From Start to Finish by (not Tamera) but Joe Alexander

A year ago, my husband, Joe, felt a strong nudge to begin writing down some of his—and our—family history for our grandchildren, Leo and Ari.

As he wrote, he found himself sharing lessons he hopes to one day teach each of them himself, Lord willing. Yet knowing that none of us will be here forever, he was grateful for the opportunity to put pen to paper.

Early on, I read his first few pages, then chapters, and encouraged him to keep going, knowing how much I would treasure such insights into my grandparents or great-grandparent’s lives. To have a written record of their experiences, their reflections on the successes and failures in their lives, to have a window into their hopes and dreams, and, most importantly, into their faith journey with the Lord. What a gift that would be.

In short, the words kept coming, and the pages and old photographs kept accumulating, until they finally turned into something far more than Joe ever imagined at the outset…

More about the book

Thanks to Ken Raney (Deb’s oh-so-talented husband) for helping us create the cover. Joe originally had an image of a young boy setting out on a journey in his mind. The boy was headed to catch a train, carrying a man’s briefcase and wearing a suit that was a bit too large for him. MidJourney and Ken helped bring that image to life.

As Joe shares in the book, “If I’ve learned anything at this point on my journey, it’s that the less we focus on helping ourselves and the more we focus on helping others, the more we accomplish—and the more meaningful and satisfying our life’s journey is.”

One early reader comments, “It may not have been the author’s intention, but the golden thread that runs through Joe’s memoir is gratitude. Living a life of gratitude may be the best lesson his grandchildren will learn from this book! (Carol Jones)” And I agree. Writing a book is a journey (just as reading one is), and God met Joe on the page time and time again, and he’s richer for the experience.

I appreciate the honesty and humility in Joe’s writing, along with his trademark sense of humor. Good-natured sarcasm is almost considered a spiritual gift in our family, LOL, so be forewarned. And while I wouldn’t classify his narrative as oversharing exactly, you’ll definitely know far more about our last forty years together than you may want to. But hey, if someone can learn from our mistakes and missteps, if they can be encouraged by how God, in his mercy, has led us through some difficult times, I say share away, babe!

Of course, I’m proud of Joe for this accomplishment. But far more, I’m grateful that our grands, once they’re grown and perhaps become curious about who came before them—which often happens later in a person’s life—will have this collection of life lessons and personal insights that will, prayerfully, help them to walk more closely with the Lord.

Me & Joe

Have you recorded life lessons or family history for your children or grandchildren? If not, perhaps this will encourage you to do just that. Do you have written memories from your grandparents or great-grandparents about their lives—their faith struggles and experiences? If you do, what a treasure!

Happily immersed in rewrites in my chilly corner of Nashville,

Tammy

Print available now
Ebook and KU available this Thursday (2/20)