Sam Williams reflects on the Second Edition of Ámbudan
It was in the year 2008 that Sam "Sip Sip" Williams initially worte his first book of Poetry entitled "Ámbudan was my Friend," and he was extremely reflective in analysing where he was in terms of literary philosophy and where he is now.
Question 1: You speak about ecosystemic balance in several of your works, what do you mean by that?
Sam Williams: I've always believed that the environment feeds off of the totalityand balance of humanity, and it uses those good efforts that we make to get at a more efficient and beneficial end result for the betterment of mankind. Therefore, all human beings are born with some great talent and ability to bring about ecosystemic balance. In the end we are all connected spiritually, by God, by scientific forces, and by socio-environmental balance. Obviously, mankind has had a very rough time coming to grasp with any of these entities, especially the very concept of God. The worst thing that we as human beings can do is turn our backs on our origin, which we know very little about. We have created walls that almost permanently divide us, and we all tend to hold tightly to what we regard of as truth. But there is only one truth, not my or your trruth, but THE TRUTH, and if we put our ears to the ground so to speak, we will hear strange stories that our forefathers told which are beginning to make a little sense. We are now more technicological, but our forefathers we far more spiritual than we are now.
Question 2: In your book, you state that your parents were Evangelicals but sent you to a Catholic School; how challenging and problematic was that, especially as a young man?
Sam Williams: The whole situation careated a dynamic that resonates to this day. I wasn't the only one who went through this ordeal. It cast a shadow, and sometimes a was a good cool well needed shadow, over myself and family and friends around me. To go from a church atmosphere that had loud preaching, loud music and very, very open displays of people experiencing catching and moving in the Holy Spirit, and on the other hand, nuns and priest who were always somber, mundane, and measured every word that came out of their mouths; that was totally different. Actually, I liked and respected them both; it only became problematic when someone tried to push the "we're the only ones going to heaven" ideas, ..Read More..
Faith and Books to Read
If you’ve been looking for some books in the arenas of body image, faith, wellness, and mindful connection, I have created a list of books* I have read and enjoyed throughout the years. I’ll continue adding to it as I go, so save this page for reference.
Please note that not all of these may be faith-based, however, you can still find wholesome and helpful truths in them,all towaards growing in faith and strength in the Lord.
Books
A BURNING IN MY BONES
Few would argue that Eugene Peterson was a giant of the Christian faith, but this biography goes beyond the obvious. Winn Collier tells Eugene’s story in a way that highlights his struggles and frustrations while never losing sight of his unquenchable longing for God. It captures the essence of a man whose authentic pursuit of the spiritual life serves as a template and an inspiration. -Jackson Beetler
ON MY WORST DAY
THE NARRATIVE CHANGES WHEN REDEMPTION ENTERS IN
By John Lynch
In 2021, our friend John Lynch re-released an updated version of On My Worst Day with 40 new stories of redemption. Our team read it together in the lead-up to conversations from a summer ago. A master storyteller, John’s hope-filled recollections make for a different kind of devotional or even a good book to use at the beginning of a mentoring season. -Jackson Beetler
