From:-
TORCH TRUST FOR THE BLIND, Torch House, Torch Way, Northampton Road, Market
Harborough, Leicestershire, LE16 9HL, U.K.
Telephone: (01858) 438260, Fax: (01858) 438275, email: info@torchtrust.org
Charity Number 1095904.
Extract from God is Closer than you think
Review and extract from Taming the Tiger
"My Blindness keeps me focused on God"
Not quite so new! - Ideas for Christmas reading
Welcome to the second edition of TLM. We're glad that so many of you appreciated the first edition and thank you for the constructive comments we've received.
We've made a few changes to this edition, and have improved the way in which the books are described. If you are listening to the magazine, you will notice that we have another synthetic voice reading the descriptions, which we have slowed down this time! We welcome your comments as we endeavour to produce a professional finish with this new technology.
Recently at Torch we've been hearing from Malawi about the impact of the Tumbuka language braille Bible whereby some blind people have been able to access the Word of God for themselves for the first time in their lives and have of course been ecstatic with joy at the opportunity. This has made me aware of how much I take the Bible for granted, and also set me wondering as to why we bother with other Christian books at all.
Well, for me the reason I read other Christian books is, to my shame, partly to do with laziness. It is much easier to make sense of the Bible and understand its implications for our lives when someone else has done the hard work for you; it's also generally far more entertaining to read a biography than wade through a genealogy in Nehemiah, or to read a devotional book than drown in a mire of instructions in Leviticus.
Other reasons, though, are more positive: some parts of the Bible I would never understand without a commentary even if I spent a lifetime staring at the page, and some autobiographies relate stories so fascinating they are way beyond my wildest dreams. However, the most significant factor for me is that of inspiration; in Christian books we read contemporary tales of what God is doing now in real people's lives – that is exciting, challenging and, when it's related to the Word of God, genuinely inspirational.
So let us always start with the Bible (I like the way David puts it in Psalm 18:30: "As for God, his way is perfect; the word of the LORD is flawless.") but let us also revel in the written resources God has provided us with since.
In keeping with the above and TLM's desire to encourage reading across a variety of genre there follows an extract from a devotional book called God is Closer Than You Think (braille and GP) – by the American author John Ortberg read by the author John Ortberg, an American. It is an insightful book, even down to the design of its front cover where the book's title is set out in the form of an optician's eye chart, the letter sizes gradually getting smaller as you go down the lines – and then if you look very closely between the lines you see in tiny letters the question, "If God is always with us, why is he so hard to find?"
Happy reading!
James Brookman and all the TLM team
by John Ortberg
The story of the Bible isn't primarily about the desire of people to be with God; it's the desire of God to be with people.
One day I was sitting on a plane next to a businessman. The screensaver on his computer was the picture of a towheaded little boy taking what looked like his first shaky step. "Is that your son?" I asked. Big mistake.
Yes, that was the man's son, his only child. Let's say his name was Adam. The picture on the computer was taken three months earlier, when Adam was eleven months old. The man told me about his son's first step and first word with a sense of wonder, as if Adam had invented locomotion and speech. There was a more recent picture of Adam on the man's palm pilot. The man showed it to me. The same picture could be viewed more clearly on the computer. The man showed me that. He had a whole string of pictures of Adam doing things that pretty much all children do, and he displayed them one at a time. With commentary. I and my seatmates got a graduate course in Adamology.
"I can't wait to get home to him," the man said. "In the meantime, I could look at these pictures a hundred times a day. They never get old to me." (They were already getting pretty tiresome to everybody else in our section of the plane.)
Why was the man so preoccupied with Adam? Was it because the boy's achievements were so impressive? No. Millions of children learn to do the same thing every day. My own children (I wanted to tell him) had done the same things at an earlier age with superior skill.
The man was preoccupied with Adam because he looked at him through the eyes of a father. Everything Adam did was cloaked with wonder. It didn't matter that other children do them as well.
"You obviously miss your son," I said. "How long ago did you leave home?"
Yesterday.
One day away from his son is one too many. So he was rushing through the skies, taking a chariot through the clouds, implacably determined to be at home with his child. He didn't simply want to love his son from a distance. He wanted to be with him.
And then it hit me. I am the child on God's screensaver. And so are you. The tiniest details of our lives never grow old to him. God himself is filled with wonder at our faltering steps and stammering words – not because we do them better than anyone else, but because he views them through the eyes of a loving Father. God shows our pictures to the angels until even the angels get a little tired of looking. And the story of the Bible is first of all God's story – the story of a father rushing through the clouds to be at home with you. One day apart is one day too many.
[Cassette C2484 on 1 tape and DAISY D2484]
by Tony Anthony with Angela Little
(reviewed by James Brookman)
Tony Anthony, or to be more formal, Antonio Anthony, was born to an Italian father and a Chinese mother. At the age of only four he was taken from his parents' house in London and escorted to China to be taught the ways of Kung Fu by his grandfather. The boy's sense of abandonment by his parents was compounded by his grandfather's dislike of his European features and determination to "beat the round-eye out of him". His upbringing and training in China was the most extreme and brutal imaginable but it succeeded in turning the little child into a Kung Fu Master.
Now those of you who, like me, think of martial arts as being all about fitness and self-defence, bowing gently to your opponents before throwing them onto soft gym mats, need to think again. At Master level it becomes an obsessional spiritual belief in self, which is totally ruthless in its expression. Mind you, that sometimes had its advantages for Tony. When he was 12 he returned to London and was sent to a tough comprehensive school; there he was taunted "slitty eyes" by the school bullies (poor Tony he couldn't win with his features) until one day he could stand no more and with a single kick, smashed in the face of the biggest bully – he was never troubled by bullies again!
The cover of the book makes great play on the fact that Tony went on to become three-times world Kung Fu champion but that sanitised competition was almost incidental to Tony; the real challenges that faced him were devised by his grandfather who, for example, might dump him near-naked and weaponless in some Triad gangland with insults about the gang members' mothers written on his body – getting out of those situations alive were all part of the training.
In his early 20s Tony started working for the International Kung Fu Federation in Switzerland. Part of his work involved teaching self-defence to men who were training to become bodyguards and, as a result, Tony himself moved into bodyguard work. Deum Solem Timidus is the motto of bodyguards ("in God alone we fear") but it certainly didn't apply to Tony who feared nothing. Tony guarded various politicians and business tycoons with success until one day something happened which proved to be the start of his downfall into a life of violence and crime. A fall that didn't end until he met with God.
Tony was deeply in love with a blind blond Swedish girl called Aiya. One day whilst working in Italy he learned that she had been killed in London in a car accident. At that moment Tony's fragile belief system collapsed, along with his morals. To cut a long story short he ended up incarcerated in prison in Nicosia, Cyprus – what a desperate place that was – despite the year being 1990 this prison was filthy, violent and lawless with the insane, sick and drug-addicted all locked up together. The violence was not a problem for Tony who, after disabling 13 people on his first afternoon, was protected by his reputation but he was plagued by the black hole in his heart.
Only now does the story start to improve as a Christian prison visitor comes on the scene. Initially Tony agrees to see Michael Wright, an Irishman from Belfast, in the hope of getting a free Mars bar but instead is given friendship, a Bible and eventually his salvation in Christ. Whilst reading about Tony's conversion one couldn't help but fear for his safety assuming he's about to lose his protective reputation – fortunately, as the book reveals, God already had that miraculously covered.
After 3 years Tony is released from prison, a truly free man. He moves to England, and marries. However anyone expecting his new life to be a bed of roses will be disappointed as the story still has a few very dramatic twists and turns to go.
The audio version of the book is read by Keith Jones with great passion and understanding. Thanks to the diligence of the editor you will be spared an innocent blunder by Keith who transcribed the name of a Chinese lady called Plum Blossom as "plump bosom"! Unfortunately we found out too late from Tony Anthony that Keith had mispronounced his wife's and son's name (Sara and Ethan) but it did give Tony the chance to express his wish that the book will be a blessing to anyone at Torch that reads it.
[Braille B2671 in 3 volumes, Cassette C2425 on 6 tapes]
In the weeks ahead we regularly tracked the white tiger. She never came near the town, but often ventured down to the forest at the base of the mountain. Sometimes grandfather laid fresh meat to draw her to us. I began working on my imitation techniques. "You must understand not only the way she moves," said Lowsi, "but also the way she thinks, the way she breathes. You must be able to anticipate her. Only then will you master the tiger system."
One day we tracked the tiger to a small clearing in the forest where she often went to rest and play. We deliberately moved down wind so that she would not detect our scent until we were quite close. As we approached she looked up from her nap. As if in recognition, she gave a small flick of her tail. Lowsi took his place, high in a nearby tree. No one could climb like him. I, too, began to scramble up the tree, but he stopped me. "Go to her," he whispered.
We had observed the tiger for many weeks at relatively close quarters, but I was all too aware that this was a highly dangerous, ferocious animal that could kill me before I could even think about it.
"She knows you. Move to her like one of her own. Become like her cub. Have no fear, or she will attack and you will die," Lowsi instructed me. I checked my breathing and set my mind. Slowly and carefully I lay down my staff. With my arms down by my sides I tentatively began walking towards the beast. "She must not see me as any kind of threat," I reminded myself. "I must keep my eyes fixed on the ground. Don't look directly at her face. Appear relaxed and unthreatening."
Few people in the world have enjoyed the privilege of even seeing a white tiger in the wild. That day the mighty animal lay her large head against me and allowed me to tickle her ears like a common house cat. I glanced up at my master and smiled. Then, all of a sudden, there was the crack of a branch from his direction. Jumping in surprise, I lost my concentration and quickly pulled my hand away from the tiger. As I did she swiped at me with a mighty paw. Incredibly, I managed to pull away before she tore my flesh, but as I moved she came around with her second front paw to swipe again. The tiger was beginning to rise and I knew I was in trouble. I had to keep my head. Face down. Do not make eye contact. I fought the natural instinct to run, which would surely have had her upon me in an instant. Instead, I forced myself into the same passive stance with which I had first approached, keeping my eyes fixed on her paws and away from her gaze. She rose no further and, as I took a slow step backwards, she settled once more to lie amongst the undergrowth.
Lowsi greeted me with a bow. It was the first time he had given me this sign of respect. "You are learning well." From that day, he called me "Lo Fu Zai", meaning "Little Tiger".
by Grace Fox
(taken from Woman Alive – August 2006)
[Jennifer Rothschild is a popular speaker and author in the United States. She tells Grace Fox why she has come to see her blindness as a gift.]
Jennifer Rothschild will never forget the day doctors delivered her diagnosis: "You have an eye disease called retinitis pigmentosa. There is no cure and no way to repair the damage already done. Your retinas will deteriorate until you are blind ... totally blind."
There was silence in the family car on the trip home from the eye institute. Fifteen-year-old Jennifer sat on the back seat, wrestling with shock and grief. "How will I finish high school? How will I know what I look like? Will boys want to date me? I'll never drive a car!"
Blindness and its trappings could have crippled Jennifer. Instead, it sharpened her spiritual perception. Nearly 25 years after losing her vision, she teaches unique insights about the life of Christians. Today, she is President of the Women's Ministry Association International. Her five albums, her video Bible study curriculum: Walking by Faith (Life Way) and her books, Lessons I Learned in the Dark and Touched by His Unseen Hand (Multnomah), encourage others to walk by faith, not by sight (2 Cor. 5:7). Her message, punctuated with personal examples, resonates with audiences at women's events, across the United States.
Jennifer's faith-filled journey began as a pastor's daughter whose life revolved around church, mealtime prayers and bedtime Bible stories. "My world was saturated with the things of God, which I consider an absolute blessing," she says. "But it wasn't until I was nine years old, during an evangelistic crusade at my father's church, that I understood the personal claim of the gospel. I realised that God had made a commitment to me by sending Jesus to die for my sins, and it required a response on my part to either receive or reject that. Christ captivated me that day, and I've been captivated ever since."
When she was 13, Jennifer, a budding artist, experienced what she called her "defining moment with God". Sensing God asking her to yield herself completely to him, she prayed, "Whatever you want me to do, wherever you want me to go, I'm there." In her own words – "I gave him the blank cheque and he filled it in." Within two years, she became legally [registered] blind.
The doctors' prognosis left Jennifer stunned, but not without hope. Upon returning from the eye institute, she sat down at the family's piano. She'd never played by ear before, but that afternoon a familiar melody flowed from her fingers and filled the room. She describes the scenario in her first book, Lessons I Learned in the Dark.
"The song I played was It is well with my soul. I think God guided my heart and hands to play that hymn. Some people have told me it was a miracle that I could sit down at the piano that day and begin to play by ear for the first time. Perhaps it was. Who knows? But to me, there was a bigger miracle that day, that dark day of shock, loss, and quiet sorrow.
"The real miracle was not that I played It is well with my soul, but that it actually was well with my soul. God had so captured me as a nine-year-old that I couldn't be angry," says Jennifer. "He'd demonstrated his love to me through the gift of his Son, and I'd sensed his presence in my life. I just couldn't be mad at him."
Jennifer's ability to embrace God's plan and trust him unconditionally helped her overcome the emotional trappings of blindness, until the time came to attend college when she was 18. Eager to exercise independence, she'd applied to a Christian liberal arts college 90 miles from home. But the day before her departure, reality struck and fear gripped her.
"I can't do this! What was I thinking?" Jennifer cried to her mum. She recited reasons she couldn't go – "I don't know anyone there! Who will tell me what food is on my plate? Who will tell me if my clothes are clean?"
Her mother wiped her own tears, and told Jennifer that she must follow through with her plans, but that she could return home after two weeks if the experience proved too difficult. Before the trial period ended, Jennifer met second-year student, Philip Rothschild. The two married four years later, following her graduation. "If it's possible for a blind woman to experience love at first sight, I did!" Jennifer says, laughing.
"My crisis of leaving home for college typifies life," she says. "When we're standing on the brink of uncertainty, it's natural to feel fear. Sometimes that fear stops us from stepping into the hard places where God is calling us, but unless we're willing to trade our fear for fight, we may forfeit his greatest blessings. Obviously for me, that greatest blessing was my husband. I would have forfeited that if my mother hadn't coaxed me into being courageous and go to college."
Jennifer and Philip, a business professor, live in Missouri with their sons – Clayton, 16 and Connor, 7. As a blind mum, Jennifer receives daily reminders of God's faithfulness. Recently, in Philip's absence, a torrential downpour made it impossible for Clayton to ride his bike to school. Jennifer didn't know anyone who could drive him at that late notice. As she pondered her options, a neighbour phoned.
"I'm out of teabags," she said. "May I borrow some?"
"Yes!" Jennifer answered, and then explained her predicament. The neighbour drove Clayton to school.
"That may seem like a small thing, but that neighbour wasn't supposed to be home that morning, and she'd never borrowed teabags before," says Jennifer. "I just smiled at the Lord because he'd promised to supply all my needs. On a daily basis, as a mum walking by faith, I see what a great provider he is."
God has also provided the means for Jennifer to communicate biblical truths to others, through her multi-faceted ministry. As an author, she jots down the notes for a manuscript by hand. Her writing and research assistant types the manuscript, then reads it aloud. Jennifer edits it, her assistant types the corrections and then reads aloud again. The process continues until Jennifer feels satisfied.
"I have the best writing and research assistant ever," says Jennifer. "She's my walking thesaurus and concordance. She's a gift from God."
Jennifer encourages listeners and readers to view life through an eternal perspective, and regard their trials as temporary. She stresses the absolute hope found in Jesus Christ alone – a message embraced by those struggling with issues such as divorce, chronic or terminal illness, or eating disorders.
"I speak about losing my physical sight, but the bottom line is that we all struggle with loss," she says. "We all ask questions like, ‘Why did God allow this?' We all try to reconcile ourselves with why life didn't turn out the way we'd dreamed. But hope in Jesus transcends our circumstances. We receive that hope when we cling to him alone, not for the things we want him to do for us, such as alleviate our suffering. I'm willing to receive the blindness until God heals me, because through my blindness I've come to see how true hope comes only from Jesus."
Jennifer still possesses a small amount of light perception, but doctors say she will eventually face total darkness, and the new challenges it will bring. That thought produces another insight: "The older I get, the more I realise that my greatest challenge lies, not within the confines and frustrations of blindness, but rather in how I choose to perceive and receive those confines. Every day I face a choice: "Do I trust God, or do I question him?"
"God has used the blindness to remind me, in a tangible way, that I am fully dependent on him. In many ways, regarding blindness as a gift allows me to have more affection for it. I can embrace it, realising that God is using it to keep me close to him and connect with him more intimately."
[Touched by His Unseen Hand is being reviewed for the Torch Library. Lessons I Learned in the Dark is available in braille B2207 in 2 volumes, cassette C2267 on 4 tapes, DAISY D2267 and giant print G2119 in 2 volumes.]
Here's a small selection of the many letters of thanks we receive. We really love to hear from our borrowers – so do let us know what you think about our books and of course the Torch Library Magazine. You never know, your comments may just get printed in the next edition! (Permission is always requested prior to inclusion).
· "A note to say thank-you for all the trouble you are taking to get the books I have asked for... . It is a joy to read the giant print as I can't manage small print any more." (G C Parkins from Norfolk)
· "I enjoyed Fiona Castle's Rainbows Through The Rain. I have listened to it twice and could listen to it again and again and always find a bit that helps. Thank-you." (J Stephen – Chalfont St Peter). Braille B2094, Cassette C2144, DAISY D2144
· "It's the early hours, and I have just finished Vol 1 in Braille of Reinhard Bonnke by Colin Whittaker. What a truly amazing book – definitely up there in my top books." (Email from a Torch Library borrower). Braille B1328
· "Escape from Islam by Hiriji-Walji Hass is a moving and challenging book and so powerfully read." (E Tonge – Heathfield). Braille B1162, Cassette C724
· "Patricia St John Tells Her Own Story has blessed me enormously – I love the parts where simple prayer is answered so directly. I've often had to turn it off, so as to go to prayer myself, armed with the encouragement it has afforded me." (J Rees – Newtown). Braille B1601, Cassette C1828, DAISY D1828
· "Thank-you for sending me J. Hudson Taylor, A Man in Christ by Roger Steer. It has inspired, encouraged and challenged." (Rev P Dennett – Stalybridge). Cassette C2092
[In this feature, we will be highlighting some titles of a topical interest, which are not necessarily new ones.]
Here's a feast of Christmas titles to feed your soul in the midst of all the festivities.
Familiar with the Christmas Story? We can miss the extraordinary human drama surrounding the most remarkable event this world has witnessed. Marvel at the way personal details and great political movements combine to demonstrate God's sovereign control.
Braille catalogue number: B2230 in 2 volumes; Cassette catalogue number: C2243 on 7 cassettes.
Reflections on the life of Christ. Here we walk with Jesus through His life for a new understanding of the meaning of "God with us". (Includes music by Michael Card).
Braille catalogue number: B691 in 3 Volumes, Cassette catalogue number: C1849 on 3 cassettes.
The precious yuletide moments retold in this book deserve a lasting and special place in the annual festivities.
Braille catalogue number: B864 in 1 volume, Cassette catalogue number: C1746 on 3 cassettes, Giant Print calatogue number: G592 in 1 volume.
Mary: The author looks at the Magnificat and finds it rich with God's promises. She reflects on their application to our daily lives.
Cassette catalogue number: C2091 on 4 cassettes.
A journey through the changing seasons, enjoying the rich heritage of Christian festivals along the way.
Cassette catalogue number: C1953 on 5 cassettes.
When Jeb is caught in the mountains by a sudden snowstorm, he takes refuge in a cabin, is made welcome by the woman living there who spends the hours they are snowbound telling him the Christmas story beginning with Creation.
Braille catalogue number: B2068 in 1 volume; Cassette catalogue number: C1976 on 3 cassettes.
Robin and Freddie go tobogganing on the grassy hillside, as there is no snow. Then both the toboggan and Freddie go missing and Robin finds himself on a rescue mission.
Cassette catalogue number: C1092 on 5 cassettes.
What's the real purpose of Christmas? Christmas should be a time to celebrate the birthday of the most important person who ever lived.
Braille Catalogue number: B1319 in 1 volume.
12-year-old Jed mistakenly lost money for his family. There was only one way – to kill the great white-tail buck and bring him home for food.
Cassette catalogue number: C680 on 5 cassettes.
We also have available on cassette, several titles re-telling the Christmas story for children, as well as a number of Torch produced Christmas dramas on tape. If you are interested in any of the seasonal titles, just call our librarians on 01858 438266.
Wishing all our readers, a warm and blessed Christmas.
Lydia, Lorimer, Suzanne, Heather, Rosemary, James, Sheila and Jill.
[A regular feature of this new magazine will be to introduce you to Torch bookworms! We start with our Library Team Leader, Lydia Tebbutt]
Hi I'm Lydia! Nice biblical name isn't it? A seller of purple cloth, which coincidentally is my favourite colour. But it hasn't always been, and I haven't always thought it a nice name, in fact quite the opposite. Up until about 12 years ago I used to swing between being very embarrassed about it to just plain uncomfortable whenever it was mentioned. No-one knew how I felt about it, but the Lord knew and through a word of knowledge given to a friend at a prayer evening, began a healing process for something which I thought so trivial and unimportant. I have learnt that God thinks a name is very important and believe that in fact He himself gave my name to my mother. I am now very proud to have the name associated with someone who was thought well enough of to be recorded in God's Word.
Happy to say my family have never shown any dislike of my name! John and I have been happily married for nearly 30 years and we have 2 children, who have the relatively common names of Charlotte and Simon! John has been a postman for nearly 4 years now, having been made redundant after working for the same company for more than 26 years. The company closed down and many of his long term work colleagues, whilst finding new jobs quite easily, have since left them because understandably, they found it hard to adjust. John however, really enjoys his job and says that although the early mornings can be difficult, it's tailor made for him! We both believe that his very different experience is because six years ago he gave his life to the Lord at an Alpha away-day and we give Him all the thanks for finding just the right job within weeks of finishing his old one.
It was during those early weeks, when John had first been made redundant, that we both came to look around Torch. Although I was out of work at the time, it was for John that we were "checking out the possibilities"! However, God had other ideas! We were both completely bowled over by the people and the positive atmosphere into which we were welcomed. It is so noticeably different from the secular workplace in which we were both used to working. We went home "glowing" from the experience. Over the next few weeks however, the Lord made it clear to John that it wasn't for us both, however, he felt very strongly that I had to apply for a position at Torch, but which one?
Now I have a passion and an almost insatiable appetite for Christian books. I think John despairs of where any more are going to go! One of the positions that needed filling at the time was Library Team Leader – imagine that, a job, reading Christian books, buying Christian books, going to Christian exhibitions to look for Christian books – what a difficult job! What a provision, what a gift from God to me.
By Christine Platt. Number of Volumes 1. Catalogue Number B2661. "Bringing in-depth biblical understanding to 'thinking Christians'."
By Jill Briscoe. Number of Volumes 3. Catalogue Number B2670. Are you facing a tough time? Redundancy, bereavement, retirement? If you are wondering what God may still hold in store, this book will restore your sense of purpose.
By David Adam. Number of Volumes 1. Catalogue Number B2542. Life has its rhythms. We face dry times as well as times of richness. To survive this intricate pattern, we need a rhythm of prayer.
By Brenda Sloggett. Number of Volumes 3. Catalogue Number B2616. When two ordinary people asked God to use them, He took them to Cambodia and dangerous travel, a violent meeting with an arms dealer and tiring work with refugees.
By Sarah Williams. Number of Volumes 2. Catalogue Number B2697. SARAH WILLIAMS was going to be a mum again. But the hospital scan changed everything. The child would not survive birth. Does she follow the advice of the medical profession and undergo a termination? Or does she follow her heart?
By Chester & S Ann Hearn. Number of Volumes 1. Catalogue Number B2601. FANNY CROSBY - The Story of one of America's Favorite Hymnists, who was blinded when six weeks old.
By Paul Hattaway. Number of Volumes 3. Catalogue Number B2691. BROTHER YUN and two other Chinese church leaders who between them have spent more than 40 years in prison for their faith, explain the history and reality of the Back to Jerusalem movement - to evangelize the countries between China and Jerusalem.
By Karen Kingsbury. Number of Volumes 4. Catalogue Number B2682. While the rest of us watched in horror that terrible Tuesday morning as the Twin Towers collapsed, we eventually got on with our lives. Not so for many of the people in Manhattan - especially for hundreds of firefighters and their families.
By Tom Wright. Number of Cassettes 5. Catalogue Number C2452. Writing in an approachable and anecdotal style, Tom Wright helps us to see the great sweep of this letter.
By Jeff Lucas. Number of Cassettes 3. Catalogue Number C2477. The follow up to Lucas on Life 1 & 2. Be prepared to be thoroughly challenged, provoked and nudged, both subtly and directly, in this humorous collection of stories and anecdotes.
By John Ortberg. Number of Cassettes 6. Catalogue Number C2185. This is not a book for normal people to learn how to handle difficult people ... Instead it is about how imperfect people can pursue community with other imperfect people.
By Christopher J H Wright. Number of Cassettes 2. Catalogue Number C2460. Stephen Gaukroger says of Chris Wright that "he uses his missionary experience and Old Testament scholarship to challenge us to live out the message of Deuteronomy."
By Dave Roberts & Pete Greig. Number of Cassettes 8. Catalogue Number C2432. A story of pain and perseverance in the 24-7 Prayer movement which has been interceding continually since 1999 in over 50 countries.
By Tony Anthony & Angela Little. Number of Cassettes 6. Catalogue Number C2425. Three times World Kung Fu Champion, he was self-assured, powerful and at the pinnacle of his art. All might have been lost, but for the visits of a stranger.
By Mike Endicott. Number of Cassettes 2. Catalogue Number C2388. Mike Endicott, a church minister, has the most amazing guide dog called Yates. Read about the antics of Yates and the spiritual lessons which can be learnt.
By Heather Gemmen. Number of Cassettes 6. Catalogue Number C2438. Raped in her own home, in fear for her children's safety and battling with a decision about the 'morning-after pill'. Written with a rare blend of grit and subtlety, this true-life story brings hope for anyone going through dark times.
By Maurice Rowlandson. Number of Cassettes 8. Catalogue Number C2074. BILLY GRAHAM - 30 stories that reveal the reach of Billy Graham's ministry
By Linda J White. Number of Cassettes 9. Catalogue Number C2482. FBI agent Cassie McKenna is trying to solve a mystery like her life depended on it - and it does!
By Jack Cavanaugh. Number of Cassettes 10. Catalogue Number C2339. Theirs was a vision of peace. The world had outgrown war. Or so they thought. Belgium lies in ruins. France is about to fall. England is ablaze from nightly bombings. Can America's late entry into the Great War make a difference?
By Janette Oke & T Davis Bunn. Number of Cassettes 7. Catalogue Number C2419. The American Revolution has divided nations, people, even families. Will Anne in England and Nicole in the New World ever see each other again?
By Karen Kingsbury. Number of Cassettes 10. Catalogue Number C2427. ONE TUESDAY MORNING is a love story like none you have ever read, commemorating the tragedy and heroism of September 11 and portraying the far-reaching power of God's faithfulness and a good man's love.
By Karen Kingsbury. Number of Cassettes 8. Catalogue Number C2426. While the rest of us watched in horror that terrible Tuesday morning as the Twin Towers collapsed, we eventually got on with our lives. Not so for many of the people in Manhattan - especially for hundreds of firefighters and their families.
By Michael Hinton. Number of Disks 1. Catalogue Number D2446. The 100-Minute Bible picks out the essential elements of the Bible from Genesis through to the Revelation of John using universal language.
By Sheila Bridge. Number of Disks 1. Catalogue Number D2344. A year in the life of a writer, columnist and speaker, whose full-time job includes loving her husband and parenting her kids.
By Fiona Castle & Jan Greenough. Number of Disks 1. Catalogue Number D1946. When Roy Castle died, what was it like for his wife and the rest of the family? How do you grieve when the nation is watching? In this sequel to 'Give Us This Day', Fiona shares her secret of joy.
By Michele Guinness. Number of Disks 1. Catalogue Number D1924. Raised in a Jewish family and married to an Anglican clergyman, Michelle has long sought to integrate her Jewish roots with her Christian beliefs, and to discover how life and faith naturally combine.
By Diana Peck. Number of Disks 1. Catalogue Number D1817. Brought up in London in a Jehovah's Witness family, Diana tramped from house to house with her father. As she grew up, the conflicts began to grow.
By Patricia M St John. Number of Disks 1. Catalogue Number D1828. Nursing training in London during the Blitz, the Housemother writing for her boarding school children, nursing in Tangier, facing opposition, researching the Rwanda Revival - and many more experiences!
By Sarah Williams. Number of Disks 1. Catalogue Number D2439. SARAH WILLIAMS was going to be a mum again. But the hospital scan changed everything. The child would not survive birth. Does she follow the advice of the medical profession and undergo a termination? Or does she follow her heart?
By Margaret Cave. Number of Disks 1. Catalogue Number D1991. ADRIANA DOBRE - The story of a Romanian disabled girl of sixteen who sees God's transforming power at work in her life.
By Dolina MacCuish. Number of Disks 1. Catalogue Number D2166. MARTIN and CATHERINE LUTHER - Catherine prolonged her storm-tossed husband's life by protecting him from overwork and made the home a haven of rest.
By Maurice Rowlandson. Number of Disks 1. Catalogue Number D2074. BILLY GRAHAM - 30 stories that reveal the reach of Billy Graham's ministry
By Joan Clifford. Number of Disks 1. Catalogue Number D1232. JAMES HUDSON TAYLOR - Story of the founder of the China Inland Mission... Always to be seen in Chinese dress, and often living in genuine poverty.
By Muthena Paul Alkazraji. Number of Disks 1. Catalogue Number D2229. The stories of seven individuals in real need, whose lives are transformed when they encounter Jesus.
By Pauline Selby. Number of Disks 1. Catalogue Number D2255. The stories of four Iranians whose lives seemed caught in a desert of despair. They cried out to God - any god - for help. Each one had a revelation of Jesus Christ.
By Emma Carswell. Number of Disks 1. Catalogue Number D2266. OPERATION CHRISTMAS CHILD - The story of the growth of this leading aid agency.
By Lois Neely. Number of Disks 1. Catalogue Number D2235. HCJB WORLD RADIO (The Voice of the Andes) and the pioneering missionary spirit of C. W. Jones.
By Elizabeth Goldsmith. Number of Disks 1. Catalogue Number D2121. ELIAZABETH GOLDSMITH traces her family history from 1816, and provides a fascinating insight into the lives and lasting legacies of five generations involved in missionary activity.
By Sue Locke. Number of Disks 1. Catalogue Number D2148. PASTOR DAVEY JONES and a handful of gypsies who joined him in spreading the Gospel to their people. The testimonies of these people give us a unique insight into their lives and culture, and challenge us to step out in faith in our own lives
By Lizzy Wilson. Number of Disks 1. Catalogue Number D2123. LIZZIE WILSON is an Irish midwife engaged in development work. True stories based on her experiences in many parts of the world show the many ways in which a "cracked pot" can make a difference in our hurting world.
By Neil Anderson & Hyatt Moore. Number of Disks 1. Catalogue Number D2100. NEIL & CAROL ANDERSON were Bible translators in Papua New Guinea. They share stories which show the power of God's Word to change lives.
By Christine Hailes Perillo & Vivien Culver. Number of Disks 1. Catalogue Number D2145. PHILIPPINE OUTREACH CENTRE - What made a young woman think she could take the gospel to hardened men in some of the most depressing conditions of the world? Her work at the Centre includes prostitutes and disadvantaged children.
By Eric C & Ethel Barrett. Number of Disks 1. Catalogue Number D2239. SLAVIC GOSPEL ASSOCIATION - An exultation of some of the things God has graciously been doing in eastern and central Europe and beyond, especially since the fall of the communist empire.
By Sally Brice Winterbourn. Number of Disks 1. Catalogue Number D2351. Abounding with heartwarming characters young and old, This contemporary book paints a charming picture of the people and places of England's Cornish coast.
By Janette Oke. Number of Disks 1. Catalogue Number D2163. Caught in that difficult period between childhood and adulthood, feeling that she really doesn't fit anywhere, Virginia struggles against what she considers to be unreasonable restrictions and expectations.
By Janette Oke. Number of Disks 1. Catalogue Number D1944. Responding to an advertisement, Kathleen O'Malley crossed an ocean to meet a total stranger and become a mail-order bride.
By Glenn N Davies. Number of Volumes 1. Catalogue Number G2070. A Mini Commentary on the Book of Job. Are we walking by faith through the complexities of our life, or are we walking by sight?
By John Blanchard. Number of Volumes 1. Catalogue Number G2109. Evolutionism says that life on earth began by chance in some kind of chemical 'soup'. It claims that homo sapiens is the latest product of a vast sequence of species. What is the evidence?
By James Jones. Number of Volumes 2. (Ages 18+). Catalogue Number G2022. What was Jesus' attitude to the earth? What, if anything, did he say about the environment? Is there a divine 'earth-ethic' to be found in the Gospels?
By Keith Danby. Number of Volumes 3. Catalogue Number G2133. From Afghanistan to the Amazon and Bombay to Birmingham we are taken on a rollercoaster ride by people working for the Gospel.
By Mike Endicott. Number of Volumes 1. Catalogue Number G2056. Mike Endicott, a church minister, has the most amazing guide dog called Yates. Read about the antics of Yates and the spiritual lessons which can be learnt.