Do you have a wardrobe of "masks" that hide your true self? Like the Velveteen Rabbit, do you long to become real? James challenges you to daringly enter a new realm of vulnerability as you learn to be honest about shortcomings, genuine in love, unguarded with motives; and experience abundant life without pretense.
Most of us live in a state of unreality, afraid to show our true self. But deep inside, like the renowned Velveteen Rabbit, we long to become real.
Weary of masking true struggles, most of us long for transparency and ache for the embrace of a God who meets them amid the mess of life.
Award-winning author Steven James offers an open invitation for those daring enough to venture into a new realm of vulnerability, where it is admirable to be honest about shortcomings, genuine with love, and unguarded about motives.
Divided into sections on Embarking, Awakening, and Emerging, this book outlines a process that leads to a more abundant life as pretense and defensiveness are left behind.
Steven James, known as one of the nation's most innovative storytellers, has authored twelve books and has spoken more than one thousand times across North America in the past five years. When Steven completed his master's degree in storytelling in 1997, there were fewer than one hundred people in the world with this degree. Through his writing and speaking, he has creatively communicated a message of hope and humor to more than 500,000 people over the last decade.
Pick up this book and drop the mask! What mask, you say? The mask that everyone wears in this world and the one that hinders us from experiencing a more authentic relationship with Christ and others.
This book is unique on several levels. The author is an accomplished storyteller (The Story Guy), and therefore has an insightful way of looking at life. He can see behind the person to understand the emotion that lives there. Some of his comments may cause readers to say Ouch! but thats just because he hit upon a spot that is usually hidden. This isnt a bad thing though. The author sincerely wants to bring about positive changes in a persons life, and the first step is to see what isnt working and why.
The other amazing aspect about this book is that the reader can become the main character. The author speaks directly to his audience, which leads to an interesting type of interactive reading. These pages are written in a conversational style and with an endearing frankness. The ideas move progressively forward so a person may enter at page one and then move to the end of the book with a heightened awareness of their own condition. And just as a character in a novel may change by the last page, so can every reader.
The storytelling ability of Steven James provides the perfect backdrop for this teaching on authentic living. He has placed life-changing truths in a reader-friendly context. The result is an unmasking that will unleash an extraordinary new way to live. -- Joyce Handzo, Christian Book Previews.com
Author: Steven James
Located in: Johnson City, TN
Submitted: December 09, 2005
Tell us a little about yourself. I live in Tennessee with my family. I love
backpacking, eating chicken fajitas, and reading psychological thrillers late at night with the wind shaking my bedroom windows.
What was your motivation behind this project? Many of the contemporary Christian books I look at seem to base thier promises on having a more abundant life, rather than connecting deeper with the reality of Christ.
What do you hope folks will gain from this project? The ability to be more honest with God, with others, and with themselves about the things in life that matter most.
Who are your influences, sources of inspiration or favorite authors / artists? I was impacted by the writings of the Christian mystics, Pascal and other Christian philosophers, and the storytelling style of writers such as Max Lucado.
Anything else you'd like readers / listeners to know: This book will call you to a deep honesty and humility with God and yourself. It's a journey each of us can take and one that I'm still trying to live out.
