Another book?
About A Possible Third Book:
I am seriously praying about writing another book – Holding Fast To God in the Garden of Gethsemane. Another consideration for the title is: Not Your Will But Mine Be Done.
We, like Jesus, will go through a Garden of Gethsemane experience at some point in our lives. In the Garden, Jesus suffered in at least five ways:
1. Situational Chaos – Everything around Him was chaos at this point in His life. His disciples were confused, His enemies were after Him, and His life was hanging in the balance. Perhaps you know what it is like to have situational chaos.
2. Physical Pain – He was in such turmoil that His sweat was like drops of blood. Medically this is called hemotidrosis and is due to extreme stress. In addition, He was about to be beaten beyond human recognition. If you have seen the movie The Passion, you have a glimpse of what He went through. Perhaps you are experiencing intense physical pain in your life.
3. Emotional Pressure – As mentioned, Jesus experienced the most intense form of emotional pressure as He went through the trials, rejection, and the anticipation of bearing the sin of the world and the wrath of God. Perhaps you are facing emotional challenges right now (depression, anger, fear, anxiety, etc.).
4. Relational Betrayal – His most loyal disciples could not even stay and pray with Him for one hour. He had no human support at His most needed moment. Perhaps you are experiencing betrayal, rejection, or divorce from someone you love or care about.
5. Spiritual Disappointment – Jesus asked His Heavenly Father if the cup of judgment and wrath could pass from Him. God answered His request with a "No." Perhaps you have been disappointed with God, felt abandoned by God, or been offended by God in some area of your life.
If any of the above descriptions apply to you, then you can relate to Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane. Listen closely because here is the key: When Jesus faced His Garden, He said, "Not My will but Thine be done." He yielded to the sovereign will of His Father. He submitted His will to God the Father’s will. We must do the same when we face our Garden. The question is, will we say, "Not my will but Thine be done," or will we say, "Not Thy will but mine be done"????
My heart in this book is to talk about how to hold on to God when we face our Garden. If you have been through a Garden experience, I would love to hear more about it. I desire to include in this book some stories from those who have experienced the grace and power of God in the midst of a Garden hardship. I want to see if there are some common factors among those who truly said, "Not my will but Thine be done." If this describes you, please contact me at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .
As strange as it may sound, I also desire to talk to some people who let go of God in the midst of their Garden hardship – and why. I want to discover the common factors among those who ended up saying, "Not Thy will but mine be done." So, if you or someone you know fits this category, please have them contact me as well at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Please pray that God will give me clear guidance on whether or not to write this book.