Ross James – Bamboo Camel

The title of the book ‘Ascent, Crest, Perspective: The Making of a Bamboo Camel’ is anything but ordinary, but its author, Dr Ross, James has had an anything but ordinary life so far.

The book is a memoir reflecting on his years as a journalist, academic and researcher, as well as the personal battles he has faced.

Ross is a storyteller who uses personal journals and correspondence to tell the story of what happened after he left a family funeral business and yielded to the leading of Providence.

Ross explains an Ascent, a 20-year period of preparation as a journalist, academic and researcher. The ascent of preparation levelled out on the Crest of purpose, a 20-year period of his life’s work, motivated by the teachings of Jesus whose life exemplified care for the marginalised and poor. He lived and worked in several Asian countries then relocated to Australia and led initiatives to develop community-centred media projects throughout Asia.

After detailing the Ascent and explaining the Crest, in Perspective Ross reflects on achievements concurrent with clinical depression and accompanied by despair and loss of joy. Some excerpts from his personal journals are painful reading; some revelations are vulnerable honesty. Yet, Ross accepts a proposition that depression might have been a ‘gift of a handicap’ which compelled him to depend on Providence to overcome his limitations. His startling conclusion is that he is, after all, a bamboo camel, designed with specifications to fulfil a providential purpose. – The Bamboo Camel

Ross has worked in many countries, including Australia, the Philippines and Pakistan.

It was a great pleasure to welcome him to my podcast Bleeding Daylight to be able to hear some of his story.

You can hear our conversation on Bleeding Daylight wherever you listen to podcasts or use the audio player below.



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Donna Renay Patrick – Passion and Purpose

Donna Patrick is a speaker, award-winning author, musician, choir director, worship leader, writer, radio host, and podcaster. She has been teaching and leading for over 35 years.

Donna is passionate about helping people discover and live out their purpose. She is an excellent communicator with a real gift of teaching.

It was my honour to chat with Donna recently for the latest episode of my podcast, Bleeding Daylight. You can hear our conversation wherever you listen to podcasts or click play on the audio player below.



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Wendy Cunningham – What if You’re Wrong?

Wendy Cunningham is all about gaining perspective and looking more deeply at not only the ideas and beliefs that we hold but where those ideas and beliefs are formed.

Wendy is a wife, an author, an entrepreneur, and a homeschool mom of three. She also hosts the Gaining My Perspective podast. Her current book, What if You’re Wrong? explores a massive change in her own thinking.

As an atheist who critically thought her way to faith, Wendy Cunningham believes it’s important to evaluate where our beliefs about God come from as we consider where we might be mistaken. This is Wendy’s first solo book project—she co-authored the book Success Through Failing—but she’s been a writer for more than twenty years.

It was my pleasure to welcome her to my podcast Bleeding Daylight recently. You can hear our conversation on Bleeding Daylight, wherever you listen to podcasts, or click the play button on the audio player below.



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Kim Sorrelle – What is Love?

Kim Sorrelle is an entrepreneur and the director of a humanitarian organization. She splits her time between her home in Michigan and the countries of Haiti and the Dominican Republic.

In a world that uses the word ‘love’ to describe our connection to everything from people close to us to our favourite food or TV show, Kim decided to look more deeply into what love truly means. Her book, ‘Love Is’ tells the story of her year-long experiment of truly living out love.

The minute you want something in return for your love, it is no longer love. It is something that you’re doing because there’s something that’s in it for you.

Kim is my guest on this week’s episode of my podcast, Bleeding Daylight.

You can hear her story wherever you find podcasts or click play on the audio player below.



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Samantha Jackel – My Purple Pants

Samantha Jackel was raised in an Australian country town, the fourth child to alcoholic parents. Instead of finding love at home, she encountered manipulation and abuse.

My father was a violent, threatening man when he drank. He was well known to the police and often spent time ‘cooling off’ in their cells. He was a constant source of fear in our home and his repeated violent attacks on our family would lead my mother to relocate the children in cross country escapades. My father would always find us, my mother lived with the fear that he would some how not only find us but would destroy what she had worked hard for – the love of another.

While growing up my mother seemed to be constantly drunk. She was a paranoid, unstable, abusive and desperately manipulative woman who forced those around her to constantly feed her need for emotional support. She was an expert at playing emotional mind games, and I was often used as the bargaining pawn in dramatic, violent fights that would break out between her and my father and later my step father.

Starved of a husband’s love, she instead looked to me to help meet all her needs. – My Purple Pants

Samantha suffered a traumatic and abusive childhood, but even in the midst of the trauma, there were moments that held out a hope for the future.

As my guest on this week’s episode of my podcast, Bleeding Daylight, she shares the journey that brought her to wholeness and forgiveness.

Hear Samantha’s story on Bleeding Daylight wherever you listen to podcasts or click play on the audio player below.



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