News Articles
'Spiritual Warfare' Topic of Book
Written by EHS Grad
Former Ellettsville, Indiana Resident, and 1985 Graduate of Edgewood High School
Patrick Bucksot Offers Biblical Perspective Of Weapons To Fight Evil
By Steve Sturgeon
In his new book, The Weapons of Our Warfare: God’s Arsenal for Victorious Living, 1985 EHS graduate Patrick Bucksot draws from the Bible to illuminate each of the weapons God gives individuals in their battle against the forces of darkness, and demonstrates how they can be most effective in the spiritual war. Like Joshua against Jericho, Gideon against the Midianites, and David against Goliath, Bucksot shows readers how, though the odds may look slim, God will always reign victorious. Bucksot now lives in Pamlico County, North Carolina. He is also very active in his church, writing and editing articles for the newsletter, leading the men's ministry, and assisting the pastor. Patrick and his wife, Beth, are ordained ministers and have been involved in the ministry for over 18 years. They have two teen-age children. Marissa is a freshman at Pensacola Christian College in Florida, and David is a sophomore at Calvary Baptist School in New Bern, North Carolina.
"For several years, beginning around 2004 or 2005, I felt the Lord leading me to begin writing,” Patrick said. “In August of 2008, the daughter of a friend of mine was brutally murdered and as I prayed for her family, I told the Lord that He would have to give me the strength to love and forgive the murderer if he had killed our daughter. “I immediately heard the voice of God saying, ‘Love and forgiveness only comes from Me, and they are two of the weapons of warfare I have given you.’” Patrick said he had never heard anything like it before that and was “completely blown away.”
After starting the church newsletter, Patrick began a series called “The Weapons of Warfare” which was completed in 22 months.
“I began getting the idea of putting these articles into a book manuscript late in the series,” he said. “Tate Publishing accepted the manuscript in May of 2011, and the book was released on August 7, 2012.
In a review of the book, Chaplain Frank J. Segreto of the Craven County Sheriff’s Office in New Bern said, “Patrick’s first literary offering will draw the reader into a clearer understanding of what it means to live the Christian life, ready and prepared to do battle against the strongholds of Satan that are arrayed against us.”
Patrick is also involved in a ministry called Special Needs Baseball started by his brother Jay, a 1983 EHS graduate. Jay Bucksot said one of his friends came up with the idea for Special Needs Baseball after a prayer meeting at the church. “Patrick was involved shortly after, within a handful of days or so,” he noted. “We feel like we’re running this league the way that God would want us to. Anyone with a physical and/or mental disability can come out and play.” In lieu of corporate sponsorships, games are sponsored by different area churches, so only the kids’ names appear on shirts. The sponsor church provides as many volunteers as possible, along with a post-game meal. “The idea is to make sure that everyone involved feels as though they are important and loved,” Jay said.
Jay went to the Marines right after high school and was stationed at Cherry Point, North Carolina where he met his wife, Terri. They have been married for 25 years and have three children, Molly is 23, Aaron is 21, Jacob is 13. Jacob was born with mental and physical isabilities, which led to the idea for a baseball league for kids with disabilities. Special Needs Baseball was started in 2003, and in 2010 a fall league also began in Jacksonville, North Carolina.
“We began with approximately 35 players and our peak enrollment has been around 150 players,” Patrick said. “It’s one of those ministries that you plan on being a blessing to others and you end up getting blessed.
Patrick said he had several teachers at EHS who were “inspiring” while noting that he was just an average student. “I excelled in the classes that I enjoyed and only did OK in the classes I didn’t like. I didn’t like to read or write back then, and I definitely couldn’t have imagined writing a book.” After graduation, Patrick also spent four years in the Marine Corps and ended up staying in eastern North Carolina. “It was here that I started going to church and giving my life to the Lord,” he said. “I began to preach some, and made a few written contributions to the newsletter for the church that I was saved in, but there were still no aspirations to become a writer at that point.”
Patrick said he is going to try to get back to Ellettsville next summer.
“I’d love to have a book signing, or even minister at someone’s church while there,” he said. “I can be contacted at [email protected].
His book is available through bookstores nationwide, from the publisher at www.tatepublishing.com/bookstore, by visiting barnesandnoble.com or amazon.com.
“I’ve developed a study guide for the book,” Patrick said. “It’s not yet released because there’s a church near Nashville, Tennessee getting ready to evaluate the material.” After Patrick reviews the church’s suggestions, he expects to release the study guide to the general public next July. “I’m anticipating that the study guide will be free with the purchase of a book,” he said.
Written by EHS Grad
Former Ellettsville, Indiana Resident, and 1985 Graduate of Edgewood High School
Patrick Bucksot Offers Biblical Perspective Of Weapons To Fight Evil
By Steve Sturgeon
In his new book, The Weapons of Our Warfare: God’s Arsenal for Victorious Living, 1985 EHS graduate Patrick Bucksot draws from the Bible to illuminate each of the weapons God gives individuals in their battle against the forces of darkness, and demonstrates how they can be most effective in the spiritual war. Like Joshua against Jericho, Gideon against the Midianites, and David against Goliath, Bucksot shows readers how, though the odds may look slim, God will always reign victorious. Bucksot now lives in Pamlico County, North Carolina. He is also very active in his church, writing and editing articles for the newsletter, leading the men's ministry, and assisting the pastor. Patrick and his wife, Beth, are ordained ministers and have been involved in the ministry for over 18 years. They have two teen-age children. Marissa is a freshman at Pensacola Christian College in Florida, and David is a sophomore at Calvary Baptist School in New Bern, North Carolina.
"For several years, beginning around 2004 or 2005, I felt the Lord leading me to begin writing,” Patrick said. “In August of 2008, the daughter of a friend of mine was brutally murdered and as I prayed for her family, I told the Lord that He would have to give me the strength to love and forgive the murderer if he had killed our daughter. “I immediately heard the voice of God saying, ‘Love and forgiveness only comes from Me, and they are two of the weapons of warfare I have given you.’” Patrick said he had never heard anything like it before that and was “completely blown away.”
After starting the church newsletter, Patrick began a series called “The Weapons of Warfare” which was completed in 22 months.
“I began getting the idea of putting these articles into a book manuscript late in the series,” he said. “Tate Publishing accepted the manuscript in May of 2011, and the book was released on August 7, 2012.
In a review of the book, Chaplain Frank J. Segreto of the Craven County Sheriff’s Office in New Bern said, “Patrick’s first literary offering will draw the reader into a clearer understanding of what it means to live the Christian life, ready and prepared to do battle against the strongholds of Satan that are arrayed against us.”
Patrick is also involved in a ministry called Special Needs Baseball started by his brother Jay, a 1983 EHS graduate. Jay Bucksot said one of his friends came up with the idea for Special Needs Baseball after a prayer meeting at the church. “Patrick was involved shortly after, within a handful of days or so,” he noted. “We feel like we’re running this league the way that God would want us to. Anyone with a physical and/or mental disability can come out and play.” In lieu of corporate sponsorships, games are sponsored by different area churches, so only the kids’ names appear on shirts. The sponsor church provides as many volunteers as possible, along with a post-game meal. “The idea is to make sure that everyone involved feels as though they are important and loved,” Jay said.
Jay went to the Marines right after high school and was stationed at Cherry Point, North Carolina where he met his wife, Terri. They have been married for 25 years and have three children, Molly is 23, Aaron is 21, Jacob is 13. Jacob was born with mental and physical isabilities, which led to the idea for a baseball league for kids with disabilities. Special Needs Baseball was started in 2003, and in 2010 a fall league also began in Jacksonville, North Carolina.
“We began with approximately 35 players and our peak enrollment has been around 150 players,” Patrick said. “It’s one of those ministries that you plan on being a blessing to others and you end up getting blessed.
Patrick said he had several teachers at EHS who were “inspiring” while noting that he was just an average student. “I excelled in the classes that I enjoyed and only did OK in the classes I didn’t like. I didn’t like to read or write back then, and I definitely couldn’t have imagined writing a book.” After graduation, Patrick also spent four years in the Marine Corps and ended up staying in eastern North Carolina. “It was here that I started going to church and giving my life to the Lord,” he said. “I began to preach some, and made a few written contributions to the newsletter for the church that I was saved in, but there were still no aspirations to become a writer at that point.”
Patrick said he is going to try to get back to Ellettsville next summer.
“I’d love to have a book signing, or even minister at someone’s church while there,” he said. “I can be contacted at [email protected].
His book is available through bookstores nationwide, from the publisher at www.tatepublishing.com/bookstore, by visiting barnesandnoble.com or amazon.com.
“I’ve developed a study guide for the book,” Patrick said. “It’s not yet released because there’s a church near Nashville, Tennessee getting ready to evaluate the material.” After Patrick reviews the church’s suggestions, he expects to release the study guide to the general public next July. “I’m anticipating that the study guide will be free with the purchase of a book,” he said.
