What’s New in the Cross Reference Library? How books and stories helped folks survive WWII

The British Booksellers - A tenant farmer’s son had no business daring to dream of a future with an earl’s daughter, but that couldn’t keep Amos Darby from his secret friendship with Charlotte Terrington…until the reality of the Great War sobered youthful dreams. Now decades later, he bears the brutal scars of battles fought in the trenches and their futures that were stolen away. His return home doesn’t come with tender reunions, but with the hollow fulfillment of opening a bookshop on his own and retreating as a recluse within its walls. When the future Earl of Harcourt chose Charlotte to be his wife, she knew she was destined for a loveless match. Though her heart had chosen another long ago, she pledges her future even as her husband goes to war. Twenty-five years later, Charlotte remains a war widow who divides her days between her late husband’s declining estate and operating a quaint Coventry bookshop—Eden Books, lovingly named after her grown daughter. And Amos is nothing more than the rival bookseller across the lane. As war with Hitler looms, Eden is determined to preserve her father’s legacy. So when an American solicitor arrives threatening a lawsuit that could destroy everything they’ve worked so hard to preserve, mother and daughter prepare to fight back. But with devastation wrought by the Luftwaffe’s local blitz terrorizing the skies, battling bookshops—and lost loves, Amos and Charlotte—must put aside their differences and fight together to help Coventry survive.

Catching the Wind - What happened to Brigitte Berthold? That question has haunted Daniel Knight since he was thirteen, when he and ten-year-old Brigette escaped the Gestapo agents who arrested both their parents. They survived a harrowing journey from Germany to England, only to be separated upon their arrival. Daniel vowed to find Brigitte after the war, a promise he has fought to fulfill for more than seventy years. Now a wealthy old man, Daniel’s final hope in finding Brigitte rests with Quenby Vaughn, an American journalist working in London. He believes Quenby’s tenacity to find missing people and her personal investment in a related WWII espionage story will help her succeed where previous investigators have failed. Though Quenby is wrestling her own demons—and wary at the idea of teaming up with Daniel’s lawyer, Lucas Hough—the lure of Brigitte’s story is too much to resist. Together, Quenby and Lucas delve deep into the past, following a trail of deception, sacrifice, and healing that could change all of their futures.

What’s New in the Cross Reference Library? The Emissaries series by Angela Hunt

The Woman from Lydia - Widowed Euodia, known to her neighbors as “the Lydian woman,” seeks to make a fresh start by moving to the foreign city of Philippi. She finds new purpose after meeting Paulos, apostle to the Gentiles, who opens her eyes to helping those in need, particularly women and those who have been enslaved. Retired Roman soldier Hector has settled in Philippi with dreams of a future filled with wealth and status, poolings his army earnings with Lucius, his fellow comrade-in-arms turned business partner. His hopes are dashed, however, when Paulos robs their youngest enslaved girl of her lucrative ability to foretell the future, rendering her worthless to Hector’s ambition. Determined to find someone to restore the girl’s valuable “gift,” Hector is willing to travel to the ends of the earth to do so. Following close behind him, Euodia and her servants embark on a journey to rescue Sabina and set her free forever. 

The Sisters of Corinth - When the new provincial governor arrives in Corinth, the esteemed Chief Magistrate Narkis Ligus, father to Mariana and Prima, is delighted. He sees a golden opportunity to propel himself to greater power and fortune by uniting his and the governor’s households through the marriage of one of his beautiful unwed daughters to the governor’s firstborn son. Yet complications quickly arise in Narkis’s own family. Mariana, his stepdaughter, ;holds steadfast faith in Yeshua, rendering her hesitant to marry a man devoted to the Roman gods, despite Narkis’s urging. On the other hand, Prima, his daughter by birth, yearns for a life of wealth and status and is willing to go to great lengths to secure a marriage that fulfills her desires—even if it means betraying Mariana to do so.

How Do We Deal With Anxiety To Follow God's Command?

You can listen to Ask The Pastor every weekday at 9:00am MST on 97.1FM Hope Radio KCMI! You can also listen and subscribe to Ask The Pastor in your favorite podcast feed. Listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, Amazon Music and most other podcast services.

This edition of Ask the Pastor features Pastors Tim Hebbert and Brad Kilthau.

Brad Kilthau
We have a question that is to be answered today by us, and the question goes this way: It says, "health officials are telling us that worry and anxiety are at an all-time high in the United States. Yet, we as believers are told in the Bible not to worry. How are we supposed to deal with anxiety and be obedient to the Lord's commands?" And so Tim, I'm going to let you take it and start with that.

Tim Hebbert
I think that first of all, it's good to acknowledge and understand that all of us have moments and times where we deal with anxiety. It's one of those things that we're never going to completely escape. Yes, we're not supposed to worry, but I always tell people, "when I got saved, I got grace. I didn't get perfection." So, it's one of those things that we have to deal with from time to time in our lives. But God gives us, in His word, and Jesus teaches us things about it. One of the scriptures, Brad, I think most people like to quote---I'm one of those---comes from the sixth chapter of the gospel of Matthew. Verse 25 says, "that is why I tell you not to worry about everyday life. Whether you have enough food or drink or enough clothes to wear, isn't life much more than food and your body more than clothing?" It's true. But if we don't look at what Jesus is teaching ahead of that, we don't completely understand what he's saying. And I think one of the things that anxiety does in our life is it exposes what we value most. So, if we want to back up, say to verse 19 in Matthew, Jesus begins that teaching from that point with this, "don't store up treasures here on earth where moths eat them and rust destroys them, and where thieves break in and steal. Store your treasures in heaven, where moths and rust cannot destroy, and thieves do not break in and steal. Wherever your treasure is, there the desire of your heart will be." Then he goes on to say in verse 22, "your eye is a lamp that provides light for your body. When your eye is good, your whole body is filled with light. But when your eye is bad, your whole body is filled with darkness. And if the light you think you have is actually darkness, how deep that darkness is." Verse 24, "no one can serve two masters. For you will hate one and love the other; You'll be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money." One of the things that my dad always told me about the years, his almost 50 years of pastoring, that peoples' struggle with anxiety had to do with money. And he said, in most cases it's because of debt that they'd acquired, because they had their eyes on the wrong things. And I think what Jesus is telling us before he says, don't worry about things is, "what do you value most? Who do you value most?" And then after that passage of, don't worry, he goes on over the next 10 verses to talk about who his father is, what his father will do in our lives, if we'll just trust Him. We don't have to worry about the things that we need. God's going to provide all the things that we need in our life. And so, at the very end of chapter six, he says, "don't worry about these things saying what will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear? These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers. But your heavenly Father already knows all you need. Seek the kingdom of God above all else and live righteously and He will give you everything you need. So don't worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow we'll bring its own worries. Today's trouble is enough for us." He's basically telling us through that, is, the things that we really need also reveals who God is for us. He is the provider. He's Jehovah-Jireh, as the Old Testament would tell us. He's the one that we can count on and trust. And I got to thinking about this on the drive over today, Brad. We talk about the faithfulness of God, but until we're in a place where we need it and we experience it, until we've had that moment in time, then it's just a theory that we're taught. Experiencing that faithfulness of God sometimes comes, and He begins to reveal Himself when we're the most anxious. What do you think?

Brad Kilthau
I agree Tim, and I like how you brought that together because this is the Sermon on the Mount. It's a lot of red ink all the way through our Bibles. It's not just some little cherry picked topic that Jesus brings out here. And that's true, that's true. And when you think about worrying, worrying is really, you feel like it's out of your control. And once it's out of your control, that's when you start to worry. And of course, finances and so forth is going to bring that up in a person's life when things start to get tough. And some of the things, I look at the same passage, I look at the words of Jesus here. I think this is so straightforward when it comes to this very important issue that we're all dealing with right now, is this worry and anxiety. But you'll notice that there's a rule that Jesus gives in these verses, especially these last 9 or 10 verses that you mentioned here. And the rule is, "do not worry." He says it three times. Three times. It is an absolute command that God gives to us. And so I look at it as the Lord is saying this. It's an action that you're already involved in that you need to stop. So if you're not worrying, don't start worrying. And if you're worrying already, he says, "Stop it." Stop it. And we say, "well, how can we do that? How can we stop worrying, especially about certain things in our lives?" But you got to notice in the verses, Jesus is talking to this crowd about what you're going to eat and what you're going to wear and those kinds of things. And here in Western Nebraska and in the United States, we're not worried about those things like those people were. You know, those people, the crowd that Jesus was talking to at that time, they were worried about if they were going to get another meal. We don't worry if we're going to get another meal, we wonder what we're going to eat. We'll say, "well, am I going to have Italian or German or whatever tonight?" But they wondered if they would ever get another meal. They wondered if they'd ever have enough clothes when it got cold, because the only clothes they had was what's on their back. They couldn't go to a closet. All we do is wonder if it looks good on us, and if it doesn't, we go put something else on. They had absolutely some very important things to worry about. And just like you said, Tim, if we get to that place of where we're going without, then we'll finally realize what worry really is. But Jesus speaking to that crowd, then can also, we can see the application for ourselves. He says, "I'm telling you, do not worry." And the reasons we don't have to worry, as you read through those verses, is first of all, you got to realize he's our master. And again, when you look at the culture that this was written in, it was a master slave culture. I think there was like 120 million slaves at the time of Jesus, I've heard. And so this was very common. People were used to that. But today, when we think about being a slave, we go, "oh, I'd never want to be that. I want to be a free man. I want to make my own decisions." But actually, the people in that day and time, when they were a slave, it was something of comfort. Because they knew that when it comes to food, that's my master's responsibility. When it comes to what I'm going to wear, that's his responsibility. All I got to do is go to work, do what he tells me to do and it's his responsibility to take care of me and my family. That's the deal in this situation. And that's the way the Lord, I think, wants us to look at Him. "I got it. I'm your master. You just do what I've called you to do. I will take care of my end of the deal." Another thing is, he says that, "don't worry because of our father." I mean, look at verse 26. He says, "look at the birds of the air, for they neither sown or reap nor gather into their barns. Yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Aren't you much more valuable than they?" And think about what Jesus just said there. He didn't say, "their heavenly Father feeds them." He said, "your heavenly Father feeds them." In other words, "your father, who loves you so much more than a bird in air is taking care of everything else, even outside of your realm." And the birds don't worry. You know, if you get up in the morning, those birds are singing, they're making noise, they're running, they're all over the place. They're just having a heyday. They're not worried about anything. I think if those birds could talk to us, sometimes they would say, "you fools, look at how your father has taken care of us. And yet you sit here and you worry and fret about different things." I often have to laugh because I think maybe a bird brain could straighten us out sometimes in our thinking and how he would talk to us. But then also, of course, verse 27, I think because of our future, he said, "which of you by worry can add one cubit to his stature?" Some people look at that cubit by physical growth. Some people look at it, "could he add one more day to my life or whatever?" But whatever it is, why would you worry about that? Because worry isn't going to change your future. The only thing worry is going to do is starve you of the present, because you're worrying about the future. And we should never be in that place. We should be people that are like the birds. Again, just get to work. Be busy about the kingdom and the kingdom work, and He's going to take care of all the rest. And you might say, "what's the kingdom work?" Well, as in that same chapter, he talks about how we're supposed to pray, "Our Father in heaven, hallowed be Your name," the Lord's Prayer. He teaches us how to pray. One of the things we should be doing is praying, praying, praying. Not just for ourselves, praying for others. Find your spiritual gift. Get to work. In other words, rather than worry, work. I think work is the antidote to worry. That's what Jesus is saying here. And so again, there's so much good stuff to draw out of these verses, Tim. And I think, if anyone's in a place of worry in their life right now, this would be a great passage of scripture to go to.

Tim Hebbert
And you touched on it, that master slave relationship. The key to anxiety relief is like the old hymn says, "perfect submission, all is at rest." A couple of weeks ago, I'm working through a series of sermons on praise. I'm using the Psalms as the basis for that. And there's seven different Hebrew words that are used in the Psalms for praise. And one of them is, "Barak." They use it as, "Barak Ata Lot," which means "unbended knee." And we talked about, before we went on the radio, that even Jesus had a moment where he struggled with anxiety. He's in the Garden of Gethsemane and he's laboring over this. But the way he worked his way out of that anxiety was with bended knee. He was obedient to his father, and he got to work. The best way for us to get out of a place of worry and anxiety is to move away from the obsession that's causing that and moving our focus on the kingdom of God. "What is it that you want from me today, Father?" What can I do today for you?" Not, "oh, I need you to take this anxiety away from me." He will, but he's going to do it in a way that draws you closer, it moves you to a place where you get up and you start doing things for Him. As we've been visiting about this, I remember in my own life, it's been many years ago, but I was struggling with some anxiety over an issue and I'm going to the Lord day in and day out asking Him to relieve that and relieve that. And one day, I finally in my morning prayer, I said, "Father, I'm not going to ask you for anything today. I want to just spend my time telling you why and how much I love you." And I don't know about you, but I love to journal a lot of prayers. So I just began to write all the things that I love God for. And left it there. And what He did in the next day and a half was, He brought three men into my office who were in need of counsel. All three of them left having made a commitment to Jesus before they left. And it was like that, "aha," moment that the Lord says, "do you understand now what this is all about? It's not about your worries. I've got those taken care of." And oh, by the way, the problem that I had been struggling with resolved itself in about 12 hours after that.

Brad Kilthau
It resolved itself. "Seek ye first the kingdom of God," right?

Tim Hebbert
"And all these things will be taken care of."

Brad Kilthau
Yes. So amazing. So it's right there. It's red and white on the pages of scripture, the words of Jesus. So yeah, good discussion, Tim.

Tim Hebbert
Good discussion. And it is a good one, because all of us have those moments where we struggle with this and it's just a good time to look at chapter six of the Gospel of Matthew and be reminded that God's got this.

What’s New in the Cross Reference Library? Letters Bring Them Together

Opening thoughts: I think, one of the coolest things about historical-fiction novels—romantic or otherwise—are the real-life places, things, and events of the time period that the author chooses. They truly put into perspective how different things used to be. We don’t travel everywhere by horse or Model-T. Our marriages aren’t arranged by our parents (ok, maybe not as much as they used to be). And another big difference that I wish was still a thing: communication through letters. Whenever I hear a story from history about two people meeting and becoming best friends (or even falling in love!) I turn into a hopeless romantic very quickly. So, that’s why I’m so excited to feature The Letter Tree & A Noble Groom in this week’s post. Beneath the synopsis are some cool tidbits that authors, Rachel Fordham & Jody Hedlund, shared in the “Author's Note" section in the backs of their books about the research they did for their stories. 

The Letter Tree - Buffalo, NY, 1924. Laura Bradshaw adores stories happily ever afters. But since her mother died seven years ago, the Bradshaw Shoe Company heiress has been as good as locked away in a tower. Her overbearing father cares little for her dreams, throwing himself instead into his tireless take-down of hsi competitor, the Campbell Shoe Company. However, Laura has been gifted with a reprieve: a mysterious friend with whom she’s been exchanging letters. As heir to the Campbell Shoe Company, Isaac Campbell is a sought-after bachelor who has never felt an inkling of desire for the women who constantly bat their eyes at him. His thoughts are consumed by an oak tree in the Buffalo Zoo—or rather, the mystery woman he exchanges letters with courtesy of the tree. She’s been one of Isaac’s only joys in a life consumed by his father’s tireless hatred of Bradshaw. A hatred that Isaac is coming to realize, may affect him more personally than he ever imagined. When Laura’s father orchestrates a match between her and an important business owner, she resolves to pursue her only chance at freedom. But Isaac believes their story isn’t bound for a tragic ending. He’s certain there’s more to the Bradshaw-Campbell feud than meets the eye. And he won’t stop digging until he uncovers the truth that might bridge the divide between him and the woman whose words have captured his heart. 

From the Author’s Note: The Letter Tree takes place in 1920s Buffalo, New York, which means that author Rachel Fordham had the chance to feature cool places like: the Buffalo Zoo, Delaware Park, The Quarry Gardens, and Niagara Falls. When it came to the zoo, the author chose animals that her children loved seeing when her and her family lived in Buffalo. The elephant that is featured on the cover is inspired by a real elephant named Big Frank that lived in the zoo in the 1920s. Fordham also shared that she got the idea for the Bradshaw/Campbell shoe factory feud from the Adidas/Puma feud (a.k.a. The Dassler brothers’ feud) that took place in Germany. If you like to find out more about Rachel’s Fordham’s book The Letter Tree, or even the research she did for it, check out The Letter Tree at the Cross Reference Library. 

A Noble Groom - Annalisa Werner’s hope for a fairy-tale love is over. Her husband failed her in every way, and now his death has left her with few options to save the family farm. She needs a plentiful harvest. That, and a husband to help bring it in. Someone strong, dependable. That’ll be enough. A marriage for love…that’s something she’s given up on. So her father sends a letter to his brother in the Old Country, asking him to find Annalisa a groom. Then a man appears: Carl Richards, from their home country of Germany, and a former schoolteacher—or so he says. He’s looking for work and will serve on the farm until her husband arrives. With time running out, she accepts Carl’s help, but there’s more to this man than he’s admitting. He’s also gentle, kind, charming—unlike any man she’s ever known. But even as his shining light into the darkness of Annalisa’s heart, she knows her true groom may arrive any day.  

From the Author’s Note: To go along with Annalisa and Carl’s love story, Jody Hedlund took inspiration from the German immigration of 1880s Michigan. Hedlund shared the following in her notes that I find pretty interesting, “The German community in A Noble Groom immigrated from Saxony, Germany to Sanilac County, Michigan, and formed Colonial Saxonia…Spurred on by the prospect of owning their own land and becoming prosperous—something they could never have in the Old Country—the German immigrants began the arduous task of clearing the land for farming…While I took liberty with the dates and details of the particular German community for the sake of my story, it was my hope to bring to life the essence of an immigrant community, the rigors of farming, and the struggles of the early settlers.” Hedlund included references to typhoid fever, the Red Cross, and the Great Fire of 1881. I totally recommend that you check out this book. And if you’re not a huge fan of romance novels, don’t worry. Hedlund makes up for that through great references to history and through good story-telling. 

Final Thoughts: In my opinion, I truly believe that the authors care about, and have respect for the time periods they’re writing about. I loved how interesting their characters were, and how they didn't have generic personalities. You really do feel like you're stepping into the 1800s and 1900s. I really enjoyed sharing the “Author’s Notes” with you, and I hope that they make you want to check out these books even more because of it.

You Can Be A Hero by Robert & Teila Walker

What is this book about: In the summer of 2020, Bridger shielded his little sister, Brielle, as a dog charged at them. The resulting injury left Bridger with over 90 stitches on his face. Brielle was a very tiny 4-year-old, and Bridger barely 6, but his love for his sister inspired people around the world. As a family, the Walkers have since discussed, what makes a hero? Is it a great big act or sacrifice – or can heroes be found in normal, everyday people? This book is a result of these discussions. For most people, their heroes are found in seemingly small acts. A true hero does the little things every day because nobody’s life is defined by a single act - for good or bad. Even if it is hard or scary, a hero just keeps showing up and doing their best. We hope you enjoy following Brielle on her journey to discover her secret super power and how just being herself makes her the most special of heroes.

My thoughts: I remember what I was doing when I heard the family that this book is based on. It was the summer before my senior year of high school, and COVID-19 had just destroyed all of my junior year plans. And well, since it was summer I was out helping my dad fix fence for local ranchers in the area. We took a lunch break at a diner in Kimball with a couple of my dad’s friends when I saw the news on TV: Boy Saves Sister from Dog Attack! Right then, I tuned out what my dad and his friends were talking about and watched as Fox News showed a picture of this poor little boy who had just risked his life for his little sister. It almost brought me to tears. Here we were, our country shutdown and depressed; scared and confused. And a little six-year-old boy from Wyoming gave us hope and was named a hero. In this book, You Can Be A Hero, Bridger’s parents inspire kids to be heroes too. I can’t wait for the kids of our library to read this book with their families.

What’s New in the Cross Reference Library? Keeping the Faith in an Ever-changing World

No Reason to Hide - In a culture with an ever-narrowing definition of tolerance, Christians can no longer stay silent about the divide between the Bible’s truth and the world’s lies. From best-selling author Dr. Erwin W. Lutzer, No Reason to Hide examines the toxic roots behind the alarming symptoms of a nation in spiritual freefall—and why your faith must empower you to engage rather than hide. As you read, you’ll be equipped to defend your biblical beliefs with confidence and compassion. You’ll also identify how you can respond to the battleground issues of today, including: 

• Identify driven social justice ideologies that seek to divide rather than unite

• Cultural attacks on the definitions of sex and gender that turn language into a war

• Progressive pushes within the church that ultimately desecrate the Bible’s teachings

A call for believers to stand firm in today’s oppressive world, No Reason to Hide is a rallying reminder that will ready Christians everywhere to have the courage to proclaim Scripture’s truth to a culture in desperate need of what only God can offer. 

Whatever Happens - What has taken the wind out of your sails, the bounce out of your step, and joy out of your heart? The early Christian church in Philippi was distressed by all the terrible things that had happened to the apostle Paul—the loss of his fourth missionary journey, his imprisonment in Caesarea, his shipwreck on Malta, and his looming trial in Rome. Would he ever know freedom again? It was impossible to know the future. While Paul was imprisoned, the church provided him with unprecedented financial and personal support. Overflowing with gratitude, he sent them an inspiring thank-you letter: the Bible’s book of Philippians. The timeless message of Philippians is ever appropriate for a world characterized by chaos and weariness. Though it seems like the world keeps falling apart, the apostle Paul exhorts us to live in a manner worthy of Christ. These short thirty-one chapters, which can be used as a devotional, will show us that no matter what happens, we can: 

• Use prayer to energize our lives

• Make today about others

• Stay as cheerful as possible in all circumstances

• Trust God’s guidance

• Start and end each day with praise and prayer

• And so much more in our faith walk

Whatever has happened to you, and whatever may happen—that is not the end of your story.

What’s New in the Cross Reference Library? The Texas Promise Series by Naomi Rawlings

Tomorrow’s First Light - Nervous about meeting her fiance for the first time, Ellie Spritzer’s lifelong hope of finding love is about to end. She never imagined her quest for love would take her to the other side of the county with all eight of her siblings in tow, but after her mother dies unexpectedly, what choice does she have? At least the man she’s been writing to for the past year is still willing to marry her and take in her siblings…or so she thinks. Growing up an orphan, Sam Owens never had a place to call home or a family to love. So if his wife-to-be needs to bring three of her siblings with her, he has no complaints about having a ready-made family. But his mail-order bride doesn’t arrive with three. She arrives with eight. Sam can’t make himself turn away children in need. But as a beginning rancher, he doesn’t have the resources to care for so many people. When sinister forces threaten the things Sam and Ellie both hold dear, can they figure out how to keep their fledgeling family together, or will they lose the very things they cherish most? 

Tomorrow’s Shining Dream - Charlotte Westin has always been more comfortable in a saddle than a ballroom. That wouldn’t be a problem, except her father owns the largest ranch in Texas—and he insists she marry a wealthy city-slicker worthy of a cattle baron’s daughter. There might be someone out there who’d love her for who she is instead of her money, but she’s been fooled by a sweet talker before, and her family is still suffering because of it. With an old friend-turned-enemy returning to town and cattle rustlers running roughshod over the county, Sheriff Daniel Harding knows the last thing he should be thinking about is a woman…especially the one woman he’ll never be able to marry. Then Charlotte Westin asks for his help, and Daniel can’t refuse. Until he finds out exactly what she wants…When Charlotte comes to Daniel with a plan to find herself a husband, Daniel is forced to face his feelings for her—as well as some past mistakes of his own. But as the rustlers grow more dangerous, Charlotte’s father takes drastic steps to engage her to a man she doesn’t love. And  Charlotte and Daniel soon find themselves caught between the burdens from their pasts and others’ expectations. Will they let their past choices ruin their dreams? Or will Charlotte and Daniel embrace God’s forgiveness and forge a happy future for themselves? 

Tomorrow’s Constant Hope - Keely O’Brien has spent the past five months on the run, but no matter what she does, she can’t seem to evade the ring of dangerous criminals that killed her brother in Chicago. When she spots an ad for a wife from the owner of a small ranch on a remote stretch of Texan desert, she knows she’s found the perfect hiding spot. The Wolf Point Ring might be searching far and wide for her, but they wouldn’t think to look in the tiny, sun-scorched town of Twin Rivers, Texas. Now if she can just keep her new husband from finding out why she really married him…Still grieving the loss of his first wife, Agamemnon “Wes” Westin has little choice about marrying again, but he does have a choice about who he marries. If he has to share his roof with someone, he wants a woman who works hard and doesn’t complain. He decides to run an ad for a bride, claiming that he owns a small ranch, rather than the sprawling cattle empire he inherited from his father. After all, what woman is going to be upset when she finds out her husband is one of the richest men in Texas? When Wes discovers Keely is hiding from criminals who want her dead, he can’t help but protect her—even if she’s irate with him for lying about the size of his ranch. When danger arrives in Twin Rivers, both Wes and Keely find themselves facing their deepest fears. Will they let their pain and past losses ruin their dreams? Or will Wes and Keely find a way to forge a new life together? 

Tomorrow’s Steadfast Prayer - Alejandra Loyola knows she’s going to die. If having information about her uncle and cousins’ illegal cattle rustling operation isn’t enough to get her killed, then snitching on them to the law will—and she’s snitched more than once. The only question is, will she be able to see her younger sister provided for before she dies? When Harrison Rutherford is called back to his hometown of Twin Rivers after his father falls ill, he’s inundated with the burdens of running a shipping business. The one surprise waiting for him is Alejandra Loyola. The maid who works for him is quiet and sweet. Now if only she trusted him enough to tell him what leaves shadows under her eyes and a haunted look on her face…The longer Harrison stays in Twin Rivers, the more something seems amiss. Rustlers have been wreaking havoc on local ranchers, and Harrison starts to wonder if the secrets Alejandra carries have more to do with his father and the rustlers than he wants to admit. Will Alejandra trust Harrison enough to tell him what she knows? Or will the rustlers prove powerful enough to destroy not just the ranches surrounding Twin Rivers, but any hope for a future between them?

Tomorrow’s Lasting Joy -  Anna Mae Harding has always dreamed of being a wife and mother, but she never expected finding a man to marry to be so difficult. She might have an easier time of it if she hadn’t fallen in love with the wrong man years ago. But no matter how much she tries to forget her childhood friend, no one else she’s met has ever measured up. When Cain Whitelaw’s job as a Texas Ranger leads him back to his hometown—and to Anna Mae—neither of them can deny the feelings swirling between them. The trouble is, Cain’s the last man who will ever settle down and start a family. He had too rough an upbringing for that, and his job means he doesn’t stay in one place for more than a month. But when an old enemy reemerges and puts Anna Mae and the town of Twin Rivers in danger, Cain must confront his past and decide just how much he’s willing to risk for the people he loves.

What’s New in the Cross Reference Library? How to Look at Life Differently

Unbridled Faith - Horses nuzzle their way into our hearts and have a way of teaching us a lot about ourselves, about life, and even about God. Just ask horse enthusiast Cara Whitney, wife of comedian and actor Dan Whitney (aka Larry the Cable Guy). Through years spent working with these majestic animals, Cara Whitney has learned countless spiritual lessons that have brought her closer to God. In 100 heartfelt devotions with stunning photography, you’ll learn about overcoming temptation, find out why you should be glad God doesn’t answer yes to all of your prayers, and be reminded that you are priceless to God. 

Life Without Limits - Born without arms or legs, Nick Vujicic overcame his disability to live an independent, rich, fulfilling life, becoming a model for anyone seeking true happiness. Now an internationally successful motivational speaker, Nick spreads his central message: the most important goal for anyone is to find their life’s purpose despite whatever difficulties or seemingly impossible odds stand in their way. Nick tells the story of his physical disabilities and the emotional battle he endured trying to deal with them as a child, a teen, and a young adult. He shares how his faith in God has been his central source of strength and explains that once he found his own sense of purpose—inspiring others to make their lives and the world better—he found the confidence to build a rewarding and productive life without limits.  

What’s New in the Cross Reference Library? Being Men & Women of the Faith

Damaged Goods - This book isn’t for the girls who’ve always done everything right. It’s for the oops-I-did-it-againers, the live-my-life-on-my owners, the sometimes-learn-from-my-mistakers, the ones who’ve fallen down hard and lived to tell the tale, who’ve never quite fit the good-girl mold—the perfectly imperfect. It’s an open and raw look at what happens when a Christian damages her testimony and the restorative power of God’s love. Through personal stories, Stacy invites you into some of her darkest days and candidly shares hard-won wisdom around questions like…

• Why do Christians run away when someone’s life gets messy? 

• What should your role be when another Christian is struggling? 

• How can you overcome crippling fear, anxiety, and worry?

• Why do you wander away from God over and over again?

• Does it really matter if you forgive someone who wronged you? 

• Does God really care about you?

This is not your mom’s devotional. It’s not filled with flowery descriptions or complex theology. It’s for women who are ready to get real and have an honest conversation about what it means to make a royal mess of your life and the painful paths your choices sometimes lead you down. Inside you’ll find extraordinary truths and practical tips sprinkled with loads of encouragement meant just for you slightly imperfect daughters of the King!

Change Agents for God - Does the Bible say anything about what an evangelist should do? Can a church be what God planned without the influence of evangelists? Is there a difference between a missionary and an evangelist? After 52 years in ministry, C.T.L. Spear had devoted more than twenty years to evangelistic work in camps, prisons, and more than 800 local churches across the United States. And through his book, Change Agents for God, Spear brings up the question, “What happened to Evangelists?”

Who's My Support Team So That I Can Run For Jesus Well?

You can listen to Ask The Pastor every weekday at 9:00am MST on 97.1FM Hope Radio KCMI! You can also listen and subscribe to Ask The Pastor in your favorite podcast feed. Listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, Amazon Music and most other podcast services.

This edition of Ask the Pastor features Pastors Johnathan Hernandez and Gary Schick.

Garry Schick
So, I don't know about your eyes, but mine are probably like, "this big," because they've been plastered to a television screen every night after work. Are you watching the Olympics?

Jonathan Hernandez
Bits and pieces of it, yeah.

Garry Schick
Little bit?

Jonathan Hernandez
Yep.

Garry Schick
Oh man. At the beginning, I can't get enough, and by the end I'm done.

Jonathan Hernandez
Yeah, I watched some soccer. So we enjoy watching that.

Garry Schick
A little soccer. Some gymnastics, some swimming, some equine stuff going on out there. I mean, all kinds of stuff. Well, I think I know what we should talk about today. And I kind of thought about, maybe something about, "run the good race." But then, I don't know about you, but one thing that has really impressed me, and I know it's always there, but it kind of really impressed me this year, is these understories. Here's this athlete, they're up there, they're doing magic on the screen, but we all know that it's so much more than that; and it's a team. It's not just that moment today. It's every day, 365. For the last, how many years of their lives. So listeners, I guess today I kind of want to turn around on you as you're listening. I want you to be thinking about this: "who's my support team so that I can run for Jesus well?" Because, and I say this to people---I don't know if they get it. "There's no Lone Rangers in Christ." It's not just, "me and Jesus." At least, not if you're going to succeed. I guess any of us can go out and run around the block and hopefully not sprain our ankles. But if we're going to be in the Olympics, it's going to take more. And, you know what? If we're going to run a race for Christ, shame on us if we're doing it by ourselves, because God did not intend that. The Bible talks about it quite a lot. Jonathan...some thoughts?

Jonathan Hernandez
Yeah. And just kind of with that Olympic thing. I love how you have different, there's all these different sports or activities or whatever you want. These sports that are part of the Olympics. But you see, say the soccer players are rooting and cheering on the gymnastics, or vice versa. So you have people from different categories that are all in it and saying, "Hey, we want to see you succeed. We're cheering you on. We're motivating you." Or, "helping push you to that finish line." And we have that same thing within the body. Man, I love that there's no lone ranger. If you look throughout all of the Bible, you always see community. There's community all throughout scripture. Acts 2:42-47, it really talks about some of that. And it says, "and they continued steadfast in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, in breaking of bread and in prayer." Then it says, "then fear came upon every soul and many wonderous signs were done through the apostles. And now all who believed were together and had all things in common, and they sold the possessions and goods and divided them amongst themselves as everyone had need." You know, you start seeing that whole community being together, right? That whole, "if you have need," let me help you meet that need. We may not be able to meet all the need, but if I put in a little and you put in a little, we're going to help meet all of those needs. It said, "they continued daily in one accord in the temple and breaking the bread in the houses." You see that community just continuing to take place. "They ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart. Praising God, having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily, those who are being saved." And I love that because that really shows that community aspect. Who is part of our community? I am part of Cornerstone Fellowship Church in Bayard. That's part of my community. I'm part of that community. They're rooting me on. I'm rooting them on. We're really challenging each other to grow deeper in Christ. And sometimes there are stumbles, but we don't take them and beat them up and throw them out of the church, right? We love on them and we help them. "Hey, let's get back to where God had intended you to be," and help them walk through those things. You know, there's support. I mean, within pastors, there's support groups. We root each other on, and man, I want to see you succeed. I want to see you succeed, and I want to see the church that you pastor succeed. And praying for each other, and rooting each other on.

Jonathan Hernandez
It's amazing to see how diverse the body of Christ is, and you know, we're not battling against each other. We're there, you know, when the USA goes over to the Olympics. They're not battling against each other. They're together, they're unified, and they're rooting each other on. And that's what the body of Christ needs to be. You know, that we're rooting each other on. It doesn't matter what fellowship that we're a part of, but we're rooting each other on because we want to see each other succeed. And we want to see the church grow. Seeing people being saved, the church being added to daily, right? And that's really amazing when we can start seeing that happen within the body. And not some of those bickerings that happen, but we're rooting each other on. So, for you listeners, are you connected within the body of Christ? Do you belong to a church? And if you do, are you just---I know when I first came to Christ, I just sat in the back. "Hopefully this pastor doesn't talk long. I want to be able to get out fast," because my heart was just starting to be changed. And then, as I started reading the word, I'm like, "man, I could sit here and listen to this pastor for six hours." I dunno. But, you know, you start feeling those changes and you start connecting with each other, right? Hey, so how are you doing? Let's go have dinner together. Let's go have lunch together," or whatever. And start building those communities/helping build that community. And so hopefully, you as a listener, are connected within your home church and really help build the community there by being a part of the community.

Garry Schick
So, so important. The passage I thought about, as we were sitting down to this, was that passage in Hebrews. "And do not neglect meeting together." Some are in the habit of doing that, "but encourage one another and all the more as you see the day approaching." You know, we need to fan the flame. And in fact, I've talked to people about this. Well, it's camping season, right? So, if you ever have a campfire, I don't know why it is, but all those logs have to lay together. They have to be touching. If one log is burning bright and rolls away from the fire, it's going out. Now, I don't know why. It has the fuel, the wood. It is wood. It has the oxygen, it's burning. It has the flame. I don't even understand this. My son, he's pretty smart about a lot of this science stuff. He could probably tell me, "dad, this is why." But in order to keep burning, those logs need to be up against other burning logs. They need to share the fire. And you know, think about the big names in the Bible. Apostle Paul: he was never alone. I mean, okay, he was once. We read about him alone. I think he was in Athens, and he was miserable until his team came and caught up with him. He always traveled with a group of people. He always had people that were receiving him. I mean, you look at, what is it? The end of Romans. He has all this, thank yous to all these people, and hi this one, and, "thank you to that one who helped me in all these ways." Even in his last letter, 2 Timothy, he's saying, "come before winter. Bring the parchments; bring this." He was alone every now and then. He didn't do well. And frankly, we don't either. Yes, when we're watching the Olympics, we're watching one gymnast. Maybe if it's not a team sport, maybe we're seeing one gymnast alone on the balance beam, or on the parallel, or uneven bars or those rings, or whatever. For that moment, It's kind of like the David and Goliath moment. But you know, where did David learn about the Lord? Probably his parents. For everybody that succeeds, you know, there's more than that moment. There is everything that went into that moment. We are watching, for two weeks, the best of the best on screen doing their ultimate moment. But the years of training, the years of support. The financial support, the coaches, the parents, the family coming together, communities coming together. I mean, so much. And I don't know about you, but to me, the Olympics at their best are just a taste of heaven, because that's what it's going to be. It's going to be people from every background, every nationality coming together, offering their best to the Lord. And you even see it in the Olympics where, even if we don't win, our people will congratulate somebody who had just broken a world record. Because guess what? There is a common humanity. There is a common bond of both striving for this. And you can do that. You can, "Hey, I wish it had been me," but if it wasn't me, "wow, good job." So you even see in the Olympics, this cheering, this empathizing, this concern for others at the best. Now, I know probably by the end of this, there'll be a doping scandal somewhere, whatever. I hate that, because that's not what it is about. And I am glad to be part of a nation that doesn't support that kind of thing. If our people get caught, they're in trouble. It's not like I'm not going to mention certain countries where it's government-sponsored doping. One of them I'm happy is not involved this year. I feel bad for those athletes. But that's not what this is about. This is about a world coming together in a good way. And ultimately, that's what heaven's going to be about. But how are we going to get there, friends? Well, Jesus, obviously. The only way to heaven is through faith in Jesus. But when you are born again, just like in human birth, you were born into a family. So, what is your connect point with that family? Now, I know some families are a little dysfunctional and some of our churches can be really dysfunctional, but there are options. Every community, I mean, there's a million churches in this town. Well, not quite. You've got to be able to find fellowships somewhere, my friend. And if you're hopping from fellowship to fellowship, there probably is a problem. But guess what the problem just might be. If you are hopping from one church to another, to another, to another, somebody's bringing their baggage with them. And I don't know who you are, and I'm not bringing in accusation. I'm just saying, "look," address the problem because the body of Christ needs you and your talents and your gifts. And you need the body of Christ. I'll tell you what; I am so grateful for a supportive church family behind me and my ministry and service to the Lord. And I'm also grateful for people like you, Jonathan. I mean, I look forward to our time together off-mic, even much more than on-mic. Just supporting one another in Christ. And there have been others who've been just encouragers, brothers, mentors, need it. And, you know what? There are times when it's a healthy decision to move from one church to another. I'm not saying that, but if you can look at your life and say, "Hmm, I don't seem to stay anywhere very long." Now that brings a question. That constant, "what? Do we bring it to the Lord?" And bring it to whatever body of believers you're at and just confess it and say, "Hey, I got a blind spot here." I don't know what it is, but find it and be a builder wherever you're at. Be a builder. Let us not just, let's come to be encouraged. There's times we're absolutely looking for that encouragement, but be part of the solution. Part of what makes the body strong. Build one another up.

Jonathan Hernandez
Definitely.

Garry Schick
Alright. Hey, let's go out there and run our race for Jesus, friends. And I mean, they do it for, in New Testament times, it was for what? Literally a wreath crown that withered pretty quickly. Now I think, are those metals real gold? I would guess so. But you know what? Even if they're 14 karat and thick, it's nothing compared to, well, gold bricks that are just paving stones in heaven. Can you imagine what that reward, that crown ultimately is all about? Well, the well done from Jesus, more than it's so wishing that to all of you as you run your race, because we're all crossing that line at some point. And may we fall into our Savior's arms and hear that, "welcome home. Well done!"