In 1295, a house fell from the evening sky onto an Italian coastal road by the Adriatic Sea. Inside, awestruck locals encountered the Virgin Mary, who explained that this humble mud-brick structure was her original residence newly arrived from Nazareth. To keep it from the hands of Muslim invaders, angels had flown it to Loreto, stopping three times along the way. This story of the house of Loreto has been read as an allegory of how Catholicism spread peacefully around the world by dropping miraculously from the heavens. In this book, Karin Vélez calls that interpretation into question by examining historical accounts of the movement of the Holy House across the Mediterranean in the thirteenth century and the Atlantic in the seventeenth century. These records indicate vast and voluntary involvement in the project of formulating a branch of Catholic devotion. Vélez surveys the efforts of European Jesuits, Slavic migrants, and indigenous peoples in Baja California, Canada, and Peru. These individuals contributed to the expansion of Catholicism by acting as unofficial authors, inadvertent pilgrims, unlicensed architects, unacknowledged artists, and unsolicited cataloguers of Loreto. Their participation in portaging Mary’s house challenges traditional views of Christianity as a prepackaged European export, and instead suggests that Christianity is the cumulative product of thousands of self-appointed editors. Vélez also demonstrates how miracle narratives can be treated seriously as historical sources that preserve traces of real events. Drawing on rich archival materials, The Miraculous Flying House of Loreto illustrates how global Catholicism proliferated through independent initiatives of untrained laymen.

Annabel Tippens seems like an ordinary little girl, with short blond hair and very good manners. But Annabel is actually quite unusual. Instead of parents, she has Gloria, a tiny white dog who talks and wears a gold collar. Annabel never wonders why her life is different, until one day a cat named Belinda tells her the truth -- she′s not just a little girl, she′s half fairy! But now that she knows the truth, will her whole life have to change?

From the ancient to the contemporary, the personal to the literary, The Flying House is an investigation of the “relic” in the largest sense of the term. Written on-site in the Middle East and Europe, the poems inhabit a space at once contemporary and historical, in which current conflicts recall old wars and archeological artifacts rhyme with cutting-edge fashions.

My son inherited the excitement of Christmas magic from yours truly. This book was his idea that eventually began to consume me. This is the phase of writing that writers absolutely enjoy and look forward to. Come and fly with us on a Christmas fantasy. The excitement doesnt stop there, however; stay tuned to find out their next adventure!

What kind of adventure can three young children find while playing in the forest? For Justin, Angie, and Corky, it's an unusual old house that turns out to be a time machine! In this animated cartoon series, the children, together with friendly Professor Bumble and his robot SIR, are catapulted back in time nearly 2,000 years, and the adventures begin. Trying to return his flying house to the twentieth century, the inept professor keeps setting down in the Holy Land, where the children witness Jesus' teachings firsthand. Tyndale Entertainment presents a four-volume classic collection of The Flying House video series. Each volume features two of the most popular Flying House episodes: In Another Life, the time-travelers free a man named Jairus from prison, to which he had been unjustly sentenced. The children also experience a miracle when Jairus's daughter, who had died while he was in prison, is brought back to life by Jesus. In Neighbors, Justin, Angie, and Corky get a big lesson in forgiveness and compassion, as Jesus tells them of the Good Samaritan, who helps when others turn away. Later, the kids learn why mercy is important when they meet a mean-hearted merchant who shows no mercy at all. Running time approximately 40 minutes

These 13 stories by the author of The Invisible Man "approach the elegance of Chekhov" (Washington Post) and provide "early explorations of (Ellison's) lifelong fascination with the 'complex fate' and 'beautiful absurdity' of American identity" (John Callahan). First serial to The New Yorker. NPR sponsorship.

Two young children lost in a snowstorm must save Christmas after they are rescued by an older couple and a magical flying house. They must face the terrible snowstorm and work together with Santa and his elves in this wonderful Christmas adventure.