Understanding a holy life

Living a holy life can be a challenge. The Rev. Thomas D. White of TZ Ministries in Cape Girardeau wants to break it down for you.

"Let Me Break It Down" is the title of the book he recently published.

In the book, White touches on aspects of life that challenge people: discovering who we really are, sex, living a holy life, coping with outside pressures, failure and forgiveness, death, integrity, miracles and being accountable for one's life.

His words come from his studies, from Scripture and from his own life. Once he delved into writing, he realized that what he was doing was teaching, breaking it down so readers can understand.

"That's how I came up with 'Let Me Break It Down,'" he said. "I am breaking down the word of God. People have the information, but they get it in different contexts. They don't understand. It needs to be broken down a little bit."

The cover of the Rev. Thomas D. White's book.

White leads the education program at Rhema Word Breakthrough International Ministries in Cape Girardeau and is director of TZ Ministries, named for himself and his wife Zsavonda. He is an ordained minister and holds a degree in criminal justice from Southeast Missouri State University. A former Cape Girardeau police officer, White now works for Procter & Gamble. He wrote the book on his off hours.

"My wife went to bed some nights without me," he said.

He said he was ordained by God to write the book, and it took three and a half months from the time "God gave me the idea" in October until the book was published in March.

In the short time since the book was published by Outskirts Press, White has sold it at local bookstores and through his travels with TZ Ministries and through his Web site on MySpace. He also has promoted it on some television programs.

"People tell me certain chapters helped them understand things they have been battling with," White said.

In particular, he said, is the chapter on living a holy life. Living a holy life, White said, doesn't mean not having any pleasure, but enjoying the gift of life. In his book he breaks it down: "To be holy doesn't make you ineligible to have fun or to have a sense of humor. God has a sense of humor. ... You can live holy and enjoy careers in sports, acting, singing, dancing or whatever else you choose to do that does not include sinning."

White does draw clear lines between fun and sinning. He is strongly against premarital sex, is in favor of strong marriages and families and discourages gambling, drinking and drug use. He credits his own upbringing in Malden, Mo., with a loving Christian family for his values.

"My style of teaching comes from my style of learning," he said. "If you don't teach your children at home, they're going to learn from people who live any kind of way because they have no morals."

White sets out to teach, but he does not judge. In his book, he writes: "God never commanded us to judge but he did command us to love. ... Christians should have the spirit of God. God is a loving God who will always forgive you as long as you truly repent from your wrongdoing."

White first visited Rhema Word Breakthrough International Ministries in 1999 to please his aunt who was a member there. It was there he said that God spoke to him. It was also there that he met his wife.

"We had come through broken marriages and similar hurts," he said. "We each had two kids. We related a lot. I believe it was ordained by God that we meet."

He is working now on his next book, "Mixing Families Holy Ghost Style," which will use what he and Zsavonda have learned about blending families.

"Let Me Break It Down" is available at Gospeland Christian Outlet, Hastings and Barnes & Noble. It can be ordered online at www.bn.com or www.amazon.com.

lredeffer@semissourian.com

335-6611, extension 160