Do you feel like the mistakes you have made in the past are keeping you from having a close relationship with God?
"He Restores My Soul; The Journey Of A Servant", by Randy S. Dean, Sr., is the story of how the author fell to the temptations of sexual addiction while serving as a Christian pastor.
About The Author
Randy S. Dean was born and raised in Los Angeles. At the age of 19, he received his calling to serve God as a minister of the gospel. In 1984, he served his country in the United States Air Force and was honorably discharged after six years receiving various awards for his service including the Air Force Commendation medal.
Pastor Dean currently serves as the Executive Assistant to Bishop Milton Herring with Advancing the Kingdom of God Ministries (ATKOG) based in Torrance, California.
The Lord Is My Shepherd
The title of this book is taken from the 23rd Psalm. The term "restores" suggests not the ending of a restoration process, but rather the continuation of it. To restore something suggests a previous state of unacceptable existence is changed back to it's original beauty. The author hopes this book will help restore and heal those who have experienced emotional and spiritual damage.
Randy Dean shares his personal story about how he fell to the temptation of sexual addiction and pornography while employed as a pastor at a Christian church. The author did not go into the graphic details of his addictions but he made it very clear that his bad behavior resulted in his divorce and the estrangement of his family.
The author uses passages from the Bible to explain the restoration and recovery process. This is a gradual journey that must be done with patience and faith. This book is for everyone who wants a closer relationship with God, but it is especially aimed at pastors and leaders in the church. This book offers help and hope to God's servants who feel isolated and alone with their shame.
My Thoughts
I want to thank Pastor Dean for having the courage to share his story and address this sensitive subject. People tend to have very high expectations of their church leaders and are shocked to find out that they have the same temptations and faults as everyone else. The good news is that God forgives sinners and we can also forgive ourselves.
This is a self-published book that is available in paperback and for the Kindle. Pastor Dean is not a professional writer but is very good at expressing thoughts and feelings from his heart. As I read this book, I felt like I was having a conversation with the author and he was talking directly to me. I could tell that the author has truly "walked the walk" and is now reaching out to help others.
I would like to share a quote from Bishop Milton S. Herring (printed on the back cover of the book) ~ "This book may be an answered prayer for you or someone you know." I agree.
My Rating: 5 Starts Out Of 5
FYI ~ Thank you to Randy Dean for sending me a complimentary paperback copy of this book to read and review.
Please share your thoughts in the Comments Section below.
Clay and Renee Crosse share the struggle to save their marriage in "I Surrender All; Rebuilding A Marriage Broken By Pornography".
In 1998, Clay Crosse found himself on the verge of losing his music career and his family. His voice was hoarse but the doctors could not find any physical cause for his ailments. Clay grew increasingly depressed because he was hiding a dirty little secret from his wife and his fans.
About The Author
Clay Crosse is a Dove Award winning contemporary Christian music artist. Clay released his first album, My Place Is With You, in 1995. "I Surrender All" was the most successful single from the album.
Lust and Pornography
Clay accepted Christ as his Savior at the age of thirteen. He was active in church youth groups and music groups. He was a Christian but did not have a close personal relationship with Christ.
Clay had his first experience with pornography when he was in the fourth grade. He was at a friend's house and they found the dad's collection of magazines. His involvement with pornography increased as he entered his high school years.
Clay and Renee started dating and made public commitments to sexual purity, but Clay continued to secretly view pornographic magazines and videos. He didn't realize that this "habit" was taking over his life and damaging his relationship with his wife and with God.
Clay and Renee Crosse share the difficult journey they experienced after Clay went public with his problem and asked for forgiveness. They both share their feelings in the pages of this book. They were committed to their marriage and they were able to use this experience to draw nearer to God and to each other.
My Thoughts
I never thought I would be writing about pornography on this blog. It is one of those subjects that we like to sweep under the rug. It is one of those "hush-hush" subjects that everyone knows about but it is not a "politically correct" topic of conversation.
I did a little research on the topic of pornography and found the following statistics on the United Families International Blog:
- 12% of the sites on the Internet are pornographic (that is 24,644,172 sites).
- 40 million Americans are regular visitors to porn sites.
- 1 in 3 porn viewers are women.
- 70% of men between 18 and 24 years old visit porn sites in a typical month.
- In the U.S., porn pulls in $2.84 BILLION per year. The entire worldwide industry is worth $4.9 BILLION.
- The most popular day of the week for viewing porn is Sunday.
- There are 116,000 searches for "Child Pornography" every day.
So, pornography is BIG business and it is not going to just go away. I truly respect Clay and Renee Crosse for going public with this sensitive subject. Clay did not make excuses for his actions. He was willing to take full responsibility for the hurt that he caused others and he was committed to turning his life around.
This couple is a role model for couples who find their marriage in the ditch. Clay and Renee demonstrate that it is possible to come through the storm and have a stronger marriage and a closer walk with God. They are reaching out to other hurting couples with their Holy Homes Ministry.
I am reminded of the Scripture in Luke 8:17 ~ "For nothing is hidden that will not be made manifest, nor is anything secret that will not be known and come to light".
"I Surrender All" will inspire and encourage anyone who is burdened with the secret of pornography. There is hope for a better life....this book proves it!
