Great Book? No, Great God!

A family member passed a note along to me after having given her neighbor a copy of When God Breaks Your Heart.

It’s always humbling to hear how God is using the book to minister to hurting people. But in this particular case, God didn’t just humble me, He vividly reminded me what an incredible God we serve. I think the book is good and I tried to write it with all my skill and passion. However, the more reports I receive from people in pain who were helped by the book, the more I'm convinced that it's not the greatness of my book but the greatness of my God that is making the difference. 

Read these moving words from this mom who had just lost her young daughter to cancer: “I couldn't put the book down, I read it over the weekend - even though my tears. I'll tell you more about it when I see you, but for now - thank you! This book is incredibly beautiful, gut-wrenching, inspiring and raw all wrapped up in one. I loved it and wish there were more books that so perfectly speak to my heart.”

A Dangerous Prayer

Today is the second day of the Haven Today broadcast -- you can catch part two of the interview with Judy and me on KKLA 99.5 here in Los Angeles tonight at 9:30PM or go to www.haventoday.org  to download both day's programs.

If you have a minute though right now, our friend Charles posted a You Tube video which I invite you to watch . . . it's short, straight-to-the-point and depicts a very signficant moment in my life: http://www.haventoday.org/video-ed-underwood-gd-399.html

Encourage a Broken Heart Today

If you have never asked this question, someday you will:  "Why is God letting this happen to me?" There is perhaps no greater challenge to our faith than personal suffering and yet it is by such suffering that Christians can find, in the end, that Jesus is with them.  

That’s the lead-in from my friend Charles Morris of Haven Today as he shares with listeners about our upcoming program. Next Monday and Tuesday (March 23rd and 24th), Haven Today will broadcast the program Judy and I recorded last month. Go to: http://www.haventoday.org/radio-stations.php to find a radio station in your area or to download the Podcast.   

If someone in your life is struggling with a “why” situation right now, I encourage you to invite them to visit my Blog, listen to Haven Today and/or to give them a copy of my book, When God Breaks Your Heart.  But most of all, pray for them (right now!) and let them know you did!  You may be the person in their life whom God uses to remind them that they are not alone--the person to remind them that Jesus is near to the broken-hearted.

The Star of "When God Breaks Your Heart"

When the pastor who married us thirty-eight years ago read When God Breaks Your Heart, he called me with this summary insight: Ed, this is a very moving book. But the star of the book isn't you; it's Judy!

I couldn't agree more. She's not only the star of the book; she's the star of my life.

And being the star of my life isn't easy for a girl from Bakersfield who hates to fly and feels uncomfortable in front of big crowds. Our life together has forced her out of her comfort zone many times--trips to missions stations in the bush of Africa, the jungle of Thailand, the streets of Hanoi, Singapore, Nairobi, and Amsterdam, or spontaneous invitations to "join Ed" up front at a conference or big event.

Recently though, I asked her to do something we'd never done together--be interviewed for national radio! What a privilege to sit next to her in the recording studio of our good friends at Ambassador Advertising where we were interviewed by Charles Morris, speaker of "Haven Today" (and also a good friend to Judy and I). Even I have to admit to being a little nervous...it's not always easy sharing vulnerably about your life knowing that thousands will end up listening...yet we're so thankful for the opportunity to share the message of our book, When God Breaks Your Heart. We're passionately committed to seeing God use it to reach broken hearts, and looking forward to hearing how He will use the radio broadcast to comfort the hurting--especially during these difficult financial days.

Well, I'm happy to admit that the star of my book was the star of the program! (Check back for an update on when the interview will air!)

Here's a picture of the four of us, me, Judy, our friend at Ambassador, Lee Ann Jackson, and of course, Charles Morris.