What Is a Judas Steer? by Stephen Bly I watched a Judas steer in action when I attended a rodeo down in Pocatello. Some old boy lasted about two seconds on the back of a bull. Soon he found himself kissin’ the ground. The main excitement happened when the pickup men rode up to herd […]
Portrait of a Perfect Man by Stephen Bly Perfect men can be hard to find. I wanted to find a man who came close when speaking about husbands at a church back in Cleveland. An older lady came up front after the service, beaming ear to ear. “My husband is exactly what you described,” she […]
Through the Valley Jornada del Muerto I sat on a dusty trail at the western edge of the Organ Pipes Cactus National Monument in southern Arizona. Located on the border with the state of Sonora, Mexico, some of the bleakest countryside anywhere surrounded this monument. Like several other parts of the old southwest, this region […]
Toss the Box or I’ll Shoot! A common old western movie scene has become a cliché. The masked holdup men drag trees across the lonely, isolated canyon road. The stage comes to a screeching, bone jolting stop. And men with black hats suddenly appear. They threaten to shoot the driver and his guard if they […]
Giving Kids What They Deserve by Stephen Bly Every child deserves to know basic truths about their world and life. There’s so much more beyond the alphabet and numbers, spelling and math. Here’s what I want my kids and grandkids to be sure to hear from me. What Every Child Deserves to Know God is […]
An Old-Fashioned Jiggle Like gearshifts on your pickup, horses operate at different speeds or gaits. You can walk, trot, gallop, amble, canter or jiggle a horse. Your animal can be 4-gaited or 5-gaited, depending on their training. In the Old West, they had a great name for the ordinary gait of a cow horse. They […]
5 Ways to Build Quality Family Life Most people presume everyone’s family life resembles their own. That’s not quite the case. For instance, everyone’s idea of do something crazy may be a bit different. When our oldest son, Russell, graduated from high school in Craigmont, Idaho, we invited the senior class of twenty-six students to […]
More Power to Jerky Did you know that jerky helped settle the West? For mountain men and prospectors, surveyors and cowboys, a handful of jerky provided critical nourishment. This in a time of no preservatives or refrigerators. Didn’t matter whether the jerky came from beef, deer, elk, or buffalo. All retained their flavor and value. […]
Sisters Seek Their Fortunes The Cheney sisters determined to make their fortune in the Montana gold mine fields. They followed their male counterparts who boomed their way west to the Agenta Gulch in 1892. They learned the first lessons in prospecting. Get there early or find no land left to claim. And don’t be a […]
10 Ways to Give God Glory God’s glory got pushed down my list lately. I had one of those weeks when I felt like a ball in a pinball machine. Banging back and forth from one thing to another. A roller coaster of highs and lows. A bit of disorientation as I hopped from life […]
In the frame short story in this anthology, Ben and Marnie Pearson never intended to start a jewelry collection. But when they were given a box of leftover jewelry at an estate sale, they were intrigued by the colorful contents . . .
The sparkling jewels featured in this collection may have been passed down through generations or discovered accidentally, but each has its own unique short story. From diamonds to emeralds, opals to rubies, these stones have witnessed it all.
Here in The Jeweler's Heart are their fascinating tales told by seventeen of the talented novel writers of ChiLibris. For fans of inspirational fiction and heartwarming tales, The Jeweler's Heart is a treasure.
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