David A.R. White - Between Heaven and Hollywood: Chasing Your God-Given Dream

Hollywood is the place of dreamspeople dream of being famous stars, writers, and directors. One in a million actually breaks through in the industry and makes it. David A.R. White is one in a million. But because hes done it without abandoning his Christian faith, which is part of his life since his Kansas childhood, hes one in 10 million! His remarkable story of dreams coming true without surrender to the secular is now captured in his fascinating book, Between Heaven & Hollywood. Funny, earthy, and realits as good as his movies!

G OVERNOR M IKE H UCKABEE , FORMER GOVERNOR OF A RKANSAS , NY T IMES BESTSELLING AUTHOR

As a child I could daydream with great ease, and so many of the things I dreamed were realized with equal ease. But then as a child my trust in God also came so easily... then, I had a childlike faith. As time went on, as it undoubtedly will... the challenges of life... the many stumbling blocks and heartbreaks called into question that faith, demanding all the while that I deepen my relationship with God and strengthen my dependence on Him, if once again, the dreams He placed in my heart were ever again to become a reality.

I only wish I had this gem of a book to encourage me along my journey and make the path a bit more clear, as I surrendered the dreams in my heart to His purpose for my life. But I have it now. This book not only reawakens our ability to dream, it can reintroduce us to the greatest relationship of our lives. Dreams are but a vision of His Plan for Our Lives.

A CTRESS AND AUTHOR R OBIN G IVENS

Reading Davids story, I felt at times I was reading about myself because our stories are similar in many ways. Citizens of Heaven, working in Hollywood. As he points out so eloquently, each of us is a deliberate creation of God, with a God-breathed dream inside us. And each unique, with a wonderful futureif we let Him lead us. I wish every young dreamer would read Davids story; its entertaining, sometimes funny, often inspirational, and eventually thrilling. And its chock full of Gods Word and will for all of us, but employed in individual and surprising ways. Youve done big things, Davidbut this book may well be your best production.

P AT B OONE , ENTERTAINER

I met David when we worked together on the set of the Pure Flix film Redeemed. This book and how David lives his life are an inspiration to me and many others who feel called to work in the entertainment industry.

M EGAN A LEXANDER , N ATIONAL TV R EPORTER ; AUTHOR OF F AITH IN THE S POTLIGHT

Davids story will inspire you to honor God by pursuing the dreams He places in your heart. Between Heaven & Hollywood gives you a roadmap of how to overcome the challenges you will face if you seek to be a witness for Christ in the public arena.

D R . R ICE B ROOCKS , AUTHOR OF THE BOOK G OD S N OT D EAD

David A.R. White, in his book Between Heaven & Hollywood, has touched the human heart as he strikes a familiar chord with all people who desire to see their dreams fulfilled in their lifetime. In his popular movies Gods Not Dead and Gods Not Dead 2, we see him stand firm and fearless in his faith; being bold in his presentation of Gods infinite character to a world who blatantly denies His existence. As with his work on screen, this book will enthrall the reader to aspire to the heights he has reached. He is a man who has defied the odds and demonstrated his persistence in pursing his dreams according to Gods divine purpose.

R AUL R IES , P ASTOR OF C ALVARY C HAPEL , G OLDEN S PRINGS IN D IAMOND B AR , C ALIFORNIA

David A.R. White is a preachers kid from a small town next to nowhere, with God-given dreams that pushed him naively and courageously into the Hollywood abyss. I trust and I have enjoyed working for and with David and was surprised because I thought I knew much of his successful journey into The Business. I was pleasantly surprised to read of his trials and tribulations as he has proven to be a significant Hollywood player while armed with his faith and trust in God.

Between Heaven & Hollywood is filled with inspiration from a man who grew up on a wheat farm in Kansas without a single connection in Hollywood... except perhaps his connection to God. After reading this book Im reminded of how deep his faith is, and why he was making Christian movies long before it was considered good business. He has accomplished a small miracle: honoring the Lord while making successful profitable films of faith in Hollywood. This book is an inspirational guide to following your God-given dreams and reminds us that its our unexceptional ordinariness that make us so uniquely extraordinary. Take a chance and read this book... it could change the way you see yourself, your faith, and how you go about pursuing your life and dreams.

T ED M C G INLEY , ACTOR AND STAR OF D O Y OU B ELIEVE ?

Between Heaven & Hollywood elucidates the hidden tension within each one of us between the ache to pursue a dream and fear that we will fail. David A.R. White courageously challenges us to dream bigger and trust God more boldly. White masterfully draws us into his very personal struggle of dreaming big, relying on God more severely, and wrestling with fear of failure. Between Heaven & Hollywood inspires us to leave trepidation in the dust and hand our biggest passions to God.

M EG M EEKER , MD, BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF S TRONG F ATHERS , S TRONG D AUGHTERS

ZONDERVAN

Between Heaven and Hollywood

Copyright 2016 by David A.R. White

Requests for information should be addressed to:

Zondervan, 3900 Sparks Dr. SE, Grand Rapids, Michigan 49546

ISBN 978-0-310-34980-8 (audio)

ePub Edition October 2016: ISBN 978-0-310-34595-4

Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version, NIV. Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.Zondervan.com. The NIV and New International Version are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc.

Any Internet addresses (websites, blogs, etc.) and telephone numbers in this book are offered as a resource. They are not intended in any way to be or imply an endorsement by Zondervan, nor does Zondervan vouch for the content of these sites and numbers for the life of this book.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any meanselectronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, or any otherexcept for brief quotations in printed reviews, without the prior permission of the publisher.

David A.R. White is represented by The Litton Group, a brand management and content strategy agency in Brentwood, Tennessee. Learn more at www.TheLittonGroup.com.

Cover design: James W. Hall IV

Cover photos: Westend61 / GettyImages / oneinpunch / iStock / Cultura RM / Alamy Stock Photo

Author cover photo: Cathryn Farnsworth Photography

Interior design: Denise Froehlich

First printing August 2016

To my parents,
Gene and Marcy White

You taught me at an early age to love the Lord and keep him first and foremost in all my endeavors.

For that, I am truly grateful. I love you, Mom and Dad, and I cant wait to see you again in heaven.