Martin Zender's Photo Album

This is one of my favorite photos. I'm about two years old here, wearing my mother's sunglasses. This photo was worked on the cover of How to Quit Church.

Here I am graduating from Notre Dame kindergarten; no, I'm not kidding. This is the photo (in gold frame) hanging over my wife Melody's head on the cover of How to Quit Church.

The day of my First Communion. That's my sister Kelly, burning with envy. The neighbor boy behind me is installing my halo.

Here's me with my drum in 1963 - and in my high school marching band in 1967.

The Zenders at home, 1965. The reason I'm smiling is because I'm not at school. That, and my parents loved me.

Melody and me at the Grand Canyon on our trans-America bicycle trip, 1984. It's late June, but I remember it was raining, thus the jackets.

Melody and I can't resist photo booths. Here we are at an amusement park in Ohio. We seem to be properly amused.

This is the photo Melody took of me in Ocean City, Maryland, at the end of our transcontinental bicycle trip.The date is September 20, 1984. I talk about this photo on page 33 of How to Quit Church.

I took this self-timed photo the day I quit the Postal Service, October 1, 1993. In fact, I'm probably only thirty minutes into my new life here. So far, so good! Rear: Me and Melody. Front: (from left) Aaron, Jefferson, Arty.

At station WCCD in Cleveland, summer of 1999, Talk Studio B.

In the studios of WCCD, Cleveland, for another Grace Cafe broadcast, 1999. From left: Mike Telep, Melody, me, Ken Pridemore (seated), my sister Kelly, Curt Downing, Charlie Cronk.

Station WCCD, Cleveland. When we weren't on the air, I was studying. The constant challenge was invigorating.

John Krauss, me, and Melody outside of Schuler Books & Music (Okemos. Michigan).

Signing my first copy of How to Quit Church Without Quitting God for my parents, of course.

Schuler Books & Music, Okemos, Michigan. I'm signing a book for Michelle Klinger of Eaton Rapids, Michigan.

This is one of the early cover concepts for How to Quit Church Without Quitting God.

Setting up for my speaking engagement, Toronto, November, 2001. At left is my Canadian pal, George Apic.

My editor, Heidi Reimer, setting up the snacks following my address in Toronto.

Breakfast at the hotel, the day after my speaking engagement in Toronto. I look pretty bad; I'm tired as heck. Melody wouldn't have let me out of the room wearing a bright blue shirt with and olive green shirt. Ah, but Melody wasn't there. (I don't think my socks matched, either.) November, 2001.

Lunch in Toronto - November, 2001, surrounded by conference organizers and friends. Behind me is Kelly Stokoe, president of Starke & Hartmann

With the Telep family in Toronto, November 2001. Top: Mike, me, Denise. Kids: Tim and Lissy. Do you recognize Mike from the cover of The Really Bad Thing About Free Will?

In Newport News, Virginia, with Robert Allen, pastor of the Truth and Grace Chapel. I gave a series of weekend addresses there, October, 2005.

With Melody in Newport News, Virginia, 2005. That ain't our car! (We flew into town on a big airplane, compliments of Truth & Grace Chapel.

Melody and me outside our hotel, Newport News, Virginia, October 2005. It was the weekend of our 23rd wedding anniversayr. I was speaking at the Truth and Grace Chapel, hosted by Pastor Robert Allen

The Zender clan, Easter, 2004. Clockwise from left: Arty, Melody, Martin, Aaron, Jefferson (seated).

This is me in my "Christian God" costume, shooting the cover for my cassette tape "Christian God at the Grassy Knoll," one of the stuidest things I've ever done. (It ain't available!)

Christmas, 2003. Melody is leading the kids blindfolded toward the big surprise: their Aunt Kelly and her friend Steve have bought them a new 4-Wheeler. Left to right: Arty, Aaron, Jefferson, Melody.

And still they wander through the blinding blizzard. Oh, wait they're already blinded.

The surprise is realized.

My youngest son Jefferson (right) at the Little League All-Star game - 2004? Something like that. Maybe 2003. How should I know? (Time flies.) The Cincinnati Reds dude is his friend, Kurt Shepherd.

Arty with his video camera at the Grassy Knoll, Dallas Texas, 2003. He's standing at the exact spot Abraham Zapruder stood on November 22, 1963.

Aaron and Arty at Dealy Plaza, Dallas, across the street from the Texas Schoolbook Depository.

Arty and Aaron at a Texas Rangers game with Mike Spradlin, pastor of the First Covenant Church of Irving, Texas, where Mike had invited me to speak.

At the hotel preparing for my talks at the First Covenant Church of Irving, Texas, 2002. I think that's my CD of '80s hits next to my Concordant Literal New Testament.

Me with Jean Henderson, a girl I met at the First Covenant Church in Irving, Texas, 2002. We still correspond (don't tell Melody)

I did do some work in Irving, Texas. This is me leaving the podium - I think it was voluntary.

Pass Christian, Mississippi, where my mom was born and raised. Neither of us had been back for 33 years. This town, along Highway 90 on the Gulf of Mexico, was destroyed 15 months later by Hurricane Katrina.

My mother's childhood home at 110 W. Beach Drive in Pass Christian, Mississippi. This thing is a fortress. It sits right behind Highway 90, opposite the Pass Christian Yacht Club. It survived hurricane Camille in 1969 and still stands after Katrina, while all the surrounding buildings are gone.

My mom and me in Long Beach, Mississippi, just down the road from her hometown of Pass Christian. This was May 2004, 15 months before Katrina. (this motel is no longer standing.)

An Aunt and Uncle, Helen and Nelson, whom I'd not seen in 33 years. I took this at their house on 2nd St., Pass Christian, Mississippi, two blocks from the Gulf of Mexico. 15 months later, Helen and Nelson were dead, their bodies discovered three months after the hurricane in a woods behind their house.

My mom and me at her mother's grave, Metairie Cemetery, New Orleans. My mom had not been back here since the funeral service in 1954.

Writing in my log on the beach, Long Beach, Mississippi, May, 2004: 15 months before Katrina.

Martin Zender and Mark Twain. Alone with one of my favorite authors; Elmira, New York; November, 2004.

Mark Twain's study, moved to Elmira College in Elmira, NY. He wrote part of Huckleberry Finn here. I honestly believe that if Mark Twain were alive today, he would love my books. The man hated religious hypocrisy and could not put his faith in the unjust Christian God. Would that someone had introduced him to the true God.

Friends Anna Hanson (left) and Heidi Reimer visit my office on their way to the Willard, Ohio conference. Heidi, now of New York City, is a short-story writer and edits all my books. Anna is also a writer, and lives in Cincinnati.

The Vlad family of Romania visit us, summer, 2005. From left: me, Melody, Danny, Nikola, Ramona. Danny teaches a Scripture class and Ramona is a singer. Little Nikola is Romania's version of Shirley Temple, times2.

Oops, more people. Arty (left) with Star Wars the cat, me, Melody, Jean Douglas of Atlanta (hey, what's happening there between Jean and my wife), Danny, Ramona, and Shirley Temple Times 2.

Danny Vlad of Romania picks me up like I am a sack of cranberries. Well, why shouldn't he? He was once the Romanian national wrestling champion. No kidding. He went to the Olympics, though I can't remember which one. His event: Evangelist Toss. (I am kidding about that.)

This is Woody Allen - one of the best cats we've ever had - taking a nap. Unfortunately, he's dead now. Man, did I ever mourn for that cat. I still miss him. I'll see him again at the resurrection, along with about thirty-five other cats and dogs.

I took his picture of my son Arty in Hudson, NY. Arty, a movie buff and budding director, told me one day, "Spielberg and Cruise are shooting on location for War of The Worlds, and it's not too far from here." His idea of "not too far" was a nine hour drive to Hudson, NY. His birthday was coming up, so I said, what the heck. Do you remember the ferry boat scene? This is where it was shot. That's the ferry boat in the background. Later that night, we came within eight feet of Tom Cruise as he was chauffered through a back street to this Hudson River set.