Welcome To Carnie

Compiled by the daughter of Ronald and Nancy Reagan, this collection features prominent women discussing the complex, humorous, and ultimately loving relationships they have with their mothers. Contributors include Candice Bergen, Lily Tomlin, and Lorna Luft.

Mike Yaconelli composes his thoughts and passions regarding the nine core realities of youth ministry: veracity (youth ministry must expose students to the life-giving truth of Jesus Christ), authenticity (authentic youth workers will draw young people to Jesus Christ), audacity (youth ministry must push students, parents, and the church outside their comfort zones), sanctuary (youth ministry must provide a safe place for students), diversity (youth ministry must challenge young people to embrace diversity), humility (youth ministry should be clothed in humility), intimacy (our relationship with Jesus is our youth ministry), mystery (youth ministry must foster mystery, rediscover astonishment, and leave room for unanswered questions), and creativity (youth ministry must free students and youth workers to discover and express their God-given creativity). As an added resource, each member of the CORETM seminar team, including authors and speakers such as Laurie Polich, Efrem Smith, Marv Penner, Duffy Robbins, contributes sidebars throughout the book responding to Mike’s thoughts.

Though Carnie's family life was anything but perfect growing up, she could always find solace in her father's love. However, when she is faced with her father's death, the reality of her dysfunctional family settles in. And to make matters worse, her jealous sister sets out to make Carnie's boyfriend her own. As Carnie delves deeper and deeper into a cold depression, she turns to the only friend left-her invisible childhood friend Silence the dragon. Carnie's old friend shares a whole new world with her-one of mystical realms and adventure-and, unbeknownst to her, sets her off on a journey of self-discovery and healing. Can Silence help Carnie find the peace and solace she so desperately seeks?

Alice Valent, an Officer Trainee in the Apex Program, is assigned to investigate a digital record of a young pilot, Noah Lucas. His callsign is Carnie, and he began his long story of survival after a virus infected most of the artificial intelligences in orbit around Iora, where he and the interplanetary carnival he travelled with were about to land to put on a show. Instead, they were wiped out, leaving him alone on a world where over a billion machines are destroying all human life. Alice has to relive his experience virtually and form a report on Iora, Noah Lucas, the people he encountered, and how it may have changed Carnie before he joined the fleet. Little does she know that this undertaking will change her as well.