The author of The American Creed tells “the story of our nation’s historical encounters with God and culture” (Peter J. Gomes, New York Times bestselling author). Today’s dispute over the line between church and state (or the lack thereof) is neither the first nor the fiercest in our history. In a revelatory look at our nation’s birth, Forrest Church recreates our first great culture war—a tumultuous, nearly forgotten conflict that raged from George Washington’s presidency to James Monroe’s. Religion was the most divisive issue in the nation’s early presidential elections. Battles raged over numerous issues while the bible and the Declaration of Independence competed for American affections. The religious political wars reached a vicious peak during the War of 1812; the American victory drove New England’s Christian right to withdraw from electoral politics, thereby shaping our modern sense of church-state separation. No longer entangled, both church and state flourished. Forrest Church has written a rich, page-turning history, a new vision of our earliest presidents’ beliefs that stands as a reminder and a warning for America today. “An illuminating study of the great tangle of our time. If we look back to our early years, we may well find a way forward.” —Jon Meacham, #1 New York Times bestselling author of His Truth is Marching On “In this beautifully crafted and timely work, the aptly named Church takes us through the complex thoughts and actions of the nation’s founders in a way that will give pause to most readers . . . This is an important work that delights and informs.” —Publishers Weekly (starred review)

Scripture reveals a God who meets us where we are, not where we pretend to be. No More Faking Fine is your invitation to get honest with God through the life-giving language of lament. If you've ever been given empty clichés during challenging times, you know how painful it is to be misunderstood by well-meaning people. When life hurts, we often feel pressure--from others and ourselves--to keep it together, suck it up, or pray it away. But Scripture reveals a God who lovingly invites us to give honest voice to our emotions when life hits hard. For most of her life, Esther Fleece Allen believed she could bypass the painful emotions of her broken past by shutting them down altogether. She was known as an achiever and an overcomer on the fast track to success. But in silencing her pain, she robbed herself of the opportunity to be healed. Maybe you've done the same. Esther's journey into healing began when she discovered that God has given us a real-world way to deal with raw emotions and an alternative to the coping mechanisms that end up causing more pain. It's called lament--the gut-level, honest prayer that God never ignores, never silences, and never wastes. No More Faking Fine is your permission to lament, taking you on a journey down the unexpected pathway to true intimacy with God. Drawing from careful biblical study and hard-won insight, Esther reveals how to use God's own language to come closer to him as he leads us through our pain to the light on the other side, teaching you that: We are robbing ourselves of a divine mystery and a divine intimacy when we pretend to have it all together God does not expect us to be perfect; instead, he meets us where we are There is hope beyond your heartache, disappointment, and grief Like Esther, you'll soon find that when one person stops faking fine, it gives everyone else permission to do the same.

Growing up going form one foster home to another like a game piece on a no-win board can shatter your view of yourself and the world. In my memoir, "I Swear to tell the truth, the Whole Truth, and nothing but the Truth, So Help Me God" I expose the thoughts and feelings I experienced as I struggled over the past two years to make sense of a life shattered by childhood abandonment, neglect, and abuse. It's difficult for people who live in secure homes to understand how being deprived of simple things like safety, security, and warmth can make you seek these things even in destructive ways. Even with the support of different social services, nothing seemed to fill the emptiness growing inside me, an emptiness I desperately crave to fill. For the past two years I struggled to escape the pain of being unwanted by seeking comfort in the world of alcohol, drugs, and sexual addiction three worlds that have nearly destroyed me. Keywords: Memoir; diary; Journal; Autobiography; Sex Addiction; Drug Addiction; Alcoholism; Childhood Abuse; Mental Illness; Bipolar.

A specially designed handbook that will encourage service members to reflect on their spoken promise, their source of strength, and their personal commitment. An excellent gift that will inspire the troops and preserve the core values of the U.S. Armed Forces. Appendix includes list of U.S. Military Oaths, Code of Conduct, Will to Survive, Flag Folding Ceremony, and much more. End-of-chapter reflection questions provided for individual and small group studies in an academic setting or a deployed environment.

Focusing on his faith and his public service, the former Vice President recounts his journey to the White House, providing the inside story of the Trump Administration and how their relationship was severed when he kept his oath to the Constitution.