2005 Gold Medallion Award finalist!
The School of Dying Graces is the deeply honest and beautifully written account of two very different spiritual journeys--the journey of Dr. Richard Felix, then president of Azusa Pacific University, and that of his beloved wife, Vivian, a terminal cancer patient. From observing his wife prepare herself spiritually for dying, Dr. Felix discovers that special gifts--living graces--come to those who persevere through suffering. In this thought-provoking and inspiring story forged through his wife's victorious dying, Dr. Felix offers profound truths for those who want to live victoriously.
Back Cover Copy
You don’t have to enroll in the school of dying graces to learn its costly lessons.
When his beautiful and brilliant wife was diagnosed with cancer, Dr. Richard Felix became convinced that, through faith, the best medical science, and fervent prayer, she would be restored to health. Once it became apparent that her disease was not responding to treatment, however, Vivian Felix asked Richard to continue praying for her physical healing while she prepared herself spiritually for dying.
Unable to accept the possibility of her death, he prayed for a miracle. It arrived, though in unexpected form, when he gave himself to the graces of living that were forged in his beloved wife’s victorious dying:
- The grace of letting go
- The grace of seeing with the eyes of faith
- The grace of dependence
- The grace of surrender
- The grace of gratitude
- The grace of transformation
Give yourself to the graces of living that were forged in a journey of dying—and you’ll learn, as Richard Felix did, that the lessons may be costly, but the wisdom is priceless.
Front Flap Copy
. . . unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds.
Confronted with the reality that his beautiful and beloved wife would not likely survive her battle with cancer, Dr. Richard Felix knew he had only one role: to support Vivian in her journey. As he observed his wife prepare herself spiritually for dying, Richard began to understand that truly special gifts come to those who persevere through suffering.
For it was in the suffering itself that Vivian found herself treading on holy ground, a place where she experienced her most intimate encounters with God.
In an effort to duplicate Vivian’s spiritual growth in his own life, Richard spent months retracing her steps—reading the books she had read, praying the prayers she had prayed, and following the spiritual disciplines she had developed.
Through Vivian’s spiritual journey towards death, Richard learned, as we all can learn, important lessons about the graces of living.
Back Flap Copy
Intelligent. Thought-provoking. Authentic.
SaltRiver Books are a bit like saltwater: buoyant; sometimes stinging; a mixture of sweet and bitter, just like real life. These books are intelligent, thoughtful, and finely crafted—but not pretentious, condescending, or out of reach. They take on real life from a Christian perspective. Look for SaltRiver Books, an imprint of Tyndale House Publishers, everywhere Christian books are sold.
