Planting Hope

A gorgeously illustrated picture book biography about Brazilian photojournalist, humanitarian, and environmental advocate Sebastião Salgado. As a young boy, Sebastião Salgado loved exploring his parents’ farm in the forests of Brazil, always dreaming of what might lie beyond his view. When he went away to school, he met Lélia, who showed him how to use a camera. As he looked through the lens, Sebastião realized he could use photography to capture how the world fits together. Sebastião used his pictures to tell the stories of people who might not otherwise be seen. But after witnessing too much destruction, he put away his camera and returned to his childhood home. The land was in ruins. So Sebastião and Lélia decided to rebuild the rainforest and photograph the beauty of the world to save it. Through art and activism, they would show that everyone was responsible for caring for the planet and that hope endures if we take action.

This book describes the conditions of poor black farmers and sharecroppers who were starving du to the worn-out land in Macon County, Alabama, in the 1930s and traces the history of an innovative New Deal program established to reclaim the land and the people's lives. The Tuskegee Land Utilization Study converted much of the land into what is now the Tuskegee National Forest. In this volume, Pasquill assesses the project seven decades later and he interviews some of the original descendents of the Prairie Farms participants.

Raw. Honest. Transparent. Hopeful. All of these are words readers might use when describing the stories found in Seeds of Perspective: Planting Hope and Healing From the Baggage of Life. However, they are not terms we might expect to hear paired with stories of addiction, pornography, abortion, infertility, and death. As one of the contributing writers states, “Processing is not easy, but it’s important to feel the pain and work through it to heal. Shoving it down gets you nowhere.” In Seeds of Perspective, Beth Grisham has compiled chapters contributed by anonymous women of all ages and walks of life who willingly poured out their most difficult life situations as a personal sacrifice to help others process and find hope and healing in their own worst mistakes. They believe that remembering and sharing their stories awakens in each of us a deeper understanding of God’s promise to redeem our lives for His glory and His purposes, and to bring beauty from the ashes of our past. So come. Journey with us as we sow seeds of perspective that can help you find purpose in the baggage of your own past. If we can do it, we know you can, too.

"Sebastião adored exploring the paradise of his parents' farm in the Mata Atlântica forest of Brazil. From atop a hill, he would look at the world from a new perspective and dream of what might lie beyond his view. Then, when he went away to school, Sebastião met Lélia, who showed him how to use a camera for the very first time. When Sebastião looked through the camera, he realized he could use photography to organize how the world fit together. Because of his talent for seeing what others could not, Sebastião traveled the world and took pictures for all kinds of news stories. But after witnessing too many painful images of environmental destruction and violence, he put away his camera and returned with Lélia to his childhood home. But, when they arrived at the farm, the land was in ruins. So Lélia suggested they rebuild the rain forest and make their efforts an example to others. Through art and activism, Sebastião and Lélia would show that everyone was connected to a large ecosystem and responsible for its care, and that all may not be lost if we take action"--

This Christian nonfiction book is the author's testimony to how God's grace saved her from years of insecurities, dysfunctional relationships, self-esteem issues, emotional insecurities, and codependency issues. Growing up in an unstable household gave Joyce Lewis an early look at an unhealthy family environment. She grew up to find herself in problematic and emotionally destructive relationships throughout her childhood and young adult life. Without direction, she wandered through life without Christ to point her to her path. Even though Christ was with her throughout her young life, she failed to notice Him until her eyes were opened to His presence. She learned to accept who she was on a journey to self-discovery that prepared her for God's purpose in her life. Her book is meant to encourage healing, learning, and growth in God's ultimate purpose. Including a helpful guide to help women experience the transition needed to find God in their lives, the book offers insight and guidance. Broken down into nine weeks that focus on self-esteem, codependent behavior, boundaries, emotions, self-talk, and toxic people, the guide will help women find their own paths and see God's desire for their lives.

Small group resources tend to overlook the spiritual side of small group leadership. And yet most would agree that spiritual preparation is the most important aspect of leading a small group. Only Gods supernatural power can draw people to the truth and liberate them to be all that God wants them to be. The key distinction of this book is the spiritual perspective it gives to small group ministry. So much of the literature about small groups that is already published relates to small group technique and only touches briefly on the Spirits power. This book is a practical reference guide to help small group leadership begin to move in the supernatural realm. The books first priority is to help small group leaders and members trust the Holy Spirit to lead them, empower them and work in their group. Small group facilitators often sense a lack of guidance, power and spiritual authority. Jesus knew His disciples would be powerless without a touch from the Holy Spirit, and so He told them to wait in Jerusalem, saying, You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth (Acts 1:8). Small group leaders need a power boost to make small group ministry relevant and exciting. The second priority of this book is to help the facilitator identify and mobilize each small group member to use his or her own spiritual gifts.

Trees hold a powerful place in American constructions of what is good in nature and the environment. As we attempt to cope with environmental crises, trees are increasingly enlisted with great fervor as agents of our stewardship over nature. In this innovative and impassioned book, Shaul E. Cohen exposes the way that environmental stewardship is undermined through the manipulation of trees and the people who plant them by a partnership of big business, the government, and tree-planting groups. He reveals how positive associations and symbols that have been invested in trees are exploited by an interlocking network of government agencies, private timber companies, and nongovernmental organizations to subvert the power of people who think that they are building a better world. Planting Nature details the history of tree planting in the United States and the rise of popular sentiment around trees, including the development of the Arbor Day holiday and tree-planting groups such as the National Arbor Day Foundation and American Forests. Drawing from internal papers, government publications, advertisements, and archival documents, Cohen illustrates how organizations promote tree planting as a way of shifting attention away from the causes of environmental problems to their symptoms, masking business-as-usual agendas. Ultimately, Planting Nature challenges the relationships between a "green" public, the organizations that promote their causes, and the "powers that be," providing a cautionary tale of cooperation and deception that cuts across the political spectrum.