Contact: Jeffrey C. Smith, 651-457-7300, seeinglightinthedarkness@comcast.net; www.amazingjeffo.com

MINNEAPOLIS, Minn., July 31, 2012 /Christian Newswire/ -- Afflicted with life-threatening colitis, crippling rheumatoid arthritis, total blindness, severe stuttering, and life expectancy of 13 years, Jeff Smith, now 55, has overcome insurmountable odds.

Smith is a magician, comedian, and motivational speaker, a.k.a. Amazing Jeffo, who has wowed 3,500 live audiences - hundreds of thousands of people - in addition to TV and radio shows, and given hope and inspiration through his story.

A walking miracle, he's been through more than 20 surgeries and dozens of outpatient procedures. Not only is he still alive, but he has the energy and tenacity to wear people out, he quips.

His new book, "Seeing Light in the Darkness: A Story of Surviving Affliction with Laughter and Grace", chronicles the story that has encouraged so many. One friend summed it up, "As good as your magic is, your story is more compelling."

"People see the joy and sense of humor I have," Smith recounts, "and they start to look at their own problems differently."

On stage, Amazing Jeffo mocks his disabilities. "I poke fun at it so openly, but so comfortably, that it doesn't come across as being angry," he said. "It's just fodder for me! People see me and look at their own situation and become encouraged."

His simple message is: Adversity doesn't have to be defeating. He aims to give hope for others to persevere through life's crises. And his own struggles are not over.

"I'm confronting new challenges every year; they slow me down but make me think about life and perspective and where I fit into it all," he says. He doesn't hide that his faith plays a big role in his ability to keep smiling and continue on.

"Being created so different from the 'mainstream' has given me a sense of precious uniqueness," Smith attests. He encourages others to see their circumstances as purposeful and not coincidental, that there's a bigger plan. And, he surrounds himself with encouragers, not letting negative thinking be his master.

"A disability, or any adversity, does not define you, it only describes you," he says.

"My life tickles my funny bone. God's sense of humor has taken someone blind, disabled, and verbally disfluent and set him on the path to be a magician and motivational speaker!" he writes.

"I want the book to illustrate that 'misfortune' and 'good attitude' are not mutually exclusive," Smith emphasizes. "Where there is darkness, there is also hope."