Filled with tantalizing recipes, Hearth and Home is so much more than a typical cookbook. Within these pages, the reader is challenged to find meaning at its deepest level - holiness and wholeness in Christ. Amongst the journaled reflections, inspirational quotes and nutritional recipes, you can almost smell the irresistible aroma of fresh-baked whole wheat bread. Hearth and Home is about life, about family, and about the fullness God invites us to enjoy.

Makes an ideal gift for any homemaker, especially a newlywed.

About the Author:

Karey Swan was born in Salzburg, Austria and raised in Colorado and Arizona. She studied nutrition and landscape architecture at the University of Arizona. Karey is a life-long learner and has studied harder after her formal schooling teaching herself subjects ranging from beekeeping to theology. Her greatest creative passions are homemaking, textile art, gardening and writing.

Karey married her husband Monte in 1975 and traveled and explored the Western U.S. with their young children before settling in the Colorado Mountains in 1983. Shortly after settling into Colorado, Karey designed their house around a family kitchen, good books, and the constant sounds of music. Together, Karey and Monte cultivate relationships through hospitality and a constant passion for communicating a biblical worldview to people.

Karey and Monte decided to homeschool before their first child was born and have had a significant ministry to homeschool families. Karey had a regular radio spot called The Heart of the Home which aired on the nationally broadcasted Home Education Network (HEN). Conference attendees say that the Swan's words and music sparkle like a mountain stream-clear, natural and real.

Since the early 1980s, Karey's focus has been on the family. Karey brings to the Christian community a fresh new vision for the family and parenting.

From the Foreword:

As I’ve had the privilege of working through this text numerous times in an attempt to repair and render it as readable as possible, I have become increasingly impressed with the wonderful labor of love that was involved in creating it, and the outstanding cache of wisdom and insight into what life together can be that it contains.

We are so very pleased to be able to offer it again, in printed and electronic forms, and we trust that as you feast on the various treats you will find in the following pages, you will overlook the fact that in creating them we had no alternative but to start with a second generation reproduction. I am confident that you will agree with me that this book should NEVER go out of print again. Prepare to enjoy and learn, and then to share what you have found, like a treasure hidden in a field, with anyone and everyone who shares the values represented here.

David B. Biebel, Publisher - Healthy Life Press

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Endorsement from Tina Farewell

Karey and Monte Swan have truly created a lifestyle of learning in the Colorado Rockies for their children, themselves, and the elk who eat their garden vegetables. They are delightfully hospitable folks, too!

 

Mental, spiritual, and physical health reign paramount in her book. Not only is it full of wonderful and nutritious recipes, but explanations of how and why certain techniques and ingredients are used, lists for stocking the pantry, cooking tips, nutrition, and stories are included. Gardening and homemade soap are also discussed. “Recipes for Life” and “The Art of Life” chapters are probably the most important in the book. She even includes simple and interesting ideas for every month of the year. Words to songs that the Swans sing about family life are interwoven with the text.

 

I love the spirit in which Hearth and Home is written; it is joyful and inspiring, simple and kind. May you be blessed as you read it, use it, and 'snuggle in' with it.

eBook $12.95	Paperback Choose Version Basic version (New): (8x10, Perfect Bound, Glossy Cover) $17.95 Classic Version: (8.5x11, Matte, Perfect Bound) $22.95 Classic Version: (8.5x11, Matte, Spiral Bound) $24.96	8x10 Paperback + eBook $24.95

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Praise for My Broken Heart Sings:

 

 

Danish philosopher Soren Kierkegaard wrote, “A poet is an unhappy being whose heart is torn by secret sufferings, but whose lips are so strangely formed that when the sighs and the cries escape them, they sound like beautiful music....”

 

Gary A. Burlingame is one such being, with this difference – once unhappy, due to the loss of a son, his broken heart now sings, because he kept walking by faith. His readers are the beneficiaries of the work of the One who binds up the brokenhearted, “…bestowing on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the LORD for the display of his splendor” (Isaiah 61:1-3).

 

 

Gary describes this metamorphosis, “In the days of my youth the songs of my heart were self-focused. My poetry had no clear voice or purpose (outside of wooing my wife). Over time the Lord brought me through some heart-changing experiences. He allowed my heart to break so that He could mold my heart into something new. Out of this regenerated state my poetry grew - expressing what other people could not express - crying out for them. My prayer is that my poetry would give broken hearts an outlet of release. My Broken Heart Sings is a compilation of poems that speak of pain and joy, love and loss, suffering and new birth.”

 

 

–David B. Biebel, DMin

About the Author:

Gary A. Burlingame resides and attends church with his family in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. A scientist by profession, he has numerous publications to his name. Gary writes poems, lyrics and magazine articles on the Christian faith. In the church, Gary has coached bereaved parents, assisted in elderly care services, helped people develop financial plans, and trained deacons in mercy ministry.

In 1987, Gary and his wife Debbie lost their son Christopher John, at only six months of age, to a chronic lung disease. This life-changing experience gave them a special heart for helping others through similar loss and pain. Some of Gary’s poems speak directly out of their own sorrow while other poems speak for those who were unable to give voice to their pain.

Endorsement:

“Gary Burlingame’s poetry has been on display in my waiting room for many years. His poems have touched the lives of many patients and their families. His poems stir the emotions while being practical, insightful, spiritual, and deeply truthful. I am glad to have his poetry in book form to refer to my patients and friends for support when they find themselves in pain and fall into deep struggles in their own lives.”

                        – Dr. David Trumbore - Director of physical therapy at Delaware Valley Orthopedic Associates,                                   Philadelphia and president of Effective Fitness Solutions, LLC Bensalem, PA

Sample text:

A Truer World

A friend asked me why I hadn’t written about the loss of my own son, Christopher John. It was hard to focus on any particular feeling or to capture everything I needed to say in a single poem. This poem came to me as I prepared for an Easter sunrise service. Without my son I would not have known A Truer World. His death at only six months of age caused me to wrestle with God’s Word and sovereignty in order to find our true source of hope and joy.

 

On a cold December day,

Colder than I’ve ever known,

I carried you away–

Away from your earthly home–

And I laid you to rest

On that cold December day.

Such a cold December day!

 

On a cold December day,

Everything just turned around.

My dreams were swept away;

Away from me raising you

Into you changing me-

On that cold December day.

Such a cold December day!

 

             When I needed it most in life

             I declared it.

             All I ever really had

             Came forth in boldness:

             Where O death is your sting?

             Where O death, your victory?

             The sting of death is sin.

             And we

             Had the victory

             Through Christ

             On that cold December day.

 

On a cold December day-

You died a boy and not a man

And I sent you away,

Away from my loving hands,

As I laid you to rest

On that cold December day.

Such a cold December day!

 

Was it the son who changed the father?

Do we really know how it should be?

I thought I would be raising you,

But it’s you who is changing me.

It was you, my son, who changed my life;

You brought a truer world to me.

As helpless as you were,

You brought a truer world to me.

 

                                                   Copyright 2009, Gary A. Burlingame

 

Paperback $10.95	eBook $6.95	Paperback + eBook $13.95

 

Publisher's Note re. Payment and Delivery of Goods:

Payment may be made by check (see below) or  securely via PayPal, and the links above. Upon receipt of confirmation from PayPal that a purchase has been made, goods will be delivered to the physical address (in the case of physical goods) or to e-mail address (in the case of eBooks - via PDF files) provided to PayPal by the buyer. Buyer's preferring to pay by check should direct questions to: DBBV1@AOL.COM.

We've Got Mail: The New Testament Letters in Modern English  
As Relevant Today as Ever!
  
(Paperback - Published June 10, 2009)
by Rev. Warren C. Biebel Jr.

This new paraphrase is like a “Reader’s Digest” version of the New Testament letters, capturing the original writers’ essential meaning in 21st Century language - easy to read and understand. Without chapters or verses, notes, references, cross references, theological or denominational slants, these letters flow much as they did when written nearly 2,000 years ago. Readers will be encouraged, perhaps even amazed, at just how practical, timeless, relevant, and alive these letters really are. Recommended for anyone seeking an introductory overview of the New Testament epistles.

Sample text:  "We are all running in a race and we must all run to win. Discipline and self-control will help us. Our race is not to receive a wreath, but a real crown that will last forever. I can’t do this by wringing my hands and shadow boxing. I must control my body with all its impulses and desires because if I don’t,
I can still find myself on the shelf like a worn out quill."
                            (from Paul's 1st letter to the believers in Corinth)


Endorsements:

What a treasure trove to add to our toolbox as we seek to know more of Jesus in the midst of our modern ways and challenges. We’ve Got Mail is a masterful paraphrase of the New Testament Letters; God breathed and compelling. A sense of immediacy is developed, utilizing modern language while faithfully transmitting the original meanings and context. The precious truths often jump from the page with a new clarity and power. This work of love reads like a novel with short, rich sentences that will invigorate all who desire to plumb the depths of God’s letters to the church.

- Bobbie Dill, RN [Co-author of 70 Ways to Beat 70]

Rev. Biebel’s masterful paraphrase brings the New Testament Letters to life for those who usually avoid the formal theological phraseology of many of the popular Bible translations. I applaud my fellow physicians who place Bibles in their waiting rooms and would recommend a volume of We’ve God Mail as an additional consideration for patients in that setting. A person under the stress of medical or other concerns is likely to relate to and be comforted by this easy to read and understandable work. Its balance of scriptural accuracy and literary clarity is outstanding. I highly recommend this publication.

- Jim Dill, MD [Co-author of 70 Ways to Beat 70]

We've Got Mail is a wonderfully fresh and appealing read that ministered to me, personally, during a time of severe testing. The author's loving and accurate paraphrasing of God's Word reflects a heart and mind matured from 40 years of pastoral experience. The book's clarity and contemporary language is especially relevant for high school/college students, new Christians and adults examining Christianity. You will enjoy receiving mail that has eternal consequences.

- Robert W. Martin III, MD, MAR [Physician, Christian Apologist and Seminary Faculty]

Warren Biebel's pastoral interpretation of the New Testament letters is a highly readable and enjoyable re-write of a large portion of the New Testament. Biebel makes it clear that, while his work is not a word-for-word translation of these letters, he tries to stay true to the apparent meaning of the text. He has done a good job of making some difficult passages more readable, and the delight that comes from reading this book increases one's desire to understand and apply the principles and doctrines about which the authors wrote. My hope is that this work will take its place as a strong paraphrase—among such greats as "Living Letters" and "The Message." – David Wickstrom, PhD

 

 

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Payment may be made by check (see below) or  securely via PayPal, and the links above. Upon receipt of confirmation from PayPal that a purchase has been made, goods will be delivered to the physical address (in the case of physical goods) or to e-mail address (in the case of eBooks - via PDF files) provided to PayPal by the buyer. Buyer's preferring to pay by check should direct questions to: DBBV1@AOL.COM.

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After Normal: One Teen's Journey Following Her Brother's Death - by Diane Aggen
[Published December 31, 2008]

Available where all books are sold, including BN.com and Amazon.com (Kindle version also sold via Amazon.com) and directly from us
(Printed: $11.95;  eBook version: $5.95; Both versions together: $15.00)

After Normal is one teen’s journey through grief after the death of her younger brother. Unique in the field of death and dying literature, it offers helpful insights and understanding for teens facing a similar loss or for those who might wish to understand and help teens facing a similar loss.

No easy answers. No pious platitudes. Just a truthful insider’s view of the journey from darkness to light, black and white to color, despair to hope again.

This short excerpt captures the quality and honesty of the entire text:

“Breathe. Please just breathe,” I begged myself as I knelt in the backyard, doubled over and gasping for air, my eyes squeezed shut.

I wanted the ground to open and swallow me whole. I wanted to float towards the sun and never stop. I wanted to go to sleep and never wake. I wanted to wake and have this be a horrible, horrible nightmare. I wanted to start running and never, ever stop. I could just keep running. First, though, I needed to catch my breath. Inhale. Exhale. Inhale. Exhale. Breathe. That’s all. Just breathe. I opened my eyes but quickly shut them again. The grass was too green.

Inhale. Exhale. Each inhale filled my lungs, my heart, my very soul with sorrow. Each exhale left only emptiness.

I could smell the grass just inches from my face. After long, northern Michigan winters, spring was always so welcomed. The blooming trees, blossoming flowers and the greening of the grass assured us that we had survived another winter and, as a reward, we could enjoy the splendid sights of spring. But now the same plants that I once thought of as friends seemed to be mocking me with the vibrant colors of their rebirth. They surrounded me and dared me to notice how alive they were. I willed myself to block out their taunts and ignore their liveliness. I carefully opened my eyes again. The world was now black and white, with a little gray thrown in for interest. 

From the back cover:

Once upon a time, on a beautiful day in May, a young boy drowned in a small town pond. And for his sister, Diane, who was about to finish eighth grade at the time, all her joy turned to sorrow, and her colors turned to gray, as she struggled to find a “new normal” now that her old normal had died. This book is based on Diane’s journaling notes over the following four years, as she tried to find her way through an unexpected and very scary wilderness without a map or a guide to help her, because so few people really know what to say when you don’t know what to say or what to do when you don’t know what to do.

Out of all her pain has come the jewel of a book that is in your hand, a gift from Diane’s heart to yours. You will appreciate her candor and her refusal to accept easy answers or to offer any, whether in relation to the process of resolving the seeming irresolvable or in relation to the ultimate issues of purpose and meaning and faith in which such experiences immerse us against our will. Ultimately, you will be encouraged that at the end of journey, however long it takes, lies hope … for those who will engage this process in truth, as Diane has done.

Over the past three decades, I have assembled a library of books related to grief, but not a single one is as helpful as this one for those who are making a journey similar to Diane’s (a teen having lost a sibling) and for those who would like to understand and help a brokenhearted teen more than just survive such a loss.

David B. Biebel, D.Min., Author

Jonathan, You Left Too Soon;

If God is So Good, Why Do I Hurt So Bad

 

Diane Aggen was raised in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. Since then, she’s lived in three foreign countries and has visited numerous others. Diane has been a school librarian and, most recently, an English teacher. She and her family live in Colorado.

 

Paperback	eBook
$11.95	$6.95

Publisher's Note re. Payment and Delivery of Goods:

Payment may be made by check (see below) or  securely via PayPal, and the links above. Upon receipt of confirmation from PayPal that a purchase has been made, goods will be delivered to the physical address (in the case of physical goods) or to e-mail address (in the case of eBooks - via PDF files) provided to PayPal by the buyer. Buyer's preferring to pay by check should direct questions to: DBBV1@AOL.COM.

 

The Big Black Book -
What the Christmas Tree Saw

by Rev. Warren C. Biebel Jr.

[Published November 2009:
available in print and eBook formats]

Just in time for Christmas - a story you will want to read and enjoy, and, if you have young children, a story you will want to read and enjoy with them on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day ... or both! The Christmas tree enters the world of humans, happy and hopeful to discover wonderful things about Christmas that he's heard whispered by other trees in the forest. What he sees and learns serves as a year-round reminder of the importance of the Book in which the Christmas story appears.

About the Author:
Rev. Warren C. Biebel Jr. has been communicating the Good News and hope of the gospel for more than 60 years.While pastoring in New Hampshire and Vermont for 25 years, he also served as a chaplain at the Vermont State Prison and the Veterans Administration Hospital in White River Jct., VT. He and his wife founded Singing Hills Conference Center in Plainfield, NH in 1972. Throughout his ministry and now, in his 80s, through his writing, Rev. Biebel has demonstrated an interest in helping young people come to know the Lord and to grow in their faith. This is his second book.

 

 

Paperback $7.95	eBook $4.95	Paperback + eBook $10.95

 

Publisher's Note re. Payment and Delivery of Goods:

 

Payment may be made by check (see below) or  securely via PayPal, and the links above. Upon receipt of confirmation from PayPal that a purchase has been made, goods will be delivered to the physical address (in the case of physical goods) or to e-mail address (in the case of eBooks - via PDF files) provided to PayPal by the buyer. Buyer's preferring to pay by check should direct questions to: DBBV1@AOL.COM.

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Who Me, Pray? Prayer 101: Praying Aloud, for Beginners

by Gary Burlingame

[Published March 17, 2009: now available in print and eBook formats]

See below for ordering & payment details.

(Price: $6.95 printed book; $2.99 eBook - together $7.95)

“Who me, pray? I’m not good at public speaking or praying aloud.” Does this remind you of something you thought at a Bible study or friendly gathering, when you were asked to lead the group in prayer?

You don’t have to feel this way again.

Who me, pray? is a practical guide on prayer, based on Jesus’ direction, with examples provided for use in typical situations where you might be asked or expected to pray, including: Prayer Before a Meal; Prayer Before an Athletic Contest; Prayer while Helping a Friend; and, Prayer in a Bible Study Setting.

While the Bible is the best place to learn about prayer, this guide is an encouragement for you to practice praying aloud, using the examples given, but in your own words.

Remember, God desires for you to experience the blessings of praying with others. Therefore, you will not be alone as you study Who me, pray? and practice your own prayers; after all, we have the Holy Spirit as our helper in relation to prayer.

Publisher's note:

This twenty-six page practical guide is for anyone who has been asked to offer a public prayer. Multiple examples and practice format establish the uniqueness of this helpful book on prayer for Christians. Using the “Lord’s Prayer” as a guide, the author shows how simple yet personal praying in public can be.

Sample texts follow:

Imagine being a teenager and asking your dad to borrow the keys to the family car to go shopping at the mall....

You are Talking to Your Dad

When you ask your dad to borrow the keys to the car for a few hours, you might show him your respect as you present to him your request:

  * Acknowledge to your dad that you know he’s the boss, that it is his car you hope to borrow from time to time, and that you are grateful that he takes responsibility for maintaining it.
  * Thank him for letting you use his car in the past.
  * Acknowledge your latest blunders, the ones he’s likely to remember. Thank him for not holding those blunders against you, and for believing in you.
  * Tell him that you value his guidance and wisdom.
  * Give him your specific request; that you would like to borrow the car to go shopping at the mall for three hours today.
  * Then let him rest until he is ready to give you an answer.

What do you think? If you approached your dad in this manner, do you think he would favor your request?

Praying is similar to asking your dad for keys to the car. Prayer should be honest, conversational, specific, and always respectful.
 

Praying in Public

Despite the simplicity of prayer, one thing that frightens many believers is praying in public, out loud, where everyone can hear.

But preachers or elders or other church leaders are not the only ones who may pray in public. You can, too; and when you share your prayer concerns in a group setting, you are fulfilling one of the Apostle Paul’s exhortations that when believers are together, they should pray.

When this happens, it is a form of worship, as well as an opportunity to make known our concerns and needs, as well as to become aware of the needs of others we care about so we can pray for them even when we’re not with them in person.

Public prayer, whether in a group of two people or twenty people, can be intimidating. Your voice might shake. You might be sweaty and nervous, fumbling with words and saying something that sounds awkward to you.

But remember, prayer is conversational. Prayer uses the same language and expressions that you use in everyday life. Prayer is to be a natural conversation, not a rehearsed recitation. This means that you can talk through prayer as you would in everyday respectful conversation.

The Lord Jesus Christ left us with a pattern or guide for prayer. You may know this guide for prayer as The Lord’s Prayer or the Our Father. But did you know that He gave this guide to His followers because they saw how He prayed, and they, too, wanted to learn how to pray?

 
On the next pages, which you should compare side by side, you will find the Lord’s Prayer in biblical language and a similar prayer in everyday language. When you compare the two, you’ll see how prayer is a natural expression of our worship, spiritual desires, our needs, and our concerns.

----------------

 

 Recommendation:

If Jesus is our friend, then why don’t we talk with Him more often? Perhaps it is because prayer as practiced by many Christians is a cold exercise rather than a warm conversation. Who me, pray? is a simple, down-to-earth guide that will help the ordinary Christian learn to talk with God in prayer. I recommend it.

 

Eric Wallace

President, Institute for Uniting Church and Home

 ----------------

About the Author:

Gary A. Burlingame resides and attends church with his family in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. A scientist by profession, he has numerous publications to his name. Gary also writes poems, lyrics and magazine articles on the Christian faith. In the church, Gary has coached bereaved parents, assisted in elderly care services, helped people develop financial plans, and trained deacons in mercy ministry.

Single Copy - Viewable PDF File: $2.99 each
Multiple Copies (5 or more) Printable PDF File: $2.00 each

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