Point Of No Return

Plot

POINT OF NO RETURN:Turning over a new leaf isn't as easy as Jimmy Barclay thought it would be - some old habits are hard to break. After years of being nagged by his family to go to church, something strikes in the depths of his soul, and he makes the biggest decision of his life. But is it a huge mistake? His friends abandon him, his grandmother has fallen ill, and the only kid who seems to understand what he's going through moves away. Does it matter anymore if he tries to do the right thing? Is this the thanks Jimmy gets for trusting God? Is He there, and does He care? Through his challenges, Jimmy discovers that standing up for what you believe can be costly - and rewarding!

DARK PASSAGE:"Run!" the reverend shouted. "Run for your lives!" In that split second, life for Matt Booker and his best friend, Jack Davis, turned into chaos. Boy, were they in a lot of trouble! It all started when they were plaing catch in the yard at Whit's End. Jack missed a pass and, while searching the woods for the ball, stumbled upon a trap door. If only Matt and Jack had obeyed the sign that warned, "Keep Out." But they didn't. And then they got carried away. Literally. Climbing aboard The Imagination Station, the two friends were propelled back to the days before the Civil War - not a good place to be if, like Matt, you're black. After interrupting a meeting with the Reverend Andres,who was helping slaves escape to freedom along the Underground Railroad, well things just went from bad to worse! Matt was captured by slave hunters, leaving Jack and the revered to rescue him. But would they find him and in time?

FREEDOM RUN: The door to The Imagination Station whooshed shut, enclosing us in the machine. I'm Matt Booker. Jack Davis is a good friend - the best, especially since he's willing to go back with me. Let me explain. We knew we weren't supposed to be nosing aroundbut earlier, Jack and I were in Whit's basement workshop, checking out The Imagination Station, when the craziest thing happened. All of a sudden, we were back in 1858! Cool? Not exactly. We're talking pre-Civil War here - before "emancipation," when slaves were given their freedom. If only I had paid more attention in history class! Anyway, to make a long story short, I had been captured by slave traders, and it was up to Jack to find me. In fact, I had just promised Eveline, a runaway slave, that I would help her find her father, Clarence, when - bam! - Jack and I were instantly back in Whit's basement. Well, I couldn't break my word to Eveline, so Jack agreed to return with me to help her and Clarence make their way to freedom along the Underground Railroad.

THE STRANGER'S ESSAGE:When a stranger arrives in Odyssey looking for work, a preoccupied Whit turns him away. But when the man unexpectedly shows up at Whit's End that evening and interrupts that kids' Bible Quiz contest, the unimaginable happens - he suddenly collapses from a heart attack! The next morning in church, Whit wonders how he, as a Christian, should have responded to this hurting, needy person. Then, he challenges everyone to pledge that they will evaluate every decision they face by first asking, "What would Jesus do?" But God's will is not always easy to determine, as Karen, Lucy, Oscar, Matt, and Jack (even Whit!) soon discover. What would you do if you found a school official accepting bribes? Or learned that the town bullies had just stolen your friend's lunch money - again? After all, the Bible doesn't include special verses on dealing with issues like these, or does it?