If you’ve read the Dedication page of The Bridge from OneDayBow, you may be wondering who Annette is. Annette became my friend about 20 years ago when we started studying the Bible together. She often talked of wanting to write a book about the spiritual armor of God, which is detailed in the 6th chapter of the book of Ephesians in the Bible. Star Wars won a huge audience through its depiction of the war between good and evil, but fiction on the big screen is primarily for entertainment and you need more than a light saber in a real spiritual battle! (Much more on that later.)

Over the years Annette’s health declined but her passion for God’s Truth didn’t. Annette has fought tremendous faith-battles in her life but has come to rely on the Bible to transform her mind, rather than let her difficult circumstances define her.

About eleven years ago her husband, Brad, called me one morning and told me Annette was in the hospital. I was getting ready to leave the house when this thought came to my mind: “Go to the hospital and offer to help Annette write her book.” The thought was so clear that my immediate response was, “Okay!” When I arrived Annette wasn’t doing well, but when I offered to help with the book she was thrilled. She and Brad and I soon began meeting to discuss ideas and pray, and then I would take the ideas home and start writing.

Without divulging the plot of the book, we soon realized that writing about the spiritual armor was only part of the story. Describing how it is acquired, as well as how it is used, took it to another level. On top of that, when I started writing it came out in rhyme! Honestly, when the project began I envisioned it to be a short book that would be completed quickly. After all, how long can a person write in rhyme?! Little did we know it would be a complete trilogy, in one book, and almost 150 pages!

But there was another piece we waited on for many years: an illustrator. When Lyndsey drew the first picture I knew she was the one. But due to her own severe health problems it was often difficult for her to draw and at times there was uncertainty that she would be able to finish. It took her almost 3 years, but I’m so glad she didn’t give up.

After all this time, and more rewrites than I can count, I realize more than anyone how far over my head this book is. I’m grateful to God for equipping and allowing us to be part of His work. We hope The Bridge from OneDayBow points many to the Bible and the reality of God’s goodness and greatness (Isaiah 40.)

The heart of my story is the gospel, or good news, that the Bible clearly reveals. It is the Story of creation and redemption. It is too amazing to be made up and too compelling to ignore. It is the Real Story behind the story.