Once Upon a Time

"Stories have always been about us, a mirror in which we can see ourselves-our hopes and dreams, but also our greatest dilemmas." In Once Upon a Time: A Collection of Short Stories for Those Trying to Find Their Way Home, Volume Two, retired clinical psychologist Samuel L. Blumenthal, Ph.D. once again illustrates gospel truths through story and the lens of God's perfect love.

Sam Blumenthal came to faith in Christ in mid-life, after growing up in a Reform Jewish home in the South. His thirty years as a psychoanalytically-oriented psychologist gives him a unique perspective on the inner workings of the mind and heart. He says, "Since the dawn of man, stories have been pregnant with meaning, much of which has gone unnoticed. But if you are willing to slow down and listen more closely, stories will meet you in the very places you need them and guide you home where you will be healthy and whole."

The award-winning author and fellow traveler presents stories to touch hearts and remind us of just how much God desires to be present in our lives. These stories offer us courage to look deeper within ourselves to learn why we think and feel as we do, why we struggle as we do, and what can truly help and redeem us and enable us to find our way home.

Stories are the language of the heart that Sam Blumenthal uses to

spin tales that stir the soul and leave lasting impressions. He doesn't

simply spin a tale but uses words to paint portraits of grace with

people just like you and me.

-Sharon Jaynes, best-selling author of

When You Don't Like Your Story: What if Your Worst

Chapters Could Become Your Greatest Victories

If you love stories, you will love Sam Blumenthal's books. In this

second volume of his Once Upon a Time series, he transports you

into an inspiring world of storybook tales-some ancient, some

influenced by contemporary books or movies, and some futuristic.

But all these stories successfully convey Sam's love for God's truth

and love for you, the reader. As you engage with these sagas, your

own story will suddenly make a lot more sense.

-Jim Buchan, founder of Crosslink Media

Sam looks at life through the lens of an old soul-a grandfather's

gentle wisdom wrapped in stories that convey timeless values rooted

in biblical truth. Come sit in his lap as he reflects and relates stories

that can touch your heart.

-Davis Kuykendall, Search Ministries

Sam's stories remind me of C. S. Lewis's summons to heaven with

the words "further up and further in," found in The Chronicles of

Narnia, The Last Battle. Each tale has elements of adventure, mystery,

and wonder that speak into our own stories with God as the Author.

I encourage you to take the journey and to be on the lookout for

characters and themes that will inspire, challenge, and encourage

you to live a story worth telling.

-Stanton Lanier, pianist-composer,

Music to Light the World

Samuel Blumenthal, PhD, is a retired clinical psychologist who grew up in a Reform Jewish home in Charlotte, North Carolina, where he still resides. The proud father of three grown sons and two daughters-in-law, he has five grandchildren. After coming to faith in Christ at forty-five, he looks for every opportunity to speak and write about the God who pursued him and lovingly carried him back home. He is a 2024 Selah Award winner in short story and writes a bimonthly newsletter on the meaning of story, which can be accessed at samuelblumenthal.com. This is his second published short story collection.

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