A Harvest of Miracles--Author Interview

I was so excited to chat a bit with Dr. Mike Thomas about his book A Harvest of Miracles.

Is this your first book? If so, why did you choose this topic?

The book is a collection of devotionals I published in a local newspaper over a period of 8 years, from 1998-2006. I started writing about my family but also interviewed others for their stories. I never intended to publish a book. It just finally seemed the thing to do. Many readers told me they found the stories encouraging and challenging.

Did you have a particular audience in mind?

Once I accumulated all of them, I saw a common thread, God working in the lives of ordinary people to accomplish extraordinary purposes.

What is your definition of a miracle? Were the ones discussed in your book perhaps more "everyday miracles?" Do you hope readers take more notice of these in their own lives?

I'm not an expert on miracles and don't think there is a single definition. I just write about "God things" that come to my attention. Of course, everyone wouldn't see these as miraculous. I just took the 64 stories and tried to group them up thematically. I have to confess that until God showed me his part in these stories, I didn't think of them as miraculous either. As I wrote them, I began to see His hand, which was very encouraging.

Because of the layout, I thought the book would be nice to read in short snippets, such as with a daily devotional? Was this your goal behind the layout?

Some people have used the book for daily devotions. I would characterize the book as a collection of interesting stories about interesting people and amazing events in their lives. At the conclusion of each story, I make a spiritual point or application, trying not to sermonize. Mostly, I just like a good story, whether to tell it or to hear it.

Do you have anything coming up next?

I am a professor at Baylor University and am currently working on an academic book. I am however still collecting stories and writing thoughts for future reference.

You can read more about Dr. Thomas and A Harvest of Miracles at www.mikethomas.net.