Wonderful Nathan in Hollywood
Always when I tell stories about my sweet Nathan, moms say to me, "I have a Nathan!" Nathan is such an amazing blessing to me now, and many of you know him through his work to promote Dolphin Tale. But, as a little boy, Nate was always out of the box. When others walked on the sidewalk, he was on the grass, running around the bush, playing air fights with imaginary dragons, and living in a super man world in his mind. He wiggled, questioned, was loud and vibrant and fun and never liked academics but loved great stories and literature and heroes and discussion.
Many people wanted to label Nathan with consonants and vowels and or tell me to spank him more, but I knew in my heart he had the making of a great man and he needed love, patience and faith. I also knew that he was a lot like me--just made to be active and questioning and out of the box of norm. I can now see in my own life, that what has always felt like too much for me--my personality--was just what God needed me to be so that I would love speaking and writing and traveling all over the world.
And so with Nathan, I loved, encouraged, trained, confronted, believed in his dreams and prayed that God would help me support the person that God had designed him to be. I believed that maybe God did make Nathan to go into the world to be a "superman"--his favorite childhood character--one who would come to our world and save and help and redeem those who needed someone to save them.
All you sweet ones who are worried about your adhd, odd, ocd kids, just trust God, love a lot, give grace, and watch what God does--they are probably just artists or heroes in your midst and they must be a little bigger than life because of what God is going to call them to do--just like my wonderful Nathan--a true and faithful hero in my midst.
I will write more of his story tomorrow, but am off with Clay to Denver for surgery. (So please pray for us!)
But wanted you to see Nathan's new book and have the opportunity to buy it. (You will be helping this starving artist who wants to be a light in Hollywood stay afloat a little longer! Please share it with your friends and let Nathan hear from you! Nathan said that he would send a free pdf to anyone who would blog about his book to help promote it. And I will give away 3 copies. To enter the giveaway, please go to Nathan's blog and leave a comment and read all about him and pray for him! :)
When he moved to New York City a few years ago, he was confronted with what it would take to be a light in a very dark place. This is a perfect book of encouragement for anyone who wants to be encouraged to make the choice to follow God, to hold fast, to cultivate faith and to live to make a difference in the world. Also a great book for young men and appropriate for anyone. Devotionally written with short chapters and application. I am loving reading it, but of course he is after all my own personal hero!
The article below is about his new book. Here is his blog http://nathanjclarkson.wordpress.com/ where you can leave a comment and get a free download for blogging about it! Also, for the free entry to win a copy--leave a comment on my blog and promote it on fb and just let me know what you did. Thanks a gazillion--I try not to impose on my friends for me--but for my kids, I will impose on anyone! :) Have a blessed day!
October 8th, 2011
I was faced with a decision when I was 19. Let me explain. I had moved out and was living in the Big City (New York). I remember it was a cold and rainy night my family had left and there I was, little old (well actually very, very young) me. I had no idea what I was doing and I was all alone. But there on my first night alone on my own, as I was sitting on my Ikea bed in my small apartment bedroom in Harlem (Yes… I know the fam wasn’t thrilled, but I was poor) I heard a voice. It was God, He said “Chase me” and he suddenly ran out the door and into the pouring rain. I yelled after him that I was cold and alone and was kinda tired, but He just kept running.
So there I was, faced with a bigger decision than I could ever imagine. Chase after God or do what I feel like. Well I chased God, I chased him right into the pouring rain where I danced and sang with the Creator of the universe. I chased him through the next year of ups and downs friends and heart-break, hurts and joys. I chased him right out to Hollywood California, where today I finally am able to look back at all the chasing of God and say with complete honesty… It has made all the difference.
These are a collection of thoughts and the glimpses of Gods wisdom I had to chase down. All compiled into my very first book I would love for you to become a Wisdom Chaser too. Click to get your very own copy. Thank you so much.
Off to chase!
-Nathan