Contact: Abigail Davidson, Publicist, WinePress Publishing, 360-802-9758, abigail@winepresspublishing.com

ENUMCLAW, Wash., Nov. 17 /Christian Newswire/ -- "I love you!"

When John Rozema heard those three pivotal words for the first time from his aunt, he writes, "all the tears that had been bottled up inside me since I was a little boy . . . continued to pour out of me with loud weeping and wailing." Rozema shares his journey in his new memoir, "The Stories I Never Told You."

Growing up under the shadow of his abusive stepfather, John Rozema spent most of his childhood and early adulthood running from rejection and seeking father love only God could provide. He joined the Dutch merchant marines at age sixteen, later moved to California, fulfilling a boyhood dream, and soon found himself dodging bullets in Vietnam.

"With each new day," he writes, "I was cognizant of the possibility that I might not make it back home alive." But he did survive the war and after a jaunt in architectural school headed back overseas, this time in Germany as an army personnel management clerk. But still in his heart was an emptiness only God could fill.

For a time he explored Zen Buddhism and a sinful lifestyle. "I suspected that my friends, coworkers, and other people . . . assessed me as a happy camper," he writes. "Little did they realize what was brewing inside me."

Then one day a military superior looked him in the eye and said, "YOU NEED JESUS CHRIST! Do you understand that, Staff Sgt. Rozema?" Soon John began hearing the gospel message on the radio, and after a rock concert he called upon God to save him. "It was as if God Himself reached over and lifted the crushing weight off my shoulders."

Later, God blessed John with a wife, three sons, and a burning desire to serve Him. Through many tumultuous years of trial and blessing, John continued to cling to the Father who had his best in mind, even when he was confronted by colon cancer.

For more information, to request a review copy of "The Stories I Never Told You," or to schedule an interview, please contact Abigail Davidson by phone at 360-802-9758, by email at abigail@winepresspublishing.com, or by fax at 360-802-9992. To purchase a copy of this book, visit www.winepressbooks.com or call 877-421-7323.