"Additional photographs by Flip Putthoff and Russell Cothren."

Marriage, Movies, and Miracles. Oh, my! Marriage is a dance (even when you step on each other's toes), and movies are minefields of problems and politics, but miracles are more common than you might believe. Kevin and Sam show that if you keep your feet moving and your hearts focused on God's divine rhythm, you can discover successes you might never imagine. All it takes is a little faith. On Television and in film, Kevin has portrayed demi-gods and evil professors, while in his private life, he's battled his fair share of demons - the three strokes that left him nearly paralyzed and still partially blind. He credits his wife's "tough love" encouragement; nauseating, relentless optimism; and tireless, constant nagging for pulling him through some of the worst episodes in his recovery. Getting married to a fundamentally debilitated "Hercules" was something Sam never shied away from. In Kevin, she recognized the love of her life and determined to see him through thick and thin. The phrase goes, "for better or for worse," and Kevin often says, "She got the 'worse' part out of the way first!" Sam had confidence that Kevin would recover and thrive, and she put action to her faith. In their third year of married life, once doubt about Kevin's full recovery was laid aside, the near-newly-weds determined to build their family. That was going to be yet another trial for them to endure and conquer. They both credit their faith in God for pulling them through the tough times, and laying the foundation for their joy. That is how they came to make movies as a team. Christ said, "In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world." (John 16:33) Throughout True Faith, the Sorbos personify this verse as they embrace the struggles they meet and use their faith to bolster their responses. Be uplifted and inspired as you join Sam and Kevin on a journey through trials and triumphs, a couple of faithful Christians who work together, learn together, grieve together, and live life as Christ advocates: abundantly.

My motivation to write this book is the result of me paying attention to certain circumstances, which occurred throughout my life that I considered to be spiritual. While living a full life, these circum- stances played an important part in my growth and maturing in life as well in Christ. Being a father of five children, my paying attention has benefited them as well. The knowledge and wisdom I gained made me a better parent. Spending the better part of my working life in sales, which I enjoyed, I ended my employment in a job of my dreams-a management analysis working with numbers. Shortly before retirement, I committed to God's call on my life that I received in Vietnam. Although I wasn't excited about going back to school, I entered the seminary focusing on spirituality. After graduating seminary, I was ordained at my home church then I entered another seminary that offered a program in spiritual formation, which was very fulfilling as well as enlightening. I began to write this book after attending those seminaries. I considered the writing of this book a part of my calling, only to find out three years into this project my total fulfillment would come from receiving the opportunity to be a spiritual care counselor for a hospice company. Outside of raising my children, being a spiritual care counselor for souls transitioning from this world has been the most rewarding experience of my life.

In this searing meditation on the bonds of family and the allure of extremist faith, one of today’s most celebrated Christian writers recounts his unexpected journey from a strict fundamentalist upbringing to a life of compassion and grace—a revelatory memoir that “invites comparison to Hillbilly Elegy” (Publishers Weekly, starred review). “Searing, heartrending . . . This stunning tale reminds us that the only way to keep living is to ask God for the impossible: love, forgiveness, and hope.”—Kate Bowler, New York Times bestselling author of Everything Happens for a Reason Raised by an impoverished widow who earned room and board as a Bible teacher in 1950s Atlanta, Philip Yancey and his brother, Marshall, found ways to venture out beyond the confines of their eight-foot-wide trailer. But when Yancey was in college, he uncovered a shocking secret about his father’s death—a secret that began to illuminate the motivations that drove his mother to extreme, often hostile religious convictions and a belief that her sons had been ordained for a divine cause. Searching for answers, Yancey dives into his family origins, taking us on an evocative journey from the backwoods of the Bible Belt to the bustling streets of Philadelphia; from trailer parks to church sanctuaries; from family oddballs to fire-and-brimstone preachers and childhood awakenings through nature, music, and literature. In time, the weight of religious and family pressure sent both sons on opposite paths—one toward healing from the impact of what he calls a “toxic faith,” the other into a self-destructive spiral. Where the Light Fell is a gripping family narrative set against a turbulent time in post–World War II America, shaped by the collision of Southern fundamentalism with the mounting pressures of the civil rights movement and Sixties-era forces of social change. In piecing together his fragmented personal history and his search for redemption, Yancey gives testament to the enduring power of our hunger for truth and the possibility of faith rooted in grace instead of fear. “I truly believe this is the one book I was put on earth to write,” says Yancey. “So many of the strands from my childhood—racial hostility, political division, culture wars—have resurfaced in modern form. Looking back points me forward.”