NEWPORT BEACH, Calif., Dec. 01, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- “The Odyssey of King David: God’s Broken Vessel” co-authored by Dr. Sam Mayhugh and D. Paul Thomas, and illustrated by Amy Zaleta-Martinez, delicately interlaces dramatic dialogue with a biblical story producing a moving portrayal of how sorrow and pain can bring forth meaning and hope. From his adulterous affair with Bathsheba to the death of his beloved son, Absalom, this dramatic meditation on the life of King David highlights one of the Bible's extraordinary figures and shows how God is always at work in people’s lives, even when they feel most alienated or alone.
Clinical psychologist, Dr. Sam Mayhugh, and playwright, D. Paul Thomas, both apply their unique expertise to shine a new light on the story of Kind David. Dr. Mayhugh uses an analytical lens to dissect the emotional turbulence King David experiences throughout stories in the Bible in an enlightening way. Simultaneously, Thomas takes this new perspective and transforms it into a gripping narrative that is impossible to put down.
“I want readers to have a spiritual meditative experience, to increase learning of the critical period in the Messianic path, and to come to understand that we are all broken and yet accepted and loved by God. In so recognizing, I want the reader to experience more of a sense of self-acceptance of our good and bad functioning while receiving and taking in the unconditional love and acceptance of God,” Dr. Mayhugh said.
“God is faithful, even when we are faithless, empathizing with our humanity, and understanding that we are all ‘broken vessels’. In our doubts and fears, our losses and brokenness, God is an ever-present help, encouraging and empowering us to meet all of life’s challenges,” Thomas said.
“In ‘The Odyssey of King David’, we are offered an integration of biblical story, character study, and psychological exploration of David. And then as readers, we are asked to consider our personal experiences and struggles, our resistance, fears and shame, and the great invitation to fall deeper into grace, both personally and collectively,” a reviewer wrote about the book.
Everyone will see themselves in David's story and appreciate the insights that Dr. Sam and D. Paul Thomas offer them when they are overwhelmed by grief, sorrow, or remorse. Whether readers want to learn more about this young shepherd who became king of Israel or need encouragement to overcome life's sorrows and challenges, they will be inspired by “The Odyssey of King David.”
“The Odyssey of King David: God’s Broken Vessel”
By Dr. Sam Mayhugh and D. Paul Thomas
ISBN: 9781664201507 (softcover); 9781664201514 (electronic)
Available at the WestBow Press Online Bookstore, Amazon, and Barnes & Noble
About the authors
D. Paul Thomas, an actor and playwright, has appeared on stage in the New York premiere of Peter Handke’s Self Accusation; at the Kennedy Center as Jamie in Long Day’s Journey Into Night, directed by Jason Robards. Television and film credits include General Hospital, Beverly Hills 90210, L.A. Law, Melrose Place, The White Raven, Secret Files of the FBI, and Hanoi Hilton. Mr. Thomas’ play, Bonhoeffer 1945, was a “Best Pick” of the London Times. His “love letter to Indiana,” Serious Inquiries Only, was reviewed as “an endearing comedy” by The Los Angeles Times. His play, The Presentment, premiered at the Pasadena Playhouse, the Hollywood Reporter calling it a “heart-wrenching drama.” Currently, he is writing a one-person play based on The Odyssey of King David. He is also Creative Director of tgaproductions.org. After nearly fifty years in New York and Los Angeles, D. Paul is “back home again in Indiana,” where he resides with his wife, Debby.
Dr. Sam Mayhugh is a practicing psychologist and Christian. He received his Bachelor of Arts from Olivet Nazarene University, a Master’s degree from Purdue University, a Doctorate from Indiana State University, a certificate in Managed Behavioral Health from Harvard, and a certificate in Scenarios and Strategic Planning from Oxford University. He has most recently published, “Harold’s Story: A Journey of Uncommon Healing”, “COVID - 19, Resources for Coping with the Pandemic and Beyond”, and “King David: God’s Broken Vessel”. He is also CEO of tgaproductions.org. Dr. Mayhugh currently resides in Newport Beach, California.
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