About the Author
Biography of Adriana Parrinello
In 1972, in Detroit, Michigan, Adriana was born into a traditional Sicilian family. The youngest of five children, she was raised by her loving parents and older siblings, who taught her to treasure their Sicilian heritage and traditions.
During her teens, Adriana discovered a passion for writing and was inspired to create a novel. At the tender age of 14, the characters and a plot for a story were fashioned, but the book was not yet finalized. After high school, she picked up her novel again and continued to write, but only for a short while, as ‘life’ took over.
Throughout her teens, Adriana sought comfort in the Bible and desired a deeper faith. God placed people in her life that helped to strengthen her beliefs. She is thankful that her faith did not waiver, when it was ultimately tested in high school (read her testimony below). It was then that she made a choice for Christ. She was unable to shake the yearning and hunger she felt for His Word.
In 1998, she wed her husband, Matteo. She began intense weekly Bible studies the first few years of her marriage. Adriana’s faith grew and suddenly she realized her two passions could be combined. Four years, and two children later, she alas, attempted to finish her novel. Only, her faith and life experiences would reflect in the story. With the help of her husband, who assisted in caring for their two boys, she took the story and transformed it. In 2003, she completed her first novel, ‘The Fathers’ Sins’.
In 2005, her family grew larger with the birth of their youngest boy. Still, she continued as homemaker by day and a writer by night. Despite the trials of staying in God’s word, preserving a healthy marriage, raising three boys, caring for elderly parents, and maintaining a house, Adriana was able to complete the second and third novel of the series. The fourth book, the prelude to the first three, is now in the works.
With God’s help, she looks forward to sharing these stories. She prays they will encourage and strengthen the faith of those who read them, in these troubling and wearisome times.
An Encounter With Jesus
My Testimony
January 1988
It was the start of the second semester of my 10th grade year. My best friend, Nancy, and I, signed up for a class we thought would be interesting—Anthropology, the study of man. We filed into class and found our seats with anticipation. Mr. Perry was known to be one of the coolest teachers in Sterling Heights High. Everyone loved his easy-going nature. We were excited to finally have him teach us a class.
At first, the course seemed everything we thought it would be; interesting, and best of all, a blow-off class . . . an easy ‘A’. Until, we began to study creation. Mr. Perry’s teachings of evolution were now coming in conflict with my life-long belief and trust of Biblical creation. Though Mr. Perry didn’t know it, he had shook the very core of my faith. Oh, I tried to argue with him that evolution couldn’t have been possible. My friend, Nancy and I, stood up for our faith in God and salvation through Christ Jesus, but inside I had begun to doubt. A life with no God--no Jesus, left me in shambles and with little hope.
Though I was afraid it was futile, I fell to my knees one night in desperation. I prayed as I’d never prayed before. I asked God to show me that He was real. I begged Him to reveal Himself to me, because without Him I felt I had no reason for my existence.
Well . . . God answered.
I sank into a restless sleep that night. And though I later came to find that God is known for revealing His truth and His will for us through dreams, (like Joseph, Jacob’s son and Joseph, Jesus’ earthly father) I had a dream that changed the course of my life, forever.
In my dream, I was at my current job, working at Kmart as a cashier. I was telling a ‘woman’, who stood at my flank, that I wasn’t sure of the existence of God anymore. The ‘woman’ in my dream continued to reassure me that God was real and that I needed to have faith. She repeated this over and over.
As she spoke to me, a strong wind began to blow within the building. I didn’t know, at that time, that the wind was a representation of the Holy Spirit. I only knew that I was definitely frightened and telling myself to wake up because the dream was turning into a nightmare. Still, the dream continued.
The wind grew stronger and the roof was suddenly lifted from the building. A white light shone down upon me and before me, descended the body of a man in a white robe, whose hands were extended. A single wound in the center of each of His hands gave away His identity. It was Christ Jesus.
I awoke with a start. Sweat and tears left my face moist. I couldn’t believe that He had come to me. Still frightened, I laid in bed shaking. Trying to calm my racing heart, I told myself that the dream was a good thing—that God had come to me to show me that Jesus did die on a cross to save me from my sin.
As my heart rate lowered and I slowly calmed down, I thought it odd that I could feel a gentle breeze on my face. Gathering my courage, I lifted the covers from me and looked at my window. It was closed. I checked the vent, thinking perhaps the heater was blowing. It was not. Fear crept back in and I quickly slid under the ‘so called’ safety of my covers.
It finally dawned on me. The gentle breeze . . . was God. From there forward, until I began to grow as a Christian, whenever I needed Jesus, whenever I was down and crying, the gentle breeze found me in the quiet of my room and comforted me. I could feel it on my face every time! He never left me!
I didn’t need a scientific explanation at that point. I didn’t need any other proof. I was given a very special encounter with the Jesus. An encounter that strengthened my faith and gave me all the verification I needed that . . .
Jesus Lives!!
Adriana Parrinello
Author of:
The Fathers' Sins
Temptation to Sin
Soon to come: Forgiven Sins