Finding deeper water
When Joseph Beckham published his book on spirituality, he realized people were looking for a guide on how to live a more meaningful life.
Aptly titled, Deeper Water for Thirsty Souls, Beckham’s book offers his advice on navigating life.
“People are hard like rocks, carrying around all these burdens,” he said. “They need a practical guide.”
Beckham, a Vestavia resident of seven years, grew up in Chickasaw near Mobile. Following a stint in the U.S. Air Force, he graduated from the University of Alabama and pursued a career in public relations. He is currently Dean of Instructions at Transformation Ministries in Chelsea and also teaches part-time at Fortis Institute, a career college.
His background is in writing, teaching, and training of all kinds including speech writing, features, and news at Alabama Power and the Alabama Eye Bank. His book evolved from posts on his blog titled “The Blog in the Fog” and was written in an attempt to address issues facing the modern church.
“People told me for years that I needed to write a book,” Beckham said, adding that he used friends to help publish it. “This book is for people that really want more.”
In the book’s forward he mentions the one phrase that sums up his book is “the need for intimacy with God.” Beckham said he sees people everyday being forced in many different directions.
“There are so many things pulling on people such as stress, deadlines etc,” he said. “I want to make life simple.”
Keeping it simple also means adding humor into subject matter that can be hard to digest.
“At heart, I’m a teacher,” he said. “I really wanted to keep it light. I enjoy infusing humor into heavy material so people can still enjoy it.”
Beckham has received positive feedback from readers but understands that the subject matter is not for everyone. Regardless, he wrote the piece with the average working person in mind.
“The chapters are shorter because people are busy,” he said. “However, there is still a lot to think about in there.”
He draws from his experience at Transformation Ministries, a faith-based nonprofit ministry providing services to individuals and families affected by addictions, post-traumatic disorder, marriage issues, rebellious behavior and other family crisis. He and his team see people from all walks of life and aim to help them physically, spiritually and mentally.
Through his writing and his role at Transformation Ministries, Beckham wants to help people find hope in a world where it seems elusive.
“I don’t have all the answers but I think I’ve got some of them,” he said.
Beckham’s book is available on Amazon and is also available at The Carpenter’s Shop in Vestavia as well as other bookstores. For more, visit Beckham’s blog at thebloginthefog.com.