The British are coming! The British are coming!
Welcome… to Hope-Inspired Stories, for anyone who’d like to discover more about books and stories that uplift and encourage. While teaching high school art, I discovered I was as thrilled as our students when they won awards or were acknowledged for their accomplishments, and to lift up other people’s good works was very gratifying.
It is my hope you are blessed with a message of grace as I was, through the stories of authors featured here. So please join me in welcoming writers of fiction and nonfiction; of historical and contemporary stories, as they share their work. For the second two weeks of February it is my pleasure to present author Brendon Conboy with his non-fiction release, The Golden Thread... Help me welcome my first international guest--Brendon Conboy from the U.K.!
This is a true story, and many of you might learn some personal truths, and how God can truly play a major role in somone's life.
Publisher: Yellow Dog Publishing
Author: Brendan Conboy
HONEST, INSPIRING, THOUGHT-PROVOKING, BIOGRAPHICAL:
Our lives are like a complex tapestry, with many threads weaving each of our unique and individual pictures. There is, however, one thing that we all have in common, one thread. The GOLDEN THREAD is God’s thread in our lives. It is always there, even when we feel that it isn’t. Just turn your tapestry over and you will see it continuing on the back. Always there! Jesus...The GOLDEN THREAD.
This book is the true story of one man’s GOLDEN THREAD in his life. Brendan Conboy grew up in fear and confusion, struggling with many personal issues. These experiences formed a foundation that could have ended in disaster but instead became the motivator to want to make a positive difference. Brendan has experienced miracles, real miracles. He has walked through the valley of depression and death more than once, but emerged stronger on the other side. For almost 30 years he has been full of vision and passion to help young people. That’s why he became a youth worker and one of the most important lessons that he has learnt on his journey is that we need to share our knowledge and skill with others.
Extract from Chapter One: So let’s ‘start at the very beginning’. It is a good place to start. I now understand that the first eight years of any child’s life are the most impressionable and the most influential. Any amount of trauma can leave deep long-lasting effects. Our earliest memories form a foundation for our development. Positive memories and experiences will in most cases result in a positive development for a child. Whereas, a negative and traumatic memory could lead to disaster and, almost certainly, some level of help will be required to understand the confusing feelings that will be experienced later in life.
My earliest memory was one of my dad returning from the pub on a Sunday at about three in the afternoon. Mum had kept his Sunday roast warm in the oven (no such thing as microwaves then) but it had been so long it had dried up and was not fit for consumption. I’m not sure if I had reached my fourth birthday but I clearly remember my dad’s drunken anger. He was so angry that he threw the plate and contents at the lounge window, smashing the large centre pane, with the plate landing in the front garden. I don’t remember what happened next but I do remember the feeling of fear. That feeling would remain with me for at least the next ten years which is how long it would take before my dad admitted that he had a drink problem.
The power of any addiction can be all-consuming and alcoholism slowly and gradually took over my dad’s life. At times I will say that I didn’t really have a childhood and that my childhood started when I was fifteen years old when my dad stopped drinking. In fact, I did play childhood games but the big change was realising that my now constantly sober dad loved me. He had always loved me but the power of alcohol with associated anger and aggression had built up so much fear in me that I couldn’t see any love...
Extract from Chapter One: So let’s ‘start at the very beginning’. It is a good place to start. I now understand that the first eight years of any child’s life are the most impressionable and the most influential. Any amount of trauma can leave deep long-lasting effects. Our earliest memories form a foundation for our development. Positive memories and experiences will in most cases result in a positive development for a child. Whereas, a negative and traumatic memory could lead to disaster and, almost certainly, some level of help will be required to understand the confusing feelings that will be experienced later in life.
My earliest memory was one of my dad returning from the pub on a Sunday at about three in the afternoon. Mum had kept his Sunday roast warm in the oven (no such thing as microwaves then) but it had been so long it had dried up and was not fit for consumption. I’m not sure if I had reached my fourth birthday but I clearly remember my dad’s drunken anger. He was so angry that he threw the plate and contents at the lounge window, smashing the large centre pane, with the plate landing in the front garden. I don’t remember what happened next but I do remember the feeling of fear. That feeling would remain with me for at least the next ten years which is how long it would take before my dad admitted that he had a drink problem.
The power of any addiction can be all-consuming and alcoholism slowly and gradually took over my dad’s life. At times I will say that I didn’t really have a childhood and that my childhood started when I was fifteen years old when my dad stopped drinking. In fact, I did play childhood games but the big change was realising that my now constantly sober dad loved me. He had always loved me but the power of alcohol with associated anger and aggression had built up so much fear in me that I couldn’t see any love...
Brendan's favorite Bible verse:
So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them. Genesis: 1:27
And more from Brendan...Book 1 of the Mimics Series: Invasion of the Mimics
A GRIPPING THRILLER: Climate change--and an alien invasion!
Publisher: Yellow Dog Publishing
Climate change had been predicted long ago, but no one could foresee the events that unfolded.
Humanity defeated, civilization lost, and all hope gone.
'Enlightenment' is the new belief, but there are those that refuse to believe.
Gideon knows there's an alternative, but he must find ‘Trenchard’ if he's to have any chance of participating in the greatest battle of his life - The Battle for Mankind.
He can’t explain it, but he's aware of a presence unside, convincing him to press on toward his goal.
He can’t explain it, but he's aware of a presence unside, convincing him to press on toward his goal.
The goal to survive, escape, and find Trenchard. It's a power that brings clarity to his mind, fills his heart with hope and vision. It's supernatural and although he can’t fully understand or explain it, he knows he needs much more.
Where to find Brendan: www.brendanconboy.co.uk
P.S. Brendan will be offering some lucky winner a PDF copy of his biography, The Golden Thread.
I will be offering a comment winner's choice of books featured here this month and a 25.00 amazon gift card.
Thank you...and may you all be blessed with Hope-- and inspired!
Sounds interesting.
ReplyDeleteThank you, I do hope that you get to read it and are blessed by the transformational story that God has given me.
DeleteBrendan, thank you for sharing your personal story of hope.I also had an upbringing where the power of alcohol and rage kept us in constant fear. Your book sounds intriguing and exciting! Pat, thanks for having Brendon on your blog. Blessings, my friend.
ReplyDeleteNo matter how or where we start out in life, God's golden thread is there to guide us. Praise God that we no longer need to be prisoners of fear and insecurity.
ReplyDelete