Setting Sail

About the Book

Setting Sail is a collection of poems and modern-day parables that portray people who have been touched by God's grace. In “Perfect Love” Vera Lynn discovers that she can celebrate the transient beauty of the world on the back of a Harley. Jill and Mrs. Brown in “The Stone Throwers” realize that with the Lord's help, they can overcome their animosity toward each other. In “The Lost Coins” Rachael and Lisa try to find that misplaced part of themselves that they need to reclaim. Kim in “The Light of the World” finds illumination cast by an oil lamp shining in the window of her neighbor's cabin dur- ing one of the darkest periods of her life. In “Trial by Fire” Lydia overcomes her anguish over her baby's death by reaching out to her adversary Marie, who just lost her daughter. After years of aimless wandering, Jake, a modern-day prodigal son, in “Coming Home” meets God alone in the wilderness. A fateful encounter between Laurel and her ex-hus- band Jim as they anticipate the birth of their first grandchild in “The Days Ordained Me” demonstrates God's presence in life's most challenging circumstances. In “The Kingdom of God” Mrs. Adams, a retired widow, reveals God's love to two young girls who visit her. Miranda in “The Least of These” provides unconditional love to two young women who just happen to cross her path. Jeb plants seeds of God's love in the hearts of the teenagers he counsels in “The Sower”. Serena discerns a profound message from God as she visits the gravesite of her former lover in “The Fig Tree”. Julie in The Gazebo” renews her faith as she recalls the quaint, rustic gazebo that became the secret haven of her youth. Kayla finds her way back home as she returns to her ancestral roots in “Kay- la's Quest”. In “A Night to Remember” Josh discovers that freedom thrives within the human heart, regardless of life's circumstances. Twila Rose chooses to embrace destiny in “The Fate of Twila Rose” when she decides to get acquainted with the illegitimate daughter she gave up for adoption over twenty-five years ago. All of the characters in these stories transcend life's adversities, with God's grace. They set sail toward “those distant, gleaming shores . . . beneath a brilliant, azure sky”.

About the Author

Kathy A. Wittman has chosen to diverge, off the beaten path, to bequest her spiritual legacy to her readers. In the past, she pursued worldly wisdom through her academic accomplishments: a B.A. degree in English from the Univer- sity of Tennessee in 1972, an M.S. degree in Educational Psychology from the University of Tennessee in 1983, and a Ph. D in Educational Foundations from the University of Wyoming in 1988. She teaches part-time classes in Educa- tion, English, and Psychology for Eastern Wyoming College in Wheatland, Wyoming. She has completed a number of Creative Writing courses at the University of Wyoming and through the Long Ridge Writer's Group and Institute of Children's Literature in West Redding, Connecticut. She believes that her poems and stories portray the universal archetypal themes of redemption and rebirth