Sustained by Love Through the Wars

I hate war. War kills. War maims. War orphans. And it leaves a deep scar not only on the land, but also in the hearts of those who are affected by the war. I am one of those who carry a deep emotional wound to this day, more than sixty years later.

During WWII under Japan, my father was imprisoned because he was a Christian minister, who refused to bow down to the picture of the Japanese emperor. My elder brother volunteered to join the Japanese military in the hope of having his father released from the prison. He left home as a vibrant 15-year-old boy and returned home as a worn-out, injured, 18-year-old man; he died a year later. He was my best friend. During the Korean War, North Koreans took my father away. He never returned.

Sustained by Love through the Wars is a story of love, sacrifice, faith and suffering all wrapped in one package. The heroine in the story is my mother. Mother prayed without ceasing. Through her unceasing prayers, she was able to walk through the dark tunnel of trials and tribulations and lead us onward with love and grace, and absolute faith in God.

Take Me Home

Take Me Home is a collection of short stories based on the author’s experiences as a sports-loving boy growing up in Indiana in the 60s and as a practicing attorney in Florida. Each story presents vivid local colors and memorable characters. Many present-life passages are to be navigated and moral questions are to be pondered. Take Me Home is a light but worthwhile read that you will want to pass along to your family and recommend to your friends.

Tales For The Trivial

Life is hard, even on good days. We all know and accept this as a fact. But as we go through this journey and look around us, we tend to focus on the major obstacles in the way and ignore the tiny, trivial things. Even the most basic decisions we take for granted have deeper connotations than we realize in the moment. From trying to find the right shirt to wear to the gym as a male who is not built like a college athlete to dating as a single father and trying to do it in a way that does not damage the relationship you have with your wonderful children, the most basic things in life deserve to have some importance tied to them. By delving into this collection of thoughts and observations, you not only help me to feel like I have contributed something noteworthy to an otherwise simple life so far, but hopefully it can also remind you that you are not alone in the everyday thoughts you have as you navigate your own little worlds.

Tales of Agonies

Given the current Nigerian security quicksand, characterized by a plethora of human brutality seen in only very few countries of the world, the book offers coping resources primarily to Christians, who seem to be the most vulnerable group. Of course, these could be of help to non-Christians as well. This intervention has become necessary as people live in constant anxiety, fear, and apprehension and are, in fact, distressed. Consequently, human life is unprotected, miserable, and strained. The social, economic, and political life of the country is off-kilter. Only multiple intensive surgical interventions, such as those offered in the book, can save the day. Thus, a synergy of psychological and spiritual resources and techniques is considered robust enough for this purpose. In this way, they are conducive to effective coping and full functioning, not only in hostile environments.

Tears of Joy

This is the true story of my childhood in Vietnam, born into poverty after the Vietnam War. Through twenty-two attempts of escape, we had to withstand a lot of obstacles and hardships and risk our lives to be able to reunite with my father in America.

During the last escape, our boat, filled with seventy-three people, was caught in a big storm and we were in the middle of the ocean for three days and nights. We were surrounded by water and total darkness. Many times, the powerful wind and waves knocked against our little boat, trying to sink us to the bottom of the lifeless ocean.

This is one of the many stories of the millions of Vietnamese people who escaped from Vietnam for freedom and a better opportunity. This book will hopefully inspire and motivate the younger generation and I hope for them to learn to appreciate what they have and not take things for granted. This is my piece of history.

Tell the Truth About Adultery

Tell the Truth About Adultery is a story of love, betrayal, and hope. The refreshingly honest words of Sheila Smith tell the heart-wrenching tale of betrayal and adultery, an old, old story repeated often through generation after generation. Yet, its nuances are rarely spoken out loud, especially within the context of the Church. Instead, they are whispered and shushed up and down the aisles of sanctuaries, mainly to protect the predominantly male hierarchical leadership.

Sheila unabashedly speaks about a legacy of artifice and deceit perpetrated by her pastor, who happened to be her husband as well. Nevertheless, her story does not get stuck in the ditch of victimhood, but instead, her readers are drawn to navigating with her the winding road to post divorce and recovery.

Names have been changed, except for the author’s, to help readers focus on the story and not the characters.

Tella 2

“Mi nombre es Tella. Aunque pasé por un infierno en mi infancia, desde pequeña siempre fui una gran luchadora y protectora de mi familia, justo como mis padres me enseñaron. A lo largo de la historia veréis lo valiente que fui. La vida decidió por mí, yo solo seguí luchando contra la corriente. Imaginad mis queridos lectores, que alguien se apodera de vuestra vida y no podéis hacer nada para evitarlo porque no tenéis el control ni de esta ni de vuestra propia tierra. ¿Qué haríais vosotros si gente sin piedad os lo arrebatase todo? ¿Lucharíais por vuestro propio caramelo para encontrar la felicidad?”

Terms of Estrangement

After almost 50 years of battling an unwanted sexual identity that had promised him an afterlife in hell, Greg made the decision to give up the fight in 2019. Decades of depression and aversion/reparative “ex-gay” therapy – which consisted of sniffing dog feces while thumbing through cologne magazine ads and participating in awkward “gay men’s basketball” bonding sessions – had landed Greg in two separate mental hospitals, leaving him disillusioned and suicidal and with a choice that had to be made.

However, ‘coming out’ had its costs.

The "O" with the Green Leaves

Stephanie Mendelson shares a gripping account of the most difficult and gut-wrenching time in her life. She finds herself as the caregiver to both of her parents as they simultaneously face terminal illness. She supports her mother through an unexpected battle with cancer, while trying to navigate her father’s worsening dementia. A series of unbelievable and catastrophic life events take her down a road that she never could have imagined. The ride is full of heartbreak and unthinkable stress, but there she also finds love and perspective. Her story is infused with humor and joy, even as she faces her darkest days. Go along with her on the journey of the child becoming the parent that many of us will face Bear witness to the anguish and simultaneous beauty of being there until their last breath.

The 2,003-Yard Odyssey

“It was a season where the impossible became possible. It was a season where the hard to believe became believable.”

--Marv Levy, Pro Football Hall of Fame Coach.

The 1973 Buffalo Bills made pro football history. They had an offense that broke several important rushing records during that memorable year. And they had a superstar running back by the name of O.J. Simpson, who broke a glass ceiling of sorts by becoming the first man -- and indeed the only man -- to ever rush for more than 2,000 yards in one 14-game regular season. That glory-filled accomplishment provided the celebrated culmination to this epic tale of a week-by-week journey from an initial goal to its triumphant ending.

In The 2,003-Yard Odyssey: The Juice, The Electric Company, and an Epic Run for a Record, several members of that Buffalo Bills team recall their memories of that year. They discuss how that 1973 season began with a bunch of question marks, then how a boast by one of their offensive linemen led to a challenge for the whole squad to address. A major focus in this book are the feats of the incomparable O.J. Simpson, who earned pro football fame and glory with his record-breaking 1973 performance. This story recounts how Simpson set a mark that was thought of by most people to be impossible to achieve. It was an odyssey unlike any other in NFL annals, and it is explored in concentrated depth and detail within these pages.

Joe Zagorski is a member of the Pro Football Writers of America and the Pro Football Researchers Association. He has written several previous books about various teams and players of the NFL. He is also a contributing writer to the website Pro Football Journal and the administrator of the Facebook page, The NFL in the 1970s. He resides in Oak Ridge, Tennessee.

Marv Levy, who wrote the foreword for this book, is a coaching legend in both the United States and in Canada. He led the Buffalo Bills to four straight Super Bowl appearances from 1990 to 1993. He is also an honored member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

The Alpha Woman in Christ

Life has many different stages, phases, and seasons. There’s time for everything, a time to rejoice, a time to cry, and a time to mourn. But no matter where you may find yourself in life, you should know there’s no situation or circumstance that God can’t reach to pull you out and make you whole again in Him, if you believe. There’s something to be learned in each encounter that’s experienced, but you have to be open and willing to receive in order to get to that next level. What you’re going through currently isn’t for you but for the next person that comes along and needs your story and testimony. Be ready to share what’s on the inside of you, always!

The Amazing Wildlife in the Prince Albert National Park

They say that patience is a virtue. How true that is, especially when it comes to watching and enjoying the amazing wildlife that one can see at the Prince Albert National Park in Saskatchewan. I certainly enjoyed many magical experiences as I watched how amazing the wildlife was. From otters to minks and from beavers to black bears, not to mention groundhogs and wolf pups.

There are amazing birds that one can see, from American white pelicans to belted kingfishers to the amazing fishing ability of the great blue heron, even ospreys, bald eagles, and merlins. It was amazing how much wildlife I was able to see by just being at the Waskesiu River. Even though I had to spend from one to almost three hours every day, it was certainly worth my time to be able to enjoy animals in their natural surroundings and to see the amazing abilities that they possess.