I’m Now A Published Author?

I am now a published author. I wrote something for “Milestones,” the newsletter for Mile High Pines Ministries. Wait, does a newsletter count? A published author, Hmm.

Before I post what was published, I have an announcement of sorts. It started a few weeks ago at the support group at Mt Sac college for people with brain injuries, mainly strokes and concussions. We were setting goals for the new semester. What I had said was, I want to paint the clubhouse in my backyard, a pretty modest goal. But then I added something else, something a lot harder, I said I am going to write a book.  That cracks me up, that I would actually say that. But I said it. And it is written down. And I actually started writing it. Chapter one. Man, goals are important.  

It is a devotional journey through a stroke. Using mainly the posts that I have already written. We will see. I might be able to put something together, but I can’t imagine someone wanting to publish it. Which is fine. If somehow it happens, that would be fine as well. So it is written down in a list of goals, and I posted it here.  Feel free to hold my feet to the fire. Whatever comes of the book, I am already a published author.  Whoo hoo.  Here is what was published in the newsletter. 

Let me introduce myself. My name is Karl Hostetler and I am a member of the board of Mile High Pines Ministries and Alpine Retreat and Camp.

As some of you know, I had a massive stroke almost two years ago. My left cardioid artery is completely blocked. I’m not sure how I survived that. Yeah, it was sort of a big thing.  But it was nothing like what happened to me at Mile High Pines Camp, when, as a ten year old kid, I responded to an altar call and I asked Jesus into my heart. The stroke will affect me for the rest of my life on earth.  But what happened to me at Mile High Pines Camp that day, it changed my life forever.  Not for the rest of my life, but forever. I am so grateful for what happened to me at camp.

I was asked to write something for the newsletter, and I agreed. I’ve always liked writing. It was something I was good at. However, one thing that was lost through the stroke was my ability to recall words. That is something called aphasia. Although I still like writing, words are hard. But I am working on it because words matter. So, here goes.   

Words matter, without words, we cannot read or write, we cannot have meaningful discourse. we cannot think about abstract ideas.  This thing that I always took for granted has now been super important, because my words often fail me. 

God’s words are not like that.  They stand firm in the heavens, they are certain, they are unmovable. God’s words do not fail. I don’t know if there is anything more important than God’s words. Think about this, God spoke the universe into existence. The first words of God as recorded in the bible were ”Let there be light”, and guess what, there was light. When God speaks, the world changes.

God’s words are recorded in the bible. We often don’t think about what that means. But God’s words are recorded in the Bible. Words that create light, words that change hearts.  Those words that change everything, those words.  And they are recorded in the bible. Man do I love the bible. That is how I start my day, with my bible open. 

As important as the words recorded in the bible, are God’s words spoken to you and me. I long to hear God’s words spoken into my heart. Words that bring life and peace and joy, words that change me.  The problem is I often can’t hear them.  There is so much noise in our lives and it often masks what God is saying.  There is a beautiful niche in God’s kingdom on earth for camps, a place where the noise in our lives can abate, and God’s words can be heard.    

It happened to me. I heard God’s words in my heart as a ten year kid at camp. I didn’t understand what was going on, I was just a kid. I am only starting to grasp it today. But I heard God’s words in my heart. He called me by my name.  He told me “come”, and I responded. There is nothing more important  to me than God’s words. Words recorded in the bible, words that God has spoken into my heart.

Our words matter as well.  I remember the first time I went to a meeting with the Mile High Pines board.  It wasn’t a typical board meeting but was a two day retreat.  It was facilitated by a famous guy. Well, I’m not sure if he was famous, but he had written a book. And he worked with us as we talked about things, things like our dreams and setting goals. Part of that was working on a vision statement. We started on it that weekend, and we continued in other board meetings.  We hammered out a vision statement.  One word at a time.  Thinking about every word, making sure we are saying what we want to say. I don’t know if you’ve ever done something like that, but hammered it out one word at a time is a great description. 

At about that time, I was appointed as secretary for the board. My job was to record what was decided on paper. You know, with words.  Words that matter.  For some reason, I can remember the day that I sat down at my desk with my notes of the minutes, getting ready to type them out. At the top I wrote, as I always did, Mile High Pines Ministries, but before starting the minutes, under that I wrote, Providing opportunities for life changing encounters with God.  Our new vision statement.  

The vision was always there, that was what we were doing already. But putting it in words has helped us focus on our purpose. Those words matter. Today we have a new secretary, and a new name, Mile High Pines Ministries and Alpine Retreat and Camp. But that vision hasn’t changed, it is still written there on top of the minutes,  Providing opportunities for life changing encounters with God.

That is why we exist. That is our purpose. And we are trying, best that we can, in the crisp mountain air, in the beauty of nature, away from the noise in our lives, to provide opportunities for life changing encounters with God.  Like what happened to me, and thousands of others, who heard God’s words and whose lives were changed forever, not for the rest of their life, but forever, through the ministry of Alpine and Mile High Pines camps.