On April 28, 2006, as he lay in his hospital bed in Ann Arbor, Michigan, visions of celestial beauty were the last thing on Marv Besteman's mind. He had just had surgery to remove a rare pancreatic tumor. It was after visiting hours and his family had left for the day. Alone and racked with pain, Marv tossed and turned, wanting more than anything else to simply sleep and escape the misery and discomfort for a while. The retired banker, father, and grandfather had no idea he was about to get a short reprieve in the form of an experience he never could have imagined.
In "My Journey to Heaven," Marv Bestman shares the story of his experience of heaven with astounding detail. Readers will hear of his encounters with angels who accompanied him to the gate, his conversation (argument, really) with St. Peter, and his recognition of friends and family members who touched his life. His story offers peace, comfort, and encouragement to those who have lost loved ones and gives security and solace to those who are grieving, dying, or wonder about the afterlife. Marv believed God sent him back to earth to fulfill this mission of comfort and reminds readers that God has work for each of us to do before he calls us to be with him in heaven. Secure in his belief that his book was the fulfillment of his own mission, Marv returned to heaven in January 2012.

Take one thoroughly modern gal with a recessionary income problem, mix with the practices of a culture that has proved to be recession-proof, and what have you got?

A financial planner in a straw hat.

When writer Lorilee Craker learned that the Amish are not just surviving but thriving in the economic downturn, she decided to find out why. What she found was about a dozen tried and true financial habits the Amish have employed for generations that will make your cash last longer and help you build wealth. Craker provides tips to...

use it up, wear it out, make do, or do withoutrethink your gift givingrepurpose, recycle, and reuseeat like royalty for a peasant's pittance

Endorsements:

Packed with practical, simple, and smart money saving ideas and teeming with great insight into the sensible Amish ways, "Money Secrets of the Amish"will entertain you with stories and retrain your brain to be the savvy money saver you always dreamed you could be. --Beth Wiseman, best-selling author of "Plain Promise" and "Seek Me With All Your Heart"

Sometimes touching, sometimes humorous and always helpful, author Lorilee Craker pulls us into the family rooms of the Amish and shows us how they make ends meet. Story after story illustrates savvy money management: trading for goods and services, shopping for bargains, living with less, avoiding debt, curbing the desire to impress others. And Craker's journalistic bent provides plenty of takeaway value for the non-Amish. A very worthwhile read whether your bank account is bursting or busting. --Suzanne Woods Fisher, author of "Amish Peace: Simple Wisdom for a Complicated World" and "Lancaster County Secrets" (Revell)

This book is like an Amish basement shelf loaded with Mason jars full of Plain money wisdom. Self-confessed "Fancy" gal Lorilee Craker rolls up her sleeves and cracks them open one-by-one, figuring out how to fit Amish principles to a non-Amish life. She succeeds, and so can you--read "Money Secrets of the Amish" and add weight to your wallet. --Erik Wesner, amishamerica.com; author of"Success Made Simple: An Inside Look at Why Amish Businesses Thrive"

"Money Secrets of the Amish" is a practical, doable guide, and it's such fun to read. Lorilee's voice is as engaging and lively as ever, and the wisdom she shares from the Amish community is both inspiring and instructive. I just finished the last page, and my mind is buzzing with all sorts of ways to waste less, want less, and spend less. --Shauna Niequist, author of "Cold Tangerines" and "Bittersweet"

Lorilee inspires and impacts your everyday life with this marvelous little read. From buttons to bakery you suddenly realize this conversation is not about just pinching a few pennies but about transforming how we view our everyday lives. I applaud Lorilee for asking the hard questions and pressing in to find honest answers. Forget the mall, kick back and soak up the delicious wisdom of a life well lived. Thank you Lorilee for shaping my everyday --Tracey Bianchi, author of "Green Mama"

"Money Secrets of the Amish" isn't so much about making money; it's about family, discipline, and redefining what "wealthy" means. This is a great read that helps us all to see more clearly what's really valuable in our lives. --Jeff McMahon, award-nominated musician and national director/runner with the Team McGraw endurance program

Readers will get to know Ashley Reitz, a top international curve model who, despite being a good girl and even a pastor's daughter, took destructive detours in unhealthy dieting, and beauty and body obsession before discovering that she was already special and good enough-because Jesus had made her so. Ashley weaves her stories of growing up feeling self concious and unnoticed with behind-the-scenes snapshots of the good, the bad, and the ugly of the modeling industry. She offers lessons for readers on how to find true confidence as they discover their identity in Christ, not the empty substitutes of this world. As she explores topics of confidence, beauty, positive body image, and the maddening-and futile-pursuit of perfection, Ashley acts as a big sister to speak truth and healing into the lives of young women and girls.

Have you ever felt like you were not enough-not pretty enough, thin enough, or enough enough? You will never be all that the world demands you to be-it's impossible. Just ask curve model Ashley Reitz, who struggled for years with feeling overlooked, frizzy-haired, round-faced, and chubby. Her insecurity, disordered eating, and weight issues derailed her happiness and set her on a treadmill of constantly trying to be enough and never succeeding. Even after Ashley grew up, graduated from beauty school, and launched a successful international modeling career, it took overcoming some painfully dark circumstances to provide her with the needed clarity and strength to confront her deeply rooted insecurities. She realized she had to surrender daily, actively seeking her acceptance and finding her worth in Jesus alone. Finally, she realized the truth: She was already beautiful. And so are you! Join Ashley as she explores topics of confidence, beauty, positive body image, and the maddening-and futile-pursuit of perfection. Like an encouraging friend and sister, Ashley speaks truth and healing into your life as you: Rethink your true source of identity and confidence.Choose physical and spiritual wellness over our culture's unnatural fixation with being "skinny."Take back the power you and millions of others have unwittingly handed over to the media.Learn to believe God's words of love and value about you, every day.Are inspired by a formerly insecure "hot mess" who has been transformed through seeking her confidence in Christ alone.Believe that you are enough, because Jesus said so.