Name: Ray Pentz

Location: Newport Beach, CA.

Dear Phil: I enjoyed meetin you at Barnabas this week and reading your book, "Jolt!". Thank you for your insights.
I will retire at the end of this year after 44 years in the investment management business. In our business, and I trust in most businesses, all you have is your experience and your good word. If you can't be trusted you have nothing.
As I retire (whatever that means) I am trying to build a "pay it forward" attitude by affiliating with Christian ministries and boards where I have an affinity. Free Wheelchair Mission is one of those ministries and I am thrilled to be able to contribute.
I am not sure what my legacy will be, but I suspect a family of honest and loving people is a good start.
Blessings, Ray Pentz

Posted on: Thursday - May 3, 2012

Name: Janice Snyder

Location: Dallas, Ga.

The simple truth is this: God led me to your book, Jolt. Before June 2011 I knew nothing about you or your book, all I knew was that my life had fell into complacency then depression. I dragged through the days and then prayed at night that God would help me. On a scale of 1-10 my hope of change was at 2.
On 6-18-11 my nephew asked me to spend the night and help with a birthday party for a relative of ours the next day. While he and his wife went to the store to buy decorations I decided to clean the clutter off the kitchen table to make room for the gifts. As I was clearing things off the table there was your book, Jolt. I picked it up and had one of those feelings you get when you realize God has just answered a prayer.
My nephew's wife is not a reader so when I asked her what she was doing with this book she told me the company she worked for had accumulated books over time and were giving them to the employee's and though she doesn't read a lot, she felt obligated to bring at least one book home. Now Phil, I mean what are the odds, out of all those books that she would bring home the very book that would be a lifeline to my depression? Yes, God's finger was on this.
Becky said I could have the book and I brought it home and God used the book to jolt me back into the life He planned for me.
Before your book I sat around the house suffering with depression wishing things were the same as they used to be. Your book made me realize that is never going to happen so I must change. The first thing I changed was my prayers. I now pray, God help me change me so I can go forward with your plans for me. The second thing I changed was my inertia. I blew the dust off of a rough draft of a fiction novel I had started and began tweaking it again. I joined a writers club and found the courage to be opened minded to their critiques. I've started new projects such as writing a non-fiction article for a psychology magazine. I've made new friends that are supportive of my work and am involved in attending art clubs with a friend. Even though I am not an artist I go in support of him. I am checking into some online courses in grammar to help my freelance work and my days have all of a sudden got busy and I love it.
Mr. Cooke, thank you for writing Jolt. It was just what I needed at the time to get my creative heart beating again so I could get back to writing for the glory of God, his gift to me. God bless you.

J. Snyder
Freelancer

Posted on: Tuesday - Aug 2, 2011