"For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds; Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ" II Corinthians 10:4-5. In this riveting tale, Laila, aka LaLa, struggled daily to fight the sexual temptations from within. As she tried to move forward in her walk with God and new role as a wife and mother, the men from her past were calling her back to a lifestyle she desperately wanted to forget. Growing up on Chicago's South Side, LaLa learned early on how to please a man. Her beauty, body, seductive ways, and passionate touch, made it difficult for any man to deny her; and for years, they laid claim to what was not theirs lawfully. Laila was unaware of the ungodly soul ties that would carry over into her marriage as well as ministry. She was clueless to the level of temptations that soon followed. It was on this spiritual journey that she was able to love, and find forgiveness and redemption through God. Follow her as she takes you on a journey to the beginning of it all.

"A book you will want to read and read again." -- Eugene Peterson Afterword by Bono. How can we find a more transparent, resilient, and fearless life of faith? The book of Psalms has been central to God's people for millennia, across all walks of life and cultural contexts. In reading it, we discover that we are never alone in our joys, sorrows, angers, doubts, praises, or thanksgivings. In it, we learn about prayer and poetry, honesty and community, justice and enemies, life and death, nations and creation. Open and Unafraid shows us how to read the psalms in a fresh, life-giving way, and so access the bottomless resources for life that they provide. "David Taylor’s take is 'open and unafraid' alright. He really goes there, exposing himself before God in the most beautiful way. He might have called the book Naked, because if you don’t find your own self feeling a little exposed here, it might be time to take some armor off." -- Bono, from the Afterword "A book that you will want to read and read again, and yet again, in order to discover the wisdom of the Psalms that shows us how to walk in the life-giving way of Jesus." -- Eugene Peterson, from the Foreword "A winsome, accessible entry into the Book of Psalms…Connects the poetry of the psalms to real-life wonders and struggles." -- Walter Brueggemann, Columbia Theological Seminary "Taylor reads these biblical prayers with Dr. Seuss, rappers, and other poets, along with theologians and the daily news....Guides readers in tracing out patterns of holy speech that have the potential for healing our hearts and our communities." -- Ellen F. Davis, Duke Divinity School "I have always loved the psalms--for their defiant devotion, their deep joy, and their brutal yet beautiful honesty. And after reading this fantastic book about them, I love them even more." -- Matt Redman, worship leader and song writer "In these fraught and fearsome days, we need the psalms more than ever. And we need more faithful artists and thinkers like David Taylor to mine the infinite gifts the psalms offer across the ages." -- Karen Swallow Prior, author of Fierce Convictions

In 1998, after 12 years of counseling the wives of men in sexual sin, Kathy Gallagher wrote the original version of When His Secret Sin Breaks Your Heart. Presented in the form of letters which addressed the most pertinent struggles wives deal with, this book proved to be a lifesaver for thousands of women over the years. The 20th Anniversary Edition of When His Secret Sin Breaks Your Heart adds nine chapters of new material, making it more compelling than ever. The hurting wife will quickly find that Kathy sympathizes with her emotional turmoil and offers solid counsel on a wide range of issues. But most importantly, she will be directed to the only true source of hope: Jesus.

Three Days. . .Endless Pleasure. . . In 1745 on an alluring Caribbean island, Emiline du Ronde-Barhydt's inheritance and dazzling beauty insure that she's granted her every wish, but one. . .freedom from her wayward husband. So when the proud Sea Captain, Reinier Barhydt, strikes a deal to let his wife go--under one condition--Emiline agrees. The price? Before Reinier signs the papers, he gets three days of his wife's total submission to his every erotic demand. The two fall under a spell of the most forbidden sensations and Reinier risks losing control of his own carnal game. At the mercy of his own raw shattering needs, the three red hot days may just turn into a lifetime of smoldering passion. . . "Sensuality at its best!" --Diana Cosby, author of His Woman

New York Times bestselling author and NAACP Image Award winner Stacey Abrams, writing under her pen name Selena Montgomery, tells a chilling tale of lost love, dark family secrets, and hard-won redemption. Mara Reed has been stirring up trouble since she was eighteen—running scams, living on the edge, always on the run. Now, when two thugs are after her with murder on their minds, she’s forced into hiding in her small Texas hometown. But as she’s cornered in an alley, only seconds from death, an unexpected rescuer comes to her aid… A forensic anthropologist, Dr. Ethan Stuart is investigating a gruesome discovery—nearly one hundred dead bodies dating back fifty years—a mystery linked to the church once headed by Mara’s father. Ethan needs Mara’s help; she needs his protection. Their search for a shocking, devastating truth could lead them to forgiveness and salvation... if they survive.

Diego Leoni is used to getting what he wants. He's one of the best capos the outfit has to offer. Anyone who betrays the outfit, he kills. His first wife knows about that. Belle Johnson is alone in the city, trying to prove her independence. Blinded in an accident as a child, she can't rely on anyone. Now, abandoned in a nightclub by her friends, she has to call for help. And Diego answers, being the sweet, kind man, who helps her home. Diego knows he can't keep Belle forever. She doesn't know who he really is, and there's no way to tell her that the person she's having sex with is also part of the mafia. Violence is in his blood, and yet, when he's with Belle, the darkness fades away, leaving just the two of them. The only problem is, he's already engaged to another woman, one whom he doesn't want. But he can't let Belle go. The only solution is to get Belle pregnant and keep her in his world-without ever letting her know exactly who he is. But secrets don't stay hidden forever...

"In Isadore's Secret, Mardi Link shines a journalist's lamp on this dark, quiet corner of Michigan's history, assuring that the tragic story of Sister Janina is not forgotten. Link's telling is fascinating and thorough, making a story you will not soon forget." ---Steve Lehto, author of Death's Door A gripping account of the mysterious 1907 disappearance of a young nun in a northern Michigan town and the national controversy that followed when she turned up dead and buried in the basement of her own church. Swinging planks of lantern light shine through the musty air and onto the dirt floor of the church basement. The oddly glowing rectangles syncopate over the damp ground and illuminate even the darkest, stooped-down corners of the space beyond. The only sound is the ragged breathing of two men, a young parish priest and a much older laborer. Aboveground these men belong completely to this place, in both body and soul. A glimpse of their faces anywhere in the sanctuary, the rectory, the school, the barn, or the gardens would be a welcome sight. But here below, these men of Isadore are interlopers. Only trespassers would sneak silently into the church's sloped underbelly without witness to carry out such a sinful and secret errand as this one. Despite their tools, and their lantern, and their resolve, neither is equipped for the task at hand or for what is to come. Mardi Link, a former crime reporter, was named Antioch's Betty Crumrine Scholar for Creative Nonfiction in 2007. Her first book, When Evil Came to Good Hart, also published by the University of Michigan Press, spent four months on the Heartland Indie Bestseller List. This true story was the basis for the Broadway play The Runner Stumbles and the film of the same name. Front cover: Photograph of cemetery © John L. Russell, Great Lakes Images; image of face ©iStockphoto.com/duncan1890.

A series of addresses focusing mainly on Romans 8, this work gives a well-grounded view on the way of sin in the life of a believer. This aspect of Christianity is often neglected and most people in the faith just accept it with blindly duty. The doctrine has wide ramifications in our theologies as it makes it evident to us how sin works in our lives and whether it should have any kind of hold on us.

Speaking from his own experiences with secret addictions, the author examines the behavioral patterns and attributes of those who struggle with secret sins of all types. He also exposes the excuses and lies often used to justify inappropriate activities.