Friday, September 20, 2019

About the Book

Book: The Key to Dreaming Again

Author: Rick Unruh key to dreaming again

Genre: Non-Fiction, Inspirational

Release Date: July 10, 2019

“We parked our car in front of Yankton’s Federal Prison Camp and walked through the doors of the control center. ‘I’m Rick Unruh, and I’m here to self-surrender,’ I told the corrections officer. There is no way I could comprehend what those words would mean over course of the next year, as God would begin a new work in me.”

Born and raised in a small town in Kansas, Rick Unruh was called to be in the ministry. But when he lost his mother to cancer despite her unwavering faith that God would heal her, it planted seeds of doubt in his heart. He served as a traveling evangelist for years but later faded away from the ministry.

He and his wife lost their house in a fire, but a year later, far worse pain was ahead when they[dori1] , lost their twelve-year-old son in an ATV accident. Just when it seemed there was hope and recovery ahead, Rick was blindsided by a federal investigation into a mortgage consulting group he’d been involved with. He was eventually charged and then sentenced to over a year in prison, embarrassed and sure that God was done with him this time. But God wasn’t finished.

This book is a testament to the God who restores us and allows us to dream again—if we will only surrender ourselves to him.

About the Author

Rick Unruh is a US MAPS missionary and is the founder of Dream Again Ministry. He holds a master’s degree in counseling from Logos University (Jacksonville, FL), with a special interest in grief ministry. He lives in Kansas with his wife, Tamela, and travels the country sharing his Dream Again testimony, a message of hope and finding our purpose. He recently added workshops for the church, helping them understand and minister to the grieving. Rick also recruits full-time missionaries to serve with MAPS.

More from Rick

I actually wrote the first chapter of my book in 2011 and then it just sat there until December of 2018. I continually have had people ask me to write a book about my story, since I travel nearly every weekend sharing my story. I could just never get the desire or focus to finish it. After writing it, I realized, that I was hesitating because I didn’t want to go back to some of those places and dig deep, stirring painful emotions, just to write about them. I would feel the anxiety building as I was getting closer to those moments. There is great healing in writing, but the early process of writing this book caused me to shed many tears. But, if it can help others who are struggling with the loss of a loved one or a major setback in life, and bring hope and encouragement, then it has all been worth it.

I enjoyed how the author was very transparent about his struggles. It was interesting to follow him as he struggled with his faith. High school is very hard and at this time in your life it is all about acceptance. The author had a good example to follow as his parents were faith filled and embraced God everyday. The missteps that the author faced in his teens are pretty typical for most as we all rebelled against our parents. I liked how his parents disciplined him with love. It reminds me of the scripture. "God disciplines those He loves." It was a true example of following God's word and showing unconditional love to their son.

The book takes us on a journey through the trials of a man who could have given up but never did. At times I felt like I was reading the book of Job. How much more could be endured before the author gave up? One of the most devastating things to read was when his son died. My heart ached for this family as their grief was overpowering. My brother lost his son to a car accident years ago. I will never forget the phone call he made to me. We had just buried my mother a week before and now my nephew was dead. In the days ahead I couldn't understand how these two tragedies could happen to a family.

I admire the perseverance the author has as he shares his story. It is obvious that his deep faith as helped him to walk through trials and come out stronger. His ability to find new financial opportunities were inspiring. One such job would become a nightmare and cause the author's life to take a dark turn into the world of lawyers, judges and prison. It was hard to read how other people involved in the crime cut a deal and left him out to dry and to take the brunt of the punishment. The author had to turn to God to guide him to forgiveness and accept what lay ahead of him.

The book is not an easy read but is filled with hope and a fierce determination to never give up on your dreams. It may seem like you will never get ahead, that bad things keep happening, but God is still there walking beside you. The author uses his story to encourage others to keep moving forward and allow God to direct your path.

"God often uses our dark times to grab our attention."

I received a copy of this book from Celebrate Lit. The review is my own opinion.