"Pain in the Offering" is destined to encourage those who struggle with chronic pain or illness. This is not another self-help manual with quick, easy steps to wellness. Yet, it is sure to lift the spirits of those who have had their fill of them. Each chapter is brief, inspiring and enjoyable. The reader can expect "motivational talks" as opposed to a litany of "how to" lectures. Rather than take a dry clinical approach to the topic of pain, Michaels identifies with the reader by sharing his own struggles. As the subtitle suggest, this book is about hoping and coping in a world of hurt....

Had Huck Finn grown up during the seventies in the suburbs of L.A. this could have easily been his story. Unlike the adventures of Mark Twain's fictional character, the accounts recorded in this book are all true. At age fourteen, Terry Michaels recited the sinner's prayer with a street evangelist. This was not the beginning of the new life Terry had wished for. Before long this dejected teen fell prey to hypocrisies, abuses and false allegations within the church. Hurt, rejection and disappointment ultimately paved way for Terry to turn his back on Christianity. But Christ did not turn his...