Tyler Clementi,
Asher Brown,
Seth Walsh,
Justin Aaberg,
Raymond Chase
and Billy Lucas.
You are loved.
On September 9, Billy (William) Lucas, of Greensburg, IN, was was found dead in a barn at his grandmother’s home — he had hanged himself. While Billy never self-identified as gay, friends report he was tormented for years because other kids thought he was gay. Billy was 15 years old.
In Shiocton, Wisconsin, Cody J. Barker, a 17-year-old openly gay teen, took his life on September 13. Cody attended Shiocton High School, where he was active in choir. He recently attended a seminar aimed at helping him establish a gay/straight alliance at his school. Cody also enjoyed bicycling and gardening, and was a Lady Gaga fan.
On September 19, Seth Walsh of of Tehachapi, CA, was found unconscious and not breathing after attempting to hang himself. Seth, age 13, spent the better part of 10 days on life support — he died on September 28. Seth was openly gay and suffered years of relentless bullying.
On September 22, Rutgers University student Tyler Clementi, 18, of Ridgewood, NJ, jumped to his death off the George Washington Bridge, just days after his college roommate broadcast live images on the internet of him having a sexual encounter with another man.
On September 23, Asher Brown, age 13, came home from school and shot himself in the head after enduring what his mother and stepfather say was constant harassment from four other students at his middle school in Houston, TX. Asher told his parents he was gay that morning.
Raymond Chase, a 19-year-old openly gay sophomore studying culinary arts at Johnson & Wales University in Rhode Island, committed suicide on September 29 by hanging himself in his dorm room.
YOU TUBE MAKEITBETTER PROJECT CHANNEL
I am so proud to be an author for one of the most respected publishers in the Christian Booksellers Association. In addition to the awesome fiction line that I’m part of, Abingdon Press is one of the publishers involved in the new release of The Common English Bible New Testament.
The cool thing is that it’s not a revision or an update of an existing translation; it’s a bold new translation designed specifically for Christians who desire to dig deeper into the New Testament. One hundred and fifteen leading biblical scholars from 22 denominations worked on the translation team, and 77 reading specialists did field testing in 12 denominations. It’s written at a comfortable level for over half of all English readers. I think anything that brings a heart for Jesus closer to Him through understanding of His word … Well, that’s something I can really get behind.
This week, you can go to Amazon for the CE Bible New Testament on Kindle for a FREE DOWNLOAD.
But if you would like to have a hard copy of this amazing book, I’ve cooked up a little giveaway with two of my fellow Abingdon authors, Loree Lough and Sandra D. Bricker.
Here are the simple rules:
Post a comment on one (or all!) of our blog posts about the contest telling us your favorite scripture verse and why (in just a few sentences).
At the end of October, we’ll each choose one winner at random. That winner will win an autographed copy of our latest novel AND a copy of Abingdon’s Common English Bible New Testament.
BONUS BONUS BONUS: If that winner has posted a review of one of our novels on Christian Book Distributors’ site, he or she will receive A SECOND COPY of this innovative Bible to give away to a friend. Perhaps as a Christmas gift????
It’s that simple for you to own your very own copy of The CEB New Testament.
So, post your comment and let us read it! What’s your life verse of scripture, and why??
