Book excerpt: ABOUT THE BOOK A preacher's kid with a promising future fails to live up to the church's expectations and pays a keen price for it. His is a two decade journey of ups and downs, failed romances, and early fatherhood that stretches his faith in God to near catastrophic measures. Never fully understanding his niche in life, the preacher's kid is forced to figure it out the hard way, relying only on instinct and happenstance. What he finds is a rapidly changing world that is not only enticing but also self-liberating. His strict upbringing and conservative values have been replaced with a burning desire to express himself freely and confidently knowing that the possibility of Hell's fire would be awaiting him for stepping outside the sanctified box of the church's ministry. The only thing that gives him hope is prayer. Before I Lay It Down is a compilation of short stories, raw instructions and inspirational messages to those who are torn between their spiritual journey and an undefined destiny whose paths have crossed many times. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Mark Anthony Spivey, Sr., graduated from Prairie View A&M University in 2004 with a B.S. in Political Science. He would later add a M.S. in Counseling and another M.S. in Educational Administration. He has been a high school Social Studies teacher for the past 12 years and has been married to Jullette Spivey for the past 18 years. Together they have raised a blended family of seven kids-six of which are college graduates. His life is a testament of perseverance, hope, and love.