Norman Smith Releases SEARCHING FOR THE NORM

Growing up as the son of hard-working, dirt-poor Okie migrant workers in the era of the Depression, the Dust Bowl and World War II left its mark on author Norman Smith, as did settling into Modesto with his family and being introduced to fundamentalism. In this new book, Smith narrates his pilgrimage searching for the normative live of a Christian and detailing the reasons for the paths he took along the way.

"Searching for the Norm: A Spiritual Odyssey" shares details about Smith's parents. His mother's mother was a full-blooded Cherokee or Choctaw Indian, and his father spent time with a Cherokee family while healing from a broken hip. They met after they became Christians through the Holiness movement. Smith pulls no punches in describing the hardship of his early days, when the family barely survived, and moving out at age 17, but he shares with equal detail happier times living in Modesto and the joy of a public library. As his professional and personal lives settle down, Smith has time to ponder bigger questions in life, like his faith.

As he points out, following Jesus "is a deceptively easy-sounding command, until we eventually realize he was going to the cross. He bids us do the same. How we do so is a treatise all in itself." Smith learns to see Christianity and God's love in daily life, both in the classroom and working with carpenters. When Smith retires, he gains an unexpected chance to serves as interim senior pastor of his church, Bethel Christian Church, and later as its pastor. Those years of service bring new insights into his ever-expanding experiences with fellow Christians. Smith's opportunity for ministry doesn't end when he leaves Bethel, and ultimately he discovers a faith that aligns with his deeply ingrained Protestant roots and his new understanding of Christianity.

Author Norman Smith is a confessed reader, enjoying just about anything. He worked as a union carpenter, was a high school teacher (mainly American and English literature) for more than 30 years and became a full-time minister. He and his wife, Ruth, enjoy traveling.

For additional information, please visit normsmithbooks.com.

Searching for the Norm: A Spiritual Odyssey
Norman Smith
Dog Ear Publishing
ISBN: 978-1-4575-1929-1 | 344 pages | $18.95 US

Available at Ingram, Amazon.com, Barnes & Noble and fine bookstores everywhere.

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