My Song for Easter

My Song for Easter: New Birth into Living Hope is a heartfelt testimony of faith, healing, and unshakable hope rooted in the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

This book explores Wendel Miser’s desire to share his Christian faith, to offer his Christian poetry, and to present several of his invitations for communion at the Lord’s Table. The cross of Christ offers Wendel profound hope as he has journeyed from a diagnosis of Schizophrenia to health while realizing that he will never be separated from God’s love which is in Christ Jesus.

The phrase “New Birth into Living Hope” comes from 1 Peter 1:1-3 where Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ spoke of God’s mercy that begot the followers of Jesus Christ “again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. 4 To an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you, 5 Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.” This is true for Wendel as he now has a relationship with the Living God and is blessed by the saving grace of Jesus Christ.

About Wendel Miser:

I grew up in the same home in New England with my brother Jim. I was, however, preoccupied with my twin brother, Andy, in our formative years and through high school. It was in high school that I met my wife, Mary, marrying her in September 1972, after finishing at Cornell College in Mt. Vernon, Iowa in June of 1972. 

I received a Master of Science degree from the University of Illinois in 1975, after studying Zoology and Limnology. After graduate school, I worked with Mary’s father in his painting business before accepting a position in the Office of Solid Waste at the United States Environmental Protection Agency in Washington, D.C. in 1977.

I began with their program of pesticide disposal for a short time and then became a project officer, managing the program side for the Agency’s contract office. Working with the contract officer, I helped the staff with contract pre-award and post-award requirements for their work. In that capacity, I was involved for 23 years in the development of a nationwide hazardous waste management program. Subsequently, I moved to the Office’s municipal waste program that was promoting recycling and sustainability programs at the time. 

While not at work during the latter half of my career, I became interested in singing. For the better part of 20 years, I was involved with the New Dominion Chorale and the National Men’s Chorus in the Washington, D.C. area. The New Dominion Chorale featured works by the Great Masters, while the National Men’s Chorus showcased works specially arranged by the music director for the Chorus. Memorable concerts were given at the National Cathedral and the Kennedy Center as well as the National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C. For six years, I served on the Board of Directors of the National Men’s Chorus, assisting with grant activities. 

I live with my wife in Arlington, Virginia and our two cats, Linus and Madeleine. We attend church regularly in Falls Church, Virginia. I have kept a faith-based journal for 40 years. In overcoming schizophrenia and finding joy, I have entered full participation in life.

About James Miser:

I grew up on the East Coast of the United States with my father, mother, two younger twin brothers, and a younger sister, spending the majority of time in New England. My father was a mathematician with a PhD in this field, and he was an operations research and systems analysis professional. 

My mother had a Master of Science degree in Child Development; she spent most of our formative years caring for us as we grew and developed. We were a normal family and could not know what was to befall Wendel at age 28. 

I am a Pediatric Hematologist and Oncologist and have taken care of children with cancer and blood diseases for almost 50 years. I received a Bachelor of Arts degree from Dartmouth College in Hanover, New Hampshire, in 1969, majoring in Religion. While there, I also was the director of the college’s acapella singing group. In the summers during high school and college, I taught tennis to children. Although I intended to be a mathematician, I decided to spend my life working with children and entered Dartmouth Medical School with the intention to be a pediatrician. I subsequently transferred to the University of Washington in Seattle, Washington, where I received a Doctor of Medicine in 1973 and trained in Pediatrics and Pediatric Hematology and Oncology. 

At the beginning of my experience of caring for children with cancer, I accepted the Lord Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior of my life. This has been an important relationship for me since that time. I have worked as a Pediatric Hematologist/Oncologist at: Ohio State University; the National Institutes of Health; Mayo Clinic; the University of Washington, where I was granted the position of Professor of Pediatrics; and City of Hope National Medical Center, where I was Chairman of Pediatrics. 

I also served as President and Chief Medical Officer at City of Hope National Medical Center as it developed a national comprehensive cancer center. 

I have authored more than 100 manuscripts and book chapters. I worked as medical director and served as Chairman of the American Board of Directors of a child rescue organization, Christian Salvation Service, in Taipei, Taiwan, serving children and women. During this time, I was also Chair Professor of Pediatrics at Taipei Medical University, where I was challenged to develop a Pediatric Hematology/Oncology program for the University. 

I also served as Chairman of the Board of Directors of a Christian High School in southern California and served as Chairman of the Board of Directors of a nonprofit organization supporting children with cancer and their families. 

My wife Angela and I have adopted 10 children, many with significant challenges. I live in Wales with my wife and five of the children. I enjoy walking, reading, playing tennis, and singing. I attend church with my wife in Wales. The mission of my life has been to serve children, both personally and professionally, especially those with significant challenges in their lives. 

I have been close to my brother, Wendel, in his journey with schizophrenia and shared the initial horror, the subsequent anxiety of the ups and downs of his experience, and now the joy of his overcoming. 

It has been a privilege to travel his journey with him and to write this book with him.