The True Joy of Positive Living Ch: 1

• The author was surprised to become a preacher, despite not being a "bad kid," due to the unique perception of preacher's kids in small Ohio towns in the early 1900s.
• Preacher's kids were held to a higher standard and were quickly labeled as sinners for minor missteps.

Father's Influence

• The author's admiration for Jesus Christ was sparked by his father's preaching, which made Christianity real and exciting.
• His father was a fascinating and respected public speaker, making church attendance enjoyable.

Mother's Impact

• A Sunday School lesson where his mother described Jesus' courage and willingness to die out of love deeply impacted the author.
• The lesson instilled a lifelong love for Jesus.

Internal Conflict

• Despite his love for Jesus, hymns, and good preachers, and his belief in God, the author felt disconnected from the "Kingdom."
• He was drawn to worldly desires and resisted the ministry due to the "preacher's kid" label.
• He felt set apart and judged for minor actions, which caused resentment, though he knew this feeling usually faded with age.
• Some ministers' children rejected the church entirely due to similar experiences, while still respecting their parents.

The Banker's Ritual

• Every Monday, the local banker would question the value of the author's father's sermon when handing over his salary check.
• This ritual irritated the author.
• Despite this, the father and banker were friends with mutual love and respect.
• The banker's grand lifestyle contrasted with the author's perception of his father's role.
• The father explained the banker's background of overcoming poverty and the shared experience of grief over the loss of his wife.
• The father highlighted the banker's concealed emotions and their unique way of showing affection.
• This changed the author's perspective, leading him to see the banker as a person deserving of compassion.
• The banker's acknowledgment of the author's "fine" father further reinforced this understanding.

Dave Henderson's Transformation

• The author recalls a revival meeting where Dave Henderson, known for being a "holy terror" when drunk, transformed.
• Dave was a large, strong man with a reputation for fighting and cursing.
• Surprisingly, Dave attended church regularly and expressed appreciation for the author's father's sermons.
• One night, after an evangelistic sermon, Dave knelt at the altar seeking salvation and a changed life.
• Dave experienced a profound transformation, becoming a "saint" who positively impacted everyone he knew for fifty years.
• Years later, the author visited Dave on his deathbed, and Dave expressed his love and gratitude for the author's father, who led him to the Lord.
• Dave's final blessing remains unforgettable to the author.
• This incident demonstrated the power of God to change lives, influencing the author to embrace the ministry.
• The author's father explained this change of nature as "The creator is also the re-creator".

Early Life and Family

• Born on May 31, 1898, in Bowersville, Ohio, a peaceful village in Greene County.
• Father, Charles Clifford Peale, was a Methodist pastor and former physician.
• His father had trained as a physician but turned to ministry due to mother's prayers when father was seriously ill.
• He blended medicine with ministry.
• His first pastorate was in SugarTree Ridge in 1895.
• The family was poor but self-respecting and not ashamed.
• His father served three churches, receiving goods from parishioners as payment.
• Mother, Anna DeLaney, was of Irish and English heritage and described as beautiful.

Anna DeLaney (Mother)

• Had fair skin, blue eyes, and golden hair.
• She was considered the most beautiful girl in Lynchburg and known for her religious leadership
• Her father, author's grandfather, was Andrew DeLaney and native-born Irishman
• Mother was courted and married in 1895.
• She was a Christian woman with a sense of humor and a delight in life.
• She shared Irish songs, poems, and stories with her children.
• She hoped to visit the Emerald Isle, her father's homeland.
• She blended dignity with Irish wit and emotionalism.

Margaret Potts DeLaney

• Author's maternal grandmother, who was a dignified lady of the old ways.
• She was known for her humility and sweetness.
• She had aristocratic manners and a loving heart.
• Described as a great lady
• Mother was fun, interesting, and a storyteller.
• She loved to read, was humorous, and had infectious laughter.

Return to Bowersville

• Visited Bowersville as an adult and saw historical markers.
• Spoke at the village's centennial celebration.
• Experienced an excruciating earache and encountered a faith healer and a doctor who both offered treatment.
• His earache disappeared, leaving him grateful to both men.
• Acknowledged that spiritual power can come through humble believers in all walks of life.

Memories of Old Center Church

• One of his father's churches, located in a grove of trees.
• Visited the church with a childhood friend, Wilbur Beard.
• Recalled the names of devout church members.
• Reflected on the passage of time and the memories enshrined by it.
• The author sat in his mothers pew and put his hands on the bible in the pulpit.

Passport Application

• Applied for a passport at age twenty-five for a trip to Europe.
• Discovered that his birth was not officially registered.
• Learned that his father, a doctor-turned-preacher, delivered him.
• Despite living in urban centers, he remained a "country boy from Ohio" at heart.