Business as UNusual

Delaying America’s Coming Collapse

2012-01-31T17:31:00.000-06:00

Dr. Robert Jeffress offers bold roadmap

to guide attitudes and actions in volatile times

Economic chaos, spiraling immorality,cultural decay, terrorism and global upheaval have convinced many that we areliving in the twilight days of America. Widely respected pastor, author andfrequent media commentator Dr. RobertJeffress agrees, but is quick to add a note of hope and challenge in hislatest release, Twilight’s LastGleaming (WorthyPublishing, January 2012). Although we cannot prevent America’s eventualdemise, he asserts, we can postpone it . . . and make a difference for eternityat the same time.

Includinga foreword by former governor Mike Huckabee, Twilight’s Last Gleaming offers a bold roadmap to guide readers’attitudes and actions in these volatile times. “But it is not all doom and gloom,” writes Jeffress. “We have anunprecedented opportunity within our current culture to delay our country’s ultimate dissolution so that we can continue togrow the kingdom. Even if America’s best days are behind her, for AmericanChristians, this can and should be our shining moment.”

The remarkable society whoselight once shone as a beacon to the world is dimming. This is the soberingassessment of Robert Jeffress in Twilight’sLast Gleaming, yet he brings with that diagnosis a remarkably redemptiveand hope-filled prescription for American believers. With biblical insight andreal-world clarity, Jeffress answers for everyone who wonders what can be doneright now—within our culture, our churches, our voting booths and ourneighborhoods—to hold off America’s ensuing demise. He points a way out of themalaise, calling believers to action—not to restore a fading empire’s glory,but to make an eternal impact on millions of souls.

InTwilight’s Last Gleaming, Jeffress alsodevotes an entire chapter to a pressing issue on many Americans’ minds: Whoshould I vote for in the coming presidential election? “If Christians placepragmatism above principle, we may or may not win the election, but we willlose our soul,” states Jeffress. However, Jeffress also suggests that acandidate’s faith is just one issue to consider when voting. Jeffress asserts, “There’s some value to having a non-Christian like MittRomney who embraces biblical principles, rather than a professing Christianlike Barack Obama who embraces unbiblical principles.” He proposes fourquestions that every believer should ask himself before selecting acandidate:

· Isthe candidate a Christian?

· Howwould a candidate’s faith impact his policies?

· Dohis policies align with the Bible?

· Howdoes he view the Constitution?

With a graceful balance betweenpassivism and extreme activism, Jeffress challenges Christians to be “salt” and “light” in a decaying anddarkening culture, standing up against the tide of evil that threatens toengulf America. “We cannot predict God’s ultimate judgment, but we candelay it just like Jonah’s obedience did at Nineveh,” says Jeffress. “But thereason that we’re trying to bide time for our country and prevent its prematuredecay is not so that we can turn America around, but so that we can preach the GoodNews.”

Dr.Robert Jeffress, a popular guest commentator on top network news shows, ispastor of the 11,000-member First Baptist Church in Dallas and host of Pathway to Victory, which is heard dailyon over 720 radio stations nationwide, including the Salem Radio Network,American Family Radio and Bott Radio Network.

Twilight’s Last Gleaming: How America’s Last Days Can Be Your BestDays by Robert Jeffress

WorthyPublishing / January 2012 / ISBN: 978-1-936034-58-1 / 239 pages / hardcover / $22.99

www.ptv.org

For review copy and interview information, contact:

Audra Jennings - 800-927-0517 x104

Bloggers can request a copy by filling out the form below:

Worthy Publishing (www.worthypublishing.com), a division of Worthy Media, Inc., is a privately held company whosemission is helping people experience the heart of God. Worthy is an independentvoice in Christian publishing, managing editorial, marketing, publicity, salesand distribution from its home offices in Brentwood, TN. Worthy focuses on aboutique list of new books each year, crossing a broad spectrum on genres,including fiction, Bible study, current events, devotionals, biography,leadership, specialized Bibles, as well as spiritual and personal growth.

An interview with the "Blown Up Guy"

2012-01-30T17:07:00.000-06:00

An Interview with B.C. Fleming

Military veteran, author and speaker B.C. Fleming is eager to share his story of survival and success with the world. Having been blown up in Afghanistan not once, but twice, and given a second chance at life, he is dedicated to helping others overcome their own challenges and prosper through adversity. All too familiar with the daily sacrifices of the soldier, Fleming knows as well the trials of the veteran at home. He also understands firsthand the complexities of war, the ugliness of hatred and the power of forgiveness. Because Fleming speaks from experience—not theory—he has carved a place for himself as a valuable media resource, addressing audiences with genuineness and enthusiasm on such subjects as patriotism, leadership, freedom and, of course, his own harrowing encounter with a suicide bomber.

Q: Can you tell us how the fateful events of September 11, 2001 played into your decision to enter the military instead of the medical field, as you previously had planned?

My family was not in New York City, Washington D.C. or Pennsylvania on that day. But they could have been. If somebody were to break into my home and attempt to harm my family, I would shoot them. September 11th was no different. As I watched the events of that terrible day on television, I knew that something had to be done and I decided that I would never be accused of doing nothing when it was in my power and responsibility to do something. Thousands of innocent people were slaughtered that day. Preventing another such attack was every American’s responsibility. If a man knows the right thing to do and chooses not do it, he is guilty. Someday I will answer for my wrongdoings, but I will never be found guilty of passivity.

Q: You were blown up in Afghanistan not once, but twice! Can you briefly tell us about your encounter with the suicide bomber?

We had a blast.

Q: People often refer to you as the “Blown Up Guy” and your website is BlownUpGuy.com. How did that title originate?

I don’t typically refer to myself by that title because there are thousands of other guys just like me who have been blown up while fighting this war just like I have, but it’s what I’ve become recognized as. While going out and speaking, telling my story, distributing my books and being in the public eye, people would always come up to me and say, “Hey, you’re that guy who got blown up!” They couldn’t remember my name, but they remembered that much. To have a website called BlownUpGuy.com just made sense. It made it easy for people to find me. Not only that, people have actually found that title to be funny in many cases (which was not my original intention), and that has made it even more memorable and easier to spread a message of hope to others who have been hurt.

Q: How did you arrive at a place of forgiveness for the suicide bomber?

I wrote my thoughts on a piece of paper one day. It turned into a letter to the suicide bomber (which he will obviously never read). I began writing about the horrific pain of burning and realizing, though mine was temporary, I couldn’t imagine what it would be like to end up in a place where I believe he is now. That terrorist would have ultimately won the war over me, even in death, if I would have carried the burden of hate with me for the remainder of my lifetime. There was no way I was going to let that happen. He failed in life and he failed in death. He’s dead and I’m alive. It was time to move on. I’ve never lived a better life since almost losing it.

Q: What part did your faith play in your physical and emotional recovery?

My faith gave everything a purpose for happening. Even in the midst of all the fire and pain, when I couldn’t find a reason for it all happening, I knew with certainty that one existed. It was my job to find it. The power was in the searching because I began discovering as a result. Finding is reserved for those willing to search. To begin something and then make progress is one of the keys to living a fulfilled life because progression breeds contentment.

Q: What do you hope that audiences—whether through radio, television, personal appearances or books—will gain from hearing your story?

What happens to you in life isn’t nearly as important as what you choose to do with what happens to you in life. Don’t hide the scars. Don’t be afraid to let them show because someone who is hurting will see themselves in you. And there’s healing in knowing you’re not the only one. One of the greatest keys to my recovery was getting the focus off of myself and onto others. As we help others heal, we ourselves are healed. The people we have the privilege of sharing our lives with are all we truly have.

Q: Obviously, you feel that developing leadership is part of your mission as you speak a great deal to businesses, college students and other organizations on the subject. Would you share a couple of the most important leadership lessons you learned while in the military?

Make decisions and hold yourself accountable for them.
Hope for the best and be the best. Then, expect and prepare for the very worst.
Discipline is one of the greatest words in the English language and should be embraced by anybody who claims they desire to grow or succeed.

Q: Dave Roever, a badly burned Vietnam vet who has been speaking and writing for years, has become your friend and mentor. What is the most valuable truth that he has taught you?

Dave taught me that the greatest investment you will ever make is an investment in the lives of other people. Life is about others.

Q: What exciting projects are coming up in your future?

Presently, I have a teaching series coming out on personal development called “The Practical Science of Personal Achievement.” It is comprised of four parts, each addressing a different subject of great importance that has allowed me to succeed to the extent that I have in my ventures, both personally and professionally—from being a soldier who awoke in a ditch on the side of the road in Kandahar, Afghanistan to becoming an author and speaker back home and abroad. The series contains simple and practical, yet profound, lessons I have learned throughout the recovery process from my injury that have made a lasting difference in my life and led me to become the person I am today. All teaching in the series is based on personal experiences.

Q: Had you always planned on writing a book about your war experience?

My book Never the Same began as journal entries I was keeping while fighting the war in Afghanistan. I had no idea what life the book would take on if it ever became one, given that few things are predictable in war. The stories were written as they took place. I was unable to use my hands for 8-10 months after having reconstructive surgery done on my hands due to the third-degree burns that nearly destroyed them, but I eventually continued my writing and completed the book.

www.BlownUpGuy.com

B.C. Fleming is available for speaking opportunities.

For more information, contact Helen Cook at

hcook@tbbmedia.com or 800-927-0517 x110.

Gaining Perpsective on God's Purpose for You

2012-01-27T15:54:00.000-06:00

An interview with Carl Kerby, author of

Reasons for Hope in the Mosaic of Your Life

“The two most important pieces of information I will take awayfrom this book: stay bold and be prepared to give a defense of your faith. Thisbook will inspire Christians to do just that. Your story, from your checkeredchildhood to your resistance to God’s path for you, is a strong reminder thatGod has a plan for us all. Your explanation of how the Bible fits into themodern-day world, tackling issues such as evolution and race, is crucial totoday’s Christian.”

~ Rich “Ace” Franklin, three-time UFCMMA Champ

Life is often not picture-perfect, and difficult times canmake it hard to see a plan or purpose for our lives. In this inspiring story ofone man’s journey, you will learn to see life from a different perspective. Nomatter what your circumstances, God can gather up the broken pieces and randomelements of your life and form them into a beautiful mosaic—making you a usefulvessel for His glory.

Q: In what ways are our lives likemosaics?

To me, a mosaic is a fittingillustration of the way God can take the broken pieces of our lives and createsomething beautiful from them. My life has been filled with boulders and brokenstones. Yet God, in His grace, has put those stones together in a mosaic tomake me into a useful vessel for His glory.

I once saw a large mosaic butwas too close to understand the design, so I backed up to get a better view.Just as the mosaic picture didn’t make sense until I got a broader perspective,I had to do the same thing with the struggles I’ve encountered. As I look backover my life from a different perspective, I can see why God has allowed me toundergo some of the challenges I’ve had.

I also realized that the morebroken pieces in the mosaic, the more beautiful the picture and the greater itsvalue. The more we’ve gone through, the more amazing the picture our livescan be when we have God’s perspective.

Q: How can Christians usethe mosaic of their life to bring hope to others?

People are often encouragedby my story, when they realize that God can use anyone to do His work—even themessed-up son of a professional wrestler who ended up earning his livelihood asan air-traffic controller and then a public creation speaker. Growing up Istruggled with a lot of things other people do: an absentee father, my parents’divorce, alcohol and drugs, run-ins with the law, even being homeless at onepoint.

No matter our background, wecan all share our own life stories, our mosaic, to tell others how God hastaken the broken pieces of our life and made something beautiful and valuable.Those rocky areas in our life can be steppingstones for sharing the love ofChrist with others.

Q: You address the topicof racism in Reasons for Hope.Why was that issue important to include?

Sadly, evolutionary teachingpromotes the idea that people are divided into different “races” with some“races” better than others, leading to all sorts of prejudice, hatred, andbloodshed. I know I was wrong in my racist attitudes when I was young, and manystill believe the same way I did. That’s why I take such a strong stand on thisissue today.

Ultimately, the issue ofracism comes down to this: where did humans come from? When you reject what theBible says about man’s origin, you will end up with all kinds of wrong beliefs.But biblically and scientifically, there is only one race of people—Homosapiens—all made in the image of God. So we need to abandon the term “races”and instead talk about “cultures” or “people groups.”

We have to teach people thetruth about racism, but what bothers me the most is that the church has droppedthe ball on this issue. In fact, the church (in some instances) is one of thelast bastions of racism and prejudice in America. And if we, as Christians,cannot grasp the need to eradicate racism, how can we expect the world to dothat?

Reasons for Hope in the Mosaic of Your Life by CarlKerby

Genesis Publishing Group/December 15, 2011

ISBN: 978-1933591094/208 pages/paperback/$14.99

To learn more about Reasons for Hope* visit www.rforh.com.

For review copy and interview information, contact:

Audra Jennings - 800-927-0517 x 104

Study the Bible as a Family

2012-01-26T20:09:00.001-06:00

Discovering Jesus in the Old and New Testaments

It is easy to forget Jesus in the midst of busy schedulesand conflicting priorities, but the truth is that he is the only one who canchange the lives of parents and children. Marty Machowski has written TheGospel Story Bible (New Growth Press) as a way for families to share Biblestories together, meet Jesus and learn together a new, life-changing way ofrecognizing him as the hero of every story. Based on the ESV Bible, thisunique, illustrated Bible storybook uses 156 stories to present God’s plan ofsalvation in Christ from its opening narrative in Genesis to its finale inRevelation. The Gospel Story Bible is one of the many products nowavailable in the Gospel Story for Kidsseries.

“The gospel is deep enough to keep the oldest and wisestparents learning and growing all their lives, yet simple enough to change theheart of the first grader who has just begun to read,” says Machowski. “That’swhat makes The Gospel Story Bible ideal as a storybook for apreschooler, a devotional for a grade school student, a refresher for the adultbeliever or an introduction for the new one. Parents and children will learntogether to read the whole Bible as one story, with one hero—Jesus Christ.”

Vibrant illustrations by A. E. Macha, child-friendlydiscussion questions and Scripture references accompany each story to help leadfamilies in exploring the Bible. Parents and teachers will be delighted todiscover how easily even a young child can understand the original text of astory that he or she has already come to love.

The GospelStory Bible: Discovering Jesus in the Old and New Testaments by MartyMachowski

New GrowthPress/November 2011

ISBN978-1-936768-12-7/328 pages/hardcover/$24.99

http://gospelstoryforkids.com/ ~ www.newgrowthpress.com

For review copy and interview information, contact:
Audra Jennings - 800-927-0517 x104

The B & B Media Group Projects Hit Top Ratings

2012-01-24T15:00:00.000-06:00

Clients’ films, booksand ministries

make news and win awards

Withtopics as varied and diverse as HIV, sex trafficking, the nonviolence movement inthe Middle East and a new Bible translation, The B & B Media Group has onceagain represented headline-grabbing and award-winning projects. Recent top placementssecured for clients in the national media include the Huffington Post, CNNBelief Blog, FOX News, Huckabee, Fox & Friends, Time, USA Today, CBS EveningNews, Guideposts, HLN Joy Baher, CNN John King USA, HLN Dr. Drew, CBN 700 Club,Life Today, TBN and many others.

Delivering theMessage

Working with Abingdon Press and Somersault, TBBMGrecently managed publicity for the launch of the new Common English Bible whichuses a natural English vocabulary to clearly and freshly communicate theancient sacred text. The completion of this translation was among the top tenreligion stories of 2011 as reported by the 30^th Annual ReligionNewswriters Association survey. TBBMG’spublicity campaign included a three-month-long “Thank You-Come Again-I Promise”blog tour with more than 140 participants from across the globe.

TBBMG is also conductingpublicity for another fantastic new Bible release—the Zonderkidz line fromZondervan Publishing. The NIV Boys Bible and NIV Faithgirlzwere written to assist in the spiritual development of tween boys and girls(ages 9 to 12). These campaigns willconsist of radio interviews and giveaways, along with a strong online and blogeffort.

Blogging andBooking

TwoTBBMG publicity clients received 2011 INSPYs, prestigious awards created bybloggers to highlight the best in literature that grapples with expressions ofthe Christian faith. PassportThrough Darkness: A True Story of Danger and Second Chances byKimberly L. Smith (David C. Cook, January 2011) was recognized in this year’sCreative Nonfiction category. Bo Caldwell took the honors in the GeneralFiction category for City of TranquilLight (Henry Holt, September 2010).

“Becauseblogging is one of the most influential forms of new media, our mediaspecialists maintain relationships with an ever-growing network of bloggers,”says Tina Jacobson, president of TBBMG. “It is gratifying to see the titles webelieve in receive such high praise from the blogosphere.”

The B & B Media Group is also managing thepublicity campaigns for Thomas Nelson fiction authors Neta Jackson and BethWiseman. TBBMG previously launched Jackson’s Yada Yada Prayer Group series in 2003 which has since sold over ahalf-million copies. Jackson’s latest release, Stand by Me, will launchthe SouledOut Sisters series inMarch. Beth Wiseman’s first endeavor outside the Amish genre, Need You Now, will release in April. Through their publicity efforts, TBBMGis supporting a special promotion from the publisher whereby eager readers will be able to purchase the first half of Need You Now in digital format (e-book)as early as February 21 for only 99 cents. The second half of the e-book andfull e-book will then be made available for sale in early April.

Promoting Life,Peace and Progress Through Film

TBBMG also handles thepublicity needs of ministries and filmmakers. TBBMG assisted Living Waters and RayComfort as they launched 180, athirty-minute film on the sanctity of life. In an effort to bring an end toabortion, 200,000 DVD copies of the film were distributed on college campuses.Through church efforts, media interviews and social networking, in just overthree months the film was viewed over two million times.

Continuing our ongoing work for EthnoGraphic Media(EGM), TBBMG provided publicity and public relations services for the GlobalVoices of Nonviolence, a 12-day international conversation to fuel the fire ofthe growing nonviolent peace movement. Hosted by EGM and the Institute forPolicy Research and Catholic Studies at TheCatholic University of America (CUA) in Washington, D.C, the September eventincluded a screening of EGM’s groundbreaking documentary Little Town of Bethlehem and a live panel discussion. TBBMG securedthe religion editor Paul Raushenbush as moderator and assisted the panel byproviding messaging and media publicity support. Media in attendance includededitors and writers from Sojourners, Catholic News Service, Religion &Ethics Newsweekly and others. Both the film and the discussion were streamedonline, allowing viewers across the globe to participate.

TBBMGalso took part in severalimportant film screenings in the fall of 2011 by both securing media attention and screening participants prior to theevents and providing messaging and media publicity on site. Little Town of Bethlehem, which exploresthe nonviolent movement in the Middle East, was screened on the opening nightof the Gandhi-King Conference on Peacemaking in Memphis at the ChristianBrothers University Campus. The screening was followed by a panel discussion.Conference attendees included activists, artists, scholars and over 1000students and university faculty members. December1, 2011, World AIDS Day, provided an ideal opportunity for EGM to focus thespotlight on Miss HIV, an eye-opening documentary thatexamines the fight against the stigmatization of HIV/AIDS. The Miss HIV Film Festival, organized byCrucial Arts and supported by TBBMG, ran from December 1 to December 4 andincluded showings of Miss HIV set upby 25 partner organizations at different venues throughout New York City.

“We have worked closely withEGM for several years now, and in that time we have seen firsthand how filmslike Little Town of Bethlehem and Miss HIV get media and audiencestalking. EGM tackles the most crucial issues of our time in a way thatgenerates real, positive change in the hearts and minds of a young and globalaudience,” says TBBMG vice president Diane Morrow.

Supporting theMilitary

TBBMGhas been privileged to collaborate with several distinguished veteransincluding Lt. Col. (ret.) Senator Brian Birdwell, Capt (ret.) Chris Plekenpoland General (ret.) Hal Moore. The latest client to join this impressive list isB.C. Fleming, an author, speaker and Army veteran who survived two disastrousexplosions while serving in Afghanistan. Fleming shared ideas for supportingthe troops during the holidays on the December 23 edition of Fox News Onlinewhich was secured by TBBMG who also manages Fleming’s media placements andspeaking engagements.

“Itis always an honor when a veteran entrusts us with his or her story, especiallywhen that story is shared with the goal of helping others,” Jacobson says.“B.C. Fleming is a true American hero, one whose influence we sincerely hope toexpand.”

Embracinga Fresh New Year

For the second consecutiveyear, TBBMG has been selected to handle publicity and PR for the InternationalChristian Retail Show for CBA, the Association for Christian Retail, to be heldin Orlando, FL, this summer. “Representing ICRS again this year is an honor,”says Jacobson. “It’s a truly rewarding opportunity to assist the largest, mosthighly attended trade event for the Christian products industry. We lookforward to building upon last year’s success.”

Among responsibilitiesentrusted to the Agency, TBBMG coordinated all pre-show publicity leading up toICRS and managed media on site. TBBMG also recruited media to attend, providedoversight for media registration, organized press conferences, compiled mediaand author listings and provided staffing for the media room. ICRS saw asubstantial increase in media attending the event as well as an overallincrease in attendance. TBBMG also brought together representatives ofpublishers and Bible websites for a press conference and panel discussiondiscussing Bible translations and the digital age.

TBBMGis looking forward to an exciting 2012 with more award-winning clients.

Is America doomed?

2012-01-23T18:08:00.001-06:00

Never in recent history have Christians been more discouraged and fearful about our country's future. Economic chaos, immorality, terrorism and global turmoil have convinced many that we are living in the twilight days of America. Dr. Robert Jeffress agrees. But this is not the end of the story, he writes in Twilight's Last Gleaming. Although we cannot prevent America's eventual demise, we can delay it... and make a difference for eternity at the same time. For everyone who wonders what can be done right now--within our culture, our churches, in the voting booth and our neighborhoods--Jeffress answers with biblical insight and real-world clarity, showing Christians how to seize this unprecedented opportunity and point people to our only Hope.

For more information, contact:

Audra Jennings - 800-927-0517 x104

Veteran transforms tragedy into stepping stone for success

2012-01-20T17:12:00.000-06:00

B.C. Fleming, combat-wounded veteran of war inAfghanistan,

transforms tragedy into stepping stone for success

“What happens to you in life isn’t nearly as importantas what you choose

to do with what happens to you in life. Don’t hide thescars.” ~ B.C. Fleming

Military veteran, author and speaker B.C. Fleming is eagerto share his story of survival and success with the world. Having been blown upin Afghanistan not once, but twice, and given a second chance at life, he isdedicated to helping others overcome their own challenges and prosper throughadversity. All too familiar with the daily sacrifices of the soldier,Fleming knows as well the trials of the veteran at home. He also understandsfirsthand the complexities of war, the ugliness of hatred and the power offorgiveness. Because Fleming speaks from experience—not theory—he has carved aplace for himself as a valuable media resource, addressing audiences withgenuineness and enthusiasm on such subjects as patriotism, leadership, freedomand, of course, his own harrowing encounter with a suicide bomber.

On a sunny afternoon, a convoy in which Fleming wastraveling was attacked by a suicide bomber who exploded three feet away fromthe door of his vehicle. Fleming woke up in a ditch, bloody and burned, with multiplelife-threatening injuries. After reconstructive surgery and fourteen months ofagonizingly difficult rehabilitation at Brooke Army Medical Center in SanAntonio, Texas, he decided it was time to stop whining about it and get on withhis life.

Fleming charged into a full-time public speaking career,inspiring, informing and entertaining thousands across the globe with hisunique and poignant message of faith beyond tragedy.

B.C. Fleming is available for speaking opportunities.

For more information, contact Helen Cook at

hcook@tbbmedia.com or 800-927-0517 x110.

Are you living the life God has dreamed for you?

2012-01-19T20:38:00.000-06:00

Pastor Terry - Intro To TEN from The Life Christian Church on Vimeo.

An interview with Terry A. Smith,

Author of TEN: How Would You Rate Your Life?

Q. What makes TENdifferent from all the other self-help books already out there?

One of my primary goals inwriting the book was to connect the incredible power of creating a better lifeto the exponential power of leadership. Regardless of who we are or what ournatural inclinations or talents might be, when we strive for a better life, wemust lead others with us down the path to the best possible reality. Life isnot only about us. It never has been. That’s why the book focuses on“others-help” rather than “self-help.”

Q. Not being satisfiedwith what we have is often cited as the root cause of many of today’s woes. Yetin TEN, you write that you believe the problem is that we don’t wantenough. Could you elaborate?

I couldn’t agree less withthe idea that most of our problems result from wanting too much. I think weshould want more. Not more stuff, but more life. Jesus said that His purposewas to give us “life—life in all its fullness.” Why would He have made such astatement if we’re not supposed to want it? I believe a more fulfilling life—alife in all its fullness—is the future that God dreams for us. I also believewe have the ability to tap into this dream and create that more and better lifefor ourselves and others.

Q. In the book, yououtline a seven-step plan to creating a TEN Life. What are those seven steps?

Awaken: Wake up to God’s dreams for your life.

Discover: Learn how to discover your life’s calling.

Imagine: Learn how the discipline of imagination makes thefuture real.

Grow: Develop the life infrastructure necessary to sustainsuccess.

Act: Take action to create your future.

Lead: Learn to lead yourself and others to the bestpossible future.

Go: Accept the call to get started living the life Goddreams for you.

Q. Of all the steps, theone requiring us to grow seems the most difficult. Why is personal growth soimportant?

The greater our God-inspiredambitions, the greater our need to develop the secure foundation necessary tosustain them. We must become bigger people if we desire to live a bigger life.We must be willing to expand as human beings in order to become the personsthat God sees us capable of becoming. And the more ambitious we are, the morewe must be willing to fully develop ourselves in every aspect of our lives.

Q. A large portion of yourbook is dedicated to developing leadership skills. Why is being a leader soimportant?

Who wants to enter apreferred future alone? If we are to live the best possible life, then we mustbe obligated to more than just ourselves. We must be obligated to the countlesspeople we have direct or indirect, immediate or future influence over.Leadership is about accepting responsibility for others. A moral future—aGod-inspired future—is an inclusive one.

Q. But what about thosepeople who don’t see themselves as leaders?

I believe everyone is aleader in some capacity. If you are a mother, then you are a leader. If you area teacher, you are a leader. If you are gifted in the arts, you are a leader.Excellent athletes are leaders. Managers, politicians, pastors and CEOs are allobviously leaders. While most people may not be born with natural leadershipskills, it is a skill that can be learned and developed. It can be studied. Forour own survival and the survival and success of those around us, it isimperative that we learn effective leadership skills. Trust me, you can learnto lead if you have to, and I think you have to.

www.livingten.com

For review copy and interview information, contact:
Audra Jennings - 800-927-0517 x104

What is the True Measure of a Man?

2012-01-18T10:32:00.000-06:00

An interview with Richard E. Simmons III, author of

The True Measure of a Man: How Perceptions of Success,

Achievement & Recognition Fail Men in Difficult Times

Q: When did you first develop a passion for workingwith men? Whatinspired you to write The TrueMeasure of a Man?

Severalyears ago I noticed a pattern in young men’s lives. As they began theircareers, they all seemed to have the same plan for their lives: make a greatdeal of money, marry the woman of their dreams and have perfect children—theAmerican Dream. But, if you fast forward 15 to 20 years, it hits them thatlife has not turned out the way they had planned—work, marriage and raisingchildren in this culture are very difficult. The mid-life crisis most mengo through, I believe, is in reality a spiritual crisis, and there is a greatopportunity to reach men. That is how the vision to start the center cameabout.

Iwas inspired to write the book because of the financial crisis and the great fearthat men were experiencing. Warren Buffettcalled it a paralyzing fear. Someone suggested I give a series of talks onwhy men were having such difficulty understanding their fears, struggles andeven depression. I gave four talks that were very well received, and thenit was suggested that I convert them into a book, which I did.

Q: How does this book differ from other self-help books for men? How will itconnect with a man’s heart?

I think it is differentbecause it goes below the surface and speaks into men’s lives. It helps themunderstand themselves and how their fear of failure, which is like apsychological death to most men, creates all kinds of dysfunction in theirlives. But then also the book tells them very forthrightly how to be set freefrom this performance trap we get caught in. This part has probablyimpacted more men than any other part of the book.

Q: How is the American culture different than other cultures when it comes to aman’s value?

In our culture, men get their sense of worth and identitybased almost solely on how well they perform and achieve in the workplace. Inmore traditional cultures, men get their sense of identity based on theirrelationships (father, son, husband, friend) and their character.

Q: You talka great deal about men’s fears in the book. What are some of theirgreatest fears?

Man’s greatest fear (maybeother than death) is the fear of failure. It causes all types of problems thatjust cascade into his life. This leads men to have shallow relationships withother men and to the fear of taking risks and the need to impress others. It iswhy we compare ourselves with other men, and it results in jealousy and envy ofother men who we consider to be successful.

Q: Is this only a book for men? How could a woman benefit from reading it?

We are finding women lovethe book. I had a 72-year-old woman tell me she has read it twice. I hadanother woman who has been married 18 years tell me she never really understoodher husband until she read the book.

Q: Can you tell us a little about your ministry,the Center for Executive Leadership? What is it, and how is it changing thelives of men today?

I developed the center in 2000 when I realized howbadly men were struggling with their identity. Its mission is to assist menwith the development of their spiritual lives, to empower them through God’sWord by developing a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, to enlighten mento God’s truth so they can live their lives to the fullest and to get them intothe Word and the Word into the world. You can learn more about the Center for Executive Leadership bygoing to our website at www.thecenterbham.org.

What people are saying about The TrueMeasure of a Man:

‘‘Richard E. Simmons’ book is so full of common sense and practicality. It isespecially poignant and meaningful at such a critical time in our country . . .’’
--Ben Crenshaw, two-time Masters Tournament champion

‘‘The True Measure of a Man is a book I wish I had written, which isabout the best compliment I can pay to any book. It is what I would call agreat read--both accessible and profound in its understanding of the innerforces that make up the male psychology . . .’’
--Bob Buford, author of Halftime and Finishing Well

‘‘The True Measure of a Man is a book for every man of every faith or nofaith at all. He’ll learn why he doesn’t have to live with the guilt,insecurity, and fear that most men experience but often pretend they don’t.’’
--Fred Barnes, Executive Editor, The Weekly Standard, and Fox Newscommentator

The TrueMeasure of a Man by Richard E. Simmons III

EvergreenPress/November 2011

ISBN:978-1-5816-9359-1/160 pages/hardcover/$21.95

www.thetruemeasureofaman.com

For review copyand interview information, contact:

Audra Jennings - 800-927-0517 x104

Attention Fiction Lovers!

2012-01-17T19:12:00.002-06:00

Looking for great fiction reads? Here's what we currently have available for review... and a couple to be on the lookout for that will be offered for review soon!

Now available for interviews and review!

The Accidental Bride by Denise Hunter

(January 3 - Thomas Nelson)

Not in the Heart by Chris Fabry

(February 1 - Tyndale)

Plan now to request these books -

we'll be sending out announcements soon!

Stand by Me by Neta Jackson

(March 13 - Thomas Nelson)

Need You Now by Beth Wiseman

(April 17 - Thomas Nelson)

Showing Love and Hospitality to Others

2012-01-16T17:52:00.003-06:00

By Roxanne Packham, author of InspiredDesign

Before we are inspired about how to show love to others, wemust first ask why?

Quite simply it is because in Romans 12:10 &13 we are told tobe devoted to one another in brotherly love, to honor one another aboveourselves. We are also told to share with God’s people who are inneed and to Practice Hospitality. Notice the vocabulary: practice,not perfect.

In America, as a culture and as individuals, we are suffering inpart because popular media gears everything to perfection. We are bombardedwith messages that if we aren’t the very best at something, we just shouldn’tbother. We compare ourselves to others, rather than knowing our worth in God’seyes.

I suffer from insecurity and wonder if I can be creative enough toinspire. Are my tips original? Are the photographs beautiful enough? Aremy suggestions too simple for some, but too fancy for another? Theproblem: my thoughts revolve completely around me. My creativity,my skills, my ability. This is not about me butabout God’s purpose for me. I suddenly realize the bigger picture; I can’t doit, but I can through Christ who strengthens me.

This dance in my mind between my preciousness in His sight and theenemy’s interjections has slowed me down at times, but God showed me this danceis the very reason for us to love others; to encourage each other.Because we are human we suffer from doubt, insecurity, and rejection of onesort or another. We are God’s tool to encourage others. God uses us as Hishands to love others, but make no mistake it is His power, Hisgrace and the Holy Spirit that do the real work, not ours.

God’s path of creativity in me began with a family history ofsilversmithing eight generations back, a degree from USC, designschool in Paris, then design school in Los Angeles. Call them spiritual orotherwise, but they were the gifts God saw fit to give to me. Who am I to arguewith my Creator? They are unique and I celebrate them. What are yourmagnificent and unique gifts that you can use to inspire others?

I do not want the gifts received as a blessing from God to “turninto spiritual dry rot,” as Ann Voscamp suggests in her book One ThousandGifts, as the manna did when it was hoarded in Exodus 16:20. I want to usemy blessings.

Inadequacies and all, imperfections and all: I want to inspireothers to Practice Hospitality and to LOVE others.

Creative Ways to Encourage Others onValentine’s Day

KIND WORDS

A handwritten note with quotes, scriptures and words ofencouragement is a wonderful thing to find in the mailbox.

Leave a sticky note on your child/husband’s pillow or be bold andwrite your note on the bathroom mirror or car window in red lipstick saying “Ilove you”.

Even an email just to say “thank you for your hard work, you blessme” can make a person’s day. A cute poem, scripture or old photograph willremind them they are remembered.

If someone has lost a loved one, kind words of some way that lovedone inspired you to do something better will let them know that their lovedone’s legacy is living on.

AN INVITATION, TIME

Take some time out of your days to meet someone for coffee, lunch,a long walk, or even just leave a phone message with a sweet sentiment. If youhave more time, take a picnic basket to their home. Set up a lunch, tea orcoffee, with all your tea cups and a candle. It is a lovely surprise! Justrinse when you finish and pack back up so they don’t even have to do dishes.They will have a lovely memory of a special time.

THOUGHTFUL GESTURE

Hang flowers on the front door handle, leave a pretty tiny packagein the mailbox with a beautiful red bow, or cookies delivered to the frontdoor. Create a breakfast plate for your child that says you are special . Thisis especially significant if your child has struggled with something recently.

A BEAUTIFUL DINNER

Of course this takes more time, but try for a beautiful tablesetting complete with candles, fresh greens or flowers and a lovely menu eitherhandwritten or printed out on your computer. (Visit Roxanne’s Pinterestaccount, via the Inspired Design blog, for darling printouts, including gifttags, and much more.) Don’t concentrate on the gourmet or complicated qualityof the meal: remember it is about relationship and encouragement!

VALENTINE’S DINNER

A beautiful table for Valentine’s simply consists of reds, pinksand perhaps some purple. (Although it could be beautiful in all white too.) Ofcourse, it has to have some hearts and some colorful candles. Leave kind wordsof some sort on each place setting. Every Valentine’s table should have itsshare of sparkle, of course!

Visit Roxanne Packham’s blog at www.InspiredDesignPublications.blogspot.com

for more pictures and Inspired Design ideas

for Valentine’s Day.

For interview information, contact:

Audra Jennings - 800-927-0517 x104

Three copies of Inspired Design will be given away forreview to bloggers who post the Valentine’s article below and send the link to ajennings@tbbmedia.com by February 6.

A look inside The Gospel Story Bible

2012-01-13T07:30:00.000-06:00

Thank you to everyone who participated in today's tour!

It is time for a FIRST Wild Card Tour book review! If you wish to join the FIRST blog alliance, just click the button. We are a group of reviewers who tour Christian books. A Wild Card post includes a brief bio of the author and a full chapter from each book toured. The reason it is called a FIRST Wild Card Tour is that you never know if the book will be fiction, non~fiction, for young, or for old...or for somewhere in between! Enjoy your free peek into the book!

You never know when I might play a wild card on you!

Today's Wild Card author is:

Marty Machowski

Illustrated by:

A. E. Macha

and the book:

The Gospel Story Bible:

Discovering Jesus in the Old and New Testaments

New Growth Press (December 5, 2011)

***Special thanks to Audra Jennings – The B and B Media Group – for sending me a review copy.***

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Marty Machowski is a Family Life Pastor at Covenant Fellowship Church, a Sovereign Grace Ministries church in Glen Mills, Pennsylvania, where he has served on the pastoral staff for twenty-three years. Marty leads Promise Kingdom, the children’s ministry of Covenant Fellowship. He is also the author of Long Story Short: Ten-Minute Devotions to Draw Your Family to God and the forthcoming Gospel Story Sunday school curriculum. He and his wife Lois and their six children reside in West Chester, Pennsylvania.

Visit the author's Facebook Page.

http://gospelstoryforkids.com

ABOUT THE ILLUSTRATOR:

I have never been the best at anything. This has given me the freedom to really enjoy alot of things; perfection is not on the line. So my drawing is not clean, my patchwork corners don’t really match up, and my cooking is always an adventure. I was raised by a single mom who has an exhausting amount of creative energy. My brother and I were taught how to create our own entertainment and seek adventure in the everyday.

When I was in Jr High, both my parents remarried and let’s just say things have never been boring. A foster brother, two step sisters, and a half brother were added to the mix. I have aunts and uncles who have been beyond generous and helped raise me in many ways. I have been blessed to travel overseas and even live in Prague for six months. My dad and stepmom run a special needs home in Guatemala where I have spent time and really fallen in love with the culture. My brother and his wife run a shoe company out of Guatemala. Everywhere I have been, even a dirt floor hut in the hills of Guatemala, there has been art: design and color. I believe as humans we are created in the image of The Creator, and so we all have some creative effort to put forth.

I have a BFA in Illustration because after all the studio classes one takes to finish an Art Education degree, I found what I really like to do is draw. I doodle. Alot.

Presently, I am married with two little ones, living in the Germantown section of Philadelphia. I teach art part time at a sweet little christian school, grow tomatoes and beets, and sew or draw when I get the chance.

My first illustration project is coming out in the fall, 156 illustrated Bible stories in the “Gospel Story Bible” by Marty Machowski, published by New Growth Press.

Visit the illustrator's Website.

SHORT BOOK DESCRIPTION:

Sometimes it’s easy to forget Jesus in the midst of frantic schedules, family squabbles and conflicting priorities. For many Christians, God often becomes little more than an afterthought after days absorbed and depleted by the busyness of life. But the truth is that he is the hero of every story—including the mundane, ordinary ones we experience on a regular basis. That is why Marty Machowski beckons families to take time out from the daily grind to be transformed by the message of the Good News in his latest release, The Gospel Story Bible: Discovering Jesus in the Old and New Testaments (New Growth Press, November 2011).

Based on the ESV Bible, this uniquely illustrated Bible storybook uses 156 stories to present God’s plan of salvation in Christ from its opening narrative in Genesis to its finale in Revelation. This easy-to-read storybook written for children from preschool to high school introduces readers to many captivating people, places and events from the Bible’s Old and New Testaments. At the same time, Machowski skillfully connects the individual stories to the overall gospel narrative of how God redeemed a broken world through sending his son Jesus to save his people. Each story ends by connecting to Jesus and his gospel of grace. By sharing these Bible stories with each other, young and old will learn together the life-changing habit of recognizing the presence and workings of Christ in every moment of their day.

“The gospel is deep enough to keep the oldest and wisest parents learning and growing all their lives, yet simple enough to change the heart of the first grader who has just begun to read,” says Machowski. “That’s what makes The Gospel Story Bible ideal as a storybook for a preschooler, a devotional for a grade school student, a refresher for the adult believer or an introduction for the new one. Parents and children will learn together to read the whole Bible as one story, with one hero—Jesus Christ.”

Vibrant illustrations by A. E. Macha, child-friendly discussion questions and Scripture references accompany each story to help lead families in exploring the Bible. Parents and teachers will be delighted to discover how easily even a young child can understand the original text of a story that he or she has already come to love. A companion to the family devotional Long Story Short: Ten-Minute Devotions to Draw Your Family to God and the soon-to-be-released Gospel Story Sunday school curriculum (February 2012), The Gospel Story Bible is also a great resource for churches, Sunday school classes, home-schoolers and Christian schools who want to teach their children to apply the gospel to every situation and make Jesus the most important part of their everyday lives.

Product Details:

List Price: $29.99
Hardcover: 328 pages
Publisher: New Growth Press (December 5, 2011)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1936768127
ISBN-13: 978-1936768127

AND NOW...Some Sample Pages (click images to see them larger):

Free Yourself of Others' Opinions

2012-01-12T07:05:00.000-06:00

An interview with Ed Welch, author of

What Do You Think of Me? Why Do I Care?

Peer pressure, codependency, shame, low self-esteem;these are just some of the words used to identify how people are controlled byothers’ opinions. Why is it so important to be liked? Why is rejection sotraumatic? Edward T. Welch's insightful, biblical answers to these questionsshow that freedom from others' opinions and genuine, loving relationships growas we learn about ourselves, others, and God. What Do You Think of Me?Why Do I Care?: Answers to the Big Questions in Life includes questions forindividual or group study and is suitable for teenagers and young adults.

Q: What are some questions wecan ask ourselves to determine if we are being too controlled by the opinionsof others?

The list is a long one here.Am I angry? hopeless? self-protective? afraid? ashamed? depressed? withdrawing?Do I lie to make myself look better? Do I try to attach myself to the celebrityor popular person with the hope of enhancing my own reputation?

Q: Can you explain the term “peer pressure” and what it really means?

I don’t hear this word as much as I once did. It usually means that we are willing to do things we wouldn’t normally do as a way to be accepted by others. There is a good kind of peer pressure, when a youth group really wants to know Jesus better, but that’s not the way it usually happens. We have a lot of the Old Testament biographies in us, and in those cases when a person who belonged to God met a person who loved his or her idols, the follower of God started following the idols and not vice versa. Of course, in the age of the Spirit that can be different.

Q: You say that so much oflife comes down to three questions. Can you tell us what they are and how wecan find the answers to them?

The questions are Who is God?Who am I? and Who are you? The answers can be a little difficult todiscover. Most of us know the correct theological answers to these questions,but there are the correct ones and then there are the ones we really believe.That why the topic of the opinions of other people is so handy. It can surpriseus with our REAL answers to those questions.

So what are some of the realanswers?

Who is God? Picky, distant,nice but irrelevant.

Who am I? Needy, I must findan identity in myself - who I am and what I do? The problem is that God isn’tvery relevant and other people don’t solve the problem because I am a neverending hole that is looking to others so I can feel okay about myself.

Who are you? A threat, a god.

If we use these three basic questions, the question aboutGod tends to be irrelevant, which is at the very heart of the problem. Thenormal answer is, he loves me [but so what?]. Why doesn’t his love make thatmuch difference? It’s because other people have become our substitute god. Theonly way that God’s love becomes relevant is for “Why do I care?” to become aconfession, as in “Lord, why do I care so much about me and my desires?” Thattakes an ordinary desire [for approval, love, acceptance, belonging . . . ]that has grown to extraordinary proportions so that it is a ruling or evenidolatrous desire, and it brings that desire back to being an ordinary one inwhich other people’s poor opinions can hurt us, but not control us.

And who are other people? We want to love them just a littlemore than be loved by them.

Q: You write a lot in yourbook about worship. Tell us why this is such an important theme and how itapplies to the issue of people pleasing.

Worship seems like aonce-a-Sunday thing, but Scripture puts life in either/or terms: either we loveGod or something else, we trust in God or something else, we bow down to God orsomething else. Bowing down or worshipping is a vivid and accurate way todescribe what is always taking place in our hearts. The word control gets atit. What controls us is our god. What controls us is what we adore and worship.

Q: How can recognizingeveryone in our lives—acquaintances, loved ones, friends and enemies—as FAMILYchange our perspectives and the way we live with and think about others?

We can have wretched familiesthat are more like enemies than families, but most of us are familiar withrelationships in which we love people freely. We don’t have to put on airs, weare always wondering what they are thinking about us. Instead, we simply loveand enjoy them. When we are interested, we are more interested in them than weare in what they think of us. That recognizable experience moves us toward away out from this particular human struggle. At the end of the day, love Godand love your neighbor is where we will find lots of answers.

About the Author: Edward T. Welch, M.Div., Ph.D., is a licensed psychologist and facultymember at the Christian Counseling & Educational Foundation (CCEF). He hascounseled for over twenty-five years and is the best-selling author of manybooks, including When People Are Big and God Is Small; Addictions: ABanquet in the Grave; Blame It on the Brain?; Depression: AStubborn Darkness; Crossroads: A Step-by-Step Guide Away from Addiction;Running Scared: Fear, Worry and the God of Rest; and When I AmAfraid: A Step-by-Step Guide Away from Fear and Anxiety. He and his wifeSheri have two daughters, two sons-in-law and four grandchildren.

What Do You Think of Me? Why Do I Care?: Answers tothe Big Questions of Life
byEdward T. Welch

New Growth Press/November 2011

ISBN 978-1-935273-86-8/160 pages/paperback/$12.99

www.newgrowthpress.com ~ http://www.ccef.org/blog

For review copyand interview information, contact:
Audra Jennings - 800-927-0517 x104

Preview TEN: How Would You Rate Your Life?

2012-01-11T09:16:00.000-06:00

Thanks to everyone who participated in today's tour!

It is time for a FIRST Wild Card Tour book review! If you wish to join the FIRST blog alliance, just click the button. We are a group of reviewers who tour Christian books. A Wild Card post includes a brief bio of the author and a full chapter from each book toured. The reason it is called a FIRST Wild Card Tour is that you never know if the book will be fiction, non~fiction, for young, or for old...or for somewhere in between! Enjoy your free peek into the book!

You never know when I might play a wild card on you!

Today's Wild Card author is:

Terry A. Smith

and the book:

Ten: How Would You Rate Your Life?

HigherLife Publishing (January 3, 2012)

***Special thanks to Audra Jennings – The B and B Media Group – for sending me a review copy.***

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Terry A. Smith has served as a lead pastor of the Life Christian Church for twenty years. TLCC is a nondenominational faith community in West Orange, NJ, serving the New York City metro area. Terry is a cofounder of the New York City Leadership Center and an instructor in its Leadership Fellows program. A gifted communicator, Terry speaks in a variety of venues nationally and internationally. He is passionate about challenging, developing, and encouraging leaders.

Visit the author's website.

SHORT BOOK DESCRIPTION:

Many of us dream of living a richer and more significant life—the kind of fulfilling life that, when rated on the scale of one to ten, would score a definitive ten. Inviting us to awaken to the TEN Life is the theme of a new book by Terry A. Smith, lead pastor of The Life Christian Church in West Orange, New Jersey. A gifted communicator, Terry is a national and international speaker with a passion for challenging and encouraging others, especially those who are completely unaware of their own unique power and potential.

Based on the tenth verse of the tenth chapter in the Book of John, Ten: How Would You Rate Your Life? (Higher Life Development Services, Inc) is a guide to living the life God dreams for us. “We can only know life in all its fullness,” he explains, “if we live the life God dreams for us. And part of the TEN experience is to try to figure out what that means for each of us as individuals.” Smith’s easy-going style of writing, coupled with his broad scope of reference, makes the book appealing to any reader wanting to create a richer quality of life.

Product Details:

List Price: $24.95

Hardcover: 272 pages
Publisher: HigherLife Publishing (November 10, 2011)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1935245503
ISBN-13: 978-1935245506

:

AND NOW...THE FIRST CHAPTER:

The Future Is in You

A really cool thing happened to me recently. I was at the ESPN Zone at Times Square for a Cotchery Foundation benefit. Th e Cotchery Foundation was founded by Mercedes and Jerricho Cotchery. Jerricho is a star wide receiver for the New York Jets. He and Mercedes are friends of mine, and I was at this event to support them and the causes they care about. Oh—and I’m a big football fan.

On this night, the Cotchery Foundation was raising a lot of money for several causes, but the primary beneficiary was Pride Academy Charter School. Pride Academy is located in East Orange, New Jersey. East Orange sits in the shadow of Newark and is plagued by severe problems in its educational system—problems all too common to urban America. Th e hope is that a successful charter school like Pride Academy will make a powerful difference in the future of many kids and the future of the community itself.

So I’m standing there in a crush of people, many of them fans who had donated in order to be there. They were given the opportunity to hang out with Jerricho, some of his teammates, and other celebrities. Lots of autographs were being signed.

A woman kind of forced her way over to me. Th e two beaming young girls at her side were about ten or eleven years old. “I want to meet you,” she said, “and these girls said that you were the celebrity they want to meet tonight.” I laughed. Politely? I thought I had been confused—again—for an old retired lineman. Big guy. Shaved head. Still eating to gain weight but not working out enough anymore. Celebrity? Ha! The last autograph I signed was the signature line of a personal check.

“No,” she smiled, “we know who you are.” Then the girls introduced themselves and started to thank me. They attend Pride Academy. The woman was the principal.

So what did this have to do with me?

Well, I am the senior pastor of The Life Christian Church in West Orange, New Jersey, a fairly prosperous suburb of Newark and New York City. A young woman named Rose Mary Dumenigo attends our church. Rose Mary says that she was so inspired by the message in my weekend talks that she decided—along with three other women—to create Pride Academy Charter School.

Rose Mary was a schoolteacher in Newark. She was pouring her life into kids, as do most teachers, but felt stuck in a system that didn’t work. She wanted more. She heard me say—over and over—that we have the God-given ability to create new realities. She believed me. She started a school. Kids’ lives are being saved.

Enter Jerricho and Mercedes Cotchery. In one of our weekend celebrations, Mercedes experienced a presentation about a serving opportunity at Pride Academy. She was inspired to get involved. She started RESH 180, a mentoring program where she teaches the students values that provide the foundation for life success. She has rallied many other volunteers to serve at Pride Academy. The Cotchery Foundation has raised a lot of money to help this school succeed.

And I got to be a celebrity—at least in the minds of two beautiful kids—for about sixty seconds.

But that’s not the point. The point is that I’ve had a lot of people, though usually in less dramatic ways, tell me that the message they hear me share again and again and again has changed their lives and the lives of people around them.

What is that message? Well . . . here it is. I hope it impacts your life too.

The future is in you now.

Most of us have some awareness of the future that is in us. We have moments when we catch our breath in wonder as we briefly glimpse possibilities vastly preferred over our past and present. We intuit something great and grand and from God percolating just beneath the surface of our lives.

We can become fully awake to this future. We can bring this future from the nebulous realm of the subconscious into the world of the conscious. We can move the mystery toward the intentional. Once we do, we can partner with God to create the tomorrow He has dreamed for us—the future we were made for. We can create our God-inspired futures.

God-inspired futures are futures that are better, best, preferred. But God does not force these futures on us. He allows us to choose whether to actualize them. We can cooperate with Him in the continuing act of creating the life and the world He envisioned. And we can experience more and more what He made in the beginning, before terrible human choices messed everything up.

I want this preferred future God planned for each of us and for those we love. I’m not only referring to future generations—opportunities that only our children or even their children will be able to experience. I am talking about imminent futures, eventualities that we can all witness sooner rather than later.

I want to help you conceive and birth the futures—yours and others’— that are gestating in you but are yet unborn. Countless lives are waiting to be changed. There are always new futures waiting to live.

Dr. Thomas P. Barnett, former advisor to the Office of the Secretary of Defense of the United States, was tasked with the burdensome responsibility of studying the future of the world. He writes about the need “to imagine a future worth creating” and to “actually try to build it.”1 He says, “I choose to see it as a moral responsibility—a duty to leave our children a better world.”2

If someone has the ability to imagine a better future and holds the power to create it, then he or she is morally responsible to do just that. We all have facing us incredible potentialities that can cause an entire new reality to exist. When we consider these possibilities, common and moral sense should direct us toward purposeful action.

We must take the actions necessary to bring about the promptings in our hearts. In the New Testament, James talks about the worthlessness of knowing the good we ought to do and not doing it. He says it is a sin (Jas. 4:17). If opportunities lie dormant in our minds and are never actualized, we are living inferior lives. Purposeful inaction is a detriment to the future of our world.

Donald Miller wrote a beautiful book about how to write a better story with our lives. He said, “A character who wants something and overcomes conflict to get it is the basic structure of a good story.”3 Profound. I think “living a good story” is a loaded proposition. One part of “good” is “interesting.” We should live interesting stories. The more important part of “good” is “moral.” It is not enough to live an interesting story; there must be a moral to our story. What great story does not have a moral conflict?

Who can say what is moral? What authority determines what is good? I am a Christian. My understanding of morality is premised on the Judeo-Christian worldview. Whether or not your worldview is the same as mine, I think we can agree that there is a difference between right and wrong, good and evil. And I hope you’ll keep reading. Whether you are a Christ follower or not, I hope that we can agree that we can create a “good” future together.

Anyone who thinks one thing should be done rather than another has acknowledged a “moral ought.” Keep the law. Help the poor. Save the trees. This “ought to” is rooted in the idea that better, best, and preferred must be practiced in a moral context.

There has been a common understanding of morality throughout time even though it has been expressed uniquely through various cultures at various times. I believe, as do other people of faith, that this implies the existence of a moral lawgiver: God—the Creator of conscience. He gave us the ability to discern right and wrong.

And I believe that the future we are responsible to create must be pursued with the idea of what’s right and what’s good deeply impressed in our minds. This guarantees that our stories will be filled with moral conflict. Good.

One of the greatest moral conflicts in American history was the struggle for the abolition of slavery. William Seward was a New York state senator (1830–1834), state governor (1838–1842), and the leading candidate in the Republican Party for the 1860 presidential nomination. He was defeated by the relatively unknown Abraham Lincoln. Seward, however, decided to continue serving his country during a time of tremendous moral crisis by accepting President Lincoln’s invitation to become secretary of state.

During his earlier years as a United States senator, Seward set a moral momentum toward ending slavery by advocating an allegiance to “higher law.” He acknowledged that some believed that the United States Constitution permitted, or perhaps ignored, slavery. In a famous speech to the Senate, Seward said, “But there is a higher law than the Constitution.” He then made a future-changing argument, based on moral law, against the inglorious institution of slavery.4

President Lincoln was influenced mightily by Seward’s concept of a higher, moral law. He coupled that philosophy with his own strong conviction that the basis of American independence—that all men are created equal—came directly from God Himself. The argument against slavery was essentially a moral argument for a better future for a nation and its people. This concept was anchored in God’s mandate for the equality of every human being, a partial motive for the Civil War, which won freedom for millions of formerly enslaved people and their progeny.

When Richmond, Virginia, the capital of the Confederate States of America, fell to Union forces on April 3, 1865, Lincoln and his entourage showed up the next day. They walked dangerously through the streets of the city—now golden streets—echoing the voice of freedom as throngs of newly freed slaves flocked the vicinity of the defeated capital. The emancipated surrounded the Great Emancipator with such force and determination that the soldiers guarding him were helpless in keeping them at a safe distance. With great passion, this group sang the president’s praises, hailing him as their Messiah, shouting, “Glory, hallelujah!”

Lincoln knew better than to accept such acclamation. He responded, “Don’t kneel to me; that is not right. You must kneel to God only, and thank him for the liberty you will hereafter enjoy.”5 While Lincoln was used as an instrument to unfold the preferred futures of people who had never tasted the fruits of freedom, he knew that this better future came from God, the highest law.

So, the future is in us.

And not just any future. It is the future that God has planned for us and our world.

We are responsible to bring this future out of the realm of the unseen and into the world of the seen and lived.

And we can. We can create a better future for ourselves and others.

If we really want to.

Common English Bible Broadens Its Appeal

2012-01-10T18:11:00.002-06:00

As2012 dawns, the new Bible translation CommonEnglish Bible is establishing itself on multiple websites,celebrating its second consecutive month as a best seller, creating a growingbuzz among bloggers, and is twice considered by journalists as being one of thetop religion stories of 2011.

BibleGateway.com, the highest ranked (according to Alexa) website in the worldfor Bible search activity, is now featuring the Common English Bible (Twitter @CommonEngBible) in its Verse of the Day free email subscription.And Patheos.com, the international online hub for faith communities, is nowfeaturing the Common English Bible as its Daily Verse, appearing on its LibraryBible Resources page,Evangelical Portal,and Progressive Christian Portal.

The free-to-search text of the Common English Bible, including the Apocrypha,is available online at the translation’s website,Bible Gateway,and YouVersion.A Bible Passage Lookup widget is also available for placement on personal websites.

The Common English Bible is on the January CBABible Translation Best Seller list (based on actual unit sales in Christianretail stores in the United States through Dec. 3, 2011).Its debut on the list in December came after being in stores just less thanthree months.

More than 150 international bloggers are currently participating in thethree-month long “Thank You-Come Again-I Promise”blog tour (from November 2011 through January 2012). The tour’sTwitter hashtag is #CEBtour. The complete tour schedule,and information about joining the tour, is available at CommonEnglishBible.com/CEB/blogtour.

And the completion of the Common English Bible after four years of translationwork was named one of the top 10 religion stories of 2011 as decided by leadinginternational religion journalists in the 30^th annual ReligionNewswriters Association survey and by editors of the Associated Baptist Press.

“There’s a reason the Common English Bible is receiving such a positive andpopular reception,” says Paul Franklin, PhD, associate publisher. “It’sprobably the most literal Bible translation, built on common ground withacademic rigor and denomination neutrality, which clearly communicates ancientsacred text in understandable 21^st century English.”

The Common English Bible isa collaboration of 120 Bible scholars and editors, 77 reading group leaders,and more than 500 average readers from around the world. The translators – from24 denominations in American, African, Asian, European, and Latino communities– represent such academic institutions as Asbury Theological Seminary, AzusaPacific University, Bethel Seminary, Denver Seminary, Princeton TheologicalSeminary, Seattle Pacific University, Wheaton College, Yale University, andmany others.

The Common English Bible is written incontemporary idiom at the same reading level as the newspaper USA TODAY—using language that’scomfortable and accessible for today’s English readers. More thanhalf-a-million copies of the Bible are already in print, including an editionwith the Apocrypha. The Common English Bible is available for purchase onlineand in 20 digital formats. A Reference Bible edition and a Daily Companiondevotional edition are now also available. Additionally, in 2012, Church/PewBibles, Gift and Award Bibles, Large Print Bibles, and Children’s Bibleeditions will be in stores, joining the existing Thinline Bibles, Compact ThinBibles, and Pocket-Size Bibles, bringing the total variety of Common EnglishBible stock-keeping units (SKUs) to more than 40.

Visit CommonEnglishBible.com tosee comparison translations, learn about the translators, get free downloads,and more.

The Common English Bible is sponsored by the Common English Bible Committee, analliance of five publishers that serve the general market, as well as the ChristianChurch (Disciples of Christ) (Chalice Press), Presbyterian Church (USA)(Westminster John Knox Press), Episcopal Church (Church Publishing, Inc.),United Church of Christ (The Pilgrim Press), and The United Methodist Church(Abingdon Press).

# # #

For a media review copy of the Common EnglishBible and to schedule an interview with Paul Franklyn, please contact AudraJennings, ajennings@tbbmedia.com at 1.800.927.0517 x104.

A Preview of The Accidental Bride

2012-01-09T08:00:00.000-06:00

Thanks to everyone who took part in today's tour!

It is time for a FIRST Wild Card Tour book review! If you wish to join the FIRST blog alliance, just click the button. We are a group of reviewers who tour Christian books. A Wild Card post includes a brief bio of the author and a full chapter from each book toured. The reason it is called a FIRST Wild Card Tour is that you never know if the book will be fiction, non~fiction, for young, or for old...or for somewhere in between! Enjoy your free peek into the book!

You never know when I might play a wild card on you!

Today's Wild Card author is:

Denise Hunter

and the book:

The Accidental Bride

Thomas Nelson (January 3, 2012)

***Special thanks to Audra Jennings – The B and B Media Group – for sending me a review copy.***

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Denise lives in Indiana with her husband Kevin and their three sons. In 1996, Denise began her first book, a Christian romance novel, writing while her children napped. Two years later it was published, and she's been writing ever since. Her books often contain a strong romantic element, and her husband Kevin says he provides all her romantic material, but Denise insists a good imagination helps too!

Visit the author's website.

SHORT BOOK DESCRIPTION:

Shay Brandenberger has built her entire life on the shifting sands of what others think. Constantly seeking the approval of others, she has struggled through a rocky childhood, a failed marriage and single parenthood. Now it looks like she’s losing the ranch that has been in her family for three generations, a surefire way to mark her as a failure in the eyes of the community. When Travis McCoy, the high school sweetheart who very publicly broke her heart fifteen years before, returns to Moose Creek, she is less than pleased. Not only does his re-appearance dredge up a deluge of painful memories, it also reminds everyone in town that it was he who left her, not the other way around. To make matters worse, Shay and Travis are unwittingly paired to play bride and groom in the annual Founder’s Day wedding re-enactment where, much to her chagrin, she discovers he still has the power to take her breath away.

Product Details:

List Price: $15.99

Paperback: 304 pages
Publisher: Thomas Nelson (January 3, 2012)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1595548025
ISBN-13: 978-1595548023

AND NOW...THE FIRST CHAPTER:

The bell above the diner’s door jingledand—despite her most valiant effort—Shay Brandenberger’s eyes darted toward theentry. An unfamiliar couple entered—tourists. She could tell by their khakiEddie Bauer vests and spanking-new hiking boots. Look out, Yellowstone.

When her heart rate returned to normal,she checked her watch and took a sip of coffee. Five minutes till she met MissLucy at the Doll House, forty till she met John Oakley at the bank. What if hesaid no? What would they do then?

“Mom . . . Earth to Mom . . .” Oliviawaved her hand too close to Shay’s face, her brown eyes widening.

“Sorry, hon.” The one bright moment ofher Saturday was breakfast with her daughter, and she couldn’t enjoy it for thedread. “What were you saying?”

Olivia set her fork on herpancake-sticky plate and heaved a sigh worthy of her twelve-year-old self.“Never mind.” She bounced across the vinyl bench, her thick brown ponytailswinging. “I’m going to meet Maddy.”

“Right back here at noon,” Shay called,but Olivia was out the door with the flick of her hand.

The diner buzzed with idle chatter.Silverware clattered and scraped, and the savory smell of bacon and fried eggsunsettled her stomach. She took a sip of the strong brew from the fat rim ofher mug.

The bell jingled again. I will not look. I willnot look. I will not—

The server appeared at her booth, a newgirl, and gathered Olivia’s dishes. “On the house today.”

Shay set down her mug, bristling. “Why?”

The woman shrugged. “Boss’s orders,” shesaid, then made off with the dirty dishes.

From the rectangular kitchen window,Mabel Franklin gave Shay a pointed look.

So Shay had helped the couple with theirfoal the week before. It was the neighborly thing to do.

Fine. She gave a reluctant smile and awave. She pulled her wallet from her purse, counted out the tip, and draggedherself from the booth, remembering her daughter’s bouncy exit. Lately herthirty-two years pressed down on her body like a two-ton boulder.

She opened the diner’s door and peekedboth ways before exiting the Tin Roof and turning toward the Doll House. Shewas only checking sidewalk traffic, not hiding. Nope, she wasn’t hiding fromanyone. The boardwalks were busy on Saturdays. That was why she hadn’t come totown for two weeks. Why their pantry was emptier than a water trough at highnoon.

She hurried three shops down and slippedinto the cool, welcoming air of Miss Lucy’s shop.

“ ’Morning, Miss Lucy.”

“ ’Morning, dear.” The elderly woman, inthe middle of helping a customer, called over her rounded shoulder, “It’s inthe back.” Miss Lucy’s brown eyes were big as buckeyes behind her thickglasses, and her white curls glowed under the spotlights.

“Okeydoke.” Shay forced her feet towardthe storeroom.

A musty smell assaulted her as sheentered the back room and flipped on the overhead fluorescents. She scanned theboxes of doll parts and skeins of yarn until she found what she was lookingfor. She approached the box, lifted the lid, and parted the tissue.

The wedding gown had been carefullyfolded and tucked away. Shay ran her fingers over the delicate lace and pearls.Must’ve been crisp white in its day, but time had cast a long shadow over it.Time had a way of doing that.

Her fingers lingered on the thin fabric.She remembered another time, another dress. A simple white one that hung on heryoung shoulders, just skimmed the cement of the courthouse steps. The ache thatsqueezed her heart had faded with time, but it was there all the same. Would itever go away?

Shaking her head, Shay turned back tothe task at hand. The gown seemed too pretty, too fragile to disturb.

Oh well. She’d promised.

She pulled it out and draped it over thebox, then shimmied from her jeans. When she was down to the bare necessities,she stepped carefully into the gown. She eased it over her narrow hips and slidher arms into the long sleeves. The neckline was modest, the gathered skirtfuller than anything she ever wore. Here in the air-conditioning it was fine,but she would swelter next Saturday.

Leaving the button-up back gaping, shehitched the skirt to the top of her cowboy boots and entered the store.

Miss Lucy was ushering the customer outthe door. When she turned, she stopped, her old-lady shoes squeaking on thelinoleum. “Land sakes.”

Shay took two steps forward and droppedthe skirt. It fell to the floor with a whoosh.

“Fits like a glove,” Miss Lucy said.“And with some low heels it’ll be the perfect length.”

Shay didn’t even own heels. “My boots’llhave to do. Button the back?”

Miss Lucy waddled forward, turned Shaytoward a small wall mirror flecked with time, and began working the tiny pearlbuttons.

Shay’s breath caught at her image. Sheforced its release, then frowned. Wedding gowns were bad luck. She’d swornshe’d never wear another. If someone had told her yesterday she’d be wearingthis thing today, she’d have said they were one straw short of a bale.

Miss Lucy moved up to the buttonsbetween her shoulders, and Shay lifted her hair. The dress did fit, clinging toher torso like it was made for her, wouldn’t you know. Even the colorcomplemented her olive skin.

Still, there was that whole bad luckthing.

And what would everyone think of ShayBrandenberger wearing this valuable piece of Moose Creek heritage? A whitewedding gown, no less. If she didn’t have the approval of her closest friendsand neighbors, what did she have? Not much, to her thinking.

She wanted to cut and run. Wanted toshimmy right out of the dress, tuck it into that box in the storeroom, slipback into her Levi’s and plaid button-up, and go back to her ranch where shecould hole up for the next six months.

She checked the time and wished MissLucy had nimbler fingers. Of all days to do this, a Saturday, when everyonewith two legs was in town. And she still had that infernal meeting with JohnOakley.

Please, God, I can’t lose our home . . .

“I’m obliged to you, dear. I completelyforgot Jessie was going out of town.”

“No problem.”

“Baloney. You’d rather be knee-deep incow dung.” The woman’s marionette lines at the sides of her mouth deepened.

“It’s one hour of my life.” A pittance,after all Miss Lucy had done for her.

Miss Lucy finished buttoning, and Shaydropped her hair and smoothed the delicate lace at the cuffs.

“Well, bless you for being willing. Godis smiling down on you today for your kindness.”

Shay doubted God really cared one way oranother. It was her neighbors she worried about.

“Beautiful, just beautiful. You’ll bethe talk of the town on Founders Day.”

“No doubt.” Everyone in Moose Creekwould be thinking about the last time she’d worn a wedding gown. And the timebefore that.

Especially the time before that.

Third time’s a charm, Shay thought, the corner of her lipturning up.

“Stop fretting,” Miss Lucy said,squeezing her shoulders. “You look quite fetching, like the gown was made foryou. I won’t have to make a single alteration. Why, it fits you better than itever did Jessie—don’t you tell her I said so.”

Shay tilted her head. Maybe Miss Lucywas right. The dress did make the most of her figure. And she had as much rightto wear it as anyone. Maybe more—she was born and raised here, after all. Itwas just a silly old reenactment anyway. No one cared who the bride and groomwere.

The bell jingled as the door openedbehind her. She glanced in the mirror, over her shoulder, where a hulkingsilhouette filled the shop’s doorway. There was something familiar in the setof the man’s broad shoulders, in the slow way he reached up and removed hishat.

The sight of him constricted her ribcage, squeezed the air from her lungs as if she were wearing a corset. But shewasn’t wearing a corset. She was wearing a wedding gown. Just as she had beenthe last time she’d set eyes on Travis McCoy.

Your New Year’s ANTI-Resolution

2012-01-06T16:35:00.000-06:00

3 Reasons New Year’s Resolutions

Don’t Work and What You Should Do Instead

if You Want to Succeed in 2012

By B.C. Fleming

Author and Speaker

www.BlownUpGuy.com

In the military we are results oriented, period! Andthere is no excuse for not producing results. Nobody wants to be knownas "that guy" who can't be counted on. I knowvery few, if any, successful people who take New Year’s resolutions seriously (andI’m blessed to know quite a few, actually). A great number of people who aresuccessful at what they do are successful because they are results-focused andresults-oriented, they don’t make excuses for failure, they are go-getters and stubbornin their commitment to not give up and stick with it and they don’t stake thesuccess of their careers or personal lives on short-lived, “feel-good”marketing gimmicks that reappear once a year every January (not to sound harsh,but let’s be honest).

1. New Year’sresolutions are meant to be broken. They don’t work because nobody keeps them.People make their resolutions with the intention of receiving some sort ofpleasure or reward and expect it to happen almost instantaneously. When itdoesn’t come fast enough they give up. But I can tell you from personalexperience that the desire to avoid imminent pain or discomfort will move morepeople in a given direction faster than any other force, even the promise ofpleasure or reward. Most people, when it comes to their resolutions, focus onlyon what they want to happen. But youwill take more consistent action when you have the daunting thoughts of thethings you don’t want to happen inthe forefront of your mind accompanying those things you do want.

2. New Year’s resolutions do more damagethan good because people don’t know how to properly set and actuallyachieve goals. Most people are half-hearted in their commitments to their NewYear’s resolutions because they want the result without the work. Then theyfeel like failures when they choose to give up in a month or two becausethey’ve decided that what they thought they wanted isn’t worth the effort.Again, they beat themselves down mentally and feel like failures because theygave up and it’s back to square one.

3. People despisechange. People instinctively try to avoid change instead of embracingit. People like their comfort zones and New Year’s resolutions require people toget out of those comfort zones and to stay out of them. Pursuing and reaching aNew Year’s resolution typically involves a moderate to major change in aperson’s daily lifestyle. Doing something different takes time to develop intoa habit—roughly 3 weeks according to some experts. Drastic, sudden changes inpersonal lifestyle typically won’t last for any extended period of time becausemost people simply don’t want whatever it is they said they wanted badlyenough.

B.C. FLEMING’S SOLUTION TO

YOUR ANTI-NEW YEAR’S RESOLUTION:

1. Make a list of 3things you absolutely DO NOT wantto have happen in your life this year (in the “resolution areas” as I call them—areasyou’re looking to improve in). Underneath that list of things you don’t want to happen, make a sub-list of3 simple, practical things you are going to do every single day in order toavoid having those things happen. At the end of the paper, write one short,simple phrase stating your ultimate goal or desire in doing these things—and bespecific (seeing your end result written down is KEY)—and then write down aspecific date as a deadline.

2. Make 3-5 copiesof this short, simple list.

3. Tape these on your mirror, next to your toilet, in your car, onyour refrigerator, on the backside of your front door—anywhere you will beforced to run into them and look at them on a daily basis. Then do the activities listed which will ultimately lead you to your goal. Successhere is in keeping it simple and doable.

4. Stay consistent!Truth is, if you want something badly enough and are willing to do whatever ittakes and stick with it, you’ll get it.

Remember… At the endof the day you have nobody to blameand your success is your own fault!

*To INSTANTLY download a FREEcopy of “Fleming’s Ridiculously Simple Plan for Achieving Your Goals,” simply go to www.BlownUpGuy.com, scroll to the bottom of the page and clickthe yellow button that says “GOALS!”

For interview information, contact:

Audra Jennings - 800-927-0517 x104

B.C. Fleming is available for speaking engagements.

For more information contact,

Helen Cook - 800-927-0517 x110.

Reasons for Hope: In the Mosaic of Your Life

2012-01-05T18:00:00.000-06:00

God uses our brokenness to create something beautiful;
Carl Kerby shares his mosaic.

Life is not always picture-perfect, and sometimes itis difficult to see God’s plan or purpose—especially during difficult times. Reasons for Hope: In the Mosaic of Your Life,by sought-after speaker Carl Kerby, researches the many aspects of faith thatwill encourage everyone looking for hope in today’s troubling times. With humorand passion, Carl answers questions about suffering, evolution, relativism,faith and more, strengthening his readers and equipping them to offer true hopeto a broken world.

“In a mosaic, the artist arranges pieces of cut orbroken stones or tiles to create a decorative pattern. We may struggle to graspthe overall design of a mosaic when we’re looking at the individual pieces upclose, because what we see looks like a piece of junk, broken and useless. Butwhen we step back far enough to view the entire mosaic, we get a newperspective, and we see the intricate beauty of the finished masterpiece. Thatenables us to grasp the original intent of the artist,” explains Carl Kerby. Reasons for Hope chronicles Carl’s rockystart as the son of a professional wrestler and takes readers from hisdifficult teen years and his military career to his stressful responsibility asan air-traffic controller at one of the nation’s busiest airports andultimately to his ministry calling as a speaker. Carl reveals how God hascreated a beautiful mosaic from the broken pieces of his life, held together bythe saving grace of the cross of Jesus Christ. As readers join in Carl’sjourney, they will come to understand how the bigger picture of their own livesreveals a unique and beautiful mosaic.

Using his dynamic and infectious passion, Carl revealsGod’s hand throughout his life, from childhood to adulthood, from unbelief tobelief. No matter what the circumstances, God gathers up the broken pieces oflife and forms them into something beautiful, all according to His purpose andplan. Carl’s story will not only give reasons for hope but will also encouragereaders to share their only true hope, Jesus Christ. Readers will walk awayknowing that the broken pieces of their lives are used by God to make beautifuland useful vessels for His work.

About theAuthor: Carl Kerby is president andfounder of Reasons for Hope (rforh.com), founded in 2011 as a response to acalling from God to proclaim the authority and authenticity of the Bible. Hewas previously a founding board member at Answers in Genesis for ten years andserved there for over fifteen years. Before that he worked as an air-trafficcontroller at O’Hare International Airport. Kerby’s love for Jesus fuels apassion to engage the minds and hearts of youth and adults so that they canknow the truth of God’s Word. He is a sought-after speaker both in the UnitedStates and abroad. Yet his most cherished accomplishment is his 29-yearmarriage to his wife, Masami, and his roles as father to his children, Alisaand Carl, Jr., and as grandfather to Trey.

Reasonsfor Hope: In the Mosaic of Your Life by Carl Kerby

Genesis Publishing Group/December 15, 2011

ISBN: 978-1933591094/208pages/paperback/$14.99

To learn more about Reasons for Hope* visit www.rforh.com

For review copy and interview information, contact:

Audra Jennings - 800-927-0517 x104

Bloggers may request a copy by filling out the form below:

God's Will or a Preacher's Blunder?

2012-01-04T18:02:00.002-06:00

The Accidental Bride

In her latest novel,author Denise Hunter

explores the flaw in seeking favor with others

Do the opinions of those aroundus really matter? Should we live our lives based on what others might think? Ifso, at what cost? In her latest novel, TheAccidental Bride (Thomas Nelson), award-winning author Denise Hunterexplores these questions as she deftly leads her readers to discover the One whosefavor should always be sought.

Shay Brandenberger has built her entirelife on the shifting sands of what others think. Constantly seeking theapproval of others, she has struggled through a rocky childhood, a failedmarriage and single parenthood. Now it looks like she’s losing the ranch thathas been in her family for three generations, a surefire way to mark her as afailure in the eyes of the community. When Travis McCoy, the high schoolsweetheart who very publicly broke her heart fifteen years before, returns to MooseCreek, she is less than pleased. Not only does his re-appearance dredge up adeluge of painful memories, it also reminds everyone in town that it was he wholeft her, not the other way around. To make matters worse, Shay and Travis are unwittinglypaired to play bride and groom in the annual Founder’s Day wedding re-enactmentwhere, much to her chagrin, she discovers he still has the power to take herbreath away.

After years of successfully followingthe rodeo circuit, Travis’s one regret in life is having hurt Shay so badly.He’s determined to make the past up to her, so when, through a series offlukes, the marriage ceremony is “accidentally” made official, he seizes theopportunity to make things right. But can Shay let go of her pride and stopworrying about what others think long enough to let him? Or will she remainconvinced their accidental marriage is just one more mark against her in theeyes of her neighbors?

Skillfully creating a love story that beautifullyreflects God’s grace, Hunter uses the pages of The Accidental Bride (the second release in the Big Sky Series) tobring to light preoccupation with caring what others think. Using complexcharacters, an enticing backdrop and an almost palpable range of emotion andconflict, Hunter draws her readers to a new awareness of how much more simplelife becomes when we aim to please God instead of man.

Author Bio: Denise Hunter is the award-winning author of eighteenromance novels, including The ConvenientGroom, Surrender Bay, Driftwood Lane and the first book in theBig Sky Series, A Cowboy’s Touch. Struckby the brevity of life following her grandfather’s passing, Denise beganwriting in 1996. As a young stay-at-home mom she used the brief time while herchildren were napping each day to pursue her dream of being a writer. Two yearslater her first novel was published. She then continued her naptime writingschedule to complete four more novels. Today she encourages other young mothersto pursue their writing dreams, pointing out that writing only one page a dayfor a year will result in a completed manuscript. Since beginning her career,Hunter’s work has earned her the Holt Medallion Award, the Reader’s ChoiceAward and the Foreword Book of the Year Award. She has also been a RITAfinalist. Hunter lives in Indiana with her husband and their three teenaged sons.Along with writing and spending time with her family, she enjoys reading,traveling and playing drums for her church’s worship team.

The Accidental Bride byDenise Hunter

Thomas Nelson/January 3, 2012/ISBN 978-1-59554-802-3/304 pages/trade paper/$15.99

www.ThomasNelson.com ~ www.DeniseHunterbooks.com

For review copy and interview information, contact:

Audra Jennings - 800-927-0517 x104

Bloggers may request a copy by filling out the form below:

How would you rate your life?

2012-01-03T17:01:00.000-06:00

What DoesIt Take to Live a Fulfilled Life?

The key togetting better at your life is

helping others get better at theirs.

Based on the tenth verse of the tenth chapter in the Book ofJohn, Ten: How Would You Rate Your Life? (HigherLife Development Services, Inc) is a guide to living the life God dreams forus. “We can only know life in all its fullness,” he explains, “if we live thelife God dreams for us. And part of the TEN experience is to try to figure outwhat that means for each of us as individuals.” Smith’s easy-going style ofwriting, coupled with his broad scope of reference, makes the book appealing toany reader wanting to create a richer quality of life.

But while the book does most certainly provide structuredsteps toward a more fulfilling life, it isfar from being the typical “all about me” self-help book. Rather, it is an others-help book. Throughout its pages,Smith links our incredible potential for a superior life to the exponentialpower of leadership, exposing the bond between creating your own better life and helping others create better livesfor themselves. No matter what our inclinations or natural giftings might be,Smith stresses that we all have the ability to lead ourselves and others to the best possible future.

It was while endeavoring to cheer on his wife during herfirst ever marathon run, Smith explains in the book’s opening, that he began torealize that, even while we yearn for someone to witness our lives, we alsohave a driving need to be a supporting witness for others. And just as we wantdesperately to cheer on those we love, he believes God is also desperate tocheer us to a preferred future and be the ultimate witness to our lives. “Andif God be for us,” he asks, “then how can we do anything but believe our bestpossible future is within our grasp?”

Ten is aboutgrasping God’s dream for our lives and then taking the necessary action to makethat dream come true. Within the pages of Ten,Smith offers sound advice and gives the reader seven inspired steps specificallydesigned to lead to a better life:

· Awaken:Wake up to God’s dreams for your life.

· Discover:Learn how to discover your life’s calling.

· Imagine:Learn how the discipline of imagination makes the future real.

· Grow:Develop the life infrastructure necessary to sustain success.

· Act: Takeaction to create your future.

· Lead: Learn to lead yourself and others tothe best possible future.

· Go: Acceptthe call to get started living the life God dreams for you.

Through application of these seven steps, Smith reveals howeach of us can experience life in all its fullness, moving forward fromwherever we are toward a TEN. In this way, we can create the best possiblefuture for ourselves and those around us. We can achieve total fulfillment. Wecan take our lives all the way up the scale to TEN. All we need is the desireto do so.

Ten: How WouldYou Rate Your Life?

by Terry A. Smith

Higher LifeDevelopment Services, Inc./January 2012

ISBN: 978-1-935245-50-6/249pages/hard cover/$24.95

www.livingten.com/book

For review copy and interview information, contact:
Audra Jennings - 800-927-0517 x104

Bloggers may request a copy by filling out the form below.

A New Bible for a New Year

2011-12-29T16:59:00.002-06:00

Are you looking for a new Bible reading program for the New Year? Consider the Common English Bible.

Goals for the CEB from Common English Bible on Vimeo.

Common English Bible from Common English Bible on Vimeo.

Learn more at www.commonenglishbible.com!

B.C. Fleming interviewed on Fox News Online

2011-12-27T16:45:00.000-06:00

Last Friday, B.C. Fleming was interviewed on Fox News Live online. You can watch his interview here.

Check out B.C.'s website http://www.blownupguy.com/.

Merry Christmas!

2011-12-23T23:30:00.000-06:00

We would like to wish you the merriest Christmas

and a bright and prosperous new year.

From all of us at The B&B Media Group

What book do you hope is under the tree?

2011-12-21T20:19:00.000-06:00

Share with us your responses! We want to hear from you.

What books did you ask for this year?

Did you request an e-reader? If so, which one?

What's your favorite Christmas book/story of all time?

Looking for a new Bible study for a fresh year?

2011-12-20T17:18:00.000-06:00

Giveaways of the latest releases in theFresh Life series

are available for interviews and on-air reviews!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Twenty minutes a day to discover theabundance of God’s riches…

Live Abundantly: A Study in the Book of Ephesians

In Live Abundantly, Bible teachers Lenya Heitzig andPenny Pierce Rose challenge you to dig deep into the book of Ephesians to findthe spiritual treasure God has for you. Covering topics such as living in God’swill and receiving peace no matter the circumstances, the book of Ephesiansreveals the magnitude of every Christian’s inheritance, a gift “exceedinglyabundantly above” what you could ever ask for.

Unearth the greatest treasure of life in this rich study.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Twenty minutes a day to a deeperunderstanding of God’s presence in your life…

Live Reflectively: Lessons from the Watershed Moments of Moses

He was saved from death on the Nile and raised as an Egyptianprince. He met his wife at a Midianite well, witnessed the birth of a nation asthe Red Sea parted, and watched water gush from a rock with one touch of hisrod. He died overlooking the Jordan River. In fact, Moses’s entire life can beviewed through the water that redirected him.

In this engaging study, Bible teacher Lenya Heitzig encouragesyou to consider the “watershed” moments in your own spiritual journey.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

In both books, each day’s lesson is structured in five parts: Liftup (prayer), Look at (God’s Word) , Learn about(new insights), Live out (application), Listen to (quotesfrom other believers)

The Fresh Life series was created by women, for women-women whocrave a profound experience of God’s Word without an overwhelming commitment oftime. With each lesson, you will come to a deeper understanding of the truthsof the Bible and develop a deeper intimacy with God.

About the Authors:

Lenya Heitzig is an award-winning author and popular Bibleteacher. She and her husband founded Calvary Church of Albuquerque—one of thefastest-growing churches worldwide. She is the author of HolyMoments: Recognizing God’s Fingerprints on Your Life andalso contributed to the best-selling NewWomen’s Devotional Bible.Heitzig serves as executive director of She Ministries of Albuquerque,overseeing weekly Bible studies and yearly retreats. She and her husband, Skip,live in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

Penny Roseis the award-winning author of numerous books. Penny thrives on teaching atconferences and retreats nationwide. She lives in Albuquerque, New Mexico, withher husband, Kerry, a pastor at Calvary of Albuquerque.

The Fresh Life Series by Lenya Heitzig and Penny Rose

Live Reflectively: Lessons from the Watershed Momentsof Moses

ISBN: 978-0-7814-0593-5/288pages/paperback/$17.99/November 2011

Live Abundantly: A Study in the Book of Ephesians

ISBN: 978-1-4347-0330-9/288pages/paperback/$17.99/November 2011

www.davidccook.com

For review copy and interview information, contact:

Audra Jennings - 800-927-0517 x104

Dynamic Devotions Designed for Pre-Teens

2011-12-19T09:37:00.000-06:00

Giveaway copies are available for interviews and on-air reviews!

These devotionals are a great way to start the New Year, so request your copies while supplies last!

An interview with Ann-Margret Hovespian, author of Truth and Dare

(One Year of Dynamic Devotions for Girls) and Jeremy Jones, author of Triple Dog Dare (One Year of Dynamic Devotions for Boys)

Q: Truth and Dare and Triple Dog Dare devotions are two new books targeted to pre-teens 9-12. One books is for girls, the other for boys. What inspired each of you to write devotions for pre-teens?

Ann-Margret: I’ve always had a special place in my heart for outreach to preteen girls and I think that devotionals are a great way to connect with God’s Word. I believe God really inspired me to combine my passions and talents in a way that could touch the hearts of girls.

Daily devotions are crucial in the spiritual development of young girls because Scripture and prayer are the best ways to connect with God. Many Christian girls are involved in youth groups or listen to Christian music or watch Christian movies but sometimes those things can distract us – even adults – from personal study of Scripture and quiet time with God.

Jeremy: It was great to work on Triple Dog Dare for boys as a companion book to Ann-Margret’s Truth and; Dare for girls. It was fun to take the general concept of a book for boys and blow that up into the multiple dimensions of the action and activity of their lives.

The goal of Triple Dog Dare is to help boys engage with God in ways that bring their hearts and heads and hands together in real, everyday life. It’s a fun, action-oriented book that helps an active or adventurous or artistic or musical or whatever boy gets hands-on with his faith in the ways that resonate with his interests and gifts. It shows boys that the Bible is far from boring—it’s alive and action-packed.

Q: How is Truth and Dare different from other devotionals?

AMH: Truth and Dare is different because it aims to make the Bible active in the lives of the girls who read it. More than just getting them to read their Bibles, Truth & Dare shows them, in practical ways, how to apply the lessons they learn in their everyday lives.

There’s a real take-away value to the daily devotions as the reader is challenged to do something about what she’s just learned. It’s about more than just reading and meditating on God’s Word; it’s about putting it into action, almost immediately – that day or that week.

There’s also lots of space for journaling about what they’ve learned or experienced through the devotions and activities, as well a dozen or two true stories and testimonies of real girls, illustrating some of the lessons in the devotionals in a way that the readers can really relate to.

Q: What types of dares are boys given?

JJ: There are a lot of them—about 780 overall, and I tried to limit overlap as little as possible! Some general ones are to write a story or a song or make a movie based on a particular theme. There are a lot of drawing or art-oriented dares. Some are to build something like Noah’s Ark out of Legos or act out a Bible story with action figures—or act it out with friends. There’s go for a walk or run and pray along the way. Take a technology fast for a week without the iPod or game console. Interview someone you respect about a lesson they learned. Memorize a Bible verse. Volunteer with your family at a food pantry or homeless shelter. Do 25 pushups every time you complain. Talk to a kid at school who nobody likes. Make a Christmas giving list before your wish list. Make a list of goals. Serve an elderly neighbor by mowing their lawn or snow-shoveling their sidewalk. It goes on and on.

Q: How are pre-teen girls different from younger girls and older teens?

AMH: It’s such a special age – they’re not little children, but they’re not yet teenagers and nowadays that age group has its own special set of challenges. There can be a bit of an identity crisis because they want to enjoy being a kid but also feel pressured to look and behave like a woman. It’s confusing.

Marketing specifically designed to target tweens is stronger than ever before so these unsuspecting young people are vulnerable to all kinds of messages about materialism, sexuality and, basically, looking out for themselves above anything else.

Q: How do boys learn differently than girls?

JJ: You can get into a lot of scientific research with that one, and I don’t claim to be an expert on all the complex neuroscience. But generally speaking, boys like to do and move and get hands-on. They tend to do better when they can move and physically engage with the subject material, whether that’s building or constructing or acting out or competing to work with their visual-spatial strengths. That’s not true for every individual boy or girl—there are plenty of girls who would rather move and create instead of sitting quietly at a desk.

But Triple Dog Dare plays to boys’ general ability and preference to keep the sitting and reading short and to emphasize the getting up and going and doing by taking the daily Triple Dog Dares—to get their hands dirty and realize God goes with them in every single activity and part of life. He’s way bigger than the four walls of a Sunday school classroom. He’s right there in the commotion and action and adventure of a boy’s life.

Q: What types of topics are covered in the daily studies?

AMH: Everything from dealing with conflict at school to missions to respecting one’s parents to self-esteem and knowing God in an intimate way. The book addresses peer pressure, forgiveness, purity, sharing one’s faith, inner beauty, and much more. A lot of these topics are approached in a lighthearted way, for example starting with a fun object lesson about nature or science or a quiz or puzzle, while others may dive right into the Scripture and what it means.

The weekend chapters cover several interesting portions of Scripture such as the Ten Commandments, the Fruit of the Spirit, the Armour of God and so on.

Q: What is included in each day’s devotion?

JJ: First, don’t miss the Flip Animation in the lower righthand corner. If you flip quickly through the pages, the pictures come to life as a little animated movie. It was the designer’s idea but it’s one of my favorite features. It’s perfect for the theme of getting beyond the simple pages of a book and making faith active and fun.

Every weekday of the year you get …

one Bible verse or passage.
a Truth that gives a one sentence summary of the theme
some short thoughts (2 or 3 short paragraphs) about a real-life situation or connection to God.
three Triple Dog Dares—ideas to put the theme into action.
two Mission Accomplished questions so you can write down your results from yesterday’s dares.

The weekends are a little different and a little more varied

Make Triple Dog Tracks give ideas to make something cool, like a movie, comic strip, or life list.
From the Triple Dog Pound deliver short stories about guys in the Bible who accomplished God’s Triple Dog Dares—plus ideas of how you can do the same.

As you can see, there are lots of ways to give a boy ideas and challenges to run with and go on great daily adventures with God.

Q: How do these devotionals encourage pre-teens to put their faith into action?

JJ: The hope is to challenge and guide tweens to dive into the Bible, then take all that’s there and dive into life. Boys reading it will begin to see that “Hey, this Bible stuff, this God stuff is about every day, everything in my life. It’s not just stuck on a shelf or applicable only for Sundays or church.”

There’s something for every boy to really connect with and realize that the gifts and skills God has given him—the everyday stuff like school and sports and art and music—these are all ways to connect with God and worship God and reflect glory back to Him through those things that make his heart and emotions come alive. Forget Bible-boredom. Faith is an adventure!

AMH: After each day’s devotionals, three specific challenges are presented to get them thinking about practical ways they can put what they’ve just learned into action. My hope is that by the time they get partway through the book, they will have gotten into the habit of seeing how they can apply Scripture in their daily lives.

Truth and Dare: One Year of Dynamic Devotions for Girls by Ann-Margret Hovsepian

ISBN: 978-1-4347-0208-1/384 pages/paperback/$14.99

Triple Dog Dare: One Year of Dynamic Devotions for Boys by Jeremy V. Jones

ISBN: 978-0-7814-0457-0/384 pages/paperback/$14.99

David C Cook/October 2011

http://www.davidccook.com/

For review copy and interview information, contact:

Audra Jennings - 800-927-0517 x104

A Classic Christmas Tabletop - The Inspired Way...

2011-12-16T21:35:00.001-06:00

By Roxanne Hughes Packham

Haveyou ever just been at a standstill when trying to do a unique Christmastabletop for your family and friends at Christmas time? Here are some tips fromRoxanne Hughes Packham, co-author of Inspired Design that should make itmuch easier! Check out her blog if you’d like to see coordinating pictures togo with the ideas. www.InspiredDesignPublications.blogspot.com

Beforeyou get started remember: Do not underestimate the power of your home, nor itsability to change lives. Do not underestimate the power of one tiny, seeminglyinsignificant, act of kindness. A welcoming smile, a cup of hot tea and an hourin a cozy nook spent listening to a friend can be life-altering. Your home is asignificant part of the way people will be touched, by God, through you thisChristmas season. God uses us as his hands! Your table is the means throughwhich you can touch others by setting the stage for memories to be made.

A classic Christmastabletop has to have red and green, plaid and sparkle, inspiration andencouragement. The red and green is an obvious choice, however sometimesit is easier than we make it. Collect red and/or green fruits and keepa glass bowl of them in a prominent place in the kitchen. You can add afew springs of ivy or pine to get really festive. Candies, such as M&Ms,come in red and green packages and in silver bowls makes any settinglooks seasonal. Add red plates and greenery from your yard to complete thelook.

SinceChristmas is the one time we’re all into plaid, use it on your tabletop! Youcan tie it onto a pretty cross (see pictures onblog) onto the top of a candlestick and make a beautiful statement aboutthe meaning of Christmas while pleasing the eye with the sparkle of thecandles! Tall candles in the center looks perfect, adding shorter candlestowards the two ends allow guests to be able to see over the candles forconversation. Small votives add sparkle and a feeling of warmth and coziness.You can use a plaid scarf, runner or piece of fabric draped diagonally acrossthe table for an overall Christmas look, while allowing the beauty of the woodtabletop (or glass) to show through.

Lastly,and most importantly, the "Inspired" part of the table top design.Warming the souls of those within your home is perhaps the most important partof hospitality and the reason in Romans 12:13 we are told to PracticeHospitality. The easiest way to do this is keep a couple of framed quotes onthe central part of the table, one towards either end. Not only can you doplace cards with just names but think of an encouraging scripture or quote thatreminds you of your guest or something that might encourage or inspire them.Praying over whatever is going on in a person’s life, not only releases thepower of prayer, but lets them know you have been thinking of them andremembering their needs. In this time in our culture, what could be moreinspiring!

God bless and be encouraged! Hospitality can change ourworld one life at a time!

For interview information, contact:

Audra Jennings - 800-927-0517 x104

Common English Bible Named Among Top Religion Stories of 2011

2011-12-15T12:00:00.000-06:00

The completion of the new Common English Bible (http://CommonEnglishBible.com) translation is among the top 10 religionstories of 2011 as decided by leading religion journalists in the 30^thannual Religion Newswriters Association survey.

TheCommon English Bible (Twitter @CommonEngBible – http://twitter.com/CommonEngBible)is newsworthy for several reasons:

· Its objective: the Common English Bible uses a naturalEnglish vocabulary to clearly and freshly communicate the ancient sacred textin a world where 9,000 new words & meaning revisions are added yearly tothe English lexicon.

· Its speed: the Common English Bible took only fouryears to accomplish – a phenomenal feat when compared with other recent modernEnglish Bible translations that took 10-17 years to complete.

· Its efficiency: the Common English Bible was able to becompleted so rapidly due to the translation process using an online projectmanagement database that permitted more than 200collaborators (translators, editors, and field testers) to communicateimmediately. The project was constructed in a workflow matrix with more than400 overlapping parts.

· Its breadth: the Common English Bible is a collaborationof 120 academic scholars and editors, 77 reading group leaders, and more than500 average readers from around the world who joined together to clearlytranslate the Bible’s original Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek languages directlyinto 21^st century English.

· Its balance: the Common English Bible translators – from24 denominations in American, African, Asian, European, and Latino communities– represent such academic institutions as Asbury Theological Seminary, AzusaPacific University, Bethel Seminary, Denver Seminary, Princeton TheologicalSeminary, Seattle Pacific University, Wheaton College, Yale University, andmany others.

· Its understandability: TheCommon English Bible is writtenin contemporary idiom at the same reading level as the newspaper USA TODAY—usinglanguage that’s comfortable and accessible for today’s English readers.

· Its uniqueness: the Common English Bible is the onlytranslation to combine highly respected ecumenical biblical scholarshipnecessary for serious study with field-tested responsiveness to 21^stcentury clear communication requirements for comprehensive clarity.

· Its contractions: the Common English Bible is the onlytranslation to extensively use contractions where the text warrants an engagingconversational style (although contractions are not used in divine or poeticdiscourse).

· Its cartography: the Common English Bible is the onlytranslation that includes exclusive, detailed color maps from NationalGeographic, well known for its accurate topographical map making.

· Its acceptance: the complete Bible, including an editionwith the Apocrypha, released in August 2011. More than half-a-million copies ofthe Bible are already in print. It’s also available online and in 20 digitalformats. A reference Bible edition and a daily companion devotional edition arenow also available.

Morethan 140 international bloggers are currently participating in the three-monthlong “ThankYou-Come Again-I Promise” blog tour (from November 2011 through January 2012).The complete tour schedule, and information about joining the tour, isavailable at CommonEnglishBible.com/CEB/blogtour(http://www.CommonEnglishBible.com/CEB/blogtour).

Visit CommonEnglishBible.com tosee comparison translations, learn about the translators, get free downloads, andmore.

TheCommon English Bible is sponsored by the Common English Bible Committee, analliance of five publishers that serve the general market, as well as theChristian Church (Disciples of Christ) (Chalice Press), Presbyterian Church(USA) (Westminster John Knox Press), Episcopal Church (Church Publishing,Inc.), United Church of Christ (The Pilgrim Press), and The United MethodistChurch (Abingdon Press).

# # #

Fora media review copy of the Common English Bible and to schedule an interviewwith Paul Franklyn, please contact Audra Jennings, ajennings@tbbmedia.com at 1.800.927.1517.

Do you care what others think about you?

2011-12-14T09:00:00.000-06:00

Today's Wild Card author is:

Edward Welch

and the book:

What Do You Think of Me? Why Do I Care?: Answers to the Big Questions of Life

New Growth Press (October 1, 2011)

***Special thanks to Audra Jennings – The B and B Media Group – for sending me a review copy.***

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Edward T. Welch, M.Div., Ph.D., is a licensed psychologist and faculty member at the Christian Counseling & Educational Foundation (CCEF). He has counseled for over twenty-five years and is the best-selling author of many books, including When People Are Big and God Is Small; Addictions: A Banquet in the Grave; Blame It on the Brain?; Depression: A Stubborn Darkness; Crossroads: A Step-by-Step Guide Away from Addiction; Running Scared: Fear, Worry and the God of Rest; and When I Am Afraid: A Step-by-Step Guide Away from Fear and Anxiety. He and his wife Sheri have two daughters, two sons-in-law and four grandchildren.

Visit the author's website.

SHORT BOOK DESCRIPTION:

In his latest release, author Edward T. Welch offers a way

of escape for young adults held captive by the opinions of others
In an increasingly unstable culture, being obsessed with what others think is an escalating struggle among teens and young adults, leading to more serious consequences than ever before. Although everyone—whether they’re sixteen or sixty—works hard to win someone’s approval or ward off someone’s rejection, these issues plague teenagers and young adults with particular intensity. And how teens and young adults answer the big questions of their lives now will affect the direction of their adult lives for better or worse. In his new book, What Do You Think of Me? Why Do I Care?: Answers to the Big Questions of Life (New Growth Press, October 2011), Edward T. Welch extends hope to those weary of hiding behind a mask of performance in order to gain love and acceptance.

Peer pressure, codependency, shame, low self-esteem—these are just some of the words used to identify how young people can be controlled by the perceived opinions of others. Stand out in the right way to the right people, and you’re on top of the world. But experience failure in front of those same people and prepare for a sinking sensation in your stomach and a night of tossing and turning.

Why do you care? Why do we all care? These are questions that can’t be answered without listening to God, the One who made us and knows us better than we know ourselves. In What Do You Think of Me? Why Do I Care? Welch takes the big questions of life and shows that freedom from what people think of us comes as we learn who God is and who we are in relationship to Him. Only then will we be able to let go of our masks, stop trying to fill our leaky love cups and begin to live for something bigger than ourselves.

An interactive book, What Do You Think of Me? Why Do I Care? includes questions throughout the text for individual or group study and is especially aimed at teenagers and young adults.

“I want to draw people to the path of becoming truly human, where you are controlled by God more than other people and where you love others more than you need them to love you,” says Welch. “The result? Genuine loving relationships and the ability to make a lasting impact on the world around us. It’s a hard process, but it’s wonderful and the results are worth it.”

Product Details:

List Price: $12.99

Paperback: 160 pages

Publisher: New Growth Press (October 1, 2011)

Language: English

ISBN-10: 1935273868

ISBN-13: 978-1935273868

AND NOW...THE FIRST CHAPTER:

Somebody is Watching

“Lord, please let me be normal.”

Okay, maybe you never actually prayed that, but you do want it. You want to fit in. Who doesn’t? Imagine you are invited to a formal dinner, but you didn’t read the entire invitation and you go in shorts and flip-flops. (Yes, it wasn’t pretty. I was also wearing a Killer Dana T-shirt—it’s the name of a surf shop, but the other dinner guests thought I was going gangsta.)

We all have these stories. We spend a lot of time concerned about fitting in, which means that we spend a lot of time thinking about our hair, our body, our intelligence, and our clothes so we can be part of the larger group. None of us want to be stared at if it means that the people looking at us don’t like what they see. When they look at us that way we want to run and hide.

Oh, and there is another prayer too. “Lord, please don’t let me be normal.” “If I can’t fit in, then I’ll be a vampire,” and she did just that. She figured that both fitting in and standing out were impossible, so she made a choice. Her parents would have preferred a more traditional route such as starting on the basketball team or high SAT scores. They are hoping it is a phase, which it is—there are not many fifty-year-old vampires. But, unless she discovers something else to run her life, she will always be looking for ways to stand out, and she will be depressed.

We want to stand out from the crowd. We want to be seen, which means that we want people to notice us and be impressed with something. We want them to respect us, to like us, and to love us. Not too many people dream of being average. Take a look at your fantasies, and you will probably find a quest to be noticed.

• Have you ever imagined that you scored the winning basket in the NBA finals?
• Do you enjoy superhero movies because you like to imagine what it would be like to have such powers?
• Do you identify with a celebrity because you would like to live her life, at least for a year or two?
• Have you ever fantasized that you were famous or great?
• Or maybe you have already given up on greatness and will settle for a B+.

It’s complicated, isn’t it? If only we could be less controlled by the opinions of others. Maybe a deserted island could be the answer. That would be a pricey way to avoid the judgments of others, but it might work. Apart from that option, you have a creepy sense that people are watching, judging, evaluating, accepting, or rejecting you. Sometimes the eyes belong to no one in particular. Other times you know exactly who or what group you are trying to please. Either way, you are controlled by other people more than you think, and other people, of course, are controlled by how you see them.

The problem is a common one, but we don’t talk about it too often. As a way to get it out into the open, keep trying to locate this in your own life.

• Do you buy clothes because of what other people will think? Have you ever not gone somewhere because you didn’t have the right clothes or didn’t like the way you looked?
• Do you spend a lot of time in front of the mirror?
• Do you avoid people, either because you are angry with them or because you would be embarrassed if they saw you?
• Do you ever get embarrassed to be seen with your parents?
• Have you ever been embarrassed at the thought of other people knowing that you go to church?
• Have you ever been embarrassed to say you believe in God?
• Have you ever been embarrassed to say you believe in Jesus?
• Do you ever exaggerate to make yourself look better?
• Do you feel like a failure sometimes? Do you hate school because from the moment you walk in you feel like a failure?
• Are you afraid to ask questions in class because you might look stupid?
• Do you wish you were thinner, stronger, taller, shorter, smarter, faster, or better looking?
• Have you ever been jealous of someone thinner, stronger, taller, shorter, smarter, faster, or better looking?
• Have you ever wished you could shrivel up and disappear?

Agreed, these questions are too easy. You might hesitate on one or two of them, but basically the answer is yes across the board, and they are that way for everyone. They all point to how we can be too controlled by the opinions of others. Why do you think everyone struggles with it? Where does it come from?

One of the riskiest things in life is to like someone—really like someone. It all starts innocently. You find yourself attracted to another person. Happens all the time. No big deal. But then the attraction grows, and amid the glow of romantic feelings lurks a monster: what if you like the other person more than the other person likes you? What will he or she think about me? you wonder.

You send some friends out on a reconnaissance mission. Their job is to find out if the other person likes you without that person knowing your intentions. If word comes back yes, you can move toward that person safely. If the answer is no, you lick your wounds, thankful for the heads-up that saved you from total embarrassment. In your every- day life, the potential for rejection is enormous. It’s amazing that so many people actually get out of bed in the morning. Sound familiar?

Success can’t protect you. Steven King, the ridiculously prolific and famous horror writer, was told by Miss Hisler, his school principal, “What I don’t understand, Stevie, is why you write junk like this in the first place.” At the time, he was already writing scary stories that other students were willing to pay to read. “I was ashamed,” he says of the incident. “I have spent a good many years since—too many, I think—being ashamed about what I write.”* You too have probably heard words like Miss Hisler’s, and they are still etched inside your soul. Can you think of some?

Look around a little more and you will see it—it goes by many names: a desire for acceptance, the fear of rejection, painful self- consciousness, or peer pressure. You can see it when you or any of your friends take muscle-enhancing steroids or illegal drugs. You see it in anorexia, bulimia, and depression. You find it in people who are sexually active before or outside of marriage.

• What will they think of me?
• What might they think about me?
• How can I be accepted?
• How can I be loved?

The evidence is everywhere. If you can’t relate to any of this, here is a sure way to find it.

• Do you think you’re especially attractive?
• Are you supercompetitive? Do you hate to lose? (And do you usually win?)
• Would you say you are self-confident?

There it is again: a life that is always judged by others. The only difference is that, at least for the moment, the judges score you highly. Yet it is even more complicated. Deep down those who are super self-confident don’t believe the judges’ high scores. They feel like failures— frauds who are barely fooling other people. Do you think beautiful celebrities struggle with feeling judged and unaccepted by others? Count on it.

Some people seem more self-confident or at least less self-conscious than others. It’s hard to know exactly why, but everyone can easily recall times when they withered under the rejection (or possible rejection) of other people.

I know, I know. You were trying to manage this perfectly common experience by ignoring it, and somebody (me) comes along and makes an issue out of it. But my purpose is not to make you miserable. Stick with it, because this particular problem is actually a window into the mysteries of the universe. It takes you directly to three questions that every human being must answer: Who am I? Who is God? and Who are you? And there is no way I would invite you down this road unless the road was very good.

Show Appreciation for the Military this Christmas

2011-12-13T06:57:00.000-06:00

There’s still time to show your appreciation for themilitary and veterans this Christmas!

Army Veteran B.C. Fleming is available to forinterviews to discuss ways to encourage members of the military and theirfamily.

The Christmas holiday season can be an especiallydifficult time for members of the military and their families. Army VeteranB.C. Fleming is available to offer encouragement for those who may be separatedfrom their family and friends during this time of year.

If you live in an area with a military basenearby, reach out to see if there are any supplies that deployed soldiers haverequested that you could give.

Check with your church about members of themilitary that attend or who have family at your congregation. Write thank youcards and letters of encouragement.

Call your local VA hospital to see items theyare in need of and schedule a time to deliver goodies and visit with veterans.

If you are a family member of an active memberof the military, connect with the Family Readiness Group for support. It’simportant to lean on others who are experiencing the same situation as you areas well as offer support.

If you are retired military or were a militarywife/husband, reach out to other military families in your community.

Contact your local airport to find out whentroops are scheduled to arrive. There is often a day or two a week when largenumbers of military members arrive home. Plan to go out and welcome soldiershome.

B.C. and his wife Jamie, as a part of their ministry,often hand deliver copies of his book Never the Same, to soldiers whenvisiting bases and military hospitals. Never the Same is B.C.’s story ofsurviving two bombings in Afghanistan and is an encouragement to those adaptingto life after war, especially those who have been injured. Friends and familycan buy a book specifically for their soldier, and if the Flemings are making atrip to the area, the book can be delivered personally.

More about B.C.Fleming:

All too familiar with the dailysacrifices of the soldier, Fleming knows as well the trials of the veteran athome. He also understands firsthand the complexities of war, the ugliness ofhatred and the power of forgiveness. Because Fleming speaks from experience—nottheory—he has carved a place for himself as a valuable media resource,addressing audiences with genuineness and enthusiasm on such subjects aspatriotism, leadership, freedom and, of course, his own harrowing encounterwith a suicide bomber.

A recipient of the Purple Heart,Fleming jokingly calls the medal “the most unwanted award in the military” andoften refers to it as “the enemy marksmanship badge.” To receive it, heexplains, “It pretty much means that you have been either shot up, blown up,physically injured or killed serving your country. That’s not really what youhope for when you go off to war, but sometimes it happens that way.” And thatis exactly what would happen to Fleming.

In April 2006, Fleming gothis first taste of guerilla warfare when his military vehicle ran across adouble stack of mines buried in the road. The 14,000-pound Humvee was liftedoff the ground and hurled about ten feet to the side of the road. Miraculously,Fleming escaped without a scratch. The next time, he would not walk away.On a sunny afternoon in late July of the same year, a convoy in which Flemingwas traveling was attacked by a suicide bomber who exploded three feet awayfrom the door of his vehicle. Fleming woke up in a ditch, bloody and burned,with multiple life-threatening injuries. After reconstructive surgery andfourteen months of agonizingly difficult rehabilitation at Brooke Army MedicalCenter in San Antonio, Texas, he decided it was time to stop whining about itand get on with his life.

Fleming charged into afull-time public speaking career, inspiring, informing and entertainingthousands across the globe with his unique and poignant message of faith beyondtragedy. A hugely charismatic and popular communicator, Fleming encouragescorporations, high schools, colleges and faith-based organizations to becomeinspirational leaders in their own spheres and to adopt an optimistic andcourageous attitude toward the obstacles they face. With a particularly softspot in his heart for veterans, especially those injured in duty, Flemingspeaks with compassion and candor to these special groups, urging them to riseabove the “victim” mentality and to be victorious in their ownlives.

Visit B.C. Fleming’s website at www.BlownUpGuy.com.

For speaking opportunities, contact Helen Cook at hcook@tbbmedia.com or800-927-0517 x110.

For interview information, contact:

Audra Jennings - 800-927-0517 x104

What made Texas great was its people

2011-12-12T06:52:00.000-06:00

The Spirit of Texas is an inspiring, rich,

and exciting venture into Texashistory

Author Winston Menzies shares the story

of his familyand others that made Texas great

What’s the first word you think of when you hear“Cowboys”? Football? Indians? Long before the movie Cowboy vs. Aliens wasa passing thought in the mind of its creator, the real Cowboys fought theelements, the land, Indians, outlaws, boll weevils and screwworm flies thatthreatened their crops and livestock – the very center of their way of life.The battles that the early pioneers against their enemies and nature made ourland great. The early settlers to Texas had strength and determination thatmany of us could only imagine today.

Below are excerpts from The Spirit of Texas inwhich author Winston Menzies describes the life that his great-grandfather,William Menzies, and many others faced. He also shares lessons that we canlearn from these early days of our country. According to Menzies, “This book isa challenge to you, your friends and family, our government leaders, and to ournation—a challenge to look at the powerful, dynamic, and successful history asa pattern for shaping our future. It’s a wake-up call through a true story torecognize the valuable character qualities we’re losing, what nationaltreasures of virtue we’re letting slip away, what strength and connectednessare disappearing from our personal, familial, and national relationships.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Overtime, the spirit of Texas rested on countlessrugged, pioneer men and women too numerous to name whose brave acts of courageand selfless duty won the West. They also gave birth to future generations ofstalwart citizens just like themselves. These pioneers met the dangers anddifficulties of frontier life head-on and subdued them. Their individual actsof bravery and devotion have often gone unnoticed or have, regrettably, longsince been lost in the sands of time. Remembering our heritage and learning thelessons our ancestors so ably taught us keep future generations from having tocontinually start over from scratch. Simply put, pioneering Texas was likeriding a wild bronc that had to be broken. You will either have enough of thespirit to break it, or it will break you. It has been said (and rightly so)that Texas was hard on men and dogs but hell on women and horses. For the mostpart it is not a gentle land. Although beautiful in its own right, it was andremains an arid, unforgiving land. The farther west you go, the terrain becomesmore and more a land of scrub oaks, mesquite trees, cactus, rattlesnakes,jackrabbits, armadillos, and scorpions. In addition to all this, the earlysettlers had to deal with Indians, outlaws, and the fact that Spain andsubsequently Mexico wouldn’t allow them to own even a handful of this Texasdirt until 1821. Even then, landownership came with onerous, unbearableconditions. Without an understanding of the struggle this land inspired andrequired, Texas will mean nothing to you.

Thisis a true story, gleaned from documents recently found, of a Scottish immigrantwho crossed the great ocean with his family to forge a new life in NorthAmerica. He came first to Canada, then to New York, and finally to Texas at theage of twenty-one with nothing but a wooden tool box. Here he built a familyand a legacy of self-reliance and dogged determination, carving out a beautifulbut hard-won life as a pioneer rancher. He also became the patriarch of theTexas Menzies clan, and through his character, forged a singular heritage forgenerations to come.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Lessons William Taught Us

Many families came to Texas fromEurope, primarily to flee religious oppression. All they wanted was to be freefrom tyranny, to have an honest opportunity, and to be free from governmentcontrol and entanglements. The only problem was that city folk during theDepression wanted to be dependent on the government, which ushered incountless, needless, failed government welfare and assistance programs thathave multiplied over the years and led to the present-day oppression. Some havebeen willing to trade freedom of opportunity for false security and have reapeda harvest of tyranny as their sure reward. They gave up the best part, theright to struggle, which brings as its blessing the seeds of inherentgreatness. These seeds can only be planted in the soils of faith, hope, risk,blood, sweat, tears, and hard work.

Texas gave immigrants somethingtruly fantastic: the right to try, fail, learn, and try again—all without thekind of interference from government that always comes with its detrimental anddeadly false support systems. The truth is, we cannot as a nation have thefreedom to succeed without the freedom to fail. The kind of freedom they had inTexas during William’s day is the same kind we need in America today. Freedomhas always been a three-legged stool. To be completely free, it takespolitical, religious, and economic freedom. None can long exist without theothers.

Political Freedom

In William’s day they had theprivilege of entering a voting booth and drawing the curtain without fear ofreprisal or intimidation from hoodlums in combat boots carrying billy clubs.What is worse is to have an attorney general who protects the hoodlums instead ofthe voters, as we see today. We need to go back to the time when people votedtheir consciences as to what was best for our country and elected who theythought could best achieve it.

Religious Freedom

In Great-Granddad’s day, peoplehad the freedom to follow their conscience and to worship whatever God theirfaith showed them was real. They had the freedom to assemble and worshipwithout fear of someone entering their place of worship and trying to disruptit or opening fire on them because their particular “religion” and their “holybook” tells them that is what they are supposed to do. Faith in the true andliving God is what kept these early Americans secure. It made their familiesstrong and also prospered and guided their every step. Religion providesmoorings and something little heard of today: truth. We are suffering in oursociety today from a dearth of truth, and that necessarily leads to an absenceof trust and a breakdown of community. We see it evidenced today in a nationalcheating epidemic as teachers have changed their students’ answers onstandardized tests to ensure good scores as well as to assist in their ownpromotions. We see it in a president who broke twenty-three of his campaignpromises in his first ninety days in office. It is nearly everywhere.

Economic Freedom

None of what was accomplished inWilliam’s time could have been possible without economic freedom. They had theright to choose their business, their locale, whether to create their owncompany or not to have a company, as well as what, when, and where to invest.All this, of course, was available without an oppressive tax burden. This isall hugely important in order to have a prospering economy.

In William’s day there weren’tany federal taxes and there was no IRS. That didn’t come about until 1913. Itwas a dark day when the so-called progressives gained control of the federalgovernment. They came up with the progressive tax system and promised that thefederal taxes they were about to institute would only be in place to pay off afew things. These new income taxes would be temporary and then quickly beabolished. They also said that average folks would never be asked to pay morethan 1 percent and the rich no more than 7 percent. Never, never, never! Theypromised, right? Sorry. Within four short years the little guys were taxed upto 4 percent and the big guys to 73 percent. Welcome to the progressive,socialist tax system.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

The Spirit of Texas features include:

More than 170 original photographs.
Astonishing true stories of the rambunctious oldWest.
Details of Texas events never before told.
An enlightening account of Texas history that isaccurate, exciting, and entertaining.
An inside look at the rough-and-ready ranchersand cattlemen who tried to tame the wild West Texas plains.

Plan ahead! The Spirit of Texas isthe perfect book to feature on March 2, in recognition of Texas IndependenceDay.

The Spirit of Texas: The Astonishing Story of a Pioneer Rancher’s

Family and Their Mighty State

by Winston Menzies

Creative Publishing Company/November 2011

ISBN: 978-0-9826143-2-7/270 pages/hardcover/$29.99

www.winstonmenzies.com ~ www.spiritoftexas.us

For review copy and interviewinformation, contact:

Audra Jennings - 800-927-0517 x104

MissioLife: Reading the Bible Together

2011-12-09T10:00:00.000-06:00

Postfrom Scot McKnight’s Jesus Creed

Please clickhere or fill out the form below if you would like to sign-up
to receive a preview kit of MissioLifewith sample lessons and DVD.

Not long ago I posted about MissioLife, and called attentionto this new church digital resource — yes, that’s the wave of how more and moreChristians and churches will be reading the Bible and doing group studies — asa tool for leading us from Bible knowledge tointimacy with God.

Today I’d liketo comment on another major dimension of the MissioLife resource: it is a toolthat encourages an entire church to read the (whole) Bible together. The threeimages above – breathe, image, rhythms — are symbols in MissioLife for adults,youth, and children. Each has its own age-sensitive approach to Bible readingand formation. But the three dovetail into one church formation approach.

Here’s thegenius of MissioLife: it is a full integrative approach to churchformation. Notice those words: full (whole Bible, whole Story, holisticsalvation), integrative (adults, youth and children, and not scattered studygroups doing what they want), church formation (not just individuals doingtheir own things, not just groups doing their thing, but the whole church doingBible study and praxis in such a way that a “church” is formed).

Yes, I’m excitedabout this because I believe it is an exceptional approach to church formation.We have so much about personal spiritual formation; not enough about churchformation. So when someone works this hard to provide a very modern approach —it’s digital after all — that focuses on church formation, my attention iscomplete.

I’d love to hearsome feedback from churches who are already using this, but also from leaderswho are discussing this digital resource for church formation.

Scot McKnight and Chris Folmsbee from MissioLife on Vimeo.

For adults:

Breathe, theMissioLife small-group resource for adults, will help you discover the God, whomoves among us, calling us to participate in the Kingdom here and now. As weread the stories in scriptures, we will begin to ask ourselves: What do thesestories say to us about God? About ourselves? About the world?

For youth:

Throughconversation and discussion, Image will help students discover howwe all fit into God’s story and explore what Scripture says about God, others,ourselves, and the world.

For children:

Rhythms invites elementary children, ages 6-12,into the story of God. Using an easy-to-follow small group plan, Rhythmswill help children explore a Bible story, be informed by the narrative, and betransformed through reflective questions, deeper thinking, and purposefulprayer to live into the mission of God.

For more information, visit www.MissioLife.com.

MissioLife is also sponsoring a contest.You can win a Kindle for letting your readers know about MissioLife! Each blogpost equals one entry into the drawing for a Kindle loaded with a MissioLifemodule. All posts for the contest must be submitted to ajennings@tbbmedia.com by December 16,2011.

We invite you to make an initial post based on the information youreceive in the packet. We will also be able to email you a full module for youto try out with your small group. As you use MissioLife with your small group,we invite you to blog about your experience.

Fill out the form below to request a preview kit.

Inspired Design Featured on 700 Club

2011-12-08T19:50:00.001-06:00

Roxanne and Hannah Packham, authors of Inspired Design, were on the 700 Club earlier this week. You can watch their feature below!

Radio station giveaways! Share these DVDs from EGM!

2011-12-06T10:00:00.000-06:00

Share these great documentaries from EGM Films

withyour listeners this holiday season.

Giveaways are available in exchange
for on-air reviews and mentions.

Supplies are limited, so reserve yours today!

LittleTown of Bethlehem

IsPeace in the Middle East Really Possible?

Film shares true stories of hope inthe midst of violence.

There is no shortage of opinions, emotions, and actions regarding finding “peace inthe Middle East.” While
some are familiar with the issue and others arepersonally impacted by the conflict, many more are unaware, uninformed, andunconcerned about this critical global issue. Little Town of Bethlehemis a groundbreaking documentary that shares the gripping story of three men—a PalestinianMuslim, a Palestinian Christian, and an Israeli Jew—born into violence andwilling to risk everything to bring an end to violence in their lifetime.Filmed on location in the West Bank, Tel Aviv, and Jerusalem, Little Town ofBethlehem brings awareness to a growing nonviolent movement in the MiddleEast that rarely, if ever, makes international headlines.

SamiAwadis a Palestinian Christian whose grandfather was killed in Jerusalem in 1948.Today he is the executive director of Holy Land Trust, a non-profitorganization that promotes Palestinian independence through peaceful means. YonatanShapira is an Israeli Jew whose grandparents were Zionist settlers whowitnessed the birth of the Israeli nation. Today he is an outspoken advocatefor the nonviolent peace movement, both in his homeland and abroad. AhmadAl' Azzeh is a Palestinian Muslim who has lived his entire life in theAzzeh refugee camp in Bethlehem. Today, Ahmad heads the nonviolence program atHoly Land Trust, where he trains others in the methods of peaceful activism.

LittleTown of Bethlehemhonestly and respectfully shares Sami’s, Yonatan’s, and Ahmad’s stories.With all three men referencing both Martin Luther King, Jr. and Mahatma Gandhiduring individual interviews, it is clear that their words, thoughts, andactions on nonviolence are still profoundly impacting today’s nonviolentmovement. The images of these three men standing firm in the face ofoverwhelming opposition are inspirational, but Little Town of Bethlehem isnot just about inspiring viewers. The filmmakers also raise the question, “Canthe cycle of violence be broken?”

http://littletownofbethlehem.org/

Miss HIV
AsFight Against AIDS Marks Its 30th Year,

EGM’s Documentary Miss HIV Attacksthe Disease’s Stigma

The first AIDS identificationwas made by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control in June of 1981. Since then,this global pandemic has infected more than 60 million people leading toapproximately 30 million deaths. Just this year, 1.7 percent of all HIV testshave been positive. Battling this disease has been extremely difficult as wellas controversial. However, education about the virus is proving to be key inmaking headway.

In 2002, the Miss HIV Pageantwas conceived by Kesego Basha-Mubeli, the founder of an HIV/AIDS advocacygroup in the African nation of Botswana. She saw the contest as a unique way toeducate people about the need to erase the stigma surrounding HIV. It was herhope that the winner of Miss HIV Stigma Free would be able to challenge misconceptionsand have a national platform to communicate the importance of testing andliving positively with the disease. Since its inception, Miss HIV Pageants havebeen successfully held and widely covered in Nigeria, Uganda, Russia, Nepal,and Vietnam.

Reaching a global youthaudience, the bold documentary Miss HIV from EthnoGraphic Media (EGM)examines the heated controversy over HIV/AIDS prevention and education.Designed to encourage discussion and bring a greater awareness of the globalscope of the impact of HIV, the film has reached individuals world-wide andcontinues to be a valuable educational tool. Produced by Mart Green anddirected by Jim Hanon, Miss HIV showcases women in Botswanaparticipating in the stigma-free beauty pageant as well as college students inUganda fighting the stigma of choosing to remain abstinent and gay rightsactivists at an International AIDS Conference combating stigmatization. Itbrings into the open the little-known struggle for dominance over AIDSeducation, prevention, and funding.

http://misshiv.com/

The Grandfathers

From Sacrifice toReconciliation, a Young Man

Discovers His Heritage in TheGrandfathers

The Grandfathers, a motion-graphics film about a young man’s struggle with hiscomplicated heritage, completes a trilogy produced by EthnoGraphic Media (EGM)that includes End of theSpear and Beyondthe Gates of Splendor. These first two award-winning films tell theunforgettable and inspiring story of the killing of five missionaries by astone-age tribe deep in the Amazon jungle. The impact of this tragic eventlives on today in families of these slain men as well as among thoseresponsible for their deaths.

Steve Saint consulted with director Jim Hanon and producer MartGreen to help bring the story of his father, Nate, to screen through thefeature film End of theSpear and the companion documentary film Beyond the Gates of Splendor.These films trace events leading up to and including the deaths of these men.More than that, they show the impact these events played on the lives of boththeir survivors and their killers. When the widows and their children went tolive among the Waodani—a tribe regarded as the most violent on earth—theybecame an integral part of an incredible redemptive journey.

The Grandfathers showcases both the burden and benefit of the Saint family’slegacy. Jesse Saint, Steve’s oldest son and Nate’s grandson, was not raisedamong the tribe like his father. He struggles to find his place under theweight of the memory of a famous grandfather he never knew and a heroic fatherhe does not fully understand. This will all change after Jesse travels to thejungles of Ecuador with his family and gradually forms a special bond withMincaye, one of the tribesmen who took part in his grandfather’s murder. Onlythen will he confront his family’s past and come to terms with his own destiny.And there he will find his place in this story.

http://thegrandfathers.com/

EGM is an educational nonprofitorganization exploring the critical issues of our time through film and newmedia. It is a community of visionary writers, artists, and filmmakers thatseeks to capture true stories of compelling virtue that speak to the humancondition. Visit http://www.egmfilms.org/.

www.egmfilms.org

To request giveaway copies, contact:
Audra Jennings - 800-927-0517 x104

A Real Man is Recognized for His Character

2011-12-05T10:00:00.000-06:00

Learning to Assess Your Value as a Man

Author Richard Simmons encourages men

to discover theirtrue worth.

What do people think of me as a man? Do I measure up intheir eyes as they see the choices I am making? What will happen to me if Ifail at what I do? These are the questions with which men struggle. “Men sooften define themselves by what they do, who they know or what they own. Andwhen they do so, they unwittingly set themselves up for great confusion andfailure in their personal lives, particularly when a major economic stormarises,” says businessman Richard E. Simmons III. In his book The TrueMeasure of a Man: How Perceptions of Success, Achievement & RecognitionFail Men in Difficult Times, Simmons identifies these fears and seeks tohelp men find their true worth.

Ofall the suicides in the United States, 80 percent are committed by men. Thesestatistics point to the fact that, unlike any other culture, America has placeda man’s worth on his performance and possessions. Men feel good aboutthemselves when they are performing in the workplace and achieving new goals.But what happens after a layoff or a foreclosure? Where is their value then?Simmons helps men to realize that they are worth more than an amount on theirpaycheck. He deals with their innermost fears, namely the fear of not measuringup. He realizes that every man wants to get to the end of his life and believethat his earthly existence made a difference.

The True Measure of a Man presents new parameters, coupled with a surprising paradox,for assessing the worth of a man. The old measurements simply don’t work whentimes get tough.Its core message is that it’s more important to build personal qualities thatcan weather the storms of life than outward achievements which fall short whenthe bottom drops out. Using a variety of stories, illustrations and quotes,Simmons will provide men with hope, purpose, courage and determination as heencourages them to find their true identity.

Simmonsspent 25 successful years with the insurance firm of Hilb, Rogal and Hamilton,where he was CEO for 10 years. While giving back to his community, working withyouth as well as advising businessmen and professionals, he discovered that hehad a gift for teaching and public speaking. So in December of 2000, he foundedthe Center for Executive Leadership, a nonprofit, faith-based ministry. Andthrough his years of working with businessmen, he realized that all menstruggle with the same feelings of insecurity, isolation, loneliness andfear.

Accordingto Claude B. Nielsen, the chairman and CEO of the Coca-Cola Bottling CompanyUnited, “The True Measure of a Man is a provocative and crediblechallenge to the conventional wisdom of modern man’s value system. RichardSimmons gives us a clear picture of how we deceive ourselves into a falsereliance on our own accomplishments to establish our identity and our worth.And he wisely counsels that we are in treacherous territory! Thankfully, hegives explicit guidance to a liberating and transformational course for ahopeful and fulfilling life. This is an inspirational and uplifting work!”

The TrueMeasure of a Man by Richard E. Simmons III

EvergreenPress/November 2011

ISBN:978-1-5816-9359-1/160 pages/hardcover/$21.95

www.thetruemeasureofaman.com

Learn moreabout the Center for Executive Leadership at www.thecenterbham.org.

For review copy and interview information, contact:

Audra Jennings - 800-927-0517 x104

You can also click here to request an interview!