At this point in the lives of the three brothers, they were given the opportunity to make decisions revealing their values about life. Each of their values led to an interesting experience portrayed in the building of their snowmen.

From all appearances, Harold the Snowman looks just right. He has coal for a mouth, the customary pipe, a cozy scarf, and he stands tall at just the right height. But if you look closer, you'll see that Harold is shivering from the cold wind coming off the snow. You may even notice rivers of tears streaming from poor Harold's eyes. Harold is scared-but why? Can a snowman really be afraid of - snow? An incredible thing happens to Harold, something that makes him stop crying. A friend is just what Harold needs, and there's no better friend to a snowman in need than jolly old Saint Nick. Santa spies the sad snowman from way high above, quickly diverts his trip, and lands his sleigh next to Harold. As Harold catches his breath, dear old Santa Clause tells Harold something important. Harold may not be afraid of the snow after all. There may be something very important that can warm Harold's frightened heart. Can you guess what it is?

.."a great read and a truly fine book... (for) children (and) the kid inside of all ... full of lessons on faith, hope and courage... make space and time for this book." Kevin C. Elmore, MA, Psychotherapist, Masters in Clinical Psychology, Grandville, MI ..".well written fantasy guaranteed to hold one's interest from beginning to end... a fascinating account of a little boy's love for his snowman... (with) perseverance, forgiveness, sacrifice, kindness, love, and wisdom throughout... Tested to mental and physical exhaustion, Elisha is aided... by special animal friends, who meet his needs in very unusual and special ways... (There are) many well described characters that the reader will enjoy meeting." Paul Palpant, Elementary Principal, Retired, Lenawee Christian School, Adrian, MI ..". an enchanting and delightful adventure... touched my heart... for all ages who embrace laughter, rely on hope and inner healing, and celebrate love." Cathy Jenkins, Certified Massage Therapist and Board Member Christian Mission Incorporated, Adrian, MI Although a wintry story about a boy obsessed with his snowman, The Best Snowmen Have A Heart is more about the warmth and power of love. Elisha's belief that his first snowman will last forever is shattered by reality. When all seems lost, a winter utopia mysteriously opens up, seeming to invite him in. Repeated trials of danger, frustration and survival, bring him to the ultimate test of his love. Will he win his final inner battle?About the Author - Frances L. Sneed resides in Tecumseh, Michigan. Whether working with church teens, at risk children in elementary schools (20 years, ) or with the teen choir at a youth correction facility, she has shown a passion for helping youth. This first novel is her offering to all children and their parents. You may contact the author at www.franceslsneedauthor.com

Although told in a largely refashioned manner, a number of the following stories are very loosely based upon either time-honored stories of the mystics or are built around various, essential spiritual insights drawn from their teachings. Other stories appearing in this volume are wholly original but are still rooted in a traditional, spiritual perspective. In either case, the names have been changed to protect the innocent, and, as well, considerable poetic license has been taken in the telling and/or re-telling of some of these spiritual tales. The author is neither a shaykh nor a guide, but he did have the opportunity to serve and work closely with an adept of Islamic mysticism, and, as a result, was exposed to a variety of principles, values, and teachings of the Sufi path. The stories are being given expression in the present volume because they might have something of value to offer to anyone who cares to engage them and reflect on what is being said.

Jeff Wilson started his walk on the Buddha's path as a Zen practitioner - taking up a tradition of vigorous self-effort, intensive meditation, and meticulous attention to rectitude in every action. But in Jeff's case, rather than freeing him from his suffering, he found those Zen practices made him nothing short of insufferable. And so he turned to Shin Buddhism - a path that is easily the most popular in Zen's native land of Japan but is largely unknown in the West. Shin emphasizes an "entrusting heart," a heart that is able to receive with gratitude every moment of our mistake-filled and busy lives. Moreover, through walking the Shin path, Jeff comes see that each of us (himself especially included) are truly "foolish beings," people so filled with endlessly arising "blind passions" and ingrained habits that we so easily cause harm even with our best intentions. And even so, Shin holds out the tantalizing possibility that, by truly entrusting our foolish selves to the compassionate universe, we can learn to see how this foolish life, just as it is, is nonetheless also a life of grace. Buddhism of the Heart is a wide-ranging book of essays and open-hearted stories, reflections that run the gamut from intensely personal to broadly philosophical, introducing the reader to a remarkable religious tradition of compassionate acceptance.