Before we begin our journey through the book series I wanted to explain the threads on the spines of the books and why they are called “parts” and not “books”.
An explanation of the threads and parts:
The Book Of Benjamin Kareth has one purpose and one purpose only: “To Know Him and Make Him Known.” The Him is Jesus Christ. This is the heart, the very core, of every single one of the one hundred parts of The Book Of Benjamin Kareth. This is the meaning of the “Golden Thread” that runs from the back of the cover of part one all the way across each spine to the front cover of the hundredth part.
The “Colored Threads” that runs from the back of the first of the minor parts and runs to the front cover of the end of that minor part, signifies a section, season, or specific collection of parts of the whole.
No single part of The Book Of Benjamin Kareth is meant to stand on its own, all the parts fit together to form a whole book. All the parts are like puzzle pieces, fitting together to form a complete picture or image. The Book Of Benjamin Kareth is actually 1 book made up of 100 parts, not 100 separate books forming a book series.
Now let’s begin the journey:
What better place to start a journey through the book series than with the book that began my writing career: Part 1: Where All Journeys Begin.
Front Cover, Back Cover, And Spine Artwork:
Description: “Where All Journeys Begin” follows the spiritual journey of a man through the events of the fall of man through the crucifixion of Christ. Lead on this journey by the dark one, it is a story that tells how mankind fell from grace and ultimately, through our own actions, led Jesus to come to earth and die as a sacrifice for all of mankind’s sins and restore us into God’s love and grave. It is a story written in modern language and using modern storytelling to bring excitement to the telling of the gospel in a new way. Re-live the gospel story in a new way through the eyes of a man desperately in love with God. It is a story of revelation and love, with all the pain and agony of the journey we all face each day.
A Glimpse Inside:
Part 1: Where All Journeys Begin
Chapter 1: Field
It had been a rough day, and everything seemed to have gone wrong at work. No one was happy and everything I tried to do just seemed to fall apart. I left work and drove the thirty-minute commute home, passing from the city where I worked out into the country where my small house sat.
I enjoyed living far from the busyness of the city and I loved living alone. I had never been very sociable, and it seemed that the few friends I had at work, if I could call them that, kept a respectable distance. Being alone was safe. I couldn’t hurt anyone, and I couldn’t be hurt. I was determined to live the rest of my life away from all the stress and drama of others. After setting my briefcase down and changing into some simple jeans and a t-shirt, I quickly ate some leftovers and left the house. I walked out into the wide field that surrounded my house. This was my daily ritual. It calmed me down.
The sun was beginning to set, casting long shadows across the grass. I was barefoot. There was nothing better than the feel of the grass beneath my feet. Nature was so peaceful. It was early spring and the trees surrounding the field were bright green. Flowers bloomed everywhere. Birds sang loudly and flew overhead. Squirrels ran here and there in the trees. I took it all in… let it calm me. I needed time. Time to reflect. Time to recharge. Time to put things into perspective, some called it meditation, but for me it was my time to listen. When I spent time with God, all I did was listen. He had been very quiet lately, but with God it seemed that just spending time with Him was what he wanted most from me. I don’t think I ever prayed. He knew what I was going to ask, so why ask? ‘Be still and know that I am God,’ I thought to myself and that’s what I planned to do this evening. I stepped into the tall, green grass that was in the center of the field. This was my secret place, the place where I was completely secluded, away from everyone and everything. This was my mountaintop. I dropped to my knees, placed both hands on the ground in front of me, and closed my eyes. I let my day fade from my mind. I let my problems shrink and become insignificant. I cleared my mind of all the ‘me’ I could… and then I waited.
The breeze across the field brushed my skin. I heard the birds calling from somewhere in the distance. Then… there was just stillness. Darkness enclosed my mind, pulled me down and down. It surrounded me, swirled through me. I felt my spirit rising, growing in me… taking control. My spirit rose and I let go of all the flesh that held me back.
In my spirit’s eyes I stood to my feet. The field was ablaze with the rose-red colors of the spiritual world. The blue breeze rushed across it. The brilliant white of the sky stretched out above me and the darkness of the cold earth was beneath my feet. I stretched my spirit. Secret place. I waited for God… I reached for Him, for the sweetness of His love. I felt it and, like the rush of a floodgate being released, He was there with me. My spirit warmed all over as His love replaced all that I was. It consumed me. I felt all the ‘me’ being replaced with Him. To know God was to know love and peace. I stood for a long time there with Him… just basking in the love and acceptance.
Finally, I reached for God with all I was… and felt Him respond in kind. I heard His still small voice echo through me, “I have something to show you.” There was a pause and then He asked me, “Do you trust me?”
“Always.” I replied with my mind in that place. “Do you trust me?” He asked again. This time I didn’t just hear His question… I felt it. The words passed through my mind and sent chills down my spine. This wasn’t simply a question. There was meaning there, behind those words. Did I trust him? Not just in my life, but with my life… with all I was. This wasn’t a normal meeting with Him… this was serious… significant. I never claimed to know God perfectly, but I had spent enough time with Him to know that when He asked me this question now it would mean that I would face something very, very difficult. Different. My mind spun. ‘Something to show you?’ His words echoed in my mind. They seared through me, burned me from the inside out. I felt pain, and I knew that this was only a small taste of what I would face if I chose to say yes again. He was asking me to let go… of everything. I belonged to God. I was His. To be used as He willed. I knew I was rebellious. I fought Him often and challenged His will in my life. I longed to be home with Him, finally at peace forever, but somehow that longing felt selfish to me. There was so much I knew that He wanted from my life, and I had told Him that I would do anything He asked. I knew my life was far from perfect, I had strayed from Him so many times in the thirty years of life He had given me, but He was always patient and continued to love and guide me on this journey with Him.
He had shown me a lot in the past few years, things I rarely shared with others. But this… this was different. This, whatever He wanted to show me now, would be hard… harder than anything I had ever experienced before. I made my choice, as I knew I always would.
I formed the reply in my mind to Him, “Yes. I trust you with all my heart. I trust you with my life, my future, and all that is within me.”
I felt His love surround me. It squeezed me tight into what I knew to be a hug. His still small voice whispered, “Endure. I have made you strong and prepared you for such a time as this. Never forget that I am always with you.” And then He was gone.
I stood there alone and unable to feel Him anymore. From behind my eyelids the light around me faded suddenly. I snapped back to myself and threw my eyes open. Looking up, I saw black clouds hurrying across the sky toward me. They passed above me and surrounded the field where I knelt. There was a flash… lightning. A loud boom of thunder shook the ground beneath me. I stood to my feet and turned to run back to the house should rain begin to fall. I froze. I watched the darkness swirl above me. It shimmered and shone as it spun, like a dark pearl spinning in the sky.
There was another blinding flash, and I was thrown backwards off my feet and landed hard on my back.
I lay there stunned.
Slowly I pulled myself up on my hands… then I saw them.
Surrounding me on every side were dark creatures. Their faces twisted into insane smiles. Their wings were broken and twisted up from their backs. Their arms were stunted and misshapen and blood dripped from their clawed hands. They wore pitch black, tattered robes and were laughing at me… pointing at me… screaming curses at me. Their hatred of me was like heat, pure heat against my soul, against my skin.
Terror flooded me. What should I do? I could feel the evil pouring from them. I could taste it in the air.
I started to cry out to God, but my mouth wouldn’t form the words. Was this a dream? Wake up Kail… wake up. I reached up, closed my eyes, and rubbed my face. I opened them again… not a dream. A nightmare.
I jumped to my feet and spun in circles. They were everywhere, laughing and pointing at me. Then I saw him… the one that stood taller than the others. He stepped out from the circle toward me, and, as he walked toward me, he transformed. One second, he resembled the others and the next he was shining. His wings straightened and stretched out behind and around him. His eyes glimmered and his smile widened. His dark hair shined and gleamed, going from pitch black to brilliant white. He was almost… beautiful. The features of his face softened. He carried a harp that gleamed black and was attached to his belt. The claws on his hands withdrew and his nails became gleaming silver. His tattered robes became shimmering gold armor plating. He was an angel. Not just any angel, but a powerful one… so beautiful… I wanted to do anything for him. His eyes, those gleaming, shining white eyes, were fixed on me as he came. Then he spoke, no… he sang to me… “You were the one.” At first it was a whisper, but it grew in volume each time he sang it. “You were the one!” He sang those words to all those that surrounded us, pointing at me. It was a mocking, accusing song. He glided as he walked, and there was so much beauty as he moved. I was mesmerized as he sang and glided forward. Back and forth he shifted… I couldn’t take my eyes off him.
“You were the one.” He sang, in a voice that was so perfect, so beautiful, that it seemed to caress my ears. I wanted to hear more. I wanted to listen to him forever. As he walked forward, darkness trailed behind him like a low fog across the grass. As the fog passed over the ground, the grass died and withered beneath him.
“You were the one.” He sang again. His song was entrancing. It wrapped and swirled around me. I was stunned. I tried to step back and away but my legs wouldn’t move. I swayed back and forth with the rhythm of his song.
“He was the one.” He sang to the others. They echoed him, not in song but with low growls. “He was the one.” They laughed and hooted. They pointed at me and shared dark whispers with each other. They mocked and growled.
“He doesn’t even know it! Does he?” the dark creatures howled.
“You were the one who did it… But you know that… don’t you?” He sang, and with every word he accused me.
“It was you. You did it. You think you didn’t do it? Think you weren’t there? So… innocent, ha!” He sang on and raised his beautifully dark hand.
He pointed at me. “You were there!” He screamed and threw back his head in laughter. Then he stopped suddenly and looked down at me. His smile twisted into a half grin and his eyes glinted.
“You think it was me, don’t you?” He asked. “You think it was me?”
More laughter.
“He thinks it was me!” he called to the others.
Another wave of laughter and mocking surged through the others. Tears welled up in my eyes and the truth of his words flooded me. Flashes of a garden, a piece of fruit, gold coins, a whip, clothes torn and cast on the ground, and of a cross on a hill pounded my mind. I panicked. Terror surrounded me and evil flooded me.
Tears poured and burned my eyes. I fell to my knees and wept.
I looked up and screamed, “I wasn’t there! I didn’t do it! How could I? I wasn’t even born yet?” I railed against his accusations.
I begged him, “Let me go! I didn’t do it. I wasn’t the one.”
The instant those words left my mouth a crack of thunder rocked the field. I felt God turn away. All light left in an instant. I looked up at the sky, looked up at the wall of darkness. Then… I knew. Knowledge flooded me. I was the one. I had been there. I looked back down at the dark one, my accuser.
He now stood a few feet from me with his arm stretched out toward me. “Come.” He sang. “Come with me and I’ll show you what you’ve done. Just reach out and give me your hand. I’ll do better than show you… I promise.” I slowly reached up and placed my hand in his. He gripped it hard and twisted my arm, bringing me down to my knees. He threw back his head and howled into the darkness. “So be it.” He snarled. He leaned down close to my face, looked me deep in the eyes, and whispered, “I’ll do better than show you… I’ll make you… re-live it.”
Audio Book:
Mike Whitehead did an amazing job voicing the audio book for Where All Journeys Begin as you can hear in this sample clip:
Find the published Paperback, Hardcover, and Audio Book at:
Part 1 on Amazon.com
Behind The Pages Video:
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