Last Breath
by Brandilyn Collins & Amberly Collins

Your father sent me.

The last words of a dying man, whispered in my ear.

Were they true? What did they mean?

Your father sent me. The stunning claim drilled through my head, louder than the crowd’s screams.

Guitars blasted the last chord of Rayne’s hit song, Ever Alone, as Mom’s voice echoed through the Pepsi Center in Denver. The heavy drum beat thumped in my chest. With a final smash of cymbals the rock song ended. Multicolored laser lights swept the stadium, signaling the thirty-minute intermission.

Wild shrieks from thousands of fans rang in my ears.

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Brittney Holmes, author of Testing Relationships, Living Consequences, and Grace and Mercy (May 2009)

There are so many verses in the Bible that can apply to any negative situation that it’s hard to pinpoint one that consistently comes to mind whenever I’m going through. But when I’m down, it helps me to remember Philippians 4:4-7—“Rejoice in the Lord always, I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do no be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

This scripture reminds me that regardless of what I’m going through, I should always praise God and not allow the situation to stir my emotions out of control. When dealing with hardships in school or drama with friends, family, or guys, I try to remember that God has everything in control. Once I understand that, I’m at peace, knowing things will work out in His favor, which means they’ll work out in my favor as well.

ANDREA CARTER AND THE SAN FRANCISCO SMUGGLERS
by Susan K. Marlow

Andi Carter is sitting in church when the news comes—a winter flood is threatening their town. The town is saved, but the school is so badly damaged that classes are cancelled for the next two months. Andi’s plans are to spend her unexpected holiday riding her mare, Taffy. But instead, she finds herself shipped off to San Francisco to attend Miss Whitaker’s Academy for Young Ladies.

Andi doesn’t know how she’ll endure two months of this torture. No horse back riding, except on Sundays, and then they ride side-saddle. No associating with the servants or workers at the academy. Andi does make friends, but it with another misfit.

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WHO MADE YOU A PRINCESS?
by Shelley Adina

Shani might have been born a heiress, but she knows when she’s not wanted. She was a mistake and her mother doesn’t hesitate to let Shani, and anyone else know that little detail. But still, Shani doesn’t lack for anything. She attends a private school, attends all the hottest concerts and is supplied with every want that money can buy.

Except one. Shani wants Danyel Johnstone.  She was imagining that they were just beginning to develop mutual feelings for each other but when she approaches Danyel to see if he possibly felt the same, he kindly but gently shot her down. But all is not lost. After all, Shani intends to get her man, and intends to let nothing stand in her way.

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DANGEROUS DEVOTIONALS FOR GUYS
by Tim Shoemaker

From the back cover… Our lawyers told us not to publish this one.

So we blew them up.

Okay, so they didn’t really, but with some of these devotionals they could have! DANGEROUS DEVOTIONALS FOR GUYS is a unique approach that will work as devotionals for groups of guys. It is designed with a leader in mind, complete with prep work, and then a step-by-step guide for teaching the guys what they should have learned from the experiment or hands-on activity.

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