Yesterday I received a wonderful email from Gary Thomas, one of my favorite Christian authors, in regards to my Civil War devotional “The Southern Cross.” This book seems to have touched a lot of people as I get more feedback on this particular work than any other title I’ve published. Gary is not only a gifted author who has found a way to write spiritually influenced books that help married couples and parents, he is also a nationally recognized speaker. His books, DVDs and curriculum are used by churches all across America. Gary is also a Civil War buff and at one time, he edited the Manassas RT’s newsletter. We had exchanged books a few months ago and it is a real honor to have him comment on my work.

Michael, I am now 3/4 of the way through TSC and enjoying it very much. Some of those stories will play really well in future sermons! I was familiar with several of the stories, but they're so good it was nice to be reminded of them again. And then you pulled in many less familiar ones as well. The Whitman quote really hit me; for some reason, it just never dawned on me that the injured could lie there for days, not just overnight. The Lee quote about feeling responsible for his students was so inspiring, as Lee always is. With my son going to Notre Dame, it was fun to read about one of the school's early presidents; never made that connection before. I LOVED the nurse's quote you came up with: "I have never worked so hard in all my life and I would rather do that than anything else in the world." The Confederate Prayer is amazing, and before your book, I never made the connection that Stonewall's bravery was tied so closely to his belief in providence. Lots of great stuff there.

Thank you Gary. Your validation is a blessing indeed.

Visit Gary Thomas’ website and get your own copy of TSC