Book Review on Prodigal Daze

The following is a book review from Olive Kimokeo @ Azusa Pacific University dated February 23, 2007. Oliver is the Student Newspaper On Line Editor, and he reviews books by Alumni. Please enjoy this review. I was thoroughly blessed to discover this very postive review. If you are interested in futher information about my books, or desire to purchase a copy for yourself, go to my web site http://www.removethehaze.com and you can click on several different book store sites that carry the book.

ZIMMER EXPOSES OWN SINS IN "PRODIGAL DAZE"
OLIVER KIMOKEO | online manager​

In an autobiographical novel of dark life decisions, APU alumnus Rev. Paul Zimmer shows how his prodigal days became a “Prodigal Daze.”

Zimmer has seen his share of trials and tribulations throughout his life.

The rise and fall of his ventures detailed in his book would be worthy of a made-for-television movie script including story lines involving pornography, failed ministries, two rocky divorces and unsteady employment.

Zimmer should be applauded for his honesty, but not for his poor life decisions.

The first big event of the autobiography begins on the day that Zimmer becomes a born-again Christian. Even though he was a regular church attendee on Sundays, he didn’t truly understand the meaning of what it meant to be a Christian until his then-girlfriend and future first-wife showed him the way.

Zimmer accepted Jesus Christ on Christmas Eve 1966. This was an especially turbulent time for Zimmer as he was failing classes at his junior college and was issued a Vietnam draft notice a month later.

If there were a prototype for a draft dodger, it would be Zimmer. He made every attempt to alleviate the draft, but his efforts still garnered a 14-month stay in the Army. His release was based on medical reasons.

In the early 1970s, Zimmer attended Azusa Pacific College. APC was just another destination along his road of many enterprises. Throughout his university days, Zimmer was involved in youth activities with a local church group.

After graduation from APC, Zimmer became a senior pastor for a Napa church. His inexperience with the gospel led to confrontations with the elders and eventually led to his resignation.

The story goes on and on like this. Zimmer finds one avenue and then leaves it the next year for something different—whether it was his own doing or not.

Zimmer continued to put himself in leadership positions in church jobs and non-church jobs even though he was in much need of a leader himself. He continued to struggle with his sins while being an example for others in the limelight.

The sins that Zimmer struggled with the most were a secret that he kept from others. He had a major addiction to sex—his outlet was pornography and adultery.

Instead of facing his battles head-on through the help of Jesus Christ, Zimmer was a persistent sinner.

Eventually, the climax of the autobiography brought a resolution to his struggles. After the events of the book, Zimmer began a fruitful career in helping others in crisis.

The consequences of Zimmer’s sins were a personal test in the development of his testimony.

It was truly refreshing to read about a Christian battle that did not sugarcoat the sin. Zimmer put his past sins out in the open so that people who have struggled with a similar sin can see a journey back into the arms of the Father.

I enjoyed reading “Prodigal Daze” for its straightforward honesty and Zimmer’s blunt standpoint on the framework of sin.