Contact: Joni Sullivan Baker, Buoyancy PR, 513-319-3231, buoyancypr@gmail.com
CINCINNATI, March 4 /Christian Newswire/ -- Family problems, dysfunction, and scandals – the secret is out. Every family is messed up--at least to some degree.
That's the message of hope author Steve Wyatt wants to share with readers, based on his own personal and professional experience, his research derived from his own extended family and research into ancient families -- in the Bible.
Wyatt, a minister and counselor who has faced his own family problems, explains his message in his new book, STUCK IN A SMALL WORLD, (Standard Publishing, March 2008). In the book, he likens doing family to being stuck on a theme-park ride at Disneyland.
"Doing family is a lot like a ride at Disneyland," Wyatt says. "You don't get to pick who rides in your boat. Your family is what it is."
"The fact is, every family has its relatives to be embarrassed by and skeletons we feel are best left in the closet," Wyatt says. "Take a closer look at your own family and see if I'm not right."
"Why is this important? Because we all tend to think we're the only ones with problems. We think everyone who looks all together really is so we give up or walk away when the going gets tough.
"I'm saying that's the wrong approach. You aren't the first, and you won't be the last, to wrestle with the kind of problems your family is facing – whatever they may be. Talk about encouraging! No troublesome family situation is unique. Others who have gone before you have faced the same issues you face.
"You need to hold on and work them out. It's always too early to get off the boat," Wyatt concluded.
Wyatt said he was amazed to discover all the messed up families in the Bible. In Wyatt's hands, familiar Bible stories such as Elijah saving a widow and her son, Joseph and his brothers, Moses in the bulrushes, and the prodigal son, teach lessons about single parenting, sibling rivalry, trusting God with challenge kids, and youthful rebellion.
He also offers encouragement for families dealing with disabilities, and practical tips and encouragement for blended families, plus a reminder that as members of Christ's church we are all part of a blended – and extremely dysfunctional – family.
"You want to talk blended family?" Wyatt continues. "Our father God has been swirling his highly dysfunctional, wholly inconsistent brood into the same family unit – kicking and screaming – for more than two thousand years."
He concludes by reminding readers that God has promised to be faithful and to be with us in times of difficulty. Then he gently challenges us to consider the role God has in mind in helping our biological families to break free from the cycle of dysfunction.
"If you are tired of your family's constantly repeating and deeply obnoxious refrain, don't jump ship. Instead, write the part you intend to play in bringing your family's 'stuckness' to an end," he concludes.
Since 1866, Standard Publishing has been providing true-to-the-Bible resources that inspire, educate, and motivate Christians to a growing relationship with Jesus Christ. Based in Cincinnati, Ohio, Standard creates a wide array of Christian products and resources for churches and families. For more information, visit http://www.standardpub.com/.
About the author: A Midwestern native, Steve Wyatt brings more than 30 years of ministry and life experiences and challenges along with a disarming sense of humor to his writing and speaking. Steve lives in Phoenix with his wife Cindy with whom he shares six children. This is his second book.
To interview Steve Wyatt about this book and his own personal story, contact Joni Sullivan Baker, Buoyancy PR, at 513/319-3231.
