The Beach Boys are one of rock's most enduring and enigmatic groups, and while the band has been the subject of numerous biographies and other in-depth studies, there has been no focused evaluation of the religious and spiritual themes in their work. Spiritual and theological themes are present in much of their work, and when this realization is coupled with Brian Wilson's mission "to spread the gospel of love through records," and his sense of music as spiritual--of thinking "pop music is going to be spiritual . . . that's the direction I want to go"--this is a striking way to explore the band's music. In God Only Knows, the contributors attempt to come to grips with just a small amount of this band's massive output--by circling around its theological virtues. Each section of the book is a loose investigation of the guiding topics of faith, hope, and love. Each essay is a free exploration of theological and spiritual themes from the contributor's own perspectives.

As the Biblical David lies on his death-bed he looks back on his own, crowded life and tells all.

Length: 2 acts.

Meet the ordinary but unqualified proof that you can accomplish whatever you want to accomplish in life, no matter how impossible it might seem. God planted that passion in your heart and will use it to make your life extraordinary. Against the odds. This is a riveting true story that dares you to dream. Joe Camp showed his film to every studio in Hollywood and couldn’t get a distributor. Nobody wanted Benji. Nobody. Zero. The following summer Variety reported that the movie was the #3 box office gross of all movies for the year. In spite of all the folks who were so quick to say: You can’t do that! That’s impossible! Give up! Quit. Sit down. Shut up. Go away. If it could be done somebody would have done it already. God’s hand at work. Up close and personal. And what a story this book is as Joe Camp learns how every devastation that he believed to be surely the end of life as he knew it had to happen exactly as God orchestrated it or there never would’ve been a Benji. Or six Benji films. And there never would’ve been a bestselling book changing the lives of horses all across the planet. Or a second love of his life after his Carolyn was called home. God Only Knows is a true story that reads like a spellbinding novel, emotionally involving and packed with suspense while totally shredding our resistance to fully trusting God with our every devastation so that we might see our adversities for what they are: God molding us, strengthening us, teaching us how to get past the multitude of obstacles that any worthwhile dream will throw at us. “My fondest hope is that this book might inspire you to mount a white horse and charge off after things worthwhile, to reach for heights heretofore perceived as unreachable, to adventure into uncharted waters with passion, honesty and God by your side . . . and leave this world a better place for your effort.” --Joe Camp

Author Kennedy Oliver and her husband, Austin, were two high school teachers from a small town just trying to work hard and raise their daughters to be good people. In 2005, the family was thrilled to be moving into a beautiful, newly built home. In 2006, Kennedy experienced unexplained exhaustion and significant health issues. The family had no idea the medical nightmare they would face for the next six years. Kennedy consulted with multiple doctors, underwent an extraordinary amount of surgeries, and experienced unspeakable pain with her chronic condition. And then in 2011, Austin became deathly ill and required emergency surgery to save his life. In God Only Knows, Kennedy tells her familys story. Because of their faith in God, constant prayer, and their incredible support network they were able to navigate through this extremely difficult journey. This memoir shares a powerful message of love, perseverance, and how an unyielding faith in the Lord helped this family survive.

Police found John Doe No. 24 in the early morning hours of October 11, 1945, in Jacksonville, Illinois. Unable to communicate, the deaf and mute teenager was labeled “feeble minded” and sentenced by a judge to the nightmarish jumble of the Lincoln State School and Colony in Jacksonville. He remained in the Illinois mental health care system for over thirty years and died at the Sharon Oaks Nursing Home in Peoria on November 28, 1993. Deaf, mute, and later blind, the young black man survived institutionalized hell: beatings, hunger, overcrowding, and the dehumanizing treatment that characterized state institutions through the 1950s. In spite of his environment, he made friends, took on responsibilities, and developed a sense of humor. People who knew him found him remarkable. Award-winning journalist Dave Bakke reconstructs the life of John Doe No. 24 through research into a half-century of the state mental health system, personal interviews with people who knew him at various points during his life, and sixteen black-and-white illustrations. After reading a story about John Doe in the New York Times, acclaimed singer-songwriter Mary Chapin Carpenter wrote and recorded “John Doe No. 24” and purchased a headstone for his unmarked grave. She contributes a foreword to this book. As death approached for the man known only as John Doe No. 24, his one-time nurse Donna Romine reflected sadly on his mystery. “Ah, well,” she said, “God knows his name.”

The Beach Boys are one of rock's most enduring and enigmatic groups, and while the band has been the subject of numerous biographies and other in-depth studies, there has been no focused evaluation of the religious and spiritual themes in their work. Spiritual and theological themes are present in much of their work, and when this realization is coupled with Brian Wilson's mission "to spread the gospel of love through records," and his sense of music as spiritual--of thinking "pop music is going to be spiritual . . . that's the direction I want to go"--this is a striking way to explore the band's music. In God Only Knows, the contributors attempt to come to grips with just a small amount of this band's massive output--by circling around its theological virtues. Each section of the book is a loose investigation of the guiding topics of faith, hope, and love. Each essay is a free exploration of theological and spiritual themes from the contributor's own perspectives.