By Sue Nowicki
McClatchy Newspapers
(MCT)
His newest release, "Fearless: Imagine Your Life Without Fear," was released this month and is especially timely in this fragile economy. Like his other works and his sermons at
Lucado (pronounced loo-kay-dough) is 54 and is married to Denalyn, 53. They have three daughters, Jenna, 24; Andrea, 22; and Sara, 19. He sat down with The Bee at the Christian Book Expo in
Q: Last year, you stopped competing in Iron Man competitions and had heart surgery, and also stepped down as your church's senior pastor. How is your health and your church?
A: They couldn't be going better. We hired a new senior minister,
Q: You're such a fabulous storyteller. Did you tell stories when you were a youngster?
A: I've always loved stories. I remember going to the elementary school library and reading the biographies of American presidents and leaders. And I remember as a middle schooler, I ran for office on student council, and in my speech, telling stories, illustrations, and being surprised at how well people listened. It was then I began to realize there's a power in a story, and using a story can be a really great communication tool.
Q: You've said you were shy as a child. Were you academic? Athletic at all?
A: I was probably more athletic than academic. But I had a real interest in literature. My brother and I both really enjoyed reading growing up. The earliest I can remember enjoying writing was in middle school, being turned loose in English class on an idea. I can remember writing the first paragraph and how much fun that was creating something from nothing. Some people are intimidated by a blank page. A blank page has always invited me. I thought, this will be fun to create something.
Q: Can you give me an anecdote from your youth that reveals who you are?
A: One of our assignments was to write a short story when I was a high school junior — literally hearing the rest of the class groan, and I got excited. I was barely home and I was already writing the story and spent the whole evening writing it. I can still remember it today; I can even see it in my mind on the paper, written out longhand, and I couldn't wait for my turn to read it because I knew everybody would be impressed. I knew I would get a good grade. At that moment, I was beginning to sense my love for stories and love for words.
Q: What was the story about?
A: I'm almost embarrassed to tell you the title. It was called "Life is Hell." That's a horrible title. I wasn't a Christian at the time, and everything was fatalistic. I think teenagers are prone to fatalism without Christ, because you begin realizing how tough life is. It was the story about a guy who played football at an
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