About the Book

Book: The Key to Dreaming Again
Author: Rick Unruh
Genre: Non-Fiction, Inspirational
Release Date: July 10, 2019

“We parked our car in front of Yankton’s Federal Prison Camp and walked through the doors of the control center. ‘I’m Rick Unruh, and I’m here to self-surrender,’ I told the corrections officer. There is no way I could comprehend what those words would mean over course of the next year, as God would begin a new work in me.”

Born and raised in a small town in Kansas, Rick Unruh was called to be in the ministry. But when he lost his mother to cancer despite her unwavering faith that God would heal her, it planted seeds of doubt in his heart. He served as a traveling evangelist for years but later faded away from the ministry.

He and his wife lost their house in a fire, but a year later, far worse pain was ahead when they[dori1] , lost their twelve-year-old son in an ATV accident. Just when it seemed there was hope and recovery ahead, Rick was blindsided by a federal investigation into a mortgage consulting group he’d been involved with. He was eventually charged and then sentenced to over a year in prison, embarrassed and sure that God was done with him this time. But God wasn’t finished.

This book is a testament to the God who restores us and allows us to dream again—if we will only surrender ourselves to him.

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MY THOUGHTS.....

Rick Unruh shares his triumphs, his failures, and his deepest emotions in Self-Surrender and I admire that he is willing to be so transparent. He begins this book by relating a very low point and then he explains just what he gained from being incarcerated. 'I was walking into a physical prison, but I was already living in a spiritual prison of shame, regret, and deep hurt. And yet, I would find freedom in prison......Only when I was willing to surrender "self"---all of my hurts, all my pain, all my regrets, and all of my questions---and just trust that I genuinely begin to understand freedom.' (p. 15)

This book might be considered a memoir or autobiography because Unruh shares many of the experiences that made him falter: the deaths of his mother and his son, financial problems, and being sentenced to prison. In the end, however, it is a book of affirmation, inspiration, and encouragement; we are shown how his hurts and failures have helped him to achieve more than he ever dreamed. Self-Surrender: The Key to Dreaming Again reminds us that our best lives can be achieved only when we accept God's Plan for us and we fully surrender to what He has chosen for us.

I received a copy of this book from the author and Celebrate Lit but I wasn't obligated to write a review. All opinions are strictly my own.

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

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About the Author

Rick Unruh is a US MAPS missionary and is the founder of Dream Again Ministry. He holds a master’s degree in counseling from Logos University (Jacksonville, FL), with a special interest in grief ministry. He lives in Kansas with his wife, Tamela, and travels the country sharing his Dream Again testimony, a message of hope and finding our purpose. He recently added workshops for the church, helping them understand and minister to the grieving. Rick also recruits full-time missionaries to serve with MAPS.

More from Rick

I actually wrote the first chapter of my book in 2011 and then it just sat there until December of 2018. I continually have had people ask me to write a book about my story, since I travel nearly every weekend sharing my story. I could just never get the desire or focus to finish it. After writing it, I realized, that I was hesitating because I didn’t want to go back to some of those places and dig deep, stirring painful emotions, just to write about them. I would feel the anxiety building as I was getting closer to those moments. There is great healing in writing, but the early process of writing this book caused me to shed many tears. But, if it can help others who are struggling with the loss of a loved one or a major setback in life, and bring hope and encouragement, then it has all been worth it.