Author and psychotherapist Ken Schmidt presents honest questions and prayers to help others gain the joy-filled life God has for them.
Contact: Robyn Williams, WinePress Publishing, 360-802-9758, robyn@winepressgroup.com
SEATTLE, April 10, 2013 /Christian Newswire/ -- Nearly all of us experience an "Aha!" moment at some point in our lives, when suddenly a simple yet powerful truth reveals itself, something so obvious and fundamental that it seems almost unbelievable we didn't recognize it earlier. Usually, these moments involve day-to-day concepts that make a task a little easier, or help us understand something a little more deeply. But sometimes, an "Aha!" moment can be so profound, it can change the way we view our lives and our place in the world. Such was the experience of Ken Schmidt, author of the new book, "Promised Joy."
Raised as a "good" Christian by German immigrant parents, Schmidt became a science teacher and then a family therapist, serving as a church leader for nearly 20 years. But although he felt he was leading the "good" life, still, he felt something was missing.
"I realized I did not feel a love from or for Christ in the way that others did, and that Christ's promises of joy simply were not occurring in my life," he recalls. "I prayed and begged for God's help so I could experience that joy."
"Promised Joy" recounts three powerful personal experiences when God's joy was revealed to Schmidt. In the first of these experiences, Schmidt recounts how he was able to move beyond his childhood indoctrination that being Christian primarily meant being "good" and eschewing "evil." After carefully examining the idea as an adult, Schmidt reveals how he was freed from his childhood conception, finally experiencing God's real love. In the second, Schmidt offers a powerful description of his fight to overcome acute leukemia, a period of intense reflection when God "spoke" to him in an unexpected way. The third memoir features a candid account of Schmidt's own personal temptation to stray from his marriage and the ways in which his own obedience to God combined with his wife's forgiveness and love opened the door for unexpected blessings and joy that continue even to this day.
Schmidt's book stands apart from other works dealing with personal salvation in that rather than telling of being saved from a life of "sin," "Promised Joy" recounts how Schmidt was "saved' from a life of "goodness."
"I learned that Christianity is not about being 'good' but is about being honest and open with God about what is really going on within us," Schmidt said. "He does the changing; we cannot.
"Too often we are raised to be good and responsible and then decide that becoming a Christian is a good thing to do and then live our Christian lives by trying to be good," he added. "This is what the Pharisees did and is NOT what Christ calls us to. He came to empower us to become brand new creations."
For more information, to request a review copy or to schedule an interview, please contact Robyn Williams by phone at 360-802-9758, by email at robyn@winepressgroup.com, or by fax at 360-802-9992. To purchase a copy of this book visit www.winepressbooks.com or call 877-421-7323.
