Author Spotlight: Bob Carroll

We are pleased to introduce Bob Carroll. Bob recently published Embraced with us, which is now available through the Word Alive Press Bookstore, and everywhere fine Christian books are sold. We asked Bob to share a little bit about his new book and his writing. But first, a little bit about him.

About

Bob Carroll grew up fatherless, the youngest of four boys in a single-parent Christian family. He has been searching for a father’s love his whole life which he ultimately found in the love of his heavenly Father.

Although he made a childhood decision to become a Christian, his spiritual life became real and personal after a rededication to Christ at age seventeen. Shortly thereafter, Bob received God’s call to pursue pastoral ministry which led to a pastoral career of forty years, serving churches in Vancouver, Winnipeg, and Edmonton.

Bob has experienced profound encounters with his Heavenly Father’s love. These encounters range from a daily awareness of the Father’s loving presence to dramatic outpourings of His love. He tells these stories in the book, along with the stories of many others who have also experienced the Heavenly Father’s embrace.

Since retiring, Bob, along with his wife Audrey, continue to actively minister through speaking, mentoring, prayer ministry, counselling, and more. His passion is for people everywhere to encounter the transformative love of the Heavenly Father and find healing and freedom.

He holds a Bachelor of Theology degree from Northwest Baptist Theological College, and a Master of Ministry degree from Trinity Western University and Seminary.

Bob and his wife Audrey have three children and seven grandchildren. They have been married for forty-three years and live in Edmonton, Alberta, but take every opportunity to escape the city for the majesty of the Rocky Mountains.

This is Bob’s first book.

Q&A

Q: What is Embraced about?
A: Embraced is about a healing encounter with the loving heart of God, the Father. There is a massive number of struggling people in the world who have been hurt by the wounds from their earthly fathers and mothers. These wounds are so pervasive that they affect most areas of their lives, including their self-worth, their human relationships, and their relationship with God. When people deeply experience God’s love at a heart level through Jesus Christ, they start to find healing for their wounds and a growing life of freedom, joy, peace, and purpose.

This book offers readers a practical way to genuinely connect with God’s love and discover they are a deeply loved child of the Father. In making this discovery, they find the life-giving joy of being embraced by the love of our heavenly Father.

Q: Why did you write this book?
A: I wrote this book out of a desire to see as many people as possible experience the tender, healing love of the heavenly Father. In working with people over the years, I have observed that hurting people who are intentional about connecting with God’s love through Jesus Christ, find the help and healing they so desperately need. This book will point people to the Father’s heart and guide them through a process of healing and growth.

I also wrote Embraced because I believe God wants my life story to be told—a fatherless, lost, and fearful boy who is being lovingly healed by a wonderful heavenly Father. Who I am today is because of God’s great love, mercy, gift of sonship, and the way He has fathered me. I believe many will be able to relate to my story and the personal stories of other people in this book. Through these stories, along with the biblical teaching, my hope is that the Holy Spirit will stir a longing in people to experience the Father’s love in a way that will change them forever.

Q: Who should read this book?
A: Anyone who has father (parental) wounds and longs for healing should read this book. Embraced is written primarily for Christians who know in their heads that God loves them, but have little to no experience of that love in their hearts. The book focuses on those readers for whom God’s love is only an intellectual concept, rather than an experiential reality.

In short, this book is for those who are longing to feel loved by God. It is for people who have a genuine desire to connect deeply with the love of their Heavenly Father and who want more in their Christian life than just going through the motions of lifeless religious duty.

This book is also written for those who are not yet followers of Jesus Christ. They will benefit from its message as they discover the good news of the gospel which has the power to heal and restore and bring new life.

Q: What was the writing process like?
A: The whole writing process has taken about a year and a half. The first two months were a wonderful, intense time of what I would describe as a “download” of material from the Lord. I wrote six days a week, ranging from a few hours each day to several. This raw material was then formed and shaped by editing, revisions, and input from helpful people who took the time to read through my early drafts.

I’ve written sermons for over forty years but never a book, so that is how the first version of my book took shape–a series of short, scriptural talks, illustrated with personal stories and united by an underlying theme. My son, who is a gifted writer and a voracious reader, helped me to recognize this and worked with me to craft the early drafts into an expanded, flowing narrative that became this book. The editing and refining process felt long and tedious at times but was essential and worth all the effort. I am grateful for the help and expertise of the Word Alive Press editing team who provided much direction and support.

Q: What advice would you give to first-time authors?
A: For me, writing a book boils down to a call from God. If you really believe He wants you to do this and has given you a message, you will be motivated to start the project and stick with it through the long journey to publication. Also, along with the help of the professionals at Word Alive Press, find a team of supportive people who will help you with ideas, read-throughs, prayer, love, and encouragement. Writing is a labour of love, but the joy is immense when the baby is born!

Keep your writing focused on the theme and aim of the book. I want to say everything I can about a topic, which leads me to detour from the main theme and purpose of the book. Recognizing this, I reluctantly cut two chapters that I thought were good but didn’t add value to the main focus of Embraced. These chapters could be the beginnings of a second book, if the Lord so leads.

Don’t let your personal insecurities rob you of the call to write. Many authors feel inadequate with their writing, that their book will never be good enough. I felt that way often throughout the process until my pastor spoke one Sunday on the story of the loaves and fishes from Matthew 14. I heard Jesus say, “You consider this book a small, insignificant lunch of five loaves and two fish. But if you give it to Me, I will multiply it and feed many.”

Q: What’s next for you?
A: The vision I have for the foreseeable future is to do Father Heart Retreats based on Embraced, to give people an opportunity to gather and experience the Father’s love with others. This weekend retreat would include dealing with the obstacles that prevent people from experiencing the Father’s love and inviting the Holy Spirit to pour out the Father’s love in our hearts. This retreat would be a combination of worship, teaching, and personal ministry in small groups guided by a gifted facilitator. My goal would be to establish Embraced Communities to give participants an ongoing place of support and help.

Connecting Points

Find and follow Bob, here:
www.bobcarrollauthor.com

Bob will be having a Book Launch and Signing Party on Jan. 12, 2023 at Northgate Baptist Church in Edmonton from 7PM-9PM.