My intention in writing this book is to share the intimacies of my heart, leading up to a personal, powerful, and life-changing experience of God's unconditional love. First for the clergy and teachers of faith, this book is given to you for the benefit of those who are in your care and second yet foremost, for those who have been surpressing pain within their own and often times repressed experience. My hope is that in sharing my struggle to let God be God, and do what God does best, namely to love those who will come to Him with all of their brokenness and need, that you too may come closer to peace in your own life. Can you find identity in one of these groups? * Those who have been hurt by fear and insecurity based upon a harshly taught understanding of God's law without real knowledge of His love;* Those having sadly experienced divorce and the guilt coming from that failure with its painful confusion, what really happened;* Catholic women practicing what is termed by the Catholic Church as as artificial birth control and its affect on their peace of mind;* Those troubled by the Catholic Church's requirement of integral sacramental confession as the only ordinary means of receiving forgivness for sin;* Protestants and Evangelicals counting on Baptism alone, apart from any growth in personal righteousness, as affecting their eternal reality.Did you find yourself listed above? Today there are many who are under spiritual oppression and needlessly suffering separation from real knowledge of God's unconditional love for them. The question everyone needs to answer is this, can I receive God's mercy and love and can I return that love to Him? This capacity is evidence of and at the very heart of salvation

When, in Obergefell v. Hodges, the US Supreme Court held that bans on same-sex marriage violate the Constitution, Christian conservative legal organizations (CCLOs) decried the ruling. Foreseeing an “assault against Christians,” Liberty Counsel president Mat Staver declared, “We are entering a cultural civil war.” Many would argue that a cultural war was already well underway; and yet, as this timely book makes clear, the stakes, the forces engaged, and the strategies employed have undergone profound changes in recent years. In Defending Faith, Daniel Bennett shows how the Christian legal movement (CLM) and its affiliated organizations arrived at this moment in time. He explains how CCLOs advocate for issues central to Christian conservatives, highlights the influence of religious liberty on the CLM’s broader agenda, and reveals how the Christian Right has become accustomed to the courts as a field of battle in today’s culture wars. On one level a book about how the Christian Right mobilized and organized an effective presence on an unavoidable front in battles over social policy, the courtroom, Defending Faith is also a case study of interest groups pursuing common goals while maintaining unique identities. As different as these proliferating groups might be, they are alike in increasingly construing their efforts as a defense of religious freedom against hostile forces throughout American society—and thus as benefitting society as a whole rather than limiting the rights of certain groups. The first holistic, wide-angle picture of the Christian legal movement in the United States, Bennett’s work tells the story of the growth of a powerful legal community and of the development of legal advocacy as a tool of social and political engagement.

Throughout his childhood and during his twenty years of professional service in the New Zealand Army, author Michael J. Roberts repeatedly heard a message: grown men don't cry. To cope with life's ups and downs, Roberts put on a mask and effectively concealed his emotions behind it-that is, until he was diagnosed with cancer. In Grown Men Don't Cry, Roberts shares his story and describes how he found inner peace by allowing himself to cry and by turning to be Jesus to be saved. This memoir narrates his personal journey as he faced recovery from a major operation, the fight against late stage-three cancer, radiation, and chemotherapy and ensuing depression. He tells how through these challenges and despair he found hope and God. A story about one man's triumph over great odds and the fear of death, Grown Men Don't Cry shows that no matter the despair or the pain, one must always have hope.

In the process of writing two short collections of light hearted material, (one published and one yet to be published), the author became acutely awarethat he could not continue forward without addressing what he considered to be the most important issues of human existence. All of us have askedourselves the questions, "What is the meaning of life" and "Why am I here"? Some have rejected the idea of an eternal soul, some are undecided, whileothers are largely unconcerned, but the author has chosen to embrace the concept and run with it. He believes there is a single overriding mission forevery individual alive today. The sole purpose of this life is to prepare for the next one, and every person has been given the ability to control hisown destiny. When compared to eternity, our lives are like a single knot in a rope that stretches around the world. From the foundation of the earth, a plan has been in place to allow humanity to share the wonders of eternity with the Creator of all things. Those who follow that plan will berewarded accordingly, while those who prefer to separate themselves from the influence of a Higher Power, will be granted their wish in eternity. Ifthis book convinces one person to follow the plan that leads to redemption, then it will have been well worth the effort.

Today, 1 in 110 children will exhibit signs and receive a diagnosis of autism. Many parents will live in confusion, seeing the early signs but not understanding them. They will experience many varying emotions ranging from denial to panic to desperation. By understanding the early signs and seeing God's hand in the circumstances of dealing with this disability, parents will begin to approach the care of their children with autism from a position of hope. This book chronicles the journey of one mother who has traveled down the path of life with a child with autism. It contains strategies, techniques, and curricular suggestions that proved helpful to her child. In addition, it details a journey of faith and hope that ends in a new way of valuing the lives of our individuals with special needs. May it bring hope and help to others who have entered upon this unique journey.

When Joel Soukup was diagnosed with osteosarcoma at the age of sixteen, the diagnosis changed him and his family forever. This family traveled down an unknown path and emerged from their journey in a way they never expected. Read how this young patient and his family handled the devastating diagnosis with strength, love, and faith in God.

One hot July day, on a return trip home from New Orleans, Trish Dunaway received a call from Mercer University police: "Call your mother." As the minutes raced by, she learned the tragic news: her ninety-three-year-old mother had been instantly killed in a traffic accident.

Her mother's story is a remarkable one: growing up in the 1920s in the Charleston, South Carolina Orphan House, losing her husband to cancer as a young married woman, and growing into a much-loved and honored prayer warrior.

Trish gave herself a year to journal her grief. Through prayer, the ministry of the saints, journaling and poetry, Scripture, and memories of her Low Country heritage, she learned to choose God's comfort He offered through a walk into His mercy and grace.

She shares her journey during the year following her mother's death as she learns how God teaches us to listen for His comfort in the face of despair.

Ten years ago, I was diagnosed as having chronic depression. I was living and walking in darkness and it had consumed my entire being. I was in a relationship that was going no where, being used and emotionally damaged. I had one foot in the world, one foot in the church and no relationship with God. I was at the end of my rope and could not take life any longer. One night, I decided I was going to take my life. I was hurting and the pain was too much to bear. I sat on the floor, crying, thinking about how to end it all. I clearly heard Satan giving me ways to do it, until I opened my mouth and called on the name of the Lord, who interrupted Satan's plan to kill me that night. I asked the Lord to take the hurt and pain away. And He did it, immediately I remember getting up without the weight that had consumed me and I decided from that day forward that I would serve the Lord. My Damascus culminates this life changing experience and journey of letting go of the world and hanging on to God. "At one time you surrendered yourselves entirely as slaves to impurity and wickedness for wicked purposes. In the same way you must now surrender yourselves entirely as slaves of righteousness for holy purposes." - Romans 6:19 To receive the Lord Jesus Christ as your Personal Savior, simply pray: Dear Lord Jesus, I know that I am sinful and I need Your forgiveness. I believe that You died to pay the penalty for my sin. I want to turn from my sin nature and follow You instead. I invite You to come into my heart and life. In Jesus' name, Amen.

The title Liquid Sunshine is a symbolic expression derived from simply taking the trials throughout life (rain) and merely perceiving them as growth from the Lord (sunshine). Understand this is the reason why sunshine and rain, good days and bad ones, have been given to us from God-so we can grow in moderation as plants do, trusting in him. In this story of love, life, and fi nding the will of God, Jayden Rockaway, a charming senior in college, struggles to maintain a healthy relationship with the Lord, while involved with his girlfriend and an unwanted third party. After multiple breakups and much tension between the three of them, the Lord's will for his life is found. Throughout this challenging experience, God paints a beautiful work of art and only by Jayden's willingness was it created. Once he stopped chasing the temporary and meaningless things of this world and pursued the perpetual and everlasting things that God wanted for him, he mentally saw a completed image, what many call the big picture, right before his very eyes. Now, we can all agree that hindsight is a wonderful explosion of revelation; however, to receive a glimpse of a painting before it is fi nished is a gift like none other. Step into this story and share my umbrella, if you will. See how the good and bad weather of a particular season can blend together and create one beautiful day.

Sand between my toes, the salt air wrapping around me like a warm, summer blanket, the crashing of waves, and the meeting of sky and water. The beach is where I see the handiwork of God. As a young child, it was there that I wished that I could walk on the water as Jesus and Peter had in Matthew 14. It was there that I learned of faith, the faith that requires you to not only step out of the boat but also to focus on Jesus and learn to walk toward Him daily. It is not enough to just get out of our comfort zones, but now we need to learn to grow and walk toward Him constantly. The Faith to Walk on Water takes a look at why standing still in our faith is no longer an option, how doubt and fear are overcome by Jesus. He does not watch from a distance, but He is always there holding out His hand for us to take hold. So what are you waiting for? Take that step, and walk on the water

Ezekiel 31:7 "Thus it was beautiful in greatness And in the length of it branches, Because its roots reached to abundant waters." Romans 11:13 "For if the first fruit is holy, the lump Is also holy; and if the root is holy, so Are the branches." Ephesians 3:17 "that Christ my dwell in your hearts through Faith; that you, being Rooted and grounded in love." By the Grace of God I have recently, with the passing of my father, been able to realize and understand my roots through the tribe of Aaron. As a result of this blessing I have been inspired by my church and family to write this devotional of Communion Messages. Hopefully, this devotional will be a blessing to anyone that can use it for Communion in Church, or at home. With this blessing I sign my name; Bruce Allyn Cohen

This book informs the readers about the life of a Southeastern Kentuckian and his struggles with 17 years of religious teachings coupled with, once into real world employment, corruption in the government of the United States of America and treasonous acts by members of the executive and legislative branches of the federal government.

The author will try to explain and encourage those that are seeking to marry that marriage is a holy estate instituted by God. Marriage was ordained for the life-long companionship, help and comfort which husbands and wives ought to have for each other. The author's deepest focus points are: Life-long Marriage and Finding the Right Mate.

Many married couples do not keep the marriage vows they made. Because of that, I recommend marital counseling before marriage. The author does not focus too much on divorce because of his disbelief in divorce. It was Moses that executed the bill of divorce. He did it to protect the women because husbands would divorce their wives for anything just to marry another woman.

Women have a moral personality and are not a thing that men may hand over to another, and then take her back again at his pleasure.

The author believes there is not law instituting or commanding divorce. Most people use Matthew 19:9, where Jesus was only explaining what Moses meant. The marriage that God wants is a marriage of a life-long commitment; a forever happy home