"If it was easy, everyone would be doing it" Johnny Cash
In the beginning...
After receiving my MA is Sacred Scripture in 1997, a few people suggested I go for a doctorate degree. The cost was too expensive on a Catholic School teachers salary and the closest Catholic doctoral program was at Fordham which was out of state.
How about writing?
As a high school theology teacher, you have to be entertaining and as the ecumenical youth outreach YOUNG LIFE taught me, 'it's a sin to bore people with the Gospel.' I though I would see if I could find a topic that was relevant yet rarely written about.
Silent Witnesses in the Gospels
Many of the Gospel stories I told and tried to make 'come alive' involved characters who were active in the story bit did not say a word and often we don't know their names. I decided to investigate how many of those characters there were and if I could put something together that would be worth reading.
Servant Publications said yes!
I sent in three sample chapters with three stories detailing characters in the Gospels who made a difference without saying a word to many Catholic book publishing companies and received many polite responses which ended in, "no thank you." Except Servant Publications-they asked for more details and 40,000 words and it was a go! I was going to be published.
From Writing to Speaking
The following books, Jesus the Evangelist, The Bibles Best Love Stories, and Jesus in the House (which was awarded the First Place Award in the Family Life Category in the USA and Canada from the CPA) opened doors for me to speak and share the insights I gathered in writing the books and to share the Good News. I find the most joy is speaking and teaching.
Always presenting!
Although I've changed careers a few time since my first book came out I've always been fortunate to be able to speak at various events and gathering. I have spoken across the country and was invited to spend ten days in Krakow, Poland for World Youth Day speaking in the city for the International Center for Evangelization. I have been on Relevant Radio over 40 times and many other media outlets. I have also written over 100 book reviews for the Catholic News Service. In addition to retreats and parishes, I have spoken at Seton Hall University, Texas A&M, Rutgers University, Kean University, Texas Tech, St. Peter's Jersey City, for FOCUS (Fellowship of Catholic University Students) and SPO (St. Paul's Outreach) and presented at SPO's School of the New Evangelization in Minnesota. Bishop David Ricken invited me to present in Green Bay, WI at his Evangelization Conference.
