In May 2021 my wife Patty and I attended my oldest daughter Anna’s graduation. Her commencement speaker, John C. Maxwell, made a statement that both struck me as profound and made me laugh within my heart. He said that we should ask God to give us a dream that is so big when it occurs our friends and family recognize it was God’s doing because it was so beyond our abilities.
Me being an author at all, and particularly writing Unleavened Bread of Life, is just such a dream. There was a physical limitation that made me being a writer highly unlikely. I injured my right eye as a child. Because of this injury, the simple task of reading caused severe headaches. From my youth I hated to read and hated to write even more.
I make no claim to particular ability. Nor do I assert personal righteousness warranting God's call to write books to benefit His Kingdom. Only God’s grace would permit His using me, or anyone for that matter, as a Christian writer. Therefore, the books He has allowed and directed me to write are to His glory alone.
To be fair, while I had my limitations, God did build a few things into my life from my youth to prepare me to write for Him. Providence had me born on my grandfather Howard’s birthday. Although my parents had a different named picked for me, they believed it to be God’s plan to name me after him. With the name of one grandfather and the desire to not hurt the other, I became Howard William. I hated the name Howard. Once as I complained to God asking Him why He “robbed” me of a cool name and instead made me "Howard William." God seemed to direct my heart to consider the meaning of the names. Howard means chief guardian and William means supreme protector. Wow, did God nail it.
Even from my youth I have always been the one to stand up for the kids being picked on or the old man being mocked. I felt a fire well up within me when right was attacked by wrong. Such was the case when I heard the Word of God mocked as errant by those whose arrogance far exceeded their understanding. God put a heart within me to defend the accuracy of His Word, even if I stood alone to do it.
A second thing God did from my youth was allow me to feel His leading and to often hear His “still small voice” within my heart or mind. I spent many hours alone even as a very young child sitting on a swing set on our country lawn talking to God and hearing Him answer me in my heart. I would do the same for hours as I shot my bow and arrows alone during the next few years.
With all my weakness and faults the gift of hearing His voice and having a fire to fight for His Word were both crucial and key to writing for Him. I sincerely pray that as you read the books promoted on this site you will know the joy I have known of hearing God’s still small voice. Perhaps He will use these works to that end. He loves you more than you can fully understand on this side of eternity. His Word illustrates that God enjoys the simple conversation of a child. I believe He awaits your simple prayer and tender heart to receive His answer. Again, He Loves you!
I am now a retired pastor, having served thirty years in ministry. It was my honor to found a church in Butler County, Pennsylvania where I served for 20 years. At that church, which has since merged with another church of like faith, I had the privilege to serve alongside my oldest son, William David (Billy). Billy became Senior Pastor when I retired to write. He eventually married a Guatemalan Pediatrician and went on the mission field. You will note that some of our sermons have been included on the media link of this website.
My education included a Master of Divinity degree from Pittsburgh Theological Seminary and a Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting from Oral Roberts University.
Patty, and I were married in 1987. We have been blessed with four children and now reside in Coweta, Oklahoma. Unleavened Bread of Life – The Birth and Divine Timing of Jesus the Messiah is my second published work. My first, Saving America One Family at a Time was published in 2017.
