Leaves of the Heart

By Robert T. (Tommy) Williams

Leaves of the Heart is a collection of poetry and prose that expresses the emotional and spiritual life of someone who seeks to walk intimately with God on a daily basis. A large portion of this book is directed towards my most intimate friend, Jesus. The balance is directed to others that have the ears to hear, because, they have experienced the full impact of life's cruelty. The title comes from the idea that seasons exist in nature, in our lives emotionally, relationally, physically, and spiritually.

I have been encouraged throughout my life to publish my work, but have held back, unsure of my ability. I have had a series of events take place over the last ten years that have narrowed my focus. The most significant being receiving a diagnosis of kidney cancer. God blessed me with an early detection and surgery to remove my left kidney. Then several years later it appeared that the Cancer had reappeared. I found myself asking the classic question, “What would I do if I knew that my life was going to end in six months?”

My professional life became less important to me, and my family became more of a priority; especially my grandchildren. My writing also became more of a priority because I wanted to leave a legacy for my grandchildren.

Over the years my greatest joy has been derived from being an encouragement to other people. It is my prayer, that you will be encouraged by this book. My question to you is, If you knew you were going to die today, two weeks, or six months from now, what are the most important things and people in your life that you would want to focus on? And, most importantly, what is going to happen to you when you die?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Robert T. (Tommy) Williams
• Release date: Dec 12, 2013
• ISBN: 9781310867279

Robert T. (Tommy) Williams

Robert T. (Tommy) Williams was born in Indiana on June 7, 1949. At the age of seven, his family moved to Venice Beach, California. He has lived the majority of his life in Southern California, except for a period of 18 years, when he lived in Northern Kentucky. Tommy earned his Bachelor of Arts in biblical studies and psychology, from Pepperdine University in Malibu, California. He obtained his Masters degree in Social Work from the University of Southern California. He spent his career as a Social Worker working with children and families both in the home and in the community. The last five years of his career he worked as a drug and alcohol counselor. His creative expression has included, acting, dancing, singing, drawing, painting, and writing. He published his first book, “Leaves of the Heart,” which is a collection of poetry and prose, in 2013. His second book, Star Shiner, was published in print in 2016, and in ebook in 2017. It is a fully illustrated childrens book about the Christmas Star, which has also been published in Spanish. His third book, “Little Mo’s Mud Pies,” which was published in May 2018. Currently he lives in San Diego with his wife Sherry. They have 8 children from combined marriages, and seven grandchildren. Since graduating from Pepperdine he has been actively involved with the local church. Being involved with a local body of believers has always been his passion. Following graduating from the University of Southern California, at the age of 40, he was diagnosed with Bi-Polar disorder. Living with Bi-Polar disorder, and having it untreated his entire adult life, created a lot of suffering and destruction in both his personal, and professional life. Throughout his career that experience helped him in reaching out to others suffering with mental illness, and various types of addictions. It is his hope and prayer that his books will be an encouragement to everyone who read them. Tommy has an outreach called, “Mercy for Today.” It is his desire to provide people with three things: encouragement for today, hope for tomorrow, and a trust in God for the future. Tommy can be reached at, [e-mail]. You can also visit his website, mercyfortoday.com.

Book preview

Leaves of the Heart

Writings

By Robert T. (Tommy) Williams

Copyright 2013 Robert T. (Tommy) Williams

This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

Acknowledgements

There are several people that I would like to thank for helping me to bring this book into reality.

I would like to thank The Percolators (Alan, Jeff, Jimmy, Michael and Rick). God used these men to encourage me in so different many ways. If it had not been for these men, this book, and any other work that follows, would continue to collect dust on the shelf in my closet. They provided me an opportunity to share my work in a safe and nurturing place. I would also like to thank Rod Vesper and Leah Maines for their willingness to read the manuscript and offer editorial help.

I would like to thank my mother Wilma Crosson, my sisters Vickie, Cindy and Melanie; my sons Brandon, Joshua and Matthew for their love and support over the years. I want to also thank all my friends and others that I have shared my work with and that have encouraged my writing and getting it published.

I would also like to thank Karin, Ryan and Lydia for their love and support.

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