Heart of the Author

As he is driving home from a minister's conference, Baptist minister Don Piper collides with a semi-truck that crosses into his lane. He is pronounced dead at the scene. For the next 90 minutes, Piper experiences heaven where he is greeted by those who had influenced him spiritually. He hears beautiful music and feels true peace.

Back on earth, a passing minister who had also been at the conference is led to pray for Don even though he knows the man is dead. Piper miraculously comes back to life and the bliss of heaven is replaced by a long and painful recovery.

For years Piper kept his heavenly experience to himself. Finally, however, friends and family convinced him to share his remarkable story.

As girls enter their tween and teen years, it's especially important for them to have an open and growing relationship with their father. Unfortunately, this is often the time when parental relationships are strained. "The One Year Father-Daughter Devotions" can foster communication and understanding; and it's a wonderful way for a father to bond with his daughter during a crucial point in her life. Each of the 365 devotions begins with an introductory story, then daddy-daughter time provides discussion questions, activities, or other practical applications of the daily lesson. A "What's the Word" section gives a related Bible verse to help bring God's Word alive as father and daughter apply the Scripture to their lives. Written by three fathers, the devotions have a tone that is conversational and relatable: the authors use everything from flavored potato chips to the Etch-A-Sketch game to share truths about God's Word and to help fathers and daughters relate to each other.

Mara Keegan is an uber-successful mother and a widow of three years. She's been chasing success and all the "good things in life" for her family to make up for the cruel whim God played on them by taking her husband. In an effort to be the perfect mom, she decides to make a photo memory quilt, a graduation present for her daughter, Cadence. She s not yet finished when she experiences a heart attack. While Mara recuperates, she revisits the choices she's made that led to this physically and spiritually broken heart. The memory quilt must be finished in time for Cadence's big day, but Mara struggles with her burgeoning feelings for the man who must keep Mara's business going during her recovery, Joel Ryan. Can Joel find his way into Mara's heart and onto Cadence's quilt?