by ASHLEY MILLER
for the Sequim Gazette
It’s been said that people are busier after they retire than when they worked full-time.
This might be true for Sequim resident Paul Burgess, who recently retired from JACE The Real Estate Company after 23 years as a Realtor.
Driven by faith, Burgess wrote a book called, “Logs and Kindling for the Fire of Revival.” He describes the project as a children’s book for adults or “God’s children,” and is devoting his time to delivering the message within the Christian community.
Burgess began writing “Logs and Kindling for the Fire of Revival” after surviving a heart attack last February. The book includes seven “logs” or chapters and 40 pieces of “kindling,” or psalms.
“As these logs burn together both the light and heat of revelation increase,” Burgess said. “The kindling is 40 small pieces spoken from the heart to those desiring to know God’s thoughts and ways.”
The unusual thing, however, is that instead of publishing the book in print Burgess has chosen to record it onto a CD. The decision came as he was writing the book and reading its chapters to his friend, Ross Hamilton, a well-known photographer who suffers from a degenerative eye disease.
The book, which is now complete, is recorded onto four discs and is freely available to the visually disabled as well as people with perfect eyesight.
“Logs and Kindling for the Fire of Revival” isn’t Burgess’ first literary project. He wrote “Faith is Believing You’re Loved” after an experience while working in the garden when the words “Unless you become as a little child you will not enter into the Kingdom” resounded in his heart.
Shortly after, Burgess began writing letters to a close friend and coworker, Jace Schmitz, expressing his faith in Christ. Without intention, the letters soon became the text of “Logs and Kindling for the Fire of Revival,” revealing Burgess’ life and faith.
Compelled, Burgess continues to write about faith on his blog, www.believing youareloved.com, in an attempt to understand God’s word.
“I needed to understand His love and that is what He was waiting for,” Burgess said. “Jesus, through His spirit, has given me a message of love and warning to the children in his care. Delivering it should keep me very busy.”
When Burgess meets people he often asks them if they are “believers.” If they respond with an answer about the church they attend or a reason as to why they don’t, Burgess simply shakes his head and says, “I asked if you were a believer, not what church you attend. Religion is another topic.”
Religion, Burgess said, is man’s rules. Faith, he countered, means believing that you are loved.
“Believing, in my life, means accepting the truth of the Gospel of Jesus Christ,” he explained. “I’ve been down as far as a man can be and I know what it is to be helpless but no matter how much we want to improve our image of self, it’s empty compared to what the Lord does for you and in you if you love the Gospel.”
