video involving the wall to go viral - or for Trek Magazine to send travel writer Gerard Fortier to feature the bakery. He’s definitely handsome, but Bri has been holding out for an epic love story like the one her parents had - and that certainly will not include the love-scorning Gerard. Just when it seems the Pastry Puff is poised for unprecedented success, a series of events threaten not just he bakery but the pedestal she’s kept her parents on all these years. Maybe Gerard is right about romance. Or maybe Bri’s recipe just needs to be tweaked.

Cross Reference Library is located at 209 East 15th Street in Scottsbluff, NE,
and is open Monday through Friday from 9:00am-5:00pm.

What's New at Cross Reference Library - Romance, Christmas and a new novel from Colleen Coble

When she hears that the town of Heritage is looking for a new librarian, Libby Kingsley jumps at the opportunity. Little did she know the library is barely more than a basement room stuffed with dusty, outdated books. What the community really needs is a new building. But the only funds available are those being channeled into the new town square, and the landscape architect in charge of the project wants nothing to do with her plans. All Austin Williams wants to do is get the town square project finished, and he hopes it is enough to save the family business. Then he can extricate himself from the town that revers the brother who cost him so much. But the local media and the town’s new librarian seem to be conspiring against him at every turn. Will the determined bookworm find her way into his blueprints, and possibly even his heart? Find out in Until I Met You by Tari Faris.

In One Little Lie by Colleen Coble, Jane Hardy is appointed interim sheriff in Pelican Harbor, Alabama, after her father retires. But there’s no time for an adjustment period. When her father is arrested for theft and then implicated in a recent murder, Jane quickly realizes he’s facing someone out to destroy the only family she has. After escaping with her father from a cult fifteen years ago, Jane has searched relentlessly for her mother - who refused to leave - ever since. Could someone from that horrible past have found them? Reid Dixon is well-known for his documentaries, and his latest project involves covering Jane’s career. Jane has little interest in the attention, but the committee who appointed her loves the idea of the publicity. Jane finds herself depending on Reid’s calm manner as he follows her around filming, and they begin working together to clear her father. But Reid has his own secrets from the past, and the gulf between them may be impossible to cross - especially once her father’s lie catches up with them all.

In 1853, Abigail Scott was a nineteen-year-old school teacher in Oregon Territory when she married Ben Duniway. Marriage meant giving up on teaching, but Abigail always believed she was meant to be more than a good wife and mother. When Abigail becomes the primary breadwinner for her growing family, what she sees as a working woman appalls her - and prompts her to devote her life to fighting for the rights of women, including the right to vote. Based on a true story, Something Worth Doing by Jane Kirkpatrick will resonate with modern women who still grapple with the pull between career and family, finding their place in the public sphere, and dealing with frustrations and prejudices when competing in male-dominated spaces.

All Emma Daley wants is a white Christmas in Melody Carlson’s holiday novel The Christmas Swap. But the young teacher and struggling musician sure can’t find that in sunny Arizona. Luckily, there’s someone living in a perfect mountain home in the Colorado Rockies looking to make a vacation trade. West Prescott is an in-demand songwriter and talented musician who put his own singing career on hold to write songs for celebrity acts to perform. When his mother convinces him to do a vacation trade for Christmas, he never imagined one of the houseguests would be so sweet - or so strikingly pretty. Naturally he decides to stick around, and to get better acquainted he poses as the caretaker of his own house. But when Emma’s friend Gillian discovers his true identity and sets her sights on him, things get… messy.

Cross Reference Library is located at 209 East 15th Street in Scottsbluff, NE,
and is open Monday through Friday from 9:00am-5:00pm.

What's New at Cross Reference Library - A film about Richard Wurmbrand, John Piper on coronavirus, and more

The providence of God is a doctrine Christians struggle to understand. Scripture affirms that God is sovereign and that he governs all the affairs of creation - yet we, his creatures, make choices every day, and God holds us morally responsible for those choices. How can human freedom fit into the “purpose of Him who works all things according to the counsel of His will”? Bruce Ware explores this question in God’s Greater Glory.

On January 11, 2020, a novel coronavirus (COVID-19) reportedly claimed its first victim in the Wuhan province of China. By March 11, the World Health Organization had declared a global pandemic. In the midst of this fear and uncertainty, it is natural to wonder what God is doing. In Coronavirus and Christ, John Piper invites readers around the world to stand on the solid Rock, who is Jesus Christ, in whom our souls can be sustained by the sovereign God who ordains, governs, and reigns over all things to accomplish his good purposes for those who trust Him. What is God doing through the coronavirus? Piper offers six biblical answers to that question, showing us that God is at work in this moment in history.

Be inspired by love and forgiveness that conquered communist prisons. Pastor Richard Wurmbrand suffered fourteen years of imprisonment and brutal torture, while his wife Sabina, was treated as a slave in a labor camp. Their only “crimes” were their faith ad witness for Jesus Christ. Through it all, they loved their enemies and sought to win their torturers for Christ. Filmed entirely on location in Romania, including in the very prison where Richard endured torture and solitary confinement, Tortured for Christ is the cinematic retelling of one of the most powerfully inspiring and historically significant testimonies of all time.

Hindsight by Rhonda Taylor Madge takes readers on a journey through a young woman’s tumultuous past, revealing how she fell prey to anxious thoughts that molded her mind and led her to believe she was someone other than who she was created to be. A battle that raged for half a lifetime found resolution only after she allowed God to remove the veil of deception from her eyes that she might see and know the truth.

Cross Reference Library is located at 209 East 15th Street in Scottsbluff, NE,
and is open Monday through Friday from 9:00am-5:00pm.

What's New at Cross Reference Library - Parenting, Mystery and Pioneer Fiction

When Sheila Walsh discovered “I’m not good enough and I’m good with that,” everything started to change. We’ve all experienced that moment when we wish we could start all over again. Failed marriage, lost friends, addictions, lost jobs. This is not the life we imagined. Yesterday can leave us stuck, sad, shamed, scared, and searching. Sheila wants you to face the pain head on and then start again, from right where you are. In It’s Okay Not To Be Okay, she helps you overcome the same old rut of struggles and pain by changing the way you think about God, yourself, and your everyday life. She shares practical, doable, daily strategies that will help you move forward one step at at time, knowing God will never let you down. It’s never too late to start again… and there is healing and freedom in just taking the first step.

After several years of widowhood and hard work, Ingeborg Bjorklund has reached a place of contentment with her life. She enjoys watching Blessing, North Dakota thrive and grow, filled not only with her extended family but also newcomers like David Gould. Though a high society businessman from New York City, David has become a dear friend. But how should she handle the ways their relationship seems to be changing? Meanwhile, her son Thorliff is raising two children alone, still grieving the loss of his beloved Elizabeth. He is surprised, therefore, by the effect the new schoolteacher Louisa Gutenberg, has on him. But would his feelings stay the same if he knew the real reason she visits her sister most weekends? With Blessing advancing forward, Thorliff decides to gather the stories of Ingeborg’s life, and subsequently the history of the town, into a book. But with every glimpse into the past, Ingeborg will have to decide if her settled, predictable life is worth more to her than a future she hardly dares to imagine in A Blessing to Cherish by Lauraine Snelling.

Two unsolved murders seventeen years apart are about to get personal in Justice Betrayed by Patricia Bradley. It’s Elvis Week in Memphis, and homicide detective Rachel Sloan isn’t sure her day could get any stranger when an aging Elvis impersonator named Vic Vegas asks to see her. But when he produces a photo of her murdered mother with four Elvis impersonators - one of which had also been murdered soon after the photo was taken - she’s forced to reevaluate. Is there some connection between the two unsolved cases? And could the recent break in at Vic’s home be tied to his obsession with finding his friend’s killer? When yet another person in the photo is murdered, Rachel suddenly has her hands full investigating three cases. Lieutenant Boone Callahan offers his help, but their checkered romantic past threatens to get in the way. Can they solve the cases before the murderer makes Rachel victim number four?

Where you come from matters far less than where you’re going in Rachel Fordham’s novel A Life Once Dreamed. Six years ago, a shocking secret sent Agnes Pratt running in search of a new start. She found it in Penance, a rugged town of miners and lumberjacks in the Dakota Territory. In the shadow of the Black Hills, she became Miss Aggie, respected schoolteacher and confirmed old maid - despite being only 24. But the past has a way of catching up with people. When childhood friend and former sweetheart James Harris accepts a position as the town doctor, Aggie’s pleasantly predictable days suddenly become anything but. James wants to know why Agnes left behind the life they had dreamed of creating for themselves - but he is precisely the one person who can never know. Can a healing light be shed on the past? Or will the secret Agnes can’t seem to outrun destroy her chance at happiness?

Parenting is an exciting adventure, full of twists and turns. But sometimes it feels like you don’t know where you’re headed, or you’re just making it up as you go along. How can you get where you want to be without having a plan in place? Dennis and Barbara Rainey have spent decades teaching on the foundations necessary for building godly families. Now they share the insights and expertise gleaned from those years of ministry, as well as stories and teaching from their own children about the challenges of parenting today. The Art of Parenting focuses your attention on four crucial elements in your children’s lives: relationships, character, identity, and mission. When you apply biblical truth to these four areas, you can feel confident your children will have a foundation they can build upon for the rest of their lives.

Cross Reference Library is located at 209 East 15th Street in Scottsbluff, NE,
and is open Monday through Friday from 9:00am-5:00pm.

What's New at Cross Reference Library - Thrillers, a Murder Mystery and New Novels from Colleen Coble

In The Crushing Depths by Dani Pettrey, Coast Guard Investigators Rissi Dawson and Mason Rogers are flown to the scene forty miles from shore to investigate an accident that claimed the life of an oil-rig worker. Tensions aboard the rig are high, and the death has everyone on edge. Environmental activists just off the rig’s starboard side are threatening to do whatever it takes to stop the “plague on the environment” from continuing its work. Meanwhile, rumors are circulating on board about an ancient curse lurking in the depths below. Mounting evidence shows the death might not have been an accident. Was the man killed by one of the activists, or more frighteningly, a member of his own crew? Rissi and Mason have to sort through not only numerous suspects, but also their own haunted past. Just as the case seems about to break open, worse news arrives: a tropical storm has turned their way. Now they’re cut off from any rescue, right where the killer wants them.

Casey Cox is still on the run, fleeing prosecution for a murder she didn’t commit. Dylan Roberts - her most relentless pursuer - is still on her trail, but his secret emails insist he knows the truth and wants to help her. He’s let her escape before when he had her in his grasp, but trust doesn’t come easily. As Casey works to collect evidence about the real murderers, she stumbles on another unbearable injustice: an abused child and a suicidal man who’s also been falsely accused. Casey risks her own safety to right this wrong and protect the little girl from her tormenters. But doing so is risky and may result in her capture - and if she’s captured, she has no doubt she’ll be murdered before she ever steps foot in a jail cell. In Terri Blackstock’s If I’m Found - the riveting sequel to the USA Today bestseller If I Run - evil lurks, drawing Casey out of the shadows, but there is light shining in the darkness.

Kate Mason has devoted herself to caring for her family’s blueberry barrens. But after her fields stop producing fruit, she’s forced to come up with alternative ways to make a living. Renting out the small cottage on her property seems an obvious choice, but it won’t be enough. When entrepreneur Drake Newham shows up looking not only for a place to rent but also for a nanny for his two nieces, it’s almost too good to be true. And maybe it is - because Drake brings with him dangerous questions about who might be out to kill his family. The more time Kate spends with Drake and the girls, the more difficult it becomes to hide her attraction to him. But a family crisis isn’t exactly the ideal time to pursue a romance. Set on the beautiful coasts of Maine, Twilight at Blueberry Barrens by Colleen Coble brings together suspense, romance, and the hope that one day new life will come again.

A seemingly random shooting at her aunt’s coffee farm has left Lani Tagama blind. Now she must learn to navigate in a world of darkness. With the help of an ex-cop named Ben and a half-trained guide dog, Lani begins to regain her former independence. Then Lani and Ben discover that her injury wasn’t caused by a random shooting - it was a botched murder attempt. In Midnight Sea by Colleen Coble, they must work together to discover the identity of the would-be murderer before he strikes again.

Cross Reference Library is located at 209 East 15th Street in Scottsbluff, NE,
and is open Monday through Friday from 9:00am-5:00pm.

What's New at Cross Reference Library - Encouragement, Leadership, and Character

Unfortunately life is just hard, and at times it’s downright ugly. Far too many of us are not enjoying life because we are living with broken hearts and shattered dreams. But hope is available, and healing is possible. Through the pages of this book you will discover the power you need to live the life you love. We will uncover your hurts and start your personal journey of healing. With the tools and applications inside Enjoy Today Own Tomorrow by Laine Lawson Craft, you will find practical steps which give purpose to your past and hope for your future. Healing is possible. Discover the power to live the life you love so that you can enjoy today and own tomorrow.

All over the world, woman 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 women and 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 stories of those who 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. The authors of Forgotten Girls 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 steps and prayer points that allow you to get involved as God leads.

Jason Romano learned incredible lessons during his seventeen years as a producer at ESPN - and these fundamentals for success on the field or court work just as well in other spheres of leadership, especially when you add God's direction to the playbook. This collection of compelling, inspiring, and often funny stories in The Uniform of Leadership challenges readers to ask themselves the hard questions. It draws them into introspection and then directs them into action so they can cultivate habits of service and excellence in themselves and in those around them. From Tony Dungy to Darryl Strawberry, Will Ferrell to Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, readers will discover how to replicate the principles practiced by some of the most influential leaders in sports and entertainment. And in the end, they'll be able to construct thriving cultures where the people they lead can bloom where they're planted and serve one another. For readers who want to lead meaningful lives - rooted in servant leadership, character, and integrity - and be entertained and inspired by personal, behind the scenes stories about athletes, coaches, and stars, this is a perfect guidebook.

In a world of social media snapshots and cable news sound bites, we’re often more concerned with our outer image than we are with our inner makeup. But in the end integrity trumps image. You can look good on the outside without being good on the inside. If you long to commit yourself to what matters most - the content of your character - join bestselling author James Merritt in Character Still Counts as he explores 13 overlooked traits that form the bedrock of a godly life and good society. Along the way, you’ll encounter surprising role models - flawed people who failed spectacularly, overcame adversity and went on to live lives worth imitating. In a world that has abandoned the virtues and values that matter, this book offers a clarion call to return to a simple message: Character still counts. It always has, it always will.

Everyone who wants to date or get married is looking for someone who’s “hot”. In the language of the world “hot” refers to someone who is attractive, but according to Jeramy Clark (author of the bestseller I Gave Dating a Chance) and his wife and co-author Jerusha Clark, a new definition of the word can provide you with an easy to use standard for applying God’s wisdom in one of the most challenging areas of your life. Find out in He’s Hot, She’s Hot why you should look for someone who is truly H.O.T. (holy, outrageous, trustworthy) and see how you can develop the qualities that will both please the Lord and attract the man or woman of your dreams.

Cross Reference Library is located at 209 East 15th Street in Scottsbluff, NE,
and is open Monday through Friday from 9:00am-5:00pm.

What's New at Cross Reference Library - Al & JoAnna Lacy's Dreams of Gold series, new movie A Question of Faith and more!

Timepiece by Richard Paul Evans is the unforgettable story of hope and the source of the wisdom MaryAnne Parkin shared with Richard in The Christmas Box. With the help of David Parkin’s diary, Richard discovers the mystery of the timepiece and the significance of MaryAnne’s request.

Narnia - where the woods are thick and cool, where talking beasts are called to life… a new world where the adventure begins. Enter the enchanted world of Narnia for the first time in The Magician’s Nephew by C.S. Lewis. Digory and Polly meet and become friends one old, wet summer in London. Their lives burst into adventure when Digory’s uncle Andrew, who thinks he is a magician, sends them hurtling to somewhere else. They find their way to Narnia, newborn from the Lion’s song, and encounter the evil sorceress Jadis before they finally return home.

Three families find themselves at a crossroads, questioning their faith and the God that guides their lives in A Question of Faith. As each family member deals with their issues their worlds start to intertwine. This leads to a chain of events, which unknowingly brings the three families closer and closer together. Will the families give in to the loss, pain and uncertainty that has shattered their lives, or will they find the tie that binds them all together through hope, trust, redemption, and goodwill?

Jim Bannon is a young farmer, a fine Christian man in love with Alyssa Rose McGuire, the daughter of a wealthy banker in Cheyenne in 1875. Her father wants her to marry a Christian, of course… but a wealthy Christian. So when the Black Hills of the Dakota Territory are opened for gold prospecting, Jim stakes a claim, hoping to strike it rich enough to win Alyssa’s hand with her father’s approval. Thousands of people converge on the Black Hills, seeking gold for everything from medical bills to oil investments. Jim realizes he’s in a mission field among the prospectors - and even the Sioux Indians. But will he ever find enough gold to marry his beloved Alyssa Rose and satisfy her father? Find out in The Forbidden Hills by Al & JoAnna Lacy.

Gold is flowing out of Canada’s Yukon Territory, and broad-shouldered Matt Holden and his parents join the thousands of people flocking north. To reach the gold fields, they take the Chilkoot Trail and a grueling climb up the icy Golden Stairs over Chilkoot Pass. With threats ranging from drunken violence to deadly avalanche, Matt has his hands full protecting those around him. Along the way, Matt meets Martha Bray and her lovely daughter Livia, who’ve come from San Francisco searching for their missing husband and father. He left for the Yukon months ago, but there’s been no word… and even the Mounties could find no trace of him. Will Martha and Livia ever find him? And who will find their hearts’ desires - or eternal riches - in the frozen land beyond the Golden Stairs? Find out in The Golden Stairs by Al & JoAnna Lacy.

Cross Reference Library is located at 209 East 15th Street in Scottsbluff, NE,
and is open Monday through Friday from 9:00am-5:00pm.

What's New at Cross Reference Library - New Novels from Natalie Walters and Others + More New Kids’ Books

Orphaned by the Civil War, the daughter of a plantation owner and a former slave have worked hard to keep Katie’s plantation going, all the while hiding the fact that they are alone. Now the girls face new threats to their way of life: mounting floodwaters and mounting danger from thieves. When a long-lost relative appears, he disappears as suddenly, taking their closely guarded secret with him. But this man has a secret of his own - one that will change them all forever. In a black and white world, it’s the inside that counts in The Color of Your Skin Ain’t The Color of Your Heart by Michael Phillips.

After a personal tragedy, Piper Boone retreats to her childhood home - a secluded mansion for the wealthy Boone family, who are practically American royalty. When catastrophe strikes, her family is put in the spotlight, and the line between victim and suspect gets blurred. Tucker Landry is drawn to Piper in the midst of the trauma, but the connections being made to her family might prove to be their undoing. With a hurricane beating down on the private island, there isn’t much time to find answers. In Relative Silence by Carrie Stuart Parks, the truth will determine whether she lives or dies.

In the little town of Walton, Georgia in Natalie Walters’ novel Living Lies, everybody knows your name - but no one knows your secret. At least that’s what Lane Kent is counting on when she returns to her hometown with her five year old son. Dangerously depressed after the death of her husband, Lane is looking for hope. What she finds instead is a dead body. Lane must work with Walton’s newest deputy, Charlie Lynch, to uncover the truth behind the murder. But when that truth hits too close to home, she’ll have to decide if saving the life of another is worth the cost of revealing her darkest secret.

Independent and tenacious journalist Vivian DeMarco is back in Walton, Georgia, for one reason - to do her job and get out. But in Deadly Deceit by Natalie Walters, when her boss suddenly dies under suspicious circumstances, Vivian’s only hope for finding the truth - and the next big story - is small town law enforcement’s lanky poster boy Deputy Ryan Frost. But the deeper they dig, the more twisted the truth becomes. False leads, incriminating emails, and someone called the Watcher force Vivian to fight for answers - and her life.

When a big wind goes whoosh, Skunk is afraid and needs a friend. Braving the storm to check on his best pal, Raccoon comes for a visit and brings a big surprise - supplies to build a kite. Skunk and Raccoon invite the rest of their friends to come fly it with them, because some things are better to do with more than just two. And even though the wind still blows, Skunk discovers there’s no reason to be afraid in A Windy Spring Day by Wendy Dunham.

The First Easter by Carol Heyer, in simple words and a gentle conversational style, tells of the tragic events of the last week of Jesus’ life and the glorious first Easter Day. Young children will find this to be a perfect first book for understanding Easter. Heyer’s illustrations, with their rich and brilliant colors, will appeal to readers of all ages as they enter the Jesus’ world and become a participant in the events of the first Easter.

Cross Reference Library is located at 209 East 15th Street in Scottsbluff, NE,
and is open Monday through Friday from 9:00am-5:00pm.