Baby Steps

Baby steps are often the wobbly first steps God has us take to simply get in motion.

Often times we would never take a step if God showed us where He wanted us to go.

So God has us take the steps we are comfortable with.

Peter sunk as he took his eyes off of Jesus.

Peter defied the laws of nature when his eyes were fixed on the creator of nature.

I find in my own life, there are certain things I will attack with a passion and others I gingerly approach.

The passionate attack, no doubt comes from a passion God has planted in me but is usually something I am confident I can rise to the occasion for.

God planted the passion in me to become an author at a young age. Even as I worked as a janitor I went to college and took some literature classes and got tons of encouragement from my teachers and family.

However I was not an exemplarily student most of my life so writing took a back seat to my other business pursuits. For many long years.

Conquering business through sales, real estate, opening business’s, buying business’s all fit into the neat little package of who I believed I was and what I could do.

In 2003, at the age of 43 and with the encouragement of my wife I sat down to write my first book.

Laptop in place, spell check on and thesaurus open I proceeded to be turned down by every agent and publisher that ever put on reading glasses.

It wasn’t that they didn’t like the book or even the way it was written, they didn’t like me!

They wanted a much more famous person to write books for them because it is easier to sell books if the author has a built in following.

That was all I needed, all bets were off, I was publishing a book regardless of how many times I got turned down and who didn’t like me.

Indeed I did. With the help of Rick Frishman and others it rose to the #1 spot on the best sellers list.

Well over 200 rejection letters later I got published.

A couple of years later I started my second book being part of the stable of authors for legendary literary agent Bucky Rosenbaum.

Bucky has best sellers like The Purpose Driven Life with Rick Warren on his trophy case and life as an author was looking promising for John Rowley the author.

The new book is incredible and will be out in September! I can’t wait for it to hit book stores world wide because I know it will help millions change their lives.

In fact writing it changed my life!

Not right away…

Then it happened.

Not all at once but the prodding began.

No!! Not again I protested!!! You have to be kidding me!!! Really!! Are you serious!!!

The small, still, gentle prodding of my Father in Heaven was luring me further out of the boat.

This time I knew if I didn’t listen I would be miserable.

I was certain if I took my eyes off Jesus not only would I sink I would drown because I was completely over my head!

Do a novel.

DO A NOVEL!!! I HAVE NEVER EVEN READ A NOVEL!!!

After a while I decided to share this with my beautiful wife Cathy and instead of giving me the answer I wanted she simply said, “great, its about time you should have done this years ago!”

Well I am not 100% sure what she said, my ears were pounding with blood as my blood pressure raced but the end result was the same she encouraged me!

Shortly after Cathy gives me a book from Nicholas Sparks.

I looked up Nicholas Sparks on the internet and his advise to would be authors mirrored that of Stephan Kings.

The best authors do four things on a consistent bases.

1. They read a lot.

2. They write a lot.

3. They set a goal of how many words they are going to write a day.

4. And most importantly they do it.

I started reading The Last Song by Nicholas Sparks, got 4 pages in and thought to myself… “I can do this” (mind you I am not comparing myself to Nicholas Sparks. Well not yet anyway. )

So I did!

I wrote over a thousand words that day and then set a goal of two thousand a day like those two incredible authors.

Which I have done and will do!

I have three books I got from my son Jim and my wife Cathy all queued up and ready to be read.

So as you can see, I have stepped out on the water again, with no life preserver.

Well that is wrong, my life preserver is also the life giver. Jesus Christ and my eyes are set on Him.

This Novel takes place in a beach front community in New York City that most people don’t even know exists, even New Yorkers.

Don’t wait for the movie, you will want to read the book because it is incredible.

I love to write, speak, do TV and radio and help people be they best they can be.

I love fitness and seeing people become more healthy, fit and vibrant.

I am passionate about people becoming physically, mentally and spiritually whole.

None of this has changed, nor will I stop doing these things as they are part of the fire God has set in me.

BUT…

Writing is the insatiable fire that God has planted deeply in my soul.

It is part of my DNA.

A fire I can’t extinguish and if I did would put the fire of my life out.

So I write.  In the movie Rocky Balboa, Rocky is debating if he should box again and the girl with him said.

Boxers box! Right?!?  She gets out of the truck.  The music starts to build, the lights in the background fad as Rocky’s face becomes more illuminated.

Rocky then smiles and says with a new found determination.

Yeah, boxers box.

Writers write, preachers preach, doctors…well doctor.

Are you taking the baby steps God has for you or are you fighting it?

Grab the end of the boat.

Steady your feet.

Carefully stand up.

Lift one leg over the side as you hold onto the boat.

Now lift the other leg over as you sit on the side of the boat.

Place both feet firmly on top of the water. Like that will mater….

The next step is what makes the other steps work.

Set your sights on Jesus and start to walk.

Don’t look back, don’t look down.

Simply look at Jesus and marvel how He helps you do the impossible.

I would love to hear your stories as you walk on the water God has put in front of you.

Feel free to share them here. Your story may be the very thing that helps someone else step out of the boat.