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FROM THE PUBLISHER<br />
A Simple Visit<br />
It started as a simple visit.<br />
My friends, Dan and Tracy Stewart, had become<br />
grandparents a few weeks earlier. They beamed from<br />
head to toe as they told me about their beautiful<br />
grandson, Justice. I asked if I could drop by the young<br />
couple’s apartment to deliver some gifts. Matt and<br />
Bobbye Jean, the proud new parents, had been through<br />
many trials of late, and I felt compelled to meet them<br />
and to bless them in some small way.<br />
“Could they use a meal?” I asked.<br />
Tracy smiled. “That would be great.” Tears welled<br />
up as she added, “I’ve been asking the Lord to provide<br />
some meals for them. I only had two more nights<br />
covered. Thank you for listening to the Lord.”<br />
A few days later, feeling a bit like Little Red Riding<br />
Hood—minus the hood—I packed my basket with<br />
delicious foods and made my way to Matt and Bobbye’s<br />
home. When I arrived, Matt was outside tinkering<br />
around in his fishing boat. He welcomed me with a huge<br />
smile and a cheerful hello. I gathered up my goodies<br />
and followed him into the house to meet Bobbye and<br />
Justice.<br />
For the next hour and a half, this precious couple<br />
shared their inspiring yet challenging story of faith,<br />
hope, and love. Never before had I met anyone with such<br />
perseverance, passion, and determination to use their<br />
experiences to help others. And they were so young! I<br />
felt honored and humbled to be in their presence.<br />
Before I left, I asked Matt and Bobbye if they would<br />
share their story in Victorious Living. Without hesitation<br />
they replied, “If you think our story will encourage your<br />
readers to move forward despite their hardships, then<br />
we’d love to.”<br />
I thought about them the rest of the day, and my<br />
heart ached for these two who were young enough to<br />
be my own kids. I knew that as I drifted comfortably<br />
off to sleep, Matt would be tossing about in his bed in<br />
severe nerve pain. The amount of pain Matt faces daily<br />
is more than anyone should have to bear.<br />
I woke several<br />
times that night,<br />
thinking of Matt and<br />
Bobbye and those<br />
around them. I began<br />
to wonder how Matt’s<br />
dad, Darren, and<br />
Bobbye’s dad, Dan, were<br />
handling not being able<br />
to fix their kids’ situation.<br />
Fathers are natural<br />
protectors and providers,<br />
yet they could not change<br />
these circumstances.<br />
And how about Nancy and Tracy, Matt and Bobbye’s<br />
moms? How does a mother’s heart bear the pain<br />
of seeing her children go through such hardship and<br />
disappointment? And their siblings? And of course, I<br />
thought of Bobbye Jean. How does a young woman<br />
adjust when her dreams are shattered? How does she<br />
find the strength to care for both her newborn son and<br />
her husband’s daily needs?<br />
Then I thought of Reed Hansen, Matt’s best friend<br />
and training partner. They’d traveled the world together,<br />
competing on the professional wakeskating tour. Had<br />
Reed adjusted to not having his companion on tour?<br />
Has he ever felt guilty, continuing life as usual while his<br />
best friend continues to suffer so?<br />
All these stories within Matt’s story—I felt the Lord<br />
urging me to discover the answers to these questions<br />
and share them with you. I envisioned this entire issue,<br />
centered on Matt’s life. It was an exciting thought, but<br />
way out of the box.<br />
“But God,” I argued. “This isn’t a book; it’s a<br />
magazine. Magazines highlight different stories, not the<br />
story of one person.” Perhaps God had forgotten.<br />
As the publisher and editor of Victorious Living, I’m<br />
always thinking about the content and layout of this<br />
magazine. I’d already had a good idea of the stories I’d<br />
use in this issue. But then I met Matt and Bobbye, and<br />
the Lord began radically changing my plans.<br />
I could feel the excitement building inside me as I<br />
considered God’s new blueprint. It was different, yes; far<br />
different than anything I had done before. And it would<br />
require a lot of work. But in the end, I knew it would<br />
be worth it. The stories surrounding Matt Manzari’s life<br />
would resonate with so many people. They provide a<br />
powerful illustration of moving forward in life, victorious,<br />
despite desperate circumstances. I can’t help but feel<br />
that God has chosen Matt’s story specifically to speak<br />
to the hearts of our readers.<br />
So with the surrendering of my plans to God’s,<br />
I present to you The Matt Manzari Story, told from<br />
Matt’s perspective and by many others who love<br />
him. Thank you, Matt, family, and friends for<br />
sharing your hearts, your struggles, and your<br />
victories with us. Thank you also to the various<br />
professional photographers who shared their<br />
images with us.<br />
Regardless of who or where you are at<br />
this moment, I believe the stories that fill this<br />
issue will inspire you, give you hope, and<br />
provide answers to questions that have been<br />
lingering in your heart. Matt’s story reminds<br />
us that God can bring incredible beauty even<br />
from the greatest of pain. V<br />
Publisher/Editor<br />
Kristi Overton Johnson<br />
Editor<br />
Rachel F. Overton<br />
Contributors<br />
Lester Alevedo-Cruz<br />
Isaiah C. Cain<br />
Linda Cubbedge<br />
Reed Hansen<br />
Kristi Overton Johnson<br />
Briana Kuykendall<br />
Bobbye Stewart Manzari<br />
Matt Manzari<br />
Darren Manzari, Sr.<br />
Nancy Manzari<br />
Darren Manzari, Jr.<br />
Nate Miller<br />
Jay Quam<br />
Dan Stewart<br />
Tracy Stewart<br />
Steel Stewart<br />
Creative Director/Graphic Design<br />
Whispering Dog Design, Inc.<br />
Amy Zackowski<br />
amy@whisperingdog.com<br />
Partnership Support<br />
victoriousliving@kojministries.org<br />
Cover Photography<br />
Garrett Cortese<br />
alliancewake.com<br />
Photography<br />
Michael Cairns<br />
Lisa Lotter<br />
Joey Meddock<br />
Handsel Reid<br />
Tracy Stewart<br />
Victorious Living<br />
PO Box 120951<br />
Clermont, FL 34712-0951<br />
352.478.2098 • fax 888.837.9<strong>15</strong>3<br />
Victorious Living Prison Outreach<br />
All Inmate Correspondence<br />
PO Box 968<br />
Keystone Heights, FL 32656<br />
Victorious Living is a free quarterly publication distributed to<br />
KOJ Ministries partners, at various distribution locations, and<br />
within correctional institutions. Copyright ©20<strong>15</strong>. All rights<br />
reserved by Victorious Living. Contents may not be reproduced<br />
in any form without the written consent of the publisher.<br />
The publisher reserves the right to refuse any submission<br />
and accepts no responsibility for submitted materials. All<br />
submitted materials subject to editing.<br />
Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are<br />
taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright<br />
©1996, 2004, 2007, 2013 by Tyndale House Foundation.<br />
Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol<br />
Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved. Scripture marked<br />
NIV is taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version ® ,<br />
NIV ® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. ®<br />
Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide. Scripture<br />
marked NKJV is taken from the New King James Version ® .<br />
Copyright ©1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission.<br />
All rights reserved.<br />
www.kojministries.org 4
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