E.M. Bounds

#2

From the Publisher's Preface For almost a century Edward McKendree Bounds's books on prayer have been classic works, stimulating and inspiring Christians to become prayer warriors. A forceful writer and very deep thinker, Bounds spent the last seventeen years of his life reading, writing and praying. He rose at 4 A.M. daily for many years, and was indefatigable in his study of the Bible. As breathing is a physical reality to us, so prayer was a reality for Bounds. He took the command, "Pray without ceasing," almost as literally as animate nature takes the law of the reflex nervous system, which controls our breathing. Because Bounds so diligently practiced what he preached, he was able to capture the essence of prayer, and his works live on to call today's Christians to higher discipleship and an energetic prayer life.

#3

Casteel Family, #1 Of all the folks in the mountain shacks, The Casteels were the lowest -- the scum of the hills. Heaven Leigh Casteel was the prettiest, smartest girl in the backwoods, despite her ragged clothes and dirty face... despite a father meaner than ten vipers... despite her weary stepmother, who worked her like a mule. For her brother Tom and the little ones, Heaven clung to her pride and her hopes. Someday they'd get away and show the world that they were decent, fine and talented -- worthy of love and respect. Then Heaven's stepmother ran off, and her wicked, greedy father had a scheme -- a vicious scheme that threatened to destroy the precious dream of Heaven and the children forever! Deep in Her Heart, Heaven Dreamed.... Pa didn't come home for an entire week. I sat on the porch steps late one night and stared at the stormy sky. There had to be a better place than here for me. Somewhere, a better place. An owl hooted, followed by the howl of a roaming wolf. The autumn wind from the north shrieked and whistled around the forest trees, whipped around the trembling cabin and tried to blow it away.... I stared at the moon -- the same moon that rode high over Hollywood and New York City, London and Paris. Someday I'd like to have a real bed of my own to sleep in, with goosedown pillows and satin comforters. I'd have closets full of new dresses, and shoes by the dozen, in all colors, and I'd eat in fancy restaurants where tall slim candles glowed... but right now I had only a hard cold step to sit on. And tears were freezing on my cheeks and lashes....