Noah

by Steven Abernathy

Overview

Noah is the story of pilot John Grey, whose flight around the world is terminated by a crash into the middle of a war somewhere in Eastern Europe. Freedom fighters repair his aircraft and treat his injuries, then ask him to return their goodness by transporting a sick priest to his home in Turkey. Mr. Grey complies with their request, and delivers the priest, Micah Ben Allihad, to Igdir, a small town near the Ararat Mountains in eastern Turkey. Micah and the villagers show their appreciation by guiding Grey on the greatest adventure of his life. They take him to Noah's Ark, which is partially lodged in a cave near the top of Ararat and is the centerpiece of an ancient monastery that has been in constant operation since the time of Noah.

A close friendship develops between Micah and John, leading the priest to reveal many of the secrets of the cave of Noah. Among them are a written history of Noah's people, from the epic voyage of the Ark up to the current year, a room of stone tablets that provide cures for the diseases of mankind, and one of God's greatest gifts to Noah and his descendents, a portal that allows those who know its use to see and communicate with those in Heaven.

Teddy Moore is a small boy with brain cancer. After undergoing over two years of surgeries, radiation, and chemotherapy, the condition has worsened and his doctors have given up hope. At Micah's request, John Grey brings to Teddy a healing solution prepared in the cave of Noah. The potion cures Teddy of the cancer, but comes at a price. Teddy is required to come to the cave of Noah and work with the monks for one year when he reaches the age of twenty-one. Mr. Grey acts as intermediary between the monks and the boy, and provides transportation to and from the monastery in his airplane.

After his required year of monastic service, Teddy decides to stay with the order. He is given an assignment to complete a college education in nanotechnology at the University of Washington. The stone healing tablets contain specific mineral combinations that, when mixed with water that flows through the Ark, cure the various diseases and conditions that afflict mankind, and allow for a long and healthy life. After thousands of years of use, the stones are wearing out and the minerals are almost depleted. Teddy's assignment is to become expert in nanotechnology, which is the science of building virtually anything at an atomic level, and to find a way to replenish the minerals or otherwise provide cures to the monks.

During his years of study at college, Teddy's mother is diagnosed with cancer, and eventually dies from the disease. Teddy is devastated by her death, and blames himself for not having been fast enough in providing her with a nanotechnological cure. He returns to the monastery, and John doesn't hear from him for over fifteen years. Retired and listless in his older years, John receives an email from the monastery asking him to come as soon as possible. He complies, and finds that all of his old friends, Micah, Teddy, and Sharon, are now in Heaven. John is taken to the portal, where he is allowed to speak with them. Each friend speaks to him, giving him an account of some of what has transpired in the preceding years. At the end of the visit, they give John an incredible choice. …cross over into Heaven for eternal life with God, or remain as one of God's children on earth doing His work. The encounter with his friends and the decision process itself brings him to the realization that, with a faith in God he has never felt before, his separation from Heaven is only one of the mind. With faith, he can see into Heaven without being present in this special room with the Heavenly curtain. With faith, he can be in contact with the love of God, his friends, and his family each moment of the rest of his earthly life. He decides to stay and do the work of God for as long as he can be of service.

Product Details

BN ID:	2940033167180
Publisher:	Steven Abernathy
Publication date:	04/12/2012
Sold by:	Smashwords
Format:	eBook
File size:	370 KB

About the Author

I was educated at the United States Air Force Academy, Arkansas State University, and The University of Tennessee. Somewhere along the way I was encouraged to write my bios in first person, so that is what you get. I've been writing since 1975, when my first science text book supplement was published by ESP, Inc. My first novel, A Question of Character, was co-written with my oldest son, John Abernathy, and I soon followed as solo author with a sequel, Nikita's War. Both books are political thrillers. My latest novel, titled Noah, is my first venture into a new genre, religious fiction, but is in reality an adventure story built around the legendary Noah's Ark. Along with the fiction, I am a columnist with The Daily Pamphlet and a periodic contributor to The Destin Log and The Campbell Courier.

If I have a single qualification that allows me to write fiction for a broad audience, it is that I have a wide range of experience and a pretty sound understanding of people from just about every walk of life. You hear people say, "I knew from the time I was a child that I wanted to be a ______ (fill in the blank). Not me. I've tried just about everything out there, sometimes by choice, often from necessity. Among other things, I have worked as a farm laborer, carpenter, assembly line worker, apprentice electrician, truck driver, hospital orderly, teacher (both public school and college), military officer, dentist, and author. I have run for Congress, crashed an airplane, survived a heart attack, written five books, and been married to the same wonderful lady for 39 years. I have shared a bologna sandwich with fellow farm workers while taking a brief break from our $5 per day job, and I have schmoozed with Bill Clinton during more formal meals. I even had lunch one time with Connie Kresky (Playboy Playmate of the Year in 1969). She was infinitely more interesting than Bill Clinton. That's all I'm saying.

I still spend some of my time practicing dentistry and work a few hours a week as a general flunky in my son's publishing company, most of my time is spent either writing or traveling to promote my books. I love meeting fans at book signing and other promotional events, and do so as often as possible. My most notable heroes are Zane Grey and Doc Holliday, two other dentists who found gainful employment in other fields.