I’m no songwriter, but I remember when I first discovered the Beatles. After listening a few times, I could hum the tune and was instantly hooked. Why was this?

We had the privilege of speaking with the literary agent behind the Heaven is for Real sensation that has been a run a way bestseller.  Joel Kneedler and I crossed paths about a decade ago during his stint at Multnomah Publishers in Sisters, Oregon.  The title of the book we talked about the day we met was The Prayer of Jabez.  Joel now resides at Alive Communications out on Colorado Springs.  And by the way, he rode the bench on the high school basketball team and once made toilets for a living.

I wanted to pick Joel’s brain on what made that book and why they decided to take the project on.

1.)    What do you believe made Heaven is for Real so special?

When I first heard the story over lunch, I knew it had some special elements. The father, Todd Burpo, had suffered through a very rough time, breaking his leg among other things. I could also identify with the parents as they tried to understand what was going on with their sick child. But the greatest part of the story was clearly Colton’s experience with Jesus. That was a rare perspective. I also need to give credit to their writing partner, Lynn Vincent. She did a fabulous job telling their story.

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Vaughn Street client Ransomed Heart sent me an invite to review John Eldredge’s newest book, probably because I’m on their boot camp list – and got a free signed copy!  Sweet. The “catch” is I blog about it…  Here we go!

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My life was deeply impacted by the writings of John Eldredge, long before we at Vaughn Street were honored to serve them.

I’ve given many of his books away, but not all the recipients share my enthusiasm for these messages. If you’ve never quite connected with his writing, give this new book a chance!  It’s called Beautiful Outlaw, Experiencing the Playful, Disruptive, Extravagant Personality of Jesus.

If you love all of John’s books (and his wife Stasi’s writing), it might just be the icing on the cake for you.

This could be the most important message John has written. It’s rich, and impossible to ignore. More than a “teaching” or clever message that draws attention to the author – this book constantly points me to Jesus. From the introduction…

“More words about Jesus are helpful only if they bring us to an experience of him.”

Beautiful Outlaw manages to help us see Jesus, in creation and scripture, with vibrant, high definition color.  Quite a feat for a book, huh?

You can order this book today, here.

If you’re a writer or communicator – check out our candid interview with John HERE.

DeVon Franklin is a rarity.  As Vice President of Production for Columbia Pictures (Sony) he is not only one of the few African-American studio executives in Hollywood but also a studio executive who is vocal about his Christian faith.  At Sony he has guided several blockbuster projects including The Pursuit of Happiness, The Karate Kid, and the upcoming feature Sparkle with Whitney Houston.

Angela Bassett is quoted as saying, “DeVon Franklin is a remarkable man of infectious enthusiasm and a sterling example that one can navigate through the complexities of life, even the versimilitude of Hollywood, with clarity, purpose and integrity.”  We certainly found this true both in his recent book, Produced By Faith: Enjoy Real Success Without Losing Your True Self and in the few minutes we recently spent on the phone with him.  Below is a portion of that interview where we chat about what it’s like for a person of faith behind the Hollywood curtain and how to chase your dreams without compromising your faith.

Click Here To Listen:  DeVon Franklin Interview

The original Vaughn Street is a leisurely stretch of country road near Springville, NY.  In contrast the company Vaughn Street is more of a busy intersection of culture, faith and communications.  This is where the action is.  I’d like to think we navigate it pretty well for our friends.

But intersections by nature also contain the risk of collision.  What happens, say, when the Ferrari of pop culture skids head first into the truck of scripture?  Or when the latest proven marketing technique scuffs up the bumper of your Christian conscience?

A few weeks ago I posted an article touching on the ethics of storytelling.  It raised in me more questions than answers.  Now I want to snap on the 16mm lens and get a wider view of what potential trouble spots we should seek to avoid on a daily basis.   Here are six:

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