Kickstarter Campaign to raise funds for Africa Study Bible

All too often we are under the mistaken (and arrogant) impression that everyone understands the English language as we speak it in the Western world with all its subtle and implied meanings.  But this is not the case and when the Bible is presented to those who aren't familiar with these subtleties much of the message can be lost, quite literally in the translation.  Well, that is about to change for those who call Christ LORD and Africa home but have trouble grasping Western English.  The Word of God must be revealed so that it can be known and understood by those who hear and read it.

And you can help make it happen by contributing to the KickStarter campaign that is seeking to bring this six year effort of love into the hands and homes of those who call Africa home.

“The Africa Study Bible is unique because it contains study notes written by Africans for Africans. For the first time, the African church will have a Bible with application notes that address the real-life issues that Africans deal with every day. Combine those features with an easy-to-understand Bible translation that speaks directly to the heart... and you have the potential to transform the lives of multitudes of leaders, lay people, and seekers. I’m delighted that the Africa Study Bible will soon be available to my African brothers and sisters.” 

—Mark D. Taylor, Chairman/CEO of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.

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Major Christian Organizations Partner to Launch Africa Study Bible

Kickstarter Campaign Planned to Help Raise $ 1 Million for 100,000 Study Bibles

“The Africa Study Bible is a project that has almost unprecedented ability to positively influence the body of Christ in Africa, perhaps more than other single continental-wide project in the history of Christianity.” 

--Dr. Danny McCain, University of Jos, Nigeria

Wheaton, IL – Millions of English-speaking Africans know and love Christ, but for many, God’s word is hard to grasp. With nearly every full evangelical study Bible written from the viewpoint of the United States and United Kingdom, Africans have lacked a resource that connects with their unique experience, hindering discipleship.

But that is about to change as major Christian organizations, led by Oasis International, are joining together to launch the Africa Study Bible (ASB), a six-year, cross-continental effort that has produced the first study Bible developed by Africans

“With the ASB, we’re bringing the power of Scripture to Africa in a new and culturally relevant way,” says Dr. Matthew Elliott, president of Oasis, publisher of the ASB.

“Under the leadership of an 11-member editorial board of scholars from across Africa, we’ve brought together 350 writers and editors from over 40 African countries, representing 50 denominations. This is an unprecedented project that will impact the global church.”

With the editorial nearly complete, Oasis, with the support of its partners, is inviting fellow Christians to join with them in helping get the ASB into the hands of Africans. With a goal of raising one million dollars to print the first 100,000 copies, Oasis is seeking private donors as well as launching a Kickstarter campaign, which began on April 18 and runs through June 16. Contributors to the Kickstarter campaign have the opportunity to receive incentives ranging from artwork prints to limited Italian leather editions of the ASB as well as all-expense paid trips to the launch of the ASB in the United States and in Africa.

“Our goal is to have the first run of the ASB available in Africa by the end of 2016,” says Elliott. “We already know of more than 100 million people in denominations and movements in Africa whose leaders want to use the ASB for discipleship so there is a lot of anticipation throughout the continent.”

Designed to grow the faith of African church members, teach them to evangelize their communities, and apply a biblical worldview to their society, the ASB uses the New Living Translation and includes 2,400 plus features such as application notes, stories and proverbs, touchpoints that link Africa and the Bible, learn notes that explain basic theology, and major theme articles that apply the Bible to key issues. Oasis plans to initially release the ASB in English with French and Portuguese translations in development. Oasis is also developing a full-featured app of the study Bible.

To support the effort, Oasis is partnering with Tyndale House Publishers to create the study Bible. Other participants include Campus Crusade for Christ, International, Willow Creek and Willow Creek Global Leadership Summit, IFES (International Fellowship of Evangelical Students), Scripture Union, Africa Leadership, TransWorld Radio, Moody Broadcasting, Center for Early African Christianity, PJA (Publications pour la Jeunesse Africane), MMD Global, The Livingstone Corporation, InSight Books, Urban Ministries Inc., and the Association of Evangelicals in Africa, with additional participants being added on a regular basis.

“We have seen the hand of God in amazing ways throughout the development of this project,” says Elliott. “In the words of our supervising editor, Dr. John Jusu, the content of the ASB is bubbling up from the cultures of Africa. The biblical truth is percolating through our own cultures and stories to create a rich and textured tapestry that Africans can claim as their own.” --Dr. Danny McCain, University of Jos, Nigeria


Meet Dr. Matthew Elliott serves as president of Oasis International and project director for the Africa Study Bible.

Oasis International serves areas of the English-speaking world where people lack access to affordable Christian literature and the Bibles needed to mature in their faith.  In these countries, the measure of annual incomes is often in hundreds, not thousands, of dollars. The great needs of Africa, in particular, drive Oasis to concentrate on this continent, where the Church is experiencing significant growth yet printed resources are scarce.

Matthew earned a bachelor’s degree in economics and master’s degree in New Testament at Wheaton College, as well as a Masters of Theology and a Doctorate of Philosophy in New Testament Studies from University of Aberdeen (Scotland). He was ordained at College Church in Wheaton, Illinois under Dr. Kent Hughes. He is the author of Faithful Feelings: Rethinking Emotion in the New Testament(InterVarsity UK/Kregel) and Feel (Tyndale House).

Matthew, his wife, Laura, and three children reside in the Chicago area.

For more information on Oasis and the Africa Study Bible, 

visit www.oasisint.net or www.africastudybible.com

Treasure at Lure Lake ~ Review

Treasure at Lure Lake
By Shari L. Schwarz

Jack has a typical attitude of an older teen sibling feeling trapped by being with his younger brother. But Jack feels as if he just doesn't measure up in his parents eyes.  He feels as if Bryce is the golden prince to his parents.  Bryce also feels the stresses his family is under and the underlying sadness that is always present yet never acknowledged.

Bryce just wants to enjoy his summer - backpacking with Grandpa and his older brother Jack will be as good as it is going to get after Dad backs out.  And finding a hidden map may be just what Bryce needs to add some adventure to their hiking trip to Lure Lake.

But when the trio meets with some unexpected difficulties their trip may have a life-changing impact on the entire family.

This is a book that will appeal to middle grade boys.  This is a contemporary story that deals with grief and guilt within a family while disguising it in a survival adventure.  Family bonds are examined as Bryce and Jack deal with what they are facing.

The story is an easy read covering 180 pages.  Each chapter is named for the character whose view point is being expressed.  Perfect for a free choice book report or just for reading.  Readers will be able to connect with both Bryce and Jack.

I was provided a copy of this book by the publisher in exchange for my honest review and tour participation.


About the book:

An epic adventure—that’s all Bryce wants this summer. So when he stumbles upon a treasure map connected to an old family secret, Bryce is determined to follow the clues to unearth both, even if it means hiking in the wilderness in the middle of nowhere. Bryce must work with his bickering brother, Jack, or they may never see the light of day again!

About the author:

Shari Schwarz is a literary intern and lives in Colorado with her husband and their four boys. Treasure at Lure Lake is her debut middle grade adventure which reflects her love for a good adventure story and spending time hiking and camping in the northern Colorado Rockies.

An Unbroken Heart ~ Review

An Unbroken Heart
An Amish of Birch Creek novel #2
By Kathleen Fuller

Joanna Schrock's life is changed in an instant.  Her parents are gone.  She's scarred.  And it's her fault - she knows it.  If she hadn't been arguing with her parents about Andrew and her desire to marry their buggy might have somehow avoided the car that hit them.

She is empty inside.  She is plagued by by her guilt and her dreams.  Will she ever find the joy she used to have?  Or did it die when her body was broken?

When Andrew finally asks Joanna to be his wife, she agrees because she's always loved him.  But she secretly fears he is only asking her out of pity.  How can he love her when she is no longer the person she use to be?  She can't handle the tasks she use to perform and she has ruined her sister Abigail's life through her injuries.

Meanwhile Cameron Crawford is living with his own pain and his fear.  He did the unthinkable and now has to live with the guilt and the regrets.

Until these hurting people can finding healing they will never be whole.  But how do you heal when your heart has been broken?  Sometimes it means stepping away from your dreams, while other times it is embracing them only on God's time and not our own.

Is Joanna suppose to give up her dreams of Andrew?  She must figure this out and soon before she makes a mistake that she can't walk away from.

I was provided a copy of this book by the Fiction Guild in exchange for my honest review.

About the Book:

One minute, Joanna Schrock was arguing with her parents, and the next, her parents’ lives were claimed in a hit-and-run buggy accident. Her body is broken, but her heart is in even deeper pain—after all, how do you cope with your parents’ deaths when your last words were spoken in anger?

After an extended stint in a physical rehabilitation center, she re-enters her Amish life. But nothing is the same—not even her feelings for Andrew Beiler.

Joanna has loved Andrew since the age of twelve, and her feelings have not changed throughout the years. She is thrilled when Andrew wants to get married, but she wonders whether it’s love he’s feeling, or pity. As the couple’s wedding date approaches, Joanna isn’t overcome with the deep joy she was hoping to find; instead, she’s wracked with anxiety and guilt.

Joanna hears God whispering to her, Be strong and courageous, but she’s afraid that courage looks a lot like walking away from her dreams and into the plan of her Heavenly Father.

If Joanna takes the first step toward healing, will it cost her everything she’s ever wanted? Or could God be changing the desires of her heart?

Playing the Part ~ Review

Playing the Part
A Class of Their Own #3
By Jen Turano

Lucetta Plum is the object of many admirers, all of whom have mistaken her for the parts she plays. No one outside of her dearest friends knows the real Lucetta and even from them she has kept secrets. But when an obsessive admirer turns dangerous Lucetta's secrets just may come out.

Abigail Hart has a plan to keep Lucetta safe  But there is just one problem Abigail's plan involves her grandson Bram Haverstein. Lucetta is fairly certain Abigail is up to her matchmaking ways yet again and she's the unwilling victim of the scheming.

Bram is not who his grandmother thinks he is.  In fact his estate is a tad disconcerting between its appearance, less than friendly staff, and his animals.  But Lucetta is determined to hide away from her current threat even if it means staying at Ravenwood.

Playing the Part is filled with all the light-hearted fun one has experienced in previous books by Jen Turano.  It is interesting getting to know Lucetta after having a passing acquaintance with her in After a Fashion and In Good Company.  Fans of Harriet and Millie will be delighted to know that they too make an appearance in this book.

If you are looking for a light-hearted escape from your day-to-day stresses this is just what you are looking for.  This was an easy book to get into and it was able to hold my attention throughout. Be on the look-out for Gregory - he is the best surprise of all.  I had a Gregory of my own at one time though his name was Christopher.  I thoroughly got Gregory and his antics.

I was provided a  copy of this book by the publisher Bethany House in exchange for my honest review.

About the Book:

Lucetta Plum is an actress on the rise in New York City, but must abandon her starring role when a fan's interest turns threatening. Lucetta's widowed friend, Abigail Hart, seizes the opportunity to meddle in Lucetta's life and promptly whisks her away to safety at her eligible grandson's estate. 

At first glance, Bram Haverstein appears to be a gentleman of means--albeit an eccentric one--but a mysterious career and a secret fascination with a certain actress mean there's much more to him than society knows. 

While Lucetta has no interest in Abigail's matchmaking machinations, she can't ignore the strange things going on in Bram's house and the secrets he hides. As the hijinks and hilarity that Bram, Lucetta, and their friends are swept into take a more dangerous turn, can they accept who they are behind the parts they play in time to save the day?

Reaching Angelica ~ Review with Giveaway

Reaching Angelica
The TAG Series #2
By Peter Riva

Reaching Angelica is set more than 100 years since the events of The Path. Simon and Cramer are back though with a bit of a physical difference thanks to the SynthKid technology.  The Artificial Intelligences that were a product of Simon's work within the System are also integral to this book - Apollo is still Apollo but Ra like Simon and Cramer has made use of SynthKid technology and has assumed the identity of Aten.

Simon, Cramer and Aten are on their way to Alpha Centauri B aboard a marvel of technology a spaceship that is transporting a large crew that will colonize this new world.  But when they discover that the threat they had adverted in The Path is still a reality they realize that not only is all life on earth in danger so are they.

Even more shocking is the discovery that they make about the universe and its parallels to the brain.  The fate of all human life rests squarely on Simon's shoulders yet again and he needs to rely on his old coder skills that aided him in communicating with Peter, Apollo, and Ra.  But this time he is tapping into the universe to communicate with the unknown and to bargain for their very existence.

If you are a fan of Sci-fi or Cyber-punk you'll want to check-out this series from Peter Riva that takes you into a new uncharted world.  But are we ready for such a world?  The TAG series is about to confront this very question and explore this unknown dimension, one that will take us beyond the known.

I was provided a copy of this book by the publisher through iRead Book Tours in exchange for my honest review and tour participation.

About the Book:

In a massive spaceship destined for Alpha Centauri B, with a genesis crew including Zip the telepathic dog, his old friendly nemesis Cramer, and a computer being named Ra (now inhabiting a human form and calling herself Aten), Simon Bank emerges from a hundred-year coma and is hailed as an awakened hero. Stuck with unwanted responsibility, he is forced to try to solve the entire enigma of the universe—a small undertaking—before the spaceship, his friends, and all life on Earth are swatted out of existence by super beings he has accidentally awakened.

Simon’s only hope is to plunge into other dimensions with his mind—into the secrets of the universe’s pan-dimensions—as only he knows how. The fate of all life hangs in the balance as he struggles to prove himself worthy of the Path and the absolute trust his friends place in him. Simon knows all too well that if he fails there is no hope—none at all—for anyone, and that includes his best friend, an artificial intelligence computer called Apollo, which he sadly left behind. Besides, Zip would not be pleased, either.

For fans of cyberpunk and classic science fiction, Reaching Angelica (Yucca Publishing; February 2, 2016; 978-1-63158-069-7) is the second book in Peter Riva’s Tag trilogy, the comic, thrilling, and continuing saga of Simon Bank—ex–master system computer wrangler and very unlikely galactic hero.

Praise for Reaching Angelica

“Thrilling moments keep the suspense high in space. . . . The way Riva describes the mysteries of the universe is intriguing. . . . This cyberpunk world has its own laws of stretching brains wide with its mind-bending concepts.”

—Jake Vyper, Fantascize.com

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Buy the book:  Amazon   Barnes and Noble   Book Depository   Chapters/Indigo

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Author's Bio:

Peter Riva has worked for more than thirty years with the leaders in aerospace and space exploration. His daytime job for more than forty years has been as a literary agent. He resides in New York City.

Connect with the author:   
Website  Twitter   Facebook

Giveaway:

Prizes: ​

Win 1 of 5 sets of books 
(The Path Book 1 and Reaching Angelica Book 2) 

+ 1 of 2 $25 Amazon gift cards

(open internationally)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Mermaid Moon ~ Review

Mermaid Moon
A Sunset Cove Novel #2
By Colleen Coble

Fifteen years ago she was hit by a double tragedy, she ran away from the man she loved and the pain. She never returned home - until today.  A phone call from her father has brought her home.  His last words leave her wondering what he meant. Was it a clue as to his suspicious death? A last memory that came to him as he said goodbye?

Mallory Davis has some decisions to make.  Return home to Bangor or remain in Folly Shoals. With a 14 year old daughter in the mix it won't be an easy decision to make.

But when threats against both Mallory and her daughter start occurring at both homes it is obvious that her father's death is more than it appears. But is the threat one of her father's making or is it something more?  It is time to start digging into the past and to do it she needs help.  Unfortunately her best source of help is the man she left behind - Kevin O'Connor.  Can Kevin find it in himself to forgive Mallory and help her or will his pain keep him for accepting a second chance with his first love?

Someone is determined to keep the past buried.  The only question is will Mallory be buried with it?

I was provided a copy of this book by the Fiction Guild in exchange for my honest review.


About the Book:

Mallory’s mother died fifteen years ago. 

But her father’s last words on the phone were unmistakable: 

“Find . . . mother.”

Shame and confusion have kept Mallory Davis from her home for the last fifteen years, but when her dad mysteriously dies on his mail boat route, she doesn’t have any choice but to go back to Mermaid Point.

 Mallory believes her father was murdered and childhood sweetheart Kevin O’Connor, game warden in Downeast Maine, confirms her suspicions. But Kevin is wary of helping Mallory in her search. She broke his heart and left—without a word—years ago.

When Mallory begins receiving threats on her own life—and her beloved teenage daughter, Haylie—their search intensifies. There’s a tangled web within the supposed murder, and it involves much more than what meets the eye.

As answers begin to fall into place, Mallory realizes her search is about more than finding her father’s killer—it is also about finding herself again . . . and possibly about healing what was broken so long ago with Kevin. She just has to stay alive long enough to put all the pieces together.

The Secret of Hummingbird Cake ~ Review

The Secret of Hummingbird Cake
By Celeste Fletcher McHale

They've been friends forever.  Seen one another through the hard times and Hummingbird Cake has been the favorite comfort offering Laine has always given. Carrigan, Ella Rae, and Laine are as close as three friends can be.  They'll tell it like it is and offer a shoulder to cry on when needed.  But these three friends are about to face a foe they've never before had to face.

Life isn't always good but there are moments that make the pain worth it.  This is a story about friendship, secrets, and life.  And through it all is the sharing of a well-loved cake ~ one whose secret is a well guarded secret, or maybe not.

Life and friendship is a series of choices, both good and bad.  And the choices that we make today will be with us for all our tomorrows.  If we are blessed those closest to us will see past the bad ones and stick with us through it all.

I have to admit the cover of this book is quite lovely and yet deceptively simple much like the synopsis of this book.  There is more to this book than one would first suppose from the back cover description.  If you are looking for a perfect life you won't find it between these covers, but you will find a friendship I think we would all love to call our own. And the secret to hummingbird cake, well you'll just need to read the book to find out.

I was provided a copy of this book by the Fiction Guild in exchange for my honest opinion and thoughts.

About the Book:

“Why won’t you just tell me what’s in that cake?” I’d been trying to get Laine’s recipe for years. We all had.

 When all else fails, turn to the divine taste of hummingbird cake.

In the South you always say “yes, ma’am” and “no, ma’am.” You know everybody’s business. Football is a lifestyle not a pastime. Food—especially dessert— is almost a religious experience. And you protect your friends as fiercely as you protect your family— even if the threat is something you cannot see.

 In this spot-on Southern novel brimming with wit and authenticity, you’ll laugh alongside lifelong friends, navigate the sometimes rocky path of marriage, and roll through the outrageous curveballs that life sometimes throws . . . from devastating pain to absolute joy. And if you’re lucky, you just may discover the secret to hummingbird cake along the way.