Sheridan Voysey

Resurrection Year Countdown Day 4 (Photo Competition)

Sheridan Voysey — Thu, 23 May 2013 23:08:49 +0000

(Email and RSS readers please click headline to view the above image)

Countdown Day 4

My new book Resurrection Year: Turning Broken Dreams into New Beginnings releases in just 4 days! (Tuesday May 28). Each day in the lead up I’m posting a photo drawn from Merryn’s and my life that relates to a chapter of the memoir.

Monday’s photo related to chapter 1

Tuesday’s photo related to chapter 2

On Wednesday I announced the Resurrection Year Webcast, so no photo. (But make sure you check your local time and book in for this special event)

Thursday’s photo related to chapter 3

And today’s image relates to chapter 4. Think you know what its relevance is to broken dreams and new beginnings? (This one will require some reflection)

The most creative or insightful answer wins an ebook (PDF) copy of Resurrection Year!

Tell Me Now!

What is the relevance of the photo above to Resurrection Year, broken dreams and new beginnings? Tell me now in the comments section

***

Pre-order Resurrection Year: Amazon.com, Amazon.co.uk, others
Read more about the book
Watch and share the video trailer
Please feel free to share this page too! Use the buttons below

Resurrection Year Countdown Day 5 (Photo Competition)

Sheridan Voysey — Wed, 22 May 2013 23:06:13 +0000

(Email and RSS readers please click headline to view the above image)

Countdown Day 5

My new book Resurrection Year: Turning Broken Dreams into New Beginnings releases in just 5 days! (Tuesday May 28) As mentioned on Monday, and Tuesday, each day this week I’m posting a photo drawn from Merryn’s and my life that relates to a chapter of the memoir.

Today’s image relates to chapter 3.

Think you know what its relevance is? (Good luck!)

The most creative or insightful answer wins an ebook (PDF) copy of Resurrection Year!

Tell Me Now!

What is the relevance of the photo above to Resurrection Year, broken dreams and new beginnings? Tell me now in the comments section

***

Pre-order Resurrection Year: Amazon.com, Amazon.co.uk, others
Read more about the book
Watch and share the video trailer
Please feel free to share this page too! Use the buttons below

Watch the Resurrection Year Webcast, Live from Our Lounge Room

Sheridan Voysey — Tue, 21 May 2013 23:35:14 +0000

An Invitation

On Tuesday May 28 my new book Resurrection Year will be released into the world. To celebrate, Merryn and I would like to invite you to a special event at our place:

A book launch webcast, streamed live from our lounge room…

With authors Adrian and Bridget Plass as special guests!

Time and Place

Resurrection Year is an intimate book about broken dreams and new hope, so it only seems right to welcome you into our home to tell you about it.

What: Resurrection Year Live Launch Webcast

When: 9.00pm GMT Tuesday May 28 (check your local time)

How: No special software required. The webcast will stream on this page

Who: Sheridan & Merryn, Adrian & Bridget, a local audience & more

Duration: Around 45 minutes

What You Need to Do

1. Bookmark this page

The webcast will stream on this page, like you’re watching a YouTube video. About 15 minutes before we go ‘live’ the timer above will be replaced with a video screen.

2. Check your local time and add the event to your calendar

You can do both automatically here. Here are some city’s times:

UK: London: 9.00pm Tuesday May 28
US: Los Angeles: 1.00pm Tuesday May 28
US: Nashville: 3.00pm Tuesday May 28
US: New York: 4.00pm Tuesday May 28
AU: Sydney/Melbourne/Brisbane: 6.ooam Wednesday May 29
AU: Adelaide/Darwin: 5.3oam Wednesday May 29
AU: Perth: 4.ooam Wednesday May 29 (sorry!)

3. Leave us a question

During the event, Merryn and I will take live Q&A about the book and it’s message via the comments section below. Why not leave us a question now? Some already asked:

How difficult was it to write your story?
Merryn, were you anxious about what Sheridan would write?
How can I have a ‘Resurrection Year’ without moving overseas?

Leave your question now

Merryn and I look forward to welcoming you into our home.

Sheridan

Question: So, are you coming? Let me know!

Podcast: Subscribe in iTunes | Right-click to download | Listen to Other Episodes

Resurrection Year Countdown Day 7 (Photo Competition)

Sheridan Voysey — Mon, 20 May 2013 23:07:45 +0000

Picture: David MacCullagh (Email and RSS readers please click headline to view the above image)

Countdown Day 7

My new book Resurrection Year: Turning Broken Dreams into New Beginnings releases in just 7 days! (Tuesday May 28) As I mentioned yesterday, each day this week I am posting a photo drawn from Merryn’s and my life that relates to a chapter of the memoir.

Today’s image relates to chapter 2.

Think you can work out what its relevance is?

The most creative or insightful answer wins an ebook (PDF) copy of Resurrection Year!

Tell Me Now!

What is the relevance of the photo above to Resurrection Year, broken dreams and new beginnings? Tell me now in the comments section

***

Pre-order Resurrection Year: Amazon.com, Amazon.co.uk, others
Read more about the book
Watch and share the video trailer
Please feel free to share this page too! Use the buttons below

The Resurrection Year Countdown Has Begun! Join the Photo Competition

Sheridan Voysey — Sun, 19 May 2013 23:15:54 +0000

Countdown Day 8

In just 8 days my new book Resurrection Year: Turning Broken Dreams into New Beginnings will be released worldwide (Tuesday May 28). As we countdown to launch day, each day this week I will post a photo. Each photo will be taken from Merryn’s and my life. Each photo will relate to a chapter in the memoir.

Think you can work out what each image means?

The Competition

Of course, you’ll discover the relevance of each picture when you read Resurrection Year. But why not have some fun in the meantime?

The image above relates to chapter 1
Tell me in the comments section below what you think it means
I won’t tell you whether you’re right or wrong. Instead…
The most creative or insightful answer will win an ebook (PDF) copy of Resurrection Year!

Have a Go!

What is the relevance of the photo above to Resurrection Year, broken dreams and new beginnings? Tell me now

***

Pre-order Resurrection Year: Amazon.com, Amazon.co.uk, others
Read more about the book
Watch and share the video trailer
Please feel free to share this page too! Use the buttons below

008 An Interview with Marilynne Robinson [Podcast]

Sheridan Voysey — Tue, 14 May 2013 23:18:08 +0000

Some fiction writers manage to produce a book every year or two. In Marilynne Robinson’s case, three decades of writing has produced just three. Prolific she is not… and perhaps that is why each of her novels is a masterpiece. Here is an opportunity to learn the art of writing from a world-class wordsmith.

Click To Listen

Podcast: Subscribe in iTunes | Right-click to download | Listen to Other Episodes

About Marilynne Robinson

Marilynne’s first novel, Housekeeping, was released in 1980. Nominated for the Pulitzer Prize and winning the PEN/Hemingway Award for Best First Novel, its tale of Ruth and Lucille in the fictional town of Fingerbone, Idaho, has been hailed a classic.
The second novel, Gilead, came a staggering 24-years later. Recounting the memories of a dying Reverend to his seven year old son, it went on to win the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction.
The third novel, Home, took the risky step of retelling the story of Gilead through the eyes of another family in town. It won Britain’s prestigious Orange Prize for Fiction in 2009.

Question: What is your favourite Marilynne Robinson book? If you’re a writer, what advice can you give to others? Share your comment now.

In the Interview

How Marilynne discovered her ‘voice’ as a writer
Why she wrote Housekeeping in the dark and why she writes all her fiction in long-hand first
The reason behind the 24-year wait for her second novel
How her characters take on a life of their own
Her Christian faith and the influence of sixteenth-century theologian John Calvin on her writing

A Virtual Writer’s Masterclass

In the final moments of the interview I ask Marilynne to complete the following sentences to give us even more writing tips:

The technique I wish I’d discovered earlier is…
My best creative insights come when I…
I come up with my best metaphors when I…
When I write, I always…
When I write, I never…
I know a book is finished when…
The finest advice I can give to a young writer is…

Special Announcements

Resurrection Year releases in just 2 weeks! (But you can pre-ordered it now)
Please mark Tuesday May 28 9.00pm GMT in your diary (to check local timing and add it to your diary click here). We’re planning something fun and different for Resurrection Year’s launch and you’ll be invited!
I’ll be speaking to graduates at The Queen’s Foundation on Tuesday May 21 on ‘Listening to the Soul of Your Community’ and ‘Communicating to the Soul of Your Community’. You can find out more about my speaking here.
I am planning an Australian speaking tour in October. If you would like to have me speak about Resurrection Year at your church or conference, please tell me about your event.

Episode Resources

You may find the following links and resources helpful:

Audio: A Basket Full of Stars talk on creativity
Book: Housekeeping by Marilynne Robinson
Book: Gilead by Marilynne Robinson
Book: Home by Marylinne Robinson
Book: Open House Volume 3 in which Marilynne is featured
Book: Bird By Bird by Annie Lamott

Subscription Links

Subscribe to More Than This and never miss an episode.

Subscribe in iTunes

Subscribe via RSS

Subscribe on your iPad or smartphone

Your Feedback

Want to respond to this podcast? Got a question to ask or a story to tell?

Call Me: Use the ‘Send Voicemail’ button. Here’s how

Comment: Leave your written comment now

Rate and Share: Would you mind rating this podcast on iTunes or sharing it with others? This significantly helps others discover it. Thanks!

***

Question: What is your favourite Marilynne Robinson book? If you’re a writer, what advice can you give to others? Share your comment now.

007 Bob, Larry and Dreams. The Phil Vischer Interview [Podcast]

Sheridan Voysey — Tue, 07 May 2013 23:30:33 +0000

Picture credit: Anthony Robert La Penna, Chicago Tribune

In 1989 a 22 year-old entrepreneur named Phil Vischer launched his dream of creating animated Bible-based kid’s programs, starring a cast of talking vegetables. The result was VeggieTales. Starting on a computer in his spare room, Vischer’s company grew beyond expectation. VeggieTales DVDs flooded the globe, and Bob the Tomato and Larry the Cucumber even got airtime on The Simpsons. Then, thirteen years later, it all came crashing down in bankruptcy.

The result is a humble and wise Phil Vischer who has a wealth of lessons to teach us. Dreams are good, but they can also be dangerous. Here’s a crash course in recognising if you’re pursuing the right one.

Click To Listen

Podcast: Subscribe in iTunes | Right-click to download | Listen to Other Episodes

In the Interview

In this insightful (and fun!) conversation Phil and I explore:

How a young Phil Vischer discovered he had a ‘weird’ brain
How his parent’s divorce shaped his outlook and creativity
His original idea for VeggieTales (this is hilarious)
The rapid growth of VeggieTales: from nothing to The Simpsons and Saturday Night Live
The reasons why his company collapsed
His feelings on losing everything he worked for
An important discovery about who we are (and aren’t)
Why he believes God wants us to ‘let go of our dreams’

Quotables

‘I thought, “OK, I need naked, bald, limbless characters and I want to sell these videos to Christians”‘ Tweet this

‘Success has a way of increasing our ambition. I started thinking I was supposed to be the next Walt Disney’ Tweet this

‘All the characters, songs & stories I’d created got packed into a box and sold at auction to the highest bidder. I lost it all’ Tweet this

‘My first thought was, “God, don’t you love me? Don’t you see how much good I’m doing?”‘ Tweet this

‘After it all fell apart and I found myself alone and working out of an office near my house, God started to unwrap everything’ Tweet this

‘I’d made the work I was doing for God more important than my relationship with him’ Tweet this

‘I’ve come to know a God who wants me to let go of my dreams’ Tweet this

“Hey boss, what are we doing with all these bunnies?” Tweet this

Special Announcements

Resurrection Year releases in just 3 weeks! (But you can pre-ordered it now)
Please give the Resurrection Year Launch Team some social media love.
Put Tuesday May 28 9.00pm GMT in your diary. We’re planning something fun and different for Resurrection Year’s launch and you’ll be invited!

Episode Resources

You may find the following links and resources helpful:

Podcast: Last week’s Resurrection Year readings got some tears flowing
Book: Me, Myself and Bob by Phil Vischer
Book: Open House Volume 2 includes Phil’s story
Link: Phil Vischer on Twitter

Subscription Links

Subscribe to More Than This and never miss an episode.

Subscribe in iTunes

Subscribe via RSS

Subscribe on your iPad or smartphone

Your Feedback

Want to respond to this podcast? Got a question to ask or a story to tell?

Call Me: Use the ‘Send Voicemail’ button. Here’s how

Comment: leave your written comment now

Rate and Share: Would you mind rating this podcast on iTunes or sharing it with others? This significantly helps others discover it. Thanks!

***

Question: What have you learned about pursing the right dream? Leave a comment now.

***

Introducing the Resurrection Year Launch Team

Sheridan Voysey — Mon, 06 May 2013 08:29:40 +0000

Picture: MV Jantzen

My next book Resurrection Year launches on Tuesday May 28. Last week my publishers and I offered an opportunity for you to join the Resurrection Year Launch Team and read the book for free. Below is a list of team members with their Blog, Facebook or Twitter addresses (where given). Please show them some social media love!

Early Comments

‘I can’t put it down’

‘I am already in tears, and I’m only up to page 7′

’90 pages in and I’ve cried, laughed and smiled. Thanks for being so vulnerable’

‘I’ve been looking forward to reading this for almost a year and it’s better than I could have imagined’

‘Believe me, I don’t endorse everything that comes my way. This is well written and even more well lived’

‘Something that impacted me very deeply is the richness of your marriage relationship. You’re soul mates’

The Team

Lynne McGranger: twitter.com/LynneMcGranger

Sherron Watkins: twitter.com/SherronWatkins

Sr Catherine Wybourne: ibenedictines.org

Glenyss Barnham: facebook.com/glenyss.barnham

Tony Watkins: tonywatkins.co.uk

Maggi Dawn: twitter.com/maggidawn

Peter Ould: peter-ould.net

Anita Mathias: anitamathias.com

Joanna Holman: joannamuses.com

John Donoghue: facebook.com/john.donoghue.923

Andre van Oudtshoorn: Perth Bible College

Jackie Randall: jackierandall.com

Rodney Olsen: rodneyolsen.net

Melanie Wellings: twitter.com/findmellings

Sara David: midwiferybeyondborders.wordpress.com

Little Feet: chaosandcontrol.wordpress.com

Nick Every: facebook.com/nevery29

Kevin Thow: twitter.com/kevinthow

Jeanette O’Hagan: jennysthread.com

Linda Harding: facebook.com/linda.harding.7524

Nathanael Small: facebook.com/natonoel

Kathy Johnston: twitter.com/kadji11

Kerrie Quee: facebook.com/kerrie.quee

Rob Douglas: robdouglasblog.wordpress.com

Miranda Miller: facebook.com/Miranda.miller/5439

Michelle Wong: facebook.com/michelle.yu.5836711

David Pascoe: facebook.com/pascoedj

Shona Sim: shonasim.wordpress.com

Gillian Lunn: twitter.com/gilllunn

Inge Tapan: facebook.com/inge.tapan

Kathy Isaacs: facebook.com/Bungy.heart

Pam Webster: pamsperambulation.wordpress.com

Greg Baker: facebook.com/gregglesaurus

David Kite: facebook.com/dkite70

Mike Rayson: mikerayson.com

Ernie Feasey: blogspot.com/ukviewer

Roland Chua: twitter.com/RolandSChua

Andy Tirtadidjaja: facebook.com/andytirtadidjaja

Wendy Cayless: wjcsydney.wordpress.com

Martine Daniel: fuelingfaith.org.uk

Kerrie Hadley: facebook.com/kerrie.hadley.7

Hannah Walton: facebook.com/hannah.walton.9484

KJ Gracie: katiejogracie.blogspot.com

Jackie Bellfield: #nswarrington

Gelly: www.facebook.com/GellyNic

Rachel Barr: barrandgirl.blogspot.com

Melinda Clark: facebook.com/melinda.mui

Ursula Kuba: extravagantjoy.blogspot.co.uk

Shannon: goodbyeroad.blogspot.com

Leanne: facebook.com/leathal711

Kevin Bourne-McRae: facebook.com/kevin.bournemcrae

Angel Lara: twitter.com/angellara

Deb Rowling: facebook.com/debrowling

Mark Gladman: themodernmonk.com.au

Shelley Rodgers: facebook.com/michelle.rodgers.777

Lucy Jarasius: facebook.com/lucy.jarasius

Jamie Golden: jamiesrabbits.com

Ivan Green: twitter.com/ivangreen99

Fiona Gibson: facebook.com/fejgibson

Steve Blundell: echoingjesus.com

Andy Tirtadidjaja: facebook.com/andytirta

Anna Floit: twitter.com/ThePeacockQuill

Richard Allen: facebook.com/richardallen1971

Penelope Swithinbank: ministriesbydesign.org/blog

Craig Maher: twitter.com/craigmaher

Warwick Joseph: facebook.com/warwick.joseph1

Margaret Calvert: facebook.com/Margaret.calvert.5

Alan: facebook.com/Mr.alanjones

Johannes Knijnenburg: twitter.com/JohKnijnenburg

Cristiana: facebook.com/cristiana.ferretti1

Melinda Tognini: facebook.com/melinda.tognini

Julie Firmstone: facebook.com/julie.firmstone

Edward Thomas: facebook.com/edward.thomas.904108

Catherine Dyball: facebook.com/catherine.dyball.7

Andrew Pitchford: andrewpitchford.com

Joan Roose: facebook.com/joan.roose

Mark Evans: facebook.com/Evans2uganda.com

Rocco Scarcella: facebook.com/rocco.scarcella

Michelle Bryan: facebook/michelle.bryan.9

Noela Ollenburg: facebook.com/fromnoelasdesktop

Hedley Fihaki: facebook.com/hedley.fihaki

Sue Hamlet: facebook.com/sue.hamlet.7

Pete Brookshaw: petebrookshaw.com

Wendy Francis: facebook.com/wendyjoyfrancis

Valery Murphy: dancingwithmydaddy.com.au

Tracey Voysey: facebook.com/tracey.voysey

Andrew Gaskill: facebook.com/vicfalls

Lashitha Devadadon: facebook.com/lashitha.nalliahdevadason

Joshua Withers: twitter.com/JoshuaWithers

Lyndal Mitchell: facebook.com/lyndal.mitchell

Jill Samera: twitter.com/JillSamera

Clare Chate: facebook.com/clarealicebruce

Trish Riddell: facebook.com/trish.riddell

Neil Valentine: facebook.com/nealev

Andrew Battistella: facebook.com/andrew.battistella

Plus Grace Merrells, Michelle Sparkes, Heidi Goh, Jo Dunham, Karryn Goldsworthy, Travis Freeman, Shirley Sharp, Craig Glasheen, Kate Horton, Hendra Rahardja, Trinity, Rosalind Schmitz, Jarrod McKenna, Beverley Webster, Antony Billington, Sue Clarke, Julie Campbell, Matt, Dr. Wayne Weiler, Bronwyn Claughton, Rob, Paul Askin, Jay Jay Meyer, Roy Hurlstone, Jude Crank, Adam Walton, Garry G. Bourke, Virginia, Shin, Daniel Widdowson, Christine Ramsden, Rowena Siviour, Sarah-Jane Erickson, Matthew Goodall, David Sandberg, David Bartlett, Louise New, Steve McKenna, Flavie Ong-Alvarez, Susan Prarson, Kelly Ballucci-Heald.

Want to Join in?

You can be involved too! A couple of spots are still free on the Launch Team, and please feel free to share any of the following links with your family and friends:

Book links: Amazon.com, Amazon.co.uk, others
Main Book Page (including endorsements etc)
YouTube video trailer
Podcasts and articles
Hashtag: #resurrectionyear

Thank you in advance!

Sheridan

PS: Get ready for the launch event on May 28. We’re planning something fun.

Join the Resurrection Year Launch Team (and get the ebook FREE)

Sheridan Voysey — Wed, 01 May 2013 23:10:12 +0000

Two recurring thoughts have been on my mind recently.

The first is my immense gratitude to the many of you who have told me through email, Facebook, Twitter or on your blogs how much you’re looking forward to reading Resurrection Year. ‘If only I could let them read it now, before the May 28 release date’ I’ve thought! Well, hold that thought for a minute.

The second is a comment my publisher made in his original email offering me the contract for the book. ‘I wish I could say books like this were easy to sell,’ he wrote, ‘but, unfortunately, they are not.’ Those ’5 Steps to a Better Life’ books are easier to promote than a memoir, with its slowly evolving emotions and story line. But my publisher and his team believed Resurrection Year would work because, in their words, people will ‘read it, love it and pass it along as a must read to others’.

(How nice it is for a writer to hear those words.)

Well, I have some good news that will help fulfill the wish behind both thoughts!

A Gift for 300 People

My publishers, Thomas Nelson, have agreed to a lovely little deal. They have made available 300 ebook copies of Resurrection Year for me to give away for free. There are some ‘strings’ attached, but they are tiny, super-thin-thread strings!

Here’s the deal:

What You’ll Get

By joining the Resurrection Year Launch Team you’ll get:

A free copy of the finished Resurrection Year ebook (PDF format) one month before it is publicly available
A thank you link to your blog, Facebook or Twitter page from this blog
Eternal bliss in heaven

OK, that third gift isn’t technically mine to give away (although I do know someone who knows someone). But hopefully you’ll find some delight (and perhaps insight) in reading the book that…

Gary Chapman ‘highly’ recommends
Darlene Zschech says will ‘breathe life and hope into many’
Adrian Plass believes will ‘change our hearts’

What more could you want (apart from eternal heavenly bliss)?

What I Need From You

Now, here are those tiny, super-thin-thread strings attached to the arrangement. Thomas Nelson has agreed to the free copies on the proviso that:

On Tuesday May 28: You post a review of the book on Amazon.com, Amazon.co.uk, or another online book retailer. (Amazon’s review section typically remains closed until a book’s release date)
On Tuesday May 28 or soon after: You post your review (preferably with a link to the book on Amazon) on Facebook, Twitter, your blog, or whatever other social media you use
After May 28: You do whatever you like to help this little book on its way. I’ll send you links to videos, podcasts and Pinterest badges to share with your friends

That’s it! You get the book for free but help to spread the word about it, making my publishers (OK, and me too) happy.

One More Thing

Thank you, thank you, thank you.

As I’ve said before, this was not the book I ever expected (or even wanted) to write. But God seems to have had this thing planned for a while. Merryn and I experienced a broken dream. Now he’s bringing something good from it.

Thank you for being part of the story too.

[Updated]

This offer has now ended. Thank you to my launch team for their enthusiasm! It’s not too late to get involved though. Here are some ways:

Buy the book: Amazon.com, Amazon.co.uk, others
Share this main book page with your family and friends
Watch and share the YouTube video trailer
Enjoy and share some FREE Resurrection Year podcasts and articles
Use the hashtag #resurrectionyear on Twitter and other social media
Take part in the official launch day Webcast (details soon. Subscribe for updates!)

006 Let’s Have an Adventure (Resurrection Year excerpt) [Podcast]

Sheridan Voysey — Tue, 30 Apr 2013 23:05:20 +0000

Picture credit

Here is a third excerpt from my forthcoming book, Resurrection Year (released by Thomas Nelson/Harper Collins on May 28, but available for pre-order now). Resurrection Year is a book about recovering from broken dreams. While previous excerpts have reflected the ‘broken’ side and the ‘recovery’ side of the story, today’s piece reflects the bridge between when hope starts to bud.

Click To Listen

Podcast: Subscribe in iTunes | Right-click to download | Listen to Other Episodes

In the Podcast

In this podcast I read all three excerpts of Resurrection Year so far released (with some emotive music underneath for a little atmosphere). The text of Let’s Have an Adventure is also below. There is so much missing between these three scenes, but that’s what the book is for. I hope you enjoy it.

***

December 30, 2010

‘It needs to be fun,’ she says.

‘And restful,’ I say.

‘And full of adventure,’ she adds.

‘With lots of beauty,’ I reply.

Our morning had begun with us trying to pray, but tears and sighs were all we could utter. We’d gone out to lunch, caught The King’s Speech at the cinema, and by the afternoon were starting to feel a bit brighter. Rays of light had broken through the clouds as we’d settled into our fold-out chairs with a glass of wine on the balcony. Now we’ve begun to dream about the future—to make the first tentative sketches of what a Resurrection Year might entail.

‘I feel dead inside,’ I say. ‘Lifeless. Numb. I want to get excited about something again. I want to resurrect my emotions.’

‘I want to resurrect my relationship with God,’ Merryn says. ‘He feels like an old friend who no longer returns my calls.’

We sit quietly for a bit, staring into our wine glasses. With their bowls full and resting in our palms they almost look like crystal balls. But they give away no secrets.

‘And you want to do this in Switzerland,’ I say.

‘I really do,’ Merryn says, with eagerness in her voice that I haven’t heard for some time. ‘One of the reasons I got into medical research was because of the travel opportunities, and there are plenty of positions I could apply for in Switzerland right now—I’ve been watching the job boards. Just imagine living in Geneva or Berne. Imagine doing hikes in the Alps every weekend. We could drive to Italy, Germany or France, and England and Spain would only be a train trip away.’

‘That’s true,’ I say.

‘You’d have all the natural beauty your eyes could handle,’ she says. ‘Just imagine the photographs you could take.’

I think of my shiny new SLR camera sitting in the wardrobe. It had cost me a small fortune a year or two back but had gone largely unused since. I hadn’t had much energy for hobbies.

‘So, what do you think? How do you feel about living in Switzerland?’

How do I feel? I think to myself. I feel like this whole damn thing is a curse. I feel like I’m too exhausted to move countries, but that it’s too late to stay. I feel mad at God for not coming through for us and sad at losing what I’ve worked for. I feel like frantically holding on to what I have left, and like curling up in a corner and going to sleep for a while. And I feel guilty—guilty for putting you through this when another man could’ve given you what you desired. And I feel like the last thing I could do right now is deny you what you so dearly want.

‘I don’t think I can get excited about anything at the moment,’ I say. ‘But I want you to be happy. And I like hearing you getting excited about something again.’

Merryn reaches over and squeezes my hand.

‘I’m so sorry,’ I say.

‘For what?’ she says, surprised.

‘For being the cause of all this.’

Tears well in Merryn’s eyes. She puts down her glass, pulls her chair close, wraps her arms around my chest and presses her cheek into mine. ‘You’re the best husband a girl could want,’ she says. ‘Now let’s leave the past behind and have an adventure together.’

***

Special Announcements

Resurrection Year releases in just 4 weeks! (But you can pre-ordered it now.)
Tomorrow I’ll tell you how to get a FREE digital copy! Subscribers to my email and RSS feeds will find out first, as a thank you to them, then I’ll announce it through Facebook and Twitter.
Thank you for the 5-Star reviews for More Than This on iTunes. And thank you for your kind comments A1otherO, Watcherz and Katree73.
More Than This is now available on the Blubrry podcast network, as well as iTunes, Zune, Stitcher, TunedIn, Blackberry Podcasts and FaithVillage.

Episode Resources

You may find the following links and resources helpful:

Blog: Ten Years in the Wilderness (Resurrection Year excerpt)
Blog: A Little Story About Starting Again (Resurrection Year excerpt)
Audiobook: Unseen Footprints unabridged audiobook (if you like to listen rather than read)

Subscription Links

Subscribe to More Than This and never miss an episode.

Subscribe in iTunes

Subscribe via RSS

Subscribe on your iPad or smartphone

Your Feedback

Want to respond to this podcast? Got a question to ask or a story to tell?

Call Me: Use the ‘Send Voicemail’ button. Here’s how

Comment: Leave your written comment now

Rate and Share: Would you mind rating this podcast on iTunes or sharing it with others? This significantly helps others discover it. Thanks!

***

Question: Your general comments are welcome. Leave a comment now.

***

Music used in this episode in order of performance: iStockphoto®, ©Mux, ‘Home’. ©Phopha, ‘Kawaii City’. iStockphoto®, ©Mitja Mithans, ‘Echoes of Paradise’.