Influencers: Dr. Calvin Miller--Pastor, Author, Professor, Theologian, Artist, Mentor . . . Already Missed

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Biola University, Calvin Miller, Frost, Glorieta, Into the Depths of God, Letters to Heaven, Memorials, Mona Hodgson, Once Upon a Tree, Shade, Snow, The Singer Trilogy, The Table of Inwardness, The Unchained Soul, When the Aardvark Parked on the Ark, Wind, Writers Conferences

Dr. Calvin Miller
Called Home, August 19, 2012

I first met Calvin Miller in July 1990 at the Biola Writers’ Institute at Biola University in  California. I was  new to the world of writing and a nervous student. Dr. Miller was the bigger-than-life keynote speaker. The commanding cadence of his voice, his gifted storytelling, his authenticity–all of it charmed this aspiring writer. But it was Calvin’s heart that made me want to be his friend.

I encountered Dr. Miller outside the campus housing. He exited the building with the conference director and other faculty members while I trudged toward the building carrying a bag full of books and a heart full of questions. Calvin stopped and greeted me, asked me how I was enjoying the conference. Now a writers’ conference faculty member myself, I remember his example.

Calvin and Barbara Miller

In 1997, I directed the first Glorieta Christian Writers’ Conference. Calvin Miller was one of my first two keynote speakers. He and his dear wife Barbara ministered to Bob and I during and following the conference. They invited us into their home, seated us at their table, and regaled us with stories. Understanding the battle that takes place during and following poured-out service, Calvin and Barbara offered us a super-sized cup of refreshment.

Beyond all the degrees and titles, which this one man renissance earned and deserved, Dr. Miller was a warm and loving man. Calvin Miller taught me the cadence of writing and the deeper life in his allegories, poetry collections, Christian living, and fiction titles. Here’s a sampling of his books from my shelves: The Singer Trilogy, When the Aardvark Parked on the Ark, Apples, Snakes, and Bellyaches, The Table of Inwardness, Once Upon a Tree, Into the Depths of God, The Unchained Soul, Wind, Snow, Frost, and Shade.

Dr. Calvin Miller was the author of more than forty books, his most poignant may be Letters to Heaven released in February of this year.

See the book trailer here:
http://LetterstoHeaven

If I sat down to write my own letters to heaven…to the influencers who have gone before me, Calvin Miller would receive one.

Perhaps this is my letter to heaven for him. Thank you, Calvin!

You can learn more about Dr. Calvin Miller, his books, and his other amazing works of art at www.calvinmillerauthor.com.

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