About the Book

Book: The Key to Dreaming Again
Author: Rick Unruh
Genre: Non-Fiction, Inspirational
Release Date: July 10, 2019

“We parked our car in front of Yankton’s Federal Prison Camp and walked through the doors of the control center. ‘I’m Rick Unruh, and I’m here to self-surrender,’ I told the corrections officer. There is no way I could comprehend what those words would mean over course of the next year, as God would begin a new work in me.”

Born and raised in a small town in Kansas, Rick Unruh was called to be in the ministry. But when he lost his mother to cancer despite her unwavering faith that God would heal her, it planted seeds of doubt in his heart. He served as a traveling evangelist for years but later faded away from the ministry.

He and his wife lost their house in a fire, but a year later, far worse pain was ahead when they, lost their twelve-year-old son in an ATV accident. Just when it seemed there was hope and recovery ahead, Rick was blindsided by a federal investigation into a mortgage consulting group he’d been involved with. He was eventually charged and then sentenced to over a year in prison, embarrassed and sure that God was done with him this time. But God wasn’t finished.

This book is a testament to the God who restores us and allows us to dream again—if we will only surrender ourselves to him.

Click HERE to get your copy!

My Review

Oh my- this book connected with me on such a deep level. Not full of Scripture, but told like a story, we follow Rick through one heartbreaking episode after another. His mom dying from cancer, health issues, his son dying in an accident, being sent to jail, and all while trying to be a pastor. The depth of emotion and how relatable this story is can not be overstated. While I have not faced such strong challenges, I have faced my own share of struggles like we all do, and what this book was able to do, was to use simple Scripture and life experience to bring us to the reality that every struggle, every experience, God uses for the purpose of glorifying Himself and bringing us closer to Him. Only in surrender, even surrendering that God will fix the problem or deliver us from it, in surrendering to the One who has a plan, who loves us more than we can imagine, can we find the ability to have peace and dreams. Knowing that the Lord's dreams for us are higher than anything we could think for ourselves helps us to surrender, not looking for him to act, but looking for Him. One part that really stuck out to me in the book was that many times we miss how God helps us to get through an issue rather than deliver us from it, which can come from the most unexpected sources. I recommend this book for anyone who feels hopeless, is doubting Christ in the midst of struggle, or is looking for an inspirational story to read.

I received a complimentary copy of this book, and all opinions given are entirely my own.

About the Author

Rick Unruh is a US MAPS missionary and is the founder of Dream Again Ministry. He holds a master’s degree in counseling from Logos University (Jacksonville, FL), with a special interest in grief ministry. He lives in Kansas with his wife, Tamela, and travels the country sharing his Dream Again testimony, a message of hope and finding our purpose. He recently added workshops for the church, helping them understand and minister to the grieving. Rick also recruits full-time missionaries to serve with MAPS.

More from Rick

I actually wrote the first chapter of my book in 2011 and then it just sat there until December of 2018. I continually have had people ask me to write a book about my story, since I travel nearly every weekend sharing my story. I could just never get the desire or focus to finish it. After writing it, I realized, that I was hesitating because I didn’t want to go back to some of those places and dig deep, stirring painful emotions, just to write about them. I would feel the anxiety building as I was getting closer to those moments. There is great healing in writing, but the early process of writing this book caused me to shed many tears. But, if it can help others who are struggling with the loss of a loved one or a major setback in life, and bring hope and encouragement, then it has all been worth it.