The Stones You Can't Put Down

Preface

I want to outline a few things before we begin this journey together in the pages that follow. First things first. I would like to thank you for picking up this book and reading it. I really hope that the time you spend in this book blesses you in many different ways. It has taken a lot of time, effort, and sacrifice from so many people in order for this book to make it into your hands.

Secondly, this book was written to truly show the ugliness of sin and the glory of God and His love and mercy. I’m not entirely sure I would let anyone under the age of sixteen read it. There is nothing in this book that is offensive, but I do tell many stories from my life and am entirely real about them. There is nothing explicit and no bad language, ever, but I wanted to get the fullness of my sin out there. I think that too many times as Christians, or just people in general, we hold back and are not transparent about who we know we truly are—broken people. If I were to leave out the true brokenness of these stories, I honestly feel it would rob Jesus of the glory due Him in His amazing work in my life and yours. That is the premise of this book: the difference between one life and another, between being dead and being alive. For these reasons, I would read it through fully yourself before handing it to a young teen. But I trust your judgment. It is absolutely up to you to decide who you share this with.

Thirdly, this whole book is not about me. I do tell many stories about my life in this book, and that is the running thread that keeps our journey together down a chronological timeline, but I want this story to be about you too. I don’t want you to just read this book straight through and see things only through my eyes. I want you to find the parallels between my stories and yours. I also want you to really think about and digest the Scriptures I have shared. They are there for a reason. They all tie in and show that God always has a plan and that we humans haven’t been changing as much as we think we have over the millennia.

I want you to spend time thinking about and answering the questions at the end of each chapter, which are intended to give you points of reference to keep tying your “stones” into the story. They are what really help this book make sense in what it means for your life. They can end up being the difference between enjoying your time in this book and not. Don’t just fly by them either. Be intentional with them and incredibly honest and transparent, whether you are reading this book alone or with a group. You have to be truly willing to face the truth if you want to see the fullness of your own story

Take the time. It’ll be worth it.

Lastly, I want you to see why this book was really written: to point hearts to Jesus. Whether you are a believer or not, please just give this book a chance. I was an unbeliever for much of my life, and I think you will see the realness of life in this book. And in that realness, my prayer is that by the end of this book you will ultimately see the love, grace, and glory of God. The Lord of the Universe is able to do amazing things with amazingly broken stories. Please keep that in mind as you move through this book. It is not a long or hard read, and I hope you enjoy it.

Thank you again from the bottom of my heart. Remember, we are on a journey together. This can turn out to be a game-changer for how you see your life—where it was and where it is going.

Okay! Let’s do this!

Without further ado, The Stones You Can’t Put Down.