He couldn't sit still, and he absolutely hated to read. This wiry bundle of supercharged energy enjoyed school about as much as a root canal, but, because he was fairly bright, Mark was able to progress through school with a minimal amount of reading. When the dismissal bell rang, he ricocheted out of the classroom leaving a trail of carelessly abandoned schoolbooks behind. During high school and college, his disdain for reading increased until one day in his senior college year, everything changed.

As he vigorously hauled hundred-pound bags of rock salt onto the assembly line during the night shift, Mark heard a radio commentator talking about a Friend who loved him just as he was. As he listened, he was compelled to learn more. At 2:00 a.m. he knelt on the rooftop of the salt factory, and, gazing into the moonlit sky, he committed his life to his Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Mark had always lived his life with gusto, but now he had a purpose. His abhorrence for reading diminished as he began to savor the contents of the Bible from Revelation to Genesis! His part-time employment as a bartender ended quickly because he placed gospel tracts under beer glasses. Within two years his love for the Bible was so passionate that his church voted him in as pastor of Christian education.

Realizing that something significant was missing in Mark's education, the pastor sent him to Pensacola Christian College to earn a master's degree. Now picture this: a free spirited, straight-out-of-the-60s, newly saved young man who never read a book in his life attending a highly conservative Christian college. As far as Mark was concerned, life there was no different than military boot camp.

On the last day he was required to sit and listen to the guest speaker - sort of a grand finale. The speaker was Charlie "Tremendous" Jones. Fifteen minutes into his presentation, Charlie removed his lapel microphone and roamed through the audience as if hunting for someone. He descended the last isle and grabbed Mark's arm lifting him out of his seat and onto the stage. The quivering student didn't quite know what to expect, but what happened altered his life so significantly that he is still talking about it twenty years later!

Charlie turned to the young man and yelled, "Young man, what great Christian literature have you been reading in your life these days?" Christian literature? What is Christian literature? The only thing that came to mind at that moment was a book that his mother had read to him when he was a boy: Go Dog Go! Mr. Jones then increased the decibels and declared, "You will be the same five years from now as you are today, except for the books you read and the people you meet!" Mark nodded his head in agreement, but Charlie wasn't finished. He began shaking Mark by the shoulders yelling, "I know you've read something! What book did you read last year, last month, last week? What biography are you reading now to conform your life into the image of Christ?" He relentlessly shook and shook this already-shaken young man. The audience was laughing so hard they were crying. Mark's poor wife was crying - because she was laughing so hard!

Three days later when he returned home, a special delivery box from Charlie was waiting for him. Mark suspected a bomb. He slowly opened the box and saw twelve biographies. Timidly, he held the first book, D.L. Moody, Greatest Evangelist of the 19th Century. Three hours later, having read his very first book, he was speechless. The next day he read about George Mueller, then Amy Carmichael, Gladys Aylward, Abraham Lincoln, and Hudson Taylor. Mark read fervently. He had discovered heroes whose lives challenged him to soar. Though they were dead, they became alive in him! He was determined to be like them no matter what the cost.

Soon after his experience with Charlie, Mark was convinced that children need literature that is captivating, character building, and most importantly, Christ-honoring. Because he knew what he had missed as a boy, his mission in life became providing life-transforming literature for others.

Miraculously, God gave him the desires of his heart. Seven years ago, Cornerstone Family Ministries and Lamplighter Publishing were birthed and now feature over fifty of these literary gems. Fondly known as the Lamplighter Rare Collector's Series, many of these books have been out of print for over a hundred years, some over three hundred. These treasures of days gone by are permeating Christian homes as more and more families eagerly indulge in the insightful writings of the wisdom of the past.

So what makes this literature so different from most of today's modern literature? The Rare Collector's Series introduces heroes and heroines who rise above adversity inspiring readers to press on regardless of the circumstances. Children learn life's most important lesson: God is in complete control and always intends circumstances for our good. Each Lamplighter book has been carefully screened and selected to create in the reader a yearning to aspire to a higher level of godly character. It must be inspiring and gripping, leaving the reader on the edge of his seat begging for "just one more chapter - pleeease!"

It is with great joy that I write this column. I find it a privilege to share with you inspirational tidbits and recommendations that will cement in your hearts the truth that God will do exceedingly abundantly above all that you can ask or think!

Mark Hamby is the founder and president of Cornerstone Family Ministries and Lamplighter Publishing. He is a nationally recognized speaker and is most widely known for his seminars on The Strong-Willed Parent, The Angry Parent and Child, Laziness, and Resolved Conflicts. He lives in Pennsylvania with his wife Debbie and his children Jonathan, age 20; Jennifer, 18; David, 16. Mark is a featured counselor for family conflicts. He challenges parents to reach the heart of their child rather than merely controlling behavior. To learn more you can join or view the discussion at http://web.archive.org/web/20031218185920/http://homeschoolchat.us/ then go to The Lamplighter Group-Grace Filled Parenting. The character building biblical insights and stories mentioned in the column can be viewed at http://web.archive.org/web/20031218185920/http://www.lamplighterpublishing.com/. A free catalog and biblical insights newsletter is available online or toll free at 1-888-246-7735.