September 4, 2005 -- Now, more than ever, the call to be a good neighbor is critical. We need reminders of life before Hurricane Katrina, to lift our spirits and encourage us to be the best neighbor we can be. A new book called Life in the Skillet teaches us to take life less seriously and to look for the bright side in every circumstance, as well as in every person. Travel back to the good ole days of the 1950s and ’60s in rural Lick Skillet, Alabama. You’ll find yourself laughing, crying, and learning a few lessons along the way with this vivid reminder of the innocence of childhood and the difficulties of young adulthood.
Life in the Skillet, And Lessons Learned Along the Way (August, $13.99, 1-59781-430-X) by Harold Fanning is a light-hearted yet thought-provoking collection of humorous life experiences as seen through the eyes of a Baptist boy-turned-minister growing up in a rural Southern community. As you browse the stories you’ll be entertained by some of Fanning’s own wacky friends and neighbors, who helped shape his ideas about developing positive relationships with folks we interact with on a daily basis.
From a frog giggin’ gone bad to a drag-racing grandpa, be prepared to fall in love with this small Southern community and their crazy antics. You just may be surprised how a gun-shy hunting dog and a not-so-holy baptism come together for some interesting life lessons! So grab your R.C. Cola and Moon Pie and settle in for a trip down memory lane. It’s a trip you won’t soon forget. Life is sometimes tough, and God knows that we need Him as well as others—no matter how difficult they may be—to truly live life to its fullest.
It’s been said that some people tell funny stories while other people tell stories funny. Harold Fanning is a master storyteller with a “Will Rogers” knack for rendering everyday events in side-splitting yarns, and then carefully weaving in spiritual applications you can chew on for a while. The pastor of Shoal Creek Baptist Church in Decatur, Alabama, he currently serves as president of the Alabama Baptist State Convention Pastor's Conference. He is a graduate of Luther Rice Seminary (MA) and Covington Theological Seminary (D.Min.). Before pastoring Shoal Creek, Fanning served the Oak Park Baptist Church in Huntsville, Alabama, where he was featured in Missions USA magazine for leading the church to an unprecedented 41 percent annual numerical growth rate for five consecutive years. He and his wife, Deborah, have two children, Alison and Daniel, and two granddaughters, Audrey and Anna.
Xulon Press is the world’s largest Christian publisher, with more than 2,500 titles published to date. Retailers may order Life in the Skillet through Ingram Book Company and/or Spring Arbor Book Distributors.
