My name is IVAN JOHNSTONE and I was born and raised in Ballymena, Northern Ireland. My parents I am happy to say are Born Again Christians – I also was to become Born Again on the 21^st September, 1975.

     In the early eighties as a young believer, the Lord spoke to me and told me that I would come into my calling as a Christian in later life. Now all of my friends at that time were either heading off to Bible College, gone to the mission field, or training to be Ministers of the Gospel .I started to think that I must have done something in my young Christian life that was displeasing to God, thinking that I had been left behind, but nothing could have been further from the truth.

     In the year 2000, about twenty years after the Lord had spoken to me concerning my calling, he led me for the first time to Living Rivers Church, 2/4 Railway St. Ballymena, where we are encouraged to develop our talents and build on them. As for the teaching of Pastor Paul Brady, I owe a debt of eternal gratitude.

     To cut a very long story short, during my holidays at Christmas time in 2003, the Lord spoke to myself again and told me to start putting pen to paper, so I started by writing short stories which were not very good to begin with. The last time I had put pen to paper prior to that, was at school. So there had been quit a gap in between times.

     Then there was one particular day that was to bring a complete turn around in my life. A fellow companion at work came to me knowing that I was a writer. This bloke, a Christian but well known in the work place as a critic, asked me if I could write a song for him – he went on to explain that he sang in Old Peoples Homes and wanted someone to write something suitable. I had never done anything of anything of such nature before, but I agreed to give it a go. Arriving the next day to work with a spring in my step, feeling rather pleased with my first attempt, I approached the fellow who had requested that I should write the song. Whilst he read what I had written, I waited patiently for his response.

     He then was to look me in the eye and said, “Points out 100? I’ll give you 3 out of 100”. not believing what I had just heard I went home that night, and to say that I had the wind taken out of my sails was an under statement. I said to myself, “I absolutely refuse to lay down to that statement”. So then I started to write, and write, and write. Then after about a year passed by, our friend the critic confronted me again.

     By this time all of my material was good, even by his high standards. His first words to me on this occasion was, “Ivan, where do you get all these from”? He said in amazement. This time my response was, “ From the very same source as the very first one you criticised”. I have heard it said that there are no monuments built to critics, but if I had a choice, I’d build one to them.

     Not long afterwards I wrote a book, recited some of my material at The Ballymena Arts Festival, and I also made an appearance on radio. Now Gina has invited me to place some of my work on her website of which I count an absolute honour to be even asked.

     It would be my prayer that every person who views what the Lord what the Lord has called me to, might be greatly blessed and encouraged.

     If your heart has been touched by any of the material that you have read and would like to get in contact, please mail –

itsagodthing@btinternet.com