The Window to My Soul is an empirical experience, essentially aimed to demonstrate how powerful we, as humans, really are and that when we come to terms with our impediments and make decisions to fight, victory finally becomes ours. As I reached the end of my script, I realized that I needed to complete the preface to the book (in the making). Thinking about the past, a past that Ive put behind me, I also realized that I had to bring those experiences into the present in order for me to make sense of what had really happened to me. As I structured and completed my thoughts, I eventually found the courage to put the past back to where it belonged. This book covers my experiences over a period of time, and I felt that I had to make sense of those happenings that took place around me while I was in a state of total confusion. The stroke that I suffered was one of the key issues with which I had to deal; the damage to my brain had been so severe that I could hardly grasp the full severity of what was happening to me or comprehend or come to terms with what was happening to me at the time. But I knew I had to survive in the ever-changing world around me.

Praise for Windows of the SoulEvery once in a while a book comes along that makes you stop and think—and then think some more—like Ken Gire’s wonderful book Windows of the Soul.—John Trent in Christian Parenting TodayKen Gire has created a book that gently pours forth, like water out of a garden bucket, cleansing our thoughts and opening the petals of our spirits, providing us with a new sense of clarity in our search for God.—Manhattan (KS) MercuryEach word, each phrase, is painstakingly wrought, loaded with thoughts and prayer, and filled with new glimpses of God’s love, grace, and strength.—The Christian AdvocateWindows of the Soul will surprise you with the many and varied windows God uses to speak to us. With the heart of an artist, Ken Gire paints word pictures in prose and poetry that will thrill your heart.—Mature LivingWindows of the Soul is a rare book, resounding with the cry for communion that is both ours and God’s. With passion, honesty, and beauty, Ken Gire calls us to a fresh sensitivity to God’s voice speaking through the unexpected parables that surround us.—Christian Courier

I pay homage to the prophetic anointing on the life of this great man and woman of God, Bishop Thomas Weeks, III and Prophetess Christina Glenn Weeks.

The diaries of a remarkable young woman who was determined to live a meaningful and happy life despite her struggle with cystic fibrosis and a rare superbug—from age fifteen to her death at the age of twenty-five—the inspiration for the original streaming documentary Salt in My Soul “An exquisitely nuanced chronicle of a terrified but hopeful young woman whose life was beginning and ending, all at once.”—Los Angeles Times Diagnosed with cystic fibrosis at the age of three, Mallory Smith grew up to be a determined, talented young woman who inspired others even as she privately raged against her illness. Despite the daily challenges of endless medical treatments and a deep understanding that she’d never lead a normal life, Mallory was determined to “Live Happy,” a mantra she followed until her death. Mallory worked hard to make the most out of the limited time she had, graduating Phi Beta Kappa from Stanford University, becoming a cystic fibrosis advocate well known in the CF community, and embarking on a career as a professional writer. Along the way, she cultivated countless intimate friendships and ultimately found love. For more than ten years, Mallory recorded her thoughts and observations about struggles and feelings too personal to share during her life, leaving instructions for her mother to publish her work posthumously. She hoped that her writing would offer insight to those living with, or loving someone with, chronic illness. What emerges is a powerful and inspiring portrait of a brave young woman and blossoming writer who did not allow herself to be defined by disease. Her words offer comfort and hope to readers, even as she herself was facing death. Salt in My Soul is a beautifully crafted, intimate, and poignant tribute to a short life well lived—and a call for all of us to embrace our own lives as fully as possible.