Pickup trucks and eagles, yellow school buses and painted horses, Mother Earth and Sister Meadowlark all join together to greet the dawn. They marvel at the colors and sounds, smells and memories that come with the opening of the day. Animals and humans alike turn their faces upwards and gaze as the sun makes its daily journey from horizon to horizon. Dawn is a time to celebrate with a smiling heart, to start a new day in the right way, excited for what might come. Birds sing and dance, children rush to learn, dewdrops glisten from leaves, and gradually the sun warms us. Each time the sun starts a new circle, we can start again as well. All these things are part of the Lakota way, a means of living in balance. S. D. Nelson offers young readers a joyous way of appreciating their culture and surroundings. He draws inspiration from traditional stories to create Greet the Dawn. His artwork fuses elements of modern with traditional. Above all, he urges each of us to seize the opportunity that comes with the dawn of each new day.

Race with the animals of the Zodiac as they compete to have the years of the Chinese calendar named after them. The excitement-filled story is followed by notes on the Chinese calendar, important Chinese holidays, and a chart outlining the animal signs based on birth years.

Marva Dawn is known throughout the world for her bestselling devotional and theological books and for her popular lectures on worship, ministry, and church and family life. Morning by Morning takes readers through a year of daily devotional readings selected from the best, most inspiring passages of Dawn's writings.

There are no quick fixes and no easy answers for building church attendance and participation. But, with a commitment from church leadership and an investment of time and available resources, you can increase your ability to meet the needs of your community and grow your church. So, how do you know if your church is ready? Get Your Church Ready to Grow offers a starting point: the Ready To Grow Quiz provides a roadmap based on the unique qualities of your church for implementing an array of low-cost, moderate, and high-investment strategies for growth. Also features practical tools for acquiring research data to guide decision-making and for identifying areas of focus through use of surveys, focus group, and exit information. Book jacket.