Presumptuous: Fourth Fisherman

From November 2005 to November 2006, my family was distracted by an overseas deployment and a self-imposed moratorium on news. We were perhaps one of the few families in the US who had never heard of "Los Tres Pescadores" (The Three Fishermen) until we read this book. I had never heard of these men who had been lost at sea. I had never heard of people surviving for 9 months on raw sea animals and rainwater, much less drifting 5000 miles across the Pacific. The men were tempted by despair, and two of the original five men succumbed to despair and died. However, the remaining three were sustained by faith in God and His Providence for them during their ordeal. Their story is inspirational, and I am glad that they survived to tell it and that Joe Kissack wrote about it.

In his telling of the fishermen's story, Kissack draws parallels with these men's story and his own spiritual journey as he faced a complete paradigm shift in his life. In the end, the three fishermen came home to their families, and Kissack found his way back to God through a sea of worldly temptations. Kissack's story is inspirational in itself. 

However, I was disappointed that Kissack took his own rather protected struggle of faith and made close parallels with these men whose very physical being depended directly on God's grace and their faith in Him. He even goes so far as to figuratively put himself in the boat with the fishermen as the titular "Fourth Fisherman."

Truthfully, as I read the book, I was expecting God Himself to be occupying this position as the unseen yet present Captain and Navigator...the "Fourth Fisherman." By supplanting this position and inserting himself (albeit figuratively) into these men's ordeal, he sullies what was otherwise a decent book.

This book is two inspirational stories in one. If you can look past the artificial importance Kissack gives himself, you will be edified by both spiritual journeys. 

Note: Please be aware that due to the nature of the fishermen's ordeal, many parts of the book are not for the young and the squeamish. I strongly recommend that it be read by High School students and older. 

This book was provided by Waterbrook/Multnomah for in exchange for review.

God's Provision

If I had to choose one word to describe the first book in The Good Earth series, perhaps it would be provision. Of course that is a theme in most every life, but for my characters Bethrina and Kjell, God's provision is phenomenal.

It is interesting how God chooses to provide sometimes. Many people call it a miracle. Others simply call it life. I know in my own life God has provided some pretty amazing things. The problem, as I often see it, is timing.

My novel begins with a young woman who has experienced little or no caring in her formative years. She is longing for a home of her own and someone to love her. What she does not realize is that the Lord is waiting with open arms. Not until she is forced away from the life she knows does she let go enough to experience God's extraordinary provision.

Bethrina suffers from a bit of the same problem I do. Timing. God's timing is not her timing. She has hopes and dreams and when things do not go as she planned she assumes God must not love her. As I write her story I lead her down that path, which I know God has sent me on a time or two. I help her--one day at a time--learn her own worth in the kingdom.

Therein lies the key. One day at a time. If we live one day at a time, we will all see the blessing of God's provision. The hope that we have is in Him. He is our all in all.

Better than Diamonds

In my cache, I have two very precious jewels.

The first, shimmers with goodness, purity and light. The second is bright, sparkling, and well I have to say it, priceless. If I had to describe their color I would say the former is yellow sunshine and the latter is liquid blue highlighted with fiery red sparks.

Once a year, I have to let them go out into the world on their own. Today is that day. For the next nine months their luminosity and clarity will be challenged. It is a little like throwing them into the fire and seeing how much farther they can be refined. I will have glimpses of this refinement in the coming months, but not until some day in the future will I see the fullness of this polishing.

So, I whisper my quiet prayers for protection and care. I lay my heart before the Lord and entreat Him to surround them with His love. And I trust that these precious gifts he has allowed me to enjoy will come home more vivid and exceptional than before.