This book developed from author Anne McCafferty’s journaling on her pastoral visits at the end of the day. She was inspired by the beauty and faith of so many and astonished by God’s grace in their lives. The book honors the lives of ordinary people—residents and staff in a county nursing home. She records the beauty of each individual person, the uniqueness of each life experience, and the invaluable worth of each person’s dignity. Her encounters provide glimpses of life in a nursing home where the staff work closely to create an atmosphere of compassionate care.

On the Road to the Cross takes readers on a journey through the events of the Christian seasons of Lent and Easter. Combining passages from the Scriptures with poetry, devotions, and prayers, author Ellen L. Diggs invites both youth and adults to reflect on the events of Jesus’s life from His death on the cross to His resurrection from the tomb. The meditations offer brief, thoughtful, and inspiring messages that tell how Jesus showed His love for all, dying and rising so that His followers might have eternal life.

By drawing upon the events of Jesus’s Passion, On the Road to the Cross raises questions for His followers to ask themselves about their lives of faith—here and now. The meditations offer insights and ask questions like these: “Even when Jesus was persecuted and crucified, He forgave His persecutors …. Jesus was, indeed, a Savior who did the unexpected. Will you do the unexpected in your life?”

If you find yourself drawn to the wonder and mystery of the death and resurrection of Jesus, if you want know how He can touch your life so that you may enjoy a closer walk with Him, On the Road to the Cross can serve as your travel guide along the way from the cross to the empty tomb.

This book developed from author Anne McCafferty’s journaling on her pastoral visits at the end of the day. She was inspired by the beauty and faith of so many and astonished by God’s grace in their lives. The book honors the lives of ordinary people—residents and staff in a county nursing home. She records the beauty of each individual person, the uniqueness of each life experience, and the invaluable worth of each person’s dignity. Her encounters provide glimpses of life in a nursing home where the staff work closely to create an atmosphere of compassionate care.

In this collection of poems, Dodi Cox opens her heart about God’s role in our everyday lives, from the dark hours of heartbreaking grief to times of joy to the all-encompassing peace that is ours through Christ.

Dodi captures small, seemingly ordinary moments—the sight of a tiny red bird, time spent playing cherished old hymns on the piano—and turns them into celebrations of life and God’s love. In addition, she does not shy away from sharing her struggles with illness—both hers and her husband’s—and with learning to live with the loss of loved ones. But with a spirit of compassion, Dodi also reaches beyond her immediate surroundings to honor those who have served and are serving our country, and remembers the survivors of the January 2010 earthquake in Haiti.

No matter where you are or what you’re going through in your life, you’ll find hope and encouragement through these poems. From the prayers uttered during a medical crisis, to tributes to friendship, to the whimsical “Honey,” we are assured that God has many ways of speaking to us and knows what is on our hearts. His love is always there, ready to comfort us, uplift us, celebrate with us. We are, indeed, never alone.

On the Road to the Cross takes readers on a journey through the events of the Christian seasons of Lent and Easter. Combining passages from the Scriptures with poetry, devotions, and prayers, author Ellen L. Diggs invites both youth and adults to reflect on the events of Jesus’s life from His death on the cross to His resurrection from the tomb. The meditations offer brief, thoughtful, and inspiring messages that tell how Jesus showed His love for all, dying and rising so that His followers might have eternal life.

By drawing upon the events of Jesus’s Passion, On the Road to the Cross raises questions for His followers to ask themselves about their lives of faith—here and now. The meditations offer insights and ask questions like these: “Even when Jesus was persecuted and crucified, He forgave His persecutors …. Jesus was, indeed, a Savior who did the unexpected. Will you do the unexpected in your life?”

If you find yourself drawn to the wonder and mystery of the death and resurrection of Jesus, if you want know how He can touch your life so that you may enjoy a closer walk with Him, On the Road to the Cross can serve as your travel guide along the way from the cross to the empty tomb.

In a congregational church, every member is a minister. From this idea flows a responsibility for each person to use his or her divinely given spiritual gifts under God’s direction while the church still moves together as a unified body—as a congregation.

Even so, the standard triangle model of church organization leaves no place for ministerial leadership. Christ, not the pastor, is the head of the church; furthermore, the pastor is not the only one to hear God’s message and relay it to the people. Neither is the pastor servant of the church for menial tasks. In Working in God’s Diamond, pastor and leadership consultant Jere W. Patterson shows how the dynamic, inclusive diamond model supports all the interrelationships of a growing congregation and allows it to thrive.

The diamond organizational model formed the nucleus of Patterson’s doctoral research and thesis, and he has practiced it in churches for over fifty years. Using real-world scenarios and biblical examples for the organizational and growth problems facing modern congregations, Patterson offers solutions and guidance for churches overwhelmed by bureaucracy and the doctrine of the “priesthood of the believer.” In the end, it is His church. By working in God’s diamond, congregations can strengthen and clarify leadership and operational organization, develop a vision for growth, and ultimately focus their most powerful energies on working for and through Jesus’ Spirit and Word.

In this collection of poems, Dodi Cox opens her heart about God’s role in our everyday lives, from the dark hours of heartbreaking grief to times of joy to the all-encompassing peace that is ours through Christ.

Dodi captures small, seemingly ordinary moments—the sight of a tiny red bird, time spent playing cherished old hymns on the piano—and turns them into celebrations of life and God’s love. In addition, she does not shy away from sharing her struggles with illness—both hers and her husband’s—and with learning to live with the loss of loved ones. But with a spirit of compassion, Dodi also reaches beyond her immediate surroundings to honor those who have served and are serving our country, and remembers the survivors of the January 2010 earthquake in Haiti.

No matter where you are or what you’re going through in your life, you’ll find hope and encouragement through these poems. From the prayers uttered during a medical crisis, to tributes to friendship, to the whimsical “Honey,” we are assured that God has many ways of speaking to us and knows what is on our hearts. His love is always there, ready to comfort us, uplift us, celebrate with us. We are, indeed, never alone.