8A newly Christian friend of mine asked me to recommend a book to help her and her husband get off to a strong start in their new faith. I set out to find the perfect book.

To hold their attention, it had to be the literary equivalent of a successful date night movie. It needed romance, humor, suspense, and possibly lucrative product placements. It needed something for him and something for her. But it couldn't be fluff, it needed to be genuinely helpful. I set out to find such a book.

I left no stone unturned. I left no turn stoned. In fact, at no point was I stoned. Rather, my glassy eyes were due to disappointment, as book after book failed to meet my stringent criteria. But I didn't give up, instead, I started writing the book I was looking for and now you have it in your hot little hands - unless you have cold hands. The temperature of your hands is beside the point.

The point is new Christians have long needed a wise and fun mentor to guide their formative first steps as Jesus followers. The three core beliefs and six core practices of the UPSIDEDOWN Life provide the wisdom, I solemnly pledge to bring the fun.