I’m an 86 year old retired middle-school teacher (and retired Navy Chief). My wife of 62 years passed away in 2021. Together we raised five children, now proud parents to sixteen grandchildren and ten great-grandchildren, all the while building careers as devoted educators and ministers. After nearly fifty-eight years in ministry, I recently added a Master of Theological Studies to my resume—and I’m still sharpening my skills in teaching an adult Sunday School at Westgate Church of Christ in Dothan, Alabama.
Writing has always been my passion: I began with poetry and song, then took the plunge into fiction with my debut novel, The Red Shoe. Since then, I’ve published eight books in that series, available wherever you buy online, and I blog about faith five days a week. Those blogs have been published as books and are available online. Altogether, I have published twenty-two books. When I’m not writing or prepping Sunday School lessons, you’ll find me absorbed in a good book—especially nautical epics of wooden ships and iron-willed sailors—or plotting my next move in a computer strategy game.
My hobbies are just as eclectic: fishing, hunting, training dogs, and nurturing a rose garden that blooms from spring through fall. I’ve owned four Vizslas—two of them proudly named Tisza, after the Hungarian river suggested by a beloved college math professor. No breed matches their loyalty and teachability, in my experience.
Life may have slowed down a bit, but my curiosity hasn’t—whether it’s exploring a new genre, crafting Sunday lessons, or watching the blooms unfurl in my rose beds, every day still feels like an adventure.
Philip Dampier's Blog 