| August 30, 2006--Springfield, Illinois | Toller invites others to take a stroll with him down memory lane. By Lisa Sergent, assistant editor, Illinois Baptist SPRINGFIELD, III. Most Illinois Baptists who know Larry Toller think of him as someone with a highly mathematical mind. As an IBSA associate executive director and Business Services team leader, Toller can explain a spreadsheet, quote figures and add numbers as fast as you can say “Cooperative Program.” What many do not know, is that he is something of a renaissance man. Toller is the newly published author of “My Story Your Story His Story.”
In his book, he uses prompts to guide the reader in memory journaling. The idea came to Toller through comments people would make after hearing him preach sermons. “I would use life experiences in sermon illustrations and people would say afterwards, ‘It reminded me of when I was at my grandma’s house.’ It would prompt memories in them.” Toller prompts readers to write about their own memories after reading passages he has written about his own life. He gives readers the opportunity to reminisce about their own spiritual journeys. This is important to Toller who says, “The writer’s prompts are about finding God’s direction in our lives.”
Getting to this point has been a long process. According to Toller, “About ten years ago I decided to gather stories into a composite book. After I did that, I initially felt a strong urgency to develop it into a book. I put it in a 3-ring binder with a cover and I put it on the shelf to forget about it.
“Later, I still felt a sense of urgency to develop it into a book and I put it in a leather binder and put it on the shelf to forget about it. I toyed with the idea of self-publishing it and even thought about investing in something with binder clips so I could put it on a shelf.”
Eventually, he sent it to two publishers. He received a letter of rejection from one and a publishing offer from the other -Tate Publishing.
“It’s been a passion that could only be fulfilled in this way,” he said. “In the same way I treated my stories, we often treat our passions and directions from God. In some way we want to put it on the shelf and be through with it.” Toller feels journaling is an important tool in passing family history onto future generations. “Journaling is a very popular activity. What I observe in journaling is not only writing about significant events, but also about minutiae, which may in some ways help us remember events. I think we’re lacking a record of what was happening in the past and its importance.” Toller’s book is available at Christian bookstores and through his website, www.mernoryjournaling.com. An accompanying CD is available at the website only. |