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Samuel L. Blumenthal, Ph.D
Once Upon a Time: A Collection of Short Stories for Those Trying to Find Their Way Home
About The Book
“Stories have always been about us, a mirror in which we can see ourselves—our hopes and dreams, but also our greatest dilemmas.” In Once Upon a Time: A Collection of Short Stories for Those Trying to Find Their Way Home, retired clinical psychologist Samuel L. Blumenthal, Ph.D. illustrates gospel truths on the themes of creation, fall, redemption, and restoration, all of which come into clearer focus through the lens of God’s perfect love.
Sam Blumenthal came to faith in Christ in mid-life, after growing up in a Reform Jewish home in the South. His thirty years as a psychoanalytically-oriented psychologist gives him a unique perspective on the inner workings of the mind and heart. He says, “Since the dawn of man, stories have been pregnant with meaning, much of which has gone unnoticed. But if you are willing to slow down and listen more closely, stories will meet you in the very places you need them and guide you home where you will be healthy and whole.”
He presents stories to touch hearts and remind us of just how much God desires to be present in our lives. These stories offer us courage to look deeper within ourselves to learn why we think and feel as we do, why we struggle as we do, and what can truly help and redeem us and enable us to find our way home.
About The Author
Samuel L. Blumenthal, Ph.D
Samuel Blumenthal, Ph.D. is a retired clinical psychologist who grew up in a Reform Jewish home in Charlotte, North Carolina, where he still resides. The proud father of three grown sons and two daughters-in-law, he has five grandchildren. After coming to faith in Christ at forty-five, he looks for every opportunity to speak and write about the God who pursued him and lovingly carried him back home. Once Upon a Time: A Collection of Short Stories for Those Trying to Find Their Way Home is his first book.
Quotes from... Once Upon a Time: A Collection of Short Stories for Those Trying to Find Their Way Home
And she would never forget that look in his eyes. It almost dried up the tears in hers. It was a look she would come to treasure as much as anything in her life. His eyes spoke concern, but also calm, and . . . something else. She wasn’t sure if her mother could have done a better job that day of consoling her and making sure she got back home. It was a little odd to feel so much the child, so much in need, and to have that need so completely met by another child.
His shotgun was lying on the chest next to him. He had just felt a great burden lift off his shoulders, a great relief, the greatest he had felt in years. Many times over in the past he had approached this place, but had never gone further. This time he was resolute and for a moment he felt free, or so he thought. He was just getting ready to pick up the shotgun and turn it on himself when . . . he heard the boy’s footsteps outside.
We all have too many voices in our head, calling out to us, tempting us, condemning us, telling us that some life other than our own would have to be better. We all struggle to find a more quiet mind, a heart at peace, and a soul at rest. This was just more true for Horace. He knew that something was terribly wrong with him, he just couldn’t put it into words. He might be crazy, but he knew down deep he had not always been homeless, that he must have had another life, he just could not remember it.
Once upon a time, there was a little village. It sat in the loveliest foothills you could ever imagine, with majestic trees, flowering meadows, and vibrant rivers and streams. The village was in the Kingdom of Everlasting and ruled by King Glorius IV. He was a strong and courageous king, but no less gentle and kind in his dealings with all his subjects.