. .  Martha Hawkins was the tenth of twelve children born in Montgomery, Alabama. There was no money, but her childhood was full of love. Martha's mother could transform a few vegetables from the backyard into a feast and never turned away a hungry mouth.   Memories of the warmth of her family's supper table would remain with Martha. Even as a poor single mother without a high school diploma, Martha dreamed of one day opening a restaurant that would make people feel at home. She'd serve food that would nourish body and soul. But time went by and that dream slipped further and further away as Martha battled the onset of what would later become a severe mental illness. But the thing about hitting bottom is that there's nowhere to go but up. Martha decided to step into God's promise for her life. Her boundless faith and joy led her to people who would change her world and lend a helping hand when she most needed and least expected one.    Martha's Place is now a nationally known destination for anyone visiting the Deep South and a culinary fixture of life in Montgomery. Martha only hires folks who are down on their luck, just as she once was. High-profile politicians, professional athletes, artists, musicians, and actors visit regularly. Martha has proven many times that keeping the faith makes the difference between failure and success. This is the story of how Martha finally found her place. . . .

    And I want you to feel beautiful and confident as you do.” But how? When the enemy whispers lies that you are not smart enough, pretty enough, or rich enough? Or you are too dumb, too loud, too quiet, too thin, too fat, too much or not enough? What if you don’t have what it takes to be who you really want to be? In Looking for Lovely, Annie F. Downs shares personal stories, biblical truth, and examples of how others have courageously walked the path God paved for their lives by remembering all God had done, loving what was right in front of them, and seeing God in the everyday—whether that be nature, friends, or the face they see in the mirror. Intensely personal, yet incredibly powerful, Looking for Lovely will spark transformative conversations and life changing patterns. No matter who we are and what path God has us on, we all need to look for lovely, fight to finish, and find beautiful in our every day!

    It includes questions to think about, session outlines with room for note-taking, discussion questions, Bible studies, a prayer journal, and more. Prayer can change lives and circumstances like nothing else can. What are the keys that unlock its power, that turn prayer from a mere activity into a vital link with God and all his resources? In When God’s People Pray, Jim Cymbala, pastor of Brooklyn Tabernacle, shows you and your small group truths about prayer that God has used to turn his own church from a tiny, struggling inner-city congregation into a vital, thriving community of believers who pray with passion, focus, and faith. Featuring teachings by Jim Cymbala and video interviews of ordinary people who have received extraordinary answers to their prayers, these six sessions will help you pray with new confidence. Six sessions [Show thumbnails for the following sessions.] God’s Heart for Us The Amazing Power of Prayer Obedience in Prayer The Word of God and Prayer Why Prayer Matters Creating a Prayer Ministry in Your Church

    Are you making your first-time guests feel welcome? Or are you driving them away—unintentionally—with bad signage, reserved seating, clunky communication and more? In this practical book, Jonathan Malm examines 50 ways churches make first-time visitors feel unwelcome. The transgressions range from insider lingo to awkward transitions, a cold congregation to the over-eager greeter. With all 50 church faux pas, Jonathan suggests ways to not only fix the problem, but also infuse excellence into the situation so churches can put their best foot forward with first-time guests. A few simple changes can help your church roll out the welcome mat for your guests.

    

    These are miraculous stories of survival, perhaps even forgiveness. To some of us Georgia's life would be unthinkable. Sellers makes us believe it is well worth living. "Heather Sellers writes delicious, dangerous prose. She starts you twenty-three floors up in condo squalor, nips across for dysfunction in Disney country, threatens incest in Hotlanta, and comes to grief on the Gulf. The dead-credible life of Georgia Jackson-ineffably sweet, thoroughly in love with her own luscious body, half in love with her lush of a father-skids at the edge of the surreal. Her story had me laughing through the lump in my throat. An original. A knockout debut."-Janet Burroway

    In this book she shows readers how they can experience God's favor as they pursue the dream He has planted in their hearts. Practical biblical teaching explains how the God-given dream will come to life as people devote themselves and their desires to God.

    She recounts the stories of people who have been dramatically changed by the power of prayer and worship, her own story of her life and ministry, and her approach to leading music so that every believer can experience God in authentic worship.

    However, few are aware that we are also the Benjamin Generation. For just like Benjamin was the youngest and final son of Jacob, this generation will be God's last and final one before the rapture. This book draws on Old Testament symbols to bring forth prophetic revelations of God's move in these last days.

    Do they reveal the Heaven of the Bible? All of us long to know what life after death will be like. Bestselling author John Burke is no exception. In Imagine Heaven, he compares more than one hundred gripping stories of near-death experiences (NDEs) to what Scripture says about our biggest questions of Heaven: Will I be myself? Will I see friends and loved ones? What will Heaven look like? What is God like? What will we do forever? What about children and pets?Burke shows how the common experiences shared by thousands of near-death survivors--including doctors, college professors, bank presidents, people of all ages and cultures, and even blind people--point to the exhilarating picture of Heaven promised in the Bible.This thrilling journey into the afterlife will make you feel like you've been there, forever changing the way you view the life to come--and the way you live your life today. You'll discover Heaven is even more amazing than you've ever imagined. "Burke has managed to write this book like a detective novel--it's very hard to put down, yet filled with important content that answers the questions a typical person would have with this subject. In all honesty, this is now the go-to book on Heaven and NDEs."--J. P. Moreland, distinguished professor of philosophy, Biola University "In his engrossing book, my friend John Burke surveys the vast literature on NDEs, examining them in light of the Bible and showing how they can help us live with an eye on eternity."--Lee Strobel, bestselling author of The Case for Christ and The Case for Grace "It's been a long time since I have enjoyed a book as much as this one. Imagine Heaven is clearly reasoned and draws relevant applications for our lives."--Gary R. Habermas, distinguished research professor and chair of the department of philosophy, Liberty University John Burke is the author of No Perfect People Allowed, Soul Revolution, and Unshockable Love. He is the pastor of Gateway Church in Austin, Texas. As an international speaker, John has addressed hundreds of thousands of people in twenty countries on topics of leadership and spiritual growth.

    Using her rich, marvelous experiences of God's works since her son's heaven going, she provides comforting assurance that God truly is everything we need in this life. An empowering resource for small-group discussion or book clubs, this book is a call to action and a beckoning to know our Holy God like never before.

    But when news of a horrifying murder shocks her sleepy fishing community, she’s compelled by a deep sense of justice to help track down the killer. And when an old friend offers her a chance to do it from behind a badge, she goes all in. Ellie’s investigation gets off to a rapid start, leading her into a hidden underworld of drugs, murder, and lies, where she quickly discovers that some of the locals may not have the cleanest of hands. Meanwhile, as deep pain continues to linger from the recent death of her father and a gaping hole left by a previous mission gone terribly wrong, Ellie discovers that it’s not so easy to outrun your past. SHALLOW BREEZE When a plane loaded with illegal drugs crashes into an iconic pier, the locals begin to wonder if any other secrets are about to fall out of the sky. After going to Tampa to search out a possible link between Hawkwing Enterprises and the dead body of a young boy, Ellie suddenly becomes entangled with an elusive drug lord and the former Navy SEAL working with him. On Pine Island, a local and beloved business owner is blackmailed into moving cargo that goes against everything he believes in, bringing his world crashing down around him as he begins to live a sinister lie. BITTER TIDE When local Matlacha artist Jean Oglesby confides to Ellie that her son may be in some trouble, Ellie steps in to help and is sent down a winding trail that leads her into deep and unexpected waters. A Category 4 hurricane has Pine Island in its crosshairs, and as the winds whip the mainland, it forces Ellie to make a choice: flee for safety or stay and hunt down the weapons smugglers that have kidnapped and tortured an innocent man. And when a friend from the past suddenly appears with unexpected news, she begins to wonder if the truth is even out there and if she will be forced to finally bend the rules. VACANT SHORE Ellie has encountered setback after setback, and this time is no different. When a former adversary comes back for revenge, Ellie discovers the crosshairs cover more than she ever could have imagined and locks her into a deadly battle that has already claimed far too many innocent lives. As she gets ever closer to unmasking the lies running rampant over her community, Ellie finds corruption at the highest levels of government, forcing her to reexamine everything she knew to be true. In this nail-biting conclusion to an investigation that began in Broken Stern, Ellie’s pursuit of justice takes her to the very threshold of death’s door, and what she finds leading up to it is nothing short of terrifying.

    Aggie Prejean has stepped into her worst nightmare. Her two granddaughters have disappeared, and the only clue she possesses is a forgotten laptop. A tragic end is imminent, and with little money and resources, she feels helpless to save them. Desperation drives this lionhearted Cajun to risk everything to cross paths with Richard and Lottie DuMonde, two of the wealthiest and most connected people in New Orleans. Certainly, once they hear her story, they will help. But what Aggie doesn't foresee is the dark world she's about to set foot in, or the dangers accompanying the rescue needed to bring her girls home. 100% of the authors proceeds from the sale of this book (and the film) have been donated to Trafficking Hope www.traffickinghope.orgCAGED NO MORE is Book One in the Caged No More Trilogy. CAGED NO MORE is the 2nd edition of the novel originally titled CAGED.

    Disenchanted with city life, international celebrity Fly, returns to the island of his birth to find stability of mind in a natural environment. Eventually, he is traced by his manager, a man determined to involve Fly in a cunning scheme that would convert that peaceful haven into a leisure complex for the mega rich, a development that would turn the gentle island into a glittering millionaire's bauble. Can Fly and his peaceful community defend their island and their lifestyle from the treacherous mind of his manager?

    A young preacher from the Pennsylvania hills comes to New York City and influences troubled teenagers with his inspirational message.