Phil Callaway

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Phil Callaway is a Christian humorist author and speaker from Three Hills, Alberta, Canada. He has written books of Christian humor, Christian children's literature, and Christian novels, as well as many magazine articles.[1] He maintains a rigorous speaking schedule, traveling primarily in North America speaking approximately 100 times a year to churches, coporations, and conferences.

He has edited the Prairie Bible Institute's magazine Servant since its founding in 1988. He writes in English, and there are Spanish, Polish, Dutch and Indonesian translations of some of his books.[2]

He was born and grew up in Three Hills, where his parents worked on staff at the Prairie Bible College.[3] He attended Prairie High School and Prairie Bible College as a student and graduated in 1982.[4][5] He married his high school sweetheart and had three kids; stories from all of their lives appear in his writing.

His first two books, Honey, I Dunked the Kids and Daddy, I Blew up the Shed were based on material originally published in his column "Family Matters" in Servant Magazine.[6] His work is primarily Christian, and at least one review has said that he bases his humor on a religious message "that in the long run overshadows and lessens the comic message."[7] Callaway later commented on the critique by saying "I love to make people laugh. I've seen them fall off chairs when I speak. But I also like to tell them why I'm not in a home weaving baskets somewhere and it's because of faith and hope."[8]

Country superstar Paul Brandt interviewed Callaway on his website, asking "Do you care to share your religious beliefs? What's your life philosophy and Phil responded, "I've traveled the world, I've searched the literature. Nothing has answered my questions like the life and words of Jesus. I'm not into religion, I'm into a relationship with him. Several years ago I was in a Seattle airport washroom during an earthquake (what a place to die!). I'd been on a trip to check out a job offering three times my current salary. I'd been dreaming about a step up the ladder, about all the stuff I could buy, all the prestige I could have. But the earthquake shook me hard. (As the place shook, the guy in the stall next to me yelled, 'Did I do that?') Back on the plane, I wrote down my definition of success on an airline napkin: 'I will consider myself a success when I'm walking close to Jesus every day, when I'm building a strong marriage and performing meaningful work. I'll consider myself a success when I'm making others homesick for heaven.' That's my life mission and I can't believe how much fun I'm having following it." [9]

[edit] External Links

[edit] References

  1. ^ About Phil. Phil Callaway, The Unofficial Site. Retrieved on October 19, 2006.
  2. ^ Foreign Language Editions. Phil Calloway, The Unofficial Site. Retrieved on October 19, 2006.
  3. ^ Massey, Pat. Wonders never cease interview. Retrieved on October 19, 2006.
  4. ^ "Heart of the Matter" (PDF), Prairie Harvester, Prairie Bible Institute, 2005-03-29, pp. 8. Retrieved on October 19, 2006.
  5. ^ Servant Magazine. www.prairie.edu. Prairie Bible Institute (2006-09-11). Retrieved on October 19, 2006.
  6. ^ Linquist, N.J.. "Inside Story: Make 'em laugh", Volume 18, Number 04, ChristianWeek, 2004-05-11. Retrieved on October 19, 2006.
  7. ^ Fritzer, Penelope; Bland, Bartholomew (2002). Merry Wives and Others: A History of Domestic Humor Writing. Jefferson, North Carolina: McFarland & Company, Inc., 194-195, 223-224. , found at Google Books
  8. ^ Phil Callaway, The Unofficial Site
  9. ^ Paul Brandt
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