A Weekly Encounter by Erwin K. Thomas, PhD: In2015 Guyanese-born author Erwin K. Thomas, PhD, ...

A Weekly Encounter by Erwin K. Thomas, PhD: In2015 Guyanese-born author Erwin K. Thomas, PhD, ...: In 2015 Guyanese-born author Erwin K. Thomas, PhD, has self-published A Weekly Encounter: Fifty-Two Meditations of Hope through Amazon&#3...

In 2015 Guyanese-born author Erwin K. Thomas, PhD, has self-published A Weekly Encounter: Fifty-Two Meditations of Hope through Amazon's CreateSpace. It is a carefully crafted and meant to bring joy to those desirous of growing in the Christian faith. Through this devotional God's promises, blessings and future hope are lifted up for those persons seeking solace and peace of mind. These meditations are guides to a successful and weekly walk in individuals' prayer life to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Many readers will be comforted by pertinent biblical verses and quotes from well-known and famous personalities. These quotes will touch and enlighten their social, cultural and spiritual quests. Through these meditations they will be treated to the thinking and comments by historical figures like Thomas Jefferson, Eleanor Roosevelt, William Shakespeare, John F. Kennedy, Pope Francis, Martin Luther King, Mother Teresa, Mahatma Gandhi, Billy Graham, Desmond Tutu, Aristotle, Voltaire, Confucius and many more. In their own colorful styles and ways these individuals were able to capture the grandiose nature of the loving God of the universe.

These devotions are presented in ten sections - The Church, Love Conquers, Light Is a Force, Precious Gifts, Live with Dignity, Cultural Attributes, Our Real Home, Superb Joy, Team Spirit and Selected Readings. Some of the Christian topics explored are the human condition, hidden saints, vision of leadership, images of God, faces of love, pioneer of salvation, cherished lives, our marvelous gifts, blessings in disguise, American culture, your earthly journey and more.

Individuals have the option of reading one meditation and reflecting on a biblical verse at the end of each week that is relevant to the devotional topic in Thought of the Week. This one-of-a-kind collection will sustain a reader throughout an entire year. For in it lies beliefs on the Holy Spirit, quotes of world-renowned and successful personalities that are sure to pique persons' interests. Individuals will learn more about the scriptures, divine mysteries, living godly lives, their hopes of salvation and the joys of a heavenly paradise. Each quotation has been carefully selected and is particularly geared to elaborate on the content of every one of these meditations.

At the end of the book the author took great care in deciding on the entries for the Selected Readings. It was through these cited works that he was able to shape these devotions. These citations were drawn from a mixture of contemporary Christian thought, theological teachings, spiritual classics and prayer books. With these devotions there was an attempt to capture the essence of major Christian faith traditions – Roman Catholic, Episcopalian, Lutheran, Presbyterian, Methodist, Baptist and non-denominational Christian church groups. Interestingly some of the Christian resources listed in the Selected Readings were found at local libraries, Barnes & Noble Bookstores, church bazaars, used bookstores and Thrift Stores - Goodwill, Salvation Army Hampton Roads and CHKD outlets.

For over 25 years Erwin K. Thomas – a PhD graduate from the School of Journalism, University of Missouri – Columbia has been an academician and journalism professor at three universities in the United States – most recently at Norfolk State University, Virginia. While living in Brooklyn, NY, he worked as a desk assistant at CBS Radio News, NYC. After retirement, in 2010 he served as vice president of the Institute for Learning in Retirement (ILR) – Old Dominion University, Virginia Beach, and is presently a member of the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication (AEJMC) Religion Media Interest Group. He has published three previous books, the latest on the Mass Media 2025 was by Greenwood Press (2001) and co-edited with Brown H. Carpenter. Thomas is married to Mary Barta Thomas and they are parents of Matthew J. Thomas of Charlottesville,VA. He and his wife Mary are life-long members of the Church of the Holy Apostles – an ecumenical community of Episcopalians and Roman Catholics in Virginia Beach.