Phillip Joel - Redwoods and Whales: Becoming Who You Actually Are

Max Hsu

H i, Im Phil.

A pretty simple guy from a pretty simple country (New Zealand).

A husband and a dad trying to trick my kids into thinking Im a grown-up.

I have four chickens, three dogs, two fantastic kids, and one ridiculously incredible wife.

I like Marmite and toast that is burned on the edges.

I like to kayak, paint, juice veggies, camp, and write songs. (Not all at once.)

Ive been a touring musician most of my life.

Ive had the same haircut since I was seventeen (or rather, I havent had a haircut since I was seventeen).

Im just a guy trying to live a simple life with God at the center.

And thats about it... I think that about sums me up.

Okay, so thats that.

Good?

Cool.

So another book in the world, huh? I mean really, there are already so many books and podcasts and blogs and blah blah, right? Why another book? Why now and why from me?

Good questions.

Well, first let me say I never intended to write a book at all. It wasnt some kind of bucket list thing. I simply had an experience in Northern California that I felt prompted to write down and then somehow it kept going and growing from there. It became more like a connect-the-dots picture where one thought lead to another, and then slowly after Id connected a bunch of dots, it began to shape into something that I could see and that I felt might be helpful for people. I decided that once Id connected enough dots Id have it printed and made available at the events Id be playing at, either with Zealand or Newsboys United. I wanted something that was going to help anyone who might be feeling stranded and a little disoriented in life and inspire people to pursue a life with God in the center.

So It wasnt until I was casually catching up with Brian Smith, Zealands publicist, that it came up Id been scribbling away on something called Redwoods and Whales. He wanted to know what it was about and who it was for, so I took a shot at giving the clear and concise elevator pitch that would explain everything about it in 17.3 seconds.

What came out was a bumbled jumble of words, hand movements, and pieces of abstract information from nearly every chapter of the book, which I knew even when I was delivering it must have sounded confusing and disconnected. I butchered it. But somehow through all my enthusiasm and incomplete sentences Brian caught the vision. He understood what I was trying to say or at least heard the heartbeat of Redwoods and Whales and got completely lit up over it. He immediately wanted to call his friend Joel Kneedler who runs Emanate Books. He felt this would be a project he might be interested in and wanted to know if it would be okay if he gave Joel a call.

Normally I love that kind of bigger picture thinking and was flattered he thought someone like Joel who is in the real book world might be interested, but I stopped him dead in his bright-eyed, enthusiastic tracks. I said, Brian, I dont mean to shoot you down, but theres no way hes going to be interested in this book because you and I both know that once he finds out that I dont do social media thatll be the end of the discussion. The last thing I want to be is a time waster, so if you do talk to him, just be sure to mention this right up front so he doesnt find out later and get frustrated.

Brian smiled and said, Sure, just let me talk to him because Ive got a good feeling about this. I remember shrugging my shoulders slightly and responding like a twelve-year-old with a good old-fashioned cool, which when translated into adult means theres no way theres a publisher out there crazy enough to take a risk on a guy like me with a book like this. But thanks anyway.

So, the fact that you are reading this book right now makes me laugh. Gods ideas, plans, and view are always so much bigger and better than my meager mustard seed faith. Im embarrassed to say that I didnt see God connecting the dots between me, a long-haired, bell-bottom-wearing musician, with a truly visionary publisher like Joel Kneedler who, after reading my first draft of Redwoods and Whales, said that he felt its right on time for right now.

My prayer is that hes right. I mean sure, I believe him and understand that a lot of amazing people are looking for fresh direction and are wanting to find their true selves and their true places here on earth and begin to take deep breaths and enjoy life. But the reality is that this book isnt going to do that, only God can do that. But God can only do that if we are willing to work with Him and make a move. Its all about cooperation. Its about moving forward, a single step in the right direction, and its in that forward motion that God swoops in and paves the way for the next step, and the next step, and the next...