Monthly Archives: March 2022

New Devotional Proposes Substituting One Fear for Many Others

FAITH NEWS SERVICE – To combat the fear and anxiety that have become a daily experience for many in these days of a global pandemic, political turmoil, and economic instability, authors Marta Greenman and Maureen Moldonado propose a remedy in their recent release FearLESS: God Is Calling You to Be Fearless and to Fear Less (Redemption Press).

“The world is filled with plenty of opportunities to be fearful. Fear and faith cannot occupy the same space. We believe the more you fear God, the more your earthly fears will retreat as though in a rearview mirror,” says author and Bible teacher Marta Greenman.

In this thirty-day devotional, Greenman and Moldonado examine the Greek and Hebrew meanings of the word fear in the Bible. Their in-depth look at harmful and beneficial fears highlights the reverential fear of the Lord as the antidote to the fear of man. Greenman says, “Our thirty-day devotional will focus mainly on the emotion of fear and reverence, or awe, of our Lord. We trust your fears will become more distant as you draw closer to the Lord.”

Personal and ministry examples add to the Bible stories, and the devotions include thoughtful reflection questions.

ABOUT THE AUTHORS
Marta Greenman, a former missionary, is a teacher, speaker, and expositor of God’s Word who left the corporate world to be a church planter with e3Partners. The founder of Words of Grace & Truth, she is the author of four books and is a co-host with Maureen Moldonado of Under God on GraceAndTruthRadio. She lives in the Dallas–Fort Worth area with her husband of almost thirty years.

Maureen Moldonado has a master’s degree in education from California State University and spent her career as a teacher, vice principal, and principal in elementary education. After being involved in Bible studies in California, Arizona, and Texas, Maureen became co-host of the radio program Under God on GraceAndTruthRadio. Maureen and her husband reside in Texas near much of their family.

Contact Marta at: marta@graceandtruthradio.world
Contact Maureen at: maureen@graceandtruthradio.world

Social media links

Facebook – www.facebook.com/Words-of-Grace-Truth-311198098898342

Facebook – www.facebook.com/UnderGodwithMartaandMaureen

Facebook – www.facebook.com/GraceAndTruthRadio.World

Instagram – www.instagram.com/wordsofgraceandtruth/

Instagram – www.instagram.com/graceandtruthradio.world

Linkedin – www.linkedin.com/in/marta-greenman-9308555/

Twitter – https://twitter.com/WordsGraceTruth

New Redemption Press release offers easy, bite-sized scripture readings for busy readers

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FAITH NEWS SERVICE – What if you could discover the Beloved in the world’s greatest love story? What if you could make sense of even the most difficult passages in both the Old and New Testament?

Now you can! Meet the Bible Companion Series, a bite-sized chapter-by-chapter compilation that explores ancient biblical history through relevant storytelling and compelling questions. Be prepared for the richest Bible-reading experience you’ve ever imagined.

In a bold, realistic, refreshing manner, this twelve-book Bible Companion Series offers readers an inspiring and doable path for reading through the Bible. Genesis and Exodus (book 1 of the God in Story: Who We Are set) offers insight into the Bible’s early families, showing how God’s love and grace transcends our lives. Short daily readings and thought-provoking questions provide busy readers with insight into God’s Word, themselves, and the world around them.

For twenty-five years, author and licensed minister Karen Westbrook Moderow led Bible and Breakfast, an interdenominational Bible Study designed to nurture a deeper love for God and His Word through the most relatable characters in the Bible.

Moderow says, “I am a seminary-trained minister who has been a serious student of the Bible since childhood. My pastor father taught me to love God and His Word. My passion is for others to encounter God in the Scriptures as I have.” A regular contributor to Moody Magazine for over a decade, Moderow honestly, gently, and confidently helps others to know God through Scripture.

Get to know the ancient leaders, kings, and everyday people in the Bible from a deeper perspective. You’ll find their humanity, failures and ponderings, successes and victories are very much like your own. Experience the God who created them and you as the source for all you need to live life with wisdom and compassion.

The Bible Companion is a commentary-devotional hybrid geared toward people with too-busy lives. The series transcends barriers to understanding Scripture and sparks curiosity for the most studied book on earth. Exciting story arcs, connecting the Old and New Testaments, bring the Bible to life.

Moderow believes “that reading the Bible through as a continuous story reveals God as a loving creator who is always reaching for us, who will intervene in our lives and our world so that we can know Him, love and serve Him both now and in His eternal kingdom.”

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Karen Westbrook Moderow’s The Bible Companion Series offers readers fresh insight into God’s Word. For twenty-five years, Karen taught regularly at Bible and Breakfast, a large interdenominational Bible Study. Her creative writing masters (Chapman University, 2015) and theology masters in arts (Fuller Theological Seminary, 2017) give her a storyteller’s perspective of Scripture. Karen has been married to Joe, her dearest friend and “keeper of her solitude,” for more than fifty years.

LINKS

https://www.karenwestbrookmoderow.com

https://www.facebook.com/KarenWestbrookModerow

https://www.instagram.com/karen_westbrook_moderow/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/karen-westbrook-moderow-1b1aa2223/

For review copies and media interviews, contact
Karen Westbrook Moderow
KWMauthor@gmail.com

Tribute to “Girl Dads” shares the value of father-daughter bond

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FAITH NEWS SERVICE – According to the US Department of Health and Human Services, “fathers’ involvement in their children’s lives has been shown to have a positive effect on children and their well-being in many areas,” including “increasing the chances of academic success and reducing the chances of delinquency and substance abuse.” But not all children benefit from having a father present in their lives.

All too often Black fathers in particular are faulted for neglecting their children’s needs, especially emotional ones. In a recent Newsweek article, however, Josh Levs cites the Center for Disease Control, noting that “when it comes to Black dads specifically, most, in fact, live with their children.” And among all fathers who do so, “Black dads are in many ways the most involved with their [children’s] lives.”

In Thank You, Daddy! A Tribute to My Girl Dad—and Girl Daddies Everywhere,
Denise Ann Goosby dispels the myth of the absent Black father by recounting with warmth and gratitude the presence of her father in her life. With short prose “stanzas” and clear language accessible to young children, Goosby depicts the loving bond shared with her father. Young readers will be able to relate to such simple activities as joining Daddy at work for Family Day, playing carnival games, learning to fish, and singing together at church. Perhaps most importantly, Goosby recounts how her father took the time to snuggle with her and share stories of his own childhood and youth, passing on to her the value of family heritage and hope for the future.

The “father effect” can be especially important to girls. Fathers who behave warmly and interact meaningfully with their daughters help them to value themselves in ways that can lead to healthier self-images, choices, and lives.

In Thank You, Daddy! Denise Ann Goosby depicts the kind of father whose loving presence can make a significant difference in his daughter’s life. And because picture books are meant to be read by adults to children, reading her story can itself can become one of those invaluable bonding moments for daddy and daughter. Although Goosby’s book focuses on her childhood experiences with her own dad, her affectionate account honors all fathers who put the time and energy into building a loving, lifelong bond with their daughters.

Sources:
Jones, Jo, and Mosher, William D. Fathers’ Involvement with Their Children: United States, 2006–2010. National Health Statistics Reports 71. 20 December 2013.
https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nhsr/nhsr071.pdf

Krisch, Joshua A. The Science of Dad and the ‘Father Effect.’ Fatherly.com. 11 May 2021. https://www.fatherly.com/health-science/science-benefits-of-fatherhood-dads-father-effect/
Levs, Josh. They’re Dragging Out the ‘Absent Black Fathers’ Myth Again. Can We Give it a Rest? Newsweek.com. 5 June 2020.
https://www.newsweek.com/absent-black-fathers-myth-racism-1509085

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Denise Ann Goosby grew up a preacher’s daughter, and her love of words led to degrees in English and print journalism and to work as a reporter and educator. In 2018 she founded Healing Song Ministry to serve seniors, veterans, and the hurting in south Los Angeles County. Denise enjoys visiting cultural sites and cheering for her world-champion childhood heroes, the Los Angeles Dodgers and Los Angeles Lakers. She writes and sings on her blog, Denise’s Healing Journey.

Contact Denise at goosbydenise@gmail.com
www.denisegoosby.com
https://www.facebook.com/Denises-Healing-Journey-A-blog-104419934693246
Healing Song Ministry: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCHPNkGeOyN7ILQDJnz7yRSQ/videos

Christian publisher Ark House launches mentor service to help authors navigate writing a book

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FAITH NEWS SERVICE – Christian book publisher Ark House has launched a new author mentoring service in an effort to help budding authors navigate the process of both completing a book, plus helping with getting published.

The Write Coach has been set up to help authors who desire to write a book, or get it finished, yet need a helping hand from an experienced mentor.

The company stated that the mentoring division was birthed after finding they were receiving so many inquiries and submissions from authors who were keen to write a book, or needed help completing theirs, but needed help in the process.

With no such help available, and authors turned away to sort out this process on their own, over time, they said they saw the ability to offer a service that would help.

The Write Coach is managed by the experienced publishing team at Ark House and utilizes the experience of author and mentor, Andrew Jobling. Andrew has published eight books and his most recent, TEARS Of Joy, was published by Ark House.

Nicole Danswan, the Art and Publishing Director at Ark House, said: “The Write Coach is a powerful new initiative that, while it is operated by a publishing house, this in no way means that authors using The Write Coach mentoring and coaching service are tied to having to use Ark House as their publishing house.

“It is run independently and authors are free to then approach other publishers. Of course, this at the same time means we are here and able to help with publishing, if an author so chooses, but The Write Coach can be used for author help alone and there are no strings attached.

“We understand the power of books to change the world and we are simply wanting to offer a helping hand to those authors who feel they need to bring their book to completion.”

Authors can chose from three online only options, where they can follow the process at their own leisure, or they can utilize the mentoring model, working personally with Andrew to navigate the publishing process.

For more information visit www.thewritecoach.co.

About Ark House
Ark House is a leading global Christian book publisher that has published thousands of titles since its formation in 2003. Ark House serves both the Christian and mainstream book markets with contemporary, relevant books that carry life-changing content.

Fascinating new books portray journey of young man caught in the end times of our world

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FAITH NEWS SERVICE – It is hard, even for the strongest of Christians, to comprehend that, even when we are simply “sitting on the couch”, there is a battle raging for our souls. Our fight is a spiritual one, and we are all engaged in it, whether we like it or not.

The Last Sunset and its sequel, The Last Sunset Afterlife, are both entertaining stories written by talented New Zealand author Reece Hewitt that take the reader on the journey of a young man caught in the end times of our world.

In this two-part series, Zack and his friends must fight for their lives against a truly evil enemy as the armies of hell are unleashed upon the globe and civilization as we know it is shattered. Faith becomes the only thing that can keep them alive. The elderly Bishop Kephas is one of the few surviving members of an ancient Holy Order dedicated to ensuring the survival of humankind. He must find a way to keep his flock safe from all those determined on their destruction. This action-packed tale of survival reveals if prayer and blade can defeat tooth and claw.

Author Reece Hewitt told me he was inspired to write the series as a way of showing the spiritual realm in a physical and tangible way. “I have found it hard sometimes when God, faith and prayer are all things that cannot be seen or touched,” Reece said.

“The Bible can be difficult to understand, and the book of Revelation is mysterious to say the least. So, I decided to craft a story, which combines my interest of end-times and studies. In this way I hope to have made something that the reader could relate to.

“Despite being surrounded in the physical world, I think it is important to remember we are in this world but not of the world. Even when we are relaxing on the couch there is a battle raging for our souls.”

Many years after the initial idea for his novel, Reece moved to Auckland to study. After several jobs, he found himself with a long train ride each day that would enable him to finally have the time to write his story. On yet another long commute into work, he pulled his phone from his pocket and began tapping. Several months later – and several commutes on – he had drafted 80,000 words of his first novel.

While Christians understand the importance of both end times and Revelation in their faith, most struggle to comprehend it. Reece’s powerful books help the reader to understand the end times story in an action packed, palatable way. Reece has also included hand-picked scriptures throughout the story, which both the characters and readers can use across a range of situations.

In closing, Reece told me: “I hope that readers of this book pick up some lessons of faith as they follow the characters on their journey. If a single soul turns closer to God due to these books, then they have been worth writing.”

The Last Sunset and The Last Sunset Afterlife are now both available globally.

New Redemption Press release comforts spouses on grief journey

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FAITH NEWS SERVICE – How can I ever be happy again?

Perhaps you have asked yourself this heavy question every day since your spouse’s passing. Perhaps you feel such intense grief and fear that you might not ever feel like yourself again. With 11.3 million widows and 3.7 million widowers in the United States in 2020, you are most certainly not alone in your grief and in your mountain of fears.*

Each of us are uniquely created by our Creator, and while we may experience the same grief and loss of a spouse, it doesn’t mean we will process grief in the same way.

You might be asking yourself how you can enjoy a holiday now that your spouse is gone, or how to help your young children grieve and understand the loss of Daddy or Grandpa. Perhaps you are grappling with how to handle the household responsibilities, chores, and finances that your spouse was responsible for. So many new and unexpected details to manage all alone. Life must feel daunting, scary, and unsure in this world of fresh grief or grief that resurfaces during special holidays and events.

Mother and daughter author team Sharon Engram and Lori Rohlinger, who have each lost a spouse, minister to widows and widowers, sharing how they each were able “to trust God with my grief and healing of my broken heart.

Lori and Sharon invite you to step away from the overwhelming demands and grief-wrenching spaces of life for a few moments each day and bask in the rich goodness of Jesus and precious love He showers upon you. In Surviving Widowhood: 40 Devotions of Hope for Widows, your grieving heart will be comforted, your tears will be seen, and your soul will be nourished.

* https://www.statista.com/statistics/242030/marital-status-of-the-us-population-by-sex/

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Sharon Engram was active in the three churches her late husband, Don, pastored in Illinois, Ohio, and Arizona. As a speaker, women’s ministry leader, and Bible study teacher, she also helped found Women Anew (Ohio), an annual conference for women which has reached thousands of ladies. Sharon’s heart also expands into international missions. She helped develop the Women’s Ministry division for International Needs, assisting national women leaders in ministering to their own people. As part of that ministry, Sharon organized several women’s teams to teach at women’s conferences in third-world countries. She also served on the board of directors for WorldVentures Missions. Mother of four, grandmother of fourteen, and great-grandmother of six, Sharon lives in Goodyear, Arizona.

Lori Rohlinger was active alongside her late husband, Greg, in founding Palm Valley Church in Arizona, seeing growth to over four thousand worshippers. The couple was an inspiring speaking team—he at the 2013 C3 conference for pastors in Dallas, and she at JustOne virtual conference in 2014 and 2016. Lori also spoke at the in-person Flourish Conference in 2017. She lives in Buckeye, Arizona, and is the mother of three young adult sons and one teenage daughter. Lori writes a blog and does a weekly podcast, Beautifully Broken, about widowed life. Learn more at https://lorirohlinger.blogspot.com./.

Podcast, Beautifully Broken: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/beautifully-broken/id1497602623

For review copies and media interviews, contact

Lori Rohlinger at lori.beautifullybroken@gmail.com

Sharon Engram at sharonengram60@gmail.com

Instagram: Sharon Wickham Engram

Facebook: Sharon Wickham Engram

Instagram: Lori Rohlinger

Facebook: Lori Rohlinger

New Redemption Press release explores where to find trust and hope when your well of faith dries up

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FAITH NEWS SERVICE – Has God stopping working for you? According to the American Psychological Association, many people’s faith can waver when challenges upset everything familiar.* Perhaps that’s how you feel in uncertain times, when the faith well is often bone dry and God seems far, far away.

When her son was diagnosed with juvenile diabetes, life as Debbie Ashley knew it had drastically changed. Her faith well had dried up. She couldn’t see God and could only experience confusion, worry, and uncertainty. For a time, she grappled to understand how God could let this happen to her son—and her family, as they had to now make drastic changes in how they managed everything from family vacations to her son’s ongoing medical needs.

Through patience and prayer, Debbie learned how to help her son and to work through her own fraught emotions to refill her faith in God. She says, “My friend, if you long for a belief in God that is unhindered by the what-ifs and why-nots, you are not alone.”

Using her story as a catalyst, Debbie’s Bible study Unhindered Faith: Finding The Freedom to Trust God Completely explores eight core emotions and the women of the Bible who experienced them. Women facing life’s challenges will be empowered to rebuild the walls of their wells toward a faith unhindered.

With tools designed to strengthen women’s faith in God, this book includes study questions and journaling responses to document the discovery journey. A leader’s guide is available to facilitate small group discussion.

Don’t let your faith be hindered by life’s upheaval. Begin your spiritual journey today toward a refreshing wellspring of faith in God.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Author Debbie Ashley loves to learn and to teach and ultimately lives to make a difference—because so many have made a difference in her own life. A pastor’s wife for over thirty years, she loves to help equip women with faith tools for their spiritual journey. She and her husband, Mark, have been married for thirty-five years, and they have three adult children. Debbie and Mark live in northeast Ohio, where they serve in local church ministry. Learn more about living unhindered faith at www.debmashley.com.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/debmashley

Instagram: @deb.m.ashley

For review copies and media interviews, contact Debbie Ashley at pmja5@windstream.net

* https://www.apa.org/topics/covid-19/faith-crisis

Redemption Press author offers a toolbox of help for raising children in a world full of ‘landmines’

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FAITH NEWS SERVICE – Every parent or caregiver faces various threats, barriers, and challenges on the journey of rearing children from birth to adulthood, especially in today’s uncertain world. Mike Weiford calls these external forces “landmines”—anything from disease to poverty to bullying to emotional or physical abuse. And they can negatively impact a child’s development.

For those raising children, navigating these landmines can seem daunting, even impossible.

In his new book Navigating the Minefield, Mike offers hope for anyone tasked with the gift of raising a child in this landmine-filled world. He believes some landmines are preventable and offers tips and tools for sidestepping these threats that may pose a risk to the well-being of children in your care. His goal is to provide a resource for parents that will equip them to care for children more effectively and potentially change the trajectory of their child’s emotional, mental, and spiritual health.

Mike knows well the threats facing our children today. He has spent more than four decades working with children, teens, and adults with physical and emotional abuse histories and has seen the devastating impact of landmines on kids—and the ones who raise them. Now he wants to offer that experience and wisdom to others.

With humility, gentleness, and wisdom, Mike challenges parents to face potential landmines so that they can effectively and successfully guide children toward healthy adulthood.

In Navigating the Minefield, readers will learn about child growth and development basics, positive discipline techniques, the power of forgiveness, the threat that abuse and neglect pose to future generations, and instilling godly character traits in children to foster healthy adult behavior. Plus, they will learn why parents and caregivers must deal with their own self-esteem, addiction, and anger issues and where they can reach out for help.

The book is sprinkled with workbook-style reflection sections, practical tips, and real-life examples.

No parent is perfect. But Navigating the Minefield will help couples, single parents, grandparents, and designated caregivers—anyone tasked with the gift of raising a child in this landmine-filled world—be a better parent and find joy on the journey.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Mike Weiford is a licensed independent clinical social worker and recognized child mental health specialist with forty years of experience. He has worked at The Center • A Place of Hope for more than thirty years on the multidisciplinary partial hospitalization care team, providing treatment to various client populations struggling with mental illness, including children, adolescents, families, and parents. He and his wife, Judy, are the parents of three grown children and two grandchildren. They make their home in Mountlake Terrace, Washington.

For review copies and media interviews, contact mike at: weifordmikea17@gmail.com

LinkedIn: Mike Weiford • weifordmikea17@gmail.com

New Redemption Press release welcomes readers to a world where Nancy meets Ancient Rome

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FAITH NEWS SERVICE – In ancient Roman culture, few women challenged the status quo. So imagine when adventurous, spunky, headstrong Livia dives right into a swamp of danger after learning that her new husband’s mentor has been murdered.

As Livia uncovers clues in secret, she discovers injustice toward other women and the nasty web of affluent men behind it all. And in the throes of a young marriage, Avitus and Livia come head to head. Avitus doesn’t want his wife to be in danger, and Livia wants to prove to her husband that she’s capable of solving the disastrous crimes. Their lack of mutual trust and respect turns into a bitter test of wills—and they discover that their assumptions were more harmful than they realized.

In book 2 of Livia Aemilia Mysteries, Lisa E. Betz draws inspiration from thirty-five years leading Bible studies to create entertaining mysteries set in the early church era that include eccentric characters, independent females, and an occasional sausage-snatching cat. “I have always been drawn to books that were different than what everyone else was reading,” she says. Her imperfect, unconventional characters “live with authenticity despite the challenges they face for daring to be different.”

For readers who enjoy mysteries and historical fiction with a touch of humor, Fountains and Secrets is an engaging tale of identity, purpose, and hope.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
An engineer-turned-mystery-writer, Lisa E. Betz infuses her novels with authentic characters who thrive on solving tricky problems. Her debut novel, Death and a Crocodile, won several awards, including Golden Scroll Novel of the Year (2021). Lisa combines her love of research with her quirky imagination to bring the world of the early church to life. She and her husband reside outside Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, with Scallywag, their rambunctious cat—the inspiration for Nemesis, resident mischief maker in the Livia Aemilia Mysteries. Lisa directs church dramas, eats too much chocolate, and experiments with ancient Roman recipes. Visit www.lisaebetz.com.

For review copies and media interviews, contact Lisa Betz at lisa@lisaebetz.com.
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LisaEBetzWriter
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lisaebetz/
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/lisabetz88/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/LisaEBetz
Goodreads author: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/20880297.Lisa_E_Betz

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