Bryon Easterling is back in town, and he’s got a trio of books that’ll make you rethink everything you thought you knew about storytelling and spirituality. In this laid-back chat, we dive into his latest works: 'Falling Through the Stars', 'Out from the Shadows: A Spiritual Allegory', and 'Curious Tales of a Common Man: A Legacy Journal'. It’s like a literary buffet, and trust me, you’re gonna want to dig in. We kick things off with Bryon sharing the backstory behind these books—how friends and family practically twisted his arm to get his stories out there. You can practically hear the reluctant sighs and eye rolls as he admits he was just waiting for the right push to finish them up. Spoiler alert: he finally got that nudge, and the results are nothing short of inspirational.

Bryon’s approach to writing is refreshingly honest. He reflects on his own struggles with fiction versus nonfiction, questioning the value of storytelling—because, let’s face it, who hasn’t wondered if their creative pursuits are just a fancy way of procrastinating? His walk-and-talk with the divine leads to a revelation that fiction has a place in the kingdom of God. He shares poignant anecdotes about his life experiences, including his time on the Senior PGA Tour, where he encountered God in a way that made him recognize the joy in pursuing what he loves. Bryon’s narrative style is like sitting around a campfire, trading stories with a friend who just happens to have a few divine insights to share.

As we delve deeper into his books, each one unfolds a unique narrative tapestry that blends personal revelations with universal truths. 'Falling Through the Stars' introduces us to a Muslim man on a profound journey, exploring the intersections of faith and culture. Bryon shares the significance of his characters' experiences, emphasizing the power of dreams and divine encounters in the lives of people from all walks of life. It's a timely reminder that faith isn’t confined to one tradition, and that God is indeed working in mysterious ways, often beyond our understanding. Meanwhile, 'Out from the Shadows' serves as a launching pad for a series that tackles what it means to be a beacon of light in today's world. And don’t sleep on 'Curious Tales of a Common Man', where Bryon recounts his life’s adventures in a way that feels intimate and relatable.

In a nutshell, this episode is a treasure trove of wisdom and humor, with Bryon Easterling shining a light on the sometimes absurd yet beautiful journey of writing and spirituality. Whether you’re a seasoned writer or just someone who enjoys a good story, you’ll find inspiration in his words. So grab a cup of coffee, kick back, and let Bryon take you on a journey that challenges your perspective on faith, storytelling, and the everyday adventures we all face.

Bryon Easterling is back on the mic, and let me tell you, he’s been busy! Three new books are hot off the press: 'Falling Through the Stars', 'Out from the Shadows: A Spiritual Allegory', and 'Curious Tales of a Common Man: A Legacy Journal'. We dive into the nitty-gritty of these works and how Bryon wrestled with his own creative process along the way. It’s like watching someone try to assemble IKEA furniture—lots of confusion, a few broken pieces, but in the end, something beautiful emerges.

Bryon starts off by sharing how the push from friends and family got him off the procrastination train and onto the writing express. You can almost hear the exasperated sighs of loved ones saying, “Come on, Bryon, just finish something already!” But once he got going, he realized that writing fiction is not just a hobby; it’s a vital expression of his faith and experiences. It’s like he had an epiphany while walking—because, let’s be real, that’s where all the best ideas seem to strike. His personal journey through writing reflects how he learned to embrace the absurdity of life and how that shapes our narratives.

We then jump into the juicy details of his books. 'Falling Through the Stars' features a Muslim protagonist who navigates his faith and encounters God in unexpected ways. Bryon sheds light on how many Muslims are coming to Christ through dreams, which is a refreshing angle you don’t often hear about. Then there's 'Out from the Shadows', setting the stage for a series that provides insights into being an influencer in the kingdom of God. And don't forget 'Curious Tales of a Common Man', where Bryon shares 12 to 15 stories from his life that are both humorous and poignant. Each story serves as a reflection on faith, life lessons, and how we can learn from our everyday experiences.

This episode is a delightful mix of humor, sarcasm, and heartfelt moments that will resonate with anyone who’s ever felt the tug to share their own stories. Bryon Easterling’s journey from procrastination to published author is not just inspiring; it’s a reminder that our stories—no matter how common they might seem—can have profound impacts. So grab your favorite snack, kick back, and enjoy this candid conversation about faith, writing, and the joy of storytelling. You won't be disappointed.

Takeaways:

• Byron Easterling discusses the inspiration behind his new books and the journey of completing them amidst life's distractions.
• The conversation highlights the unique blend of fiction and spirituality in Byron's writing, emphasizing the significance of storytelling.
• Byron shares his personal experiences of faith and the transformative power of writing, especially in relation to God's presence.
• The episode emphasizes the importance of mentorship and passing down stories across generations, showcasing how shared experiences shape our understanding of faith.

Links referenced in this episode:

• byroneasterling.com
• amazon.com

Companies mentioned in this episode:

• C.S. Lewis
• Amazon
• Byron Easterling

Foreign.

My name is Ashley Christian Podcast and today I have the pleasure of speaking with again, Byron Easterling.

Thanks for joining.

You bet.

Ashley, always.

What a treat.

Thank you very much.

Yes.

We were chit chatting just before and so we had a beautiful conversation before.

And then you are having new books that are coming out that we're going to talk about.

Yes.

Brand new.

Been waiting for.

I've been being pushed by a few friends and family, so it was time to go ahead and jump in and finish them up.

And so that's what I've been doing since last time I was on your show.

Yeah.

Is really pushing out literally three books that are out and we're working on several more.

So.

Yeah.

Wow.

So you have been, you have been really busy.

Three books at one time.

Well, they had been.

They've been.

Yeah.

It was.

You.

You know, I really can't judge.

I.

Because I, I understand because I have a couple of books that are just like, I'm.

I'm guessing this is what's happening or what happened to you.

Like, like you started something and then it just sat and then you may have started something else and then it's sad.

Then you went back and then something else and then you just kind of like over time just kind of floated between the projects.

Exactly.

And the, and the fiction stuff.

I have a whole bunch of short stories I've been working on for several years and I just thought, oh, what am I doing?

Why am I writing fiction?

What good is it going to be?

And I was on a walk and it's like I heard, I was complaining, like, why write fiction?

I write non fiction.

I write about my stories, my life.

Those are, you know, they're non fiction, they're true to life stories.

Why?

And I love writing fiction, but I've never finished anything and I'm taking a walk and I just, I'm, I'm complaining to God.

Why?

What a waste of time.

And all I heard was in my spirit.

So C.S.

lewis, he, he was a waste of time.

Is that what you're saying?

That fiction is a waste of time, that it can't be used in the kingdom?

And I was like, oh, well, sure, yeah.

So needless to say, I sat down and got busy and just thought if I finish them, they're done.

And if I want to keep going after that, I can.

Yeah.

So it's been a real, it's been a personal journey of completion.

You know how that works.

Yeah.

And you're right.

I mean, yeah, you're better than me.

It's really interesting that you have that conversation because it's making me think about my own now.

I never had a conversation or probably I'm just dismissing.

Could be just the second one, you know, since we, the last time we talked about was like listening to God.

But it's interesting that, that you say that when you talk about you, you are an expert in writing a particular way and then now you are being led to writing something different and you seeing the value and how God sees the value and that writing style.

Yeah.

Because you could really say well what, what, what uses fiction to the world.

Right.

And into somebody who wants to build their faith.

Right.

What's.

It's.

It's a made up story.

It's like why now?

That was my biggest complaint.

I'm.

I'm just wasting time and I, it's really wild back.

So I don't know if you knew or I mentioned last time that I took a, a season of my life to.

I always.

As a kid and into my high school and college age, I was a very good golfer and I had several scholarships to college and I turned them all down.

Yeah.

Needless to say my dad wasn't overly thrilled by that.

But excuse me.

And, and I was supposed to go pro and I didn't.

So later in life, in my 50s, I was challenged to.

In 51 to go and join the Senior Tour or attempt to join the Senior PGA Tour, which is called the Champions Tour.

And so I did.

I took that challenge and it lasted about, well, total time about six or seven years.

I played solidly for five.

And I remember being on the golf course and it's just my conversations with dad, it's kind of, you know, I'm walking down the golf course on a practice round and I stop in the middle of the course and I feel God's presence and I turn and I was by myself.

Fortunately, I wasn't with other people.

And I said, I just said what?

Oh wow.

And, and, and I, I said, what do you want?

What is it?

Because the presence of God was so there.

I was so in that moment and, and all I heard in my spirit was I love doing this together.

And I was like, golf, you love doing golf with me.

And I was like, wow, that's so God like that.

He just loves the things we love because he's put them in our, our being.

You know, it's like watching my granddaughter run cross country.

This afternoon or later today, I'm going to.

So I just see it's, I see the joy of God in it in her.

She just loves doing it.

And when we do the things we love doing, people see the joy of God in it.

And you know, anyway, that's, and that's, that's how this writing has been in fiction.

I've had to change my thinking to go, wait a minute.

God really enjoys this with me.

He's enjoying this moment, you know.

Yeah.

Well, that makes me think how, the way you say that.

Because before we started recording, we were talking about off camera about parents and being grandparents and how living close to.

For a grandparent to live close to their grandchildren and you are in a beautiful stage in your life to be able.

That's the beauty of a grandparent.

Because I should take a step back and say, like a grandparent is such a promotion because hence, grand big.

Wow, I do like that.

Grand.

You know, latte grande, grand boom.

There's nothing that, there's nothing, there's nothing more joyful than being grand.

And, and that is that what's, what's beautiful because about with grandparents is that you are at a stage where it is the fun things, you know, it is, you are still able to be a parent in where you guide and you assist and you are able to still be able to, you know, be part of a child's life and a parent's life because you have been those stages and to be able to mentor both.

Yeah.

You know, at the same time.

But it is the fun stuff.

You know, we were just talking off camera how, you know, my mom was doing some of the fun stuff, you know, with, with my daughter and to how you talk about, you know, that example of God spending time with you to do something is just a beautiful visual.

Yeah.

Thank you.

Yeah.

It's.

Excuse me.

I, I, yeah.

And interesting I, how the, the grandparent thing came up and feasibly.

Well, I won't go there, but I was, you're probably not too far from that.

You know, you'll make a great grandparent.

What one day.

We'll see.

We'll see.

My child has clearly said, I mean, they're too young.

Way too young.

Oh, yeah, yeah.

Absolutely.

I remember because you, you, you, you, you already kind of, I mean, children tell you right off the bat, you know, who they are and what they're, and what they're going to be into supposedly, you know, like life changes.

But my daughter was very like, I'm not having children.

And I was like, huh.

Okay, okay, okay.

All right.

That's cool.

My sister said that.

Yeah.

It's funny how God plays that Plays a.

Plays that game with us.

So with, with your fiction, with your stories.

I know you brought your books with us.

Do you want to talk about first?

I think this little bitty book.

Oh, okay.

Okay.

Out from the Shadows.

It's.

It's the beginning of a six part series and so this is the setup.

So it's extremely short.

It's like.

And I'm.

I have it.

You can get it on.

Yeah.

You know, if you're an Amazon, whatever they call it, you can get it for free.

But it, this little book is what started it all because it's based on a personal revelation of time with God that I started thinking.

And it's a historical journey.

So it's historical fiction a little bit.

And it's about the promises of God for our nation and now that it's not political in any way, it's about this young man named Sam who I stole because that's my son in law who.

And his interaction with angelic activity combined with history and the promises of God for who we are as a nation and that they.

They are not done yet.

That.

That God is not done with our nation.

And there's lots and lots to do.

And so it's a very simple setup, but fun.

And.

And it, it just.

I.

Really good results.

Really wonderful responses from readers on this.

And I mean it's literally.

You can sit down in a commercial and read it.

It's meant to be short.

It's meant to be, I mean literally 20 something pages.

And that book again is a series of six books that are short stories that are bigger than this one, but they're on five different aspects of what God's been speaking to my heart about.

About for the body of Christ as a whole.

So they're very focused more on the body of Christ, those who believe and follow Jesus versus And some people might get it, but it's really things about what's it mean to be an influencer in the kingdom of God, how we're using language today and how we need to change some language in our.

And this.

You know, I mean there's, there's a list of.

I've actually titled all of the books.

But you know, what's Community.

There's a whole book on.

On.

But it's, it's allegory.

So it's.

This book is allegoric.

It's an allegorical short story.

And anyway, so that is probably the first one that I would highly recommend.

And then this.

You want me to go to the second one.

You want me to move on.

Sure.

Is another book that's just out.

It's a little bit bigger.

It's called Falling through the Stars.

And Falling through the Stars is about a gentleman who has an encounter with God.

And he.

He's fearful of it, and yet he keeps being brought into conversations.

People are having dreams with him in it, and he.

He ends up in this Catholic retreat center called Taize in France.

And it's where he encounters Christ.

And this is a story that I. I want to be careful because of our audiences.

This is a story about a Muslim man who.

It begins.

He's outside the mosque on a Friday night, which is sort of a main.

Friday as they're kind of a main service.

And he's having a cigarette between.

And he.

He walks to the end of the building and he hears a voice say, what if God touched the earth today?

And it's his journey of being touched by God.

The frustrations, the concerns, the fears.

Because what's happening in our world right now is that a lot of.

A lot of people in the US don't know is that literally millions of Muslims are.

Are coming to Christ through dreams and visions and encounters with Christ they never planned on.

And I have a friend in England who's a pastor there who pastors a church of refugees pretty much who have come in because they've had to leave out of fear of loss of life or in family and everything else.

So I wanted to write about that journey of one man's.

His own personal journey and then his family's journey.

That's.

So I have three books scheduled in that series, Falling through the Stars.

That one really interests me the most in the sense of.

Some people don't.

This is more like a theology aspect, but there's a lot of similarities when it comes to the Muslim faith and the Christian faith, the only thing that separates us is Jesus.

I mean, that, that, that's.

That.

That's really the.

And there's a few other, like, minor differences, but one of the major differences is that separates the two is who Jesus is.

Yeah.

You know, and Christianity, we see him as the.

The Son of God.

You know, the way we.

I mean, Jesus says in our book, I'm the way.

The truth and the light.

And so the way we get through him is because of a sacrifice, just sees him as a prophet, just like, like, like Samuel as a.

Like someone similar to Samuel.

I can describe them.

And so that is.

But everything else between us, it is the same.

And so that book interests me the most is because of it Just makes me wonder that one, that one aspect that separates us.

So in writing it, I had to do a lot of research so that I knew what I was talking about.

Yeah.

Because I'm talking about a Muslim man.

That I am not a Muslim.

So I, you know, and I discovered not only do they, yes, they, they believe he's a good prophet and teacher, they believe in Jesus, but.

Right.

And they believe of his, of his virgin birth.

Yes, yes.

And they believe of his ascension.

Yes.

The big difference is that one place between that they don't believe he died right first and sacrificed.

They just leave that bit out.

Yes.

And it's like what happened there, you know, what happened there.

And, and I think that's what happens is they're not opposed to Jesus and I, you know, and so, you know, it wasn't, it was kind of cool because he does experience isa, which is Jesus in their language.

And I want to use that language.

So I am, you know, and the next story is about him coming back after having encountered Christ in G, you know, Jesus Esau and then having his wife has been traveling with him in this journey.

But now there's, the next book is a bit concerning.

There's more, a little more friction going to be in the next book.

But.

Yeah.

Thank you.

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Here's what I'm gonna, here's what I'm gonna do.

Okay.

When you post this and you tell me the date, I'm going to make this book available for that day for anybody who wants to download the ebook for free.

Okay.

So I will connect on that and I will set that up so that anybody listening can go and get this book Falling through the Stars for free today.

Okay.

I will say, because today is the day that it will, it will be available to anybody who wants to get it as a free download on it as an ebook.

Cool.

Nice.

That is cool.

Thank you.

I appreciate that.

Yeah.

You know, the, the one thing that, when it comes to Muslims and Christians that I, I, I do commend Muslims on, especially devote Muslims prayer.

Those people know how to pray.

They, they, they know how to pray.

They know how to pray on time.

They, they can pray.

And, and that is one thing between the two communities, between Muslims and Christians that I think they know how to do right.

Is, is praying.

I, I could be completely wrong.

I mean, they're probably Muslim out there walking around and they'd be like, I don't, I don't really follow, but I know there's, I know, I know a couple of Muslims and, and they, they, they have their, they have their schedule on lock.

And that is one thing I admire about them is, is they, Their prayer life is very consistent.

Yes, it is.

Oh, yeah.

Five times a day.

Yes.

And.

And now I've been in Turkey, which is highly Muslim country, and there, there.

Are, you know, when they look warm, just like, Just like the rest of us.

Yeah, but.

And, and you have your devout believers who.

Yeah, but I think it's.

What you're saying is there's a call to.

That that's a part of their faith that is provided for, that maybe isn't naturally provided for in our community.

I mean, there are places that do that, like Tai, this come.

This place.

There are more in the Catholic vein of our faith, is more organized or structured prayer times.

You know.

You know, one of the coolest things I, like many Catholic retreat centers or different areas will have the stages of the cross that you, you know, in gardens and you can walk the stages of the cross and pray and you can make those.

You don't have to follow a specific rule.

What I love about that is it gives you something to guide you through.

And I think maybe, maybe that's something you're talking about.

I, I don't want.

I want.

I want the knowledge that I can pray what's necessary in the moment that's valid.

I, I don't want rote prayers because I don't think ultimately it's hard.

Hard is the issue correct.

But, but we don't provide the avenues for prayer.

So prayer becomes, I'll be honest, prayer becomes this thing old ladies do.

That's kind of what it feels like.

Oh, yeah.

That's what the old ladies in the church do, you know?

Yeah, valid because.

Valid because the women, the elders, the women in the church, they.

They can pray hard and they can pray well.

And I remember there was a situation that I was going through, and I don't even remember what it was, which says something in itself.

But anyways, I prayed as I, As I was supposed to, and I didn't feel like I reached God.

And then I went to.

I went to.

Which I felt at the time I didn't call her my mentor, but.

But she felt like that.

Felt like that to me.

And I told her, I said, I know God will listen to you, because this woman could pray and then God will provide.

And so when I went to her and I don't know when she prayed for me, I just know I went to her and asked for prayer, and then God answered and not, not, not too Long after.

And so I know she's tied in.

She's tied in to the.

You know, they get rid of all that stuff, you know, they don't have to fake it.

There's no fake in it.

It's just, let's get down to it, you know?

Yeah, exactly.

Exactly.

So if anybody's learning how to pray or a baby prayer and, you know, it's a situation, it's okay to go to somebody and be like, I need for you to pray for me.

Especially like a hard, hardcore warrior, because.

Yeah, that's right, man.

That's good.

Yeah.

They just.

I don't know what it is that.

That line just goes straight up and Guy would just make it rain.

Hey, I got it.

Oh, goodness.

So what is your third book?

Oh, the third book is called Curious Tales of a Common Man.

Oh, yes.

And so my.

My daughter, my wife, number of people that I mentor, I.

They have been challenging me.

They said, it's great that we know your stories, but we think you should be writing your stories down.

So I started just going through and writing a list of, you know, of all the different stories of 45 years in ministry and 40 years traveling the globe.

And so each book I'm going to do, I have three scheduled.

I could do more, but I don't know if I want to.

But at this point, it's 12 to 15 stories in each book.

And what's.

What's cool about this is I just wrote the stories and then we sat together and created questions that you can get involved with.

You can follow up in your own journey and let it be a trigger to what God's doing in you.

There's calls to action.

There's.

So I tell you what I'm going to do.

I'm going to do the same thing I did with Falling through the Stars.

I'm going to do with this is I'll put them both available for ebooks on that day, on the day of release today.

And so you can go there right now and get that book, both of those books as free downloads.

I'll just do that.

And I'll try to do that even without out from the Shadows.

I've used.

I have to make sure that's available.

That's okay.

That's fine.

That's fine.

I'm blessed.

I'm blessed with the two.

The third one, that one is beautiful.

And because you're passing down knowledge and that is.

It's interesting that we're having this conversation now because I'm going to my cousin's wedding and, and decided to.

To make the trip to go there because it was a bit inconvenient, you know, with the timing.

But when my mom was telling me oh because my great aunts are going to be there.

And so they never met my daughter for one and then two, I haven't seen them for years.

And so I find it beautiful that you wrote down, you know, stories that you have come across.

Because the one beautiful thing about stories is fiction or non fiction is that stories reveal something about you, you know, and, and how you receive that story.

So to be able to have the opportunity to talk to my, you know, see my great aunts again is a moment for them to pass stories.

Oh man, you know that.

Absolutely.

That is a dessert too.

Right?

Put your phone on record.

Those stories.

Right.

I mean to, for you to pass.

To write those stories down is a dessert in itself.

Self.

Yeah.

If that makes sense.

Yeah.

Yeah.

So I mean there are this.

Absolutely.

So in this one like I just.

I. I think it's 12 stories.

Everything from.

I. I have different titles.

You know, I was in London, I. I was doing a conference there and I call it Flower Pelting in London.

It was very odd story.

We got thrown in prison.

My wife and I and daughter got thrown in prison in Turkey because of giving the gospel.

And they were just, you know, just for the night.

It wasn't anything bad.

Probably comfortable.

Was it comfortable?

No, no, no, it wasn't comfortable.

You know, sometimes I. I say that because sometimes there are some prisons that are outside the United States that are like oh my gosh, that's really.

That looks really comfortable over there.

Like you put a family in a.

Well, let me sound dumb in the beginning, but if some people be searching what some prisons are outside of the United States.

Some of them look comfortable.

Really?

Yeah.

This was like a very bad dorm room.

This is like a very small, very, very narrow, well used dorm room with no accessories much.

And let's just say we didn't get.

We didn't get fed but we got.

Lost and I didn't even.

So for the night.

So what were they charging you with?

Disorderly conduct.

We have no idea.

Oh, okay.

So you were brought in.

What's that?

So you just pissed somebody off?

Probably, yeah.

I think probably we just, you know, I think the mayor of a town.

We were generally very well received.

Yeah.

Incredibly well received.

And it's just we were driving along and basically the story goes is that my wife, daughter and I are in the van.

With who?

With the, with the guy who set all this up and all the equipment with some of the equipment and the band.

The rest of the band is in this nice.

They got to travel in this really nice bus.

And I'm like, why can't we travel on the bus?

But for some reason we.

Well, anyway, they veer off to the left, which I'm guessing was.

We, we found out later was going to a very nice hotel in the area.

And we went straight ahead through this kind of barbed wired fence and compound.

And you know, the band had no idea where we were.

They were freaky because I was leading the band so they had no idea where we were.

We had no idea where we were and we had no idea where they were, you know, so we just heard the click, click of the locks and the next morning the unclicking of the locks and they took us to the hotel and.

Yeah, very strange.

It was just a night, so it wasn't anything bad.

But it's just stories like that, you know?

Yeah.

Fun stories though.

They end up being fun.

Sure.

How old was your daughter?

Let's see, Turkey.

She would have been 12.

Oh, so she was well aware.

Yes.

Oh yeah.

And she was so calm.

She was so she didn't think about it.

She.

In fact she was tired.

She just fell asleep, you know.

Yeah, yeah.

And that's a blessing in itself because.

That'S a parent out of a pillow.

We did a concert in a town called.

Well it's.

Yavage is the name now, but it's.

It's the town in Acts 13 of.

Called Pisidian, Antioch where Paul traveled.

Because this.

We.

We went and we did concerts where Paul traveled in Turkey.

Yeah.

So we actually did.

We ended up doing this concert in the ruins of the moon God, Diane or something like that.

But all these people, Muslims came out and we did it.

I'm a jazz guy.

So we did.

Our whole concert was based around jazz and we do a few worship style tunes in a more jazz based concept and the people started doing their like full like dancing and joining in and our daughter ended up.

We were setting up.

This 12 year old girl always did this.

She always wandered off somewhere and now she has one of her own like that.

Anyway, she was.

We were setting up, we were getting sound checks, doing setup for the evening and we can't find our daughter anywhere.

Come to find out she's down in the town with a whole group of kids and their parents just hanging out with them, just having a blast.

Can't speak the language, doesn't know, but they're just having an awesome time together anyway, that's, you know, such great stories.

Yeah.

So that was a Jesus moment when Jes.

When Mary and Joseph lost their son.

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

So worried.

I'm just here.

I look the same way to you.

Like, what's going on here?

I've been here the whole time.

Like, what are you worried about?

I'm just doing some Jesus things.

Just hanging out.

Yeah.

We're 6, 000 miles away from home and don't know the language.

Yeah, we're.

Oh, that's beautiful.

That's beautiful that, that you wrote that.

That you even obeyed God to, To write those.

To write all of them and to.

And there's more.

I mean it wasn't.

It's not even a short.

It's not even a small project.

No, it's.

I mean, I have 60 stories that I pull.

Can pull from that I feel like have any real impact.

And I'll probably do, like I said, 12 to 15, 12 in this book, probably 12 to 15 in the next.

Each book will have 12 to 15, so I might even get to four books on it over, you know, time.

I. I hope to do one next year.

There's anyway a lot going on.

That is a lot going on.

Yeah.

Yeah.

Wow.

Now you just gotta find people to read them.

I don't think that's gonna be a problem.

I mean, if God told you to write it, I mean, he already knows the people who are going to read it.

Yeah.

I just would hope they'd read it now.

Not in a hundred years.

There's a.

There's a little book.

There's a little book that I found long, long time ago called the Practice of the Presence of God by Brother.

By Brother Lawrence.

Well, he was what, 15th or 16th century monk or 14th century monk that is now popular.

So.

I mean, the stories.

Hey, that's what it's meant to be.

That's what it'll be.

Somebody will find some hidden book on Amazon in 200 years.

That is funny.

I need to look.

I need to look that up because I mean, I. I don't know who you just who you just said I was.

Oh, Brother Lawrence.

Yeah.

Called the Practice of the Presence of God and it is.

It changed my life from being a. I want to make sure I say this correctly because it's not for me in my life.

Yeah.

I was Presbyterian youth pastor.

I was doing everything I could to love Jesus.

This book showed me how to activate and be in the presence of God.

God day to day, moment by Moment.

And it's just a little book with these letters that he and his bishop wrote.

He's a Catholic monk.

He was actually a wealthy guy who gave up all his wealth and went into the monastery and became a brother.

Pretty much just washed dishes most of his life.

He went into servant.

Servanthood and of.

To this, you know, monastery.

And he was a French monk.

And so much happened during that season in France, in that region, in the kingdom of God.

And I tell you, that book changed my life.

I mean, and I still have it ready handy.

I.

Sometimes I'll just pick it up and read one letter and it'll remind me.

Look, to follow Jesus is an authentic quest of the heart, not a pursuit of.

Of a system.

I'm not pursuing a system.

I'm pursuing the heart of God and his commute and his relationship with me that he has with me, you know, that.

That knowledge that God loves us unconditionally and without lack or loss, you know?

Yeah.

Well said.

Yeah, go ahead.

I didn't mean to interrupt.

I'm sorry.

No, I.

That was just gonna finish by.

That's what this.

That little book, the Practice of the Presence of God did for me.

It just made me aware that.

I think it just made me aware that I believed in Jesus.

I believed in God, but I don't know if I believed he was real in my life.

And this is what that little book did.

It made it.

It made him real.

Yeah.

So.

Yeah.

Yeah.

That's beautiful.

I think we miss that.

I think a lot of us miss that in the sense of the realness.

And a lot of it has to do.

I could be wrong because it could be us doing it to ourselves, you know, when we.

I mean.

I mean, like you and me, you know, talking, you know, it feels.

It's real.

I see you, you see me.

If we were in the same room.

Yeah.

You know?

Yeah.

All of the senses that.

That he gives us is working, and we're using them to the max.

Absolutely, absolutely.

Yeah.

The five senses to the max.

But God is outside of these five senses, and.

And we just don't know how to use them because there's such a separation with this sixth sense.

I'm just naming something, you know.

Right.

I'm just name something to name it.

And I know he separates himself from us on purpose, you know, because of sin, you know, all those things.

But that.

That separation is just so.

So it just feels so.

It.

It's bigger than it should be, you know?

Yeah.

That just.

That's me talking through what you Just said, you know, that's just me talking through what you just said by reading that book and what that book did for you.

Yeah, yeah.

It closed it.

It shut that gap.

Yeah.

It, it removed that gap is what it did.

It removed that gap because the lie is that he is separate from us.

That is the lie, you know, that he is outside of us.

And yet how can a God who created something be outside of it?

Yeah.

If you believe that this world and we are created by this amazing being God that we call God, then how is it possible that he could separate Himself.

Yeah.

From his creation?

He is, it's impossible.

You cannot separate.

I cannot separate myself from this creation.

I can't.

I, I can't say I didn't do it.

I did it.

I created it.

I can say, I can say I don't like it.

I can say I don't want it.

I can say it's not very good or nobody likes it.

I can say all those.

But I cannot say I didn't create it.

And God said in the very beginning that he said it was good.

Yeah.

So, yeah.

So this whole thing is all good, you know.

Great example.

Well said.

Oh my goodness.

Oh, yeah, that, that, that's a good way of putting it.

That, that's a good way of putting it.

But I do pray that people read your story and I do pray that you continue to write.

To be able for you to step outside of something that you are comfortable in is, is an amazing step.

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

So again, what a treat.

What a treat.

It is, it is a treat.

But yeah, all the books are available on Amazon, everybody.

All his books are available on Amazon.

And you have a website as well?

I do.

All under Byron Easterling.

So.

Byron Easterling on Amazon.

Byron Easterling dot com.

Yeah.

Yeah.

It's just all about me.

You are funny.

I decided.

Are you still, you still doing your podcast?

No, I, I, I, I, I haven't, I've kind of turn that corner.

I wish I could.

I, I, I want, I wanted to do it live, person to person, because of exactly what you brought up.

I, I, I've wanted to do something that's face to face because you get that these are great.

I, you know, I'm so honored to be a part of this.

It was just I had come to a place where I'm like, I wonder what it would be like to do it live and in person.

And so I tried, but the place I was using, sound wise, it didn't work.

And so I was like, you know, I'M just gonna wait and see what comes out of that.

Yeah.

Okay.

I'm gonna pray for you over that.

Because you.

You are just.

I think it's your presence, your spirit is just very beautiful.

It is just.

I know your grandpa, and it just feels very like.

It just feels very grandpa.

It's like, I want to go over and just.

Just have a seat.

I know.

Yeah, yeah.

Come on.

They're just certain grandparents, you know, that you just.

You.

You don't need to say anything.

You don't need to do anything.

All you need to do is just sit and just watch them do their thing all day.

And you're one of them.

Well, wow, that's.

That's very encouraging.

Thank you.

Yeah, you're welcome.

Yeah.

Well, speaking of, I am gonna go be a grandparent and watch my daughter, my granddaughter, running.

Run her cross country and.

Yes.

Yeah.

So.

And again.

Yeah, go ahead.

No, no, I keep interrupting.

I'm sorry.

I just want to say thank you.

Thank you, thank you, thank you.

Thank you for letting me be a part of your show and just the conversation.

I love you.

You.

You first invited.

You're very inviting that way.

You invite us into the conversation, and it's not just a bunch of rant.

It's like you're following the flow and you're allowing that to happen.

And that's so.

I'm so appreciative of that and that you're a good interviewer and you're also very smart.

So, you know, you.

You usually, you know.

Wow.

So thank you.

Thank you.

I appreciate that.

Well, everybody, I just want to thank you for watching.

We gotta let this grandpa go and so he can support grandchild.

Because listen, I.

If you are a parent or a grandparent, the words from my daughter was, because my dad will wear a particular hat.

And then because.

Because we'll be in big crowds, you know, and my daughter would look for a hat that my dad would wear this particular hat.

And when they saw that hat, they knew that it was us.

And so it.

It just melted everything away.

Wow.

Yeah, it melted everything away.

So parents, grandparents, you know, if your kid isn't expressive, it is a beautiful thing to be there because when they get older, they will let you know how that made them feel.

Everything.

Yeah.

I better go be grand.

Yeah, go be grand.

Oh, so thanks for watching, everybody.

Remember, God is love.

And God wants us to show his love to the world.

Until next time.

Later.

See you.