"Author Dave Myers invites you to explore God deeper through his creation and see the rich lessons that are revealed in it. The perfect choice for any outdoorsman, Swim Upstream: An Outdoorsman's Guide to Spiritual Adventure is formatted as an easy to follow month-long devotional. Its offering of anecdotes and spiritual insight will bring your heart alive with stories of outdoor adventures and help you to clearly see the higher truths of God, showing you exactly what it takes to Swim Upstream. "--from publisher's description.

Shirley Zinn's story is one of determination, courage, and triumph over incredible adversity. Born and raised on the Cape Flats, Shirley never allowed her past to dictate her future. She proved that the typical story of a girl from the Cape Flats - that of gangsterism, alcoholism and teenage pregnancy - didn't have to be her story. Instead she relentlessly pursued her own goals and forged an impressive academic career even when she faced significant odds. And when she'd done that, she set out to conquer the world of business. Shirley is a formidable woman with an amazing story to tell. She has risen to the top of the pile in both academic and business circles, and yet she has retained great humanity and empathy in the face of great personal tragedy. Her story has lessons for us all - whether we are ordinary or extraordinary, whether we work in business, in government, or at home. Shirley's story will inspire you and show you that it is possible to achieve your goals, if you are prepared to swim upstream and be single-minded in getting where you want to be.

In Swimming Upstream, Christine Roush offers her story as one who earns and spends money as the typical canvas on which so many families paint their lives. As she grows in her understanding and fiscal discipline, she learns that the apostle Paul's invitation to not be conformed to the pattern of this world any longer is an invitation for all followers of Jesus to begin swimming against the currents of our consumer culture. Christine invites the reader to join her swim team. Chris fills the pages with stories from her own life and those offered by friends, thoughtful questions, and resources for further information. In a time of economic downturn her book offers hope. In a time of prosperity her book reminds the reader of what really matters. "I am becoming convinced that not only does the broad concept of stewardship need to be restored in the church, but that the practice of biblical stewardship in this consumer society is essential to healthy spiritual formation. Chris's book is an important step towards learning to be faithful Christ-followers in our day and time. Don't be deceived by the friendly and approachable nature of this text; it is rooted in excellent research. It has been a privilege to journey with Chris in the preparation of this study. My prayer is that the hard work represented in these words bears fruit for the Church and God's kingdom." - Dr Daniel L Brunner Professor of Christian History and Formation George Fox Evangelical Seminary "Chris asks those questions we all think about as we go through life's journey and helps us see what scripture and life have to teach us about stewardship. Good Stuff " -Robert J. Crandall, CFRE I challenge you to find a more timely book than this one. As the collapse of Wall Street on 09/08 proved, the god of the market is not only a false god. The god of the market is now dead. Read here why, and what we can do to worship the one and only true God. -Leonard Sweet, Drew University, George Fox University, sermons.com. In Swimming Upstream, Chris Roush bares her heart, mind, and soul as she describes the anxiety and personal struggles that accompanied her and her family as they were swept downstream by the relentless forces of American consumerism. . . . The book points to an alternative way-a way to move from anxiety and greed to divine abundance, which, for Chris, is epitomized in Romans 12:1-2. It is the road of Christian discipleship. -Dr. Ronald E. Vallet, executive director (retired) Ecumenical Stewardship Center "Reading Chris' story led me to retrace much of my own personal history and coming to terms with how to swim against the Consumer culture. Anyone wanting their household to be a legacy for the kingdom of God benefits from time spent with this book." -mark l. vincent, Ph.D. CEO/Design Group International

Many of today's parents struggle with their approach in raising a healthy daughter within our complex culture. Never before have girls been faced with so many pressures to live up to confusing and often contradictory cultural expectations. These burdens are intense, newly evolving, and are affecting girls at earlier and earlier ages. As girls of all ages listen to the messages of popular culture, they gather that their worth is based upon a perfect appearance, the ability to gain attention and approval from others, and their accrual of accomplishments. As girls absorb these expectations, they begin to believe they are not good enough as they are. They are not able to develop an authentic sense of self because they lose themselves in trying to become what the culture dictates. It is not surprising that with all of these pressures, girls are experiencing stress, emptiness, and skyrocketing rates of mental health problems. Parents know that something is very wrong with today's culture, but they can't quite put a name on the problem. Many feel helpless as popular cultural influences pervade modern life at every turn. This book, however, provides parents with reassurance that their influence can make a significant difference in their daughters' development. Parents are empowered to make positive choices to help girls learn to resist cultural pressures and to successfully navigate the transitions they will face in their journey as girls in today's culture. Written in an engaging, practical style, Laura Choate draws from research and counseling literature to provide parents with tools they can use to teach their daughters the power of resilience. The book begins with a portrait of the contemporary adolescent girl's environment, including an in-depth exploration of cultural pressures and an overview of how these pressures influence girls' physical, cognitive, and social development. In the second part of the book, parents learn about five resilience dimensions that girls need not only to survive, but to thrive as they develop during girlhood and adolescence. Practical tools for instilling resilience regarding girls' positive body image, healthy relationships with friends and romantic partners, and management of high-pressure academic environments through a redefinition of what it means to be successful are all discussed extensively.

A collection of poems capture the feelings and experiences of a girl in middle school.

"Ehrlich’s insightful self-help guide will resonate with Christians wishing to streamline an overstuffed life."—Publishers Weekly Logically, we all know our purpose in life is not wrapped up in accumulating possessions, wealth, power, and prestige—Jesus is very clear about that—but society tells us otherwise. Christian Minimalism attempts to cut through our assumptions and society’s lies about what life should look like and invites readers into a life that Jesus calls us to live: one lived intentionally, free of physical, spiritual, and emotional clutter. Written by a woman who simplified her own life and practices these principles daily, this book gives readers a fresh perspective on how to live out God’s grace for us in new and exciting ways and live out our faith in a way that is deeply satisfying.

Wall Street Journal Bestseller New York Times bestselling author Dan Heath explores how to prevent problems before they happen, drawing on insights from hundreds of interviews with unconventional problem solvers. So often in life, we get stuck in a cycle of response. We put out fires. We deal with emergencies. We stay downstream, handling one problem after another, but we never make our way upstream to fix the systems that caused the problems. Cops chase robbers, doctors treat patients with chronic illnesses, and call-center reps address customer complaints. But many crimes, chronic illnesses, and customer complaints are preventable. So why do our efforts skew so heavily toward reaction rather than prevention? Upstream probes the psychological forces that push us downstream—including “problem blindness,” which can leave us oblivious to serious problems in our midst. And Heath introduces us to the thinkers who have overcome these obstacles and scored massive victories by switching to an upstream mindset. One online travel website prevented twenty million customer service calls every year by making some simple tweaks to its booking system. A major urban school district cut its dropout rate in half after it figured out that it could predict which students would drop out—as early as the ninth grade. A European nation almost eliminated teenage alcohol and drug abuse by deliberately changing the nation’s culture. And one EMS system accelerated the emergency-response time of its ambulances by using data to predict where 911 calls would emerge—and forward-deploying its ambulances to stand by in those areas. Upstream delivers practical solutions for preventing problems rather than reacting to them. How many problems in our lives and in society are we tolerating simply because we’ve forgotten that we can fix them?