The life-changing principles of Betty Huizenga's seminars come to life in book form, offering women an encouraging plan for developing kindness, purity, hospitality and love for their children and husbands.

From the New York Times bestselling author of Sweet Fortune and Perfect Partners comes a romantic page-turner, now beautifully repackaged. Verity Ames had not seen the man who saved her life that night. Months later, when he appears at her restaurant, he awakens hidden passion--and hides a mysterious secret that could destroy their new-found love.

Betty Huizenga, author and founder of Apples of Gold, says “Mentoring is really nurturing—sharing ideas from life lessons and passing on wisdom, ideas, and truth from God from one generation to the next. It is a forgotten art—one that we have neglected and, in the process, we have lost the joy and sheer fun of days gone by.” At the heart of Apples of Gold is the desire to touch the lives of women, young and old, by reviving the art of older women nurturing younger women. In Gifts of Gold, Betty encourages and instructs the wonderful ‘golden women’ who have answered God’s call to be mentors. Wondering if you were meant to mentor? Answer these questions for yourself: • Can you be a friend? • Can you listen? • Can you share what Christ has done in your life? • Do you care about the needs of other women? • Do you have a tender heart toward God and others? THEN YOU CAN BE A NURTURING WOMAN! Nurturing others is much like passing on a priceless heirloom. Your life and the lessons God has taught you were meant to be shared—preserved and passed on from generation to generation. You are a precious gift of gold God wants to unwrap and show to others. You can be a mentor—Gifts of Gold can help you get started!

"The perfect Christmas gift for anyone interested in the historical background behind the birth of Jesus of Nazareth." — Robert J. Hutchinson, author of The Politically Incorrect Guide to the Bible, The Dawn of Christianity, and Searching for Jesus. "Utterly refreshing and encouraging." — Eric Metaxas, New York Times bestselling author of Bonhoeffer: Pastor, Martyr, Prophet, Spy and Martin Luther "The best book I know about the Magi." — Sir Colin John Humphreys, Ph.D., author of The Mystery of the Last Supper Modern biblical scholars tend to dismiss the Christmas story of the “wise men from the East” as pious legend. Matthew’s gospel offers few details, but imaginative Christians filled out the story early on, giving us the three kings guided by a magical star who join the adoring shepherds in every Christmas crèche. For many scholars, then, there is no reason to take the gospel story seriously. But are they right? Are the wise men no more than a poetic fancy? In an astonishing feat of detective work, Dwight Longenecker makes a powerful case that the visit of the Magi to Bethlehem really happened. Piecing together the evidence from biblical studies, history, archeology, and astronomy, he goes further, uncovering where they came from, why they came, and what might have happened to them after eluding the murderous King Herod. In the process, he provides a new and fascinating view of the time and place in which Jesus Christ chose to enter the world. The evidence is clear and compelling. The mysterious Magi from the East were in all likelihood astrologers and counselors from the court of the Nabatean king at Petra, where the Hebrew messianic prophecies were well known. The “star” that inspired their journey was a particular planetary alignment—confirmed by computer models—that in the astrological lore of the time portended the birth of a Jewish king. The visitors whose arrival troubled Herod “and all Jerusalem with him” may not have been the turbaned oriental kings of the Christmas carol, but they were real, and by demonstrating that the wise men were no fairy tale, Mystery of the Magi demands a new level of respect for the historical claims of the gospel.

"The Gift of the Magi" is a short story by O. Henry first published in 1905. The story tells of a young husband and wife and how they deal with the challenge of buying secret Christmas gifts for each other with very little money. As a sentimental story with a moral lesson about gift-giving, it has been popular for adaptation, especially for presentation at Christmas time.

Mothering is messy. Our joy and hope in raising children doesn’t change the reality that being a mom can be frustrating, stressful, and tiring. But just as God is using us to shape our children, God is using our children and motherhood to shape us. In The Better Mom, author Ruth Schwenk, herself a mother of four children, encourages us with the good news that there is more to being a mom than the extremes of striving for perfection or simply embracing the mess. We don’t need to settle for surviving our kids’ childhood. We can grow through it. With refreshing and heartfelt honesty Ruth emboldens moms to: Find freedom and walk confidently in purpose Create a God-honoring home environment Overcome unhealthy and destructive emotions such as anger, anxiety, and more Avoid glorifying the mess of mom-ing or idolizing perfection Cultivate life-giving friendships At the heart of The Better Mom is the message that Jesus calls us to live not a weary life, but a worthy life. We don’t have to settle for either being apathetic or struggling to be perfect. Both visions of motherhood go too far. Ruth offers a better option. She says, “It’s okay to come as we are, but what we’re called to do and be is far too important to stay there! The way to becoming a better mom starts not with what we are doing, but with who God is inviting us to become."