Sunday, January 12, 2014
Why I ‘Became’ Mary, the Mother of Jesus, For My Latest Novel
Mary: My Story from Bethlehem to Calvary has now been released
By Dan Wooding
Founder of ASSIST Ministries
LAKE FOREST, CA
(ANS) – Imagine this: You are a young and poor girl in love, living in Nazareth, looking forward to marriage, when suddenly your life is changed forever when you are told that you are to become the mother of the greatest person in history, the Messiah – Jesus Christ, and yet you are a virgin.
Book cover
That is what I recently had to do to tell the amazing story of Mary, giving real insights into her life with her beloved son, from his childhood, his growing years, his ministry, his terrible death upon the cross, which she witnessed, his resurrection, and finally, his ascension to sit at the right hand of his father in heaven.
I believe the book, Mary: My Story from Bethlehem to Calvary, is a faithful adaptation of the story of Jesus’ life told from the perspective of Mary, and it has been the most moving time of my life as I wrote it.
It all began when a friend called me to suggest that I might like to consider doing the story of Jesus through the eyes of Mary, his magnificent mother. Neither of us had actually seen a book written in this way, and so some months back I literally “became” Mary.
I started the book imagining what it was like for to be told by the angel Gabriel, “Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favor with God. You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever; his kingdom will never end.”
As I was putting together the story, which is based on 365 Bible Scriptures, I envisaged the shock this young unmarried virgin from Nazareth must have experienced when she was told that she would bear the Savior of the world.
Dan Wooding pictures with some of his 45 books
(Photo: Orange County Register)
How was she to tell her parents and Joseph, the man she was in love with? How would the people in her village react when they eventually noticed that she was pregnant?
As my fingers flew across the keyboard of my laptop, I was transported back in time to that dangerous period for Jewish people, because of the Roman occupation, and how Joseph accepted her and they eventually went to Bethlehem, only to find that there was no room in the inn, and so they had to live in a smelly stable with the animals and where she gave birth to the baby Jesus.
The story then developed with the family escaping to Egypt from the cruel and jealous King Herod, and how, after Herod’s death, they went to Nazareth, where her brilliant son helped his father in his carpenters shop, and made quite an impression on the local Jewish leaders with his deep understanding of the Scriptures.
I felt Mary’s pain, when Jesus finally left home, after being baptized by John the Baptist in the Jordan River, and began his earthly ministry. For long periods, she would not see her son. To make matters worse, her husband had died and she tried to cope with the nagging loneliness of being alone in the world.
Norma Wooding — Dan wife of 50 years — with a copy of the book
I had to fight back the tears, as I later “joined” Mary near the end of the story, when she watched her son staggering in agony through the streets of Jerusalem with the cross on which he would die. I joined her at Calvary as she watched in horror as he nailed to the cross, and later when she went to the place he was buried and discovered that the stone at the entrance of the tomb had been rolled away, and she was able to talk with him one more time.
His ascension soon followed, and Mary was back in her home, with the knowledge that her son’s ministry on earth had ended and he was now seated at the right hand of his Heavenly Father in Heaven.
I have been honored with several endorsements for the book, which has received a five-star rating on www.Amazon.com.
They have included the following:
Pat Boone
“Jesus loves his Mom. Just imagine how He loves her. I’d have been afraid to do what Dan Wooding has done so marvelously, lest I offend in some way, not just Jesus, but His mother and Father. But it’s clear to any reader that God Himself has anointed Dan to help us know his beloved earth Mother so personally. This is a true revelation!” Pat Boone, veteran American singer, actor, and writer.
“Dan is a trail-blazing journalist and author who many pastors have come to love and respect. With his newest release, “Mary; My Story,” Dan takes a penetrating look at Mary’s life and the change that results from her encounter with Jesus. This book is a great inspiration for anyone who has ever thought they were too insignificant to be used by God.” Skip Heitzig, Senior Pastor, Calvary Chapel Albuquerque, New Mexico.
Jerry B. Jenkins holds a copy of his latest book, I, Saul, with Dan Wooding holding his latest book about Mary
“Dan Wooding has applied his considerable, lifetime writing skills to the greatest story ever told, and from the perspective of the most sympathetic character. Mary / My Story is an obvious don’t miss. So don’t miss it.” Jerry B. Jenkins, Novelist & Biographer, Owner, Christian Writers Guild.
“Dan Wooding is amazing person, writer, broadcaster, and journalist. You will love the story of Mary, as told in his latest book. It is an epic story, based on the Bible, about a profound mother who was described by God as “highly favored” among women. Once you read the book, you will see why! This extraordinary novel, written in a beautiful way, tells the greatest story ever — of how God chose a young girl from Nazareth to be the mother of Jesus and, because of her obedience, she changed world history for good. It is easy to read, but hard to put down. Every mother will want to share the book with their daughters (and sons), and it would make a perfect gift and tradition to read together during any season.” Jenn Gotzon is one of the busiest actresses in Hollywood. She first hit the headlines when she portrayed Tricia Nixon in Ron Howard”s Oscar-nominated “Frost/Nixon”, and has since starred in a whole series of inspirational films, including “Doonby”, “God’s Country”, and “Dragon Day”.
“Dan Wooding has written a wonderful, new version of the greatest story ever told. His novel, through the eyes of a young woman, is the perfect gift for every teenager who wants his or her friends to know the story of Jesus. College students will want to give it to their parents, and parents will want to give it to their college students. You will be glad you read this story. I love it.” Larry Nelson. J.D., Pepperdine University School of Law, who first came up with the idea for the book.
David Aikman
“Few people would have the courage, let alone the creative imagination, to piece together in fictional form the story of the life of Mary, the mother of Jesus. Seasoned fellow-journalist and writer, Dan Wooding, has put together a gripping and moving narrative of the woman who was closest to Jesus Christ, his own mother Mary. He is to be greatly commended for his achievement.” David Aikman, an award-winning print and broadcast journalist, a best-selling author, and a foreign affairs commentator based in the Washington, D.C.-area. His wide-ranging professional achievements include a 23-year career at TIME Magazine with reporting spanning the globe of nearly all the major historical events of the time. Two of his books are Jesus in Beijing and One Nation Without God?
To find out more about the book, published by Tanswell Books, or to order a copy, just go to www.marythebook.com, where you can also read a sample chapter.
I hope that this novel will inspire many, particularly young women, who will identify with Mary, and I believe it will not only be a wonderful way of getting inside the mind of his cherished mother of Jesus, and would also make a great gift for people who are not yet followers of Jesus. I also pray that the book will encourage non-believers to learn more about the principles of Jesus.
Please feel free share this with your friends, so they too can read in the book about the two greatest people in history — Mary and her son, Jesus. I can promise that they will never be the same once they have done so.
Note to Editors: If you like to interview Dan Wooding about the book, please contact him at 949.472.0974 or via e-mail at TanswellBooks@aol.com.
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Dan Wooding, 73, is an award-winning journalist who who was born in Nigeria of British missionary parents, now living in Southern California with his wife Norma, to whom he has been married for 50 years. They have two sons, Andrew and Peter, and six grandchildren who all live in the UK. He is the founder and international director of ASSIST (Aid to Special Saints in Strategic Times) and the ASSIST News Service (ANS) and he hosts the weekly “Front Page Radio” show on the KWVE Radio Network in Southern California and which is also carried throughout the United States and around the world. He is the author of some 45 books, the latest of which is a novel about the life of Jesus through the eyes of his mother called “Mary: My Story from Bethlehem to Calvary”. (Click to order)
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<!–BYLINE:By Dan Wooding
Founder of ASSIST Ministries–>