Feliz Navidad

God Is Great, God Is Good: Why Believing in God Is Reasonable and Responsible

God Is Great, God Is Good: Why Believing in God Is Reasonable and Responsible  William Lane Craig and Chad Meister, Editors (InterVarsity)

• Paperback: 272 pages
• November 30, 2009
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0830837264
• ISBN-13: 978-0830837267

Here's the blurb:

The days have passed when the goodness of God--indeed, the reality of God itself--could reasonably be called a consensus opinion. God's reputation has come under considerable review in recent days, with some going so far as to say that it's not we who've made a mess of things. Instead whatever it is we call God is to blame. But is such an opinion really a fair assessment? In this magisterial collection, the contemporary complaints against belief in God are addressed with intellectual passion and rigor by some of the most astute theological and philosophical minds of the day: * J. P. Moreland * Paul Moser * John Polkinghorne * Michael Behe * Michael J. Murray * Alister McGrath * Paul Copan * Jerry Walls * Charles Taliaferro * Scot McKnight * Gary Habermas * Mark Mittelberg * Chad Meister * William Lane Craig Including an interview by Gary Habermas with noted convert to theism Antony Flew, and a direct critical response to Richard Dawkins's God Delusion by Alvin Plantinga, God Is Great, God Is Good offers convincing and compelling reassurance that though the world has changed, God has not.

About the Author

Edited by: William Lane Craig (Ph.D., philosophy, University of Birmingham; D.Theol., systematic theology, University of Munich) is Research Professor of Philosophy at Talbot School of Theology, Biola University, in La Mirada, California. He is also president of the Evangelical Philosophical Society. He has published articles in philosophical and theological journals such as The Journal of Philosophy, American Philosophical Quarterly, Philosophical Studies, Philosophy, British Journal for the Philosophy of Science, Modern Theology and Religious Studies. He has written or cowritten more than twenty books, including The Kalam Cosmological Argument; Divine Foreknowledge and Human Freedom; Theism, Atheism and Big Bang Cosmology and God, Time and Eternity. Chad Meister (Ph.D., Marquette University) is professor of philosophy at Bethel College in Mishawaka, Indiana. He is the author of numerous articles and books, including The Oxford Handbook of Religious Diversity, Introducing Philosophy of Religion, Reasons for Faith: Making a Case for the Christian Faith and The Philosophy of Religion Reader. Check out his website, chadmeister.com.

CFBA: Long time coming

This week, the  Christian Fiction Blog Alliance  is introducing  Long Time Coming   Abingdon Press (November 1, 2010)  by  Vanessa Miller  



ABOUT THE AUTHOR:  

Vanessa Miller of Dayton, Ohio, is a best-selling author, playwright, and motivational speaker. Her stage productions include: Get You Some Business, Don’t Turn Your Back on God, and Can’t You Hear Them Crying. Vanessa is currently in the process of turning the novels in the Rain Series into stage productions.


Vanessa has been writing since she was a young child. When she wasn’t writing poetry, short stories, stage plays and novels, reading great books consumed her free time. However, it wasn’t until she committed her life to the Lord in 1994 that she realized all gifts and anointing come from God. She then set out to write redemption stories that glorify God.

To date, Vanessa has completed the Rain and Storm Series. She is currently working on the Forsaken series, Second Chance at Love series and a single title, Long Time Coming. Vanessa believes that each book will touch readers across the country in a special way. It is, after all, her God-given destiny to write and produce plays and novels that bring deliverance to God’s people. These books have received rave reviews, winning Best Christian Fiction Awards and topping numerous Bestseller’s lists.


ABOUT THE BOOK

Two women from different worlds find hope together.


Faithful Christian Deidre Clark-Morris is a professional career-minded woman with a loving husband, but no children. Kenisha Smalls has lived in poverty all her life. She has three children by three different men and has just been diagnosed with inoperable cervical cancer.

While the meeting between these two women appears accidental, it becomes their catalyst of hope. Neither woman expects the blessing that God has in store for her. While Deidre will guide Kenisha on the path to eternal life with Jesus Christ, Kenisha will teach Deidre how to stand strong against the hard-knocks of life.

If you would like to read the first chapter of Long Time Coming, go HERE


Watch the book video:

Abide With Me (Lyrics in the Cherokee Language)

CFBA: Amy Inspired

This week, the  Christian Fiction Blog Alliance  is introducing  Amy Inspired  Bethany House; Original edition (October 1, 2010)  by  Bethany Pierce  


ABOUT THE AUTHOR:  

After completing a master's in Creative Writing and working as a visiting instructor at Miami University in Ohio, Bethany Pierce now lives with her husband in Charlottesville, Virginia, where she is a  member of the McGuffey Art Center and continues to write. Her first book, Feeling for Bones, was one of Publishers Weekly's Best Books of 2007.


ABOUT THE BOOK  

With rejections piling up, she could use just a little inspiration...


Amy Gallagher is an aspiring writer who, after countless rejections, has settled for a career as an English professor in small-town Ohio just to pay the bills. All her dreams suddenly start to unravel as rejections pile up--both from publishers and her boyfriend.

But just as Amy fears her life is stuck in a holding pattern, she meets the mysterious, attractive, and unavailable Eli. She struggles to walk the fine line between friendship and something more with Eli, even as staying true to her faith becomes unexpectedly complicated.

When secrets, tragedy, and poor decisions cause rifts in Amy's relationships, she must come to terms with who she's become, her unrealized aspirations for her life, and the state of her faith. Can she dare to hope that she will find love and fulfillment despite it all?

If you would like to read the first chapter of Amy Inspired, go HERE.

CFBA: A Season For Miracles

This week, the  Christian Fiction Blog Alliance  is introducing  A Season of Miracles  Kregel Publications; Reprint edition (August 3, 2010)  by  Rusty Whitener  


ABOUT THE AUTHOR:  

Rusty Whitener is a novelist, screenwriter, and actor. His first screenplay, Touched, won second place at the 2009 Kairos Prize at the Los Angeles Movieguide Awards and first place at the Gideon film festival. That screenplay soon became A Season of Miracles. The movie version of this book is now in production with Elevating Entertainment. Find out more at www.rustywhitener.com and www.aseasonofmiraclesmovie.com. Videos and book club discussion questions are also available at www.aseasonofmiraclesbook.com.



Endorsements:

“A Season of Miracles is a must read for anyone who has ever played youth baseball.  I read the book, and was reacquainted with my childhood. In the midst of an enjoyable read that took me down memory lane was a touching, challenging and beautiful story about how God can use the unlikeliest among us to draw us to Him.”—Matt Diaz, outfielder, Atlanta Braves

“Baseball, inspiration and childhood memories—a great combination. I couldn’t put it down!”—Richard Sterban, bass singer for The Oak Ridge Boys

“Rusty Whitener weaves a deft tale of young friendship and the curve balls of faith, the whole story seasoned with sunshine and the leathery scent of baseball gloves!”—Ray Blackston, author of Flabbergasted

“A Season of Miracles is a heartwarming all American story of small town boys and Little League baseball. You’ll be cheering this captivating bunch of characters all the way home both in their game of baseball and the bigger game of life.”—Ann Gabhart, award-winning author of The Outsider

ABOUT THE BOOK

Looking back on the 1971 Little League season, Zack Ross relives the summer that changed his life…


Gunning for the championship is all that matters until twelve-year-old Zack meets Rafer, a boy whose differences make him an outcast but whose abilities on the baseball field make him the key to victory.

Admired for his contribution to the team, Rafer turns everyone’s expectations upside down, bestowing a gift to Zack and his teammates that forces them to think—is there more to life than winning or losing? And what is this thing called grace?  

If you would like to read the first chapter of A Season of Miracles, go HERE.

Smoke Signals: latest newsletter

Latest newsletter from Wiconi

from Richard Twiss Hau Kola "hello friend", I became a lifetime "million miler" on Delta Airlines and will have logged 130K miles this year alone as I have traveled far and wide with one simple desire and calling: discovering how Jesus helps us become better human beings as we live out our faith with Him in community with others. It then becomes our privilege to join the Creator to serve our neighbors, striving for justice for all and communicating the Good News with love and courage in the power of the Spirit. This year is packed with stories of hope and blessing from people who have responded to me and our staff with grateful hearts. A man wrote to me recently, "I wanted you to know that the wisdom I have gained, and continue to gain from your words and actions has been integral to my faith journey. Creator's wisdom, passed through you, has also become integral to the faith of many people I have shared it with." By the grace of God we have never accomplished so much with so little! As I reflect on our humble efforts and the disproportionately sizable positive impact, I am reminded of Jesus and the loaves and fishes. I don't' know how we did it. Seriously. The coming year grows imminently larger, pregnant with possibilities; new partnerships, people needing a reason to hope, volunteers and programs being imagined and stuff we can't predict in a zillion years. To be sure there have been setbacks, great disappointments and loss. Lingering problems that don't seem to heal, especially conflicts, frustrate me. I wonder why finances are always so tight. I get peeved fighting against religions institutional territorialism and cultural dynamics of power and privilege. Yet, I never waver in my faith in Jesus and the hope that lies within. As December 31st approaches, you may be making difficult decisions about your year-end contributions. In talking with many of you, your available funds are stretched and your requests have never been greater. A dilemma you have seriously and earnestly prayed over. Having visited my friends in South Africa and seeing first hand their great work, I know there are many deserving and reputable organizations doing great work in Africa, India, Mexico and other parts of the world, including our marginalized populations here in the U.S.  I would like to ask, however, are there Native North American organizations that you currently support? Our people are the marginalized and forgotten tribal people in our own country, who are typically among the last to be considered for support. Yes, giving overseas often seems more worthy, exotic, even effective. While there are a variety of reasons for this, the fact remains that serving our Native communities in the Spirit of Jesus is always among THE most under-resourced in the country! In our Native communities we work under the weight of 500 years of colonialism. I need you to understand the heart of our Creator for the Host People of the land you and I call America. Those Creator placed here before everyone else.   Yes, we need your financial partnership and faith-filled prayers, but we want you to consider Jesus' invitation to love like a friend - to become our friend and walk with us as the First Nations people in your city, town, neighborhood, and region. Thank you for reading, praying, giving and your friendship! Peace, your Lakota brother, friend and follower of the Jesus Way, Richard Twiss Wiconi International www.wiconi.com Just click on this link to make a safe and secure online donation. For an honest, heart-wrenching and dramatic perspective on some of the issues I am referencing from my fathers reservation in South Dakota, check out this pictoral essay. click here to watch. Tribal Leaders Prayer Breakfast This Monday, November 15th we convene our 3rd Annual National Tribal Leaders Prayer Breakfast at the NCAI Conference in Albuquerque. We are gaining favor and credibility as a good place for encouragement and support of traditional cultural and spiritual values. It is our hope that it grows every year and serves to launch other breakfasts on reservations and urban centers around the country. Details are being finalized to launch a quarterly breakfast in Portland after the first of the year (TBA). Wiconi carries the financial and organizational weight of hosting these historic gatherings. Our budget for Albuquerque is only $2400.00, yet we still need partners to help us reach the goal. Click here to partner with us! Pilamaya. World Christian Gathering of Indigenous People (WCGIP) Indigenous people are preparing to make the journey to New Zealand as guests of the host people of the land, the Maori, for the 8th WCGIP, January 9-16, 2010. EARLY BIRD pre-registration prices are still available!!  Click here for details. Our Pursuit of Indigenous Theological Scholarship Some twenty years ago we began meeting and dreaming about the day when our Native people would emerge as scholars, professors and authors in addressing the theological and missiological challenges of our day from a Native worldview perspective, versus a Euro-centric one. That day is upon us! This week I will successfully defend my doctoral dissertation at Asbury Theological Seminary to receive a Doctor of Missiology in Inter-cultural Studies. I will join Dr. Randy Woodley and Dr. Cheryl Bear as the most recent in our community to receive post-graduate degrees with four more following. It's been a six year journey for me - woohooo!! In February, NAIITS in partnership with George Fox Seminary/University, will launch the first ever "Masters of Arts Degree in Inter-Cultural Studies" program where all classes are written by, taught by and administrated by an all-Native faculty! Historic!If you're interested in enrolling in the program or need more info click here. I have been in the middle of this great adventure from the beginning and Wiconi International has been a leading voice for change, equality, reconciliation and a better way of living out and communicating the good news of Jesus in our Native communities and world!

Last Temptation

Last Temptation Blog Tour – November 8-11, 2010 This blog tour is for Michelle Stimpson, author Last Temptation. About the Book Patricia “Peaches” Miller finally has the man and the ring she always wanted, but she’s not quite ready to turn in her Independent-Woman-Card to follow her follow her future husband’s dreams. When her ex suddenly becomes re-interested in her, Peaches wonders if she owes it to her son to give his father one more chance. But this last temptation hurls Peaches down a dangerous road that tests her relationships, her faith, and even her sanity. Can sin ever have a silver lining? You’ll love revisiting the main characters from Michelle’s highly acclaimed debut novel, Boaz Brown, in this long-awaited story of rebellion and redemption. About the Author Michelle Stimpson is an author, a speaker, and an educator who received her Bachelor of Science degree from Jarvis Christian College in 1994. She earned a Master’s in Curriculum and Instruction from the University of Texas at Arlington in 2002. She has had the pleasure of teaching elementary, middle, and high school as well as training adults. In addition to her work in the field of education, Michelle ministers through writing and public speaking. Her works include Boaz Brown, Breaking Bondage to Biscuits, Divas of Damascus Road (National Bestseller), The Good Stuff, Trouble In My Way, and the upcoming release, Last Temptation. She has written and published over 40 short stories through her educational publishing company at www.WeGottaRead.com. She also ministers to women through her online newsletter: www.womengrowinginchrist.com. Michelle lives near Dallas with her husband and their two teenage children. She is active in the Creative Tyme Ministry at her home church, Oak Cliff Bible Fellowship. Visit Michelle online at www.michellestimpson.com. DO NOT REPLY TO THIS EMAIL. PLEASE FILL-OUT THE FORM. If you can't see the button, CLICK HERE. Did You Know ... ... you can keep up with Tywebbin Blog Tours on MySpace.com (add us as friend) ORFacebook.com (become a fan) OR SUBSCRIBE TO Blog Tours via Email ©2009-2010 Tywebbin Creations / Book Your Blog Tour Today! Change email address / Leave mailing list Powered by YMLP

CFBA: Hatteras Girl

This week, the  Christian Fiction Blog Alliance  is introducing  Hatteras Girl  Bethany House; Original edition (October 1, 2010)  by  Alice Wisler  


ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Alice J. Wisler is an author, public speaker, advocate, and fundraiser. She has been a guest on several radio and TV programs to promote her self-published cookbooks, Slices of Sunlight and Down the Cereal Aisle. She graduated  from Eastern Mennonite University and has traveled the country in jobs that minister to people. Alice was raised in Japan and currently resides in Durham, North Carolina.

Facts about Alice
* Born in Osaka, Japan and lived in Japan for 18 years
* Went to Kyoto International School and Canadian Academy
* Majored in Social Work and graduated in 1983 from Eastern Mennonite University
* Worked at a group home for disadvantaged kids outside of Philadelphia
* Taught English and Culture Orientation at a refugee camp in the Philippines
* Taught English as a Second Language in Japan
* Speaks and teaches on Writing the Heartache
* Has three kids on earth, and one in Heaven
* Recently got married to Carl on 2/7/09  

ABOUT THE BOOK  

There are two things twenty-nine-year-old Jackie Donovan asks God for: an honest, wonderful man to marry, and to own a bed-and-breakfast in the Outer Banks region. In the meantime, Jackie works for Lighthouse Views magazine, writing articles about other local business owners, and intrepidly goes on the blind dates set up by her well-meaning but oh-so-clueless relatives.


There's one specific property Jackie dreams of purchasing: the Bailey Place, a fabulous old home where Jackie spent many happy childhood afternoons, a place that has now fallen into disrepair because of its outrageous price tag.

When Jackie meets handsome Davis Erickson, who holds the key to the Bailey Place, Jackie is sure God has answered both her prayers. But as Jackie learns some disturbing details about Davis's past, she begins to question her own motivation. Will she risk her long-held dreams to find out the truth?

If you would like to read the first chapter of Hatteras Girl, go HERE.

The House by Anjuelle Floyd

The House Blog Tour with Anjuelle Floyd Mondays in November 2010 – Win a FREE Kindle! This tour is for Anjuelle Floyd, author of The House (October 2010). Participants in the blog tour will be eligible to win a FREE Wi-Fi Kindle courtesy of the author. Stay tuned for details. NOTE: If you don't see a video here, visit the trailer at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TZj7UMHY1bc About the Book GENRE: Women's Mainstream Fiction On receiving the very thing she wants—a divorce and the power to sell their house—over which they have fought the past year—Anna Manning learns that Edward, her soon-to-be ex-husband is dying from cancer. A faithful wife for three decades, and stay-at-home mother of four children, Anna endured Edward’s constant absence due to travel for his international real estate firm and numerous extra-marital affairs. With their children now adults, Edward has less than six months, possibly three, to live. Anna takes him home to die in the house she has fought so vigorously to sell. But letting go of someone who has caused so much pain in your life doesn’t come easily. Edward has changed. There are Anna and Edward’s four children, three of whom who are married and struggling to endow their families with meaning and purpose. News of Edward’s terminal illness provokes her to understand the present, rooted in a wellspring of the past and pouring into a future without him. The House shows what happens when one adopts the belief that: All hold regret and are seeking forgiveness. Our salvation rests in the hands of others—most particularly the ones we love, and who have treated us wrongly. About the Author Anjuelle Floyd is a wife of twenty-eight years, mother of three, licensed Marriage and Family Therapist specializing in mother-daughter relations and dream work. A graduate of Duke University, she received her MA in Counseling Psychology from The California Institute of Integral Studies, San Francisco. She has attended the Dominican Institute of Philosophy and Theology, Berkeley, California, and received her MFA in Creative Writing from Goddard College, Port Townsend, Washington. She has received certificates of participation from The Hurston-Wright Writers’ Week and The Voices of Our Nations Writing Workshops. A student of Process Painting for the last decade, Anjuelle has participated in The Art of Living Black Exhibitions 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, and 2010 held at the Richmond Art Center, Richmond, California. Anjuelle facilitates writing groups and provides individual consultation of fiction projects. She also gives talks on The Need for Family, the Writing Process as a Path Toward Self-discovery and Healing. Visit her online at AnjuelleFloyd.com. DO NOT REPLY TO THIS EMAIL. PLEASE FILL-OUT THE FORM. If you can't see the button, CLICK HERE. Did You Know ... ... you can keep up with Tywebbin Blog Tours on MySpace.com (add us as friend) ORFacebook.com (become a fan) OR SUBSCRIBE TO Blog Tours via Email ©2009-2010 Tywebbin Creations / Book Your Blog Tour Today!

Home Again Blog Tour

Home Again Blog Tour - November 1-5, 2010

This tour is for Wanda B. Campbell & Friends, contributing writers to the anthology Home Again Stories of Restored Relationships (November 1, 2010).

About the Anthology

Home Again is a compelling journey into the relationships that matter most: family, friends and self. Each story is founded on natural love, but will require the Father’s love to heal the brokenness.

Travel with husbands and wives, brothers, sisters, friends and families as they maneuver through life’s hurts and betrayals while leaning on a power greater than themselves.

About the Contributors

Home Again Stories of Restored Relationships is the brainchild of author Wanda B. Campbell and her company Micah 6:8 Books, LLC. The anthology includes stories from:

• Dijorn Moss
• Tyora Moody
• Trinea Moss
• Maurice M. Gray, Jr.
• Wanda B. Campbell
• Shenette Jones
• Bernard Boulton
• Tavares S. Carney
• Linda F. Beed.
• The foreword was written by Alvin C. Romer.

What Readers are Saying …

Home Again is a compelling read. The stories told in Home Again reveal the magnificent power of love found through forgiveness, redemption and restoration. More than just another anthology, Home Again is inspirational and a must read.
- Shelia E. Lipsey, National Award-Winning Author

Through powerful and insightful stories, Home Again reminds us all through the power of God, the importance of family and forgiveness.”
- Elissa Gabrielle, Award-winning Author and Publisher

For more information, visit Micah 6:8 Books, LLC  online at: http://micah68books.com

Illusions (Urban Christian) [Paperback]

Paperback: 288 pages

Publisher: Urban Books; Original edition (February 1, 2009)

Language: English

ISBN-10: 1601629435

ISBN-13: 978-1601629432

Turn My Life Around

Eunice Njeri feat Kaberere - Natamani

Faith at the Edge: A Book for Doubters

Faith at the Edge: A Book for Doubters

Robert N. Wennberg (Eerdmans)

• Publisher: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company (October 23, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0802864732
• ISBN-13: 978-0802864734

Here's the blurb:

Have you ever doubted your faith? Have you ever, deep down in your heart, doubted that God was really present in your life? Or wondered whether everything you believed in as a Christian was false? / Call it existential doubt. Call it “the dark night of the soul,” as one Christian saint famously did. Whatever you call it, it’s real. It is personal, it is painful, it is distressing, and it can last for years — maybe even a lifetime. / You are not alone. Such crises of the soul have come upon saints throughout Christian history — from John of the Cross in the sixteenth century to Mother Teresa in our own time. In fact, there may be something of this God-doubting in all of us. At some point in our Christian walk, most of us have traveled — or will travel — this dark path. / In Faith at the Edge Robert Wennberg draws from his own experience with doubt to address such troubling issues. But he also calls upon the wisdom and insight of such figures as Blaise Pascal, G. K. Chesterton, Simone Weil, C. S. Lewis, and Martin Marty. Laying out a theologically insightful account of what happens during doubt, Wennberg helps us understand how we can cope with these dark episodes and even profit from them spiritually.

About the Author

Robert N. Wennberg is professor of philosophy at Westmont College, Santa Barbara, California.

Kidum Number Moja -- Kenyan Gospel

Soul Food and Living Water

Soul Food and Living Water Blog Tour with Yolanda and William Powell
September 27 - October 1, 2010

This blog tour is for Yolanda and William Powel, author of Soul Food and Living Water

About the Book

As God-conscious families, we all struggle to maintain a vibrant faith that will lead to strength and happiness in the midst of declining social values and daily challenges. Marital commitment, child rearing, financial stewardship and family harmony are problems that can become intensely magnified, draining our joy and ability to sufficiently thrive.

Overflowing with Biblical teaching, practical examples and real encouragement, Soul Food and Living Water provides the spiritual nourishment you and your family needs. Written in culturally sensitive language, reflecting the rich heritage and strong faith of African Americans, Soul Food and Living Water refreshes and equips families for today’s challenges.

Soul Food and Living Water is a personal invitation to come and dine at the Lord’s table, to be comforted in His presence and to feast upon His Words. So eat heartily and drink deeply.

Purchase the Book Online at:

• Amazon.com
• BarnesandNoble.com
• Booksamillion.com
• Borders.com
• Christianbook.com
• Indiebound.org

About the Authors

WILLIAM J. POWELL is a senior policy analyst for the District of Columbia and also pastors, Dominion International Ministries, a new start-up and dynamic church fellowship in Southern Maryland. YOLANDA POWELL is president of Oracles & Utterance, Incorporated, a Kingdom-advancing ministry to establish the global Body of Jesus Christ in deeper life intimacy, prophetic intercession, and spiritual warfare. She also serves as apostolic director of EXOUSIA, a Mid-Atlantic prayer training summit to equip church leaders and prayer teams in intense levels of intercession.

THE POWELLS reside in Dunkirk, Maryland with their three young adult sons. Visit the authors at http://soulfoodandlivingwater.com.

Souls in Transition: The Religious and Spiritual Lives of Emerging Adults

Souls in Transition: The Religious and Spiritual Lives of Emerging Adults  Christian Smith with Patricia Snell (Oxford University press)

• Hardcover: 368 pages
• Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA (September 14, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0195371798
• ISBN-13: 978-0195371796

A Love for Tomorrow Blog Tour with Vanessa Miller

A Love for Tomorrow Blog Tour with Vanessa Miller
- Wednesdays from September 8 to October 6

This tour is for Vanessa Miller, author of A Love for Tomorrow (September 2010). This is the second book in the Second Chance at Love series.

About the Book

When Christian talk show host Serenity Williams’ fiancé calls off their wedding because he can’t deal with her popularity, she determines that she will never fall in love with another pride-filled, ego-driven pastor. Then, Serenity’s producer asks her to interview the charismatic Pastor Phillip McKnight, who has recently gone through a divorce. Serenity feels that this is her chance to expose the arrogance of ego-filled pastors to the world. But Pastor Phillip is broken and humbled from his experiences, and the surprising humility of this man causes Serenity to want to un-break his heart. However, Serenity will need the Lord to fix her heart and change her mind about male preachers before she and Phillip can become all they were meant to be to each other.

About the Author

Vanessa Miller is a best-selling author, playwright, and motivational speaker. She started writing as a child, spending countless hours either reading or writing poetry, short stories, stage plays and novels. Vanessa’s creative endeavors took on new meaning in1994 when she became a Christian. Since then, her writing has been centered on themes of redemption, often focusing on characters facing multi-dimensional struggles.

Vanessa’s novels have received rave reviews, with several appearing on Essence Magazine’s Bestseller’s List. Miller’s work has receiving numerous awards, including “Best Christian Fiction Mahogany Award” and the “Red Rose Award for Excellence in Christian Fiction.” Miller graduated from Capital University with a degree in Organizational Communication. She is an ordained “exhorter” in her church, explaining, “God has called me to exhort readers and to help them rediscover their place with the Lord.”

Visit her online at http://www.vanessamiller.com

Wiconi -- Smoke Signals

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from Richard Twiss Hau Kola "hello friend", You have experienced, like me, being at the divine intersections of time and space where amazing new realities appear. This year tremendous opportunities have come to me as well as the fulfillment of long-held dreams in my heart. It is also a year of paradox and challenge, as the financial resources to fulfill the opportunities remain a constant obstacle. Three opportunities in particular are before me. Firstly, I will host a conversation with global leaders and scholars at the "Third Lausanne Congress on World Evangelism" in Cape Town, South Africa. We will discuss the pivotal role indigenous theologians have in shaping this new era of post-colonial Christianity in the world. Secondly, I will organize and host our annual tribal leaders prayer breakfast for the National Congress of American Indians Annual Conference. I seek to build relationships among tribal leaders to assist them in better serving their people in the spirit of Jesus. Thirdly, I have agreed to join the board of the Christian Community Development Association, founded by John Perkins. They very effectively work for biblical justice in urban African-American and Hispanic communities, but not yet to our urban or reservation Native communities and I will help raise awareness and focus efforts to address this lack. I must pay-my-way in fulfilling these opportunities. I am asking you to join me and help make these "God-given" opportunities a reality by contributing financially and praying. Part of making these opportunities a reality means keeping my office and staff going strong to enable me to do the other. Sadly, Native ministry is one of the most under-resourced areas there is and Wiconi is feeling it. Thank you for your prayers and partnership! May our Creator bring to pass all that is in your heart for the common good and to the blessing and honor of Jesus, our Chief Shepherd.  Your Lakota brother, friend and follower of the Jesus Way, Richard Twiss Wiconi International www.wiconi.com Just click on this link to make a safe and secure online donation.   A Historic Opportunity for Native People As a Native believer from North America I have been given a great opportunity to "represent." Cape Town 2010, held in collaboration with the World Evangelical Alliance, will bring together 4,000 leaders from more than 200 countries to confront the critical issues of our time - other world faiths, poverty, HIV/AIDS, persecution, among others - as they relate to the future of the Church and world evangelization. I will be leading a dialogue group to discuss developing indigenous theologies with the goal of creating an international network of contextual thinkers, practitioners and scholars.To read more click here. Making Jesus Known in Knowable Ways I served as editorial advisor, wrote the lead article and invited five other native leaders to write articles for the current issue of Mission Frontiers Magazine that is dedicated to describing how ministry among Native North American people is moving away from a paternalistic model to a new contextual one. With a circulation of over 80,000 subscribers in over 160 countries, Mission Frontiers is the most widely circulated publication of its kind and I asked for an additional 10,000 copies to distribute all across North America, which they graciously and generously agreed to supply. You can read the issue on the Internet by clicking here.