Author Archives: fnwadmin

for the least of these

Reflections of a Prison Librarian Told in Enlightening New Book

FAITH NEWS SERVICE – Fred Winn had the sort of job that would make for interesting conversation at a dinner party. As a librarian at a prison, he has come in contact with some very colorful characters. At the same time, he has also heard and seen the saddest of stories, including the unfair treatment of Black and poor people of all races in America.

In For The Least of These: Reflections of a Prison Librarian, Fred details stories from his time at Soledad State Prison in the Salinas Valley of California, a prison that houses three thousand inmates.

Each inmate had a tale of woe, which explains the circumstances leading to their confinement. That’s three thousand unique stories.

The term ‘for the least of these’ is not just a catchy title for a book. Fred’s occupation has allowed him first hand to see how the lack of support for the marginalized sees many men enter – and become stuck in – the prison system. Referring to the 25th Chapter of Matthew, as well as other parts of the Bible, he is critical of many in the ‘Christian community’. He says some elements of it openly support political figures that spout racist, hateful rhetoric and tell blatant lies contrary to the Master’s teaching.

“The Bible teaches us that ‘God is Love;’ the one and true God that we worship loves justice. We serve a God of mercy and grace,” Fred states.

“God’s Word clearly defines how Followers of Christ should treat others. The Bible commands us to Love God with all of our heart and to love our neighbor as we love ourselves. However, many Christians appear to be secret followers of Christ. They ‘serve’ Christ undercover. Others (neighbors, friends, etc.) are unaware that they are members of the Faith Community. Their actions, do not reflect Christ in their lives.

Fred says that some Christian leaders teach that members of certain political parties are not Christians. Some appear to filter their faith through a political lens instead of their politics through biblical principles. As a result, many elements of the Christian community support political leaders that advocate marginalizing, demonizing, and denying public support to people on the edges of society, in other words, ‘the least of these.’

Fred would know. His role over many years has seen the fruit of this. What is outside the walls of the prison does not offer them a lot of hope either, so re-offending thus becomes very high.

In this fascinating book, Fred traces the backlash experienced by African-Americans by many members of the White Christian Church to the civil rights struggle of the 1950s and 1960s (in the United States) and compares that reaction to the present-day Black Lives Matter Movement. Many churches opposed the goals of the civil rights movement, and today many Christians cannot even utter the phrase ‘Black Lives Matter’ and instead state ‘All Lives Matter.’

A Fred reflects on his life in prison employment, he interweaves his thoughts on how Christians must both love and look after those on the edges. He encourages us to be part of the solution, not contributing to the problem.

“As Christians, we are not to be undercover, as many appear to be,” he says. As noted, “one would never suspect many who identify as Followers of Christ as Christ’s followers. Neither their language nor deeds reflect Christ’s teaching.”

As also noted, “some view their faith through a political lens rather than shape their political views through a biblical lens. This group often believes that membership in a particular political party or a specific position on a culture war issue is a prerequisite for those bound for Heaven.”

These are some of the assumptions the author challenges in this book, inspiring him to pen his first manuscript. As he says, the Christian faith is not just rhetoric, but a life of actions and deeds. God is not calling for cultural warriors. Faithful followers are to be fully engaged daily and wholly embrace the teaching of Christ.

For The Least of These: Reflections of a Prison Librarian also contains stories from the inmate’s viewpoint, explaining the circumstances leading to their confinement. These stories are partly gritty and funny; some are uplifting, while others are sombre. In any case, readers will be interested in how many of the inmates ended up in prison. But it’s not just an entertaining read; this book will help Christians grow in empathy for those who find themselves in this unenviable position.

Fred has a B.A. Degree in Political Science and African American Studies from the University of California, Santa Barbara, and a post-graduate degree in Library Science from the University of California, Berkeley. He retired from the California Prison System after 25 years of employment.

For The Least of These: Reflections of a Prison Librarian, published by Ark House, is now available globally.

Gathering the Wayward Heart

Gathering the Wayward Heart, Will be Free to Download Tomorrow, March 21, 2023

FAITH NEWS SERVICE – United States—Monday, March 20, 2023

Tracey Glenn invites readers to join her on a journey of faith and trust with the re-launch of her debut memoir, Gathering the Wayward Heart: Lessons on Faith, Trust, and Surrendering Our Best-Laid Plans.

Available for free download tomorrow, March 21, 2023, this powerful story is one woman’s account of how God rescued and healed her from the pain of harrowing circumstances and near-catastrophic events to establish her feet on new ground.

This story of hope will inspire those trapped by shame from past events to discover your life purpose and know you have a Savior who pursues, protects, and heals. Tracey recounts how she found solace in her personal relationship with the Lord as she faced difficulties and chaos that threatened to derail her future. She shares how His guidance enabled her to overcome fear, doubt and despair as she learned how to surrender control in order to find true peace.

Through candid stories of courage and resilience along with practical steps for spiritual growth, Tracey offers readers insight into how they too can build faith through trusting God’s promises. She encourages them to step out in faith even when the outcome appears uncertain because He is the only one who can bring true hope through difficulties.

Tracey recalls how God used difficult situations in her life as opportunities for growth rather than punishment or destruction. “My heart began to turn toward Him more quickly when I realized I could trust Him even when my plans were being derailed,” said Tracey. “I soon discovered that his plans are far greater than anything I could ever imagine.”

Gathering the Wayward Heart is an inspirational read about learning to lean into faith instead of trying to control every situation. In it, Tracey shares how trusting God can be a catalyst for transformation both spiritually and emotionally–and ultimately lead us down paths we never imagined possible!

Download your copy of Gathering the Wayward Heart: Lessons on Faith, Trust, and Surrendering Our Best-Laid Plans beginning March 21st through March 25th on Amazon.

For More Information: To schedule an interview or for more information about this press release, please contact Tracey Glenn at traceyglenn196@yahoo.com.

About the Author

Tracey Glenn is an author, blogger, speaker, and searcher of biblical wisdom. With a heart for God, kids, and all God’s creatures, Tracey engages hearts and minds to help others understand God’s truth. Tracey has an associate’s degree in psychology, completed the Living Waters School of Biblical Evangelism, and co-founded a business that provides services for children with special needs. She lives in southeast Arizona with her husband, Link. They have three children and four grandkids.

Suggested Interview Questions

  1. In your book, you tell of a date rape you endured as a college student. How hard a decision was it to reveal the incident, and what do you hope readers will take from it?
  2. Riding with your husband driving trucks seemed very harrowing at times. What advice do you offer to other wives of truck drivers? What was it like for you?
  3. Growing up on a ranch in southeast Arizona must have been rewarding but hard work. What is one memory you have about that time in your life that stands out, that isn’t talked about in the book?
  4. You and your family lived near one of the Arizona border crossings by Mexico, and you talked candidly about the violence and abuse against the illegal migrants coming into the country. What do you want people to know about their plight?
  5. When you found out you were pregnant with a baby who would have special needs, abortion surely was an option. What would you say to someone who faces the same decision?
  6. Raising a child with special needs led you to co-found Caring Connections for Special Needs (CCSN). Can you tell us about your organization and the services it provides?
  7. Tell us how you came to the decision to adopt your son. What encouragement can you give to someone thinking about adoption? What advice can you give them when they decide to adopt?
Living Missionally Beyond Sunday

New book helps Christians rediscover their missionary identity

FAITH NEWS SERVICEWhat is the mission of God in the world and what is my part in it? Both the answer and the value of this question are made evident by means of a dose of “rabbinic rhetoric”: What does a barista and a missionary have common?

Work is a sacred ordinance, and God intends for your vocation, your work, to be coupled with mission— God has called all believers, those who are “in Christ” by grace, through faith, to couple their daily work and lives with God’s mission: “For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do,” Eph. 2:10.

The Greek term translated “handiwork” means “he has made us what we are.” God has blessed you with gifts, talents, skills, and passion to do the work you love— e.g., mechanic, welder, teacher, construction, custodian, farmer, logger, physician, grocery clerk, lawyer, nurse, bank teller, business owner, police officer, marine, soldier, airman, sailor, writer, musician, artist, and, of course, barista!

And God created you “in Christ” (you are a new creation) to do good works, which God “prepared in advance,” that is, before “the creation of the world” — “The good works of the righteous are the work and gift of God.” Therefore, every believer is to involve themselves “… in the eternal purposes of God in the world to redeem it to Himself, to sum up all things to Himself in Christ Jesus” (Alan Hirsch).

For the creation ordinance of work to possess ultimate purpose, passion and an abiding sense of mission, believers must transform their vocation into a missional vocation— A barista and a missionary are biblically called to be one in the same person! If the church is going to be revived, and make disciples at home and throughout the earth, in obedience to Jesus Christ in whom all “authority in heaven and on earth has been given,” the church must rediscover her Missionary Identity— This is the primary purpose of the book you hold in your hand, Living Missionally Beyond Sunday, “and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.”

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
“He is an able and attractive man of God who knows and loves evangelical theological truth; who can think, handling ideas and arguments with clarity and precision; and who can teach, verbalizing and illustrating very straightforwardly.”
The Late, Dr. James I. Packer, Professor of Theology, Regent College

Kerry McRoberts is a husband, father, grandfather, and above all, a covenant child of God by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone. “Mac” (a nickname since his service in the United States Air Force) has served the purpose of the kingdom of God as an academic dean, professor, pastor, apologist, author, guest lecturer, speaker/preacher, and participant in paradigm studies on five continents.

Mac has conducted numerous conferences on cults, the occult, and pagan spirituality, and participated in debates, e.g., New Age, occult, cults, and social ethical issues. He has presented lectures and published on apologetics, social-ethics, theology, and missional congregations in the context of postmodern, post-postmodern, neo-pagan, socialist, and neo-Marxist cultures.

Mac’s pastoral career spans thirty-five years, and his teaching/academic career exceeds twenty-five years. He has authored five books, and coauthored three books (at present, Mac is working on his sixth book, a cultural apologetic confronting Western Civilization’s Marxist “Woke” invasion).

FROM THE FOREWORDLIVING MISSIONALLY BEYOND SUNDAY
“This is not a refined academic treatise or a simplistic pop culture work. It is an enthusiastic exploration and unearthing of the biblical and empirical clarity we need to go forward in this VUCA (volatile, uncertain, chaotic, and ambiguous) world we are in. When all of God’s people are on mission in all of life – especially their daily work – we can expect significant kingdom progress. All of the chapters have the unrefined freshness of Mac’s humble inquiry and his ability to distill so much information in one place.”
Dr. Charlie Self

 

robert hinds

Lies Exposed 21 Years After Detroit Teen is Wrongfully Convicted of Murder Results in Demand for a New Trial

Wayne County’s Case Against Juvenile Lifer Robert T. Hinds Continues to Unravel with Key Witness’ New Admission to Bribery and Falsely Testifying

FAITH NEWS SERVICE – March 10, 2023 – Detroit, Michigan – Monday, March 6, Attorney Glenn Simmington, of the Law Office of Glenn Simmington in Flint, MI, filed a motion for Relief From Judgement (6.500) on behalf of his client, juvenile lifer, Robert T. Hinds, in front of Wayne County Circuit Court Judge Kevin Cox (Case No. 01-00937-FC). Hinds was convicted at the age of 17 for the May 16, 2001 murder of Demond King on Cameron Street on Detroit’s East Side. For over 21 years, Hinds has maintained his innocence.

After an extensive investigation, led by Private Investigator Felicia Legion, owner of Inquiring Eyes Investigation Firm, in Detroit, MI, numerous constitutional violations and clear acts of police misconduct were uncovered in Hinds’ case, as well as other disturbing evidence supporting his decades-long claim of actual innocence. With the help of Hinds’ supporters, the investigation resulted in the discovery of a miscellaneous file that contained an overwhelming assortment of evidence that was wrongfully withheld by the Detroit Police Department Homicide Section.

The evidence found consists of usable fingerprints and palm prints, numerous documents pertaining to a previous home invasion at King’s home on Cameron Street where the perpetrators were said to be wearing clothing that said “DPD” (Detroit Police Department) and threatened to kill King, one tip sheet and investigator’s report regarding another threat to kill King, one tip sheet where another state’s witness was named as a suspect, one police report that documents that firearms were discovered when the state’s key witnesses were taken into custody and provided their statements implicating Hinds, and a document referencing one hair with the root end attached found in a vehicle that the state says was involved in the crime. None of this evidence was turned over to the defense prior to trial.

Unfortunately, this is not an anomaly. The DPD has been under national scrutiny for over a decade for police misconduct. In 2008, the Detroit Crime Laboratory was closed after a disturbing audit by Michigan State Police. This audit uncovered issues that called into question the testing and handling of evidence. Paula Lytle, director of the lab at the time, was also the forensic expert in Hinds’ case. Now David Haymer, forensic expert and DNA consultant for the Innocence Project, is calling into question the forensic testing that was done by Lytle in Hinds’ case.

Haymer, who has more than 30 years of experience with the use of DNA markers in research and practical applications, asserts that the testing done in Hinds’ case was not adequate or appropriate, that the prosecutor’s statement made during trial that Hinds was linked through DNA was invalid, and that producing the hair with the root end attached that was originally suppressed in this case could provide a conclusive DNA profile that could result in exculpatory evidence for Hinds. Disappointingly, according to the DPD, the hair with the root end attached can no longer be located so that it can be tested. In addition to this missing evidence, Hinds states, “There is also a buccal swab that was used to take my DNA before I went to trial that I don’t see logged into evidence or listed anywhere. I would like to know where this evidence is.”

In the cases Brady v. Maryland (1963) 373 US 83, 10 L Ed 2d 215, 83 S Ct 1194 and Kyles v. Whitley (1995) 514 US 419, 115 S. Ct. 1555; the United States Supreme Court makes it clear that the state has a duty to turn over any favorable evidence that can aid a defendant in their defense.

Shirley Saltzman, the defense attorney who represented Hinds during his April 2002 trial, acknowledges in a recent sworn affidavit that none of the evidence discovered in this miscellaneous file was ever provided to her in discovery prior to trial. Two other witnesses have also submitted sworn affidavits through their attorneys, Alan Butler and Zanita Clipper, providing evidence that Hinds could have used to undermine the prosecution’s witnesses and theory and help prove his innocence during his trial.

Butler’s client attests that a state’s witness and suspect in this case bragged about his involvement in Kings’ death and having one “his boys” tell the police Hinds committed this crime. Clipper’s client, who was the landlord of the property rented by the state’s key witness, attests to seeing one of the state’s key witnesses in the vehicle found near the crime scene the day the crime was committed. This state’s witness testified at trial that he had never driven this vehicle and that Hinds was the last person with the owner of this vehicle before the vehicle was located near the crime scene. In addition, the owner of this vehicle picked someone other than Hinds out of a lineup when asked to identify the person that last had his vehicle. Only after interacting with the Detroit police, did this witness come to court and identify Hinds.

Clipper’s client also swears that the state’s witnesses were found in possession of guns and drugs the day the property he owned on Danbury Street was raided by the Detroit Police Homicide Section while they were investigating this case. This was the same day the state’s key witnesses provided their statements to the police, implicating Hinds in the crime. The discovery of these guns and drugs was never disclosed to Hinds and his attorney prior to trial.

This evidence could have been used to impeach these witnesses and demonstrate their motivation to implicate Hinds in this case to avoid prosecution for the guns and drugs that were found during the raid. This new witness’ testimony is corroborated by a police report referencing guns that were found when the state’s two key witnesses were taken into custody and implicated Hinds. This police report was discovered among the documents in the miscellaneous file that was suppressed by the state in this case.

In 2020 Hinds presented his case to the Wayne County Conviction Integrity (CIU) to be investigated. After waiting for over two years, in November 2022, Simmington was told that the hair with the root end attached that was withheld during Hinds’ trial couldn’t be located by the DPD to have the DNA testing performed on it that he desired and that the CIU was closing his case.

Shortly after Hinds’ case was released by the CIU, Simmington and Legion began relentlessly pursuing all leads and interviewing witnesses in Hinds’ case. Legion was able to locate and interview one of the prosecution’s key witnesses whose testimony was critical in Hinds’ conviction. This witness testified at trial that he heard Hinds brag to another state’s witness that he committed this crime.

This witness now admits that he never heard Hinds brag about committing this crime and that he and another one of the prosecution’s witnesses were in fact found in possession of guns and drugs when the Detroit Police Homicide Section raided the Danbury Street residence while they were investigating this case and that he implicated Hinds to avoid being charged. This witness’ admissions are bolstered by other evidence that has been discovered in this case. This witness also revealed that he was paid $1,500 dollars by the victim’s family to continue to come to court and testify against Hinds, which creates significant doubt about Hinds’ conviction and the integrity of the investigation of this case.

The lead detective in this case was Detective Christopher Vintevoghel, who testified at Hinds’ preliminary examination that there wasn’t any fingerprint evidence in this case. Now over a decade later, Hinds has discovered that there were actually usable fingerprints and palm prints found on the vehicle that the state says was involved in this crime. The prints do not belong to Hinds, who contends that this officer’s false testimony at his preliminary examination contributed to the suppression of this evidence, which could have been used to aid in his defense at trial.

Detective Vintevoghel was a part of what was once the Special Assignment Squad (SAS), which handled high profile cases and crimes committed against police and city officials. With the lack of police oversight and accountability, Hinds says that he has serious concerns about how many other cases this officer may have suppressed evidence or committed misconduct in.

In recent years, Detroit police officers have been found guilty of misconduct. However, the exposure of their unethical actions has not triggered an investigation into the other cases that were handled by them. Criminal justice advocates argue that it’s unlikely that these officers have only committed misconduct in one case and that they often have a pattern of behavior. Hinds says that every case that was handled by an officer found committing misconduct should be reviewed to protect the judicial process and maintain its integrity.

Hinds is currently waiting for a response to his motion from the Wayne County Prosecutor’s Office and a subsequent hearing before Judge Cox. Supporters of his exoneration have created a petition at www.change.org/freeroberthinds. The motion in its entirety along with evidentiary exhibits can be viewed at A Life for A Life Urban Initiative – Innocence Corner

#FreeRobertHinds

Contact: Erinna McKissick Hinds
A Life for A Life Urban Initiative
989.372.1375
alalurbaninitiative@gmail.com

imagination of god

Groundbreaking Discoveries Validate Biblical Texts: Revealing our Motion thru the Cosmos with Precision.

FAITH NEWS SERVICEThe Foundation for World Peace Via Universal Truth Uses Science to Explain Biblical Mysteries: Providing Answers We Desperately Need to Create Peace

Part One: The Improbability of Coincidence. A term used by atheist Richard Dawkins, reaches biblical proportions in numerous discoveries by Founder, Theologian and Bible Scholar Michael Christopher in his book: Imagination of God.

The imagination is more important than knowledge ~ Albert Einstein

1Co 13:8 …whether there be knowledge it shall vanish away ~ The Apostle Paul

Using scientific relativity Michael explains how the Mysteries of the Universe reveal the Mysteries of God with profound clarity; not only validating the divine inspiration of ancient Biblical source texts: but they furthermore provide a Revelation of God foretold in biblical prophecy the world has never heard, which provides answers we never had to effectively bring an end to all the conflict in America and the world.

And he explains all this in a way that virtually anyone can understand by using the same dynamic that made scientists and astronomers such as Copernicus and Galileo famous, when they used the genius of their imagination to behold the invisible, and by so doing forever altered Mankind’s perception of reality.

If you can see the invisible, you can do the impossible ~ Albert Einstein

Matthew 5:8: Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God ~ Jesus

Notice how the discovery of scientific relativity was foretold via two prophetic verses that appear to contradict one another, yet they are both being fulfilled simultaneously.

Daniel 12:4 knowledge shall be increased. ~ 1Co 13:10 knowledge shall vanish away.

We are flying thru the Universe in Motion ~ Yet all we feel is Perfect Stillness: Experiencing two contradictory realities in the stunning paradox of this eternal present moment in which we live: One of knowledge and one of perception. Yet perception creates our reality ~ while this knowledge is destined to vanish away.

Likewise, the Light of the world (Our Sun / Son) is hidden within the Darkness of Night: So, the Light and Darkness appear to be One, just like Motion and Stillness.

Is it coincidence when Jesus (the Son) was Yahweh in the OT: That He said “I dwell in the thick darkness?” and later on earth He tells us “I am the light of the world?”

And the scriptural address is the same: 1 Kings 8:12 and John 8:12. And the spiritual mysteries revealed in all this will be explained in Part Two via excerpts from his book.

Moving on, we should point out his discoveries were only made possible after 10,000 hours of biblical study and contemplation of our Metaphoric Universe spanning 50 years, which included his most recent 17 years studying the ancient Hebrew and Aramaic source texts of our English Bible, the latter of which he discovered had serious foundational errors due to intentional mistranslation, most of which occurred in the early centuries of the Church, that removed the Divine Feminine and left Christians in confusion regarding a Godhead that was somehow made up of three males: A concept which he points out is found nowhere in Creation.

Psalm 19:1-4 and Romans 1:20 essentially tell us Creation is the Word of God.

Look deep into nature and you will understand everything better ~ Albert Einstein

For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that all men are without excuse: _____Romans 1:20

Moving on to explain our motion thru the Universe: we only need to dig a little deeper into the meaning of the ancient Hebrew word translated “Night” in Genesis 1:5: “To twist away from the light” which describes this rotating sphere we call Earth.

So, thousands of years before astronomers such as Aristarchus first explained this stunning theory to Mankind, the same God who created the ancient Hebrew language, had freighted this word with meaning which goes far beyond describing our simple rotation, to describe our complex motion thru the Cosmos with absolute precision.

I am speaking of how this word translated Night comes from an unused root which provides the imagery of spiral stairs. Now most people have not spent much time contemplating such things, but if we could see the motion and path of our planet flying thru the Cosmos: it would appear as spiral stairs ascending (or descending, depending on your point of view) thru the heavens!

Coincidence? We will let the reader decide.

Our second motion: Our orbit around the sun at an average of exactly 66,666 mph (another coincidence?) is what creates this spiral as we are hurtling with the entire Galaxy at an unbelievable velocity of about one million mph toward what astronomers call the Great Attractor, which also has spiritual significance.

As does our motion due north as we simultaneously circumnavigate the Galaxy at about 500,000 mph: North speaks of adversity, which is being overwhelmed by our motion south at twice that velocity which speaks of blessing! Net result?

We know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. ___ Romans 8:28

For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. ___ Romans 8:18

In Part Three we use physics and relativity to explain the biblical mystery of the Four Corners* of the Earth in two different ways that dovetail via the center point of Earth. This reveals all Four Dimensions of God, and a Revelation of the Godhead the world has never heard, providing answers we have never had for why America and the world have been in such conflict…until we be created into this very same image.

* Corners is a mistranslation of the Hebrew word kanaph which means extremities.

Link to preview book: https://authorwebservices-gem.net/iUniverse/820541/

CONTACT: Michael Christopher worldpeaceviauniversaltruth@gmail.com

SOURCE: The Foundation for World Peace Via Universal Truth

bob hoskins

OneHope Reaches 2 Billion Children and Youth With God’s Word

FAITH NEWS SERVICEPOMPANO BEACH, FL — March 7th, 2023 — OneHope, an international Christian ministry, has crossed the threshold of sharing God’s Word with two billion children since 1987.

To commemorate this incredible milestone, Bob Hoskins, OneHope’s founder, traveled to El Salvador, where OneHope’s programs launched in 1987. Watch the live recording of this special moment here.

The vision of OneHope was born when Hoskins received a vision of Satan attacking the children of the world. “For days, I was weeping for what I saw—millions of children being slaughtered—and prayed, ‘ Lord, what am I seeing and what should I do?’” Bob said. “And the Lord said, ‘The only thing that will save them is truth, and the truth is in My Word. Take My Word to the children of the world and do it through leaders.’”

In 1987, Hoskins sent letters to major leaders in South America and was invited by the minister of education of El Salvador to give Scripture to every student in the nation. El Libro de Vida, the Spanish version of the Book of Hope, was created to share the Gospel with the children in El Salvador in an engaging and contextualized way. This was the beginning of OneHope.

“Since the beginning, all that God has asked of us is to keep a pure heart and clean hands,” Hoskins explained. “God has given us the privilege of stewarding this ministry, and through His faithfulness, we’ve seen His Word transform young people and their communities worldwide.”

marcos

OneHope’s programs present a biblical message of hope to children and youth through age, language, and culturally specific print, film, and digital media. In the past few years, OneHope has embarked on digital innovation, giving youth around the world easier access to Scripture. By partnering with YouVersion, OneHope created Kids Bible Experience and the Bible App for Kids, which has been downloaded more than 75 million times worldwide.

“OneHope’s digital programs are changing how the next generation discovers the grand narrative of the Bible. Also, through OneHope’s digital programs, we are able to reach children and youth in hard-to-reach places,” said Bobby Gruenewald, YouVersion founder and member of OneHope’s board of directors.

“My dad’s original vision is still—and always has been—the guiding force of our mission,” said Rob Hoskins, OneHope’s president. “In the midst of victories and milestones such as this, we strive to maintain the same humility and purity that have always been the cornerstone of our ministry. We also know the work is not done until we reach every single child with God’s Word, so we continue to pray for more partners to adopt the vision and join us in this mission.”

For more information about OneHope, visit https://onehope.net.

###

About OneHope: Since 1987, more than 2 billion children around the world have received God’s Word through the ministry of OneHope. Using research and innovation to create Scripture programs, OneHope partners with local churches to see every child in every generation experience the Gospel.

medicine for the heart

Medicine for the Heart: Reading Scripture in Troubled Times Will Be Free to Download Tomorrow (3/7/23)

FAITH NEWS SERVICE – United States—Monday, March 6, 2023

Dwain L. Eckberg is proud to present his newest book, Medicine for the Heart: Reading Scripture in Troubled Times, with Kierkegaard

Dwain wrote Medicine for the Heart to revitalize reading of God’s Word and introduce a wide audience to Kierkegaard’s magnificent insights on Scripture.

Inspired by the spiritually robust writings of Danish philosopher Søren Kierkegaard, Eckberg set out to encourage all who aspire to live richer, more meaningful lives. Aimed at believers and unbelievers, ministers, academics, and Kierkegaardians, Medicine for the Heart employs simple techniques for reading the Bible and patriarch Abraham’s own faith journey as a timeless example of living from a posture of individual faith. And reaching beyond Kierkegaard, readers will also enjoy the many quotations from notable thinkers and philosophers that challenge the mind and delight the heart.

Dwain L. Eckberg’s Medicine for the Heart: Reading Scripture in Troubled Times, with Kierkegaard will be free and available for download on Amazon for 5 days from March 7 through March 11, 2023.

For More Information: For more questions or to schedule an interview about this press release, please contact Dwain L. Eckberg at (434) 849-8668 or deckberg@ekholmen.com.

About the Author

A professor of medicine and cardiology, Dwain L. Eckberg, MD, graduated from Northwestern University School of Medicine. He has published over 170 scientific articles. He met Rebecca, his college sweetheart, at Wheaton College, where he studied philosophy, and she studied English. They have been married sixty-three years—“The first sixty-three years,” Dwain quips, “are the hardest.” They have three daughters and six grandchildren. The couple lives in Lynchburg, Virginia.

Suggested Interview Questions

  1. You have a philosophy degree and have been a research scientist for decades. How has these two elements influenced your faith?
  2. What initially piqued your interest about philosophy?
  3. Kierkegaard’s writings largely influenced your book. Tell us a bit about Kierkegaard in case our listeners aren’t as familiar with him as you are.
  4. Out of all the philosophers to choose from, why did you pick Kierkegaard and explore his writings?
  5. What is the greatest contribution Kierkegaard has had on Western civilization?
  6. Your book provides some techniques for reading the Bible. Which one has had the most impact on you personally?
  7. How do you hope readers will be inspired by their own faith from the context of your book?
  8. Which of Kierkegaard’s quotes has inspired you that you’d like to leave with readers?
college of bible studies

The College of Biblical Studies: Students Overcoming Father Absence through Scholarship Program

FAITH NEWS SERVICE – Houston, TX – Students of the College of Biblical Studies are eradicating father absence through a tuition-paid scholarship designed to address and overcome the plight of children growing up without a positive father figure. Emerging Leaders is a scholarship program for young men 17 – 30 designed to address the father absence epidemic in communities around the nation.

The Emerging Leaders program has been established to support, counsel, mentor, and provide a tuition-paid, accredited degree to young Christian men who meet eligibility requirements. Research and data show father absence negatively affects children socially, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. Father absence is a key factor in a life of poverty, familial abuse and neglect, and incarceration.

“Father absence is a worldwide epidemic changing the framework of society in a devastating way,” said CBS President Dr. Bill Blocker. “This crisis first affects the family and then the community. It is such a serious crisis affecting all areas of society that we must address it head-on.”

Students credit CBS and Emerging Leaders with changing their mindset, their future, and their children’s future. Here is a short video of one of our scholarship recipients.

More information about Emerging Leaders and eligibility requirements can be found at CBSHouston.edu/emerging-leaders.

About the College of Biblical Studies

The College of Biblical Studies is located in Houston, Indianapolis, Fort Wayne, and online. Leveraging its academic rigor and biblical worldview training, CBS offers an accredited college education with several programs in the Spanish language. Students receive transformational education and training for service to families, ministries, businesses, and communities around the world. CBS has provided biblically based education to more than 26,000 students since 1976 and is ranked as one of the lowest tuitions in Texas.

megavoice

Amidst Resurgence of Faith-Based Films like ‘Jesus Revolution’, ‘The Jesus Film’ and MegaVoice Partnership Stands the Test of Time

FAITH NEWS SERVICE – JACKSONVILLE, FL: As interest in faith-based films and TV shows grows thanks to the recent popularity of productions like ‘Jesus Revolution’ and ‘The Chosen’, MegaVoice celebrates the enduring impact of their partnership with Jesus Film Project.

The Jesus Film was released in 1979. Filmed on location in Israel at authentic biblical sites, this inspirational drama and commercial success retells the life of Christ. In 1981, Campus Crusade for Christ founder Bill Bright created Jesus Film Project to distribute the film more widely.

Since then, the film has been translated into over 1,000 languages (including 10 different sign languages), and 235 more translations are in progress, making it the most translated film in history! MegaVoice, the vanguard of solar-powered audio and video Bibles for the past 35 years, has helped distribute ‘The Jesus Film’ to millions of people around the world who need hope and direction.

Thanks to Jesus Film Project’s generosity in sharing their resources, MegaVoice includes ‘The Jesus Film’ audio on approximately half of the devices they distribute. Tom Meiner, who serves as COO of Jesus Film Project, said,

“We are excited to see the gospel continue to reach the ends of the earth. This task is way beyond any of us, but Jesus Film Project is blessed to partner for many years with MegaVoice in what God is doing around the world. We produce Jesus-centered products, but we need like-minded and skilled organizations like MegaVoice to provide the means for those products to be shared. Without their players, we wouldn’t be able to give millions the opportunity to hear and see Jesus speak their language.”

Email baranda@megavoice.com to arrange an interview with MegaVoice CEO Charles Cibene or MegaVoice Chief Partnership Officer Darrel Templeton.

About MegaVoice: Millions around the world still don’t have access to a Bible they can engage with because of language barriers, physical disabilities, or limited literacy. We create access solutions for these unique contexts. Through solar-powered audio and video Bibles and our massive content library, we equip our Partners to show up for the people they serve. MegaVoice can help you reach the least of us.

[Click here to learn more about MegaVoice! https://megavoice.com/press-release-portal/]

Media Contact:
Brittney Aranda
Executive Assistant
baranda@megavoice.com
850-293-9307
MegaVoice.com

Are You Ready to Find Joy When Life Gets Messy?

New book shares struggles of mental illness and depression on marriage

FAITH NEWS SERVICE – Fifteen million adults are affected with major depression in the United States each year, according to the National Institute of Mental Health.*

Depression is widespread and is even more on the rise in 2022, due to the devastating effects of the coronavirus pandemic; there was a 1,000 percent increase in calls to a federal emergency hotline for people in distress in April 2020, compared to the same time period in 2019.** Depression is especially hard on marriages. When one or more partners is depressed, the marriage is nine times more likely to end in divorce. ***

Carole Leathem knows firsthand about the strain depression and anxiety can put on a marriage, despite the promise to love through sickness and health. Carole’s husband, Bill, a pastor at the time, began a cycle of struggling with depression, anxiety, and suicidal thoughts.

Learning to deal with his episodes of anger and control, in addition to his thoughts of suicide, Leathem had to learn to fight not only for her forty-six-year marriage but also for her own survival and well-being. She documents her story in her new book, Are You Ready to Find Joy When Life Gets Messy? How I’m Surviving My Husband’s Journey with Depression, Anxiety, and Suicidal Thoughts, to help others walking through similar journeys.

“I have discovered you can have joy when everything is falling apart,” Leathem said. “My story is not over. It continues to be messy, yet I still have joy and trust God in the trials.”

A study by Lifeway Research, Acute Mental Illness and Christian Faith, found that those who struggle with mental illness as well as their families carry shame and stigma. **** Indiana pastor Marcus Carlson says “The stigma around mental health in our society is destroying us. The stigma is even deeper amongst pastors and church staff.” *****

Leathem, too, carried the shame of her husband’s illness, embarrassed by their situation and fearful of what people thought. When she finally found understanding herself and accepted that her husband suffers from a genetic, chemical imbalance that produces anxiety and depression, she was able to begin coping and helping others.

“I wanted to write this book to encourage people that God is a personal God, and He shows up,” Leathem said. “And with my husband’s blessing to share our messy story, I also wanted to share my biblical and practical coping tools I use daily to survive the difficulties of loving someone who struggles with mental illness.”

* https://www.webmd.com/depression/features/divorcing-depression

**https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/2020/05/04/mental-health-coronavirus/

***https://www.tonyrobbins.com/mental-health/how-to-help-depressed-spouse/

****https://lifewayresearch.com/mentalillnessstudy/

***** http://revdrorange.com/check-on-your-pastors-reflections-on-the-mental-health-of-ministry-staff/

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Carole Leathem is a gifted speaker, teacher, storyteller, and motivator, speaking at women’s retreats and teaching Bible studies and life groups for over twenty years. She is also a blogger and vlogger through her ministry website, Carole’s Journey. Along with life in ministry, Carole was a commercial actress in Hollywood for fifteen years. Married to her husband, Bill, for forty-six years, they live in Bakersfield, California, and have two grown children and seven beloved grandchildren. Carole is passionate about sharing her story with those God puts in her life. She loves spending time at the beach, especially Maui, and never tires of visiting Disneyland.

For review copies and media interviews, contact:

Carole Leathem
Email: carole@carolesjourney.com
Website: carolesjourney.com
Social Media: @carolesjourney

surviving widowhood

Surviving Widowhood, Free to Download through February 25, 2023

FAITH NEWS SERVICE – United States—Friday, February 24, 2023

Mother and daughter author team Sharon Engram and Lori Rohlinger, who have each lost a spouse, celebrates the one year anniversary of the release of their book, Surviving Widowhood, with a celebratory re-launch!

Through their book, Surviving Widowhood Sharon and Lori minister to widows and widowers, sharing how they each were able to trust God with their grief and healing of their broken hearts.

Sharon and Lori 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.

Sharon and Lori’s, Surviving Widowhood is available for download for free on Amazon through February 25, 2023. Surviving Widowhood is highly rated by those who have purchased the book. Here’s what some of the reviewers have said:

Pam Wallace
Relevant
5 Stars

“I was given this book by a friend. I lost my husband a year ago this coming August 1st and were given quite a few devotionals and/or books to read. This is THE one that most hit home for me. Every night I would read one of the chapters and each night that subject hit home for me and I was able to cry and reflect on their views as well as why God is there for me every step of the way. This is the book for you or to give to a friend in need.”

Paula Freeman
A treasure for new or seasoned widows.
5 Stars

“Surviving Widowhood: 40 Devotions of Hope is a treasure, whether you’re a new or more seasoned widow. Sharon and Lori offer validation and wisdom in bite-size pieces through authentically sharing their widow’s journey and grounding it in the grace of Scripture. This devotional takes you beyond a “daily dose” to consider your own story of loss gently and prayerfully. As a widow of more than six years, I highly recommend this book for personal use or to give as a gift.”

ABOUT THE AUTHORS

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

beyond sunday morning

New Book Gives Christians Certainty of God’s Guidance Beyond Sunday Morning

FAITH NEWS SERVICE – CARY, NC February 21, 2023 – In every generation, people face the challenges, questions, and concerns of the gospel message of the Christian faith. Using an easy to read, offbeat blend of humor and apologetics, Tony Carvalho provides clues, tidbits, and morsels – some easy to swallow, and some not so much – on how to stay connected to the Lord in the other 99% of life beyond Sunday morning.

Every Christian is in full-time ministry – whether they know it or not – and in a position to influence the lives of those around them for eternity. Beyond Sunday Morning sets some ground rules through numerous stories, insightful perspectives, and fun ways for Christians to recognize the Lord’s hand in their lives.

Readers will not only get past their miserable Mondays, but their weekly Christianity will get a complete revamp, and better yet, they will gain certainty of the Lord’s guidance beyond Sunday morning.

“Beyond Sunday Morning is a collection of wonderfully written essays that provides a path to spiritual enlightenment. Each essay will help you take a step forward in your faith and inspire you to run after Christ. Tony Carvalho is an incredible writer, storyteller, and apologist – not to mention an outstanding Christian Servant Leader. If you are desiring to better understand the goodness of God, look no further. Your heart will be encouraged and your soul will be fed “Beyond Sunday Morning”!

Dr. Adam Wright, President of Dallas Baptist University

Beyond Sunday Morning is available in hardcover and Kindle format from [Amazon. https://a.co/d/3nxQOVo]

“Honestly, what could be more fun than reporting to the King of the Universe?” – Tony Carvalho

Tony Carvalho worked in the petroleum industry for over thirty years. With his background in geology, which requires a thorough, methodical approach, and attention to detail for analyzing data and producing maps, Tony has developed the skill set needed to be an effective apologist. He is also the Founder of Lehigh Ministries which is currently engaged in various outreach activities, including an Oasis Effort designed to help reduce the rate of burnout in the minister, pastor, and missionary population. Learn more about Tony Carvalho and Lehigh Ministries at [https://lehighministries.org].

For interviews and more information, contact Tony Carvalho: tony@lehighministries.org.

 

surviving widowhood

Surviving Widowhood, Free to Download through February 25, 2023

FAITH NEWS SERVICE – United States—Wednesday, February 22, 2023

Mother and daughter author team Sharon Engram and Lori Rohlinger, who have each lost a spouse, celebrates the one year anniversary of the release of their book, Surviving Widowhood, with a celebratory re-launch!

Through their book, Surviving Widowhood Sharon and Lori minister to widows and widowers, sharing how they each were able to trust God with their grief and healing of their broken hearts.

Sharon and Lori 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.

Sharon and Lori’s, Surviving Widowhood is available for download for free on Amazon through February 25, 2023. Surviving Widowhood is highly rated by those who have purchased the book. Here’s what some of the reviewers have said:

Cliff N
Fantastic Read
5 Stars
Reviewed in the United States on February 14, 2023

“As someone who has experienced devastating loss recently, this book was extremely helpful for me. Would recommend to anyone struggling with loss and grief.”

Melisha Olson
Beautifully written and encouraging
5 Stars
Reviewed in the United States on February 12, 2023

“One of the hardest things is watching a friend or loved one go through devastating loss. You want so much to be there and encourage but words are hard to come by. This book was written from the deepest hurts of loss and pain but also hope and peace. I truly believe that this book will bring understanding and love from godly women who have been right there and who continue to share the goodness and faithfulness of God.”

ABOUT THE AUTHORS

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

Suggested Interview Questions

  1. The topic of widow’s grief is multifaceted. So many emotions and details to work through, and not just grieving. What is one piece of comfort you would share with a grieving widow?
  2. And from your book, it’s clear that you have personal experience. Would you briefly share your grief journey?
  3. What was the hardest part for you?
  4. How did you help your children understand the grief and loss of losing their dad?
  5. What would you say to a widow who is facing a holiday or an event alone for the first time?
  6. What did you find comforting in the first year of grief?
  7. Looking back, what are some unexpected gifts God gave you during your grieving journey?
  8. You’ve got a beautiful podcast for widowed life. What prompted you to launch this? How does it personally enrich you? Where can people find you?
why do things hurt

New Children’s Book, Why Do Things Hurt?, Helps Parents Guide Children Through Challenges of Life

FAITH NEWS SERVICE – As adults, we already know from our own experiences that life is hard. Explaining this to our children, plus helping them deal with their own hardships as they get older, is not quite so easy.

However, there is help. A new children’s book tackles this problem admirably and examines the mystery of suffering and pain. Why Do Things Hurt? is exquisitely illustrated and is an excellent tool for parents to discuss this big question with their children, mentally preparing them for the travails of life.

“Life is hard, but we make it harder,” said Ryan Holiday. True words. If we refuse to accept that truth, we make it harder for ourselves and our children. Especially if we don’t tell them the truth!

Every parent wants to protect their offspring. That is perfectly natural — right? Mothers are often more protectionist than fathers (in our family anyway), and that is why children need a mother and a father. Mothers nurture and protect; fathers encourage their children to take risks. The truth is always in the tension.

Fathers instinctively know that children need to experience the pain of poor decisions. Call it the law of consequence. Call it what you will, our children need to confront reality, as do we as parents.

Dr Jordan Peterson is excellent on this subject, in the sense that he is a relatively positive person, but also acknowledges that life can be brutal. This short interview gives insight into this reality and how to deal with it.

Life Lessons

Recently, Ruth Oates, the author of Why Do Things Hurt? sent me a copy of her book. In it, which she wrote and illustrated, she addresses the topic on almost every girl’s or boy’s lips at some stage in their childhood.

A subvariant, but perhaps the deeper question is the age-old, ‘Why do bad things happen to good people?’

These are difficult questions for adults, but perhaps even harder to answer when it comes to our children.

This book is an excellent resource to help children deal with such a subject. I am a fan of children’s books. I have read a lot to my children over the years, and my four-year-old grandson often calls on me to read to him. There is a lot of research to show that when fathers read to their children, it can be more beneficial than mothers reading to them. Of course, it is never either/or, but always both/and.

I have detailed a lot of this research in a previous article titled ‘10 Reasons Why Dads Should Read to Their Children’.

Why Do Things Hurt? is about a young girl having an operation to remove her tonsils. Ruth Oates, as a former teacher, mother and grandmother, has it all together as a storyteller.

Despair and Hope

The big bonus of this book is that it tackles the ‘why’ questions, the ones that are hard for us parents to answer.

Whenever you start asking ‘why’, questions of faith come into focus. As a much younger man in the mid-eighties, when my world crashed due to a business collapse, it seemed like I was a total failure. At one point, the thought of suicide crossed my mind. It was my faith and my family that kept me anchored.

A business colleague, who had walked a similar journey, sent me a Bible verse: “He has led me and made me walk in darkness and not light.” That verse in Lamentations did not totally answer my ‘why’ question, but it sure kept my sanity and helped me walk through the fire of losing everything.

Life is tough and sometimes things can really hurt. Having that conversation through a beautifully illustrated children’s book is something from which both us and our children can benefit.

Beauty and Pain

Why Do Things Hurt?I was further astounded to learn that all of the illustrations in Why Do Things Hurt? were made by Ruth Oates from coloured plasticine, and each picture was specifically sculptured in the most vibrant manner. As someone with a keen appreciation for fine art, I think the actual illustrations are staggeringly brilliant and worth the price of the book for them alone.

I asked the author why she wrote the children’s book in the first place. Ruth said that it was addressing her own personal challenges that brought it to fruition. Personally, she has lost six family members in the past seven years, and now has several adult children who have debilitating and painful chronic illnesses, plus a husband with terminal cancer.

Yes, life can be tough, and we must tell our children the truth while they are still young. Who better to tell them than Mum or Dad? And a simple way to do that is by reading this beautiful book, suitable for children between 4 and 12, as well as adult readers.

Order your own copy through the publishers at Ark House Kids, or you can order online from Amazon and many other good booksellers.

Written by Warwick Marsh, Founder of Dads4Kids

surviving widowhood

Surviving Widowhood Will be Free to Download Tomorrow, February 21, 2023

FAITH NEWS SERVICE – United States—Monday, February 20, 2023

Sharon Engram and Lori Rohlinger are thrilled to announce the re-launch of their best-selling book, Surviving Widowhood.

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.

Sharon and Lori’s, Surviving Widowhood will be available for download for free on Amazon for 5 days, February 21 through February 25, 2023. Surviving Widowhood is highly rated by those who have purchased the book. Here’s what some of the reviewers have said:

Burcham
Very helpful resource
5 Stars
Reviewed in the United States on February 8, 2023

“My husband and I have had some very unfortunate losses recently and we purchased this book for his mom and another in law. They both have found this book very comforting. I don’t understand the journey of widowhood and am so grateful for this book, that does and has been providing the much needed comfort to my loved ones.”

Rebecca Warren
Grieving is hard…
5 Stars
Reviewed in the United States on February 11, 2023

“One of the BEST resources for anyone who is grieving the loss of a spouse. Lori and Sharon have first-hand knowledge of this subject, unfortunately. I love how God is turning around their experiences and helping others get through their pain, and somehow finding joy through it all. I wish my mom had this book when she went through her journey of loss. I will pass this book on to anyone who needs it.”

ABOUT THE AUTHORS
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

Suggested Interview Questions

  1. The topic of widow’s grief is multifaceted. So many emotions and details to work through, and not just grieving. What is one piece of comfort you would share with a grieving widow?
  2. And from your book, it’s clear that you have personal experience. Would you briefly share your grief journey?
  3. What was the hardest part for you?
  4. How did you help your children understand the grief and loss of losing their dad?
  5. What would you say to a widow who is facing a holiday or an event alone for the first time?
  6. What did you find comforting in the first year of grief?
  7. Looking back, what are some unexpected gifts God gave you during your grieving journey?
  8. You’ve got a beautiful podcast for widowed life. What prompted you to launch this? How does it personally enrich you? Where can people find you?
this wondrous life

The Girl Next Door Does Christianity in a Post Modern World

FAITH NEWS SERVICE – That’s how the author of exciting new book, This Wondrous Life, describes her book in one sentence.

Andrina Rijken views herself as a regular girl who grew up in suburban Australia. Saved at a young age, she has passionately followed Jesus all her life. Everything seemed just the way it should. Yet despite all this, she began grappling with where she belonged in a rapidly changing society that felt ever at war with her Christian values.

Andrina found herself asking so many questions. “What is this all for? How do I keep my faith alive when progressive ideologies want to snuff it out? How can I, one person, have any impact or make a difference? Why would anyone want to listen to a seemingly ordinary person like me?” The only thing that felt certain was the knowledge that God was with her every step of the way.

Turning to Him, Andrina began pressing into God more than ever before, leaning on His Word for daily encouragement. As she did this, God began to speak to her and the words He spoke seemed to burn within.

“I started to write and a dream was birthed,” she said. “Maybe, just maybe, others feel this way too. Maybe what God is revealing to me can help others?”

Andrina’s book is honest and relatable, recognising that when faced with the daily grind, it can be easy to believe our life has little significance. We can assume that just because we don’t have a platform, or large social media following of thousands, that we have no influence. Different seasons in life cause us to reflect and re-evaluate, but sometimes leave us more uncertain and lacking direction.

Busyness, getting older, unexpected changes, disappointment and the ever-changing world around that is so contrary to the Christian’s core values and beliefs can make one feel like they have no voice, leaving them with an overwhelming sense of redundancy.

Thankfully, God’s ways are not determined by our circumstances, position in life, platform or scope of influence. He longs for us to experience the extraordinary – even when we think our lives are ordinary and average. In a world that is so often driving humanity to constantly achieve, strive, compare and compete, This Wondrous Life points the reader back to the still, small voice; to the seemingly mundane or ordinary that when lived abiding with God, ultimately is extraordinary.

Andrina is able to draw fresh insight from scripture and apply it honestly and openly to her life. Her message is timely and extremely important – a message for generations. She openly invites the reader into her story, providing immense encouragement through her own lived experiences and practical examples of seeing even the smallest details in life through God’s Word.

This Wondrous Life will encourage, uplift and inspire. It aims to help uncover the wonder of living a life with Jesus through the various seasons and experiences we face. By drawing upon powerful Biblical truths, Andrina demonstrates how to apply the Word and find fulfilment and purpose, regardless of the circumstances we face. She shares her personal testimony and discusses her faith in relation to topics such as perfectionism, worship, being a “Wonder Woman” in a dark world, how to be an intentional influencer, dealing with disappointment, and how to laugh at the future.

If you want to be encouraged in living a righteous, disciplined and truly wondrous life abiding in His presence daily, then this book is a must-read for you. This Wondrous Life, published by Ark House, is now available globally.

About the author

Andrina Rijken is passionate about being an extravagant worshiper and learning all she can about the Word of God. She desires to inspire others to experience a deep and wonderful relationship with their Saviour Jesus in their everyday lives. Growing up as a pastor’s daughter, she has been involved in many different aspects of ministry, including church planting, pastoral care, worship, youth work and children’s ministry. Andrina lives in Brisbane, Australia, with her husband and children. She has a Bachelor of Speech Pathology with over twenty years of experience in this field. Andrina has recently completed a Masters of Arts majoring in Christian Studies at Alphacrucis University College.

ankle breaker

Ankle Breaker, Amazon Best Seller is Free to Download through February 18, 2023

FAITH NEWS SERVICE – United States—Friday, February 17, 2023

Margaret Brown is thrilled to present her new book, Ankle Breaker.

Margaret wrote Ankle Breaker to tell the true story of Detective Pete Willover solving a decades-old murder case alongside the story of Marty Brown, her own husband.

Marty Brown coaches a middle-school basketball team of inner-city sixth graders who were barely able to dribble a ball at the start of the season. With dogged perseverance, they worked hard to earn a spot in the Nor-Cal Championship Tournament. But the joyful memory of that winning season is overshadowed by the dark reality of murder. Based on a true story, Ankle Breaker follows Coach Brown and the kids’ drive to the top while simultaneously working backward with Detective Willover to bring justice in this DNA cold case.

Margaret Brown’s Ankle Breaker is available to download for free on Amazon through February 18, 2023. Ankle Breaker is highly rated by those who have purchased the book. Here’s what some of the reviewers have said:

Todd H
5 Stars
Endearing and Captivating
Reviewed in the United States on February 7, 2023

“Brown weaves two seemingly unrelated stories into one, piecing them together in captivating detail. I loved reading the story of Coach Marty – how his reluctant decision to coach a rookie, middle school basketball team led to a heartwarming bond, sense of belonging for each player, and love for the game and each other. Simultaneously, I was eager to find out where the murder story was going to take us. She writes just enough to keep you interested and wanting more!”

JL Cochran
5 Stars
Made for TV Movie material
Reviewed in the United States on February 3, 2023

“During these challenging times I look for reading material that is encouraging and/or inspirational. This book provides both. The author does a fine job of weaving two story lines together such that in the end the story reflects life… the joy of great accomplishment and the tragedy and pain that attaches to everyday life everywhere. The fact that this story is based upon the lives of real people, raw people, underscores the theme that one person can still make a difference. Easy read, loved it and would recommend it to people every age.”

For More Information: For more questions or to schedule an interview about this press release please contact Margaret Brown at (503) 866-6701 or email margaret.brown36@gmail.com.

About the Author: Margaret Brown is a wife, mother, grandmother, retired career missionary, spiritual director, and author who holds a master’s degree in Spiritual Formation from Portland Seminary at George Fox University. She loves to read, hike with her dog, Bella, and do crosswords and other puzzles. Margaret and her husband, Marty, live on eight acres outside of Portland, Oregon, where they love to host friends and family. While she enjoys the ocean, her pinnacle of happiness is spending time with her amazing children and wild and crazy grandkids.

Suggested Interview Questions

  1. The book contains a lot of basketball strategy. Have you ever played the game yourself?
  2. What does the title Ankle Breaker refer to?
  3. Were you able to interview any of the people involved in these true events?
  4. The main character in the book is based on your husband. How did the events of this story impact his sense of urgency to share the Gospel?
  5. The book touches on a couple of topics that are currently getting a lot of attention: police violence against people of color, and society’s unfair treatment of women. What kind of response are you getting about your treatment of these subjects?
  6. Since the main plot is based on your husband’s personal experiences, how much did he contribute to your writing process?
  7. Why did your husband choose to coach in a school that couldn’t even afford uniforms?
  8. Of course, lower-economic communities across the country struggle with funding for their schools. What would you say to someone who is considering volunteering or accepting lower pay to work with kids in those environments?
  9. How can sports, and other extracurricular activities, help kids who struggle in school or with issues at home?
  10. What is the main message that you hope readers will take away from this book?
bible album

New Christian Devotional e-Book Blends Bible Verses with Art to Create Stunning Visual Bible Study Guide

FAITH NEWS SERVICE – CHICAGO, Feb. 14, 2023—A new holy Bible study guide, “Bible Album: Art Book,” by Esdras Pierre Etrenne, pairs more than 1,600 of the most profound Bible verses with inspiring artwork that leaves the reader inspired by each of the 66 magnificent books of the Bible.

“The Bible Album is a work of art I made to shine a light on the gentle beauty of scripture,” said Etrenne, who spent more than two years creating this comprehensive artwork. “A lot of times people can get bogged down by how long the Bible is and how daunting it is to pick it up. This book makes it very easy to take in key pieces of scripture. I took some of the most revered verses from every book, so it gives readers a flavor of each book of the Bible in a very pleasant way. Hopefully, this work allows for easier absorption of the beauty of scripture.”

Some pairings were highly intentional. For example, for Genesis 1:1, a picture of the world is paired with the very first verse of the Bible. Most pairings are more general.

“Each photo was specifically selected because of the magnitude of awe that it generates for God’s word breathed, His magnificent creation,” he said. The book is an art piece of the highest caliber of elegance and craftsmanship. “For each verse I hand-picked to be a part of this collection, I also curated a unique photo of creation, God’s word breathed and made manifest, to be paired with the verse. A key point of the book’s design is that the Word of God in the text is paired with the Word of God Breathed, Creation.”

Readers can enter a drawing to receive one of 100 free copies of the e-book via a Goodreads promotion. https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/75648820-bible-album Winners will be announced at the end of February.

The e-book is available exclusively from Amazon: https://amzn.to/3JTt0XR.

Readers can pick up any page in the book to look for inspiration.

“I’ve noticed many people are struggling because of how difficult life can be and how life can be challenging. The verses are very uplifting, and seeing the pictures of nature takes you out of your current situation. It reminds you that there’s so much beauty in the world and so much goodness. And you can have faith and believe that things can turn out okay,” he said. “I wanted to build something positive for society that would last. I really enjoy contributing positively to society and being as impactful as possible in that way. I pray God blesses the world through this work for generations to come. It’s a tough world! Full of sorrows and heartbreaks, but there is a light. And this book shines a light on that light.”

The e-book uses the New Heart English Bible version.

“To my knowledge, this is the first and only comprehensive work of its kind, with all 66 books of the Holy Bible represented,” said Etrenne, a first-generation Haitian American born to Haitian immigrants of Christian Faith. He was born and raised in Chicago.

The verses are beautiful and uplifting.

“Along with the artwork, the verses can take you out of your current situation so you can see that things can turn out okay,” said Etrenne, an artist who also works primarily as a software engineer who focuses on design aesthetics. “I am an artist with a dream of contributing positively to society in all my work. I hope my first book, ‘Bible Album: Art Book,’ can inspire many for many years to come,” he said. “I pray this work is a warm light to mothers, fathers, sons, and daughters of every nation and tongue.”

The eco-friendly book is available only in digital form.

To read “Bible Album: Art Book” in color, use the Kindle App for mobile or tablet, Kindle Cloud Reader for web, or a color-supporting Kindle. “Bible Album: Art Book” can also be read on traditional Kindle readers in black and white.

To read more of the author’s vision and thoughts about the book, go to Goodreads.

Follow the author at @EsdrasEtrenne and #EtrenneOverPicasso

Contact
Esdras Pierre Etrenne
etrenne.liberty@gmail.com
217-693-2112

ankle breaker

Ankle Breaker, Amazon Best New Release, is Now Free to Download

FAITH NEWS SERVICE – United States—Wednesday, February 15, 2023

Margaret Brown is pleased to present her new book, Ankle Breaker.

Margaret wrote Ankle Breaker to tell the true story of Detective Pete Willover solving a decades-old murder case alongside the story of Marty Brown, her own husband.

Marty Brown coaches a middle-school basketball team of inner-city sixth graders who were barely able to dribble a ball at the start of the season. With dogged perseverance, they worked hard to earn a spot in the Nor-Cal Championship Tournament. But the joyful memory of that winning season is overshadowed by the dark reality of murder. Based on a true story, Ankle Breaker follows Coach Brown and the kids’ drive to the top while simultaneously working backward with Detective Willover to bring justice in this DNA cold case.

Margaret Brown’s Ankle Breaker is available to download for free on Amazon for 5 days through February 18, 2023. Ankle Breaker is highly rated by those who have purchased the book. Here’s what some of the reviewers have said:

Bob Kuzman
5 Stars
Great Story
Reviewed in the United States on February 9, 2023

“I thoroughly enjoyed this read. I was captivated by both storylines. I fell in love with the kids. The gritty environment of their lives was palpable. I got lost in the story.”

Don G. Carter
5 Stars
Hope for a Tough Place
Reviewed in the United States on February 7, 2023

“This is a great story of one young coach leading his players to important lessons for both basketball and life. I very much enjoyed the book, as will anyone looking for hope in a very imperfect world.”

Susie Richardson
5 Stars
Entertains, Informs, Inspires
Reviewed in the United States on February 6, 2023

“Ankle Breaker … how about “keep-awaker?!” Already past my bedtime, I kept telling myself, “Just one more chapter …” Brown’s apt description of basketball drills and strategy puts the reader right there, in those 1970s Junior High California gyms, cheering on Marty’s ragtag team. These kids tug at your heart as bits and pieces of their home life surface, evocative of Father Greg Boyle’s Homeboy stories. The author deftly moves back and forth between the intertwining accounts of 6th grade basketball and a cold case murder, swishing us into interrogation rooms, stake-outs, and a peek into DNA-activated forensic advances. Fast-paced, with insider knowledge, Ankle Breaker entertains, informs, and inspires.”

For More Information: For more questions or to schedule an interview about this press release please contact Margaret Brown at (503) 866-6701 or email margaret.brown36@gmail.com.

About the Author: Margaret Brown is a wife, mother, grandmother, retired career missionary, spiritual director, and author who holds a master’s degree in Spiritual Formation from Portland Seminary at George Fox University. She loves to read, hike with her dog, Bella, and do crosswords and other puzzles. Margaret and her husband, Marty, live on eight acres outside of Portland, Oregon, where they love to host friends and family. While she enjoys the ocean, her pinnacle of happiness is spending time with her amazing children and wild and crazy grandkids.

Suggested Interview Questions

  1. The book contains a lot of basketball strategy. Have you ever played the game yourself?
  2. What does the title Ankle Breaker refer to?
  3. Were you able to interview any of the people involved in these true events?
  4. The main character in the book is based on your husband. How did the events of this story impact his sense of urgency to share the Gospel?
  5. The book touches on a couple of topics that are currently getting a lot of attention: police violence against people of color, and society’s unfair treatment of women. What kind of response are you getting about your treatment of these subjects?
  6. Since the main plot is based on your husband’s personal experiences, how much did he contribute to your writing process?
  7. Why did your husband choose to coach in a school that couldn’t even afford uniforms?
  8. Of course, lower-economic communities across the country struggle with funding for their schools. What would you say to someone who is considering volunteering or accepting lower pay to work with kids in those environments?
  9. How can sports, and other extracurricular activities, help kids who struggle in school or with issues at home?
  10. What is the main message that you hope readers will take away from this book?
ankle breaker

Ankle Breaker Will be Free to Download Tomorrow, February 14, 2023

FAITH NEWS SERVICE – United States—Monday, February 13, 2023

Margaret Brown is proud to present her book, Ankle Breaker.

Margaret wrote Ankle Breaker to tell the story of Detective Pete Willover solving a decades-old murder case alongside the story of Marty Brown, her own husband.

Marty Brown coaches a middle-school basketball team of inner-city sixth graders who were barely able to dribble a ball at the start of the season. With dogged perseverance, they worked hard to earn a spot in the Nor-Cal Championship Tournament. But the joyful memory of that winning season is overshadowed by the dark reality of murder. Based on a true story, Ankle Breaker follows Coach Brown and the kids’ drive to the top while simultaneously working backward with Detective Willover to bring justice in this DNA cold case.

Margaret Brown’s Ankle Breaker will be free and available for download on Amazon for 5 days, February 14 through February 18, 2023. Ankle Breaker is highly rated by those who have purchased the book. Here’s what some of the reviewers have said:

Ken Calhoun
5 Stars
Fast paced, poignant and compelling
Reviewed in the United States on February 8, 2023

“Fast-paced, poignant and a compelling told story that can be simply enjoyed as a “great read” (but don’t be surprised if you find yourself inspired to volunteer in your community while reading this book). A key takeaway for me- even while we are finding our own way in life we can care for and enhance the lives of others simultaneously. I would recommend this book for teenagers and adults of all ages; its message is wide-ranging and universal.”

Maggie Van Fossan
5 Stars
A great story. Real and Raw.
Reviewed in the United States on February 5, 2023

“A wonderful picture of a man questioning the meaning of life and the reality of God. Couldn’t put it down with its many twists and turns. A page-turner.”

For More Information: Example: For more questions or to schedule an interview about this press release please contact Margaret Brown at (503) 866-6701 or email margaret.brown36@gmail.com.

About the Author: Margaret Brown is a wife, mother, grandmother, retired career missionary, spiritual director, and author who holds a master’s degree in Spiritual Formation from Portland Seminary at George Fox University. She loves to read, hike with her dog, Bella, and do crosswords and other puzzles. Margaret and her husband, Marty, live on eight acres outside of Portland, Oregon, where they love to host friends and family. While she enjoys the ocean, her pinnacle of happiness is spending time with her amazing children and wild and crazy grandkids.

Suggested Interview Questions

  1. The book contains a lot of basketball strategy. Have you ever played the game yourself?
  2. What does the title Ankle Breaker refer to?
  3. Were you able to interview any of the people involved in these true events?
  4. The main character in the book is based on your husband. How did the events of this story impact his sense of urgency to share the Gospel?
  5. The book touches on a couple of topics that are currently getting a lot of attention: police violence against people of color, and society’s unfair treatment of women. What kind of response are you getting about your treatment of these subjects?
  6. Since the main plot is based on your husband’s personal experiences, how much did he contribute to your writing process?
  7. Why did your husband choose to coach in a school that couldn’t even afford uniforms?
  8. Of course, lower-economic communities across the country struggle with funding for their schools. What would you say to someone who is considering volunteering or accepting lower pay to work with kids in those environments?
  9. How can sports, and other extracurricular activities, help kids who struggle in school or with issues at home?
  10. What is the main message that you hope readers will take away from this book?
redemption press

Redemption Press Expands Ownership Team – New partners add strength, experience, and enthusiasm to independent publishing company

FAITH NEWS SERVICE – February 6, 2023 – “No matter what the future holds for me, I wanted to ensure that our authors and team will be well cared for, and the legacy of Redemption Press continues on. In that light, we have been looking for a creative partnership that would strengthen and grow Redemption Press well into the future,” says founder Athena Dean-Holtz. “This partnership is a dream come true and one that will build on our existing strengths.”

On January 24, 2023, Athena and Dr. Ross Holtz welcomed Kelley and Carol Tetzlaff of Arizona and Shelly Brown of Florida as minority co-owners to the nearly-decade-old, Washington-based publishing company. The new growth of Redemption Press comes with more than seventy years’ worth of collective experience in publishing, book design, marketing, and packaging. Athena and Ross Holtz will remain majority owners with a plan to maintain the tradition of excellence that makes them one of independent publishing’s greatest successes.

Since 2014, Redemption Press, which uses the product-management style of traditional publishing, has filled an author-centered niche in Christian publishing, and was certified as a Best Christian Workplace by BCWI (Best Christian Workplace Institute) in 2021 and 2022.

New partner, Kelley Tetzlaff said, “Having closely observed Redemption Press for the past two years, I see Athena and Ross Holtz as people of integrity who have a passion to publish with excellence. I am thrilled to provide support to the company and the authors they serve. My partnership comes with great expectations for the future success of Redemption Press.”

Carol Tetzlaff said, “Publishing my first Bible study with Redemption Press brought me into a community that offered me support and encouragement on my journey. Only God could orchestrate this path and open the door for me to create for the very people I admired from afar. My role has grown from creating content and organizing events to becoming an integral part in the marketing and development of this company.”

“Working hand-in-hand with Athena and the Redemption Press team over the last three years has been the highlight of decades of my professional endeavors,” said Shelly Brown. She added, “We’ve crafted strategies that have spread our authors’ incredible messages far and wide, allowing them to reach heights they never thought possible. As I look forward to all the opportunities ahead for existing and new writers alike, my heart overflows with excitement about the bright future of Redemption Press as we soar higher than ever before.”

“At a time when many Christian publishers are selling out to secular publishing corporations, we pledge to remain committed to the same values that we started with—putting kingdom purposes first and honoring God,” says Athena Dean Holtz. “Our new strategic partnership will ensure not just longevity but continuity for new and existing authors as well. I look forward to working alongside our new partners for years to come.

“Their individual hearts for Jesus and serving our authors resonate with ours in commitment and love for the power of story and redemption. We can’t express how excited we are for the future as we continue to represent integrity and excellence in publishing alongside these new partners.”

For more information contact: Athena Dean Holtz, founder and publisher on 210-620-4900.

hear the savior

New Redemption Press release examines famous last words of Jesus

FAITH NEWS SERVICE – “Over the millennia, people have always had an interest in the last utterances of the dying,” says Marilyn Mendoza in Psychology Today.”1 She says, “The value and importance of these words are reflected in the law that admits dying declarations into hearsay evidence in criminal trials. Dying words are also of interest to us as perhaps a glimpse into the afterlife.”

The last words of the Buddha are purported to be, “Work hard to gain your own salvation.”2 Author Edgar Allan Poe said, “Lord help my poor soul.”3 But Jesus Christ said, “Father, I entrust my spirit into your hands.”4 Those words were spoken during his painful death on the cross for the sins of the world. But those were not Christ’s last words on earth. In what is known as the Great Commission, his final words were: “And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”5

Hear the Savior: Readings for Lent and Easter Season Based on the Words of Jesus (Redemption Press), a new Lenten devotional features the significant words of Christ in his journey to the cross and his resurrection. Author Kristin Saatzer says, “This book is written with an Easter focus, in chronological order, with the Lenten season pointing us to Christ’s death and resurrection.” Saatzer, who came to the tradition of observing Lent in recent years, says, “There are no rules. People often fast as a time of remembrance and dependence on their Savior. It is a period of reflection to show love towards Him, and to grow deeper in faith.”

Hear the Savior is a forty-two-day journey through Lent and Easter that follows Christ on his way to his death and resurrection. Daily devotional readings examine the words of Christ, from his first recorded words in ministry to his last. A companion book to Savor the Savior, this devotional draws the reader closer to the Christ of Calvary and the empty tomb through his spoken words and inspirational stories from real life. Questions for reflection, classic quotations, and a daily prayer designed to focus attention on the Savior add to the devotional experience.

Available everywhere books are sold online.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Kristin Saatzer is an author and speaker and the founder of Purposeful Encouragement Ministry, a ministry that encourages others to live on purpose and for a purpose. Also, the author of Savor the Savior, Kristin speaks to women’s gatherings and mother’s groups, and blogs about purpose, living with intention, and spiritual growth at kristinsaatzer.com. She loves books, the beach, chocolate, cheering on her Padres and Chargers, and spending time with family and friends. Kristin and her husband Dan have four adult sons and one daughter-in-law and live in Southern California with their dogs Princess Leia and Nando.

For interviews, contact kristinsaatzer@gmail.com
Website: kristinsaatzer.com
Facebook: ENCOURAGEONPURPOSE
Instagram: @kmysaatzer
Twitter: @kmysaatzer
TikTok: purposeful.encourager

best christian workplaces

241 Organizations Honored as “Certified Best Christian Workplaces” in 2022

FAITH NEWS SERVICE – (Mercer Island, WA)— Today, Best Christian Workplaces (BCW) honors 241 faith-based organizations and Christian-owned businesses as Certified Best Christian Workplaces in 2022.

As many organizations continue to face challenges related to the ongoing shift from virtual and hybrid work environments, these workplaces demonstrate upstanding dedication to building and protecting a strong workplace and prioritizing healthy working relationships amongst teammates and managers.

Says Jay Bransford, CEO, “Although many people report increased productivity when they have more flexibility with their work location, it can also bring with it some unique challenges. Thus, when Best Christian Workplaces provides actionable data and feedback from our employee engagement survey, leaders of organizations feel well-equipped to understand which aspects of their culture are being negatively affected and in what ways staff would like more support from their supervisors/managers.”

Faced with high inflation and low unemployment, this year’s survey results also highlight the squeeze many employers have also felt in the area of rising labor costs. The factors highlighted in the survey, specifically concerning compensation, have helped organizations determine how pay impacts their employee’s levels of engagement and motivation, and their likelihood to look for higher-paid work elsewhere.

“Approaches to compensation strategy can vary, but the most successful organizations are proactive and intentional,” explains Bransford. “In some cases, leaders simply identify a need to better communicate their pay philosophy and benefits programs. And in other cases, leaders have identified a need to re-assess the pay, benefits and/or career path opportunities offered.”

Now more than ever, employees have the ability to choose where they want to work and what they want their workplace to be like. As a result, employers who take the health of their workplaces seriously are at a significant strategic advantage. The 241 organizations honored today set the gold standard for excellence in employee engagement, and BCW is hopeful and expectant for the year to come.

“Imagine what would happen in our societies if Christian-led organizations decided to rise up and set the standard as the best, most effective places to work in the world,” says Bransford. “Not only would it mean that Christian-led workplaces would successfully attract and retain the best talent, but they would also be positively representing the nature and character of God in and through their workplace cultures. In doing so, they would bring more people to Christ. Now that’s something to be hopeful and expectant about in the year ahead!”

This year’s Certified Best Christian Workplaces list features organizations in the United States, Canada, Australia, Thailand, and Zambia, and includes a variety of faith-based nonprofits, churches, Christian schools, camps and conferences, and Christian-owned businesses. Validated by their own employees, certified organizations must meet the required scoring standard through BCW’s robust employee engagement survey.

For more information and to schedule your free consultation, visit Best Christian Workplaces online: workplaces.org.

Visit the Best Christian Workplaces Certification Page at workplaces.org for search and filter options.

The following organizations are honored as Certified Best Christian Workplaces in 2022:

BIBLE COLLEGES

Bethlehem College and Seminary – Minneapolis, MN

God’s Bible School and College – Cincinnati, OH

CAMPS AND CONFERENCE CENTERS

Cho-Yeh Camp and Conference Center  – Livingston, TX

Eagle Lake – Colorado Springs, CO

Forest Glen Camps & Retreats – Huntsville, TX

Glen Eyrie – Colorado Springs, CO

Lake Ann Camp – Lake Ann, MI

New Life Ranch – Colcord, OK

One Hope Canada – Winnipeg, MB, Canada

Summit Ministries – Manitou Springs, CO

Warm Beach Camp Ministries – Stanwood, WA

CHRISTIAN SCHOOLS

Anonymous

Bulkley Valley Christian School – Smithers, BC, Canada

Calvary Christian Academy Fort Lauderdale– Fort Lauderdale, FL

Cherry Hills Christian School – Highlands Ranch, CO

Colegio Cristiano Nicolas – Ixil, Guatemala

The Covenant School – Dallas, TX

Crestmont Christian Preparatory School – Boerne, TX

Denver Christian School – Lakewood, CO

First Baptist Academy – Naples, FL

Flatirons Academy – Westminster, CO

Grace International School – Hang Dong, Chiang Mai, Thailand

Grapevine Faith Christian School – Grapevine, TX

Harvest Christian Academy – Elgin, IL

Highlands Christian College – Kearneys Springs, QLD, Australia

Highlands Kindy and ELC – Kearneys Springs, QLD, Australia

Immanuel Christian School – Springfield, VA

Knox Christian School – Bowmanville, ON, Canada

Landmark Christian School – Fairburn, GA

Lincoln Christian School – Tulsa, OK

Lionheart Children’s Academy – Euless, TX

Milpitas Christian School – San Jose, CA

Mount Tabor School of the Liberal Arts – Kansas City, MO

North Valley Christian Academy – Phoenix, AZ

Northern Hills Christian Academy – Holt, MO

Opendoor Education – Winterville, NC

Ozarks Christian Academy – West Plains, MO

Pickering Christian School – Ajax, ON, Canada

Southeast Christian School – Parker, CO

Southside Christian School – Simpsonville, SC

Warriors Christian Academy – Cedar Park, TX

Wheaton Academy – West Chicago, IL

CHRISTIAN-OWNED BUSINESSES

ACR Supply Company – Durham, NC

AFG Rentals – Grandview, TX

Anchor Transportation – Whites Creek, TN

Atiba Software, LLC – Nashville, TN

Beacon Wealth Consultants – Roanoke, VA

BETA Fueling Systems, LLC – Reidsville, NC

BMC Accounting – Frederick, MD

C12 – San Antonio, TX

CapinCrouse LLP – Indianapolis, IN

Civil Southeast, LLC – Andalusia, AL

Colorado Center for Dermatology – Centennial, CO

Davidson Wealth Management – Davidson, NC

Dow Smith Contracting Company, Inc.  – Smyrna, TN

EGW – Carrollton, TX

Excellence in Giving – Colorado Springs, CO

The FOCUS Group – St. Augustine, FL

Gant Travel Management – Bloomington, IN

Gibson Oil & Gas Co., Inc. – Laurel Hill, NC

Gold Eye Clinic – Palestine, TX

Harris Beverages – Durham, NC

HumCap LP – Plano, TX

J&S Construction – Cookeville, TN

John Houston Family of Companies – Red Oak, TX

Liberty Storage Solutions – Mocksville, NC

LuGreg Trucking – Kingfisher, OK

The Nehemiah Company – Arlington, TX

Outreach  – Colorado Springs, CO

Pay Tel Communications, Inc. – Greensboro, NC

Player’s Fitness and Performance – Frederick, MD

Remodel Health – Indianapolis, IN

Signet Mills Inc – Spartanburg, SC

SonicAire – Winston-Salem, NC

Spiars Engineering and Surveying – Plano, TX

Texas Security Bank – Farmers Branch, TX

Total Computer Solutions – Greensboro, NC

Wilson Lumber – Huntsville, AL

CHURCHES

Anonymous

Ada Bible Church – Ada, MI

Antioch Community Church – Waco, TX

BattleCreek Church – Broken Arrow, OK

Bayside – Bradenton, FL

Beulah Alliance Church – Edmonton, AB, Canada

Calvary Baptist Church of Winston-Salem – Winston-Salem, NC

Central Community Church – Wichita, KS

The Chapel – Baton Rouge, LA

Christ Community Church – Omaha, NE

Christ Fellowship Miami – Miami, FL

Christ Presbyterian Church – Edina, MN

Christ’s Church of the Valley – Peoria, AZ

Church on the Move – Tulsa, OK

City on a Hill – Melbourne, VIC, Australia

Connect United – Ashland, MA

The Crossing Church – Costa Mesa, CA

The District Church – Washington, DC

Engedi Church – Holland, MI

Faith Promise Church – Knoxville, TN

Flatirons Community Church – Lafayette, CO

First Baptist Orlando – Orlando, FL

Grace Bible Church – Virginia Beach, VA

Grace Central Coast – San Luis Obispo, CA

Great Lakes Region of the Wesleyan Church – Grandville, MI

Harvest Church – Billings, MT

Highlands Church – Kearneys Springs, QLD, Australia

Irving Bible Church – Irving, TX

Kamloops Alliance Church – Kamloops, BC, Canada

Kingsway Christian Church – Avon, IN

Lifepoint Church – Fredericksburg, VA

LowCountry Community Church – Bluffton, SC

Miracle Life Family Church – Lusaka, Zambia

Mission Community Church – Gilbert, AZ

Mission Hills Church – Littleton, CO

Montgomery Community Church – Cincinnati, OH

The Moody Church – Chicago, IL

New Vision – Murfreesboro, TN

OHC Westside Fellowship – San Antonio, TX

Opendoor Church – Winterville, NC

Pathway Church – Wichita, KS

The Peoples Church – Toronto, ON, Canada

Port City Community Church – Wilmington, NC

Redeemer Lincoln Square – New York, NY

Redeemer Presbyterian Church West Side – New York, NY

Renaissance Church – New York, NY

River Pointe Church – Richmond, TX

Rolling Hills Community Church – Franklin, TN

Sage Hills Church – Wenatchee, WA

Seacoast Church – Mount Pleasant, SC

Southeast Christian Church – Parker, CO

Southridge Community Church  — St. Catharines, ON Canada

StoneBridge Christian Church – Omaha, NE

Summit Church – Durham, NC

Summit Crossing Community Church – Madison, AL

Suncrest Christian Church – St. John, IN

Thornapple Valley Church – Hastings, MI

Traders Point Christian Church –  Indianapolis, IN

Trinity Baptist Church – Jacksonville, FL

Trinity Church  — Lansing, MI

Venture Church – Hattiesburg, MS

The Village Church – Flower Mound, TX

West Side Presbyterian Church – Ridgewood, NJ

Whittier Area Community Church – Whittier, CA

FAMILY SERVICES

4KIDS  — Fort Lauderdale, FL

The Bair Foundation – New Wilmington, PA

BsideU for Life – Louisville, KY

Care Net – Lansdowne, VA

Care Net of Puget Sound – Tacoma, WA

The Caring Place – Cleveland, TN

Christian Children’s Home of Ohio  – Wooster, OH

Christian Community Action – Lewisville, TX

Christian Family Care – Phoenix, AZ

Circle of Care – Oklahoma City, OK

Compass – Kearney, NE

FaithBridge Foster Care – Alpharetta, GA

HopeWorks, Inc. – Memphis, TN

Human Coalition – Plano, TX

Josiah White’s – Wabash, IN

Life Network – Colorado Springs, CO

Patrick Henry Family Services – Lynchburg, VA

Promise686 – Norcross, GA

Redeemer Counseling Services – New York, NY

Save The Storks – Colorado Springs, CO

HEALTH CARE

Premier Physical Therapy – Cape Girardeau, MO

TwelveStone Health Partners – Murfreesboro, TN

HIGHER EDUCATION

Colorado Christian University – Lakewood, CO

Dallas Theological Seminary – Dallas, TX

Los Angeles Pacific University – San Dimas, CA

MEDIA

Family Life Communications – Tucson, AZ

Living on the Edge (with Chip Ingram) – Suwanee, GA

PositiveMedia – Mitcham, VIC, Australia

Redemption Press – Enumclaw, WA

Rhema Media – Auckland, NSW, New Zealand

RightNow Media  — McKinney, TX

The Urban Alternative – Dallas, TX

Vision Christian Media – Springwood, QLD, Australia

WGTS 91.9 – Rockville, MD

PARACHURCH AND MISSIONS

Anonymous

Anonymous

Act (Advocates for Community Transformation) – Dallas, TX

Alpha USA – Carol Stream, IL

Apartment Life – Euless, TX

The Ashland Salvation Army Ray & Joan Kroc Corps Community Center – Ashland, OH

Baptist State Convention of NC – Cary, NC

Bible League International  — Crete, IL

Catholic Christian Outreach – Ottawa, ON, Canada

CDF Capital – Irvine, CA

Focus on the Family Canada  — Langley, BC, Canada

Generous Giving – Orlando, FL

The Gideons International – Nashville, TN

HOPE International – Lancaster, PA

ICM – The Global Church Developer – Hampton, VA

Jewish Voice Ministries International – Phoenix, AZ

Joni and Friends – Agoura Hills, CA

Lifeshape – Atlanta, GA

Love Justice International – Lincoln, NE

The Mentoring Alliance – Tyler, TX

The Navigators – Colorado Springs, CO

Operation Mobilization USA – Tyrone, GA

Partners International Canada – Brampton, ON, Canada

Precept – Chattanooga, TN

Pure Desire Ministries International – Troutdale, OR

Reasons to Believe – Covina, CA

StuMo – Conway, AR

Untold – Atlanta, GA

Word of Life Fellowship Inc. – Schroon Lake, NY

World Impact Inc – Wichita, KS

Wycliffe Canada – Calgary, AB, Canada

PRODUCTS AND SERVICES

Association of Christian Schools International – Colorado Springs, CO

Axis – Colorado Springs, CO

Canadian Centre for Christian Charities – Elmira, ON, Canada

CCMBC Legacy Fund Inc. – Winnipeg, MB, Canada

Christian Care Ministry – Melbourne, FL

Classical Conversations – Southern Pines, NC

Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability – Winchester, VA

Geneva Benefits Group – Lawrenceville, GA

Highlands Business Services – Kearneys Springs, QLD, Australia

Impact Foundation – Albuquerque, NM

The Parable Group – San Luis Obispo, CA

Samaritan Ministries International – Peoria, IL

Save & Serve Thrift Shop – Millersburg, OH

The Signatry – Overland Park, KS

Talanton – Newtown Square, PA

RESCUE MISSIONS

Atlanta Mission – Atlanta, GA

The City Mission – Cleveland, OH

Durham Rescue Mission – Durham, NC

Light of Life Ministries – Pittsburgh, PA

Miracle Hill Ministries – Greenville, SC

The Mustard Seed – Calgary, AB, Canada

Nashville Rescue Mission – Nashville, TN

Outreach Inc. – Indianapolis, IN

Phoenix Rescue Mission – Phoenix, AZ

Philly House – Philadelphia, PA

The Rescue Mission – Fort Wayne, IN

Seattle’s Union Gospel Mission – Seattle, WA

Springs Rescue Mission – Colorado Springs, CO

St. Matthew’s House – Naples, FL

Trinity Rescue Mission – Jacksonville, FL

Union Rescue Mission – Los Angeles, CA

Union Rescue Mission – Wichita, KS

Water Street Mission – Lancaster, PA

Wheeler Mission – Indianapolis, IN

Yakima Union Gospel Mission – Yakima, WA

###

Media Contact
Robert Wachter
Global Marketing Director
rwachter@workplaces.org
206.979.7593

###

About Best Christian Workplaces
We equip and inspire Christian leaders to build an engaged, flourishing workplace. We believe that Christian-led workplaces can set the standard as the best, most effective places to work in the world. Our proven three phase process of Discover, Build, and Grow takes the guesswork out of building a flourishing workplace culture. Best Christian Workplaces is organized as a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization and was founded in 2002.

Best Christian Workplaces
www.workplaces.org
info@workplaces.org
9311 SE 36th Street, Suite 202, Mercer Island, WA 98040

Nadia Gordynsky

Ukraine native, Christian artist creates nonprofit serving women, children on the frontlines of Ukraine

FAITH NEWS SERVICEPHILADELPHIA, Pennsylvania – Ukraine native Nadia Gordynsky is using her personal tragedy and struggles to make a real difference in this world. Gordynsky created and founded Save A Life International, a nonprofit organization serving women and children in Ukraine.

A Pro-Life 501(c)3 agency that supports women in crisis pregnancy, Save A Life International focuses on saving lives by providing women with education about making the choice of life in a crisis pregnancy situation, and giving hope to women without hope.

Gordynsky, a recognized Christian artist and staunch advocate for women and children, says that it was only through personal struggle that she was able to answer God’s calling in her life and fulfill her purpose to help pregnant women in crisis.

In 2005, Gordynsky lost a child after 18 hours of labor. While that tragic event impacted her greatly, Gordynsky said that she always trusted in God’s plan for her life. According to Gordynsky, “Through my heartbreak over the loss of my son, God was able to reveal to me the sanctity of life, and what would become my purpose.”

Just months after the loss of her child, Gordynsky was invited to appear at a Pro Life rally in Ukraine, where she learned that abortion was regarded as a popular method of contraception and that millions of Ukrainian babies were being aborted each year. Gordynsky stated, “I was completely unaware of the plight of the unborn in Ukraine. I felt called to defend life.”

In 2015 Gordynsky answered the calling that had tugged on her heart and started Save A Life International. With a mission to support women in crisis pregnancy, the organization focuses on providing crisis pregnancy support, violence and domestic abuse assistance, humanitarian aid for mothers and children, and educational programming.

Headquartered in Philadelphia, Save a Life International offers support through its nine Life Centers, which are located in Chernivtsi, Ukraine; Gdynia, Poland; Khmelnytsky, Ukraine; Lviv, Ukraine; Odessa, Ukraine; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Pokrovsk, Ukraine; Poltava, Ukraine; and Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine. Since its inception in 2015, the organization has helped nearly 2000 women.

The organization’s outreach has extended to a broad cross-section of women in need: from sex slavery survivors to grieving women grappling with the loss of a child through miscarriage or abortion, to victims of violence and abuse, to young moms who need guidance and financial support, and others facing crisis.

Gordynsky said that at the heart of Save A Life International’s work is a steadfast desire to provide nonjudgmental support: “It is vitally important that we meet women where they are, no matter the circumstances. In order to save a life, we must do so with compassion, love and kindness. We offer support without judgement.”

While the organization continues to focus on its crucial outreach to women in crisis, the recent war in Ukraine has demanded the organization expand on the scope of its outreach: at present, all of the Save a Life International Life Centers have incorporated refugee assistance and humanitarian aid projects as primary objectives.

Save a Life International (www.savealifeintl.org) is a pro-life 501(c)3 nonprofit headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

###

Media contact:
Maryglenn M. Warnock
maryglenn@maryglenn.com

reframing rejection

Amazon Best Seller, Reframing Rejection: How Looking through a Different Lens Changes Everything is Free to Download for One More Day with her print copy now available on Amazon and anywhere books are sold.

FAITH NEWS SERVICE – United States—Friday, January 27, 2023

Jessica Van Roekel’s debut book, Reframing Rejection: How Looking through a Different Lens Changes Everything maintains best new release status.

Jessica wrote Reframing Rejection to equip and empower those who’ve struggled to overcome rejection.

“When I was younger, I thought it was my job to make sure everyone liked me. As a professional counselor of 20 years, I see so many clients struggle with the same desire believing it is what “good Christian’s do.” I love that in Reframing Rejection, Jessica Van Roekel provides practical biblical tools to help us manage the reality we all face and freedom from human rejection we all long for.”

Michelle Nietert, M.A., LPC-S

Author of Loved and Cherished and Make Up Your Mind

YourMentalHealthCoach.com

When Jessica faced multiple rejections in her life, she struggled to not let them overwhelm her—until she started viewing rejection, and how to deal with rejection, through a new lens. She’s identified four new lenses to reframe rejection and to break unhealthy cycles, like constant people pleasing or saying you’re sorry over and over. In this spiritual growth self-help book, learn to engage with God through the “Reflect,” “Reframe,” and “Renew” portions of each chapter.

Jessica Van Roekel’s Reframing Rejection is available to download for free on Amazon through Saturday, January 28, 2023. Reframing Rejection debuted to rave reviews! Here’s what some of the reviewers have said:

Tiffani Grewe
5 Stars – Practical help with lifelong rejection

Reviewed in the United States on January 12, 2023

Author, Jessica Van Roekel, takes you on a journey of identifying rejection and the damage done to a person’s life and then brings you along to resolving hurtful rejection. Her thoughtful questions at the end of each chapter makes you reflect and evaluate how rejection has affected your life and encourages you to view the situations reflected through God’s word. What is the truth? Christ is sufficient.

Aaron & Andrea Wenburg
5 Stars – We don’t have to fear rejection, we can reframe it and be free!

Reviewed in the United States on January 10, 2023

No one wants to be rejected, but maybe we don’t have to give our fear of rejection the power it has over our energy, motivation, and decisions. In REFRAMING REJECTION, Jessica Van Roekel provides language and new lenses through which to see rejection, stripping it of its power over us. I highly recommend this book to those who feel paralyzed by potential rejection. There is another way.

For More Information: For more questions or to schedule an interview about this press release please email Jessica Van Roekel at jessica@welcomegrace.com.

About the Author

Jessica Van Roekel loves the upside-down life of following Jesus as she journeys to wholeness through brokenness. As an author, speaker, and worship leader, she uses her gifts and experiences to share God’s transformative power to rescue, restore, and renew. She longs for you to know that rejection doesn’t have to define or determine your future when placed in God’s healing hands. Jessica and her husband have two adult daughters spreading their wings, and two high schoolers, a son and daughter, fluttering their wings as they edge closer to the nest. Connect with her at welcomegrace.com.

Suggested Interview Questions

It sounds like you’ve had a lifelong struggle with looking to others for your worth and value. Where do you think this came from, and can you identify the first time you remember feeling like you needed someone’s approval for your self-worth?

Your book refers to two defining experiences that happened within six weeks of each other—a poor performance during a singing showcase and the loss of what you considered a dear friendship. What role did these two experiences play in helping you begin to change your perspective on your relationship with rejection?

Reframing Rejection talks about four different types of rejection. What are the various types of rejection, and briefly explain how someone can reframe their perspective on each type.

What is some practical advice and encouragement you can give to women who live with trying to get the approval of others in order to avoid rejection? What are some things we do to make others feel rejected, and what can we do instead to lift and affirm others?

I love the title of your book, Reframing Rejection: How Looking through a Different Lens Changes Everything. Can you speak to the photography references and how you relate it to rejection?

You say that God used your greatest fear to let you experience the greatest freedom. Please describe what that freedom looks like for you today.

only if god says so

Best Seller, Only If God Says So! Free to Download through January 28, 2023 with hard and soft cover copies now available on Amazon

FAITH NEWS SERVICE – United States—Friday, January 27, 2023

Karen Black Mercer presents her best-selling pro-life memoir Only If God Says So!: Finding the Courage to Protect Life in a Pro-Choice World

Karen wrote Only If God Says So! to encourage her readers to believe that what God has done for her (calling her to a worthy cause and a ministry that serves Him), He can do for them.

At the risk of being beaten and jailed, Karen Black Mercer places herself between expectant women and abortionists, determined to fight for the unborn. This compelling Christian memoir of a once-timid woman’s call to march into the physical and spiritual battle against abortion presents an unflinching firsthand account of one of our country’s darkest realities. As her persistent stand for righteousness results in numerous imprisonments and death threats, Karen’s battle cry becomes, “Only if God says so!” Through it all, the Lord’s great love, power, and faithfulness are clearly demonstrated in Karen’s life. Today, as the Dobbs case comes continually under fire, Only If God Says So! is particularly timely Christian inspiration.

Karen Mercer Black’s Only If God Says So! is available to download for free on Amazon through Saturday, January 28, 2023. Only If God Says So! continues to receive rave reviews! Here’s what some of the reviewers have said:

Lorraine Varela

5 Stars

An incredible journey from fearful timidity to courageous faith

Reviewed in the United States on January 24, 2023

Karen’s memoir is an impressive journey and inspiration on how to overcome fear in the most desperate of circumstances. Guided by the Spirit-given encouragement “Only if God says so!”, she was empowered to face painful separation from her family, arrests, prison, hostile opponents, and even death threats by the mafia as she took an often-solitary stance to love on women and their unborn children, giving them hope for life. A must-read!

  1. Elledge

5 Stars

Hero of the unborn

This book is a story of determination and obedience in the face of extreme opposition. It is about how God uses an unlikely person who is willing to “die to self” to carry out His purposes to save the lives of thousands of babies. This is the best book I have read in a very long time. You will not want to put it down!

For More Information: For more questions or to schedule an interview about this press release please contact Karen Black Mercer at 812-223-9002 or email bringinghopeinhim@gmail.com.

About the Author

For fifty-four years, Karen Black Mercer has been a warrior against abortion, starting in the late sixties to prevent abortion on demand. She has worked with crisis pregnancy centers, done post-abortion counseling, and joined Operation Rescue. She’s been pushed, spit on, handcuffed, beaten, injured by nunchucks, shackled, arrested twenty-four times, and received a mafia death threat. Her compassionate woman-centered approach to encouraging women to choose life over abortion has resulted in over nine thousand women choosing life and has earned her national recognition as “The Billy Graham of Sidewalk Counseling.” She has also earned the Power of One award from the Georgia Family Council. Karen holds a doctorate in clinical Christian counseling (PhD). In addition to her two children, she has a stepdaughter and total of ten grandchildren. She lives in the Midwest with her husband, Steve.

Suggested Interview Questions

  1. Your author bio says that your compassionate approach to sidewalk counseling has resulted in over nine thousand women choosing life for their babies. What is your method for keeping track?
  2. How many of these women, and their kids, do you keep in touch with?
  3. Over the years, have you ever feared for your life as a result of your work? Has that gotten easier over time?
  4. Were there times when you felt overwhelmed by the enormity of your mission?
  5. What do you consider to be your crowning achievement as a pro-life activist?
  6. For readers who might have a loved one who is considering abortion, what insights will your book give them?
  7. Do you enter into the current debate regarding the moral validity of Roe v. Wade? What do you think about the Supreme Court’s recent decision to overturn Roe v. Wade?
  8. What do you say to people who believe that a woman should be able to choose an abortion if the pregnancy is a result of rape or incest?
  9. What’s your stance on abortion in the rare circumstance when the mother’s life is in danger?
  10. In what ways do you engage in the pro-life movement today? If someone wants to become more involved, what steps should they take?

 

 

only if god says so

Best Seller, Only If God Says So! Free to Download through January 28, 2023

FAITH NEWS SERVICE – United States—Wednesday, January 25, 2023

Karen Black Mercer presents her best-selling pro-life memoir Only If God Says So!: Finding the Courage to Protect Life in a Pro-Choice World

Karen wrote Only If God Says So! to encourage her readers to believe that what God has done for her (calling her to a worthy cause and a ministry that serves Him), He can do for them.

At the risk of being beaten and jailed, Karen Black Mercer places herself between expectant women and abortionists, determined to fight for the unborn. This compelling Christian memoir of a once-timid woman’s call to march into the physical and spiritual battle against abortion presents an unflinching firsthand account of one of our country’s darkest realities. As her persistent stand for righteousness results in numerous imprisonments and death threats, Karen’s battle cry becomes, “Only if God says so!” Through it all, the Lord’s great love, power, and faithfulness are clearly demonstrated in Karen’s life. Today, as the Dobbs case comes continually under fire, Only If God Says So! is particularly timely Christian inspiration.

Karen Mercer Black’s Only If God Says So! is available to download for free on Amazon through Saturday, January 28, 2023. Only If God Says So! has debuted with many rave reviews! Here’s what some of the reviewers have said:

Victoria L

5 Stars

Truly an AMAZING Read!!!

Reviewed in the United States on January 24, 2023

I never do reviews, but had to after reading just the first half of her memoir. I literally cannot put this book down! Karen’s story is absolutely astounding, inspiring and captivating!!! I am blown away by her level of courage and faithfulness – her complete trust in God. I love her faith-filled declaration, “Only if God Says So!” and have adopted this into my own life. God bless Karen for her “yes” and the abundant fruit of such a “fiat”! If you are looking for a book that has it all, from adventure to laughter to tears and more, trust me – get this book stat – you will not be disappointed!!!

Mary Hansen

5 Stars

God is faithful! So brave and inspiring!

Reviewed in the United States on January 21, 2023
What an amazing, faith building read! Karen’s style of writing keeps the interest of the reader making it very difficult to put this book down once it’s started. The most important aspect of this book is the way Karen captures her strong faith and the faith of her family. If ever you question that God really exists, read this book.

For More Information: For more questions or to schedule an interview about this press release please contact Karen Black Mercer at 812-223-9002 or email bringinghopeinhim@gmail.com.

About the Author

For fifty-four years, Karen Black Mercer has been a warrior against abortion, starting in the late sixties to prevent abortion on demand. She has worked with crisis pregnancy centers, done post-abortion counseling, and joined Operation Rescue. She’s been pushed, spit on, handcuffed, beaten, injured by nunchucks, shackled, arrested twenty-four times, and received a mafia death threat. Her compassionate woman-centered approach to encouraging women to choose life over abortion has resulted in over nine thousand women choosing life and has earned her national recognition as “The Billy Graham of Sidewalk Counseling.” She has also earned the Power of One award from the Georgia Family Council. Karen holds a doctorate in clinical Christian counseling (PhD). In addition to her two children, she has a stepdaughter and total of ten grandchildren. She lives in the Midwest with her husband, Steve.

Suggested Interview Questions

  1. Your author bio says that your compassionate approach to sidewalk counseling has resulted in over nine thousand women choosing life for their babies. What is your method for keeping track?
  2. How many of these women, and their kids, do you keep in touch with?
  3. Over the years, have you ever feared for your life as a result of your work? Has that gotten easier over time?
  4. Were there times when you felt overwhelmed by the enormity of your mission?
  5. What do you consider to be your crowning achievement as a pro-life activist?
  6. For readers who might have a loved one who is considering abortion, what insights will your book give them?
  7. Do you enter into the current debate regarding the moral validity of Roe v. Wade? What do you think about the Supreme Court’s recent decision to overturn Roe v. Wade?
  8. What do you say to people who believe that a woman should be able to choose an abortion if the pregnancy is a result of rape or incest?
  9. What’s your stance on abortion in the rare circumstance when the mother’s life is in danger?
  10. In what ways do you engage in the pro-life movement today? If someone wants to become more involved, what steps should they take?

 

reframing rejection

Amazon Best Seller, Reframing Rejection: How Looking through a Different Lens Changes Everything Free to Download through Saturday, January 28, 2023

FAITH NEWS SERVICE – United States—Wednesday, January 25, 2023

Jessica Van Roekel is pleased to offer support and encouragement in her debut book, Reframing Rejection: How Looking through a Different Lens Changes Everything

“If rejection has sidelined you from having meaningful relationships and even from doing that which you love, you will find help and healing from Jessica Van Roekel’s Reframing Rejection: How Looking through a Different Lens Changes Everything. She carefully examines the root issues that underlie our reactions to criticism, betrayal, rejection, and even simple disregard and provides a helpful way to reframe those negative experiences so that we can find redirection, refinement, and restoration for our lives.”

~Janet Holm McHenry, national speaker author of 24 books, including the bestselling PrayerWalk and her newest, The Complete Guide to the Prayers of Jesus

Jessica wrote Reframing Rejection to equip and empower those who’ve struggled to overcome rejection.

When Jessica faced multiple rejections in her life, she struggled to not let them overwhelm her—until she started viewing rejection, and how to deal with rejection, through a new lens. She’s identified four new lenses to reframe rejection and to break unhealthy cycles, like constant people pleasing or saying you’re sorry over and over. In this spiritual growth self-help book, learn to engage with God through the “Reflect,” “Reframe,” and “Renew” portions of each chapter.

Jessica Van Roekel’s Reframing Rejection is available to download for free on Amazon through Saturday, January 28, 2023. Reframing Rejection is highly rated by those who have purchased and reviewed the book. Here’s what some of the reviewers have said:

Elizabeth Stahlecker
5 Stars – Practical and honest

Reviewed in the United States on January 19, 2023

In Reframing Rejection, author Jessica Van Roekel brings us along on her journey as God reveals how he wants her to deal with inevitable and painful rejection. We all experience rejection, and we generally deal with it in unhealthy ways. Jessica explains how God can use rejection for his glory and our growth, how to heal, and how to protect our hearts against further pain by viewing rejection through God’s lens. The reflection questions at the end of each chapter were insightful and helpful. By following her honest and humble journey and reflecting on God’s word, readers can heal from rejection and be prepared to face it with God’s truth.

Jody Allen
5 Stars – Overcoming rejection and living free

Reviewed in the United States on January 16, 2023

If you’re looking for freedom from the clutches of rejection, this is the read for you. The author vulnerably shares her journey and reframes rejection for what it really is, an opportunity for growth.

For More Information: For more questions or to schedule an interview about this press release please email Jessica Van Roekel at jessica@welcomegrace.com.

About the Author

Jessica Van Roekel loves the upside-down life of following Jesus as she journeys to wholeness through brokenness. As an author, speaker, and worship leader, she uses her gifts and experiences to share God’s transformative power to rescue, restore, and renew. She longs for you to know that rejection doesn’t have to define or determine your future when placed in God’s healing hands. Jessica and her husband have two adult daughters spreading their wings, and two high schoolers, a son and daughter, fluttering their wings as they edge closer to the nest. Connect with her at welcomegrace.com.

Suggested Interview Questions

It sounds like you’ve had a lifelong struggle with looking to others for your worth and value. Where do you think this came from, and can you identify the first time you remember feeling like you needed someone’s approval for your self-worth?

Your book refers to two defining experiences that happened within six weeks of each other—a poor performance during a singing showcase and the loss of what you considered a dear friendship. What role did these two experiences play in helping you begin to change your perspective on your relationship with rejection?

Reframing Rejection talks about four different types of rejection. What are the various types of rejection, and briefly explain how someone can reframe their perspective on each type.

What is some practical advice and encouragement you can give to women who live with trying to get the approval of others in order to avoid rejection? What are some things we do to make others feel rejected, and what can we do instead to lift and affirm others?

I love the title of your book, Reframing Rejection: How Looking through a Different Lens Changes Everything. Can you speak to the photography references and how you relate it to rejection?

You say that God used your greatest fear to let you experience the greatest freedom. Please describe what that freedom looks like for you today.

end of life

New Book Gives Spiritual Insight and Comfort to End-of-Life Hospice Care

FAITH NEWS SERVICE – BELLA VISTA, AR, January 3, 2023. Deaths are on the rise but understanding of what to do at the bedside of a dying loved one has not – yet! The new release, End-of-Life Spiritual Care: Spiritual Insights and Biblical Rituals to Help Your Loved One Transition to Eternity with Faith, Love, and Dignity, by Rose Martin aims to change that.

This timely book is written for everyday people who want to help their very special loved one step into eternity. This first of its kind book is a guide to understanding the labor of dying and how people can help their loved one’s transition from a Bible-based viewpoint. Readers also learn how to use traditional spiritual items to provide a sacred space for their loved one to help them through the process.

From the book: “Over the next several years, many people will make their transition from their earthly life to their heavenly life. You will most likely know someone whose time it will be to make their journey. While you will not be able to help heal the physical sickness of your loved one, you can help them as they prepare their soul and spirit to make their ultimate step into eternity. At this closing time in someone’s life, you have the opportunity to help them complete it in the most peaceful way.”

Comments from early readers:

“I find it very well written! It offers comfort for not only the patient but the family too.”

– Mary Beth Willi, LPN, Learning How to Let Go The Signs and Symptoms of the Dying Process

“This is such a Spirit Filled Book. I can just feel the tenderness with which the dying person is being treated. They are also being treated with dignity and respect. I so appreciate that you have written this book.”

– Debbie P.S., Missouri, recently experienced the death of a loved one

Rose Martin is the author of several books and a presentation on the topic of heaven. The recent death of her mother revealed the spiritual aspects of the dying process and the Scripture that was related to it, which Rose expounds upon in this book to bring insight and comfort to everyone involved. Rose has been a Spirit-filled Believer in Yeshua, Jesus, since her life-changing salvation in 1986. She has studied, practiced, and taught the Word of God ever since. Visit www.End-of-Life-Spiritual-Care.com for more information.

This title is now available on Amazon.com at the following link.

Contact:
Rose Martin
Email: rhapsodythyme@gmail.com
Website: www.End-of-Life-Spiritual-Care.com

Only If God Says So

Only If God Says So! Will be Free to Download Tomorrow, January 24, 2023

FAITH NEWS SERVICE – United States—Monday, January 23, 2023 

Karen Black Mercer is proud to present her pro-life memoir Only If God Says So!: Finding the Courage to Protect Life in a Pro-Choice World

Karen wrote Only If God Says So! to encourage her readers to believe that what God has done for her (calling her to a worthy cause and a ministry that serves Him), He can do for them.

At the risk of being beaten and jailed, Karen Black Mercer places herself between expectant women and abortionists, determined to fight for the unborn. This compelling Christian memoir of a once-timid woman’s call to march into the physical and spiritual battle against abortion presents an unflinching firsthand account of one of our country’s darkest realities. As her persistent stand for righteousness results in numerous imprisonments and death threats, Karen’s battle cry becomes, “Only if God says so!” Through it all, the Lord’s great love, power, and faithfulness are clearly demonstrated in Karen’s life. Today, as the Dobbs case comes continually under fire, Only If God Says So! is particularly timely Christian inspiration.

Karen Mercer Black’s Only If God Says So! will be free and available for download on Amazon for 5 days – January 24, 2023 through January 28, 2023. Only If God Says So! has debuted with many rave reviews! Here’s what some of the reviewers have said:

Biya Judge

5 Stars

Wow, wow, wow, and more wow!

Reviewed in the United States on January 14, 2023

Everyone should read this book. There are no words to describe this book. It conveys the importance of the life God created in each and every soul/child conceived and helps us understand how serious the choice of abortion. Over and over are examples of God’s purpose for each and every one of us and how, if we even attempt to follow what He wants for our life, He has our back and will protect our soul and give us strength and courage.

Lynne Dunnavant

5 Stars

God is faithful! So brave and inspiring!

Reviewed in the United States on January 16, 2023
Wow how incredible is this story. She gave up her life to go help save lives. I was shocked to read all that she went through. Very inspiring, and only confirms my faith in God and how he provides for us when we honor him. Highly recommend this book!

For More Information: For more questions or to schedule an interview about this press release please contact Karen Black Mercer at 812-223-9002 or email bringinghopeinhim@gmail.com.

About the Author

For fifty-four years, Karen Black Mercer has been a warrior against abortion, starting in the late sixties to prevent abortion on demand. She has worked with crisis pregnancy centers, done post-abortion counseling, and joined Operation Rescue. She’s been pushed, spit on, handcuffed, beaten, injured by nunchucks, shackled, arrested twenty-four times, and received a mafia death threat. Her compassionate woman-centered approach to encouraging women to choose life over abortion has resulted in over nine thousand women choosing life and has earned her national recognition as “The Billy Graham of Sidewalk Counseling.” She has also earned the Power of One award from the Georgia Family Council. Karen holds a doctorate in clinical Christian counseling (PhD). In addition to her two children, she has a stepdaughter and total of ten grandchildren. She lives in the Midwest with her husband, Steve.

Suggested Interview Questions

  1. Your author bio says that your compassionate approach to sidewalk counseling has resulted in over nine thousand women choosing life for their babies. What is your method for keeping track?
  2. How many of these women, and their kids, do you keep in touch with?
  3. Over the years, have you ever feared for your life as a result of your work? Has that gotten easier over time?
  4. Were there times when you felt overwhelmed by the enormity of your mission?
  5. What do you consider to be your crowning achievement as a pro-life activist?
  6. For readers who might have a loved one who is considering abortion, what insights will your book give them?
  7. Do you enter into the current debate regarding the moral validity of Roe v. Wade? What do you think about the Supreme Court’s recent decision to overturn Roe v. Wade?
  8. What do you say to people who believe that a woman should be able to choose an abortion if the pregnancy is a result of rape or incest?
  9. What’s your stance on abortion in the rare circumstance when the mother’s life is in danger?
  10. In what ways do you engage in the pro-life movement today? If someone wants to become more involved, what steps should they take?

 

 

reframing rejection

Reframing Rejection: How Looking through a Different Lens Changes Everything Will be Free to Download Tomorrow, January 24, 2023

FAITH NEWS SERVICE – United States—Monday, January 23, 2023

Jessica Van Roekel is pleased to offer support and encouragement in her debut book, Reframing Rejection: How Looking through a Different Lens Changes Everything

In a “cancel culture” society, where most feel the sting of rejection, the cold shoulder, the rebuff, or the pain of harsh and harmful words, Jessica Van Roekel’s Reframing Rejection, How Looking Through a Different Lens Changes Everythingis a life line of hope and healing. Flip the script by learning to look at God’s redemptive solutions for living whole and healthy in this broken world.

Pam Farrel, author of 56 books including bestselling Men Are Like Waffles, Women Are Like Spaghetti and Discovering Good News in John: A Creative Bible Study Experience 

Jessica wrote Reframing Rejection to equip and empower those who’ve struggled to overcome rejection.

When Jessica faced multiple rejections in her life, she struggled to not let them overwhelm her—until she started viewing rejection, and how to deal with rejection, through a new lens. She’s identified four new lenses to reframe rejection and to break unhealthy cycles, like constant people pleasing or saying you’re sorry over and over. In this spiritual growth self-help book, learn to engage with God through the “Reflect,” “Reframe,” and “Renew” portions of each chapter.

Jessica Van Roekel’s Reframing Rejection will be free and available for download on Amazon for 5 days – January 24, 2023 through Saturday, January 28, 2023. Reframing Rejection is highly rated by those who have purchased and reviewed the book. Here’s what some of the reviewers have said:

BJS
5 Stars – Powerful, moving and cathartic

Reviewed in the United States on January 16, 2023

This book leaves me in awe of transformational power of God and His word! We are not powerless. Anyone who wants to stop feeling pushed around by rejection and fear needs to read this book. The author is vulnerable and honest and at the same time empowers you to stand on the truth, while recognizing the lies that rejection breaths into our minds and hearts.

Debbie Alsdorf
5 Stars – Very Good Book!

Reviewed in the United States on January 12, 2023

I would recommend this book to every woman I know. Most of us as women know the sting of rejection but may have never linked our perfectionism to a need of acceptance and an unspoken shield against rejection. This book is so good and the author is an engaging writer. I had a hard time putting it down. Rejection cripples and this book helps you understand it and turn it around!

For More Information: For more questions or to schedule an interview about this press release please email Jessica Van Roekel at jessica@welcomegrace.com.

About the Author

Jessica Van Roekel loves the upside-down life of following Jesus as she journeys to wholeness through brokenness. As an author, speaker, and worship leader, she uses her gifts and experiences to share God’s transformative power to rescue, restore, and renew. She longs for you to know that rejection doesn’t have to define or determine your future when placed in God’s healing hands. Jessica and her husband have two adult daughters spreading their wings, and two high schoolers, a son and daughter, fluttering their wings as they edge closer to the nest. Connect with her at welcomegrace.com.

Suggested Interview Questions

It sounds like you’ve had a lifelong struggle with looking to others for your worth and value. Where do you think this came from, and can you identify the first time you remember feeling like you needed someone’s approval for your self-worth?

Your book refers to two defining experiences that happened within six weeks of each other—a poor performance during a singing showcase and the loss of what you considered a dear friendship. What role did these two experiences play in helping you begin to change your perspective on your relationship with rejection?

Reframing Rejection talks about four different types of rejection. What are the various types of rejection, and briefly explain how someone can reframe their perspective on each type.

What is some practical advice and encouragement you can give to women who live with trying to get the approval of others in order to avoid rejection? What are some things we do to make others feel rejected, and what can we do instead to lift and affirm others?

I love the title of your book, Reframing Rejection: How Looking through a Different Lens Changes Everything. Can you speak to the photography references and how you relate it to rejection?

You say that God used your greatest fear to let you experience the greatest freedom. Please describe what that freedom looks like for you today.

renee marini

Amazon Best Seller, A Life of Significance: Ordinary People Fulfilling the Extraordinary Call of God available one more day to download for free!

FAITH NEWS SERVICE – United States—Friday, January 20, 2023

Renee Marini is pleased to present her new Amazon best seller and thought-provoking memoir of ministry in Zambia, Africa, A Life of Significance: Ordinary People Fulfilling the Extraordinary Call of God

Renee wrote A Life of Significance to show that God can take ordinary people and use them for His extraordinary purposes.

In A Life of Significance the author explores the totally unexpected and extraordinary call of God that led her and her husband to their search for significance in, of all places, Zambia, Africa. There they learn how to trust God with your life as they witness Him do amazing things over and above anything they could have imagined.

Renee Marini’s A Life of Significance is free and available for download on Amazon through Saturday, January 21, 2023, and is highly recommended by those who purchased and reviewed the book. Here’s what a couple of the reviewers have said:

Diane E Blizzard

A fascinating story of faith and obedience!

5 Stars
Reviewed in the United States on January 16, 2023

Only God can prepare a couple in the way in which Sal and Renee Marini were prepared when he sent them to Africa. This is an awe-inspiring story of God’s never ending faithfulness!

Shaun

Just Amazing!
5 Stars
Reviewed in the United States on January 9, 2023

I could not put the book down. I haven’t read a book in a long, long time. It was an easy read and kept me engaged anticipating what would happen next. I laughed, I cried. The journey through this book will grab at your heart. God’s timing is perfect at every single turn!

For More Information: For more questions or to schedule an interview about this press release please contact Renee Marini at 1-301-467-8818 or email salandrenee@gmail.com.

About the Author

Despite the name on her birth certificate, everyone always called Mary Ethlarine Joyce “Renee.” When she married her husband, Sal, in 1976, she officially became Renee Marini. Having answered God’s call to start a clinic at Sons of Thunder, Zambia, Renee and Sal have served there since 2005. Renee is amazed at all God has done and is doing through their simple obedience. Together, she and Sal have three sons and six grandchildren.

Suggested Interview Questions

  1. Do you ever question how your life would have gone if you had ignored that voice telling you to go to Africa?
  2. It’s hard to imagine dropping everything you know to move to a different country. Did you come across a lot of opposition from people in your lives at home?
  3. What do you hope that readers will gain from reading your book?
  4. With so many years of serving, how did you choose which stories to include in your book?
  5. Was there ever a challenge so great that you wanted to tell God you were ready to give up and go home?
  6. Was it a difficult decision to open up about your life in such a personal way?
  7. Are there any details in the book that you had forgotten until you began the process of writing your story?
  8. You write in your book about witchcraft and dark arts that are quite commonplace in parts of Africa. Did you ever encounter what felt like evil spirits in your practice?
renee marini

Amazon Best Seller, A Life of Significance: Ordinary People Fulfilling the Extraordinary Call of God, #1 New Release for 7 Straight Days

FAITH NEWS SERVICE – United States—Wednesday, January 18, 2023

Renee Marini is pleased to present her thought-provoking memoir of ministry in Zambia, Africa, A Life of Significance: Ordinary People Fulfilling the Extraordinary Call of God

Renee wrote A Life of Significance to show that God can take ordinary people and use them for His extraordinary purposes.

A Life of Significance is sure to become a favorite among all Christian missionary stories. The author explores the totally unexpected and extraordinary call of God that led her and her husband to their search for significance in, of all places, Zambia, Africa. There they learn how to trust God with your life as they witness Him do amazing things over and above anything they could have imagined.

Renee Marini’s A Life of Significance is free and available for download on Amazon through Saturday, January 21, 2023. A Life of Significance is highly recommended by those who purchased and reviewed the book. Here’s what a couple of the reviewers have said:

Anonymous

True to its title!

5 Stars
Reviewed in the United States on January 14, 2023

Renee’s story beautifully shares how God has used an ordinary woman, wife, mother, grandmother to accomplish amazing things for His kingdom and His glory through her willingness to take the next step. You never know when obedience to His calling to take one step at a time will impact a family, a community, and a nation. Read Renee’s story and be encouraged to ask God what next step He wants you to take.

Michael L. Neely

A beautiful story of how…
5 Stars
Reviewed in the United States on January 4, 2023

God has a used Sal and Rene to develop a comprehensive program to address the physical, emotional and spiritual needs of the Zambian people.Their dedication and devotion is an incredible example of what God can do in people who will follow Him fully.

For More Information: For more questions or to schedule an interview about this press release please contact Renee Marini at 1-301-467-8818 or email salandrenee@gmail.com.

About the Author

Despite the name on her birth certificate, everyone always called Mary Ethlarine Joyce “Renee.” When she married her husband, Sal, in 1976, she officially became Renee Marini. Having answered God’s call to start a clinic at Sons of Thunder, Zambia, Renee and Sal have served there since 2005. Renee is amazed at all God has done and is doing through their simple obedience. Together, she and Sal have three sons and six grandchildren.

Suggested Interview Questions

  1. Do you ever question how your life would have gone if you had ignored that voice telling you to go to Africa?
  2. It’shard to imagine dropping everything you know to move to a different country. Did you come across a lot of opposition from people in your lives at home?
  3. What do you hope that readers will gain from reading your book?
  4. With so many years of serving, how did you choose which stories to include in your book?
  5. Was there ever a challenge so great that you wanted to tell God you were ready to give up and go home?
  6. Was it a difficult decision to open up about your life in such a personal way?
  7. Are there any details in the book that you had forgotten until you began the process of writing your story?
  8. You write in your book about witchcraft and dark arts that are quite commonplace in parts of Africa. Did you ever encounter what felt like evil spirits in your practice?

 

from shattered to restored

New Redemption Press release offers guidance for recovering from mental health challenges

FAITH NEWS SERVICE – With so many Americans struggling with mental health challenges—more than 50 percent will be diagnosed at some point in their life, one in five in any given year*—a nationally recognized recovery leader has stepped up to the plate. Nanette Larson’s Restoration Guide provides recovery principles and practical strategies for full restoration.

This Restoration Guide is a companion book to her memoir, From Shattered to Restored: Recovering Hope, Discovering Purpose, which tells Nanette’s dramatic story of hopelessness and despair, struggling through years of mental illness, and how she attained freedom and full recovery through hard work and a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. Each chapter of the Restoration Guide mirrors its respective chapter in the memoir, utilizing study questions, points for reflection, prayers, pertinent Scripture, and more.

Through the teaching and interactive prompts, the reader will learn how to apply four essential principles of restoration that are continuously woven throughout the journey of recovery and discovery:

  1. Abide in Christ.
  2. Cast down every high thing that exalts itself above the knowledge of God.
  3. Renew your mind through the Word of God.
  4. Yield to the Holy Spirit.

The guide is designed for small groups or individuals.

“Recovering from and living beyond mental health challenges is possible for anyone who is willing to put in the work,” Nanette says. “In my memoir, I share how God set me free. In the Restoration Guide, you are given the opportunity to allow God to do the healing work in your heart.”

The Restoration Guide encourages readers to position their hearts for the Holy Spirit to do the real work of recovery and discovery.

* https://www.cdc.gov/mentalhealth/learn/index.htm

Find From Shattered to Restored online everywhere books are sold.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Nanette Larson is a nationally recognized leader in mental health recovery who has spent the last twenty years providing leadership in Illinois’ public mental health system and developing recovery-oriented, trauma-informed systems of care. She is an Emotional CPR practitioner, an advanced-level facilitator for Wellness Recovery Action Planning (WRAP), and a certified Recovery Support Specialist. She lives in central Illinois and enjoys learning, hiking, swimming, and growing alongside her many nieces and nephews and one precocious godson.

For review copies and media interviews, contact:

info@wholehealthtec.com

www.wholehealthtec.com

Connect with Nanette at

www.facebook.com/From-Shattered-to-Restored

a life of significance

A Life of Significance: Ordinary People Fulfilling the Extraordinary Call of God, Will be Free to Download Tomorrow, January 17, 2023

FAITH NEWS SERVICE – United States—Monday, January 16, 2023

Renee Marini is pleased to present her thought-provoking memoir of ministry in Zambia, Africa, A Life of Significance: Ordinary People Fulfilling the Extraordinary Call of God

Renee wrote A Life of Significance to show that God can take ordinary people and use them for His extraordinary purposes.

A Life of Significance is sure to become a favorite among all Christian missionary stories. The author explores the totally unexpected and extraordinary call of God that led her and her husband to their search for significance in, of all places, Zambia, Africa. There they learn how to trust God with your life as they witness Him do amazing things over and above anything they could have imagined.

Renee Marini’s A Life of Significance will be free and available for download on Amazon for 5 days, Tuesday, January 17, 2023 through January 21, 2023. A Life of Significance is rate 5 stars by those who purchased and reviewed the book. Here’s what a couple of the reviewers have said:

Meg Schaffer

A Must Read!

5 Stars
Reviewed in the United States on January 13, 2023

A very well written true story of faithfulness and hope. Renee and Sal’s belief in God and His goodness are reflected throughout the book allowing for so many awesome turns of events. Renee’s writing style makes for easy reading and keeps your attention!! Mind boggling account of how two dedicated Christians can change the lives of countless Zambians through hard work and deep uncompromising faith in God!!

Anonymous

WOW! Just, wow!
5 Stars
Reviewed in the United States on January 3, 2023

I don’t read many books. Mainly because I lose interest in them pretty quickly. I couldn’t put this book down. I paced the floor and burned through this book in two sessions as it moved from one miraculous encounter to the next. In the end it left me jealous. Jealous to have Christ in my life in such a simple and tangible way that His sovereignty becomes apparent in the smallest of tasks. Jealous to be able to stay the course no matter the circumstances. I highly recommend this book and am sure that I will be reading it again for the inspiration it provides.

For More Information: For more questions or to schedule an interview about this press release please contact Renee Marini at 1-301-467-8818 or email salandrenee@gmail.com.

About the Author

Despite the name on her birth certificate, everyone always called Mary Ethlarine Joyce “Renee.” When she married her husband, Sal, in 1976, she officially became Renee Marini. Having answered God’s call to start a clinic at Sons of Thunder, Zambia, Renee and Sal have served there since 2005. Renee is amazed at all God has done and is doing through their simple obedience. Together, she and Sal have three sons and six grandchildren.

Suggested Interview Questions

  1. Do you ever question how your life would have gone if you had ignored that voice telling you to go to Africa?
  2. It’s hard to imagine dropping everything you know to move to a different country. Did you come across a lot of opposition from people in your lives at home?
  3. What do you hope that readers will gain from reading your book?
  4. With so many years of serving, how did you choose which stories to include in your book?
  5. Was there ever a challenge so great that you wanted to tell God you were ready to give up and go home?
  6. Was it a difficult decision to open up about your life in such a personal way?
  7. Are there any details in the book that you had forgotten until you began the process of writing your story?
  8. You write in your book about witchcraft and dark arts that are quite commonplace in parts of Africa. Did you ever encounter what felt like evil spirits in your practice?

 

megavoice

MegaVoice Audio Bibles Lead Cutting-Edge Innovators in FaithTech’s ‘Missional Tech Trends’

FAITH NEWS SERVICE – JACKSONVILLE, FL: MegaVoice was recently featured in FaithTech’s Missional Tech Trends Report. Emerging technologies are transforming how the Church advances the Gospel, and this report affirms the innovative work MegaVoice does in the digital space.

There are numerous ways to get the Gospel message out to people, whether through video, audio, or text. Each approach shapes the Gospel message in different ways, with risks and benefits in every case. From livestreaming to hotspot broadcasting, from peer-to-peer file-sharing to physical distribution, Christians must understand how these systems will impact the communities they serve so they can spread the Gospel in a form and format that advances God’s mission.

FaithTech’s founder James Kelly says, “The organizations we featured in Missional Tech Trends are true pioneers. They are carving new paths that will benefit the many early adopters who come after them.”

MegaVoice solar-powered audio and video Bibles carry Scripture audio, discipleship resources, and evangelical films to the most remote areas on earth. Tom Meiner, COO of The Jesus Film Project, says, “Without MegaVoice audio, and now also video players, we wouldn’t be able to give millions the opportunity to hear and see Jesus speak their language.”

MegaVoice is proud to help people engage with God through solar-powered Bibles, and they’re grateful for the supporters who have caught the vision with them.

Email baranda@megavoice.com to arrange an interview with MegaVoice CEO Charlies Cibene or MegaVoice Chief Partnership Officer Darrel Templeton.

 

About MegaVoice:
Millions around the world still don’t have access to a Bible they can engage with because of language barriers, physical disabilities, or limited literacy. We create access solutions for these unique contexts. Through solar-powered audio and video Bibles and our massive content library, we equip our Partners to show up for the people they serve. Whether you’re a missionary working in the Amazon rainforest or an advocate for the homeless in New Orleans, [MegaVoice https://megavoiceinternational.org/] can help you reach the least of us.

Click here to learn more about MegaVoice!

About FaithTech:
FaithTech empowers Christian technologists to innovate for the Church, for the marginalized, and for the spread of the Gospel. Learn more at FaithTech.com.

Media Contact: Brittney Aranda | Executive Assistant | baranda@megaoice.com | 850-293-9307 | MegaVoice | megavoice.com

a woman's journey

New Redemption Press release sheds light on ways to reach homeless youth

FAITH NEWS SERVICE – Love is sorely missing in our culture and in society. On any given night, 41,000 teens experience homelessness. Fifty percent of teens have entered the juvenile justice system, and 69 percent report experiencing mental health issues.*

While many factors play into these few statistics from the National Conference of State Legislators, few towns are fully equipped to handle the plethora of homeless youth each year.

Author Joann Wittler grew up with a policeman father, but the tragedies on the streets did not reach Joann’s heart until she was worshiping in church one Sunday morning. “I heard God’s voice, crystal clear, say, ‘You will be the mother to many.’” At fifty-three years old, Wittler felt certain she was too old to answer God’s call, but he had a plan. Part personal story and part ministry memoir, A Woman’s Journey to Becoming Mother 2 Many describes the depths of tenacity, love, and faith Joann and her husband, Steve, navigated to reach the homeless youth in their community near Seattle, Washington.

When asked why she wrote the book, Wittler replied, “I wanted people to see that they could be what God wants them to be. Age is just a number—God can use anyone.” While following Wittler’s saga of learning how to set up a nonprofit, being turned down by the city council multiple times, loving society’s forgotten population, readers will find God’s love and learn they matter to our heavenly father.

* https://www.ncsl.org/research/human-services/homeless-and-runaway-youth.aspx

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Joann Wittler loves sunshine but lives in the least sunny part of Washington State. A native of Seattle, Joann grew up in Tacoma and Puyallup, where she met her husband, Steve. They have a blended family, which has taught them the power of unconditional love, especially when raising teenagers. This patience served its purpose when they started Mother 2 Many, a nonprofit outreach for homeless teens, in January 2013. She and her husband travel to local skateparks in their sunshine-yellow, food-laden truck and trailer, to share a ray of hope with the youth. Visit www.mother2many.org for more information.

For interviews, contact info@mother2many.org

Facebook: Mother 2 Many Skate park outreach

Instagram: jowitt57

Suggested Interview Questions

  1. Your memoir describes many unloving relationships you experienced. How did you move from feeling unloved to feeling fully loved?
  2. Your memoir shows how you and your husband, Steve, started your nonprofit, but how did it all come together?
  3. You describe the devastation of our youth in America and around the world. What is one missing element in their lives that you believe they need, and why?
  4. It’s awesome that your favorite color is yellow, and that you drive a bus with a big sun on it. Explain how all that happened, and the significance of it.
  5. Ministering to those who feel hopeless, unloved, and forgotten is what your nonprofit, Mother 2 Many, is all about. How do you all stay in business?
  6. Where can people find you if they want to invest or give to Mother 2 Many?

 

 

 

everlasting kingdom

New Redemption Press release provides practical Bible resource and comprehensive overview of New Testament

FAITH NEWS SERVICE – According to a Lifeway Research study, more than half of Americans have read little or none of the Bible, and for those who have read Scriptures, less than a quarter have a systematic plan for daily Bible reading.*

“Most Americans don’t know firsthand the overall story of the Bible—because they rarely pick it up,” said Scott McConnell, Lifeway’s executive director. “Even among worship attendees, less than half read the Bible daily. The only time most Americans hear from the Bible is when someone else is reading it.”**

When Robert Hedenstrom came to Christ at age seventeen, he quickly gave up on his first attempts to read the Bible. “When I initially started reading the Bible, it was a jumble of words like ‘justification,’ ‘righteousness,’ and ‘propitiation,’ interspersed with a few sentences and passages that made some sense but that generally left me frustrated,” Hedenstrom said.

Having since earned his master’s in divinity, Hedenstrom now delivers Everlasting Kingdom: Faith, Hope, and Love in Christ from the Gospels to Revelation (Redemption Press) to help others avoid the confusion and frustration that waylaid his own journey with the Savior. “I wrote my book to provide a clear and understandable book about the Bible, especially the New Testament, while presenting a more inspirational than academic view of Scripture.”

Written as a historical narrative and intended as a practical resource for new Bible readers as well as seasoned Christians, Everlasting Kingdom provides a brief synopsis of the Old Testament, a comprehensive and straightforward overview of each of the New Testament’s twenty-seven books, clear and understandable commentary, and insight into historical and cultural contexts.

“Ultimately, my goal is for readers to experience the gospel’s transforming effect,” Hedenstrom said. “Jesus reveals himself through his Word, so by increasing our knowledge and understanding of Scripture, we can better know and love him.”

* https://lifewayresearch.com/2017/04/25/lifeway-research-americans-are-fond-of-the-bible-dont-actually-read-it/

** https://lifewayresearch.com/2017/04/25/lifeway-research-americans-are-fond-of-the-bible-dont-actually-read-it/

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Robert Hedenstrom is a student of the Bible. With a bachelor’s in religion from Gustavus Adolphus College and a master’s in divinity from Fuller Seminary, he is passionate about the Bible as the infallible Word of God. He has been a follower of Jesus for fifty years. Robert holds a teaching certificate from the University of Texas Austin, has been an associate and youth pastor, and has worked in the financial services for twenty-six years as a certified financial planner. Robert has three adult daughters and lives in Colorado Springs, Colorado with his wife.

For review copies and media interviews, contact:

Robert Hedenstrom
Email:   prevailingkingdom@outlook.com

Purchase Everlasting Kingdom online wherever books are sold.

 

How To Be A Powerful Joyful and Purposeful Christian

New Redemption Press memoir chronicles woman’s testimony and strategies for living with joy, purpose and power

FAITH NEWS SERVICE – The majority of American adults regularly think about how to find meaning and purpose in life. In a recent Lifeway study, 57 percent of adults said they wonder at least monthly on the topic.*

Many have weighed in on the purpose of life. The late, great evangelist Billy Graham said, “The born-again Christian sees life not as a blurred, confused, meaningless mass, but as something planned and purposeful.”**

Author Taiye Jeremiah believes a relationship with Jesus is the key to success in life. “God created each of us for a purpose,” Jeremiah says. “When we have a personal relationship with Him, He lives in us and provides the awesome power of the Holy Spirit to discover and live a life of purpose and fulfill His plan for our lives.”

Taiye Jeremiah shares her heartfelt testimony and her path to a deeper relationship with Christ in her new book, How to Be a Powerful, Joyful, and Purposeful Christian. Jeremiah weaves her life story and challenges—including education and workplace struggles, addiction, jealousy, unforgiveness, dating, and relationship issues—with strategies for nourishing her relationship with God and living out His will.

Passionate about the way God has worked in her life and how her relationship with Him has developed, Jeremiah wrote How to Be a Powerful, Joyful, and Purposeful Christian to encourage readers with her story and to provide practical takeaways for growing in their spiritual walk and for living out His will. “I wanted to write this book to show others that our relationship with Jesus is meant to be enjoyable,” she said. “Christianity is not about rules and regulations. It’s about knowing God personally and living with the amazing power, joy, and purpose only He can provide.”

Men and women wanting to grow in their faith will especially enjoy How to Be a Powerful, Joyful, and Purposeful Christian. Each chapter concludes with insightful questions for group discussion or personal reflection.

*https://blog.lifeway.com/newsroom/2021/04/06/americans-views-of-lifes-meaning-and-purpose-are-changing/

**https://www.azquotes.com/quote/662581

Purchase the book online everywhere books are sold.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Taiye Jeremiah encourages and equips believers and unbelievers to have a personal relationship with Jesus to become powerful, joyful, and purposeful Christians. Born and raised in Nigeria, Taiye resides in Washington with her family of God. A businesswoman with a master’s in business administration, to the glory of God, she loves to speak and write about God, sing and dance to God, watch movies, travel, volunteer, and help family and friends. Holy Spirit has made us Powerful, Joyful, and Purposeful (PJP).

For review copies and media interviews, contact:

Taiye Jeremiah

Email: taiye.jeremiah@gmail.com; goodnewsoj1@gmail.com

Instagram: @taiyejeremiah; @goodnewsoj

Facebook: Taiye Jeremiah; Good News

YouTube: Taiye Jeremiah

TikTok: @taiyej

Twitter: @taiyej9

Snapchat: taiye.jeremiah

a determined hope

New Author Chronicles God’s Faithfulness Through Health, Family, and Career Challenges

FAITH NEWS SERVICE – CARY, NC January 3, 2023 – Despite the devastation of bankruptcy and being diagnosed with a crippling disease, author Jeanie Williams powerfully inspires readers with heartfelt honesty and joy as she shares how these challenges led her to deepen her faith in Jesus, build a successful business and bring hope to thousands of people.

The remarkable story of Jeanie Williams is filled with the joys of a loving family, as well as loving friends and a fulfilling business venture. But beneath that story lies a foundation of struggle and challenge – experiences that God has used to forge Jeanie’s character and create a legacy that has inspired her family and will continue to inspire many more. A Determined Hope is the amazing true story of God’s grace in the life of one woman.

“The power of faith can do endless wonderful things in a person’s life. The life of Jeanie Williams is a great example of that. In A Determined Hope, Jeanie shares her life story about walking through adversity and triumph to find God’s love and peace at the other end. With her husband Lee at her side, Jeanie has spent her life, much as Jesus did, in service to others. Her remarkable story of faith is inspiring and heartfelt. I have read her story several times and find more value in it every time I sit down with it.” – Mike Quayle

A Determined Hope will inspire and challenge readers while giving hope that with Jesus, no challenge of life is insurmountable.

“I long for this book to be not only a legacy for my children and grandchildren, but also an inspiration to them and to all who would read it. God desires to do more for us than we can imagine. His purpose for us is to develop the character of His Son in us (Romans 8:29), and in doing so inspire others to seek Him. That is a process that takes a lifetime.” – Jeanie Williams

A Determined Hope is available from Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BQLNDY5C?ref_=cm_sw_r_cp_ud_sem_2S546N6FZ24NFBXRR8Y6.

Learn more about Jeanie Williams and A Determined Hope at www.adeterminedhope.com.

For interviews and more information, contact Chad Williams: chad.williams@fiveq.com.

start it

Start It: What Time is Left? will motivate you to start living the life you want – now

FAITH NEWS SERVICE – The dreams, ideas, Visions and goals not hatched are beginning to rot away because the bearers are habitual procrastinators. They have placed hope on a tomorrow that is far away, and forgotten about today, which is already here. They forget that very soon today will be yesterday and tomorrow will be today. How time flies.

What time is left to live the life that you have always wanted to live, and to achieve all that you have always wanted to achieve .

In Start It: What Time is Left?, this quick read by Franklin Ichella is intended to motivate you to start doing all that you have always dreamed of doing.

Through this book, you will also discover what to do to have victory over what is resisting or delaying the manifestation of your dreams and destiny.

There is greatness in you. Manifest it. Start It: What Time is Left? is available now through Amazon.

Franklin Ichella has always been passionate about individual and organizational growth. He is a motivational speaker, and also an anointed pastor with a prophetic mandate to bring restoration to God’s people.

Franklin Ichella is the president and founder of Many Thanks Church Inc. He currently resides in Florida.

best christian workplaces

Best Christian Workplaces Announces Revitalized Brand, New Website and Expanded Services

FAITH NEWS SERVICE – (Mercer Island, WA)—Best Christian Workplaces is excited to announce expanded services, a brand refresh, and the launch of a new website — workplaces.org.

Best Christian Workplaces is the new, streamlined organizational name. The word “Institute” has been dropped from the name to elevate the emphasis on the vision, which is that Christian-led workplaces set the standard as the best, most effective places to work in the world. While the name has changed, the solid foundation of research remains intact. Best Christian Workplaces has the most comprehensive database of employee engagement data that exists in the Christian realm. BCW will continue to use this professional expertise as they serve more Christian-led organizations.

Jay Bransford, CEO, shares his enthusiasm for the direction of Best Christian Workplaces: “These changes will help us communicate the value of Best Christian Workplaces to more people. We are now poised to come alongside the current and next generation of leaders, to meet their unique challenges. In the past, our ministry partners have used our Employee Engagement Survey but haven’t always been aware of how BCW can serve them in additional ways. With a new, dedicated emphasis on sales and marketing, ministry partners will now be fully aware of all the BCW resources. Having Robert Wachter, Global Marketing Director, in place allows us to focus on providing a top-notch experience for our ministry partners.”

Workplaces.org is the new, easy to navigate website. It clearly explains how Best Christian Workplaces can come alongside organizations and help them on their journey to flourishing. The new website simplifies access to BCW professional services and provides resources to equip leaders to use the proven three phrase process: Discover, Build, and Grow.

The road to flourishing starts with the Discovery phase. Becoming a thriving workplace begins with evaluating and measuring the current level of organizational, leadership, and team health. BCW supports the discovery phase through the Employee Engagement Survey and Leadership 360 assessment. Clear and actionable data is the foundation to building a flourishing workplace culture.

In the Build phase, BCW has professional consultants ready to help identify key focus areas for cultural growth and create winning action plans. The consultants are specially trained to conduct Discovery Groups, provide HR consulting, and support overall team development.

In the Grow phase, BCW provides resources that allow leaders to continually nurture their workplace culture. A robust library of tools keeps progress on track—including Flourish Guides, specialized Toolkits, and many free resources full of key insights to help build engagement.

Robert Wachter, Global Marketing Director, sums up the impetus for changes at Best Christian Workplaces: “We care about everything that impacts your workplace and ministry, as we serve a growing number of churches, nonprofits, educational institutions, and Christian-led businesses. Best Christian Workplaces is expanding to encompass a full range of services that will increase employee wellbeing. Empowering healthy workplace cultures enables the organizations we serve to flourish and ultimately have a bigger kingdom impact.”

Visit workplaces.org to see the next steps on the road to flourishing.

###

Media Contact
Robert Wachter
Global Marketing Director
rwachter@workplaces.org
206.979.7593

###

About Best Christian Workplaces
We equip and inspire Christian leaders to build an engaged, flourishing workplace. We believe that Christian-led workplaces can set the standard as the best, most effective places to work in the world. Our proven three phase process of Discover, Build, and Grow takes the guesswork out of building a flourishing workplace culture. Best Christian Workplaces is organized as a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization and was founded in 2002.

Best Christian Workplaces
www.workplaces.org
info@workplaces.org

9311 SE 36th Street, Suite 202, Mercer Island, WA 98040

 

automation worx

“Write the vision and make it plain” with the Automation Workz Life Culture Audit App

FAITH NEWS SERVICEEcclesiastes 10:19 and John 10:10 states,” money answereth all things” and that I am come that they might have life and life more abundantly.

DETROIT, Mich. Tired of living paycheck to paycheck? Tired of financial struggles and endless emergencies? Envision a life of plenty with the Life Culture Audit app. “As we began to admit learners to our tech programs, we noticed 78% of our learners were spiritual, yet struggled with a plan to achieve Godly abundance,” states Ida Byrd-Hill CEO Automation Workz.

“I discovered the power of vision boarding and goal setting, while I lived in a Flint HUD housing community during my high school years. I always wanted to be like Richie Rich, the comic character, despite the poverty-stricken environment I was living in.” At the age of 15, I read the Bible cover to cover to learn about Ecclesiastes 10:19 and John 10:10 that states,” money answereth all things” and that I am come that they might have life and life more abundantly.

 

Ironically, I rarely heard anyone preach Ecclesiastes 10:19 to escape poverty nor Write the vision and make it plain”. These scriptures, vision board and Godly wisdom led me to a Bachelor’s degree in Economics, an abundant lifestyle and a peaceful mindset.”

A vision board allows one to visualize abundance and see “all things are possible with God who strengthens me.” Mobile app users select a photo of their goal, give it a title and a detailed description. The Life Culture Audit App populates all goal photos on one page, where users can rearrange, reduce or enlarge photos based on goal priority. Daily review of this vision board provides energy in motion to execute actions to achieve desired goals.

Automation Workz has been utilizing the Life Culture Audit App to select front-liners for its workforce development network engineering and cybersecurity training. Automation Workz has achieved a 75% learner completion with an average placement salary of $67,250. Front-liners, mainly low-income African and Hispanic Americans, who normally would not have matriculated to tech careers, are mastering rigorous tech training.

Looking for a higher-paying career and an abundant lifestyle? “Write your vision and make it plain!” Join the movement to a better life. Download the Life Culture Audit app from either the Apple App Store or Google Play, today.

About Ida Byrd-Hill
Ida Byrd-Hill is a futurist, an urban economist, and CEO of Automation Workz. Automation Workz is a reskilling firm preparing employees to migrate into technology training specialties – network engineering, cybersecurity, software programming and data analytics.

Ida has 30+ years of professional business experience in HR, Executive Search, Finance, Social Responsibility, Technology and Wealth Management, having grown sales amongst diverse populations. She grew her wealth management firm from 0 to 620 million in assets under management and a mortgage portfolio to 40 million annually during an economic crisis. She is author of 8 books, including Invisible Talent Market-Solving the Talent Shortage Without Outsourcing and Visas.

Ida Byrd-Hill is a graduate of University of Michigan – Ann Arbor with a BA Economics and Jack Welch Management Institute at Strayer University with an MBA specializing in People Management/Strategy.

Contact: (313) 444-4885
ida@autoworkz.org;
www.autoworkz.org

 

 

 

unexpected

From living in a home for neglected children, to life as a pastor, Unexpected is a moving autobiography

FAITH NEWS SERVICE – Arriving at a home for neglected children on the rural outskirts of the Australian city of Melbourne, Edmond Smith had no idea as a young child that the Sutherland Home was where he would live for the next eleven years.

As a very small and fearful boy in the institution in the mid 1940’s, he would never know the love of his mother and father, and a home life that so many of us have enjoyed. He was a virtual orphan.

In his late teens he became bent on burning a gifted Bible, but God surprised him with the joy of the Gospel. Edmond expected to become a schoolteacher, but little does he know that the powers that be believe he is not fit to become one. Yet, God goes to work, even though he is troubled by the stigma of having had an institutional upbringing. Upon leaving the Sutherland Homes at the age of 18, he moves in with Christians, all the while seeking to hide his past.

How far could he go with his sensitivity while he sought to gain dignity? God grants his desire, and Edmond served as a teacher for six years before he felt God calling him to church ministry. Edmond became an ordained church pastor, changing life’s direction.

As the years passed, he became a seasoned disciple of Christ, with a rich understanding of how other people can suffer from the trauma of their early years. Providence led to learning where his gifts lay as a pastor through a well-respected national figure of his domination ­ –  and this is instrumental in the kind of ministry that leads to less exasperation and better prospects in what he was trying to achieve.

Much of what became unexpected was found in his experience as a pastor, but not all of it was good. One such occasion finds him surprised by a troubled thing that happened in life forty years before. He had to seek Christian psychological help when “the sleeping giant” had awakened. Yet God was at work once more so that the torment of such a memory was erased.

Towards the end of the same year, his sister, who was also institutionalized in early days as a child, found out she had the deadly ovarian cancer. To worsen matters, he and his sister had been grappling with the discovery of a chronic schizophrenic brother, as well as the still possible existence of their mother, who had even a worse case of chronic schizophrenia than their new-found brother. He and his sister had to come face to face with the hard reality of the past of ‘Ararat’s Lunatic Asylum,’ where both their mother and brother were inmates.

Upon reflecting deeply on such sad history, Edmond took to writing out his boyhood life in the institution. The sheer writing was somewhat soothing; some consolation for his troubled soul. At this stage, Edmond had no thought of getting his memoirs published, until his wife encouraged him that his story was unique and was worth being published. The Silver Poplar was born, and went on to win the Caleb Prize for the top autobiography in 2012.

Its publication left him less sensitive about what happened as a bewildered boy. If anything, he was tempted to be proud to have a unique story to tell, but God’s grace kept him humble.

Humility and gratitude marked his first ever visit to see the now forsaken Aradale, the great building complex of “the lunatic asylum” that still sits over-looking the city of Ararat below. Edmond gained a great insight there of the history of the treatment of mental illness at Aradale over one hundred and fifty years before. It is harrowing to read and yet if has a brighter side to its story. Readers will in part be entertained by what occurred in Ararat.

Edmond Smith is a retired Baptist pastor and the author of four other books: A Tree By a Stream, The Silver Poplar, Mirrors in Mark and The Scandal of God’s Forgiveness. His new book, Unexpected, tells his remarkable life story. He belongs to that line of Christians whose witness and influence originates in the gospel that powerfully transformed him in his teenage years.

This compelling autobiography documents the events that shaped an “unexpected” life from inauspicious beginnings in a children’s home in Melbourne to become an ordained Baptist pastor.

It is a candid and sometimes raw account of how God, in His mysterious providence, uses both the good and even the really bad to bring us to a mature faith in Him. Unexpected, the sequel to the award-winning The Silver Poplar, is now available globally.

together for a purpose

Amazon Best Seller Together for a Purpose: Love and Mission in Marriage and Ministry is Free for Download One More Day

FAITH NEWS SERVICE – United States—Sunday, December 4, 2022

Ross and Athena Holtz will capture Christian audiences with their newest book, Together for a Purpose: Love and Mission in Marriage and Ministry maintains best seller status.

Ross and Athena wrote Together for a Purpose to encourage couples in both marriage and ministry to be faithful in their relationships—even through the struggles—and to find God’s purpose for their everyday lives.

A unique true marriage story of two seasoned travelers who find each other and marry later in life is told from two viewpoints with openness and candor. This engaging and often humorous narrative written by a high-powered Christian woman publisher and a ready-for-retirement widowed pastor offers a much needed marriage book for women and men while navigating change and criticism, blended families, issues of compatibility, and meshing as a couple. More than just a love story, this growing-in-faith story touches on what we all long for—belonging, being loved for who we are, and finding a place of service to God and purpose in our everyday lives.

Ross and Athena Holt’s Together for a Purpose is free and available for download on Amazon through December 4, 2022. Together for a Purpose is rated 5 stars by those who have purchased the book. Here’s what some of the reviewers have said:

Mrs Custodio – 5 stars
Wonderful Story Guide
Reviewed in the United States on November 30, 2022
Verified Purchase

“Together For a Purpose is not only a beautiful story of love and redemption but also a wonderful guide on how to navigate our own relationships/marriages. It addresses who we are as individuals brought together in a unique union of two. I loved the story of their courtship and they dealt with struggles. I was inspired to make some changes in my own marriage.”

Jill Esau, Northwest Christian Writers Association – 5 stars
This book is better than I expected
Reviewed in the United States on November 29, 2022
Verified Purchase

“I have read my share of marriage/counseling/personal growth types of books. I love them. There is usually at least one nugget of wisdom I can use in every recommended volume I purchase. But TOGETHER FOR A PURPOSE offers an extra kick. It combines an intimate delve into the lives of two extremely accomplished and tender folks who found a deep love at an unexpected time in their lives, then decided to share their challenges with us (me!) in a way that allows for tons of application, reflection, and hope. I read it on Kindle, but will buy several copies for gifts when it is released in hard copy form. The dual recounting of situations by Athena and Ross invite the reader into their virtual living room to not only observe, but to actually learn from their experiences over six decades. Then they top off the chapters with specific questions for us to ponder throughout the day. I learned as much about myself as I did about this remarkable couple. Very clever and effective tools have been organized in this short honest exercise in processing disappointment and grabbing the good in front of us. I highly recommend TOGETHER FOR A PURPOSE if you need a fresh look at life.”

For More Information: For more questions or to schedule an interview about this press release please contact Athena Holtz at 210-620-4900 or email at athena@redemption-press.com.

About the Authors
Dr. Geoffrey Ross Holtz was the founding and senior pastor of The Summit, Enumclaw, Washington. He holds a Masters of Religious Studies, a Doctor of Ministries, and a Doctor of Divinity degree from Columbia Evangelical Seminary, is ordained with the Evangelical Free Church of America, and is the author of Are You in the Game or in the Way? A Question for Pastors and Men’s Ministry Leaders.

Athena Dean Holtz is the founder and publisher of the hybrid Redemption Press in Enumclaw, Washington. Named Best Female Podcast Host of the year in 2021 by the national Spark Media for her All Things podcast, she is the author of Full Circle: Coming Home to the Faithfulness of God, and the founder of She Writes for Him writers’ online and in-person events and the Redeemed & Restored video broadcast/podcast.

press on in hope

New book inspires Christians to press on in hope, despite the darkness surrounding us

FAITH NEWS SERVICE – To walk calmly through a world in chaos and cross confidently to the other side may sound a little like a Sci Fi movie plot. Many strident voices promise a pathway through the rising waters, but exactly where is that pathway leading?

In the midst of the above author Carol Goode carves a path of hope using Biblical Scriptures and personal illustrations drawn from her life’s experiences in her powerful new book, Press On In Hope.

Press On In Hope offers good news. It aims to encourage us to walk confidently with the One who has already successfully crossed, and now stands victorious, on the other side.

In God alone we find strength and direction as we align ourselves to His plan. Through the guidance of the Holy spirit and His written Word, a safe passage is guaranteed. However, it is a passage not without its challenges. Indeed, the rising waters may give cause for fear and uncertainty but, He promises to carry us through when our own strength is failing.

Carol’s Theological training, along with her counselling and life’s experiences, move like a thread through her own lessons in life, including both her failures and successes. These are shared with humor and honesty while deftly tied off with the challenge to both watch and wait until He returns, as the book of Matthew explains.

“The tension between being ‘religious’ and ‘ Spirit led’ challenges the reader to press into God’s promises and press on in hope, ensuring we are not deceived,” says Carol. “How easy to become distracted and ignore the still small voice. To walk and work for Him instead of with Him.

“Perhaps God is stirring your heart to get rid of fear and walk in faith? The very first step is to get out of the boat! The Lord of the storm bids us focus on Him and not the waves.”

Carol warns the reader of the creeping New World view bent on drip-feeding us with fear and fake. She exhorts us to be more than spectators.

“To fight the good fight in the arena of faith takes courage,” she says. “The clock cannot be turned back. We are now in fast forward. As the world gets darker, Christians must walk in the light as He is in the light-while yet that light still shines-is our greatest challenge. To recognize we are saved by grace and grace alone humbles and strengthens us in the face of opposition.

“Be encouraged. The good shepherd of our souls has already gone before. He knows the path. More importantly He knows us by name and promises that all who call upon His name will be guided safely to the other side to be with Him forever.”

The themes grace and hope in Carol’s aptly titled book Press On In Hope will both challenge and encourage the reader to settle for nothing less than God’s best. Press On In Hope, published by Ark House, is now available globally.

together for a purpose

Together for a Purpose: Love and Mission in Marriage and Ministry Will be Free to Download Tomorrow, November 30, 2022

FAITH NEWS SERVICE – United States—November 29, 2022

Ross and Athena Holtz will capture Christian audiences with their newest book, Together for a Purpose: Love and Mission in Marriage and Ministry

Ross and Athena wrote Together for a Purpose to encourage couples in both marriage and ministry to be faithful in their relationships—even through the struggles—and to find God’s purpose for their everyday lives.

A unique true marriage story of two seasoned travelers who find each other and marry later in life is told from two viewpoints with openness and candor. This engaging and often humorous narrative written by a high-powered Christian woman publisher and a ready-for-retirement widowed pastor deals with Christian marriage, change and criticism, blended families, issues of compatibility, and meshing as a couple. More than just a love story, this growing-in-faith story touches on what we all long for—belonging, being loved for who we are, and finding a place of service to God and purpose in our everyday lives.

Ross and Athena Holt’s Together for a Purpose will be free and available for download on Amazon for 5 days from November 30 through December 4, 2022. Together for a Purpose is rated 5 stars by those who have purchased the book. Here’s what some of the reviewers have said:

Janet McHenry – 5 stars
Encouragement for later-married couples!
Reviewed in the United States on November 21, 2022
Verified Purchase

“Together for a Purpose is a testament to God’s faithfulness in Ross and Athena Holtz’s third chapter of life. Vulnerably and honestly they together lay out their struggles and commitment to work all things together for God’s good purpose in their lives. I highly recommend it for new and seasoned couples who want to grow in their marriage relationship.”

Valerie – 5 stars
Like a heart-to-heart chat with close friends over coffee
Reviewed in the United States on November 21, 2022
Verified Purchase

“Wow! It’s rare that I wake up looking forward to the next chapter in a non-fiction book but, with this one, I did. Reading it sometimes felt like marriage counseling, career mentoring, and Bible study. But most often, it felt like a heart-to-heart chat with close friends over coffee. By the end, I appreciated my husband more, identified areas of my past for which I need to accept more of the responsibility, and was inspired to get moving more intentionally on God’s plan for my life. One of the discussion questions asks, “Are you serving God, or are you an observer of others’ ministries? Are you content with how you serve Him? Is He?” Ouch! Like one of the authors, I am at a transitional life stage and had begun to take on a mindset of stepping out of the game to make room for others. Instead, I will step wholeheartedly into a different game, the one God intended for me from the start. Thanks to the authors for writing this personal, thought-provoking book!”

For More Information: For more questions or to schedule an interview about this press release please contact Athena Holtz at 210-620-4900 or email at athena@redemption-press.com.

About the Authors

Dr. Geoffrey Ross Holtz was the founding and senior pastor of The Summit, Enumclaw, Washington. He holds a Masters of Religious Studies, a Doctor of Ministries, and a Doctor of Divinity degree from Columbia Evangelical Seminary, is ordained with the Evangelical Free Church of America, and is the author of Are You in the Game or in the Way? A Question for Pastors and Men’s Ministry Leaders.

Athena Dean Holtz is the founder and publisher of the hybrid Redemption Press in Enumclaw, Washington. Named Best Female Podcast Host of the year in 2021 by the national Spark Media for her All Things podcast, she is the author of Full Circle: Coming Home to the Faithfulness of God, and the founder of She Writes for Him writers’ online and in-person events and the Redeemed & Restored video broadcast/podcast.

Suggested Interview Questions

  1. Yours is an unusual love story, one that survived unexpected early challenges. It sounded like you were blindsided. How did the two of you stay strong against so much coming at you?
  2. Athena, tell us about Ross’s late wife’s list for her replacement. Did you ever take that seriously? Did you ever think you would actually be with someone from her list?
  3. Ross, you say, “I’m perfect for her.” How do your personalities mesh? What makes you perfect for Athena? Is she perfect for you? What makes her perfect for you?
  4. Pastors hate to see people leave their churches. As a pastor, how did you deal with one-third of your congregation leaving after you married?
  5. Do you have any tips for dealing with the inevitable criticism that comes with being in public ministry?
  6. What’s the one habit that you practice together that you feel strengthens your bond? How does this habit enrich you as a couple and personally?
  7. As you tell your story, you talk a lot about purpose. How do you suggest couples go about finding God’s purpose in their lives together?
  8. You are very candid as you write about your lives. What is the one point you want most to get across by telling your stories?
  9. You’ve both had hard things happen in your lives. How do you reconcile God working all things together for good (as Romans 8:28 says) with your life experience.
together for a purpose

Amazon Best Seller Together for a Purpose: Love and Mission in Marriage and Ministry Launches to Rave Reviews!

FAITH NEWS SERVICE – United States—Friday, December 2, 2022

Ross and Athena Holtz will capture Christian audiences with their newest book, Together for a Purpose: Love and Mission in Marriage and Ministry

Ross and Athena wrote Together for a Purpose to encourage couples in both marriage and ministry to be faithful in their relationships—even through the struggles—and to find God’s purpose for their everyday lives.

A unique true marriage story of two seasoned travelers who find each other and marry later in life is told from two viewpoints with openness and candor. This engaging and often humorous narrative written by a high-powered Christian woman publisher and a ready-for-retirement widowed pastor offers Christian marriage help while navigating change and criticism, blended families, issues of compatibility, and meshing as a couple. More than just a love story, this growing-in-faith story touches on what we all long for—belonging, being loved for who we are, and finding a place of service to God and purpose in our everyday lives.

Ross and Athena Holt’s Together for a Purpose is free and available for download on Amazon through December 4, 2022. Together for a Purpose is rated 5 stars by those who have purchased the book. Here’s what some of the reviewers have said:

Edward E. – 5 stars
A Wise Conversation
Reviewed in the United States on November 19, 2022
Verified Purchase

“I found this book to be sort of like Lays Potato Chips. I couldn’t read just one chapter. I had to read the whole thing. It was like listening to the authors, Ross and Athena, converse. I didn’t want to miss out on any of the interaction or the wisdom they shared. Relationships take work and they’ve experienced what works and what doesn’t work. Good writing, excellent content, while being entertaining in their presentation. You won’t regret reading it.”

Faith and Farmhouse – 5 stars
Great resource for couples and small groups
Reviewed in the United States on November 21, 2022
Verified Purchase

“In this sweet story of God’s redemption and care, Dr. Ross Holtz and his wife Athena tell the story of how they met and married, in their 60s! Despite many obstacles, they are making their marriage thrive by putting God first. This book would be a great resource for couples and small groups as there is discussion questions at the end of each chapter.”

For More Information: For more questions or to schedule an interview about this press release please contact Athena Holtz at 210-620-4900 or email at athena@redemption-press.com.

About the Authors

Dr. Geoffrey Ross Holtz was the founding and senior pastor of The Summit, Enumclaw, Washington. He holds a Masters of Religious Studies, a Doctor of Ministries, and a Doctor of Divinity degree from Columbia Evangelical Seminary, is ordained with the Evangelical Free Church of America, and is the author of Are You in the Game or in the Way? A Question for Pastors and Men’s Ministry Leaders.

Athena Dean Holtz is the founder and publisher of the hybrid Redemption Press in Enumclaw, Washington. Named Best Female Podcast Host of the year in 2021 by the national Spark Media for her All Things podcast, she is the author of Full Circle: Coming Home to the Faithfulness of God, and the founder of She Writes for Him writers’ online and in-person events and the Redeemed & Restored video broadcast/podcast.

Suggested Interview Questions

  1. Yours is an unusual love story, one that survived unexpected early challenges. It sounded like you were blindsided. How did the two of you stay strong against so much coming at you?
  2. Athena, tell us about Ross’s late wife’s list for her replacement. Did you ever take that seriously? Did you ever think you would actually be with someone from her list?
  3. Ross, you say, “I’m perfect for her.” How do your personalities mesh? What makes you perfect for Athena? Is she perfect for you? What makes her perfect for you?
  4. Pastors hate to see people leave their churches. As a pastor, how did you deal with one-third of your congregation leaving after you married?
  5. Do you have any tips for dealing with the inevitable criticism that comes with being in public ministry?
  6. What’s the one habit that you practice together that you feel strengthens your bond? How does this habit enrich you as a couple and personally?
  7. As you tell your story, you talk a lot about purpose. How do you suggest couples go about finding God’s purpose in their lives together?
  8. You are very candid as you write about your lives. What is the one point you want most to get across by telling your stories?
  9. You’ve both had hard things happen in your lives. How do you reconcile God working all things together for good (as Romans 8:28 says) with your life experience.
robert and erinna hinds

Inspiring Couple Chooses Faith Over Fate: Why They Chose to Marry in Prison and What Their Ongoing Fight for Justice Looks Like Now

FAITH NEWS SERVICE – Marriage is a lifetime commitment. Especially when you marry someone doing a life sentence without parole.

Reverend Erinna McKissick Hinds, 37, and Robert T. Hinds, 38, officially tied the knot on Monday, November 21, 2022 in Kincheloe, MI in a brief intimate marriage ceremony with the support of both of their mothers, Pastor, and his wife. The couple shares a love for music, traveling and family. They also enjoy reading together, praying together, and engaging in lighthearted banter during an occasional competitive Scrabble game.

Over the years, their longtime friendship has grown into a heartwarming romance. As loving newlyweds, they are excited about creating new holiday traditions together and prayerfully expanding their family in the near future. But there is one major hurdle that they still have to overcome before they can fully enjoy a lifetime of marital bliss together…..Robert must first be released from prison.

After being wrongfully convicted of first-degree homicide at the age of 17, Robert has fought for over 21 years to prove his innocence, while adamantly maintaining that he had absolutely nothing to do with the crime that he is serving a life sentence for. More recently, Robert discovered a miscellaneous police file that was withheld from his attorney during his trial. Within the file were police reports and tip sheets that contained information that undermined, contradicted, or impeached the prosecution’s witness and theory of the case.

Mostly importantly, Robert discovered the existence of DNA evidence that could exonerate him, which was one hair follicle with the root-end attached that was never disclosed to his trial attorney or tested prior to his trial, as well as usable fingerprints and palmprints that didn’t belong to him and were also withheld from his trial attorney.

Once making the discovery, he immediately went to work trying to notify someone of this evidence so that it could be tested, and he could be exonerated, which led him to the Wayne County Conviction Integrity Unit (CIU). However, his hopes of being cleared by the CIU and home this year for Thanksgiving dinner with his new family, recently dissipated when he received a shocking update from his attorney that the Detroit Police Department was now unable to locate the evidence from his case and that without that evidence the CIU was unable to further assist him despite the clear Brady violations, police misconduct, and newly discovered evidence.

While the forecast for “happily ever after” seems dimmer now than ever, the couple still refuses to accept that Robert’s innocence will never be proven. Instead of postponing their wedding until he is released, they decided to move forward with exchanging vows a few days before Thanksgiving as a sign of their unwavering faith in God and one another, as well as to demonstrate their commitment to the hundreds of other supporters who have been following their journey for justice.

Erinna, a journalism and public relations graduate from Howard University, has worked diligently on Robert’s case since 2013, helping to create national awareness about the injustice he has suffered, as well as spotlighting the cases of a half of dozen others who have also been wrongfully convicted.

“We understand that this looks like a very bold (crazy) step to some people. But we also know that this is a God-ordained thing for us. He is leading us on this path and we are following.” Erinna, also known as “The Divorce Preacher” and author of “Leaving Egypt: From Trauma to Triumph”, says she is all too familiar with choosing God’s path for her life instead of seeking the approval of others. Having been in ministry for nearly 20 years, Erinna says that this isn’t the first time in her life that she has had her back up against the wall while following God’s call.

“When I started speaking about the casualties of divorce and abuse in the church, I definitely got some pushback. But you know what I did? I pushed back too. When God gives you an assignment, you can’t be more worried about what other people think than you are pleasing God.”

Now a certified domestic relations mediator in Michigan, Erinna has a growing Christian consulting company where she mediates divorces and coaches divorced and separated families into finding peaceful solutions for their “new normal”. She says that her efforts to create an honest platform for meaningful dialogue about divorce and abuse in faith-based communities is helping to save lives and heal marriages.

“I don’t believe in fate, but I do believe that faith moves mountains. When I obey God’s voice, He always causes me to triumph. It’s only a matter of time before this situation works out too. My husband is coming home.”

Robert, despite his precarious circumstances, has spent the majority of the past two decades maximizing every day he has spent inside to become a better person and overcome his own trauma and internal struggles. Having arrived at prison as a young 17-year-old black male with a third-grade reading level, the chances of his future success were slim to say the least. However, Robert began to defy fate again when he challenged himself to learn how to read by learning his first 300 words out of the dictionary and later again when earned his GED.

Dissatisfied with just having his GED, he went to college and earned certifications in Private Investigation, Alternative Dispute Resolution, and Victim Advocacy through The Center for Legal Studies and Bay Community College, finishing his courses with a 3.8 GPA. He also took courses to become a Certified Paralegal through Blackstone Career Institute and a Certified Fitness Trainer through the International Sports Science Association. In addition to Robert’s impressive academic achievements and certifications, he has completed over 30 other personal and professional development programs while in prison.

“I have worked hard to become the best version of myself I can be and to put myself in the position to contribute positively to the community once I am released. It hasn’t been easy overcoming my past struggles, but I have always tried to learn from my mistakes and to take every opportunity to grow. Although I am limited in terms of opportunities inside, I continue to network, study hard, and create opportunities for myself because that’s just the kind of man I am.”

Robert says that he thought long and hard about getting married before asking Erinna to be his wife, especially having been away from the outside world for over 21 years.

“I definitely prayed about it. I know that some guys want to get out and play the field before settling down, but God showed me that she is the only one for me. I don’t need to look for what I already have. My wife is beautiful, brave, and smart. She means the world to me. I feel like I won the lottery!” 

Erinna says that she is very proud of her husband and the man he has become over the years. “He compliments me very well. It’s been amazing to watch him grow into the man he is today. He literally has all of the character traits that I prayed for and some I didn’t pray for, but God knew that I needed. I married my best friend. He’s definitely my person.” Erinna says that she is also extremely grateful for their small village of family, friends and church family who continue to offer them unwavering support on their journey.

When asked what is on the horizon for the two of them, Robert and Erinna said that they will continue to fight tirelessly for his freedom by working with his attorney, legal investigator, and anyone else willing to help fight his wrongful conviction.

“Once I am released, I know that it won’t be an easy journey readjusting, but all of the adversity and bumps in road have been worth it,” Robert says. “Erinna’s encouragement has given me an alternative way to use my energy and God-given grind. She helped me channel my ambition in a more productive way.”

The couple also says that they are focused on carving out quality time for juggling the unique dynamics of their new blended family.

“I’m really excited to be a bonus dad. I can’t wait to take my family to Disney World or Tanzania and just live. I’m ready to just live.”

To learn more about Robert’s innocence journey and to sign the petition for his release visit www.change.org/freeroberthinds.

#thedivorcepreacher

#freeroberthinds

More information
Contact: Erinna McKissick
EM Ministries
989.493.9171
getemministries@gmail.com

faith that walks on water

Best Seller Faith that Walks on Water: Conquering Emotional Bondage with the Armor of God available to download for free for one more day

FAITH NEWS SERVICE – United States—Sunday, November 27, 2022

Carolyn Dale Newell is proud to present her newest book, Faith that Walks on Water: Conquering Emotional Bondage with the Armor of God.

Carolyn wrote Faith that Walks on Water to help readers assess their thoughts that lead to emotional struggle and overcome those strongholds through faith.

Legally blind, Carolyn knows what it feels like to walk by faith, both physically and spiritually, and now strives to help other women do the same. This unique devotional on how to heal emotions, uses questions and prayer prompts to help the reader apply scripture in their current challenge, combat negative thinking, and begin walking by faith.

Carolyn Dale Newell’s Faith that Walks on Water is free and available for download on Amazon through November 27, 2022. Faith that Walks on Water comes with numerous rave reviews. Here’s what several of the reviewers have said:

Ford
5 stars
Thought Provoking
Reviewed in the United States on November 22, 2022

“The thing that sets this devotional apart from others is its depth. The author is transparent about her own struggles as she applies the truth of scripture to her life and to the reader’s as well. In Day 2, she writes, “Moments of sinking become moments for strenthening.” This seems to be a theme for the book as it pushes us to get out of our comfort zones, even if it means sinking.”

omagoose
5 stars
Faith
Reviewed in the United States on November 22, 2022

“The author clearly understands what it is to experience life’s challenges. She also has clearly learned to look for help beyond herself and to trust the One who is able to keep her head above the rising waters when she feels overwhelmed, defeated, and unable. She can depend on One who is able, who has answers and can help.her in every hard situation to overcome. She shares the truths she has mined from the Word that will help readers grasp that these approaches can help them in their struggles as well. She doesn’t downplay the difficulties, but she presents thoughtful questions for the reader to consider so they can find the victory in their own battles.”

For More Information: For more questions or to schedule an interview about this press release please contact Carolyn Dale Newell at (540) 570-5507 or email amountainoffaith@gmail.com.

About the Author
Carolyn Dale Newell calls her blindness a gift from God. As a speaker and author, she enjoys sharing her stories of vulnerability and conquered fears at retreats and conferences, where she is accompanied by her beautiful black lab guide dog, Iva. Carolyn has earned a certificate in Biblical and Theological Foundations from the Tony Evans Training Center and is a contributing writer for iBelieve.com. Residing in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia with her husband, Tim, she loves reading, eating pizza, and discovering new independence with Iva.

 

 

surviving holidays while grieving

Final day to download Surviving the Holidays While Grieving by Janet K. Johnson for free

FAITH NEWS SERVICE – United States—Saturday, November 26, 2022

Amazon Best Seller Surviving the Holidays While Grieving by Janet K. Johnson offers hope and a toolkit to survive the holidays.

Janet wrote Surviving the Holidays While Grieving for both those who have experienced grief and loss and those who know someone who has experienced loss to help them survive the holidays.

Having endured the significant amount of profound loss of love ones, she understands grief brings a multitude of emotions. Each day can be a battle to keep unpredictable emotions under control—especially around holidays like Thanksgiving and Christmas, which can bring losses into full focus. Even simple tasks, such as walking through a store during the holidays, can surface memories that turn on emotions like a light switch.

Janet comes alongside readers who are navigating through the daunting stages of grief. With tenderness and compassion, she offers hope through grief with practical ideas for managing emotions, hands-on activities for expressing feelings in tangible ways, and tips for communicating those feelings to others.

Janet K. Johnson’s Surviving the Holidays While Grieving will be free and available for download on Amazon through November 26, 2022. Grief: The Unwanted Journey is highly recommended. Here’s what a couple of the reviewers have said:

Virginia Knowles
5 stars
Simple, heartfelt, practical

“I read this little gem in a half hour and appreciated that it was so simple, heartfelt, and practical. Grieving people don’t need to be overwhelmed with complicated advice. I also appreciate the holiday focus, since that’s the season so many of us experience grief most keenly. Well done!”

R2hule
5 stars
Recommended for anyone experiencing deep loss

Chock full of tried and true ways to process grief and bereavement at holidays or any time of year. Decades of empathetic experience inform this trustworthy author. Advice covers all ages, including children. Recommended for anyone experiencing deep loss. This book also includes united Methodist based spiritual explanations.

For More Information: For more questions or to schedule an interview about this press release please contact Janet K. Johnson at (828) 772-2349 or email joyfilledjan1@gmail.com.

About the Author Janet Johnson is a pastor, spiritual formation mentor, author, writer, and speaker whose passion is to draw others closer to God in all of life’s situations. She holds a BA, MSW, and MDiv, is an associate member of the Order of St. Luke healing ministry, and has completed the Academy of Spiritual Formation and the Pastors of Excellence Program. She frequently teaches on grief and joy and also writes regularly for a Christian magazine. She and her husband, Richard, live in North Carolina and have four grown children and several grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

Faith that Walks on Water

Best Seller Faith that Walks on Water: Conquering Emotional Bondage with the Armor of God #1 New Release for 14 Straight Days

FAITH NEWS SERVICE – United States—Friday, November 25, 2022

Carolyn Dale Newell is proud to present her newest book, Faith that Walks on Water: Conquering Emotional Bondage with the Armor of God.

Carolyn wrote Faith that Walks on Water to help readers assess their thoughts that lead to emotional struggle and overcome those strongholds through faith.

Legally blind, Carolyn knows what it feels like to walk by faith, both physically and spiritually, and now strives to help other women do the same. This unique devotional on how to heal emotions, uses questions and prayer prompts to help the reader apply scripture in their current challenge, combat negative thinking, and begin walking by faith.

Carolyn Dale Newell’s Faith that Walks on Water is free and available for download on Amazon through November 27, 2022. Faith that Walks on Water comes with numerous rave reviews. Here’s what several of the reviewers have said:

Marti Woznicki
5 stars
Real life inspiration
Reviewed in the United States on November 16, 2022

“Written in an easily relatable way, the author shares her real-life journey that will encourage and inspire anyone going through trials, and who hasn’t! A great book to refer to time and time again, or to share with a friend.”

Christine Trimpe
5 stars
Encouragement in Times of Stormy Seas
Reviewed in the United States on November 18, 2022

“Author Carolyn Dale Newell shares from a place of authenticity and vulnerability. Every day you will be encouraged to ponder and practice meaningful spiritual application and experience the mighty hand of God as you step out by faith on the wavy seas of life.”

For More Information: For more questions or to schedule an interview about this press release please contact Carolyn Dale Newell at (540) 570-5507 or email amountainoffaith@gmail.com.

About the Author
Carolyn Dale Newell calls her blindness a gift from God. As a speaker and author, she enjoys sharing her stories of vulnerability and conquered fears at retreats and conferences, where she is accompanied by her beautiful black lab guide dog, Iva. Carolyn has earned a certificate in Biblical and Theological Foundations from the Tony Evans Training Center and is a contributing writer for iBelieve.com. Residing in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia with her husband, Tim, she loves reading, eating pizza, and discovering new independence with Iva.

 

 

god prints

Faith In God provides hope essential to overcoming disease and grief

FAITH NEWS SERVICE – “For God alone, O my soul, wait in silence, for my hope is from Him” (Psalm 62:5).

It should come as no surprise that having hope can positively impact our overall well-being. After a twenty-year study** about hope and optimism, Martin Seligman, the founder of Positive Psychology,* concluded that having hope can reduce feelings of helplessness, boost happiness, reduce stress, and improve one’s quality of life. But where does hope come from?

For Christians, the answer is clear—Jesus Christ. All our earthly trials are easier to bear when weighed against the promise of an eternity with Him. In fact, they even serve a purpose.

For Jenny Leavitt, author of GodPrints, it was her hope through belief in Jesus that sustained her through stage 4 cancer, marriage troubles, her husband’s job loss, and homelessness. And then the unthinkable: a collision with a drunk driver took the life of her seventeen-year-old son and left her remaining son clinging to life with catastrophic injuries. She realized that she would not have survived, nor would she have been able to help others going through similar trials, had it not been for her hope in the Lord.

“It was during those bleak days of cancer treatments,” Leavitt states in her book, “that I noticed something about humanity. While I leaned on my faith for strength and peace, I looked around and saw people facing the very real possibility of death, just like me, lashing out at God in anger for allowing it to happen. Or they would wallow in self-pity, giving in to the despondent feelings of despair and hopelessness. Still others chose to lean on their own power, limited as it was. I realized that we humans don’t go through something like that very successfully without Jesus.”

For anyone beaten down by life hazards, feeling adrift among trials, or struggling with day-to-day challenges, Leavitt’s book offers encouragement.

“I want to help people who are struggling with their faith to find answers and hope like our family has. The common thread woven throughout our story is the hand of God—His GodPrints that are evident everywhere.”

If you find yourself feeling hopeless as you navigate our increasingly confusing world, Leavitt’s message of hope in God might just be the lifeline you need.

* https://positivepsychology.com/

** https://faithgiant.com/hope/

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
As a pastor’s wife, Jenny Leavitt sees and is amazed by how far God will go to rescue broken, hurting people. She has witnessed God’s faithfulness through shattering loss and wants to encourage others to lean into Jesus in all of life’s ups and downs. While her son Jacob is already home in heaven, Caleb daily makes her proud as he strives to love Jesus and be the man God called him to be. Jenny and Myron, her best friend and husband of nearly thirty years, make their home in central Florida with a dog who thinks he’s a cat.

Available everywhere books are sold online

Purchase on Amazon today.

https://www.amazon.com/GodPrints-Finding-Evidence-Shattered-Pieces/dp/1646457951/ref=sr_1_fkmr1_1?crid=4FB0UOJMFEGO&keywords=god+prints+jenny+leavitt&qid=1669226691&sprefix=god+prints+jenny+leavitt%2Caps%2C161&sr=8-1-fkmr1

For interviews, contact jenny@jennyleavitt.com

Social media links
Website: jennyleavitt.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jenny.leavi.9
Linked In: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jenny-leavitt/

christmas traditions

Amazon Best Seller Christmas Traditions through the Lens of Scripture, available for free to download through November 27, 2022, and hard cover copy 50% off for a limited time!

FAITH NEWS SERVICE – United States—Friday, November 25, 2022

Just in time for the holidays, Marissa Barbee is proud to present the relaunch of her newest book, Christmas Traditions through the Lens of Scripture: A Book for Advent

Marissa wrote Christmas Traditions through the Lens of Scripture to help parents turn the hearts and minds of their children to Christ during the busy and distracting Christmas season.

As a young girl, Marissa was fascinated by the history of the candy cane and its symbolism. When she became a mother, she searched for a book that packaged similar stories about familiar traditions with a meaningful daily advent during the Christmas season. No such book existed, so she wrote it. Each day of December leading up to Christmas Day provides a scriptural tie-in for one common element of traditional Christmas celebrations. From Christmas trees, stars, and decorations to Santa Claus and his reindeer, Marissa helps parents teach their children to look for Jesus in the unexpected details.

Marissa Barbee’s Christmas Traditions through the Lens of Scripture is free and available for download on Amazon through November 27, 2022. Christmas Traditions through the Lens of Scripture is rated 5 stars by those who have purchased the book. Here’s what some of the reviewers have said:

Marliss Robertson
5 stars
Beautiful Connections!
Reviewed in the United States

“Marissa’s book is to be cherished. Every symbol and tradition of Christmas can be treasured through the connections she’s made to scripture. Her daughter’s artwork helps make this book special for all time.

Thomas
5 stars
Insightful Devotionals + Colorful Pictures = Christmas Traditions through the Lens of Scripture
Reviewed in the United States

“This advent devotional carefully leads us through the various symbols, traditions, and ideas associated with the Christmas season. While many of them have pagan origins, Mrs. Barbee helps us understand how to celebrate Christ through them. Christmas is so ingrained in our culture, and our kids will be exposed to these sights, sounds, and practices, so Mrs. Barbee helps us direct their thoughts Heaven-ward.”

For More Information: For more questions or to schedule an interview about this press release, please contact Marissa Barbee at 303-656-8117 or email makarios_kypseli@icloud.com.

About the Author
Marissa Barbee is a wife of twenty years and a home-educating mother of nine. Marissa and her husband, Scott, live in Colorado and enjoy playing games with their children and tackling projects—from the challenges of gardening in the Rockies to the DIY remodeling of their home. You can connect with Marissa on Instagram at instagram.com/mrsmarissabarbee or on Facebook at facebook.com/mrsmarissabarbee.

 

Surviving the Holidays While Grieving

Amazon Best Seller Surviving the Holidays While Grieving by Janet K. Johnson offers hope and a toolkit to survive the holidays

FAITH NEWS SERVICE – United States—Thursday, November 24, 2022

Janet Johnson is eager to present the re-launch of her book Surviving the Holidays While Grieving.

Janet wrote Surviving the Holidays While Grieving for both those who have experienced grief and loss and those who know someone who has experienced loss to help them survive the holidays.

Having endured the significant amount of profound loss of love ones, she understands grief brings a multitude of emotions. Each day can be a battle to keep unpredictable emotions under control—especially around holidays like Thanksgiving and Christmas, which can bring losses into full focus. Even simple tasks, such as walking through a store during the holidays, can surface memories that turn on emotions like a light switch.

Janet comes alongside readers who have lost a loved one or are journeying with someone offering hope through grief. With tenderness and compassion, she offers ideas for managing emotions, hands-on activities for expressing feelings in tangible ways, and tips for communicating those feelings to others.

Janet K. Johnson’s Surviving the Holidays While Grieving will be free and available for download on Amazon through November 26, 2022. Grief: The Unwanted Journey is highly recommended. Here’s what a couple of the reviewers have said:

Virginia Knowles
5 stars
Simple, heartfelt, practical

“I read this little gem in a half hour and appreciated that it was so simple, heartfelt, and practical. Grieving people don’t need to be overwhelmed with complicated advice. I also appreciate the holiday focus, since that’s the season so many of us experience grief most keenly. Well done!”

R2hule
5 stars
Recommended for anyone experiencing deep loss

“Chock full of tried and true ways to process grief and bereavement at holidays or any time of year. Decades of empathetic experience inform this trustworthy author. Advice covers all ages, including children. Recommended for anyone experiencing deep loss. This book also includes united Methodist based spiritual explanations.”

For More Information: For more questions or to schedule an interview about this press release please contact Janet K. Johnson at (828) 772-2349 or email joyfilledjan1@gmail.com.

About the Author Janet Johnson is a pastor, spiritual formation mentor, author, writer, and speaker whose passion is to draw others closer to God in all of life’s situations. She holds a BA, MSW, and MDiv, is an associate member of the Order of St. Luke healing ministry, and has completed the Academy of Spiritual Formation and the Pastors of Excellence Program. She frequently teaches on grief and joy and also writes regularly for a Christian magazine. She and her husband, Richard, live in North Carolina and have four grown children and several grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

 

Christmas Traditions through the Lens of Scripture

Christmas Traditions through the Lens of Scripture, Will be Free to Download Tomorrow November 23, 2022

FAITH NEWS SERVICE – United States—Tuesday, November 22, 2022

Just in time for the holidays, Marissa Barbee is proud to present the relaunch of her newest book, Christmas Traditions through the Lens of Scripture: A Book for Advent

Marissa wrote Christmas Traditions through the Lens of Scripture to help parents turn the hearts and minds of their children to Christ during the busy and distracting Christmas season.

As a young girl, Marissa was fascinated by the history of the candy cane and its symbolism. When she became a mother, she searched for a book that packaged similar stories about familiar traditions with a meaningful daily advent during the Christmas season. No such book existed, so she wrote it. Each day of December leading up to Christmas Day provides a scriptural tie-in for one common element of traditional Christmas celebrations. From Christmas trees, stars, and decorations to Santa Claus and his reindeer, Marissa helps parents teach their children to look for Jesus in the unexpected details.

Marissa Barbee’s Christmas Traditions through the Lens of Scripture will be free and available for download on Amazon for 5 days from November 23 through November 27, 2022 Christmas Traditions through the Lens of Scripture is rated 5 stars by those who have purchased the book. Here’s what some of the reviewers have said:

Kate Lovins
5 stars
This is wonderful!
Reviewed in the United States on November 16, 2022

“I have saved this to my kindle library and will be giving it as a stocking stuffer to my kids with kids. I cannot wait to share these devotions in concert with our Advent traditions! In a world full of Santa and Consumerism, it’s really refreshing to have focus brought back to the Word, God, Christ, and Faith. Our kids are bombarded by messages and media, this book is a wholesome answer to the things we wish they didn’t see.”

Susan Thayer
5 stars
Christmas Traditions
Reviewed in the United States on October 16, 2022

“This book is beautifully written and illustrated. I love that it is was a passion and heart felt vision of a mother and her eldest daughter, using both their God given talents which they wanted to share this with others. It is a book that explains the origin and Christian meaning behind many Christmas traditions, in a very easy to way to understand. It is a wonderful book for the whole family to enjoy together no matter what age. I look forward to making it one of our Christmas traditions.”

For More Information: For more questions or to schedule an interview about this press release, please contact Marissa Barbee at 303-656-8117 or email makarios_kypseli@icloud.com.

About the Author

Marissa Barbee is a wife of twenty years and a home-educating mother of nine. Marissa and her husband, Scott, live in Colorado and enjoy playing games with their children and tackling projects—from the challenges of gardening in the Rockies to the DIY remodeling of their home. You can connect with Marissa on Instagram at instagram.com/mrsmarissabarbee or on Facebook at facebook.com/mrsmarissabarbee.

Suggested Interview Questions

  1. There are hundreds of advent devotionals out there. What makes yours different?
  2. What do you say to people who criticize your use of the pagan elements of our traditional Christmas celebration in your book?
  3. How difficult was it to find spiritual lessons in those secularized and often pagan practices . . . and find Scripture to go along with them?
  4. I like the way you turned secular celebration on its head to show us the Savior. Have you considered writing more like this—maybe for Easter?
  5. Your daughter’s illustrations are beautiful. What was it like, working with her to create this book together?
  6. I love that you’ve included smaller versions of the illustrations at the back of the book for crafting. How do you envision they be used?
  7. How does being a homeschooling mom tie in to the creation of this book? How did you find time around all those duties to write it?
  8. What is your favorite Christian tradition surrounding the Christmas season, and what ways do you weave this tradition into your family?
Faith that Walks on Water

Faith That Walks on Water: Conquering Emotional Bondage With the Armor of God Will be Free to Download Tomorrow, November 23, 2022

FAITH NEWS SERVICE – United States—Tuesday, November 22, 2022

Carolyn Dale Newell is proud to present her newest book, Faith that Walks on Water: Conquering Emotional Bondage with the Armor of God.

Carolyn wrote Faith that Walks on Water to help readers assess their thoughts that lead to emotional struggle and overcome those strongholds through faith.

Legally blind, Carolyn knows what it feels like to walk by faith, both physically and spiritually, and now strives to help other women do the same. This devotional workbook uses questions and prayer prompts to help the reader apply scripture in their current challenge, combat negative thinking, and begin walking by faith.

Carolyn Dale Newell’s Faith that Walks on Water will be free and available for download on Amazon for 5 days from November 23 through November 27, 2022. Faith that Walks on Water is rated 5 stars by those who have purchased the book. Here’s what some of the reviewers have said:

Pamela Filomeno
5 stars
I LOVE THIS BOOK!!
Reviewed in the United States on November 15, 2022

“Part devotional, part Bible Study, part journal. Full of encouragement and learning how to fight discouragement and the attacks of the enemy using the Word and the armor of God! Carolyn Dale Newell draws from her own experience as she has had to rely on God to step out of the boat and learn to walk on water, looking to God as her source of strength. She encourages the reader to take His hand in their own life in order to overcome the lies, tricks, and schemes of the enemy. Grab a copy for yourself and another one to share!!”

Andre Lende
5 stars
A faith inspired journey
Reviewed in the United States on November 9, 2022

“This book feeds God’s Truths into our hearts and minds. It is so easy to let the world overcome us, but the Word tells us differently. The author does an amazing job at replacing fear with faith based Scripture so we can undo what the enemy tries to do. As I dove i to this book, I could see how powerful God’s Word and Truths are and how we can hold onto them during times of trial and testing. I recommend this book to anyone who struggles with fear, anxiety, or depression. I also recommend it to every person who wants to come up higher in their walk with Jesus.”

For More Information: Example: For more questions or to schedule an interview about this press release please contact Carolyn Dale Newell at (540) 570-5507 or email amountainoffaith@gmail.com.

About the Author

Carolyn Dale Newell calls her blindness a gift from God. As a speaker and author, she enjoys sharing her stories of vulnerability and conquered fears at retreats and conferences, where she is accompanied by her beautiful black lab guide dog, Iva. Carolyn has earned a certificate in Biblical and Theological Foundations from the Tony Evans Training Center and is a contributing writer for iBelieve.com. Residing in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia with her husband, Tim, she loves reading, eating pizza, and discovering new independence with Iva.

Suggested Interview Questions

  1. In what ways has your blindness helped you grow in your walk with Jesus?
  2. Experts have written thousands of books about emotions. What inspired you to write this one and how is it different from all the others?
  3. What is emotional bondage? How would someone know if they need a book like yours?
  4. How did you decide which emotions to cover in this book? Were you inspired by your own emotional experiences, or those that others had relayed to you?
  5. Did writing the book offer an outlet or personal therapy for you?
  6. You write candidly of your experiences as a visually impaired woman. Is this book aimed at the visual impairment community? Who would benefit from this book?
  7. For anyone who is feeling defeated by the enemy, whether it be through health struggles, or another form of spiritual attack, what is your primary piece of advice for them?
Surviving Holidays While Grieving

Surviving the Holidays While Grieving by Janet K. Johnson, Will be Free to Download Tomorrow, November 22, 2022

FAITH NEWS SERVICE – United States—Monday, November 21, 2022

Janet Johnson is eager to present the re-launch of her book Surviving the Holidays While Grieving.

Janet wrote Surviving the Holidays While Grieving for both those who have experienced grief and loss and those who know someone who has experienced loss to help them survive the holidays.

Having endured the significant amount of profound loss of love ones, she understands grief brings a multitude of emotions. Each day can be a battle to keep unpredictable emotions under control—especially around holidays like Thanksgiving and Christmas, which can bring losses into full focus. Even simple tasks, such as walking through a store during the holidays, can surface memories that turn on emotions like a light switch.

Janet comes alongside readers who have lost a loved one or are journeying with someone dealing with grief. With tenderness and compassion, she offers ideas for managing emotions, hands-on activities for expressing feelings in tangible ways, and tips for communicating those feelings to others.

Janet K. Johnson’s Surviving the Holidays While Grieving will be free and available for download on Amazon for 5 days from November 22 through November 26, 2022. Grief: The Unwanted Journey is highly recommended. Here’s what a couple of the reviewers have said:

Rebecca White
5 stars
Easy to read, yet full of wisdom
Reviewed in the United States

“This book is a simple to read book but that is so necessary for those in a state of grief. The ideas to help connect with your loved one as you go through a holiday season without them area simple to do, written with good instructions, and provide an impactful statement. This is especially a great book for families with children that have list someone close and need things to show that the loved one is still a part of the child’s life.”

Katharine
5 stars
Comfort during special times

“Janet K. Johnson’s book was written from her path through grieving for the loss of a brother, son, and parents. She provides an approach for healing even though “…not completely, but enough to live with joy again, experience new journeys, and find a new normal” in one’s life. I recommend this book if you know anyone who is on the journey of grieving. Ms. Johnson provides helpful advice to remember and celebrate a loved one during special holidays and ideas to create more memories. Although the title suggests a focus on the holidays, the gentle faith-based advice provides helpful ideas to honor your loved one and navigate the journey of grief throughout the year.”

For More Information
For more questions or to schedule an interview about this press release please contact Janet K. Johnson at (828) 772-2349 or email joyfilledjan1@gmail.com.

About the Author
Janet Johnson is a pastor, spiritual formation mentor, author, writer, and speaker whose passion is to draw others closer to God in all of life’s situations. She holds a BA, MSW, and MDiv, is an associate member of the Order of St. Luke healing ministry, and has completed the Academy of Spiritual Formation and the Pastors of Excellence Program. She frequently teaches on grief and joy and also writes regularly for a Christian magazine. She and her husband, Richard, live in North Carolina and have four grown children and several grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

ann griffiths

Amazon Best Seller, Reignite Your Leadership Heart: Inspiring Women to Unleash Their Full Potential debuts to rave reviews!

FAITH NEWS SERVICE – United States—Sunday, November 20, 2022

Ann Griffiths newest book, Reignite Your Leadership Heart: Inspiring Women to Unleash Their Full Potential is available on Amazon for .99 through November 24, 2022, as well as in print anywhere books are sold.

Ann wrote Reignite Your Leadership Heart to inspire women in leadership to unleash their full potential.

Griffiths shares her story of how a woman with an effective ministry, thriving business, and the respect of her community, detoured into a wilderness journey and a secret that threatened to cost her everything. When she experienced deep loss and allowed God’s calling to take a backseat to her business ambitions, she found herself in a dark place that she could only navigate through God’s grace. Griffiths now encourages others who might be in need of that same hope and grace.

A passionate mentor to women who are called to positions of leadership, Ann Griffiths inspires readers to boldly step into their leadership calling. Readers of Reignite Your Leadership Heart will find hope in their own situations, discover what it is to be an effective leader, and learn practical skills to help them grow.

Ann Griffiths’s Reignite Your Leadership Heart is available for download for .99 on Amazon through November 24, 2022. Reignite Your Leadership Heart is currently rated 5 stars. Here’s what a couple of the reviewers had to say:

Delaney Brown
5 stars
WOW! Run, don’t walk to get your copy! Seriously!
Reviewed in the United States on November 18, 2022

“With authenticity and a rare rawness, the author takes the reader on a journey through her most formidable years to her latter years and every season in between. She’s real about her struggles and her mistakes and about her God who never left her, and used her most barren wilderness seasons to strengthen, equip and grow her a leader of leaders of leaders. Her book is one that should be on the resource list for both ministries and those who have any level of influence no matter how small or big.”

Todd Ellis
5 stars
Perseverance Wins the Race
Reviewed in the United States on November 18, 2022

“Ann Griffiths let me into her world of victories and struggles. Going through my own challenges, I could relate to who she was, as a person and how to overcome challenging situations. Hope is real! Most importantly I felt like her strength uplifted me while deepening my faith walk with God. It was a very timely read and she took me along her journey, with a heart to heart view. This only comes from true leadership when someone believes deeply in Christ and His victory on the cross. I felt like I crossed the finish line and it inspired me to serve while being a leader in my calling. Thank you, Ann!”

For More Information: Example: For more questions or to schedule an interview about this press release please contact Ann Griffiths at (604) 808-7734 or email ann@anngriffiths.com.

About the Author
Ann Griffiths has strong leadership insight and a passion to impact future generations. Her Bible school, business, and coaching credentials complement her extensive experience as a coach/mentor, entrepreneur, corporate executive, and ministry leader. She has launched programs for women in leadership, and is author of A Mentor’s Fingerprint: Leave a Mark. Make a Difference and Grandma’s Fingerprint: Love a Child. Change a Life. An accomplished drummer, Ann also enjoys reading and organizing anything. She currently serves as ministry director at her church in beautiful British Columbia, Canada where she and her husband live. They have two children, four adult grandchildren, and in-loves who’ve been added to the family along the way.

Suggested Interview Questions

  1. What makes your book unique among others about leadership for women?
  2. In your book, you reveal details of choices you made years ago that have had a deep impact. Why did you decide to open up about your life in such a personal way?
  3. Why do you think some women are hesitant to accept positions of leadership?
  4. For readers who aren’t in a leadership position, what insights will your book give them?
  5. You’ve done so many interesting things in your life. What do you feel is your greatest achievement?
  6. What is your response to the claim that women in leadership is not biblical?
  7. What qualities do you feel make women particularly effective as leaders?
reignite your leadership heart

Amazon Best Seller, Reignite Your Leadership Heart: Inspiring Women to Unleash Their Full Potential is Free to Download Through November 19, 2022

FAITH NEWS SERVICE – United States—Friday, November 18, 2022

Ann Griffiths is proud to present her newest book, Reignite Your Leadership Heart: Inspiring Women to Unleash Their Full Potential

Ann wrote Reignite Your Leadership Heart to inspire women in leadership to unleash their full potential.

Griffiths shares her story of how a woman with an effective ministry, thriving business, and the respect of her community, detoured into a wilderness journey and a secret that threatened to cost her everything. When she experienced deep loss and allowed God’s calling to take a backseat to her business ambitions, she found herself in a dark place that she could only navigate through God’s grace. Griffiths now encourages others who might be in need of that same hope and grace.

A passionate mentor to women who are called to positions of leadership, Ann Griffiths inspires readers to boldly step into their leadership calling. Readers of Reignite Your Leadership Heart will find hope in their own situations, discover what it is to be an effective leader, and learn practical skills to help them grow.

Ann Griffiths’s Reignite Your Leadership Heart is free and available for download on Amazon through November 19, 2022. Reignite Your Leadership Heart is currently rated 5 stars. Here’s what a couple of the reviewers had to say:

Jenn Dafoe-Turner
5 stars
Empowering
Reviewed in Canada on November 11, 2022

“Thanks for a great read. I am inspired by Ann’s leadership journey. I am encouraged to know I am not alone on the journey. Leadership is not for the faint of heart but sometimes our hearts grow faint. Through the pages I was challenged, I was encouraged and I was equipped to keep going when times are tough.”

Kathleen K Burnett
5 stars
Reignite your torch to light the way
Reviewed in the United States on November 12, 2022

“Thanks for a great read. I am inspired by Ann’s leadership journey. I am encouraged to know I am not alone on the journey. Leadership is not for the faint of heart but sometimes our hearts grow faint. Through the pages I was challenged, I was encouraged and I was equipped to keep going when times are tough.”

For More Information: Example: For more questions or to schedule an interview about this press release please contact Ann Griffiths at (604) 808-7734 or email ann@anngriffiths.com.

About the Author
Ann Griffiths has strong leadership insight and a passion to impact future generations. Her Bible school, business, and coaching credentials complement her extensive experience as a coach/mentor, entrepreneur, corporate executive, and ministry leader. She has launched programs for women in leadership, and is author of A Mentor’s Fingerprint: Leave a Mark. Make a Difference and Grandma’s Fingerprint: Love a Child. Change a Life. An accomplished drummer, Ann also enjoys reading and organizing anything. She currently serves as ministry director at her church in beautiful British Columbia, Canada where she and her husband live. They have two children, four adult grandchildren, and in-loves who’ve been added to the family along the way.

Suggested Interview Questions

  1. What makes your book unique among others about leadership for women?
  2. In your book, you reveal details of choices you made years ago that have had a deep impact. Why did you decide to open up about your life in such a personal way?
  3. Why do you think some women are hesitant to accept positions of leadership?
  4. For readers who aren’t in a leadership position, what insights will your book give them?
  5. You’ve done so many interesting things in your life. What do you feel is your greatest achievement?
  6. What is your response to the claim that women in leadership is not biblical?
  7. What qualities do you feel make women particularly effective as leaders?
reignite your leadership heart

Reignite Your Leadership Heart: Inspiring Women to Unleash Their Full Potential is Free to Download November 15 through November 19, 2022

FAITH NEWS SERVICE – United States—Tuesday, November 15, 2022

Ann Griffiths is proud to present her newest book, Reignite Your Leadership Heart: Inspiring Women to Unleash Their Full Potential

Ann wrote Reignite Your Leadership Heart to support and encourage women who feel called as leaders.

Griffiths shares her story of how a woman with an effective ministry, thriving business, and the respect of her community, detoured into a wilderness journey and a secret that threatened to cost her everything. When she experienced deep loss and allowed God’s calling to take a backseat to her business ambitions, she found herself in a dark place that she could only navigate through God’s grace. Griffiths now encourages others who might be in need of that same hope and grace.

A passionate mentor to women who are called to positions of leadership, Ann Griffiths inspires readers to boldly step into their leadership calling. Readers of Reignite Your Leadership Heart will find hope in their own situations, discover what it is to be an effective leader, and learn practical skills to help them grow.

Ann Griffiths’s Reignite Your Leadership Heart is free and available for download on Amazon for 5 days from November 15 – November 19, 2022. Reignite Your Leadership Heart is currently rated 5 stars. Here’s what one of the reviewers had to say:

Amazon Customer
5 stars
Not Your Average Leadership Book
Reviewed in Canada on November 11, 2022
Verified Purchase

This book is not your run-of-the-mill “how to” for leadership. It’s part autobiography and part leadership principles, using actual life experiences that show the true up and down trajectory toward authentic leadership. It makes the connection between real life events and how they can propel you to be an influencer, no matter your life situation. Well written and engaging, a great read if you’re looking for a distinctive and candid read about genuine leadership.

For More Information: Example: For more questions or to schedule an interview about this press release please contact Ann Griffiths at (604) 808-7734 or email ann@anngriffiths.com.

About the Author
Ann Griffiths has strong leadership insight and a passion to impact future generations. Her Bible school, business, and coaching credentials complement her extensive experience as a coach/mentor, entrepreneur, corporate executive, and ministry leader. She has launched programs for women in leadership, and is author of A Mentor’s Fingerprint: Leave a Mark. Make a Difference and Grandma’s Fingerprint: Love a Child. Change a Life. An accomplished drummer, Ann also enjoys reading and organizing anything. She currently serves as ministry director at her church in beautiful British Columbia, Canada where she and her husband live. They have two children, four adult grandchildren, and in-loves who’ve been added to the family along the way.

Suggested Interview Questions

  1. What makes your book unique among others about leadership for women?
  2. In your book, you reveal details of choices you made years ago that have had a deep impact. Why did you decide to open up about your life in such a personal way?
  3. Why do you think some women are hesitant to accept positions of leadership?
  4. For readers who aren’t in a leadership position, what insights will your book give them?
  5. You’ve done so many interesting things in your life. What do you feel is your greatest achievement?
  6. What is your response to the claim that women in leadership is not biblical?
  7. What qualities do you feel make women particularly effective as leaders?
phil oday

Avant Ministries Announces New President

FAITH NEWS SERVICE – Kansas City, MO – After several months of prayerful searching, the Board of Directors for Avant Ministries announced the appointment of Phil O’Day as the organization’s next President, effective January 1, 2023. Phil will take office after Scott Holbrook’s retirement at the end of the year. “I couldn’t be more pleased with the results of the process. I am excited to move into retirement knowing that the mission leadership is in good hands,” said Holbrook.

Phil is a graduate of Moody Bible Institute and Columbia International University Seminary and School of Missions. He and his wife, Lori, have a long history with the organization. This summer, they celebrated the milestone of 30 years of service with the mission, having joined CAM International (which later became Camino Global) in 1992. They served as church planters in Mexico City before being called to the Dallas home office in 2002. During his time there, Phil served in multiple roles including Director of Mobilization, Director of Organizational Development and Communication, and Executive Vice President/COO. When Camino merged with Avant in 2019, Phil was the Integration Director, facilitating the logistics of uniting both organizations. Since then, he has served as Avant’s US Director and Vice President of Public Ministries.

Board Chairman Todd Gladman commented, “We look forward to the integrity of heart and skillfulness of hands (Psalm 78:72) that characterizes Phil, as he serves with others in planting developing churches where there is no church.”

About Avant Ministries
Avant Ministries is an interdenominational, multinational missionary sending organization that has focused on planting and developing churches in the unreached areas of the world since the 1890’s.

For more information visit avantministries.org/president

beyond these eyes

Blind surfer Derek Rabelo’s book will encourage you to lift your faith

FAITH NEWS SERVICE‘If I can do all this and I’m blind, what can you achieve?’

This is a famous quote from Derek Rabelo, a Brazilian blind surfer whose total life is in God’s hands. He is a young man with great courage, inspiration and motivation, and as he releases his new book, I sat down with him to discuss life and faith.

Derek was born blind with congenital glaucoma. After three unsuccessful operations he grew up resigned to living his life to the utmost for his Lord.

His heartbroken parents prayed all the time for their little boy. Derek’s father, Ernesto remembered one time when Derek, as a baby was sleeping in a cot in his parent’s room. Derek would wake at about 5am stand up and cry out for his parents. One day he stood up and was facing the wall crying. It broke his father’s heart, as it was the realization that his son was blind. Ernesto was relating the story to me and said he couldn’t go on with this as he was crying so much from the remembrance of his little blind boy. The emotion was just too great.

His father was a surfer and so decided nothing would stop his beloved son from learning to surf as this was something he could teach him. His mother was a prayer warrior. Derek’s life was filled with so much love and care from his parents and extended family, and this provided the hope he had for his future.

 

Derek Rabelo surfing the notorious big wave break, Nazare, in Portugal.

 

When he first started to learn to surf as a teenager he encountered great difficulty with some huge and ferocious waves. Because of this trauma Derek nearly abandoned his desire to surf. But what would have become of him and the destiny that was placed within by Almighty God?  Derek states, “This is how my surfing career began. Not a good start, but it made me think about what was in my heart; what actually motivated me and made me determined to change my thinking and continue on. It wasn’t an easy decision and I had to turn around and think about the cost, which I hadn’t really thought about before. When you are faced with some sort of trauma, it helps you to stop and think about what you really want in life; what you are called to do. What will ultimately satisfy you and what your future is meant to become.”

Derek has been formidable in his quest for greatness. He knew what he was called to do. But there was one time when he had to make a decision about his life – whether to pursue a profession or turn his life over to his heart’s desire – surfing. That was a huge undertaking for a young man. But, of course, his heart won over. This was God’s destiny for him.

 

However, life hasn’t always been easy for him. His school years were extremely difficult. He had to contend with some schools refusing to accept him on the grounds of his ‘disability’. His parents were determined to provide the best of education for him.

Bullying was another issue at school. He was mocked, laughed at and belittled – all because he was blind. But Derek rose above this and moved forward to achieve what he needed to. He knew it was important to overcome all this if he was to be an influence in the world.

Derek went on his first adventure to Hawaii to surf, with a close friend. Many people were trying to discourage him because of the huge waves there. These people were trying to protect him but it made him confused if this was the right thing to do only for a short time. But he was determined to go. He surfed Pipeline with Tom Carroll, former world champion and Derek was hooked. He knew what he wanted to do, what he was called to do!

Derek travelled the world surfing, then he proceeded to speak to groups of people about what anyone can do. His aim was to encourage people to go for their best – what is inside of them. He encouraged them to overcome their fears, to take off the limitations they have put on themselves and to trust God.

In his travels Derek came to Australia and ended up in Perth Western Australia. He was to speak at Margaret Court’s church (the former world champion tennis player). However, God had other things in mind for him.

 

 

However, God was at work, there was a divine appointment for him in the West. A German girl called Madeline was studying at Margaret Court’s Bible College. She came to listen to Derek speak. She had heard of him and was so inspired by his life that she wanted to hear what he had to say. Interestingly, she came down the front to where Derek was sitting and fell over his foot. That was their first encounter!

Maddy recalls, “For me I actually wanted to meet him. I wasn’t thinking about dating – just his story was so inspirational to me. I wanted to be friends with someone who didn’t let anything stop him. I just wanted a friendship. He inspired me so much and I wanted to be around him.”

So after a very short time as friends a courtship evolved and they started to talk about marriage. But many people were negative about this union.

Maddy said, “Many non-Christians and even Christians were saying to me, ‘Are you sure about this?’ All of them doubted the validity of this relationship. Many people said, ‘It’s going to be so hard. You want to have children and he is blind. It won’t be easy.’

But love overruled and they married in Margaret River at a beautiful ceremony. The great blessing also was that their parents could come from Germany and Brazil to be at this momentous occasion.

Derek was determined to ride big waves – actually monsters – so he had to do a lot of training to prepare for this ‘super adventure’. His great dream was to surf the biggest waves in the world.

I want to tell you – yes he has done this. He surfed a 50 feet wave at Nazare in Portugal. “What was I thinking?” Derek exclaimed. “These waves were like tsunamis. I knew this is what I wanted to do, but… most people would have thought I was crazy. Well maybe… just a little? But I couldn’t stop until I rode the biggest wave in the world.”

Maddy was there with him. She explained that for the first time Derek said he felt nervous and then she felt the same. Normally Derek is at peace about surfing but… this time… “I received some emails from a really well known big wave rider telling me that he knows that I have a lot of skills, but also telling me that I should stop doing what I was doing, that I should not even think anymore about surfing Nazaré. That I had no idea how dangerous Nazaré was and I was putting myself at risk, as well as my family and friends. I felt very discouraged.”

But Derek didn’t back down. He was towed out with a jet ski and then told when the monster wave was coming. This was the 50 feet wave! He caught the wave but after a while he fell into the water. The jet ski missed him and then two more giants descended upon him. But thanks to God he was okay. And in fact he was thrilled he had achieved this.

Derek’s faith is in his God and he won’t let fear rule him.

Derek’s biography, ‘Beyond These Eyes’, is available now.

leadership with a servant's heart

Book release: Leadership with a Servant’s Heart: Leading in Your Workplace

FAITH NEWS SERVICEOctober 27, 2022 – Clarksville, Maryland (USA). Great leadership always matters. Yet, there is a noticeable mismatch between what employees want and what leaders deliver. It’s what drives the current state of the workforce. Best-selling author Kevin Wayne Johnson addresses a myriad of challenges and solutions for aspiring and current leaders to narrow this gap. The result is that leaders will know better, do better, and ultimately, lead better. They are servant leaders.

Leadership is a spiritual gift from God (Romans 12:6-8). His Word reminds us that “Every good and perfect gift is from above… (James 1:17). “  Unfortunately, it’s a gift that, from time to time, is misused and abused by some in positions of power and authority. When this happens, leaders at all levels, across multiple venues, cause those who they are entrusted to lead to walk away. People don’t leave organizations. They leave because of poor leadership (people).

Praise for Leadership with a Servant’s Heart:

You can learn how to achieve your destiny by helping others to achieve theirs.  Servant leadership coupled with life-long learning makes this book a literal training manual for effective personal, team, and organizational leadership.

  • John Jackson
    President, William Jessup University, Rocklin, CA
    Author & Speaker on Leadership & Transformation
    Trustees’ Council, Lead Like Jesus

“Kevin Wayne Johnson provides a template for professionals who seek to authentically serve those they are called to lead. It provides a template that will allow you to develop your personal leadership skills while building the team around you.”

  • LaKesha Womack
    Founder, #RethinkingChurch Strategies LLC, Charlotte, NC
    Founding Member, Newsweek Expert Forum
    Publisher, Ministry Matters Magazine

“It will help you cultivate the spirit of daily reflection without which some great leaders have fallen. This book will help you rise to new heights, help you help others on their upward trajectory, and together, while humble, stay perpetually at the top of your game!”

  • Everett Ofori

Book Editor, Prepare for Greatness: How to Make Your Success Inevitable and Success Tips from Successful African Americans, Volume I
Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan

About the Author:
As Founder and Chief Executive of The Johnson Leadership Group LLC, Kevin provides organizations, and the people who work within them, with the tools to forge effective personnel and interpersonal communication. He delivers training on the elements of dynamic relationships, to equip teams with the attitudes and attributes needed to develop individuals into leaders. He does so through motivating workshops, seminars, insightful keynote speeches and compassionate coaching, all to encourage personal and professional growth. He is a John Maxwell Team certified trainer, coach, mentor and speaker, and an active member of the International Coaching Federation. Kevin enjoyed a 34-year career (retired) in government and private industry as a senior level leader. A native of Richmond, Virginia, he earned a B.S. in Business Administration and Management from Virginia Commonwealth University.

Kevin is an ordained minister by the Church of God Ministries, Incorporated, Anderson, IN, and has held multiple leadership positions at the local, regional, national and international levels, including Senior Pastor. His best-selling book series – Give God the Glory! – earned 19 literary awards from 2001 to 2013 and book #1 in the Leadership with a Servant’s Heart series was a 2-time Amazon.com new release best-seller and earned 9 literary awards in 2020 and 2021. Since 2009, he has served as co-host of the Christian Authors on Tour radio show on Blog Talk Radio and currently shares leadership tips twice per month on the Words of Wisdom Champion podcast that is distributed by Elite Conversation Media. He has been married to his wife Gail for 29 years, they live in Clarksville, Maryland, and from their union raised three sons.

another moment with god

Want to start a fresh relationship with God! This book will show you how.

FAITH NEWS SERVICE – As Australian woman Nenia Tavrou travelled extensively – both locally and overseas, including working in 12 countries – she noticed many people do not see themselves as clearly as Creator God sees them.

Regardless of their past, God values and adores each person for who they are and wants to spend time with them. Yes, this includes you! God sees you as a miracle of great workmanship. Where you live life, who you share life with, and what you do are all orchestrated as opportunities by God. Why? Because God doesn’t make mistakes. Nenia believes your past makes you into who you have become today. The trials of life make each person into stronger, wiser and informed people – equipping you to not only cope, but to thrive in the next season of life.

The short devotions of Another Moment with God are designed for the busy person. They are each around 200 words and include a story or event in life and how it relates to connecting you with the Lord Jesus Christ. There are plenty of suggestions on how to put various strategies into practice, all with the intention of drawing you into a wonderful relationship with Jesus Christ.

What is the best way to pray? What if you just can’t get motivated? How can God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit all be one and the same? Is the Trinity real? What are the real seven wonders of the world? Why are perfect relationships no good? How does science prove God exists? How does God Bluetooth your heart? All these questions and more are answered in Another Moment with God.

In her unique book, Nenia believes prayer shouldn’t just be used as a desperate cry to God in an emergency or crisis. Prayer is communicating with God on a regular basis. It is knowing God as your close and most trusted friend. Someone you can talk to about anything at any time. Who wouldn’t want a friend like that!

Nenia was born in Australia. She previously fostered children from all walks of life for fourteen years with her husband. She worked as a Project Manager in the communications sector and also trained as a family counsellor. Her previous books include:

  1. Bottled Tears
  2. Scarred by life, repaired by Life
  3. A Moment With God
  4. Magical Moments of an Adventurous Life
  5. A Humorous Look at Living with Epilepsy
  6. But Mummy I am a witch!
  7. But Daddy, I am a superhero!

Nenia regularly attends church with her husband and enjoys doing volunteer work. All of her devotions have been inspired by real life experiences. She hopes Another Moment with God will help you to strengthen and enjoy your relationship with the Creator of the Universe – God himself.

Another Moment with God, along with all of her other books, are available from www.neniawriting.com. Another Moment with God is also available from Amazon and other major booksellers globally.

no tears for dad

No Tears for Dad: My Path to Forgiveness by Pete Cruz is Available for Download for $.99 through November 12, 2022

FAITH NEWS SERVICE – United States—Tuesday, November 8, 2022

Pete Cruz is please to present his best-seller debut memoir No Tears for Dad: My Path to Forgiveness

Pete Cruz explores forgiveness in No Tears for Dad: My Path to Forgiveness. His goal is to encourage those who are traveling, or have traveled, similar journeys dealing with childhood abuse trauma.

In this memoir of dysfunctional families, No Tears for Dad: My Path to Forgiveness is Pete Cruz’s raw and sensitive memoir through the abyss of forgiving what you can’t forget, chronic pain, healing from PTSD, anger mismanagement, and fears of failure and abandonment. It explores fatherhood and how his daughter’s honesty charted him on the path toward personal healing, forgiveness, and a relationship with Christ.

Pete Cruz’s No Tears for Dad: My Path to Forgiveness is available for download for .99 on Amazon through November 12, 2022. No Tears for Dad: My Path to Forgiveness is rated 5 stars by those who have purchased the book. Here’s what some of the reviewers have said:

Loretta L. Sinclair
5 stars
Highly recommended
Reviewed in the United States on October 31, 2022

“Sometimes in order to see how good God is, we have to see how bad man can be. This is an amazing and heartfelt journey from the depths of both physical and emotional pain, to the love of a God greater than all of us. Pete’s journey is hard to read at times, gut-wrenching and overwhelming; but he leads us through it masterfully. The fact that he lived through this and is here to tell of God’s love and forgiveness is a miracle by itself. Highly recommended.”

Amazon Customer
5 stars
Powerful!
Reviewed in the United States on October 28, 2022

“This book is a rollercoaster ride of emotions. From anger and heartbreak, to sympathy, to the triumph, you won’t be able to put this book down. The God of redemption is all over these pages.”

For More Information: For more information or to schedule an interview about this press release, please contact Pete Cruz at www.PeteCruz.com.

About the Author
Pete Cruz was raised in Milpitas, California, a town adjacent to San Jose. He holds a bachelor’s in English from California State University, Sacramento. A member of Inspire Christian Writers and the California Writers Club–Sacramento, he has won awards for his short stories, served on the editing team for Inspire’s annual anthologies, and presented talks and workshops during his professional career. Pete enjoys cruiser motorcycles, water volleyball, dancing, and watching football and basketball. Visit www.PeteCruz.com.

Suggested Interview Questions

  1. Yours is a powerful story of transformation. Tell us what was the catalyst for your transformation?
  2. What inspired you to write your memoir?
  3. What surprised you the most while writing your story? Did you experience a type of catharsis?
  4. When your daughter said she was not good enough, what thought went through your mind?
  5. How did you meet Jesus, and how did you develop a relationship with Him?
  6. What would you say to someone who may be struggling right now with family trauma or difficult relationships?
  7. How does your relationship with God steward your other relationships?
  8. What do you hope readers take away from reading your memoir?
anastasia corbin

Becoming an Intentional Family is a “Can’t Miss” Amazon Best Seller in Multiple Categories and is Available to Download for $.99 through 11/11/2022

FAITH NEWS SERVICE – United States—Tuesday, November 8, 2022 – Anastasia Corbin is proud to present her newest book, Becoming an Intentional Family: Creating Meaningful Memories and Building Confidence in Your Kids.

Anastasia wrote Becoming an Intentional Family to encourage, inspire, and equip Christian parents to create a home where children feel a sense of security and belonging.

Growing up as one of eight children, Anastasia knows the deep craving for parental attention. That desire for a close family led her to write Christian parenting books for those who want the same. This practical guide provides simple ideas for activities with kids, powerful knowledge on love languages for kids, and encouragement on how to create memories that the whole family will cherish.

Anastasia Corbin’s Becoming an Intentional Family is for download for .99 on Amazon through November 11, 2022. Becoming an Intentional Family is rated 5 stars by those who have purchased the book. Here’s what some of the reviewers have said:

Janette Griffith
5 stars
Grab this book!
Reviewed in the United States on October 31, 2022

“For anyone who wants practical ideas of how to make your family stronger…grab this book! The author not only gives you practical ideas for dating your spouse, and spending quality time with your family, but also for spending quality time one on one with your kids. She does this in a way of sharing stories from her life while helping you think back on your own growing up years and challenging you to grow closer to Christ in your faith walk. You won’t want to miss this book!”

C.R.
5 stars
Fun-filled, easy read, creative ideas, how to create strong family ties, childhood memories
Reviewed in the United States on October 30, 2022

“This book is so much fun to read! I highly recommend it for young families as there are so many creative ideas for building loving and fun traditions! Gift it to every new mom you know!! Even busy moms will have the time to read this enjoyable collection of stories and ideas on how to make your kids’ childhood memorable and show them how very loved and valued they are!! Well organized content that causes you to reflect on Scripture, prayer, and noting ideas you want to implement. In an era of independent activities and technology this book will show you how to overcome these obstacles and create a family that stays strong and stays together!”

For More Information: For more questions or to schedule an interview about this press release please contact Anastasia Corbin at (574) 206-6204 or email anastasia@anastasiacorbin.com.

About the Author
Anastasia Corbin loves to encourage others to live a life anchored in Jesus. She is also passionate about family life and helping children feel they belong. Anastasia taught for six years before her first child was born. She now manages the home while blogging and providing resources that encourage overwhelmed moms to prioritize faith, family, and themselves. The author of Becoming an Intentional Family and co-author of When the Bases are Loaded: Encouragement for Moms to Hit a Grand Slam in Life lives in northern Indiana with her husband Jonathan and their four children. When she is not writing, Anastasia enjoys digging into God’s word, singing on the Worship Team, and reading while sipping on iced coffee.

Suggested Interview Questions

  1. How did you come up with your ideas for parenting? Are they mostly from your own experiences as a mom?
  2. What are some of the obstacles you’ve encountered in your own intentional parenting?
  3. Is there any commonly accepted advice for parents that you don’t think is helpful?
  4. Every child is different. Have you found ways to tailor your ideas to each of your individual children?
  5. What are some of the benefits you’ve seen in your kids that are a direct result of being intentional about family activities?
  6. You write about the challenges of your own childhood. How did that effect how you thought about parenting?
  7. Everyone’s so busy! What is your advice to a mom who wants to incorporate your ideas, but meets with resistance from her spouse and/or kids?
  8. Was it a difficult decision to open up about your life in such a personal way?
happily even after

Author Haley V. Craft shines in debut novella, Happily Even After

FAITH NEWS SERVICE – Todd and Katie were made for each other—they’d known it in the second grade and were headed for happily ever after . . . until that one fateful day when everything changed, and the letters they’d cherished for years suddenly tore them apart. Heartbroken, hurt, and deeply confused, Todd and Katie went their separate ways. When their careers reunite them seven years later, will they be willing to work through the pain and anger to untangle the threads of the past and find their own happily even after?

Originally released as part of Proposals Gone Awry, Redemption Press’s first-ever E-book boxed set of sweet Christian romances, Craft’s novella shimmers with color, fire, heartache, forgiveness, and romance.

“There are a lot of fairytales that end in happily ever after,” Craft said, “but they aren’t always realistic. In real life, things come between us and that idyllic place. I wanted to see if my characters could find a way past all that stuff, to their happy, even after.” And, like Todd and Katie learned, that’s how God works too. When you let go of your “stuff,” He works everything out for good.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Haley V. Craft has been teaching English to ninth, tenth, and eleventh graders for seven years. She is a forever student who loves reading, listening to music, and doing new things. A country girl at heart, Haley loves helping her parents on the family farm. She also enjoys writing devotions, and Happily Even After is her first published fiction. You can learn more about Haley by visiting haleyvcraftwriting.com.

Can be purchased internationally anywhere books are sold online.

Buy Now on Amazon

For interviews, contact haley@haleyvcraftwriting.com

Social media links

Website: haleyvcraftwriting.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HaleyVCraftauthor

 

becoming an intentional family

New book highlights the lasting impact of intentional parenting

FAITH NEWS SERVICE – Anastasia Corbin grew up in a family of eight children, and craved parental attention as a young girl. The desire to have a close family, and to give kids a deep sense of belonging, stuck with her into her adult years. That passion motivated her to become an elementary school teacher and a parenting-book author.

Her most recent book, Becoming an Intentional Family (Redemption Press), is a practical resource to help Christian parents become intentional about cultivating relationships within the family. She says the investment of time and attention by parents will reap lasting benefits for children.

While the book gives practical ideas for ways to demonstrate love and care, perhaps the most critical measuring stick it highlights is time and attention. For many families, the obvious time to slow down and be together is mealtime. A study for the Food Marketing Institute Foundation* found, on average, only about half of dinners are now family meals.

Corbin says mealtime can provide an invaluable opportunity for making a lasting impact. “Research shows that regular family dinners help lower risks of smoking, drug use, eating disorders, and sexual activity. School-age children who experience a regular family dinner are also more likely to succeed in school.”

The former educator and now active blogger says the key for carving out time for sitting down together is scheduling. “Start with one day a week, such as Sunday,” she says. Corbin advocates making a simple meal, getting takeout or having a pizza delivered. “The key is being together, not stressing over cooking a gourmet meal.”

Becoming an Intentional Family explores the areas of family, marriage, parenting, home, and outreach. This helpful resource highlights new ways for parents to give their children the gift of belonging, and ideas to shape the family, create meaningful memories, and build self-confidence and security.

* www.fmi.org/docs/default-source/familymeals/fmi-power-of-family-meals-whitepaper-for-web.pdf?sfvrsn=13d87f6e_2.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Anastasia Corbin loves to encourage others to live a life anchored in Jesus. She is also passionate about family life and helping children feel they belong. After earning a bachelor’s degree in elementary education, Anastasia taught for six years before her first child was born. She now manages the home while blogging and providing resources that encourage overwhelmed moms to prioritize faith, family, and themselves. The author of Becoming an Intentional Family and co-author of When the Bases are Loaded: Encouragement for Moms to Hit a Grand Slam in Life lives in northern Indiana with her husband Jonathan and their four children. When she is not writing, Anastasia enjoys digging into God’s word, singing on the Worship Team, and reading while sipping on iced coffee. Connect with her at www.AnastasiaCorbin.com.

For review copies and media interviews, contact Anastasia at anastasia@anastasiacorbin.com.

Connect with the author:
Website: AnastasiaCorbin.com
Pinterest: www.pinterest.com/anastasiacorbin/
Facebook: www.facebook.com/anastasiacorbin/
Twitter: twitter.com/AnastasiaCorbin
Instagram: www.instagram.com/anastasiacorbin/

Available for purchase internationally wherever online books are sold.

Available on Amazon.

gangland to grace

New book tells incredible story of one man’s escape from gangland and crime

FAITH NEWS SERVICE – Huw Donaldson was an innocent child from a good background that became the type of person that nobody would have ever expected: a violent and sometimes mindless bikey criminal.

Loyal to few, Huw was raised throughout his teenage years by some of New Zealand’s toughest motorcycle gang members and later went on to make shockwaves himself through a life of turbulence and self-destruction. From the sad beginning, to the crazy middle, with an uncertain ending the best hope for his life, the only way things could change is if he were to meet Christ.

With the faith installed in him from his youth the one thing that gave him the possibility of turning things around, Gangland to Grace is the incredible, true story of Huw’s back flip from a life of crime, to meeting Jesus and seeing his life transformed.

“After my father died and the other aggravating aspects of life drowned out the positive, I chased things for years that never seemed to take me any closer to a place of peace,” Huw said. “It was only after my turning to God that I realized He was the only ‘backup’ a person really needs and the true source of everything good in life.”

To add to the realization of a real savior in Jesus Christ, God also put on his heart the desire to serve as a volunteer to one of Africa’s most faraway places, the country of Sierra Leone. Was this a power move by God to transform Huw’s life and make way for a truly fulfilling future? Only time would tell, but first he had to get out of the spiritual minefield and urban battlefield he had created for himself back in New Zealand, and that would be no easy task…

“I knew things had to change. I saw the young and older guys around me and only a few that I knew would potentially make it through life to the end,” Huw said. “Of the likely many that wouldn’t make it, I didn’t want to be one of them. I knew there was a God and I realized that it would only be by coming alongside of Him that my life could possibly become a success.”

This first-time author believes his story needed to be told. A story packed with controversy, murder, betrayal and much more, this book is certainly not for the faint hearted. Sadly, life can sometimes be like that too, and it is perhaps through the telling of a story such as this that others going through their own trials can find courage to also keep going forward and then beyond into what God has for them.

The author of Gangland to Grace, having found himself still alive after the unfolding of many an exceptional circumstance, can now lay claim to several major achievements. These include: being awarded an Academic Award of Excellence for his studies during the completion of a Diploma in Christian Ministry at Lifeway College, plus missions trips to the Philippines and Cambodia with the same college and church prior to his own planned and completed missions to Sierra Leone, West Africa where a whole different chapter of his life begins.

With a police history that gives wait to the veracity of the early stages of his life, and a solid network of friends and supporters, this highly unusual character has an unmistakable element of honesty that cannot easily be debated. Honesty about his life and as God begins to work on his character, truth from a biblical perspective as well.

Gangland to Grace is a must read – part drama, part transformational, with God being the major contributing factor in what is to be a happy ending. This book could be the very book that transforms your life too.

pete cruz

New Redemption Press release shines path to healing and forgiveness in Christ

FAITH NEWS SERVICE – How does a damaged, wounded, hurting heart accept radical love and forgiveness? Through the power of Christ. According to Reboot Recovery, a person’s trauma doesn’t make a person too damaged for Christ to relate to, and “there is no one better equipped to take on the burden of trauma than Jesus.”*

Author Pete Cruz grew up in a volatile relationship with his father. Careening through life, he launched into a successful outward life, education, career, and marriage but had walled off his painful childhood memories. After becoming a father, he wanted to give his daughter everything in life he never had, rarely missing school events, providing for her material needs, and never raising a hand to her.

Pete thought he was doing pretty good. Until he heard his daughter say that she was never “good enough.” Those words triggered all those buried memories and invited Pete on a path of self-discovery, forgiveness, and healing. Because he wanted better for his daughter—and he didn’t want her to grow up to be like him.

No Tears for Dad: My Path to Forgiveness covers the spectrum of difficult subjects—depression, anger, PTSD, psychological and physical abuse, chronic pain, abandonment and neglect. In an honest, loving, and empowering spirit, Cruz shares his own experiences of anguish, hardship, and hopelessness on his rocky road to forgiveness and a life-giving relationship with Christ.

Cruz says, “I want my book to reach whomever God wants it to reach.” Whether his book is meant for one person today or for someone generations from now, he hopes his story will extend to readers the victorious healing that Christ abundantly offers.

* https://rebootrecovery.com/what-would-jesus-say-ptsd/

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Pete Cruz was raised in Milpitas, California, a town adjacent to San Jose. He holds a bachelor’s in English from California State University, Sacramento. A member of Inspire Christian Writers and the California Writers Club–Sacramento, he has won awards for his short stories, served on the editing team for Inspire’s annual anthologies, and presented talks and workshops during his professional career. Pete enjoys cruiser motorcycles, water volleyball, dancing, and watching football and basketball. Visit www.PeteCruz.com.

For review copies and media interviews, contact Pete Cruz at pete@petecruz.com.

Available internationally wherever online books are sold.

Available on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/No-Tears-Dad-Path-Forgiveness/dp/1646458230/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1667344703&sr=8-1

A Heart’s Journey to Forgiveness

A Heart’s Journey to Forgiveness Will be Free to Download Tomorrow, November 3, 2022

FAITH NEWS SERVICE – United States—Wednesday, November 2, 2022

Terese Luikens is proud to present her book, A Heart’s Journey to Forgiveness

Terese wrote A Heart’s Journey to Forgiveness for those who have grieved the loss of a loved one to suicide and those who have experienced other family traumas and shame.

When her father committed suicide when she was just twelve years old, Terese Luikens, the sixth of seven children, was left alone to struggle through her grief and pain. From her rocky, chaotic childhood to finding love and having her own family, A Heart’s Journey to Forgiveness documents Luikens’s journey to escape the shame of suicide and a dysfunctional family. This Christian memoir explores the challenges of healing from childhood trauma and forgiving what you can’t forget.

Terese Luikens’s A Heart’s Journey to Forgiveness will be free and available for download on Amazon for 5 days, November 3, 2022 through November 7, 2022. A Heart’s Journey to Forgiveness is rated 5 stars by those who have purchased the book. Here’s a newly posted review:

LaVar Johnson
5 Stars
Reviewed in the United States on October 29, 2022
Beautifully Written Memoir

“This memoir is a must read for anyone searching for hope in the midst of chaos, hurt & confusion. Terese, has bared her soul and shared her journey from an emotionally lost child & young adult to a strong & spiritually beautiful woman. I love her continuing faith in Jesus, realizing that life will always have challenges and pain but trusting that Jesus has promised and is faithful to walk through these difficult times with her. That same assurance is available to all who accept Jesus Christ as their Saviour. Thank you Terese for sharing your journey with us!”

For more questions or to schedule an interview about this press release please contact Terese Luikens at 208-946-9049 or email tmluikens@gmail.com.

Writer Terese Luikens contributes articles for Mother Earth News, The Secret Place, Decision Magazine, The Upper Room, Hearts at Home, and the Epoch Times, and writes on her own blog, Why Bother? Also a school teacher and yoga teacher, Terese lives in Sandpoint, Idaho, with her husband and enjoys being mother to three grown sons and grandmother to her beloved grandchildren.

Suggested Interview Questions
Your book starts with your decision to join your six siblings in weekly phone calls despite the fact that your brothers and sisters represent the chaos from your tumultuous family history. Why did you decide to join those calls, and what effect did they have on you?

You document your relationship with your mother, who was emotionally absent from you, yet she seemed to be more present for your other siblings. How have you made peace with that?

Though your dad was an alcoholic and you were aware of his faults, he still was your primary parent and the one who made you feel loved and valuable. Are you able to remember him now with fondness and joy? Tell us a little about your dad and what he meant to you.

Why did you write A Heart’s Journey to Forgiveness, and what was the process like? Who do you hope will benefit from your book?

The emotional ramifications of parental suicide seem far-reaching. Tell us a little about how your dad’s suicide affected you beyond the immediate pain and grief.

You discovered faith in God as a young adult. What role has faith played in your emotional recovery from your dad’s suicide? And finding healing over your relationship with your mom?

What advice would you give someone who is dealing with the shame that is often brought by the death of a loved one due to suicide?

no tears for dad

No Tears for Dad: My Path to Forgiveness Will be Free to Download Tomorrow, November 2, 2022

FAITH NEWS SERVICE – United States—November 1, 2022

Pete Cruz presents his debut memoir No Tears for Dad: My Path to Forgiveness

Pete Cruz explores forgiveness in No Tears for Dad: My Path to Forgiveness. His goal is to encourage those who are traveling, or have traveled, similar journeys dealing with childhood abuse trauma.

In this memoir of dysfunctional families, No Tears for Dad: My Path to Forgiveness is Pete Cruz’s raw and sensitive memoir through the abyss of forgiving what you can’t forget, chronic pain, healing from PTSD, anger mismanagement, and fears of failure and abandonment. It explores fatherhood and how his daughter’s honesty charted him on the path toward personal healing, forgiveness, and a relationship with Christ.

Pete Cruz’s No Tears for Dad: My Path to Forgiveness will be free and available for download on Amazon for 5 days, November 2, 2022 through November 7, 2022. No Tears for Dad: My Path to Forgiveness is rated 5 stars by those who have purchased the book. Here’s what some of the reviewers have said:

Rodney Combs
5 stars
Hope for the wounded and those who’ve wounded others
Reviewed in the United States on October 20, 2022

“If you’ve been wounded by a parent (or anyone else), this book’s for you. If you wish not to abuse others, this book’s for you. If you need to discover or be reminded of the power of God to redeem us and our relationships, read Pete’s astonishing, painful, and complex story. The author uses his excellent craft of writing to reveal his vulnerability and hope and to remind us of ours.”

Carla
5 stars
Captivating & Impressionable
Reviewed in the United States on October 18, 2022

“Pete Cruz’s writing style inserts the reader front and center into the daily trauma/drama of lives lived in fear of a toxic and combative upbringing. Yet, the captivating way in which these real-life experiences unfold transports the reader into the life shaping impressions of this very talented author. In my opinion he could not have selected a more fitting title for this book.”

For More Information: For more information or to schedule an interview about this press release, please contact Pete Cruz at www.PeteCruz.com.

About the Author
Pete Cruz was raised in Milpitas, California, a town adjacent to San Jose. He holds a bachelor’s in English from California State University, Sacramento. A member of Inspire Christian Writers and the California Writers Club–Sacramento, he has won awards for his short stories, served on the editing team for Inspire’s annual anthologies, and presented talks and workshops during his professional career. Pete enjoys cruiser motorcycles, water volleyball, dancing, and watching football and basketball. Visit www.PeteCruz.com.

Suggested Interview Questions

  1. Yours is a powerful story of transformation. Tell us what was the catalyst for your transformation?
  2. What inspired you to write your memoir?
  3. What surprised you the most while writing your story? Did you experience a type of catharsis?
  4. When your daughter said she was not good enough, what thought went through your mind?
  5. How did you meet Jesus, and how did you develop a relationship with Him?
  6. What would you say to someone who may be struggling right now with family trauma or difficult relationships?
  7. How does your relationship with God steward your other relationships?
  8. What do you hope readers take away from reading your memoir?
becoming an intentional family

Becoming an Intentional Family Will be Free to Download Tomorrow, November 1, 2022

FAITH NEWS SERVICE – United States—Monday, October 31, 2022

Anastasia Corbin is proud to present her newest book, Becoming an Intentional Family: Creating Meaningful Memories and Building Confidence in Your Kids.

Anastasia wrote Becoming an Intentional Family to encourage, inspire, and equip Christian parents to create a home where children feel a sense of security and belonging.

Growing up as one of eight children, Anastasia knows the deep craving for parental attention. That desire for a close family led her to write Christian parenting books for those who want the same. This practical guide provides simple ideas for activities with kids, powerful knowledge on love languages for kids, and encouragement on how to create memories that the whole family will cherish.

Anastasia Corbin’s Becoming an Intentional Family will be free and available for download on Amazon for 5 days, November 1, 2022 through November 5, 2022. Becoming an Intentional Family is rated 5 stars by those who have purchased the book. Here’s what some of the reviewers have said:

Joy Wendling
5 stars
This is the kind of family I want to have!
Reviewed in the United States on October 27, 2022

“Yes, please! Anastasia Corbin’s book helps me as a mama to become more intentional with my kids. I love the way she has allowed God to redeem hard parts of her own childhood to show more safety and delight in her kids, and then she invites us to do it, too. Her book has big ideas and practical steps. Such a great resource for those looking to love their kids for who God designed them to be and to point those kids back to Him.”

Natalie Replogle
5 stars
Great book full of great ideas!
Reviewed in the United States on October 25, 2022

“Becoming an Intentional Family is authentic, fresh, and full of great ideas to help jump-start or continue ways to connect your family members and make your relationships a priority. Anastasia has a beautiful gift of merging life experiences with creative suggestions to help guide your focus on what matters most to you. All of those who are looking for growth in their family dynamics will find this a beneficial read.”

For More Information: For more questions or to schedule an interview about this press release please contact Anastasia Corbin at (574) 206-6204 or email anastasia@anastasiacorbin.com.

About the Author
Anastasia Corbin loves to encourage others to live a life anchored in Jesus. She is also passionate about family life and helping children feel they belong. Anastasia taught for six years before her first child was born. She now manages the home while blogging and providing resources that encourage overwhelmed moms to prioritize faith, family, and themselves. The author of Becoming an Intentional Family and co-author of When the Bases are Loaded: Encouragement for Moms to Hit a Grand Slam in Life lives in northern Indiana with her husband Jonathan and their four children. When she is not writing, Anastasia enjoys digging into God’s word, singing on the Worship Team, and reading while sipping on iced coffee.

Suggested Interview Questions

  1. How did you come up with your ideas for parenting? Are they mostly from your own experiences as a mom?
  2. What are some of the obstacles you’ve encountered in your own intentional parenting?
  3. Is there any commonly accepted advice for parents that you don’t think is helpful?
  4. Every child is different. Have you found ways to tailor your ideas to each of your individual children?
  5. What are some of the benefits you’ve seen in your kids that are a direct result of being intentional about family activities?
  6. You write about the challenges of your own childhood. How did that effect how you thought about parenting?
  7. Everyone’s so busy! What is your advice to a mom who wants to incorporate your ideas, but meets with resistance from her spouse and/or kids?
  8. Was it a difficult decision to open up about your life in such a personal way?
Jeanine Banza

Author Jeanine Banza-Katungutere Releases Book on Christian Feminism

FAITH NEWS SERVICE – “I am not an angry feminist; I just want to remain a female.”

When some people think of feminism, they think of man-hating radicals and bra-burning lesbians. But what if there was another kind of feminism? A type of feminism that is based on Christianity and recognizes the inherent value of women? This is the type of feminism that author Jeanine Banza-Katungutere writes about in her new book, “Feminism: Right of Reply to Our Daughters.”

Banza-Katungutere was born in Katana, in the Democratic Republic of Congo, a paradisiacal place close to the rarest species of gorilla in the world. She came to the United States in 1997 and is an author, advocate, and speaker who focuses on issues affecting women and children around the world. Her non-profit, Association for the Development of Kivu (A.D.K) established in 2014 in Goma (North Kivu) and Katana (South Kivu) focuses on reintegrating underprivileged young girls who have been victims of gender-based sexual violence into society through education.

In her book, she seeks to teach millennial women and girls about the true meaning of feminism and how to apply it to their lives based on Biblical principles.

A burning desire to write on this topic was sparked by conversations with her 13-year-old daughter and young millennial girls that she encountered in her travels. They supported social and economic opportunity, but as Christians, they were hesitant to call themselves feminists because they did not embrace radical viewpoints that were in direct conflict with everything that Christianity stands for. But as Banza-Katungutere points out, there is a big difference between biblical feminism and secular feminism.

Secular feminism is based on the belief that men and women are equal and should be treated as such in all areas of life, including the workplace and the home. However, this type of feminism can cause confusion among women, as they may feel pressure to compete with men in order to achieve equality.

On the other hand, there is also Christian feminism. Christian feminists believe that men and women were created equal in God’s image, with different but complementary roles designed specifically for them.

They see femininity not as a curse or weakness, but as a gift from God that should be celebrated. Banza-Katungutere wants to create more discussion about what biblical femininity really looks like and how Christians can apply feminist principles based on scripture instead of secular ideology.

Banza-Katungutere is excited to share her knowledge about biblical feminism with other Christian women at her upcoming masterclass event. This virtual session will equip daughters and mothers alike with the tools they need to live out their purpose in Christ. The masterclass will be held on Thursday, October 27th at 6:30 PM EST.

For more information or to register, visit Christian author Jeanine Banza-Katungutere’s website at jeaninebanza.com

precious

The Precious Project Founder Releases Second Book “Precious”

FAITH NEWS SERVICEJewelle Maynard-Roberts creates an online resource designed to help women recover their identity, worth and value.

Bridgetown, Barbados October 18th, 2022 — Barbadian Author, Attorney-at-Law, artist, and speaker Jewelle Maynard-Roberts releases her second book. ‘Precious‘ by Jewelle Maynard-Roberts is a reminder women of all ages need as they face different stages in their life. The publication was released via Kindle and print editions on October 15th to help readers recover their significance in the midst of life’s difficulties and deserts.

The Kindle edition of ‘Precious’ is available for free on Kindle Unlimited for exclusive Amazon Prime members or for purchase starting under $1 during launch week, which ends on October 20, 2022.

Precious‘ is a book for every woman who has ever lost sight of her worth and finds herself searching to recover her best parts. The book is structured in a devotional style to become another tool for readers in their own journey. The author uses faith-based tools such as scriptures from The Bible to connect with readers. Key topics found in this book include recovering your significance, self-forgiveness, discipline, affirmation of your God-given design, overcoming disappointment and loss, discovering yourself again, and discovering God.

Beyond being an author, Jewelle Maynard-Roberts has successfully achieved her creative passions, career, and faith. With her own experience, she releases ‘Precious’ as a tool and reminder for other women to continue their self-development in challenging or uncertain situations. Jewelle has been heard on ‘The Wifey Rehab Podcast’, Life 97.5 FM Barbados, ‘Diary of a Jesus Girl Podcast’, and ‘When Marriage and Purpose Collide’ sharing advice on the topics in her devotional series.

Women going through marriages or divorces, motherhood, new careers, positioning themselves in business, or any other transitional role in life gravitate toward Jewelle Maynard-Roberts. Daily reminders from Jewelle such as “You are not damaged goods. Sometimes we exit our life experiences feeling like damaged goods, with our string of pearls of worth broken and lost.” can be found on The Precious Project’s social pages.

‘Precious’ is the inspiration behind The Precious Project, an online resource created to help women recover their identity, worth and value. Jewelle does not use the term “life coach”. However, she is the Founder of The Precious Project. Learn about new releases and appearances by following The Precious Project on social media.

###

About Jewelle Maynard-Roberts

Jewelle Maynard-Roberts is an Attorney-at-Law, artist, writer and speaker. Jewelle’s journey in the arts started during her years in secondary school, where she earned an Irving Burgie Award for Excellence in the Creative Arts for her work in the CXC and CAPE Visual Arts programmes.

She was also a student of music and one of the first students to complete the pilot CXC Music Programme. Her love for the arts never waned over the years, leading her into worship leading and the field of songwriting. She has also co-written with Barbadian artist Nicovia on her first album and between 2012-2014

Jewelle taught songwriting seminars and classes in the gospel arena. As a worship leader, Jewelle also led the songwriting arm of the worship ministry of The Church of God at Orange Hill, Barbados.

She was a member of the Kingdom Arts leadership team and in her role as Event Coordinator, held responsibility for the Lead Lounge and Kingdom Fashion and Visual Arts Gala events in 2018-2019 and in 2021, assisted in the coordination of the Kingdom Arts online video series “Fashion Connect”

Following God’s leading, and answering His call to become an author, she began sharing written devotionals and inspirational art for women and wrote eight women’s inspirational devotional series.

A Heart’s Journey to Forgiveness

Redemption Press memoir shares story of overcoming shame of a father’s suicide

FAITH NEWS SERVICE – Suicide is the tenth leading cause of death in the US and has a profound effect on loved ones who are left reeling from the death.* Coping with the death of a loved one due to suicide is said to cause pain that is harder to navigate than if they died by another means.**

Television journalist Anderson Cooper, whose brother died by suicide, said, “Try as you might to remember how a person lived his life, you always end up thinking about how he ended it.”***

Terese Luikens’s beloved father took his life when she was thirteen years old, leaving Terese emotionally alone to cope with the pain and shame of his death. According to the Child Mind Institute, the biggest risk to a child after a suicide is not being encouraged to express their feelings and get to an understanding of the death that they can live with.****

“Though it was an awful and life-altering event, no one in my family, including my mother, ever mentioned it. My siblings and I grew up under a dark cloud of shame, which accompanies survivors of suicide,” Luikens said.

Luikens documents the impact of her father’s suicide on her own life in her memoir, A Heart’s Journey to Forgiveness (Redemption Press). The sixth of seven children, Terese grew up in an unstable household—invisible to her mom yet cherished by her alcoholic dad. His suicide added to the dysfunction in the family and resulted in far-reaching emotional ramifications.

“The chain reaction of my dad’s suicide brought pain and chaos to my already turbulent childhood, along with emotional consequences I’d have to deal with throughout my entire life,” Luikens said. “But healing is possible, and A Heart’s Journey to Forgiveness is my life story of finding a way out of the shame.”

From her rocky childhood to finding love and having her own family, Luikens’s memoir documents her journey to escape the shame of her past, find healing and love, learn to trust, and discover faith in a real and personal God.

* https://www.helpguide.org/articles/grief/coping-with-a-loved-ones-suicide.htm

** https://www.joincake.com/blog/losing-someone-to-suicide-quotes/

*** https://www.joincake.com/blog/losing-someone-to-suicide-quotes/

**** https://childmind.org/article/coping-with-a-parents-suicide/

Available everywhere books are sold online:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/1646456203/ref=sr_1_1?crid=2493HMJ2R734E&keywords=a+hearts+journey+to+forgiveness+terese&qid=1665678244&qu=eyJxc2MiOiIwLjg4IiwicXNhIjoiMC4wMCIsInFzcCI6IjAuMDAifQ%3D%3D&sprefix=a+hearts+journey+to+forgiveness+teres%2Caps%2C254&sr=8-1

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Writer Terese Luikens contributes articles for Mother Earth News, The Secret Place, Decision Magazine, The Upper Room, Hearts at Home, and the Epoch Times, and publishes her own blog, Why Bother? A schoolteacher and a yoga instructor, Terese lives in Sandpoint, Idaho, with her husband and enjoys being mother to three grown sons and grandmother to her much-loved grandchildren.

For review copies and media interviews, contact:
Terese Luikens
Email: tmluikens@gmail.com
Website: tereseluikens.com

ezer the bagel

Ezer the Bagel Book Series Launches

FAITH NEWS SERVICE – Ezer the Bagel Children’s Book Series has officially launched.

“Ezer the Bagel” is a fun-loving book series that helps children gain understanding of Life Skills that REALLY matter such as:

  • Self-worth and Personal value.
  • Awareness of self and others.
  • Resilience
  • Courage
  • Purpose

Ezer the Bagel: The Rescue is available from Amazon and Barnes and Noble. For more information, or to buy the books, visit www.ezerthebagel.com

About the author
Marisa Nicely has been an Educator for over 30 years, teaching K-12 Spanish and Personal Development. She is passionate about helping kids discover their personal value, strengths, and potential.

She also recognizes that it has become more and more challenging for children to walk in the confidence of who they were created to be and parents need a trustworthy “Village” they can rely on. Her book series is here to be part of that Village.

Marisa is the mom of two adult children, who are her treasure, and also has a Basset/Beagle dog named Ezer. Each day while walking Ezer, she takes notice of just how joyful and loving kids’ reactions are toward him, and vice versa. This has inspired her to write the book series for children Ezer the Bagel!

Endorsements
THIS IS AMAZING!
“The rescue” Is a creative, inspiring, educational children’s book that is sure to add maximum value to your little ones.
Andrew Simila

“The Rescue” provides readers a glimpse into the distressful life of a homeless puppy.   As an educator of 25 years, I see a desperate need for hope and belonging in the hearts of so many children. Marisa Nicely’s beautiful story is an invitation for each reader to not only persevere through the most difficult of trials, but also to understand their incredible worth.   I can’t wait for Ezer’s next adventure!
April Oliva

Marisa Nicely’s heartwarming book, “The Rescue” about Ezer the Bagel rescue dog touched my heart. As an intervention teacher, I see the need daily for students to feel valued and loved. I look forward to using this book in the classroom to encourage my students with Ezer’s story of hope, love, and value.
Kristin J. Lopez

“The Rescue” based on true events, is delightful and the illustrations perfect. Any child who feels alone or inadequate will enjoy this book. It emphasizes the value of each individual as being unique and having something positive to contribute to the welfare of others something sorely needed in today’s culture .
Renita Howat

“The Rescue” by educator Marisa Nicely, is the heartwarming story of Ezer, a rescue dog who is half Basset hound and half Beagle=Ezer the Bagel. With charming illustrations, Ezer tells his story, teaching children that we all have value—whether you are a rescue dog or person. As an elementary teacher, I know students and parents will love Ezer the Bagel. I look forward to the next books in the series.
Lyn Adelstein

“The Rescue” by Marisa Nicely, is the touching and beautifully illustrated  story of when Ezer found his loving forever home. You will smile, you will laugh, you will cry, and you will most definitely fall in love with Ezer the Bagel too!
Michelle Scott

“The Rescue” is a well-illustrated and delightfully touching story that appears to showcase the importance of value, in relation to ourselves and all living things.  Enter the canine character, Ezer, the Bagel, who not only learns so many things about himself that he can value, but what it, also, means to become treated as a ‘someone’ of value no matter what. I highly recommend this exceptional read.
Sashya Sharone Amee

This story is so sweet! Ezer’s rescue offers encouragement and is an excellent reminder to children that they are worth so much! As a mom of two small children, I believe that Ezer sends a message that all children need to know. I’m so excited to read about this darling Bagel’s next adventure!
Nadine Patterson

This book is a beautiful tribute to the amazing relationship between a rescued dog and his human. It is truly needed at this time to help everyone see that they are valued and needed. We all have gifts to give and this book shows the importance of sharing those gifts with those around us.
Rosemary Smallwood

This is an excellent book for all ages; I am going to buy one and share it with my students.
Alba Breitenbucher

What a heartwarming uplifting book that I wish we would have had to read to our son when he was growing up. The theme of bringing a rescue dog into your home to the benefit of all should be a universal one. I love Ezer the Bagel.
Tim Tipping

The Rescue is sure to bring joy to every child and adult who reads the story. In today’s fast-paced and digital world, rescues like Ezer, have brought to light how emotional queues are represented in animal communication. It helps that Ezer has a special bagel way of bringing friends together and loads of laughs, too!
Diane Martin

The Incendus Letters

St Shenouda Press is proud to present ‘The Incendus Letters’ by Joshua Karras.

FAITH NEWS SERVICE – To commemorate 80 years since C.S. Lewis’ classic satirical novel The Screwtape Letters, Joshua Karras’ The Incendus Letters allows a new generation of readers a glimpse into the perspective of the demons that plague their lives.

Set in the 21st century, Karras uses Lewis’ epistolary format to explore the complexities and hidden traps of modern living. In this engaging way, Karras gives the reader a great understanding and investigation of the challenges and dangers of modern living.

Maniacus, a senior demon, gives advice when Screwtape’s son Incendus is entrusted with the conviction of human life on Earth, which makes for a fun yet wise and perceptive read. For the reader, the Incendus letters act as a mirror. A review of how they may improve their quality of life dealing with various subjects, including the internal struggles with temptation and the numerous problems encountered in modern times.

Here are some of Maniacus’ advice:

“They can be totally hypnotised and transfixed upon the desire and possibility of more in the future, that often we have found they never look up in the present to appreciate what they do have.”

“We are lucky that humans are mostly unaware of the anxiety-inducing world they have created for themselves in recent times. They engage in fanatic and sometimes desperate attempts to have things done immediately simply because it is feasible thanks to their gizmos and gadgets. We are establishing effective ways to suggest to our humans to busy themselves until they are tied so tightly in mental and emotional knots, they are in no place to complete their naturally inclined activity of praising their creator.”

Through the inverted lens of nefarious intent, readers are creatively invited to
consider both religious and secular ideologies, which aim to reduce the power of
various painful, harmful and diminishing habits, patterns and characteristics of being
human.

For More Information: For more questions or to schedule an interview about this press release please contact the publisher at books@stshenoudapress.com.

To purchase, visit St Shenouda Press website or any other online bookstore.

Fruit of Our Love

Macey Warren best selling debut children’s book, Fruit of Our Love maintains Amazon best seller status.

FAITH NEWS SERVICE – United States – October 8, 2022

Macey Warren wrote Fruit of Our Love to prepare young children for a new sibling by comparing the baby growing inside Mom to ever-larger fruits and vegetables—concrete objects from children’s everyday lives that they can understand.

This mother’s love song to her preborn baby takes families on a fun-filled—and factual—picture book about baby growth during pregnancy. Using vivid comparisons to fruits and vegetables, Fruit of Our Love traces baby’s development from “poppy seed” to “watermelon,” reminding young children of how they came into the world amid the same excitement and reassuring them of their place with their siblings and in their expanding family.

Macey Warren’s Fruit of Our Love is free and available for download on Amazon through October 8, 2022. Fruit of Our Love is rated 5 stars by those who have purchased and written a review of the book. Here’s what some of the reviewers have said:

Jennifer Grandfield
5 stars

Adorable!
“Adorable! Such a cute understandable timeline for little ones. I will be recommending this to everyone I know with future babies and grand babies.”

JC Hay
5 stars

Perfect for Growing families/baby shower gift
“This book is adorable – I’m planning to give it to two of my friends who are expecting their second this fall. It’s a great way to prepare future big brothers and sisters for their new sibling on the way.”

Jan
5 stars

Fun Read about the Pregnancy Journey
“What a creative presentation of the stages of growth in fetal development! I like the playful rhyme and coordination of illustrations. It is informative, yet fun.”

For More Information: For more questions or to schedule an interview about this press release, please contact Macey Warren at maceywarren7@gmail.com.

About the Author: Macey Warren is a public relations professional with a knack for storytelling. Since childhood, she has loved reading and writing, and her cousin’s pregnancy inspired her to create Fruit of Our Love. Born in Seymour, Indiana, she now lives in North Carolina and looks forward to someday reading Fruit of Our Love to her own little poppy seed.

Suggested Interview Questions:

What is it that so captivated you about your cousin’s pregnancy that you decided to write a book? Did you have your future little one in mind as you wrote Fruit of Our Love?

What led you to use the “fruit” comparison? Did you pick out the different fruits yourself and tie them all together into the story, or . . .?

How did your current job in PR help prepare you for writing a children’s story?

In this world in which abortion is so prevalent, how does a book like yours promote preborn life and loving the preborn child?

Some people say “it’s easy to write a children’s story,” but we know that’s not the case. Talk to us a little about the editing process and how it improved the story.

Will this book turn into a series? What other books might you write that tie in to this one?

 

unknown crisis

New Movie ‘Unknown Crisis’ Available Now

FAITH NEWS SERVICE – It’s a simple case of cause and effect. Hope dies and our dreams with it! Sooner or later we resign ourselves to the situation and stop hoping for change. We embrace hopelessness.

That is Simon’s life, a long series of disappointments. Despite all his good intentions and best efforts, nothing is going right. His wife is ill and bed bound. The medical bills are crippling, and he is in debt. His son John is rebellious and hell-bent and self-destructive.

Simon’s only source of joy is Anne, his beautiful teenage daughter. One day, overwhelmed by disenchantment and depression and having reached the breaking point, Simon confides in a stranger he meets in a park.

Simon begins his journey back to hope, but nothing can prepare him for what he is about to discover! The shock he will feel – when he discovers the real and unseen cause of all his troubles.

Rent it now on vimeo
Watch the trailer
Rent or buy on Amazon Prime

Find out more at zoefilms.co.uk

https://www.facebook.com/zoefilms1

https://twitter.com/ZoeFilms1

https://www.instagram.com/zoefilms1/

fruit of our love

Fruit of Our Love An Amazon Best Selling Book Free to Download

FAITH NEWS SERVICE – Macey Warren presents her best selling debut children’s book, Fruit of Our Love.

United States – October 6, 2022 – New author Macey Warren prepares young children for a new sibling by comparing the baby growing inside Mom to ever-larger fruits and vegetables—concrete objects from children’s everyday lives that they can understand.

This mother’s love song to her preborn baby takes families on a fun-filled—and factual—picture book about baby growth during pregnancy. Using vivid comparisons to fruits and vegetables, Fruit of Our Love traces baby’s development from “poppy seed” to “watermelon,” reminding young children of how they came into the world amid the same excitement and reassuring them of their place with their siblings and in their expanding family.

Macey Warren’s Fruit of Our Love is free and available for download on Amazon for 5 days through October 8, 2022. Fruit of Our Love is rated 5 stars by those who have purchased and written a review of the book. Here’s what some of the reviewers have said:

Payton
5 stars

Endearing & Wholsesome
“I love how this takes something that’s already so miraculous and explains the stages in a wholesome way. Would be great gift for any new mother/parents or for parents explaining to their older children what is happening through the next 9 months. The author did a phenomenal job being so creative with the wording.”

Kindle Customer
5 stars

Written with Love
“This book is well written, and the illustrations are great. I think that if it’s read to children, it will be easy for them to understand the pregnancy and the feelings their mother had when she was expecting. It doesn’t pretend to be a book on pregnancy, but it is a book about the love of a mother (and father) for their little one that they haven’t met yet.”

Maggie W
5 stars

A Heartwarmer
“This sweet book will tug at the heart strings! Well-written with great illustrations, this is a book that the whole family will love. I hope Macey will write many more books in the future as I cannot wait to read this one to my children!”

For More Information: For more questions or to schedule an interview about this press release, please contact Macey Warren at maceywarren7@gmail.com.

About the Author:
Macey Warren is a public relations professional with a knack for storytelling. Since childhood, she has loved reading and writing, and her cousin’s pregnancy inspired her to create Fruit of Our Love. Born in Seymour, Indiana, she now lives in North Carolina and looks forward to someday reading Fruit of Our Love to her own little poppy seed.

Suggested Interview Questions:
What is it that so captivated you about your cousin’s pregnancy that you decided to write a book? Did you have your future little one in mind as you wrote Fruit of Our Love?

What led you to use the “fruit” comparison? Did you pick out the different fruits yourself and tie them all together into the story, or . . .?

How did your current job in PR help prepare you for writing a children’s story?

In this world in which abortion is so prevalent, how does a book like yours promote preborn life and loving the preborn child?

Some people say “it’s easy to write a children’s story,” but we know that’s not the case. Talk to us a little about the editing process and how it improved the story.

Will this book turn into a series? What other books might you write that tie in to this one?

 

 

fierce wholeness

Fierce Wholeness: Finding Myself after Childhood Emotional Trauma Free for One More Day

FAITH NEWS SERVICE – United States—October 4, 2022

Robin Meade presents the relaunch and new audio launch of her best selling book, Fierce Wholeness: Finding Myself after Childhood Emotional Trauma

Robin wrote Fierce Wholeness: Finding Myself after Childhood Emotional Trauma for adults who have experienced an emotionally abusive childhood and are ready to heal.

Robin’s story—in all its raw but authentic transparency—unpacks her childhood emotional abuse and her struggle to repair the damage. Exploring the biblical response to healing from hidden abuse, Robin answers questions of how to trust God in the hard times, how to find wholeness in Christ, and how to become an emotionally healthy woman [or man]. For those recovering from childhood trauma, or walking with those who are, Fierce Wholeness will comfort, guide, and help you begin to place your emotions, faith, and life in a healing relationship with Christ.

Robin Meade’s Fierce Wholeness: Finding Myself after Childhood Emotional Trauma will be free and available for download on Amazon for through October 4, 2022. Click here to download. Fierce Wholeness is overwhelmingly rated 5 stars by those who have purchased the book. Here’s what some of the reviewers have said:

Nora Ophelia Tatina
5 Stars

“This isn’t just a story; it’s hope in written form!
This book is a snapshot of how God can take the messy part of life and create a beautiful masterpiece. Robin’s story can resonate with anyone because we’ve all been hurt. Through Robin’s journey, we experience the healing and restoration that only God can provide. In the end, this book isn’t just a story; it’s hope in written form and a reminder that even our ugliest, most painful memories are victorious when we turn to Christ.”

Amazon Customer
5 Stars

“Great Read!
Let me say, I’m not a reader and I finished this book in two days. I didn’t want to put it down. What a beautiful story of all her struggles and how she overcame them all. I’m looking forward to the next book.”

A W Baker5 Stars

“A Life Worthy of Testimony
As a pastor’s wife, I found this book to be a well written testimony of how in God’s eyes, damage is repairable and useable. I enjoyed the analogies and humor scattered throughout. An easy read full of hope for today’s world.”

For more questions or to schedule an interview about this press release please contact Robin Meade at 708-846-8844 or email robin@robinmeadeauthor.com.

Robin Meade grew up in Grand Rapids, Michigan, but now she walks with God in the beautiful suburbs of Chicago. For nearly five years she has led and taught as part of the women’s ministry team at New Life Brookfield Church. She loves her dog and great food, but mostly she loves Jesus. She strives to glorify God while encouraging people to experience God’s restorative healing.

 

fruit of our love

Fruit of Our Love Will be Free to Download Tomorrow, October 4, 2022

FAITH NEWS SERVICE – United States – October 3, 2022

Macey Warren presents her debut children’s book, Fruit of Our Love.

New author Macey Warren prepares young children for a new sibling by comparing the baby growing inside Mom to ever-larger fruits and vegetables—concrete objects from children’s everyday lives that they can understand.

This mother’s love song to her preborn baby takes families on a fun-filled—and factual—journey through baby growth during pregnancy. Using vivid comparisons to fruits and vegetables, Fruit of Our Love traces baby’s development from “poppy seed” to “watermelon,” reminding young children of how they came into the world amid the same excitement and reassuring them of their place with their siblings and in their expanding family.

Macey Warren’s Fruit of Our Love will be free and available for download on Amazon for 5 days beginning on October 4, 2022. Fruit of Our Love is rated 5 stars by those who have purchased and written a review of the book. Here’s what some of the reviewers have said:

Sarah
5 stars
Creative, educational, and meaningful

“I love this, it is so clever! Perfect to teach siblings as mom goes through pregnancy. Would definitely recommend to all pregnant moms – a book shelf must have!”

Joie C
5 stars
A family’s library must have

“A poetic journey of pregnancy. The perfect way to share a child’s beginning or bring a future sibling close to the new baby. A great gift for new mother, big brother or sister.”

Georgie
5 stars
Sweet and Clever!

“Such a beautiful book describing pregnancy and the growth of the baby in a way kids can understand by using fruits and vegetables they know! I also love to read a rhyming book to kids as they try to figure out the next rhyme! The illustrations are lovely and inclusive.”

For More Information: For more questions or to schedule an interview about this press release, please contact Macey Warren at maceywarren7@gmail.com.

About the Author: Macey Warren is a public relations professional with a knack for storytelling. Since childhood, she has loved reading and writing, and her cousin’s pregnancy inspired her to create Fruit of Our Love. Born in Seymour, Indiana, she now lives in North Carolina and looks forward to someday reading Fruit of Our Love to her own little poppy seed.

Suggested Interview Questions:

What is it that so captivated you about your cousin’s pregnancy that you decided to write a book? Did you have your future little one in mind as you wrote Fruit of Our Love?

What led you to use the “fruit” comparison? Did you pick out the different fruits yourself and tie them all together into the story, or . . .?

How did your current job in PR help prepare you for writing a children’s story?

In this world in which abortion is so prevalent, how does a book like yours promote preborn life and loving the preborn child?

Some people say “it’s easy to write a children’s story,” but we know that’s not the case. Talk to us a little about the editing process and how it improved the story.

Will this book turn into a series? What other books might you write that tie in to this one?

 

 

fierce wholeness

Fierce Wholeness: Finding Myself after Childhood Emotional Trauma Will be Free to Download Tomorrow (9/30/22)

FAITH NEWS SERVICE – United States—September 29, 2022 – Robin Meade is proud to present the relaunch and new audio launch of her popular book, Fierce Wholeness: Finding Myself after Childhood Emotional Trauma

Robin wrote Fierce Wholeness: Finding Myself after Childhood Emotional Trauma for adults who have experienced an emotionally abusive childhood and are ready to heal.

Robin’s story—in all its raw but authentic transparency—unpacks her childhood emotional abuse and her struggle to repair the damage. Exploring the biblical response to healing from childhood trauma, Robin answers questions of how to trust God in the hard times, how to find wholeness in Christ, and how to become an emotionally healthy woman [or man]. For those recovering from childhood trauma, or walking with those who are, Fierce Wholeness will comfort, guide, and help you begin to place your emotions, faith, and life in a healing relationship with Christ.

Robin Meade’s Fierce Wholeness: Finding Myself after Childhood Emotional Trauma will be free and available for download on Amazon for 5 days starting on September 30, 2022. Click here to download. Fierce Wholeness is rated 5 stars by those who have purchased the book. Here’s what some of the reviewers have said:

Lavinia Smith
5 Stars

Beautiful testimony of God’s power

“This was a story I wanted to read continuously. The story was engaging and thought provoking. This is told so boldly and unapologetically. I read it with audio. Her voice added a true joy. God didn’t waste one hurt in her life.”

Emelson
5 Stars

A Valuable—Encouraging—Resource for Recovering From Trauma
“Author Robin Meade has provided a valuable resource for those recovering from trauma. She weaves personal experience, biblical truth and practical application into this one volume. I highly recommend it!”

For more questions or to schedule an interview about this press release please contact Robin Meade at 708-846-8844 or email robin@robinmeadeauthor.com.

Robin Meade grew up in Grand Rapids, Michigan, but now she walks with God in the beautiful suburbs of Chicago. For nearly five years she has led and taught as part of the women’s ministry team at New Life Brookfield Church. She loves her dog and great food, but mostly she loves Jesus. She strives to glorify God while encouraging people to experience God’s restorative healing.

 

never alone

Never Alone An Amazon Best Selling Book Free for One More Day

FAITH NEWS SERVICE – United States—September 28, 2022

Karen Gruden presents her newest book, Never Alone: A Journey of Healing through the Power of God

Karen wrote Never Alone to offer encouragement, hope, and healing to readers who’ve experienced deep grief.

Karen Gruden’s Christian spiritual growth started in the most unexpected and startling way—with the tragic and sudden death of her twenty-one-year-old daughter, Taylor. The loss of her daughter ushered in a long period of darkness for the grieving mother. In this story grieving the loss of a child, years of deep grief and constant pain left Karen certain she was doomed to perpetual hopelessness. But to Karen’s surprise, her shattered heart became a starting point for a new journey with God, beautifully healing and sustaining her. Never Alone chronicles Karen Gruden’s transformation from brokenness to wholeness—from believer to fully devoted follower of Jesus. No longer defined by tragedy, Karen shares her emotional and inspiring story of grieving loss and healing, emerging on the other side of grief with strength, purpose, and joy.

Karen Gruden’s Never Alone will be free and available for download on Amazon through September 28, 2022. Click here to view. Here’s what just a couple of readers have said:

Caroline Wiltfang:

“I started it and literally could not put it down!! It’s so good! Thank you Karen for sharing your life through your book.”

Amazon Customer:

:The author has drawn me into her story of unimaginable pain. As a mother of two daughters myself I have had times of fear wondering how I would navigate a loss as hers. She has given me a chance to look at the depth of God’s love, grace and mercy in the valleys of life that we can apply to all of us.”

For More Information: For more questions or to schedule an interview about this press release please contact Karen Gruden at 630-890-3737 or kgruden@comcast.net.

About the Author
Karen Gruden is an author and a talented graphic designer, spending more than twenty-five years in the graphics industry. With a bachelor of fine arts from Bradley University, she has illustrated books, greeting cards, CD covers, logos, and magazines. Her background includes both freelance and corporate work and spans various roles, including production manager, art director, designer, editor, and proofreader. Karen has two children, one of whom lives in heaven with the Lord. Her son is married and lives close by. She has three grandchildren. Karen and her husband, Jim, reside in the Chicago area.

Suggested Interview Questions

Tell us a little about your daughter—some of your memories of her and what you miss most about her.

As you wrote this book what was the process like as you had to relive those dark times following Taylor’s death, but also the ways you experienced God’s grace?

You said that through the tragedy of losing your daughter, God transformed you from being a believer into becoming a fully-devoted follower of Christ. Tell us a little about your faith journey and how you describe the difference in believing and being fully devoted to Christ.

What advice would you give to someone wading through the darkest moments of loss and grief? How do they begin the journey of healing and can they ever fully recover and have a life of happiness and joy?

You went through years of grieving. What was the turning point that began moving you from grief to healing?

Grief looks different for everybody. You said your grief was excessive and even self-destructive. How would you identify self-destructive grief, and what made you recognize that your grief had passed the point of being a natural outcome of your loss?

Even while you were in your deepest pain, you said you were aware of God and that he was a lifeline for you. How did he eventually become more than just a presence and a lifeline to you?

You write that knowing more about God’s love and faithfulness was essential for your healing process to begin. What did you learn about His love and faithfulness?

 

Camouflage Christmas

DeeDee Lake, the Connection Expert, launches 7-book romance series to highlight the realities of the military lifestyle and love.

FAITH NEWS SERVICE – ST. JOSPEH, MO (Sept. 22, 2022) CrossRiver Media Group announces its biggest project to date, a 7-book military romance series that highlights to the patriot in all of us the realities of the military lifestyle and love. The series is co-authored by DeeDee Lake and Susan M. Baganz.

The Rules of Engagement Military Romance books will begin their release November 1 with a Christmas novella titled Operation: Camouflage Christmas. Subsequent books in the series will release approximately every 4 months.

Life in the military is a world all its own that those outside it, aka civilians, can’t fully grasp. Yet the needs, wants, and desires of those in the military relate to us all. “DeeDee Lake and Susan M. Baganz have given us an engaging story of love, trust, and faith within a military context that connects us with the themes of determination, fear, hope, and dreams as these concerns resonant within us all. A text that stands alone well by itself but has planted a seed of anticipation for the rest of the series,” says V/R, CH (MAJ) Corey R. Arnold, Fort Carson, Colorado, Family Life Chaplain.

Operation: Christmas Camouflage (ISBN: 978-1-936501-70-0, $7.99) is the story of military brats, now Army officer candidates, Brooke Cooper-Sanchez and Bernard Travis who haven’t seen each other since high school. Bernard is determined to win Brooke’s heart, but how can love blossom when dating is forbidden? Operation: Christmas Camouflage will appeal to anyone who enjoys a good romance. The book will be available at CrossRiverMedia.com, Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and other book retailers.

“I could not put this book down. I immediately fell in love with the characters. This hopeful romance is perfect for a hopeless romantic like me. If you love Christmas Hallmark movies, you will love this book,” says Carolyn Dale Newell, Christian speaker, and author of Faith That Walks on Water.

Lake, a long-time resident of Fountain, Colorado, grew up as a Navy brat, mostly in Spain, married an Army helicopter pilot, lived in over fifty houses, and still loves to move her furniture several times a year. Her military life prepared her to love people, expect the best, respect authority and other cultures, and always be inclusive. Her passion is to guide individuals on how to experience extraordinary relationships.

To learn more about DeeDee Lake, visit DeeDeeLake.com.

To learn more about Operation: Camouflage Christmas and CrossRiver Media Group, visit crossrivermedia.com.

###

For more information on (your name), or to schedule an interview please contact Debra L. Butterfield at CrossRiver Media Group at (816) 752-2171 or deb@crossrivermedia.com. For a high-resolution JPEG of the book cover, please e-mail us with the request

never alone

Never Alone: A Journey of Healing through the Power of God Maintains Top 10 Ranking for E-Book Downloads

FAITH NEWS SERVICE – United States—September 26, 2022 – Karen Gruden presents her newest book, Never Alone: A Journey of Healing through the Power of God

Karen wrote Never Alone to offer encouragement, hope, and healing to readers who’ve experienced deep grief.

Karen Gruden’s Christian spiritual growth started in the most unexpected and startling way—with the tragic and sudden death of her twenty-one-year-old daughter, Taylor. The loss of her daughter ushered in a long period of darkness for the grieving mother. In this story of Christian death and grief, years of deep grief and constant pain left Karen certain she was doomed to perpetual hopelessness. But to Karen’s surprise, her shattered heart became a starting point for a new journey with God, beautifully healing and sustaining her. Never Alone chronicles Karen Gruden’s transformation from brokenness to wholeness—from believer to fully devoted follower of Jesus. No longer defined by tragedy, Karen shares her emotional and inspiring story of personal growth and Christianity, emerging on the other side of grief with strength, purpose, and joy.

Karen Gruden’s Never Alone will be free and available for download on Amazon through September 28, 2022. Click here to view. Never Alone has an overall 4.8 rating by those who have purchased the book. Here’s what just a couple of the reviewers have said:

Adrianne Smith
5 Stars

A heartfelt look at the author’s journey through grief and healing

Captivating read from the very first page on the process and journey of grief and healing.

Kindle Customer
5 Stars

Life is meant to be lived and this book shows that death need not be an ending. Anyone seeking to believe, to be comforted or just wanting to wrapped in the voice of God can treasure this writing.

For More Information: For more questions or to schedule an interview about this press release please contact Karen Gruden at 630-890-3737 or kgruden@comcast.net.

About the Author

Karen Gruden is an author and a talented graphic designer, spending more than twenty-five years in the graphics industry. With a bachelor of fine arts from Bradley University, she has illustrated books, greeting cards, CD covers, logos, and magazines. Her background includes both freelance and corporate work and spans various roles, including production manager, art director, designer, editor, and proofreader. Karen has two children, one of whom lives in heaven with the Lord. Her son is married and lives close by. She has three grandchildren. Karen and her husband, Jim, reside in the Chicago area.

Suggested Interview Questions

Tell us a little about your daughter—some of your memories of her and what you miss most about her.

As you wrote this book what was the process like as you had to relive those dark times following Taylor’s death, but also the ways you experienced God’s grace?

You said that through the tragedy of losing your daughter, God transformed you from being a believer into becoming a fully-devoted follower of Christ. Tell us a little about your faith journey and how you describe the difference in believing and being fully devoted to Christ.

What advice would you give to someone wading through the darkest moments of loss and grief? How do they begin the journey of healing and can they ever fully recover and have a life of happiness and joy?

You went through years of grieving. What was the turning point that began moving you from grief to healing?

Grief looks different for everybody. You said your grief was excessive and even self-destructive. How would you identify self-destructive grief, and what made you recognize that your grief had passed the point of being a natural outcome of your loss?

Even while you were in your deepest pain, you said you were aware of God and that he was a lifeline for you. How did he eventually become more than just a presence and a lifeline to you?

You write that knowing more about God’s love and faithfulness was essential for your healing process to begin. What did you learn about His love and faithfulness?

 

ignite the dynamite

Inspirational book helps believers release the dynamic power of God in their lives as the Australian author, pastor, and global speaker applies scriptural principles

FAITH NEWS SERVICEIgnite The Dynamite – the inspirational book by Australian author, pastor, global speaker, and musician Daniel Hagen – has topped Amazon Australia’s Christian ministry best seller list.

The 206-page book unpacks how everyday believers can activate their faith to ignite the dynamic power of God in their lives.

“We’re not living a natural life; we’re living a supernatural life,” Hagen says. “We’ve been born again and now have this supernatural substance that dwells within us. It’s the power that we received when the Holy Spirit came upon us.”

Ignite The Dynamite takes readers through Daniel Hagen’s personal journey from salvation to global speaker.

The part-memoir, part-manual delves into Scripture helping guide believers to a greater depth in their lives and ministries.

Daniel writes with conviction and authority having led street-evangelism teams, becoming a church planter overseeing several Fire Church ministries throughout Queensland and Victoria, plus being a director of Awakening Australia.

It’s a word in season from the heart of God for the hour we’re living in today.

MEDIA INFORMATION
Ignite The Dynamite is available in hardcopy from danielhagenministries.com and Amazon, plus digitally from key online retailers including Amazon, Apple iBooks, and Google.

Audiobook – read by Daniel Hagen – is available on Audible and other platforms from September.

INTERVIEWS
Daniel Hagen is available for interviews.

To arrange an interview, contact Wes Jay, Woodlands Media
Email: wes@woodlandsmedia.com
Phone: 0418 299 152

never alone

Never Alone: A Journey of Healing through the Power of God Will be Free to Download Tomorrow (9/24/22)

FAITH NEWS SERVICE – United States—September 23, 2022Karen Gruden is pleased to present her newest book, Never Alone: A Journey of Healing through the Power of God

Karen wrote Never Alone to offer encouragement, hope, and healing to readers who’ve experienced deep grief.

Karen Gruden’s Christian spiritual growth started in the most unexpected and startling way—with the tragic and sudden death of her twenty-one-year-old daughter, Taylor. The loss of her daughter ushered in a long period of darkness for the grieving mother. In this story of Christian death and grief, years of deep grief and constant pain left Karen certain she was doomed to perpetual hopelessness. But to Karen’s surprise, her shattered heart became a starting point for a new journey with God, beautifully healing and sustaining her. Never Alone chronicles Karen Gruden’s transformation from brokenness to wholeness—from believer to fully devoted follower of Jesus. No longer defined by tragedy, Karen shares her emotional and inspiring story of personal growth and Christianity, emerging on the other side of grief with strength, purpose, and joy.

Karen Gruden’s Never Alone will be free and available for download on Amazon for 5 days (9/24/2022-9/28/2022). Click here to view. Never Alone has an overall 4.8 rating by those who have purchased the book. Here’s what just a couple of the reviewers have said: 

Susan Clark
Verified Purchase

“Beautifully written testimony of a mother’s grief and her journey of healing. Grief is such an individual emotion and we all have to navigate it as best we can. I understood her desire to not let it devour her. While you may not share her faith, I think you will recognize the feelings and thoughts that come with such raw grief.”

Dawn E. Whitmore
Verified Purchase

“A family friend is walking through the death of her Mom, I already shared something with her from this book. The person said, “I needed that today.”

For More Information: For more questions or to schedule an interview about this press release please contact Karen Gruden at 630-890-3737 or kgruden@comcast.net.

About the Author

Karen Gruden is an author and a talented graphic designer, spending more than twenty-five years in the graphics industry. With a bachelor of fine arts from Bradley University, she has illustrated books, greeting cards, CD covers, logos, and magazines. Her background includes both freelance and corporate work and spans various roles, including production manager, art director, designer, editor, and proofreader. Karen has two children, one of whom lives in heaven with the Lord. Her son is married and lives close by. She has three grandchildren. Karen and her husband, Jim, reside in the Chicago area.

Suggested Interview Questions

Tell us a little about your daughter—some of your memories of her and what you miss most about her.

As you wrote this book what was the process like as you had to relive those dark times following Taylor’s death, but also the ways you experienced God’s grace?

You said that through the tragedy of losing your daughter, God transformed you from being a believer into becoming a fully-devoted follower of Christ. Tell us a little about your faith journey and how you describe the difference in believing and being fully devoted to Christ.

What advice would you give to someone wading through the darkest moments of loss and grief? How do they begin the journey of healing and can they ever fully recover and have a life of happiness and joy?

You went through years of grieving. What was the turning point that began moving you from grief to healing?

Grief looks different for everybody. You said your grief was excessive and even self-destructive. How would you identify self-destructive grief, and what made you recognize that your grief had passed the point of being a natural outcome of your loss?

Even while you were in your deepest pain, you said you were aware of God and that he was a lifeline for you. How did he eventually become more than just a presence and a lifeline to you?

You write that knowing more about God’s love and faithfulness was essential for your healing process to begin. What did you learn about His love and faithfulness?

 

 

 

megavoice

Prepare For Disasters Like Hurricane Fiona with the New Solar-Powered MegaVoice LifeLight

FAITH NEWS SERVICEJacksonville, Florida: Hurricane Fiona has left over 1.4 million Puerto Ricans without power. MegaVoice is immediately responding to help people remain in touch with vital news sources by releasing the LifeLight, a solar-powered lantern with a built-in audio Bible player and radio. With this release, MegaVoice is forging a path for ministries, humanitarian organizations, and laypeople to help the victims whose lives are devastated by natural disasters like Hurricane Fiona.

The rugged LifeLight is a solar-powered lantern designed to create a sense of safety and security in any setting. As a combination lantern, audio Bible player, AM/FM radio, and speaker system with accompanying FM headset transmitter and clock, it is a necessity not only for disaster preparedness but also house church congregations, summer camp workers, and missionaries in the most remote areas.

“The LifeLight provides much-needed light as well as life-giving messages, available in thousands of languages and dialects,” said Charles Cibene, MegaVoice CEO. “You can also load your ministry’s content via the microSD card slot.” The lantern has three different light functions, each with three different levels of brightness for different contexts. Use it as a lantern to fill a room or tent with light, take it on the go as a powerful flashlight, or use it as a discreet personal reading light.

To find out more about LifeLight or learn how you can help, please visit megavoice.com and megavoiceinternational.org or call (850) 293-9307.

MegaVoice is a global technology and content ministry with a single purpose: equipping their Partners to fulfill the Great Commission so all people can engage with the Word of God in their own language. Over 30 years ago, the founders of MegaVoice developed the world’s first solar-powered, digital audio Bible. Since then, through innovation and partnership, MegaVoice has continually improved and diversified its devices and curated one of the world’s largest audio scripture libraries in thousands of languages. MegaVoice partners with Samaritan’s Purse, InTouch Ministries, Voice of the Martyrs, Cru, and Bible Societies around the world.

Darrel Templeton, Chief Partnership Officer, and Charles Cibene, CEO, are available for interview upon request. Please call (850) 293-9307 or email baranda@megavoice.com for further information.

walking with the healer

New Redemption Press release shows how Jesus miraculously heals

FAITH NEWS SERVICEPossibly the number one life-changing illness that affects us the most, cancer debilitates physical and mental health beyond the cancer itself.*

When Rebecca Gilham found out that her husband, Rick, had cancer, she determined to trust God and discovered many earthly ways Jesus showed them love and support. As they trudged prayerfully on their journey, the cancer grew into a rare, aggressive form of lymphoma. Rick’s chances for survival were in the single digits.

Rebecca says, “I could see that Rick’s body was failing day by day and knew this was not something God did to us.”

A December challenge to read a chapter a day in the book of Luke sent her on a trek through Scripture, where she began to see how Jesus healed. Those He touched, the paralytic man, the blind man, and the woman with the issue of blood received full healing power. Why can’t Jesus do the same for Rick? Rebecca asked herself.

Walking With the Healer: Finding Hope and Encouragement Through the Shadow of Death is a powerful and gentle memoir of one couple’s intense journey through cancer and how a wife’s devoted prayers sought miraculous healing. Readers will be encouraged with biblical passages of Jesus’s healings, providing them strength to find healing in their own lives, perhaps in ways they might not expect.

https://redemption-press.com/product/walking-with-the-healer-finding-hope-and-encouragement-through-the-valley-of-the-shadow-of-death/

*https://www.cancer.org/treatment/treatments-and-side-effects/physical-side-effects/emotional-Amood-changes.html

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Rebecca Gilham and her husband, Rick, have been married over thirty years. Together they have experienced Jesus through hardship and happiness. Rebecca enjoys teaching music and is a school chaplain. She is a certified minister with the Assemblies of God and leads a weekly Bible study for women. She and her husband live in Chehalis, Washington, love to watch old TV shows and movies, and appreciate quality time with family.

For review copies and media interviews, contact Rebecca Gilham at rebeccagilham.author@gmail.com.

Facebook Page: Rebecca Gilham – author

Instagram: @rebeccagilham.author

 

dare 2 share

Setting the stage for a second wave of Gospel Conversations across the U.S.

On November 12, Dare 2 Share LIVE Will Empower Teens and Youth Leaders from Coast to Coast to Boldly Engage Local Communities in Spiritual Conversations

FAITH NEWS SERVICE – Arvada, CO— Following up the continued success of Dare 2 Share LIVE, national non-profit organization, Dare 2 Share, is preparing to inspire and unleash thousands of teenagers this fall into even more communities to serve and to share the good news of Jesus.

At the event last year, over 1300 churches signed up to participate. This year, on November 12, Dare 2 Share LIVE will be broadcast from Denver, Colorado and streamed for free to churches nationwide. This event will include speakers Greg Stier, Jerrod Gunter, and Zane Black. Artists Red Rocks Worship, Lo the Poet and DJ Bobbito the Chef will also add their talents to the stage. Greg Stier, Founder of Dare 2 Share stated, “With skyrocketing statistics of teen depression, anxiety and suicide, I believe we must do something radical to change the spiritual trajectory of this current generation of teenagers. Only the good news of Jesus can set them free from all they’re going through!

That’s what Dare 2 Share LIVE is all about. It’s reaching a generation with the hope of Jesus and then mobilizing them to reach their peers until every teen, everywhere, has every last chance to put their faith in Jesus. On November 12, teens around the country will be mobilized simultaneously to reach their peers with the hope that only Jesus can bring. Through powerful worship, inspirational talks, hands-on training and cutting-edge technology, teenagers will be unleashed to serve their communities and share their faith. Now more than ever, with violence and desperation rampant, students are stepping out with the message of life, serving and bringing the Gospel to make a difference because the Gospel changes everything.”

Over the past 30 years, Dare 2 Share has inspired and equipped over 1 million Christian teenagers and youth leaders to engage in spiritual conversations through conferences, training curriculum and resources. In this one-day event, Dare 2 Share LIVE is seeking to engage thousands more students and youth leaders to initiate Gospel conversations across the nation.

A teen-led evangelism movement, Dare 2 Share LIVE is a livestream training event designed to inspire students with the mission Jesus gave His people, to reach their generation for Christ. Utilizing technology that students are accustomed to, the event is structured to inspire teens as they are trained to relationally share Christ, and then empower them to reach out to both their local communities and their social networks.

“This event is designed to combine local community impact with the energy of a national evangelism training conference,” explains Debbie Bresina, President of Dare 2 Share. “Over the years we have seen thousands of students have tens of thousands of Gospel conversations. Christ is on the move in the teens of the world today. On November 12, we will see a wave of students unleashed and empowered to engage their circles of influence with the Gospel of Jesus.”

About Dare 2 Share

Founded in 1991, Dare 2 Share’s mission to Energize the Church to Mobilize youth to Gospelize their world, has led them to train and provide resources to hundreds of thousands of students and youth leaders. The focus on relational evangelism training has made Dare 2 Share the go-to teen evangelism training resource for youth leaders and churches globally who

want a Gospel Advancing Ministry that accelerates the spiritual growth of their teens and impacts their communities with the good news of Jesus Christ.

For more information on Dare 2 Share Live, visit dare2share.org/events/live For more information on the organization of Dare 2 Share, visit dare2share.org

For press inquiries and interview requests, please contact Emma Schenkel, emmaschenkel@dare2share.org

arise and climb the mountain

Arise, and Climb the Mountain: When God Doesn’t Move the Mountains, He Gives You Faith to Climb Them Maintains is Free for Download One More Day

FAITH NEWS SERVICE – United States—Saturday, September 17, 2022

Sharon Eleanor Todd’s book, Arise, and Climb the Mountain: When God Doesn’t Move the Mountains, He Gives You Faith to Climb Them, maintains best seller status

Sharon wrote Arise, and Climb the Mountain to encourage and equip readers on their faith journeys with powerful and transformational biblical truths.

Arise, and Climb the Mountain is a guide to healing as Sharon takes you on her inspirational faith journey of discovering renewed hope and purpose. With the beautiful Adirondacks as a backdrop, Sharon recounts God’s love and faithfulness on her trek through emotional and spiritual healing after life betrayals. Be encouraged and equipped to conquer your own mountains with powerful biblical truths and the Holy Spirit as your guide.

Arise, and Climb the Mountain is free and available for download on Amazon through Saturday, September 17, 2022. Click here to download. Arise, and Climb the Mountain is rated 5 stars by those who have purchased the book. Here’s what some of the reviewers have said:

C.M.
5.0 out of 5 stars
A wonderfully written book full of biblical encouragement!

Reviewed in the United States on September 11, 2022

“This book is full of encouragement for anyone wanting to grow in their faith in the midst of their own trials and struggles. Sharon’s vulnerability and honesty are so refreshing! Sharon shares beautiful, biblical wisdom for growing your faith, in whatever circumstances you are in, as you persevere through all of life’s challenges. You will be so encouraged- an absolutely wonderful read that I will continue to re-read many times I am sure!”

Rebecca Kriner
5.0 out of 5 stars
Inspiring book for all!

Reviewed in the United States on August 30, 2022

“Arise and club the Mountain is a powerful look at being broken and hurt and how God uses every single thing for his glory! This book made me feel like I was on a hike at one of the most beautiful places in the northeast. It makes you take a deep look into your own personal hiking journey as you grow closer to God! I can’t recommend it enough!”

For More Information: For more questions or to schedule an interview about this press release please contact Sharon Eleanor Todd at 518.481.0677 or Set4adk@gmail.com.

About the Author
Sharon Eleanor Todd resides in Connecticut and spends her summers in the Adirondack Mountains of New York, where she enjoys quiet early morning hours on the dock with her Bible and a cup of coffee. She is an avid hiker and an Adirondack Park enthusiast. Sharon is passionate about helping people grow in their relationship with Christ. Her ministry has taken place in hospitals, universities, urban churches, short-term missions, zoom meetings, and on hiking trails. She has been writing for over twenty years.

Suggested Interview Questions

The Adirondack Mountains are special to you. Tell me a little about how the Adirondacks became such a special place to you and what role they played in your healing.

Even though you were a Christian before you found yourself in a personal storm, your faith grew exponentially as you matured in your relationship with Christ and as He helped you overcome various trials and life transitions. Tell me a little about your faith journey through the years.

Divorce ranks as life’s second most stressful moments. What toll did your divorce take on you, and how long did it take for you to begin seeking healing?

Why did you decide to write this book, and what was the process like? Who do you hope will benefit from your book?

What was the turning point for you in your healing process, and what advice would you give others who are dealing with painful difficulties of their own?

You say that God can repurpose any pain for his Glory and redeem things for His good. Describe how you’ve seen this in your own life.

You describe the Holy Spirit as your spiritual hiking guide. Can you explain how this has been true in your life, and provide encouragement for those who may be ready to begin climbing their own personal mountains?

 

 

healing the system

Healing the System: A Prescription for Rejuvenating the Hearts of Healthcare Providers is Free for Download for One More Day

FAITH NEWS SERVICE – United States—Saturday, September 17, 2022

John McB. Hodson is proud to present a book for medical professionals, Healing the System: A Prescription for Rejuvenating the Hearts of Healthcare Providers maintains #1 best seller in 3 Amazon Categories 

John wrote Healing the System for medical professionals wanting to change the increasingly dysfunctional environment typical of current practices.

Healing the System is a book for healthcare that offers a simple approach to changing the healthcare system in a way that will re-empower healthcare providers to do what they love to do—care for patients, solve problems, and influence the delivery system. Drawing on his vast experience as a seasoned cardiologist who has practiced medicine all over the world, Dr. John McB. Hodgson suggests easy-to-implement changes that healthcare providers and administrators can make to combat the increasingly dysfunctional environment typical of current practice. These changes can bring a sense of fulfillment, joy, and satisfaction back to the practice of medicine. Not only will the providers of healthcare benefit, but patients will also benefit, and the entire system will be energized. The message in this book will encourage physicians and other healthcare delivery professionals to create an environment and culture in which everyone can thrive by providing practical steps for positive change in healthcare administration.

John McB. Hodgson’s Healing the System will be free and available for download on Amazon through Saturday, September 17, 2022. Click here to download. Healing the System is rated 5 stars by those who have purchased the book. Here’s one of the latest reviews:

Dinah – 5 stars
Sage counsel for solving healthcare system ails

Reviewed in the United States on September 14, 2022

“Dr. Hodgson provides informative and valuable insights into how to fix the maladies affecting the healthcare system that is resulting in provider burnout and disillusionment in systems that have become dishonoring and lost focus. Dr. Hodgson’s book is not only beneficial to all healthcare providers offering sage counsel on effective, practical, and cost efficient solutions to the healthcare ails, but also for the patients and families they serve to help them understand and navigate an overwhelming system. A must read for all who want to be a part of the solution!”

For more information or to schedule an interview about this press release, please contact John Hodgson at email jhodgson@tsg-ed.com.

About the Author
Dr. John Hodgson is no stranger to the dysfunction of the American healthcare system. As an internationally recognized cardiologist who has served in academic and community hospitals, multicity systems, small rural hospitals, private practice, and academic employed practice, Dr. Hodgson has a unique perspective on what is working and what is not in today’s US healthcare system. With provider dissatisfaction at an all-time high, he is committed to improving the way healthcare systems work so that healthcare providers can get back to doing what they love to do—care for patients, solve problems, and influence the delivery system. He believes it is possible to create an environment and culture where everyone in the medical field can thrive and where a sense of fulfillment, joy, and satisfaction can be returned to the practice of medicine. Dr. Hodgson is a tenured professor of medicine, entrepreneur, inventor, certified life coach, and agent for change. He and his wife, Dinah, reside in Moreland Hills, Ohio.

Suggested Interview Questions

  1. Hodgson, tell us what you experience on a daily basis with the current healthcare system. What led to you writing Healing the System?
  2. You have been a respected cardiologist for more than thirty years. What did your practice used to be like, say in the ’80s and ’90s, before the days of the RVUs and CPT codes? How have things changed in the past decade?
  3. Have you personally experienced feelings of discontentment with your profession? How would you describe that, and what did you do to reenergize?
  4. Where in the world have you practiced medicine, and what was that like? What was your favorite experience? What was the most difficult?
  5. Not all doctors have business acumen, but you do. What can you say to doctors coming into the system about being business minded?
  6. How important are leadership skills as a doctor? How can doctors develop leadership skills?
  7. What do you hope comes out of the ideas you provided in the book? For administrators? Healthcare providers? Systems managers? Nurses and other hospital staff?
  8. In the book, you gave almost a futuristic synopsis of what the healthcare system could be like. Can you summarize that for us?
  9. Can you tell us about the ideas in your T.E.A.C.H. approach? What do the different elements mean and how can they help the current healthcare system?
  10. If you could go back and pick your profession all over again, would you still choose to be a doctor, knowing what you know now?

 

up from the ashes

Up from the Ashes: Recapturing God’s Original Design and Purpose for Your Life is Free for Download for One More Day

FAITH NEWS SERVICE – United States—Saturday, September 17, 2022

Dinah Lee Hodgson presents her debut book, Up from the Ashes: Recapturing God’s Original Design and Purpose for Your Life, part memoir and part Christian living, maintains best-seller status!

Dinah wrote Up from the Ashes: Recapturing God’s Original Design and Purpose for Your Life as a roadmap to abundant blessing.

Underneath her facade of happiness, Dinah Hodgson struggles emotionally. When her unhappiness becomes too much to bear, she cries out to God, but His response is not what she expects—He asks her to explore the hidden abuse she endured. Even though obedience will be painful, Dinah accepts that it’s the only way to experience healing from past trauma. What follows is a journey of reclaiming her destiny as God brings her “up from the ashes.” In this powerful and inspirational self-help book, Hodgson draws the reader toward experiencing abundant life through emotional and spiritual healing.

Dinah Lee Hodgson’s Up from the Ashes will be free and available for download until Saturday, September 17, 2022. Click here to download her book for free. Up from the Ashes is rated 5 stars by those who have purchased the book. Here’s just a sample of the rave reviews:

Mike H
5.0 out of 5 stars – This book will change your life.
Reviewed in the United States on September 10, 2022

“Dinah covers it all! She beautifully writes from her story which most of us can relate to – brokenness and trauma. We often stay in a place of brokenness and as a result, become bitter and live with a sense of rejection because of that pain. Dinah shares how to walk through that pain with the help of the ultimate Counselor the Holy Spirit by taking up our weapons in the Spirit and fighting the lies that have been spoken over us. By working through our hurt, and knowing who we are in Christ, Dinah shows us how to enter into the peace which God has intended for us all.”

Amazon Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars – A “God-help” book for the hurting
Reviewed in the United States on September 13, 2022

“Dinah has written a true God-help book for those struggling with past hurts and abuse. With so many self-help books available today, it was truly inspiring to read Dinah’s journey of allowing God to pull her up from the ashes. As she shares the hard work of growing in faith, relying on and listening to the Holy Spirit, and being willing to confront and “mine” her past hurts, gives us all hope and Spirit-filled instruction. Her book would benefit anyone who not only has past hurts to deal with, but also anyone who wants to grow in their faith and relationship with God. It a very hope filled, and ultimately, joy filled book.”

For More Information: For more information or to schedule an interview about this press release please contact Dinah Lee Hodgson at dinahhodgson@gmail.com.

About the Author
Speaker and ministry leader Dinah Hodgson attended Grand Canyon University’s Christian Leadership program and became ordained by Messenger Fellowship. Recently she graduated from Primus University of Theology with a masters and is now working on her doctorate in Christian leadership and Christian counseling. She has served in a myriad of leadership roles within the local church as well as para-church ministries. She has spoken nationally and internationally. Dinah and John, her husband of forty-three years, reside in Moreland Hills, Ohio, and have traveled the world for ministry and pleasure. They have three children, two daughters-in-love, and five cherished grandchildren.

Suggested Interview Questions

  1. Is it possible to fully recover from childhood abuse?
  2. Have you found unexpected benefits to recalling and facing difficult experiences from your past?
  3. Through the process of writing this book, did you recall details of your abusive childhood that you had previously forgotten?
  4. How do your own traumatic childhood experiences help you to minister to others who are hurting?
  5. How important is forgiveness in the process of healing from past abuse?
  6. Have you forgiven your abuser?
  7. What makes your book unique among other books about recovery from childhood trauma?

 

i want out

New Movie ‘I Want Out’: Surviving Turbulence In Marriage Through Faith In God

FAITH NEWS SERVICEI Want Out is a new faith based movie that was screened on 5th December 2021 at Renaissance Studios, 10-11 Tunstall Road, London SW9 8DA as part of the British Urban Film festival.

I Want Out tells the story of a woman and mother of two who is married to a rich, powerful and oppressive property developer. She is not content with just being the wife, and is dissatisfied with the access she has to her husband’s wealth. She wants control of her husband’s money.

She is unsuccessful in her plan to kill her husband and so plots other duplicitous ways to access her husband’s wealth.  I Want Out tells the story of marital frustration, regret, greed and desperation and surviving a turbulent marriage through faith in God. .

Find out more at: Zoefilms.co.uk

https://www.facebook.com/zoefilms1

https://twitter.com/ZoeFilms1

https://www.instagram.com/zoefilms1/

Available now to Buy or Rent:

Prime Video

Vimeo

Bohemia euphoria

Watch: I Want Out (Trailer)

prophetic prayers

New Movie ‘Prophetic Prayers’ The fight against the kingdom of darkness available now

FAITH NEWS SERVICE – Pastor George is a minister of the gospel of Jesus Christ. He is a businessman, a philanthropist, a helper and builder of the Kingdom of God. But he has enemies. He also has a prophetic gift. The enemy of his soul is against his business, his ministry and his children’s future. He has a great destiny but must war in prayer to defend it.

In Prophetic Prayers, with the help of God and his spiritual mentors, Pastor George enters into another realm of spiritual warfare he has never known. Having been aware of this and having had to fight for his life, he realises that there are witchcraft powers in his father’s house, in his local church, in his business, in his community he must deal with.

The film sets to portray the power violent prophetic prayers make available to those who would dig deep. In this journey of prophetic prayers Pastor George employs various prayer warring tactics to fight against the kingdom of darkness. He has to fight for his life, destiny, calling, ministry business, children on all fronts. Will he win?

Find out more at: Zoefilms.co.uk

https://www.facebook.com/zoefilms1

https://twitter.com/ZoeFilms1

https://www.instagram.com/zoefilms1/

Available now to Buy or Rent:

Prime Video

Vimeo

Watch: Prophetic Prayer (Trailer)

family and faith retreat

Unforgettable Destinations Presents a Unique Christian Vacation Experience

FAITH NEWS SERVICEUnforgettable Destinations is proud to present a special vacation experience. During the week of August 6-11 2023, families will be able to experience some of the best in Contemporary Christian music and dynamic speakers while also enjoying five days of fun and mission opportunity in the great Smokey Mountains.

The 2023 event will include music artists such as: Chart Topping Big Daddy Weave, Dove Award winning Meredith Andrews, as well as popular speakers American Family Radio’s Alex McFarland, Marriage regeneration team Family Fit Ministries, Surging popular podcast Jesus, Coffee, and Grace, and many more.

Guests will also be able to experience accommodations as part of the price in the center of Pigeon Forge, TN at The Country Cascades Waterpark Resort or the Resort at Governor’s Crossing. The package includes tickets to Dollywood, local attraction favorite Country Tonight show, as well as a county wide mission experience for the entire family to help reach the lost and hurting surrounding Sevier County.

Reservations will include a very affordable payment plan and a small deposit of $200. Different packages start from as low as $1898 for 2 people, to $2798 for 6 people and therefore allows families of all sizes and budgets to experience this wholesome, 4 night vacation. It is sure to be a special event!

“This is more than just a concert. We wanted this event to really be focused on ministry, worship, and discipleship. Each family member will learn their respective roles in God’s family and also prepare for future generations. It is also a chance to give back to those most in need in the Smoky Mountain area. It will be very memorable and fun with a special purpose”, says Unforgettable Destinations owner, William Leggate.

The event will also feature a family inclusive vow renewal as well as other fun surprises along the way. Those who reserve their package will now be able to take part in their special low payment plan or vacation financing. The benefits continue to grow for guests who participate in this faith-based vacation package.

This is the first vacation experience produced from travel agency Unforgettable Destinations, but owners, William and Beth Leggate, are no strangers to event planning. William hails from Scotland and has visited and traveled over 3 continents during his life, pursuing a background in hotel management, hospitality supervisor, and new business procurement.

Beth has tenure of over 12 years in the industry as an administrator and logistics professional for a charter cruise company and a Director of Sales. Together, this husband and wife duo is groomed to offer the best in Christian event planning. And, that is what they plan to do. It appears that a marriage event, Holy Land tours, as well as festival events, are on the horizon very soon.

For more information about Unforgettable Destinations, visit their website at http://www.unforgettabledestinations.com. For more information on the Faith and Family Retreat, visit the website http://www.faithandfamilyretreat.com or call 336.942.0454.

For pictures and graphics: events@unforgettabledestinations.com

For media interviews/artist or Unforgettable Destinations owners, contact: Beth@unforgettabledestinations.com

up from the ashes

Up from the Ashes: Recapturing God’s Original Design and Purpose for Your Life #1 NEW RELEASE for 7 Straight Days

FAITH NEWS SERVICE – United States—Wednesday, September 14, 2022

Dinah Lee Hodgson presents her debut book, Up from the Ashes: Recapturing God’s Original Design and Purpose for Your Life, part memoir and part Christian living.

Dinah wrote Up from the Ashes: Recapturing God’s Original Design and Purpose for Your Life as a roadmap to abundant blessing.

Underneath her facade of happiness, Dinah Hodgson struggles emotionally. When her unhappiness becomes too much to bear, she cries out to God, but His response is not what she expects—He asks her to explore the hidden abuse she endured. Even though obedience will be painful, Dinah accepts that it’s the only way to experience healing from past trauma. What follows is a journey of reclaiming her destiny as God brings her “up from the ashes.” In this powerful and inspirational self-help book, Hodgson draws the reader toward experiencing abundant life through emotional and spiritual healing.

Dinah Lee Hodgson’s Up from the Ashes will be free and available for download until Saturday, September 17, 2022. Click here to download her book for free. Up from the Ashes is rated 5 stars by those who have purchased the book. Here’s what some of the reviewers have said:

Melanie Stephens
5.0 out of 5 stars – The Title Says It All
Reviewed in the United States on September 8, 2022
Ms. Hodgson tells a unique tale of an all-too-common story: difficult childhoods flowering into full and happy lives. It’s a story that will comfort and inspire many people to undertake the difficult work of looking at the hard, hard past in order to awaken into the wondrous possibilities. Too many people try to bury their past hurts; Ms. Hodgson shines the light on her trust in God and her courage, leading to the whole person she wanted to be. It’s a beautifully written primer, full of lessons and love for those on a similar path. I encourage the fearful to take the hand Ms. Hodgson offers and start the journey.

Annie

5.0 out of 5 stars – Beautiful personal story of God’s Redemption

Reviewed in the United States on September 10, 2022

Through the story of her personal journey with Jesus Christ, Dinah embodies the concept that God chose us first. That He is chasing after us. That our faith can always go deeper. That when we choose to fully put our trust and our lives in His care, miraculous things can happen to change the very course of our lives!!

For More Information: For more information or to schedule an interview about this press release please contact Dinah Lee Hodgson at dinahhodgson@gmail.com.

About the Author
Speaker and ministry leader Dinah Hodgson attended Grand Canyon University’s Christian Leadership program and became ordained by Messenger Fellowship. Recently she graduated from Primus University of Theology with a masters and is now working on her doctorate in Christian leadership and Christian counseling. She has served in a myriad of leadership roles within the local church as well as para-church ministries. She has spoken nationally and internationally. Dinah and John, her husband of forty-three years, reside in Moreland Hills, Ohio, and have traveled the world for ministry and pleasure. They have three children, two daughters-in-love, and five cherished grandchildren.

Suggested Interview Questions

  1. Is it possible to fully recover from childhood abuse?
  2. Have you found unexpected benefits to recalling and facing difficult experiences from your past?
  3. Through the process of writing this book, did you recall details of your abusive childhood that you had previously forgotten?
  4. How do your own traumatic childhood experiences help you to minister to others who are hurting?
  5. How important is forgiveness in the process of healing from past abuse?
  6. Have you forgiven your abuser?
  7. What makes your book unique among other books about recovery from childhood trauma?