Dave McNeely

Join two fellow travelers as we journey back to first-century Palestine to encounter a precocious pregnant teen, a band of suspicious pagan astrologers, a murderous tyrant, and . . . a dragon? In this inspiring and humorous first volume, Chad Hartsock and Dave McNeely invite you to revisit the biblical narratives that inform our Christmas imagination, even as we playfully examine the ways our Christmas imagination has wondered afar from these ancient narratives. On the way, we'll ask important questions like: * Why can't Luke stop talking about John the Baptist in his infancy narrative? * Just what did Mary know and when did she know it? * Should your nativity have a caganer, a dragon, or both?

Renowned for his fierce devotion to the people of Texas-as well as his equally fierce rages and unpredictable temper-Bob Bullock was the most powerful political figure in Texas at the end of the twentieth century. First elected to the Texas House of Representatives in 1956, Bullock held several key statewide posts before capturing the lieutenant governor's office in 1990. Though nominally the state's number two official, Bullock in fact became Texas's top power broker, wielding tremendous influence over the legislative agenda and state budget through the 1990s while also mentoring and supporting a future president-George W. Bush.In this lively, yet thoroughly researched biography, award-winning journalists Dave McNeely and Jim Henderson craft a well-rounded portrait of Bob Bullock, underscoring both his political adroitness and his personal demons. They trace Bullock's rise through state government as Assistant Attorney General, Secretary of State, State Comptroller, and Lieutenant Governor, showing how he increased the power of every office he held. The authors spotlight Bullock's substantial achievements, which included hiring an unprecedented number of women and minorities, instituting a performance review to increase the efficiency of state agencies, restructuring the public school funding system, and creating the state's first water conservation and management plan.