March 4, 1974, a young mother gives birth to a son. Born with spina bifida, the tiny tot was unable to turn himself in the womb. As a result, he was born butt first, folded up like a taco shell, after the doctors discovered his infirmity too late for a c-section. As the mother slept to recover her strength, the newborn's father began the unenviable task of letting various family members know of the new addition to their family. First, he called his parents. Weak, he struggled through retelling of the doctor's dire prognosis for the child. Second, he called his inlaws. When they weren't home, the young father did the only thing he could do and continued calling other family members. When everyone was called, he tried the inlaws a second time. "Hello?" "We've got a son, Mama" the young man whispered, fighting back tears he'd already cried several times that day. "What's wrong, son?", "He's sick, Mama." he told his mother-in-law. "They say he's not going to live." "Now you listen to me," came the determined reply. "You march right back in that room and you tell that doctor that I said God has a plan for that boy,  you hear me?" "Yes Ma'am," he replied. Now, I can't say for sure that my father spoke those exact words but, if you knew my grandmother, you'd know that the power of her words was not to be taken lightly. The faith with which she prayed is the stuff of stories we still tell today. And so it was very likely that my dad did indeed march back into the room and tell that doctor exactly what my grandmother had said. And, unless I miss my guess, he spoke it with such faith that even the doctor probably believed him. Whatever the case, the doctors began the arduous task of surgically implanting a shunt in my brain to deal with the hydrocephalus. They performed another surgery to "close" the open spine with which I was born. When infection set in, the doctors were certain I would die within days. And still I recovered. They said I'd be dead hey said I'd never walk. Until an accidental fall that cracked my L4 and L5 vertebraes, I did, in fact, walk. Last, they said I'd be a mental vegetable. Now, my sister might argue they got that last one right. However, you're reading the words of a man with a 187 IQ, a college degree and multiple books on his resume. I've been on TV, discussing my books. I've done almost 100 book signings since 2010, with more to come in the future. I write primarily Christian Thrillers, not for the faithful and learned, but for the lost sheep that aren't comfortable in their relationship with Christ. Despite my grandmother's wise spiritual counsel, I am afraid to say that I strayed from God's path numerous times in my life... BUT God had a plan for this boy.   And that plan helps me tell others that it's okay to come to God as you are now. With your dirt still attached to you. Still smelling of your sins. it's okay. You don't have to clean yourself before you come to God. God will clean you and you will be born anew. God had a plan for this boy. And God has a plan for you too.

Back-to-Back Winner: 50 Great Writers You Should Be Reading from the author show (2012, 2013) More than 20 awards from the Texas Intercollegiate Press Association. Member of Northeast Texas Writers Association (NETWO) and East Texas Christian Writers.