From a Scum to a Son
()
About this ebook
The true account of a life pulled out of the ashes of drug addiction, alcoholism, despair and hopelessness to peace and joy in Jesus Christ. Joel Shunmugam’s life is a beacon of hope to many who find themselves stuck in a quagmire of desperation due to choices they have made. There is hope for all of us in Jesus.
Reading through the pages of this book I was reminded of God’s intended inheritance and sonship He wants to make available to all who call upon His Name. I appreciated the candor, honesty and transparency with which Joel opens his life story to us, thus giving the reader a sense of hope and purpose for their lives. Joel cannot change his past, yet the choices he has made in Christ have determined his future, as well as those to who will be impacted by his life message.
Joel Shunmugam
Joel Sunmugam pastors the New Westminster branch of Calvary Worship Centre in BC. A man with a heart for serving and helping others, Pastor Joel also worked with Teen Challenge in Singapore for ten years. He is married to Ruth, and they are blessed with 2 children; Joshua and Josiah. This book, his first, reflects on his journey from a life stuck in misery to Hope in Christ.
Related to From a Scum to a Son
Related ebooks
I Know It Was The Blood: A Story of Overcoming Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsIn Pursuit of God: People, Places and Things Will Never Keep You Satisfied, Only Jesus Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsTwo Continents and One Island Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Real Deal: Lessons Learned for Living an Authentic Life Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsBroken Lenses: Identifying Your Truth in a World of Lies Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsBrokenness to Better Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsBehind Prison Walls: Inmate Number 27773-016 Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsWhat Has God Done Lately? Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Reincarnation of Love Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsOrchestrate Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsHis Light at the End of Every Tunnel Revealed Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsStop Taking Advantage of Me Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsFlowers Bloom in Arid Soil: Jesus Is the Gardener Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsMercy in the Mess: How God Revealed His Character in My Mess and How You Can Find Him in Yours Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Unseen Power: You May Not Know What You Are Worth Until You Are Challenged Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsWhen Omega Wins: It Is Done Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsYes, God Does Speak Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsMore of You, Less of Me Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Love of a Father: and the Journey of His Prodigal Son Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsSurvivor Once Survivor for Life: OVERCOMER OF CANCER, DEATH OF A MARRIAGE AND DEATH OF A PARENT Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsTragedies and Trials are God's Perfect Work: Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsIn the Midst of it All Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsI’m Praying for You Always: The Anomalous Life of an Intercessor Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsReleasing the Bitterness: The 6 Steps According to God's Word Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsMiss Thang! Destiny Fulfilled: A Testimonial Guide to Divine Purpose and Greatness! Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsYou’Re My Best Hope: A Young Woman’S Journey of Grief That Leads Her into the Arms of God Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Diary of a Godchild Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsHell Bound in My Sunday Best: WARdrobe Change Required Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Danger of Playing Hide and Seek: The Problem of Playing a Childhood Game in Your Daily Walk with God Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsPursued with Relentless Love Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratings
Christianity For You
Uninvited: Living Loved When You Feel Less Than, Left Out, and Lonely Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Boundaries Updated and Expanded Edition: When to Say Yes, How to Say No To Take Control of Your Life Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Decluttering at the Speed of Life: Winning Your Never-Ending Battle with Stuff Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Screwtape Letters Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5I'll Start Again Monday: Break the Cycle of Unhealthy Eating Habits with Lasting Spiritual Satisfaction Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Present Over Perfect: Leaving Behind Frantic for a Simpler, More Soulful Way of Living Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Purpose Driven Life: What on Earth Am I Here For? Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Four Loves Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Stories We Tell: Every Piece of Your Story Matters Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Anxious for Nothing: Finding Calm in a Chaotic World Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Mere Christianity Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Good Boundaries and Goodbyes: Loving Others Without Losing the Best of Who You Are Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Boundaries Workbook: When to Say Yes, How to Say No to Take Control of Your Life Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The 5 Love Languages: The Secret to Love that Lasts Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Law of Connection: Lesson 10 from The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Less Fret, More Faith: An 11-Week Action Plan to Overcome Anxiety Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Winning the War in Your Mind: Change Your Thinking, Change Your Life Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Changes That Heal: Four Practical Steps to a Happier, Healthier You Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Undistracted: Capture Your Purpose. Rediscover Your Joy. Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership: Follow Them and People Will Follow You Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Girl, Wash Your Face: Stop Believing the Lies About Who You Are so You Can Become Who You Were Meant to Be Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5The Book of Enoch Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Magnolia Story (with Bonus Content) Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5A Grief Observed Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5How to Lead When You're Not in Charge: Leveraging Influence When You Lack Authority Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Story: The Bible as One Continuing Story of God and His People Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Unseen Realm: Recovering the Supernatural Worldview of the Bible Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5How to Read the Bible for All Its Worth: Fourth Edition Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5
Reviews for From a Scum to a Son
0 ratings0 reviews
Book preview
From a Scum to a Son - Joel Shunmugam
From a Scum to a Son
By JOEL SHUNMUGAM
Smashwords Edition
Published by:
DaySprings Publishing at Smashwords
From a SCUM to a SON
Copyright © 2012 by Joel Shunmugam
All rights reserved
This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.
For more information, contact the publisher at
info@dayspringspublishing.com
Acknowledgments & Appreciation
If it were not for the desires that God Himself has put within me for this book to be written, if it were not for the memory, strength and support He has given me, I would not have attempted it.
First and foremost, I want to give my Lord and Savior all the glory that is due to Him. As I look back over the journey of my life, I can see that He was there at every turn, using every event to bring me to that place of total surrender to Him. Without Him, I am and have nothing.
I want to honour Ruth, my wife, for not giving up on me. To this day, she is continuously supporting me in every way. I am grateful that, throughout our life together, she has always been her sweet self, so patient and loving. By her very nature, she has allowed me to be vulnerable and has consistently encouraged me to persevere and press in to God, the One and Only Source of everything good in my life.
I want to thank our two sons, Joshua and Josiah, who are, as scripture says, the arrows in our quiver who bring us much happiness. Their pure and simple love has been instrumental in helping me to understand God’s love for me and has played a key role in my transformation.
I would like to thank my friend, pastor and sister, Angela Carmichael, for her listening ears, soul piercing words of encouragement in doing the work of God, and for using her God-given gifts in editing this book.
Confirmations
I owe a debt of gratitude to my Mum and Dad for raising me the best way they knew, correcting and loving me despite the pain I caused them. Thanks too, to my siblings for their continued love and support which continues to this day.
Pastor Sam, I can’t thank you enough for hearing God’s voice for my life and thus giving me an opportunity to serve God with you.
To my spiritual dad Doug Stringer, who shares the same birthday as my biological dad, thank you for being there not only for me but for my whole family, interceding for us and speaking words of wisdom and encouragement into our lives.
I am grateful for Dave, Eddie, Peter and Sam of Teen Challenge Singapore who spent their valuable time teaching me the precious Word of God and for backing up their teaching with genuine example. It was through their influence that I finally came to understand that God indeed has a plan for my life.
I want to thank the congregation of Calvary Worship Centre for all the sweet smelling prayers and warfare prayers that have gone up to God for my family and me. I could continue to compile a much longer list as there have been many people whom God sent into my life to speak words of encouragement and to spur me on into a deeper relationship with Jesus.
Lastly, to everyone I have offended in any way, please find it in your hearts to forgive me for all my careless words and actions.
PREFACE –
by Angela Carmichael
(Associate Pastor, Calvary Worship Centre, Vancouver)
When Joel, my friend and fellow pastor, first mentioned to me that he knew the Lord had commissioned him to put his story in print, I eagerly offered to help him. After our initial excitement, we realized that something of this magnitude needed more than just enthusiasm and natural talent, it needed inspiration from God Himself, and we took it to prayer. God confirmed to both of us, in a number of ways, that we were to collaborate on the book, and Joel began to share his story with me.
Several months went by and I realized that although my heart was definitely in this great assignment, it wasn’t coming together for me. Joel and I agreed to continue to pray to know God’s plan. A short while later, with much excitement, Joel told me that he had written the bare bones of the book and he asked me to take it from there. Now I was gripped with passion for the project, and we realized this was how it was meant to be. We are grateful to God and excited to present the finished book.
PROLOGUE –
by Dr. Sam Owusu
(Senior Pastor, Calvary Worship Centre, Vancouver)
One of the great delights in reading an autobiography is to see the story of another person unfold. It is wonderful to experience that person’s struggles to find meaning, and to become a creative, contributing person in God’s kingdom. God is active in everyone’s life whether we acknowledge it or not.
In Joel’s autobiography we see God’s sovereignty and purpose that will encourage every heart. We