Book Review – “The Witness” by Josh McDowell
International Adventure: “The Witness” by Josh McDowell
(2 July 2010; 192 words)
Marwan Accad, a security agent, is the only witness to Rafeeq Ramsey’s murder. After some investigation, he becomes the prime suspect in the murder. Marwan goes on the run in a chase covering both sides of the Mediterranean. From Monte Carlo to Casablanca to Cairo, he relies on his brother Ramy and his friend Kadeen to keep him hidden from French Inspectors Goddard and Lemieux. Along the way, Marwan has to use false identities and he meets Dalia Nour who sends him into a whirlwind romance.
The descriptions in this book are excellent and the action is amazing! From page one, the reader is thrown into Marwan’s race to clear his name. Obviously, there’s a lot of violence involved, but it’s not graphic. There are also minor drug and alcohol references.
When it comes to Marwan and Dalia’s romance, again, nothing is graphic, but there is innuendo. The only thing I found odd about the book was some similar character names: Ramsey (the murder victim) and Ramy (Marwan’s brother); Colette (Goddard’s partner) and Claudette (Ramsey’s wife).
Overall, a great read if you love action and adventure!
(Tyndale House Publishers provided this book for review.)
ESTHER LOPRESTO
I am first and foremost a Scribe of the King. It is my desire to serve God through the written word. I have been creating stories since age three. I would tell them to entertain my family, but didn’t start writing them down until age eight or nine.
Since then, the need to write has been insatiable. At age nineteen, I had my first book, Where’s My Other Sock?, published by Tate Publishing. Then, I graduated from community college with a degree; not in anything writing related, but in accounting. Currently, I’m hunting for a bookkeeping job and working on several books or story ideas. In my stories, I challenge the reader’s imagination with adventures into the fantasy realm. Some stories lean towards mystery/suspense or general fiction, and I try to write for all ages. I find my inspiration from JRR Tolkien’s works and from the Randomness of everyday life.
SDG. (read more…)
An Interview with Best Selling Author, Terri Blackstock
One of my favorite authors—and favorite people—is best selling author, Terri Blackstock. Terri’s books have sold 2 million and she has over thirty Christian titles, many of which have been number one best-sellers. I’m so excited that she agreed to let me interview her for iBegat.com. My personal favorite of Terri’s books is Double Minds (A MUST read! Of course, all of her books are).
I hope you enjoy!
-Kayla R. Woodhouse
1. When did God call you to be an author? (I love your story, so if you have time, I’d love to have your testimony.)
I’ve known since I was about twelve that I wanted to be a writer, but didn’t see it as a calling from God until much later. My first piece was published in my local newspaper when I was twelve, and I loved that feeling. I subscribed to Writer’s Digest and The Writer magazines, working hard to learn how to be a better writer. I majored in English in college and after I graduated, found a writers group and joined it. That’s when I began to learn the business of writing.
My first thirty-two books were published by secular publishers and I regret the things I wrote during that time. I was a Christian when I started writing romance novels and I intended to write only clean love stories. But in the interest of fame and fortune, I began making small compromises to sell more books. Those small compromises turned into big compromises, and eventually I was writing books I’m now ashamed of. All that time I was going to church and taking my kids to church, but I had this one part of my life that wasn’t lining up with my Christianity.
Eventually it took its toll on my life, and I finally came to the place where I got down on my knees and repented, because I desperately wanted to get back in fellowship with Christ, and I wanted to use my gift the way God intended. That’s when I started writing Christian novels. I loved reading suspense, so I decided to try writing Christian suspense. I wasn’t sure if I’d be able to sell to Christian publishers because I felt tainted by my previous books. But thankfully we have a God who loves giving second chances (and third, and fourth, and fiftieth chances). During that time, the Christian publishers were just getting interested in finding suspense writers, so God’s timing was perfect. Since then, I’ve been able to write books that actually help people while they entertain and point people to Christ—the real answer to all their problems.
2. What is your favorite genre to read?
Suspense is definitely my favorite genre, which is why I write it. But I also like great books from other genres.
3. What is your favorite part/piece of a manuscript to write?
The end; but other than that, I like writing dialogue. That comes very easy to me. I love listening to people talk—the rhythm of their conversations, their inflections, their word choices. So it’s pretty simple for me to reproduce.
4. What is your favorite food?
Potatoes. I think I must have a lot of Irish in me. I like them cooked almost any way. I could have them with every meal.
5. Double Minds is my favorite book of yours. 
What inspired you to write it?
It was inspired from my own experiences when writing for the secular and Christian markets and was feeling that pull early in my career to write for fame and fortune. It wasn’t until I was walking more closely with Christ that I realized that glorifying God was the reason he’d given me my gift. I made Parker a singer/songwriter rather than a novelist and was able to show the same type of struggle using the Christian music industry.
6. Where does your inspiration come from for your stories? For example; chocolate, watching a movie, reading a newspaper article, etc.
Usually it’s inspired from some lesson God has taught me that I want to pass on to my readers. Or, I’ve gone through a trial that I think my readers can relate to. For instance, my Intervention Series was inspired by real-life struggles with my daughter who dealt with drug addictions. My Restoration Series came from my struggles with American materialism and the belief that God was going to have to do something to get America’s attention.
But there are times when I’ll read an article in a magazine or see a documentary on TV that gives me an idea for a book. I guess, to a fertile imagination, anything can be a seed. Anything that comes to my attention is fodder for a book.
7. How much time do you take writing each manuscript?
Nine months for each book; so it’s kind of like having a baby. For the next couple of years I’ll have two books a year out, but one of those is a rewrite of a book that I originally published as a secular novel (my favorite of all my secular books), and the other is a collaboration with another writer, Dave Lambert.
8. Is there anything special you’d like to share with the readers/teens of iBegat.com?
I hope they’ll check out my Intervention series about drug abuse. I’m sure it’s not news that even Christian teens can fall prey to drugs. My daughter was raised in a Christian home and she was in church three or four times a week with her best friends in youth group. But when she went away to college and was going through a period of depression, she experimented with drugs. Before she knew it, she was in total bondage to them, and that bondage lasted several years. Intervention was inspired by that experience and features Emily whose mother sets up an intervention for her. On her way to drug rehab, her interventionist is murdered and Emily disappears. Her mother has to go looking for her, not sure whether she’s hiding or was kidnapped. Vicious Cycle, Book Two in that series (releasing February 22nd), continues the story of Emily’s family, but this time focuses on another girl who’s a crystal meth addict. Lance, Emily’s fifteen year old brother, tries to help this pregnant addict, and winds up getting into more trouble than he ever dreamed.
iBeGat.com readers may also like my book Predator, which has to do with an online predator who targets his teenaged victims through their social networking site. I want everyone who uses Facebook, Twitter, or any other social network to read this. They need to understand how predators find their victims and how easy we make it for them.
9. And last but not least, if you could say one thing – just one – to the world, what would you say?
I would tell them that there’s nothing they’ve ever done that’s too bad to be forgiven. Jesus loves them so much that he was willing to take on their punishment and because of that, they can be washed as clean as snow. All they have to do is confess their sins and turn away from them, and trust that what Christ did on the cross was enough to wash them clean. It’s the greatest, most important story ever told, and it’s absolutely true.
Thanks again, Kayla!
Terri Blackstock
KAYLA WOODHOUSE
Thirteen-year-old Kayla Woodhouse’s zest for writing comes not only from her natural ability, but also from her love of the written word as witnessed by her voracious reading appetite. One of only a few dozen cases in the world, Kayla was born with HSAN, Hereditary Sensory Autonomic Neuropathy, an extremely rare nerve disorder. Unable to sweat, or feel pain, she’s also been through brain surgery. But even through a life of extreme hardships, her ever-present smile encourages others to pursue their dreams, no matter the obstacles. In addition to being homeschooled and writing with her mom, she’s an amazing swimmer, and spends up to thirty hours a week in training. She has appeared on ABC’s Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, The Montel Williams Show, Mystery ER, and numerous other national programs. No Safe Haven, her first release from B&H Publishers in 2011, written with mother, Kimberley, makes her the youngest author to have a full-length novel published by a royalty paying publisher. You can find Kayla at http://kimberleyandkaylawoodhouse.com and http://kaylawoodhouse.com (read more…)
Interview with William P. Young, author, The Shack – by Haley Snyder
“Does that mean, “ asked Mack, “that all roads lead to you?”
“Not at all,” smiled Jesus…”Most roads don’t lead anywhere. What it does mean is that I will travel any road to find you.”
William P. Young, The Shack, Windblown Media; 1st edition (December 6, 2007)
I had the privilege of interviewing Mr. Young about his life and his experience writing The Shack. He is a very interesting and inspiring man who followed God’s plan for him even before he knew where it was leading.
Q: I read that this story wasn’t ever supposed to be a book. What happened to make that change?
A: I wrote this story for my six kids. My youngest is 17 and my oldest is 30, so they’re not like little kids. I was just trying to get it done by Christmas. It was never intended to be a published novel. It came time for Christmas and I made 15 copies at Office Depot and went back to work. It was because my friends kept giving it away that I eventually actually published it, even though 26 publishers turned it down. A couple guys I knew created a publishing company and we pooled our resources and found a printer in Los Angeles, ordered a bunch of copies, and that’s how it all started.
Q: What did your kids think of their “present” being published?
A: They loved it, but it took them a while to read it. You give kids a book for Christmas, and it’s just, “Oh, thanks dad. We’ll get right on that.” So, it took them a little while, but they all are thrilled that it’s published and they have each been touched in different ways.
Q: What are the similarities between you and Mack?
A: There’s a lot of them because I had great challenges throughout my history like Mackenzie in the book. The story is really a metaphor of my own history. I had a difficult relationship with my father, similar experiences in bible school and some seminary, great sadness; it is an attempt to extract the core of the heart of the human being, my own soul, the place of the main character’s big purpose and struggle.
Q: Was it difficult writing it like it was someone else’s story?
A: Not really because it had so much to do with my own life. I like story because it gives you distance and in story you create a little picture like artwork or music that has a way of penetrating into your heart without asking for permission. So, story was a good tool to wrap up some of my histories.
Q: In your blog you wrote:
“We live in a world where ‘normal’ does not truly exist except as an idea or concept. For each of us, where and how we grew up plays a foundational role in our sense of ‘normal’, and only when we begin to experience the ‘bigness and diversity’ of the world are we tempted to evaluate our roots.”
Q: What was your normal as a child?
A: Well, my normal was being raised in what had survived of a Stone Age people group in the highlands of New Guinea, now West Papua. So, I thought everybody was running around with cannibals. That’s partly why I wrote that quote because “normal” to me was what would have been very not normal to most people. I was a missionary kid; I grew up with missionary parents, I was ten months old when we moved to the highlands. The tribe was spread out a bit over a hundred square miles, about 40 to 60 thousand people. They had never seen white people before. So, normal was to me what other people would think very not normal.
Q: How has that normal changed as you’ve grown up?
A: Normal is just a reflection of your own life. Every person thinks that their life is normal and then re-evaluates it or grows up thinking it’s not as normal as they had thought, and then re-evaluates both one’s history and definition of ‘normal’. So, I don’t think there is such a thing as normal and ordinary. I think everything is pretty amazing.
Q: In your blog you also wrote
“Facts alone might help you understand where a person has been, but often hide who they actually are.”
What did you mean by that?
A: When we meet each other we tell you what we do but it takes a relationship and time to learn who someone is. So, when you meet someone it can give you an idea, but it doesn’t tell you at all who they are. It’s going to take time, and conversation, and openness, and relationship in order to tell who someone really is. That’s why infatuation will not work, because infatuation is based on not knowing someone. People are infatuated and then when they start to get to know that person, a lot of times they are disappointed because what they thought was there wasn’t really there. It was just a way to love themselves through some sort of object, even if that object is a person.
Q: What facts about where you have been hide who you truly are?
A: Well, again facts in general tend to take you on to deeper conversation. When I say that I grew up around Stone Age tribal people and I went to boarding school when I was six, when you say that, it doesn’t have the same impact as when I tell you that I was sexually abused in boarding school. I can then tell you how that experience became part of how I looked at life and how I spent so much of my life trying to find a way to be safe. That’s a whole level of conversation that doesn’t exist if I just tell you the facts.
Q: How has this book being published changed your daily life?
A: My daily life has changed. When I first wrote it I was working three jobs, so now I don’t work three jobs anymore. My life is quite busy because a lot of things have happened that weren’t a possibility before. I travel a lot; I just got back from a trip with my wife and one of my daughters. We went to Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Serbia, and the UK, for two weeks to talk about the book. That wasn’t a possibility before, so I live a different lifestyle now that it was before. We have been able to do some things, like start a foundation, which we couldn’t have done before. So, a lot of things like that, but who we are hasn’t changed. The book didn’t change anything that really matters.
Q: What would be your advice to aspiring Christian authors?
A: First, don’t get your identity tied up with what you do…this would apply to anyone actually, but especially to those who create. If you put your identity in anything that can be taken from you, it is just a matter of time. Write for people you care about, not for the ‘masses’…write something and share it with people who love you (they will love it and encourage you) and with people you don’t know (they will be more objective)…you need both.
Q: This book did not follow normal procedure because it was published by a friend’s publishing company. Did you still have to work with an editor? What was your experience with that editor?
A: Editors are indispensable. I would never publish a book without the skills of an involved editor. These people are highly skilled at what they do and will clean up your clutter as well as give you perspective.
Q: You also said in your blog:
“For me, everything is about Jesus and Father and Holy Spirit and relationships, and life is an adventure of faith lived one day at a time.”
Q: How do you live one day at a time?
A: It is a process, like almost everything that matters. You learn through experience and over time to give up control begin to rest in the grace of one day. It doesn’t come easily, especially for those of us who have learned skill of control so we don’t have to trust anyone. Learning to live inside each day is related to how truly you know that God loves you and therefore how deeply you can trust God. The wonder is that God loves and participates with us in the process, even of learning to trust.
Q: What impact were you hoping this book would have in your children’s lives when you first wrote it?
A: I just wanted them to have a picture of God that wasn’t the God that they grew up with. The angry, distance difficult God watching from a distance. I wanted them to have an understanding of the character and nature of God that pursues us and loves us with infinite and ferocious love.
Q: Many people have said that this book changed their lives and their walk with Christ. How does it make you feel to have written something that impacted people’s lives so greatly in such a positive way?
A: I’m absolutely thrilled, and humbled. I didn’t intend for that to happen, that was just something that God used it for, and I got to participate. So, thrilled to participate and thrilled that this has helped things to happen in other people’s lives.
The Shack has sold over 13 million copies and has been translated in 40 different languages. It is inspiring people all over the world. Will you take the step and let it inspire you too?
HALEY FAYE SNYDER
I’m Haley Faye Snyder. I’ve lived in the same Christian home in Kentucky since I was born. I have one little brother and two loving parents. I go to Westport Baptist church and have my whole life. I accepted Christ into my heart when I was six and then re-committed my life to Him when I was 11 at Boones Creek Baptist Camp. (read more…)
Interview with Mike Dellosso
Mike Dellosso writes novels of suspense for both the mind and the soul. He writes to both entertain and challenge. In addition to his novels, Mike is also an adjunct professor at Lancaster Bible College and a faculty member at the Greater Philadelphia Christian Writer’s Conference.
Q: Tell us a little bit about yourself and your family.
A: I’m 38 years old, I live in Hanover; I have a wonderful wife named Jen who I have been happily married to for 13 years, and we were blessed with three beautiful daughters who are in third, fourth and sixth grades.
Q: Do you have any other part time/full time jobs?
A: Yes, I am a full time physical therapist, and I enjoy it just as much as I enjoy writing.
Q: When did you first start writing and what/who inspired you to write?
A: I started writing back in 1998. It’s an interesting story how I got started. Back when I was in high school, I hated writing, English class, and most things associated with it. But in 1998, my brother-in-law was in a tragic motorcycle accident and he was in critical condition and was in a coma for quite some time. At first the doctors said he wasn’t going to live. He had only been married to my sister for two weeks when this had happened and it was pretty tough. They lived in New York at the time so I had to travel to see them. So, yeah, when all of this was over, I came home and I was so full of all kinds of different emotions and I didn’t know how to express myself. So the only thing I could think of is grabbing a piece of paper and a pen and writing it all down. And that’s when I fell in love with writing, and I found a new way to express myself.
When I first started writing I was writing non-fiction, mostly inspirational stuff, and creative writing things. I was writing for anything, really, like a church newsletter or website. I even got a column in the local newspaper—I started writing feature articles and really anyone who would take my writing. So I just kept on writing more and more and just giving it out to whoever would take it. o in 2004, I got this crazy idea that I wanted to write fiction, which then turned into a novel; it was the first book that I wrote called The Hunted. I came here to Pennsylvania in 2006 and had a manuscript and I got to meet some people and show them my writing and stuff. And one of my meetings was with Kathy (Kathryn Mackel); and really, she’s my hero. She loved it and found me an agent and sent the proposal and such. Realms, it’s called, and they were interested and signed me a contract for a book. And they liked the first one so much that they signed me another contract for Scream, and they liked that one so they signed me for two contracts for two books, and before the third one, Darlington Woods, even came out, they signed me for a fourth one! So I thought that was pretty cool, but from the time I signed with the agent to the time that Realms said, “We wanna’ give you a contract,” was almost a year. . . and the process of it all is so long and complicated, and it made me want to know what they were going to say and when.
So they told me they were going to get back to me on it in a month; and so I waited a month and I didn’t receive anything, and I waited and waited for it, and they said that the meeting was long and that they would put it in next month’s meeting. nd it was this whole big thing and I was getting nervous and waiting for awhile; and this one lady at the publishing house really liked it and she sent me an email saying that she sent it to another publishing house. I thought the whole thing was going to stall and stuff. It was one of those times were you feel like you are waiting forever for it; like your waiting at the computer for an email or by the phone for a phone call. I think the whole publishing house and things don’t really know what the author is going through, because you really wanna’ know and they just keep putting it off and putting it off. But anyway, it did work out eventually.”
Q: What is your genre and why did you choose it?
A: I chose it because I am really “weird.”. But growing up I have always liked scary things, like the haunted house type stuff and scary movies and such. Not like “cut them up and slash them up” type stuff but more like the creepy, suspenseful type scary stuff. I’ve just always liked it so when I started writing it was like a natural thing for me, writing all the supernatural suspense horror stuff. So most people out there are like, “Christian Horror?” you know, they think of it as an oxymoron, but I tell them that it can be scary but still have some kind of a faith message to it. As far as the supernatural aspect of it, I don’t really get into the whole angels and demons warring against each other thing so its more people with the special abilities, for example, Caleb, in The Hunted when he was giving those messages while he was in a coma is like a supernatural thing its just subtly there that gives you this creepy feeling. It’s still scary but not like people getting cut up by chainsaws and demons. But I like to get into the monster thing and that’s what I like. But most people see me as a shy type of guy and they read my books and think, “you wrote this?” and they’re always asking things like “what kind of creepy stuff do you have going through your head?” and things like that. But I have a very big imagination and I like to write things like that.”
Q: Where did you get your characters from?
A: Well, they come from a lot of people that I know or work with, mostly. But the thing is that each character has a little bit of me in each of them. Some people find that to be scary because they always ask me questions like, “So from The Hunted you have a little bit of Steven in you?” and stuff like that, and it made my wife a little freaked out at that too.”
Q: We heard that you’ve been battling with cancer for awhile—how has your faith been an important part of your recovery?
A: The part of my life with cancer was basically my whole life—it all revolved around the chemotherapy and surgery and doctor appointments and medication and such. Most of the time. it was really scary, probably one of the scariest times of my life. However, I am thankful for it in a way. It has taught me things and it showed me and my family how to focus on the stuff that really mattered in life instead of the little things that we make a big deal out of when they don’t really matter as much. It also made me focus on my relationship with friends, family and God. And I’m also thankful for it because most families don’t get to experience such a scary and life threatening event like that, and it really makes you think about the true value of life.”
Q: What age group did you think your books would mostly sell or appeal to?
A: At first I thought I was writing them for people around ages, twenty to forty. But I’ve received a lot of emails and comments from teens and even a few younger kids who said they’ve really enjoyed my book(s). I’ve also received comments and emails from people around fifty and up. So basically it’s kind of a broad audience for my books that I didn’t really expect.”
Interviewed by Judah and Eden Flinchbaugh
My Hands Came Away Red by Lisa McKay – Book Review
My Hands Came Away Red—by Lisa McKay
My Rating: Bucks: 
Reviewed by: Kayla R. Woodhouse
The story—Eighteen-year-old Cori signs up to help build a church on an island in Indonesia. She joins five other teens, expecting this to be an escape from her love life back home.
Six weeks into the trip, after the church has been completed, trouble erupts on the nearby island, Ambon and soon sets foot on their island. Cori and her new friends, including the pastor’s son, Mani, head into the forest expecting to complete the church with one final touch—a cross.
On returning they run into a massacre on Mani’s village.
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The pastor and many of the villagers are dead, the church is a pile of ash, and the teens barely escape with Mani’s four-year-old sister and are forced to flee into the mountains.
It seems that God has forgotten them as the teens try to survive hazardous conditions, Malaria, wild animals, and Muslim encounters.
Little do they know that the search for safety and spiritual answers has just begun.
What I thought about this book—AMAZING! My Hands Came Away Red is definitely a book that everyone needs to read. It opened my eyes to see all the things we take for granted, especially the people we meet day by day. (Think about what would happen if you didn’t have family, friends, or even just the little acquaintances here and there.)
I warn you—It’s a very hard read. Some awful things happen, I’m not going to lie. You may even have to hide under your covers at night. But as you read I guarantee that you will grow along with the characters.
God bless.
KAYLA WOODHOUSE
Thirteen-year-old Kayla Woodhouse’s zest for writing comes not only from her natural ability, but also from her love of the written word as witnessed by her voracious reading appetite. One of only a few dozen cases in the world, Kayla was born with HSAN, Hereditary Sensory Autonomic Neuropathy, an extremely rare nerve disorder. Unable to sweat, or feel pain, she’s also been through brain surgery. But even through a life of extreme hardships, her ever-present smile encourages others to pursue their dreams, no matter the obstacles. In addition to being homeschooled and writing with her mom, she’s an amazing swimmer, and spends up to thirty hours a week in training. She has appeared on ABC’s Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, The Montel Williams Show, Mystery ER, and numerous other national programs. No Safe Haven, her first release from B&H Publishers in 2011, written with mother, Kimberley, makes her the youngest author to have a full-length novel published by a royalty paying publisher. You can find Kayla at http://kimberleyandkaylawoodhouse.com and http://kaylawoodhouse.com (read more…)
Interview with Joe Kissack author of The Fourth Fisherman
THE FOURTH FISHERMAN: How Three Mexican Fishermen Who Came Back From the Dead Changed My Life and Saved My Marriage
Interview by Haley Snyder
When you felt the desire to go meet the fishermen, did you know that God was sparking the interest, or did you think it was your own curiosity?
From the very beginning of this journey there was something inside of me that drew me to this story. Here is what I mean: When I first heard of it, and the details were revealed to me, it sparked “my” curiosity, as you mentioned. But, when the parts about the men surviving because of faith, and that they had a bible they read, my curiosity was run over by this mysterious pull towards it. You have to understand that I didn’t really choose this; it chose me!
What addictions did you have before you found Christ?
I had become dependent on prescription medications used to relieve anxiety. I had also abused alcohol from a very young age up until 2001.
Before you found Christ, did anyone suspect your struggles?
Yes. Lot’s of people, including myself. Even before I was overcome by the addiction, I knew that I drank too much and over medicated all the time.
Did you grow up with both of your parents in the same home as you?
I was the youngest of four and by the time I came along everyone was already in “survival mode.” I grew up hearing the screaming matches and seeing the drunken fits of rage that is typical in many dysfunctional and alcoholic households. My parents stayed together in a very unhappy marriage for my sake until I was off in college.
What exactly is your job?
Right now I am a full time speaker, author, screenwriter, and producer.
Do you have kids?
I have two of the most wonderful daughters a father could hope for. In spite of being flawed as a parent, they have turned out to be amazing women. My oldest is 20 and my youngest is 17. Most of the credit goes to their mom, my wife, Carmen. She did an amazing job.
If so, did you have them before you found Christ?
They were nine and 12 when I went through my conversion experience.
If so, how have they responded to the change in you?
They thought aliens has landed and taken over my body. I looked the same; even sounded the same, but I was a different person on the inside and there were sweeping changes in our house around every topic. We stopped doing a lot of the things we had been and we started doing things very differently.
What from your childhood did you learn that affects you as an adult?
I grew up in a house where performance was king. We were expected to perform in everything we did at the best levels. We were to make the highest scores, make the fewest mistakes, and win.
How did meeting the fishermen impact your life?
They have taught me so much about faith; that you don’t have to be perfect to have great faith and recieve amazing grace and mercy. These are men that are regular guys. They are by no means perfect. But, when faced with almost certain fatality and the prospect of the pacific ocean swallowing them up forever in a few seconds, they soon realized that the only way they would survive this ordeal was to have faith that if God wanted them to survive, they would survive. And if He didn’t want them to survive, they were not going survive. In essence, they surrendered the outcome. But they didn’t just lay down and surrender. They got to work. They knew that they had a job to do. To eat, to stay as healthy a possible, and pray for the best possible outcome. The two men that died, did none of that.
How do you think your life would be different if you had been raised in a Christian home?
I think everything in my life would be different. I think there is a good chance that the pain I have suffered and I have caused others could have been greatly reduced, if not completely avoided. I’m not saying that I would necessarily change anything, because I think that I had to go through what I had to go through to get where I am, and for me, it was unavoidable. But I am positive it would be completely different.
How do you think your life would be different if your friend hadn’t told you about Christ?
I think I would be dead. God heard his pleas for my life and answered him.
In your blog you wrote “The wounds we suffer as children, cause us to make vows.” What vows did you make as a child?
I took several. One was that I would never strike, hit, or spank my children. If you ask them today, they just smile. But the biggest vow I took was in response to so many messages that I wasn’t good enough. I associated being good with success, so I took a vow that I was going to be successful at any cost.
What happened to make you make those vows?
It came from many directions. Words that pierce the heart: Don’t be a dummy; You throw like a girl; You’ll never amount to anything. When I was being beat with a fraternity paddle, I used to cry, “I’ll be good. I’ll be good”
How did that affect you growing up?
I was filled with fear, with shame, with guilt, and with anger.
How did your wife respond to you accepting Christ into your heart?
She was thrilled, but cautious at first, thinking it might just be a phase. Soon she realized it was for real.
How did your wife respond to your adventure with the fishermen?
She thought I had lost my mind, and still kind of does think that.
How did your unsaved friends react to you accepting Christ?
This is kind of sad, but most don’t really want to have much to do with me any longer. We had less and less to talk about. I don’t really care about the latest sports scores or stock market rally. So we have drifted apart, and I have gravitated to men and women who share the same love for Christ that I do.
Did any of them find Christ in return?
Yes, a few have. But what is more amazing are the ones who found Christ before me, had drifted away, and were thrilled when I finally did!
Has how you do your job changed since you accepted Christ?
Yes, everything has changed. The center of my universe changed. I look, or try to look, at everything I do through the lens of Christ; as if He is with me 24/7. And not just beside me observing, but dwelling deep inside me at the cellular level with all of my very being.
Paperback: 194 pages
Publisher: Ezekiel 22 Productions; 1ST edition (2010)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0982691203
ISBN-13: 978-0982691205
http://www.thefourthfisherman.com
HALEY FAYE SNYDER
I’m Haley Faye Snyder. I’ve lived in the same Christian home in Kentucky since I was born. I have one little brother and two loving parents. I go to Westport Baptist church and have my whole life. I accepted Christ into my heart when I was six and then re-committed my life to Him when I was 11 at Boones Creek Baptist Camp. (read more…)
A Girl and Her Daddy: “Redefining Beautiful”
Redefining Beautiful: What God Sees When God Sees You
by Jenna & Max Lucado
Society tends to revolve around appearances. Our so called “culture” dictates what is and is not beautiful. But what the media fails to see is the One and Only perfect Dad.
Jenna’s Lucado’s book, A Girl and Her Daddy, takes readers on a journey showing how God, our perfect, heavenly Dad, can “Redefine Beautiful.” Filled with real stories and thought provoking questions, this book can help girls of all ages see the beauty in their personal lives. Even if life hasn’t been good, it can change when we give God the pen and let Him finish our story. As Jenna puts it: “Even the darkest stories can have beautiful endings.”
This book explains that it is God’s love through us that makes us beautiful. He gives us the “accessories” for life. Jenna lists them as: security, identity, value, love, self-control, peace, joy, and contentment.
I found myself thinking a lot about my own life while reading this; about things I know I can improve in myself, but most importantly about how blessed I am. My heavenly Dad has given me a great earthly Dad. Far too many people don’t live with or don’t even know their dad, or maybe they had a dad unworthy of emulation. Sure, my dad is short and old and tells jokes that aren’t funny… but he’s a great example of God’s love.
To all of you reading this: I hope you have a dad who reflects our perfect Father. If you do, take the time to tell him how much you love and appreciate him. If you don’t, well… still love him and pray for him. Even if you don’t feel like it. (Thomas Nelson Inc provided this book for review.)
Scary Bedtime Prayers – Tim Hawkins, Comedian
BEDTIME PRAYERS from the wacky Tim Hawkins
Other Resources
Here’s a book that will help you see the power prayer when TEENS PRAY!
When Teens Pray: Powerful Stories of How God Works
By Cheri Fuller
When Teens Pray richly demonstrates how God has intervened as teenagers have sought Him. Each chapter features true-life stories of the power of teens and prayers as they intercede for their high schools, families, and friends; as they pray on the mission field; and as they deal with the struggles of adolescence. God links – dynamic prayer strategies supplied throughout the book – help the reader connect with God. These amazing stories demonstrate that teenagers don’t have to finish college or go to seminary for God to use them; they can impact their world and see their own lives changed as they pray – wherever they are.
Publisher: Multnomah Publishers, Inc.
ISBN-13: 9781576739709
$7.99
WRITE A REVIEW and send it to cindy@iBeGat.com
Whispered Secrets – 4 Bucks Book Review
Whispered Secrets is book 2 in the Leven Thumps series…and is a must read.
Bucks: 
Reviewed by Mirriam Neal
Author: Obert Skye
Series: Leven Thumps, Book #2
Genre: Adventure/Fiction/Young Adult/Fantasy
Fourteen-year-old Leven Thumps is an Offing with the power to see and manipulate the future. Well, that is, when his power wants to show up. But in the mean time, he has a lot more to worry about than his temperamental powers – such as the fact that there are certain sinister beings who want to mesh the world of Foo with reality, and the fact that the powerful lithen Geth is, at the moment, a toothpick, and the fact that his other half – the one with all the anger and hatred – is in Reality. Not to mention the fact that Leven’s friend Winter is having problems, and that Clover, Leven’s Sicophant, keeps giving him the wrong kind of candy and can’t stop pulling pranks. Throw all these elements into a pot, stir it around, add a dash of dreamworld, humor, battles between good and evil, and tons of imagination, and you have Leven Thumps.
Despite the forebodings the Harry-Potter-ish cover gave me, this book was a BLAST. I bought it yesterday and finished it a little bit ago – I was laughing the whole time! (When I wasn’t marveling at the ridiculous amount of imagination used, and staring in awe at the amazing cover art). I highly recommend this book. There is no language or sexual content – just lots and lots of humor, plot twists, magic, adventure, and dreams!
(Although, since I haven’t read the first book, I’m not quite sure how Geth’s essence came to be inside a tree. Which in turn was made into a toothpick. I’ll be reviewing Book #1 soon.)
$7.19
Age: 14+
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