Editor’s Note: Last month, Feed Your Faith brought New York Times bestselling author Lee Strobel to Knoxville. The following are some reflections on the day from Feed Your Faith’s president, Mike Williams:

Yesterday was such a whirlwind of a day. Let me start with a breakdown of our schedule:

• 5:15am - wake up
• 6:30am - pick up Lee at his hotel and drive over to the local Christian talk radio station
• 7 - 7:30am - On Air
• 7:30 - 8am - walk down the hall, on air with the Christian music station

I then sat around the radio station until almost 9 while everyone had all their “drool all over Lee Strobel” moments including talk about “how do I get the book I’m writing published?” to autographs and pictures. It was all very entertaining to sit back and watch.

We then went to breakfast and then I took him back to his hotel so that he could take a nap. I had, after all, dragged him out of bed at 2:30am his time after he had flown all day the day before. I then ran back to the house to pull all my daily internet sales off the computer to add to my “will call” list. Next I ran to the bank to get change. Then I headed back to Cedar Springs Christian bookstore in Knoxville to meet with the bookstore owner and the radio host that was broadcasting live from the book signing we were having from 2-3:45pm. I got to the store at 12:45 and helped set up for the book signing (the remote radio broadcast went on live at 1pm).

The book signing ended at about 3:50 and I then sat through more “drool all over Lee Strobel” moments from the bookstore owner and staff (again very entertaining) and then proceeded to fight rush hour traffic to get to another TV station’s “Live at Five” broadcast in their studio. We finished that up and then drove to the church. I got Lee situated in a hospitality room, shoveled down some BBQ in about 2 minutes (thanks Grace Baptist for catering dinner) then ran out into the halls for the doors to open at 6pm. The event started at 6:30, I suffered through talking on stage for 10 minutes in front of 1248 people (not fun) then listened to Lee talk until 9pm. He signed books for people until about 9:45, I ran Lee back to the hotel, then turned on the UT basketball game on the radio. I switched from radio to TV when I pulled into my driveway. I had my heart broken when UT lost to Ohio State by 1 point after leading by 20 then fell into bed at about 1:30 this morning.

Now for the “real moments”. Lee Strobel is one of the most genuinely “real” people I have ever had the privilege to meet. We sat around breakfast talking about family, home schooling,and friends. Lee’s best friend Mark Mittelberg, FYF’s next speaker, is a homeschool dad and Lee’s daughter is planning to homeschool his grand daughter. We had a conversation about Rebekah (my daughter) at breakfast and how she had received her 5 year shots yesterday. When Lee met Donna (my wife) in the book signing line at 9:30pm (I wasn’t around), he told her “Thanks for letting me steal Mike all day and how are your daughter’s legs feeling today after her shots?” He took the time to talk to everyone he met. He personalized everything he signed. I watched him have a lady come up to him in the book signing line and ask him to keep her son in his prayers. He told her “Why don’t we pray for him right now” and just stopped the book signing to pray with this woman.

Now for the best family moment of the day. Casey Nichols, Donna’s brother, came and listened to Lee Strobel present his “Case for Christ”. Casey has not been involved in church since childhood and is not currently a believer in Jesus Christ. When it was over, Donna asked him if he enjoyed himself. Casey turned to her and said “That was awesome. The band was great (we had a worship band playing while people were coming in).” He then said “I have never heard anyone explain about Jesus like that since I have been an adult. I went to Sunday school as a kid but his talk tonight was great.” My jaw almost hit the floor. Keep Casey in your prayers that last night will find its way into his heart. I am very encouraged by both his willingness to go and by his response.