Faith In Bikinis

An untold story of the southern coastline that explores how tourism played a central role in revitalizing the southern economy and transformed its culture. By negotiating the rigid religious, social, and racial practices of the inland cotton country and the more indulgent consumerism of vacationers, many from the North, a New South emerged.

The pastor of one of today's most dynamic churches illumines the basic principles of attracting the unchurched to the Christian message. Using the story of Bob, a successful swimsuit salesman whose business takes a turn for the worse when he moves to Alaska, Adam Hamilton reminds us that all of life is about sales. Whether we are in a job interview, a candidates' debate, or a classroom, we are selling something: our skills, our convictions, our selves. The same is true of presenting the gospel to the unchurched. In leading a friend to a saving relationship with Christ, in inviting them to join us at church, we are presenting them with something that we believe they need, that will make all the difference in their life. Yet if we don't understand what we are presenting, who we are presenting it to, if we don't believe in the message we are offering, or if we don't believe that people need that message more than anything else, then we will not be faithful witnesses to it. In short, says Hamilton, if we don't understand some of the most basic principles that all successful salespersons know, then we will not succeed in presenting the message of Christ to those who most need to hear it. By telling the humorous and quirky story of Bob trying to sell swimsuits in the Arctic, Hamilton explains the fundamental concepts of sales that also apply in how we spread the gospel message. Drawing on his experience as the leader of one of the country's fastest-growing churches, he offers pastors and other Christian leaders solid, simple guidance on how to share the faith, and grow one's congregation.

Queering the Redneck Riviera recovers the forgotten and erased history of gay men and lesbians in North Florida, a region often overlooked in the story of the LGBTQ experience in the United States. Jerry Watkins reveals both the challenges these men and women faced in the years following World War II and the essential role they played in making the Emerald Coast a major tourist destination. In a state dedicated to selling an image of itself as a “family-friendly” tropical paradise and in an era of increasing moral panic and repression, queer people were forced to negotiate their identities and their places in society. Watkins re-creates queer life during this period, drawing from sources including newspaper articles, advertising and public relations campaigns, oral history accounts, government documents, and interrogation transcripts from the state’s Johns Committee. He discovers that postwar improvements in transportation infrastructure made it easier for queer people to reach safe spaces to socialize. He uncovers stories of gay and lesbian beach parties, bars, and friendship networks that spanned the South. The book also includes rare photos from the Emma Jones Society, a Pensacola-based group that boldly hosted gatherings and conventions in public places. Illuminating a community that boosted Florida’s emerging tourist economy and helped establish a visible LGBTQ presence in the Sunshine State, Watkins offers new insights about the relationships between sexuality, capitalism, and conservative morality in the second half of the twentieth century.

Ed Robinson's first book, Leap of Faith / Quit Your Job and Live on a Boat, was an Amazon best seller in multiple categories. Now he's back with this hilarious look at the nautical lifestyle. From Poop to Booze to Bikinis, he covers the funnier side of the issues encountered by boaters all of types. With chapters like Signs You Live on a Boat, Stupid People on Rental Equipment, and Zombies Can't Swim, you'll find plenty of laughs. There's even a chapter for Tim Dorsey fans. If you are a liveaboard, cruiser, weekender, wannabe boater, have boating friends, or are just a fan of Ed Robinson's wit, you will enjoy this light hearted romp through many maritime topics.

Growing up, we didn't have the Internet, our friends didn't cut themselves and text messaging wasn't even on the radar. Today's young people are bombarded by media of all kinds, and have instant access to any subject and any topic of their choosing. Their media-saturated lives are inescapably inundated by chat rooms, movies, instant messaging and their ipods. How do we help guide our children to live Godly lives amidst this kind of cultural climate? Brett Ullman discusses, from a parent's perspective, sensitive topics affecting today's young people including cutting, suicide, substance abuse, sex and violence. Bringing hope and an awareness to today's parents, Brett sheds light on how with increased knowledge of youth trends, adults can be more discerning in their parenting strategies and better able to anticipate the needs of their children as they navigate the often challenging waters of adolescence.

For fans of Beverly Lewis and Cindy Woodsmall, Rosalind Lauer’s uplifting Lancaster Crossroads novel A Simple Faith brings together disparate lives in a warm Amish setting. BLESSINGS BORN OF TRAGEDY A LOVE TO HEAL ALL FEARS Rushing to the scene of a tragic highway collision, nursing student Haley Donovan draws on her training to care for the passengers in the crumpled van. The experience wins her a place in Lancaster County’s tight-knit Amish society, and draws her to kindhearted psychologist Dylan Monroe. Working side by side with Dylan, who is bringing counseling services to the small town of Halfway, Haley feels an undeniable attraction between them, yet she senses that Dylan is holding back, scarred by the wounds of his past. Elsie Lapp, the manager of Halfway’s country store, is a voice of cheer and goodwill for her customers. But Elsie’s serene world spins out of control with the terrible crash, and the young woman finds herself grappling for the simple faith that has always sustained her. Her burden is eased by Ruben Zook, a neighbor known for his snide jokes. In the aftermath of the accident, Ruben reveals a tender heart that could easily sweep her away. However, Elsie carries secrets that keep her from surrendering her heart. Exploring the ways that faith, hope, and charity bring everyone together, A Simple Faith resonates with the sweetness, purity, and power of love. Praise for Rosalind Lauer and A Simple Faith “The lives of four people converge in the wake of a horrific accident in the small Pennsylvania town of Halfway. . . . As the four connect, faith, hope, and love begin to bloom. . . . Lauer’s new Amish series launch is sure to be a hit with fans of her ‘Seasons of Lancaster County’ series.”—Library Journal “A lovely story of two sweet couples, this story will warm your heart and spirit.”—The Parkersburg News and Sentinel “Sweet, touching . . . The Amish culture, religion and way of life feel accurately depicted.”—RT Book Reviews “[Lauer] definitely sets the bar high for Amish romance stories.”—Fresh Fiction, on A Simple Winter

This powerful memoir gives extraordinary insight into a secretive sect, and the horror Dassi Erlich had to survive. Dassi's resilience and fight for justice is inspiring. As a young girl growing up in a strict ultra-Orthodox family, Dassi's life was preordained - marry young, live a devout life and raise children within the Adass community's religious rules. This righteous path would keep her safe from the immodest, secular world just a few blocks away in suburban Melbourne. But the Adass community was not safe for Dassi. She was fifteen when her revered school principal, Malka Leifer, started to single her out. Dassi's cloistered and harsh upbringing meant she didn't have the words for what was happening to her, but she knew it was very, very wrong. It would take her years to break free of the secrecy which pervaded the community and tell the police of her betrayal. And only then would she find out others, including two of her sisters, had also been abused, and would learn some in the Adass community had helped Leifer flee to Israel. With the only world she knew crumbling around her, Dassi found the strength to fight, leading a brave fifteen-year campaign to bring Leifer back to face Australian courts. This is Dassi's story. 'I am a sexual abuse survivor, but I am also more than a survivor. I will continue fighting for justice for all victims.'

Everyone knows that we live in a “skin-is-in” society, heavily driven by media and immodesty. So how does a young Christian woman reconcile a fashionable wardrobe with maintaining her integrity? Written by international professional model Rachel Lee Carter, Fashioned by Faith offers a cutting-edge approach to the concept of beauty with a Biblical foundation that will attract moms and daughters alike. Readers will love hearing about Carter’s exciting story as she leads them on an engaging study that touches on a huge felt need for young women: real beauty has nothing to do with looks. Offering three valuable perspectives—teen boys, a professional model, and God’s Word—Carter explains her standards of modesty in a way that will make readers acquire a specific understanding of the author’s wardrobe choices and the impact those choices can make on others. Readers will also learn to season their self-image with daily quiet time with God. A tour of Scripture will reveal the value of heart issues like modesty and why they’re important to God. Never compromising her sense of style or her faith, every young lady can discover what it means to be Fashioned by Faith. Moms and girls will love this book!

With Southern sass and a comedic flare, Dr. Donna Grant Wilcox delivers a message of hope as she shares about a life once filled with pain due to a rare blood disease and cancer. Faith in God and a determination to survive brought healing, joy, and abundant blessings into her life. Unable to have children of her own, Donna fell into depression. As she struggled to make sense of it all, God showed up big time! Nothing is too hard for God. Donna and her husband, Bob, have been a mom and dad to over forty-nine young people. Today, they also enjoy the title of proud grandparents. Through Falling into Faith: A Journey to Freedom, Donna delivers encouragement, mental health awareness tools, and transformational life lessons on growing your faith in God and believing the impossible!

Atheism's leading lights have long been intellectuals raised in the secular and academic worlds: Richard Dawkins, Sam Harris, and the late Christopher Hitchens. By contrast, Jerry DeWitt was born and bred into the church and was in fact a Pentecostal preacher before arriving at atheism through an extraordinary dialogue with faith that spanned more than a quarter of a century. Hope After Faith is his account of that journey. DeWitt was a pastor in the town of DeRidder, Louisiana, and was a fixture of the community. In private, however, he'd begun to question his faith. Late one night in May 2011, a member of his flock called seeking prayer for her brother who had been in a serious accident. As DeWitt searched for the right words to console her, speech failed him, and he found that the faith which once had formed the cornerstone of his life had finally crumbled to dust. When it became public knowledge that DeWitt was now an atheist, he found himself shunned by much of DeRidder's highly religious community, losing nearly everything he'd known. DeWitt's struggle for identity and meaning mirrors the one currently facing millions of people around the world. With both agnosticism and atheism entering the mainstream—one in five Americans now claim no religious affiliation, according to a recent study—the moment has arrived for a new atheist voice, one that is respectful of faith and religious traditions yet warmly embraces a life free of religion, finding not skepticism and cold doubt but rather profound meaning and hope. Hope After Faith is the story of one man's evolution toward a committed and considered atheism, one driven by humanism, a profound moral dimension, and a happiness and self-confidence obtained through living free of fear.