Henry K. Ripplinger's Blog, page 3

A Teenager’s Beautiful Sharing

It always warms my heart when young people read the Angelic Letters Series. Many of the life lessons and insights portrayed by the characters in the books are things I discussed with students as a High School Counselor. It’s interesting how a career I once loved is reaching young adults through a different format.

I received a beautiful email from Victoria who was encouraged to read the books by her Nana (Audrey). Victoria has given me permission to post her remarks about the books and her wonderful relationship with her Grandmother.

Thank you for your heartfelt sharing. I am certain your words will inspire other teenagers to read the Series and consider the values and life lessons therein.

********

Dear Mr. Ripplinger

Hi!  My name’s Victoria, I am 13 and I live in Saskatoon.  I am just writing to let you know that the Angelic Letters Series in an eye-opening experience and an amazing journey.  Your books have helped me understand why God put me on this great Earth, and what He knows I’m capable of while I’m here.

It was my Nana who suggested that I read the first book of the series.  I honestly didn’t know what to expect.  I thought, a series of books my Nana, who is 88, and her friends loved so much, couldn’t have much in them that would be interesting to me.  I didn’t want to hurt her feelings though, so I decided I would read some of the book and then decide how I feel.

I was very pleasantly surprised.  Since I am a teenager, I found that I could relate to Henry and Jenny’s experience on some level.  I have had some experiences similar to them, although none as life-altering as theirs’.  At least I don’t think I have.  Then again, God is constantly working in mysterious ways we don’t always understand.  God is always helping to guide us along and help us do the right thing, although His intention is never to give away our free will, as you have spoken of in Another Angel of Love.  You never know, maybe I will have many life-altering experiences God doesn’t want me to be aware of yet.

The Engelmann’s have taught me so much.  I try to read the Bible, and listen to God and what he’s trying to tell me but, sometimes it all seems to confusing and over-my-head.  The way Anna and David explain things, in such a simple yet very profound way, so much falls into place for me.  I can understand why I’m here and what my purpose is throughout my life.  The ultimate item to have checked off my list, before I can head up to Paradise, to become the person God envisions and knows you can be.  Your books have given me renewed hope and stronger faith, that I am capable of this, it is by no means an unreachable and unimaginable option.

I am just about finished Another Angel of Love, and it is amazing to see how so many of the characters have such a stronger faith and trust in God.  With the love, support, and understanding of others surrounding them, they can feel God’s presence and learn to realize that God knows what’s best, even if you have absolutely no idea why.

My Nana has read all four of the books that are available, and we talk about them often.  We both mention how we really feel like we can be improved versions of ourselves and live guided by their principles and values.  Angelic Letters has given us so much to think about and consider, so thank you for that.

My Nana reminds me of Mrs. Engelmann quite a bit actually.  She lives in such a way that I know God must be pleased with here.  She`s kind, compassionate, empathetic, kind, considerate, forgiving, and so much more.  I realize now how lucky I am to have such a good role model in my life.  She shows me everyday how we are all supposed to live, and I don`t think she even realizes it.

Please never doubt that people are reading and enjoying your books.  I know many people across Saskatchewan who are frustrating book stores with the amount of times they are calling in to inquire about book five.   Thanks so much for everything I have gotten out of reading your books, and what I`m sure I will continue to get out of your writing.  Angelic Letters has been a blessing sent down to me from Heaven above.

Have a great day and God bless!

Sincerely,

Victoria

Wonder and Inspiration in the Little Things

On Facebook last week, I asked readers to tell me about their long weekends…one reader by the name of MaryAnn Valckx wrote in to tell me of this lovely little story:

You asked how our weekend and if anything wonderful and inspirational had happened, well a Hummingbird flew into my back yard…!!!! In Lethbridge this is not such a common occurrence….but when he flew away before I could grab my camera…I shouted out…”Thank you God! ”  Which took my fiance aback.  I explained to him that we got the greatest gift by just watching her in my flowers, even if I didn’t get a photo.  The next day, I received that great gift again, but still no camera! I went in, and when I returned there she was….GONE! I sat and said some prayers, something I have not said as much as I have since reading your books.  I thank you….just finding a lot of things a little more peaceful, and accepting. I did make my Thanks to God….through my life, but closeness was not in my life …I feel a lot coming back, and feeling a lot more at peace!!! Thank you sir!

And by the way….the Hummingbird did come back, and this time I had my camera!

Always remember to look for the wonder and inspiration that God provides – even in the little things!

~Henry

BOOKSIGNING EVENT THIS WEEK: COSTCO SASKATOON!

Hi Everyone!

I will be signing all four books in the Angelic Letters Series: Pewter Angels, Another Angel of Love, Angel of Thanksgiving and The Angelic Occurrence, on following dates and location:



Costco Saskatoon:  Wed., Thur., and Friday, July 31, August 1 and 2 from 10-5pm each day.



Readers who have previously purchased book 4 or any of the other three books and would like them signed, please bring them to the signing.
Please let your family and friends know of the signing event.  Hope to see you there!


Henry

Stories from the Signing Road

Almost every time I am out book signing I hear stories from readers that I like to share. Following are two I heard these past few days during my signings:

Neely Dawn Gustafson and her Mom travelled all the way from Estevan, SK to have her newest book signed! Thanks for making the trip!

Lila and her husband were driving back to Regina from their home in Arizona and she forgot book 1, Pewter Angels at one of the motels they spent the night in. Apparently the blue bedspread was so close in color to the blue book cover she didn’t notice the book still lying on the bed when they left on their journey. About an hour into their drive she searched for the book and realized that she had left it behind.  Lila was so upset that she forgot the book that her husband stopped and called the Motel to send the book out COD ahead to their next motel stop. Sure enough by next morning the book had arrived at a cost of $16.00!!

It made him very happy to see his wife once again enjoy the story!

*************************

Some friends of Memorice Koop came to one of my signings at Regina Costco. They shared with me that Memorice is a hairdresser that works out of her home. She has been following the Angelic Letters series and was very touched by Father Engelmann’s sermon titled the Forgotten People in Chapter Sixty-Three of book 4, The Angelic Occurrence.

Father was referring to people in care homes who need help either because they are no longer able to look after themselves, are ill or don’t want to live alone. Many times people do not have anyone to come visit them or show care for them.

In any case, Memorice decided to take one day out of her week to visit a care home and give some care, good will and cheer by offering her talents to do up ladies hair and visit at the same time!

Memorice, I hope someone alerts you to this blog because you are one of God’s earthly angels!! It touches my heart what you are doing! If you ever come to one of my signings I have a huge hug for you!!

Thank you and God bless!!

Henry

Book Signing in Coles July 19th – Regina’s Northgate Mall

Hi Everyone!

I will be signing all four books in the Angelic Letters Series: Pewter Angels, Another Angel of Love, Angel of Thanksgiving and The Angelic Occurrence, at Coles Bookstore, Northgate Mall in Regina tomorrow, Friday, July 19, from 10am-5pm.



The store has a few copies left of the hardcover of book 4, The Angelic Occurrence if you are interested in a copy. With each purchase receive a free limited edition print of the cover.





Readers who have previously purchased book 4 or any of the other three books and would like them signed, please bring them to the signing.



Please let your family and friends know of the signing event. Hope to see you there!
Henry

A Beautiful Gift

At Costco South last Saturday, I was pleasantly surprised to see my good friend, Lorne Mertick and his lovely wife, Wendy, stand before my signing table. We warmly greeted each other and chatted for a bit about our past relationship and how time had changed our external features but not our fondness for one another. Before he left, he presented me with a gift he had made. It was a beautiful wooden cross about 12 inches high supported by a granite base. It had the “Our Father” prayer engraved into the cross both vertically and horizontally. He had also painted streaks of gold on the edges to denote our heavenly King.

It is absolutely beautiful! I was so taken back by this beautiful gift I was speechless!

I took several photos of Lorne and I together and also of the cross. I am looking for a cable so that I can post it on social media.

I would like to say, however, Lorne, thank you from the bottom of my heart for the beautiful gift and coming all the way to the signing to do so. It is very much appreciated and I shall treasure it forever.  In fact it will occupy a special place in my Poustinia (prayer house) in the valley.

A Young Voice of Wisdom

The other day at one of my signings a young boy of nine years of age stood in front of my signing table and asked, “ What is this story all about, sir.”

It was the “sir” that caught my immediate attention. Also, the serious look on his face gave me a further clue as to his advanced maturity.

I proceeded to explain what the story was about and concluded with a statement that I sometimes make, “….and since I am the author who wrote all of these books, when I sign them for you, they will be worth a million dollars!”

Most people laugh however, his face held the serious expression it did as I had explained the story to him. His mind was analyzing my last statement and then he spoke, “Usually when I take a risk and buy something I find out later that its only worth  .10 cents!!”

Clearly, my ego fell into instant humility along with a laughter that I could not contain. What a reply!!!

Along came his mother and his younger sister who appeared to be about seven years old. I shared the astute wisdom of her son and she told me that that is not unusual for her boy. After I explained the story to her and that it would be a good mother-son read she agreed to buy book1, Pewter Angels. After I handed the signed copy to the young boy, I handed a book mark to his younger sister so that she would not feel left out.  However, she was very shy, almost the antithesis of her older brother. She refused to accept the book mark and looked at her brother and whispered…”you take it for me…” To which he replied, “No, its okay, you take it.” This was reinforced by her mother, who said, “Don’t be shy, take it.”

The girl still refused and kept looking at her brother, her eyes pleading that he take it for her.  Once again I saw that sharp mind of his churn and he leaned towards me as if sharing a private matter, reached out and took the book mark along with the following comment in a low almost apologetic tone …. “My sister is really very appreciative of the book mark.”

Once again I struggled to contain myself at the young boy’s mature sensitivity to the matter at hand!!

Henry’s Graduation Speech

I had a request from one reader to send him a PDF of Henry’s Graduation Speech, so that he could send it on to his 10 Grandchildren.  As I prepared the speech for sending to him, I realized (humbly) that there really were some great words of wisdom embedded within.  Here then, is Henry’s Graduation Speech from Book 2 of the Angelic Letters, Another Angel of Love:

Henry’s Graduation Speech – from Another Angel of Love, by Henry Ripplinger

Another Angel of Love, Book 2 of the Angelic Letters Series

“And now, I proudly give you Henry Pederson, president of the student council and this year’s valedictorian.”

The students clapped, whistled and hollered as Henry approached the podium, reached into the breast pocket of his suit and retrieved his speech. He unfolded the sheets on the lectern, pressing them flat to ensure they would stay open in the same way he had seen Mr. Engelmann unfold Anna’s letter at her celebration. A peaceful confidence swept over him, at the thought, and he focused his mind on the job at hand. He believed with all his heart that what he had written was what he needed to say.

Henry deliberately waited an extra moment after the applause subsided so that everyone would be ready to listen.

“Thank you, Mr. Mitchell, for that kind introduction. Fellow classmates, students, parents and honoured guests, I am honoured to have the opportunity of speaking to all of you today. When Mr. Mitchell asked if I would accept this role this year, I knew exactly what I wanted to say.

“For the last four years, I have had the privilege of working for an extraordinary man and his wife, who have imparted valuable lessons in life to me. I am extremely grateful to my parents as well for all their love, support and teachings. Sometimes, however, it is easier to talk to a friend or confidante about personal problems and life’s challenges.

“I suppose I would have discussed these things with my parents, but somehow this man and his wife were there. I worked for them almost every day in an atmosphere conducive to sharing conversations from the heart. Almost every day I thank God for having allowed me to come into such an atmosphere in the most unexpected environment of an old grocery store. But it did happen. I sat on a weathered grey crate and drank root beer or Orange Crush and was taught by a very, very wise man. And I am very excited to share with you some of the lessons I have learned as a result of this experience.

“I will not be talking about future jobs and careers, or our past school year, or the pros and cons of attending a trade school or university. I will not explain how to get rich and own two cars, a boat and several houses. Mr. Engelmann taught me that while all of these things may seem important, they cannot bring you true happiness or measure your true success in life, regardless of how much you possess. I often kidded Mr. Engelmann that I would like to learn this for myself. And I did. Soon after getting something for my birthday or Christmas, I would find myself worrying again, or being upset about something or other. Material things really didn’t keep me happy for very long.

“True happiness and success comes from within, and that is the subject I have chosen for my speech. What you believe in, the principles and values you adopt and live by every day, will ultimately determine the quality of life and the happiness you enjoy. The principles and values I’m talking about are honesty, truthfulness, kindness, fairness, patience, understanding, forgiveness, and so on. These are things taught by our parents, our teachers and all religions. The goal is to be a good person and to fulfill the commandment of God to love our neighbour as ourselves.

“When we choose to live this way, we develop a strong character. We become people of integrity. People trust us and like to be around us and like to be our friends. When we live by these values, decisions are easy. We know what to do when life’s challenges come along, when we are tempted or tested. If we believe in honesty, we will then be honest; if we believe in fairness, then we will be fair.

“When we violate these values or principles, or if we are not firm in our belief and resolve to live this way, our problems begin and life becomes difficult. If we are honest or trusting today, but not tomorrow, we are no longer seen as people of integrity. But perhaps more importantly, we know in our hearts we are not being true to ourselves.

“People of integrity, people who choose to live by sound values and principles, also live more in the present, in the now of life. They are neither controlled by yesterday’s wrong decisions nor worried about the future. People who do not live a life of integrity are only partially alive to the present because guilt, worry, shame or fear steals away precious moments from living in the present.

“So, we see that by living a life of integrity, we have a very rich life and are aware of the richness of life around us. We are then in a better position to serve the needs of others. And furthermore, by living in the present as people of integrity, we determine our past and shape our future. We are in control of our lives and destiny.

“What I am saying isn’t really anything new. We all know what values and principles are. But perhaps what we haven’t thought about is making a conscious choice to live by them. We must believe in our hearts and minds that this is the best way to live and then do it daily. Life’s problems can sneak up on us and if we are not prepared, we can easily make wrong choices and decisions.”

Henry then went on to talk about his struggle with wanting to reference God, the Bible and prayer in his speech because he didn’t want to be perceived as a religious fanatic or someone incapable of running his own life. But he wanted to share it because it was what helped him the most in his life. Even people who said they didn’t believe in God, and appeared so strong, were the first ones to turn to Him when trouble struck their lives. But what tipped the scale to including this in his speech was the influence of his friend Gary, who’d spoke so boldly about the effect God had made in his life and, of course, Mr. Engelmann’s influence as well.

“Perhaps one of the most important things Mr. Engelmann has taught me is to meditate daily about the direction my life is going and how I am living it. What did I do yesterday that was not so good, and how can I do better today? At the start, when I failed to do this consistently, I quickly ran into trouble. Over the years, it has become a habit, and for me this has become as important as eating, if not more. If I make the wrong decision or choice, I have trouble eating and get indigestion.

“No, to live this way we must begin the day right and be in the right frame of mind. And, perhaps most importantly, we must realize that it cannot be done alone. There are too many temptations in life, and it is too easy to make wrong choices. We must pray and ask for God’s help and strength. In fact, I read the Bible daily. All the values and principles for successful living are contained therein.

“Before Mr. Engelmann taught me to pray and meditate on my life, the thoughts I had were the same day-to-day. The thoughts I have today would simply be carried over to tomorrow. Nothing new entered my mind. I wasn’t aware of my life and I wasn’t growing as a person. I was stuck. I repeated self-defeating actions, the same behaviours and thoughts.

“Mr. Engelmann always told me that we are what we think. If we complain and think negatively, keeping the past alive by worrying about it, we get more and more of the same old negative thoughts. Mr. Engelmann taught me to be grateful and think positively, to write down everything I am thankful for and thank the Lord each day for all the blessings I’ve been given.

“It’s funny, though. The more I’m thankful for, the more I seem to get. The list just keeps getting longer and longer. I have great parents and teachers. I’m grateful for my school and my role as president. I am also thankful for my friends, car, education, and on and on. And I ask God to help and to guide me in all my words, thoughts and actions.

“To live this way is more than a one-time decision. It’s an ongoing process. Every day, we have to choose between right and wrong. We have to meet each new challenge head-on. As we form the habit of daily meditating, praying and living a life based on sound values, we will be richly rewarded. Since I have been doing this, I have never been happier or more at peace. I love life, have an abundance of energy and look forward to each new day.

“I must admit, however, that many a day I fail and still do. Fortunately, I have a good teacher. Mr. Engelmann never dwells on my shortcomings or setbacks, my failures. He always sees what I really am, a child of God, filled with beauty, talent and abilities. Mr. Engelmann always encourages me and says that each new moment in our lives is an opportunity to begin again, to start afresh and to decide to do what is good. Eventually we will grow and succeed. With each little victory we become stronger and better people.

“Mr. Engelmann likens growing in values to a child learning to walk. A child never sees himself as a failure or gets upset or discouraged when he falls. The child simply gets up again and again, living fully in the present moment, staying fully focused and determined until eventually—he walks. With each attempt the child reinforces his goal, feels more and more confident and is encouraged by his parents. He not only walks, but soon runs in free abandon. And so it is with us. Each time we choose to forgive or to be kind, just, honest, loving—and receive help and encouragement from God—we become who we are supposed to be: loving people of God, here to serve our fellow man.”

Henry talked about how Mr. Engelmann’s daily life had exemplified integrity. How he implemented honesty in his business. How he served his customers, not just by serving them their groceries but also serving their hearts. He loved unconditionally. If he had not seen Mr. Engelmann in action, living a life of integrity, he knew Mr. Engelmann’s lessons on the old, grey crate wouldn’t have impressed him as they had. But seeing it daily and consistently was what challenged and motivated him. He wanted to become like Mr. Engelmann.

“Seeing Mr. Engelmann live this way made me realize how important it is to be a role model. Walking the talk is very important. I don’t think half of us know the tremendous influence we have over each other. Just like I mentioned earlier, my friend Gary has also been a strong influence on me. Our example may very well lead another person away from making the wrong choice. People who live in the present, the now of life, mainly because they have chosen to live by sound values and principles, stand out as a beacon, leading the path for all to see.

Mr. Engelmann stressed over and over to me that we need people of integrity, strength and example, but to be so, we must begin, and once we do, we feel so good inside it just keeps us motivated to go on. We are happiest when we are growing and doing good and serving others.”

Henry talked about other people who lived lives of integrity and service to others. He talked about Ron Schmidt and how Ron had helped to decorate Mr. Engelmann’s store at Christmastime and what a good attitude he had. They laughed when Henry told them that regardless of what he had asked Ron to do, his reply was always, “No problem, Hank.”

Henry talked about Irvin Goronic and the story he had told at Mrs. Engelmann’s funeral. How he had developed integrity as a result of Mrs. Engelmann’s influence and become an executive at the age of twenty-four, the youngest man to be promoted to such a trustworthy position in his firm.

And finally, Henry talked about Mrs. Engelmann and how she had lived a life based on love. How she was the embodiment of everything he had said. How she was love in action. How she reached out to others. How she lived a life of service.

Henry explained how the Engelmanns’ grocery store was not only there for making money, but for serving and helping their fellow man. How St. Mary’s Church, perhaps the largest in the city, was packed for her funeral—a clear testimony to the number of lives she had affected.

“When people come to the end of their lives, they will be judged by who they were and how well they have lived. People won’t be remembered and revered for their material success, but by the amount of love they have shown and given to others. ‘Acts and words that touch the heart are never forgotten’ was a phrase that both Mr. and Mrs. Engelmann often quoted.

“Before I conclude my talk to you this afternoon, there is one value or principle in life I would like to talk about because it is so important and seems to affect so many people’s lives and relationships, and that is forgiveness.” Henry paused for a moment, allowing everyone to refocus and be attentive.

“How many of us have not forgiven a friend, our mother or father, a brother or sister, or a teacher?” Henry paused. “Unforgiveness holds both the person who was hurt, as well as the person who caused the hurt, in bondage. On the day Anna Engelmann was buried, my father introduced me to a man whose tombstone asked for eternal forgiveness. This man was caught in the bondage of unforgiveness even into death. What a horrible existence he must have had; how he must have suffered.

“It is critical to have peace within a family.” And here Henry used as an example, the issue of peace between his father and him. He didn’t reveal the circumstances but rather described the joy of forgiving. Henry went on to explain how he had to learn to separate the undesirable behaviour or actions of others from the actual person.

“Everyone—parents, teachers, religious leaders—has weaknesses and frailties. We have to forgive, accept and move forward to be as fully alive as possible. If we don’t, if we harbour unforgiveness, we feed the vicious cycle of hurt, resentment and vengeance, effectively cheating ourselves out of life. It’s amazing how a forgiving attitude can melt away the hurt or anger—and in the blink of an eye, at times, those who have hurt us become our greatest friends. The bondage that chained both us and the one who hurt us is released, and the joy of forgiveness brings us happiness and peace. We can see and feel the difference in ourselves and those around us. We are free to live and to love.”

As Henry paused for a moment, his eyes rested on his mother and for a brief instant their gazes locked. But in that split second, Henry knew she understood the message was as much for her as it was for his fellow students. A prayer that had been in Henry’s heart for so long was sent and received.

“It may seem strange to hear these things coming from someone so young, but is it really that strange? These are things I have learned and put into practice in my life. Any one of you could, too, and perhaps many of you already have. Why does learning how to live for the better have to wait until we are old or ready to die? Isn’t now the time to learn the best way to live? If we don’t, we will stumble through life, learning the hard way, and perhaps being pretty miserable a lot of the time. Mr. Engelmann has always said to me that knowledge, a university degree, a big house and so on isn’t really all that helpful if we don’t know how to live right and are not happy.”

Henry paused again. “To end my talk today, I want to remind you of what our English teacher, Mr. Derkatch, has always stressed. When you give a presentation, it’s important to summarize what you said at the end. When I first wrote this speech, I listed all the points I felt I should go over again. However, when I looked up the definition of ‘integrity’ in the dictionary, I read: ‘undivided in purpose.’ It emphasized wholeness, being true, authentic, at one with yourself. The thought immediately came to me that a visual demonstration of a man or woman, being a person of integrity, living by sound values and principles, would be far more effective.”

Henry held up a sheet of paper, white on one side and black on the other. “Suppose this represents you now as a whole person. And as you know, we are daily faced with making choices. For example, should I tell the truth in this instance or should I lie? Should I take something that doesn’t belong to me or not? Should I hold a grudge or be forgiving? Well, each time we make a choice, we can either remain a whole person and undivided, or we can start to break down. For example, if we lie, it affects our character.”

As Henry said this, he made a long tear down one edge of the paper, and as it fell forward, the black side was exposed, indicating a black mark against them.

Henry heard a murmur in the audience.

“If we steal, it further affects our character.” Henry made another tear. “Unforgiving, mean, dishonest.” Henry made another tear and then another.

Soon all that was left of the paper was a thin strip in the middle, showing all the black marks against them.

Henry then picked up another whole sheet of white paper and held them side by side.

After a brief moment Henry asked, “What kind of person do you want to be, a person of integrity or the other? Who do you think lives a better life? Who has fewer worries? Who is more free? Who lives more in the present? Who is more aware of life? In the end, who is more able to serve and fulfill the purpose for which we are here on earth?”

Once again Henry paused, allowing everyone to answer those questions themselves. It was so quiet in the auditorium that Henry was sure he could hear the proverbial pin drop, and he knew the demonstration had hit home. He knew his classmates understood what he was talking about. They could see it, and Henry sensed they now believed it. Somehow what he had said had made a significant change in at least some of the students in the same way Mr. Engelmann’s words and teachings had changed him.

“I often remember a line we studied in English from Shakespeare’s play, Hamlet. I think it is fitting here: ‘To be, or not to be: that is the question.’ And this is the thought I leave with you today. The choice is yours. Each day when you get up, you can choose to serve others or yourself, to build or destroy, to be happy or sad, kind or unkind, grateful or complaining, forgiving or unforgiving, to be truthful or untruthful, and on and on. Yes, to be or not to be…to be a person of integrity or not is the daily question we must ask ourselves without fail.”

Henry concluded by wishing the students well and, turning to Mr. Engelmann in the front row, Henry publicly thanked him for the time he had spent with him and the lessons of life he imparted by his example and teachings.

When Henry finished speaking, an uneasy silence hung in the air. As he gathered his notes and turned to leave the podium, a few people clapped, then a few more and then, like dominoes falling in rapid succession, the clapping erupted into a thunderous applause. People stood, smiling, laughing, whistling.

Henry was shocked by the strength and length of the ovation. His eyes turned to his parents in the front row. They were beaming and clapping. He focused on Mr. Engelmann, still in his chair, not applauding but proudly watching his pupil. That day his protégé had demonstrated that he had gone beyond what he had been taught in Mr. Engelmann’s school of life.

******************************

God Bless ~Henry

Review of “The Angelic Occurrence” on the Sask Publishing Website

The Angelic Occurence

BY SPG

The Angelic Occurrence

by Henry Ripplinger,

Published by Pio-Seelos Publishing

Review by Gail Jansen-Kesslar

$21.95 ISBN 9 780991 710225

Experiencing an “angelic occurrence” may mean different things to different people, but to those fans following Henry Ripplinger’s Angelic Letter series who are eagerly awaiting the release of Book 4 in the six-part series, the angelic occurrence in this case could be the release of the book itself.

Released nearly a year after Book 3, Angel of Thanksgiving, The Angelic Occurrence continues to follow the relationship between Henry and Jenny whose paths have taken opposite turns. While books 1 through 3 of the series focused on the relationships that developed first between them as teenagers, and then between them and the other supporting characters, Book 4 looks to highlight a different sort of relationship :the relationship between what actions we take in our lives and the trickle down effect those actions have on not only our lives, but on the lives around us — the relationship between coincidence and serendipity.

How influenced are we by the actions of people we may never have met before? How connected are we with one another? And how do our own actions affect those around us? These are all questions Ripplinger answers boldly and dramatically when “Henry” of the novel experiences something that “Henry” the author experienced firsthand in his own life. It is an experience that so profoundly affected Ripplinger that he felt motivated to write about it, and he makes reference to it in the foreword of each of his three previous books. Here, finally is the reveal of the occurrence he refers to.

While to tell you what exactly that experience was would be too much of a spoiler for those who have yet to read the book, the message to be taken from it is simply to always be aware of the way your life may affect those around you – even those you may never have met.

As in the first three books of the Angelic Letters series, The Angelic Occurrence features a major recurring role for the shopkeeper-turned-priest known as Father Engelmann, who has long been Henry’s mentor and confidante. A father-figure for Henry from the time he was 15 years old, in The Angelic Occurrence, Father Engelmann continues to offer his common sense real-world advice wrapped in valuable lessons and Christian-based values to a much older and slightly wiser Henry, proving you’re never too old for good advice.

Despite its Christian bent however, neither the characters nor the book itself has a “preachy” feel to it, nor does it feel like it was intended solely for a Christian audience. Instead it is a book and a series intended for those who are looking for practical tools to help them learn how they can better deal with some of life’s toughest situations, woven into a narrative that makes those tools easy to digest.

Since the Angelic Letters series first began with the release ofPewter Angels in 2010, Henry Ripplinger’s books have achieved phenomenal success. All three previous books in the series have become Canadian Bestsellers that have won awards both for both “Best Fiction” and for “Most Inspirational Book.” It’s a tradition that is sure to continue with Book 4, The Angelic Occurrence.

THIS BOOK IS AVAILABLE AT YOUR LOCAL BOOKSTORE OR FROM WWW.SKBOOKS.COM

Alberta Book Signing Tour – Now Underway!

For all those who were waiting on my Alberta book tour before getting The Angelic Occurrence you can now finally get to Book 4 – here are my dates for the Alberta leg of my Book Signing Tour!

All Signing are in Costco!

Store 154, Edmonton North, June 10 and 11, Monday and Tuesday.

Store 1112 West Edmonton, June, 12 and 13, Wednesday and Thursday

Store 544, Sherwood Park. June 14 and 15, Friday and Saturday

Store 156, East Edmonton, June 16 and 17, Sunday and Monday

Store 258, Edmonton South, June 18 and 19. Tuesday and Wednesday

Store 164, Red Deer, June 20 and 21, Thursday and Friday

Store 1076, Rocky View, June 22 and 23, Saturday and Sunday

Store 56, Calgary North, June 24 and 25, Monday and Tuesday

Store 543, Calgary NW, June 26 and 27, Wednesday and Thursday

Store 251, Calgary, South, June 28 and 29, Friday and Saturday.

Okotoks, June 30, and July 2, Sunday and Tuesday NOTE: Monday is a holiday-Canada Day

Store 160, Lethbridge July 3 and 4, Wednesday and Thursday.

Store 593, Medicine Hat, Friday and Saturday.

For those wondering, all four books are available and I would be more than happy to sign any of the previously purchased books you bring in!

Looking forward to meeting my Alberta fans!

~Henry