For us today, we can see many similarities between our lives and Peter of the gospels. In many ways his story mirrors ours. For instance, how many times are we unsure of ourselves? How often are we prone to shame and guilt? How often do we become overly enthusiastic, often speak before we think, are rash in our behavior, at times becoming more stubborn than a mule, and may even get a little hot-tempered? More than we would like to admit, I imagine. Yet before we write ourselves off as hopeless, consider this. Jesus never saw Peter as hopeless. What Jesus did see was potential, potential that would be realized through one simple touch of the Holy Spirit. Jesus knew that the rushing winds of Pentecost would make all of the difference in the life of Peter, us, and the world. The purpose of this book not only is to explore a before and after transformation of Peter by examining his words in the gospels, but also for us to seek transformation by contemplating how his life reflects our own. Dr. James A.Houck, Jr. received his Ph.D in Pastoral Counseling from Loyola College in Maryland. He currently serves as an Assistant Professor and Clinical Coordinator for the Pastoral Counseling program at Neumann College in Aston, PA. He is also a Licensed Professional Counselor in Pennsylvania and an ordained pastor with the Eastern Pennsylvania Conference of the United Methodist Church. His research interests include loss, grief and bereavement, and incorporating spirituality into therapy. He may be reached at: houckj@neumann.edu.
