LISTEN TO MY DREAM BY DEBI PEARL – A TRIBUTE TO DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. is the subject of Debi Pearl’s latest book, LISTEN TO MY DREAM. The poetic text is filled with colorful illustrations produced by Debi and her husband, Michael Pearl. This book is one that is well suited to reading aloud to little ones. A summary of the Civil Rights movement and Dr. Kings leadership in it is included at the end of the book.

During the 1960s, Debi Pearl lived near Memphis, Tennessee. She observed how Jim Crow laws dictated how people could treat each other based on the color of their skin. She listened to the speeches, heard the arguments and knew the turmoil and upheaval that occurred when Dr. King was assassinated. She was there to see the ‘Whites Only’ signs disappear. Debi knew what life was like before Dr. King led the way to change; she had lived it.

When she had children of her own, she told them about what she had experienced and the children wanted to know more about this man. These children had never encountered the restrictions that had been Debi’s reality. These children had not encountered the widespread hatred she described. For all his work, the local library was only able to produce one children’s book about this man. Because of this lack, Debi wrote LISTEN TO MY DREAM for her own children more than 20 years ago. After an attempt to publish the book that went awry, the book was placed in storage where last year another child found it and began to ask some of those same questions she’d heard years ago. This time, Debi determined the book would be published, and this newest generation of children would hear about Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

But there was more to Dr. King than his work to change society. He was a preacher, a husband, a father and a man. Michael Pearl, Debi’s husband, is a preacher also. “What will you say,” I asked her, “If someone points out areas of faith where you disagree with what Dr. King taught? How do you offer this tribute to a man that questioned things your husband preaches are basic, foundational truths?”

Debi replied simply, ‘My issue is that things changed because he spoke out. This man wasn’t perfect. He was used by God to change history. He made a difference. Children need to know what a difference one man can make.’

And that is a timely reminder for all of us, whether or not we are children.

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Now is the time to order your copy of LISTEN TO MY DREAM during the AMAZON BLITZ, JANUARY 5th, 6th and 7th. With your proof of purchase from Amazon.com, you’ll receive a 25% off discount code on merchandise from these high quality retailers: www.AncientHealingOils.com, www.BulkHerbStore.com, www.CFishClothing.com, www.KingstoneMedia.com, www.MoreThanAlive.com, and www.NoGreaterJoy.org.

Additionally, you’ll receive the following free ebooks: Herbal Alternatives (More Than Alive), African American Faith in America. For those that order in quantities of 8, 16, or 24, additional free gifts will apply.
See www.DebiPearl.com for details.

Email your dated receipt from Amazon to Mel Cohen to receive your coupon codes. Your book must be purchased January 5th, 6th or 7th in order to qualify for this special offer. All coupon codes expire 1/11/10 11:59 p.m. Pacific Time.

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LISTEN TO MY DREAM BY DEBI PEARL

History shows that some men have the ability to call to others to rise, stand and be counted for something greater than self. These are the purveyors of hope, individuals that spur others on to a higher calling, a nobler purpose. These are they which inspire and cause us to believe in possibilities, to dream of more.

Such was the life of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. He stands in stark contrast to those that grasped at the spotlight for the sake of prominence and fame. He didn’t just push for change in the laws that governed access and opportunity; he pressed for hearts to be moved to do the right thing. He encouraged others to live their lives in pursuit of excellence.

It should not be surprising then that a grandmother in a rural community of Tennessee found Dr. King a fitting inspiration for her tribute: LISTEN TO MY DREAM.

This is Debi Pearl’s first venture into children’s literature. With her husband, Michael Pearl, as illustrator, Mrs. Pearl has managed to produce a work that continues the call of Dr. King to the next generation. The book will be available starting December 15, 2009 and was made possible with the cooperation of the Heirs of the Estate of Martin Luther King, Jr. Watch for more details here so that you can reserve your copy of LISTEN TO MY DREAM by Debi Pearl.

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HOME GROWN TERRORIST CELLS??

What do Portland, OR, Minneapolis, MN and Raleigh, NC all have in common? Each of these locations has been the home of United States citizens convicted of terrorist activity.

In southwestern Portland, Oregon seven individuals formed a group called Katibat Al-Mawt, or squad of death. This group studied material on jihad and trained in weaponry and martial arts prior to the attacks on September 11, 2001.

Following the 9-11 bombings, the United States began its offensive against the Taliban in Afghanistan October 7, 2001. This same month, the six men of Katibat Al-Mawt traveled to China and tried several times to cross into Pakistan. Failing because of visa problems and heightened Chinese security, they returned to Portland.

The lone female of the group is the ex-wife of one of the men. On September 26, 2003 she pled guilty to six counts of money laundering. She admitted to transferring money from the U.S. to an outside country for the purpose of helping her then husband supply services to the Taliban.

The following November of 2003, a federal judge sentenced the ex-husband and another member of the Oregon group to 18 years in prison. They pled guilty to charges of seditious conspiracy the previous month.

In February 2004, the remaining three members of the Oregon group were sentenced to eight and ten years in prison. The oldest man agreed to testify against the other two (who are brothers) in exchange for a reduced sentence.

On October 29, 2008, a United States citizen killed himself as a suicide bomber in northern Somalia. He had traveled there from his home in Minneapolis, MN for that purpose. Reportedly, he had recruited as many as 20 other young men who also traveled to Somalia. More than a dozen of those were men of Somali descent that vanished, leaving their families here to worry as Federal officials searched.

The resulting investigation has led to the arrest of two more Minnesota men. Both are US citizens and both pled guilty to terror related charges that stemmed from traveling to Somalia and joining forces with Islamic Militants. Of the remaining missing men, at least 3 are thought to have been killed.

Monday, July 28, 2009 found eight more individuals pleading guilty to charges related to terrorist activities. Of those eight, one was from Minnesota. The remaining defendants resided in Raleigh, NC. The North Carolina men – three of which were a father and his sons – were charged with plotting jihad (holy war) and participating in military training for attacks abroad. All of these men, except for one legal resident are United States citizens.

What does any of this have to do with the inhabitants of a tiny rural community in eastern Tennessee?

If you’ve read the first few pages of The Vision, you’ll know that these events parallel eerily with best-selling author Debi Pearl’s plot. Pleasantville, Tennessee is where Debi resides with her husband Michael Pearl. Neither Debi nor Mike could have known how current events would come together to give her book an added credibility at the time of publication. It is apparent however, that this couple has a grasp of world events as seen through their deep faith. In November of 2008, Michael Pearl wrote about a potential for upheaval in our nation in a No Greater Joy Magazine article entitled Hard Times Coming. No Greater Joy is the Pearls’ ministry. No Greater Joy Magazine is offered free online or with a subscription at www.nogreaterjoy.org. Check it out for a view of current events from a perspective beyond today’s headlines.

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