Still Can't Help Myself:
Short Stories and Daily Devotionals

Following the Shepherd in Real Life: Book Two

This is the second book in Richard T. Vander Vaart’s series, Following the Shepherd in Real Life. The stories you read here are collected from ministry experiences, family times, and everyday incidents. Each of the thirty short stories includes a devotion which will help readers reflect on their walk with God.

Life does not turn out as we plan it, so we can either weep or learn to laugh. Hopefully you get a chance to laugh often, and perhaps you’ll also have the opportunity to pause and consider your own circumstances in a new way.

These stories represent a triumph of memory and the great gift of God’s healing work. In early January 2009, Richard was involved in a car accident that robbed him of many precious memories. Thanks be to God that in recent years some memories have returned. He has recorded these stories realizing that memory is a precious gift, and not necessarily one we can always keep.

A photograph is included with each day’s story and devotional reading. These pictures have been taken by Marianne VanderSpek. She has a unique flair for capturing a thought or moment and translating it into a black-and-white image.

Softcover Trim Size: 5.5 x 8.5

Page Count: 176

About the Author:

Richard T. Vander Vaart has served as a minister in various congregations for more than twenty-four years. He is married to Carolyn and they have three adult children. Over the last decade, they have fostered more than thirty-five children. Richard has served as a volunteer police chaplain for more than ten years and currently serves as First Vice President on the Executive of the Canadian Police Chaplain Association.