The Rev. C.J. Ramcharan never thought he would publish his own book.
A writer all his life, Ramcharan moved to South Carolina in 1972. The Trinidad, West Indies, native received his early education in Trinidad, his higher education in England, completed his doctorate at Emory University and was selected as a fellow in the American College of Preachers.
He has served every level of priesthood -- from deacon to vicar to priest -- and served as college chaplain at Fort Valley State University and South Carolina State University. He also served as chairman of the division of general education at Denmark Technical College.
But it wasn't until a visit from his sister in 1984 that Ramcharan was encouraged to publish his manuscripts.
"I had never put any significance or importance on them, but people began reading and said they should be published," he said.
The manuscripts began as simple thoughts that he wrote for his congregation at the Episcopal Church of the Incarnation in Atlanta, where he served from 1968 to 1972.
He used the back of his bulletin to write the thought of the week, each beginning with "My Dear Friends." The thoughts were very popular among the congregation, and many people would share them with friends and family.
Eventually, an Atlanta newspaper got word of the manuscripts and began publishing them every Sunday. Ramcharan said the subject of each entry was "As wide as the world."
Sometimes, he said reading a sentence would trigger a thought.
"In those days, my mind was always overloaded with thoughts," Ramcharan said.
Having no knowledge of how to get a book published, Ramcharan's son, Bede, negotiated its journey to print. Ramcharan said Bede, a retired lieutenant colonel, did most of the work from his home in San Antonio, Texas.
"A Lifetime of Knowledge: A Collection of a Lifetime of Inspiration" contains 52 inspirational ideas from Ramcharan, one for each week of the year. They are very short, the author said, and intended for hospital gift shops.
"It's the perfect piece of literature for someone going into the hospital," he said. "They don't want to read the rise and fall of Rome; they want to read quick stories."
The book offers inspirational stories on change, leadership, giving, maturity and other topics that can be applied to everyday life.
The writings are timeless and significant at any age in life, Ramcharan said. He said he hopes people gain a "spark of wisdom" from his simple ideas.
Ramcharan retired from pastoral work eight years ago. He enjoys woodwork, which he calls the love of his life, and has a shop with every conceivable tool in it. He also enjoys tuning pianos.
Ramcharan and his wife, Barbara, have four children and eight grandchildren.
"A Lifetime of Knowledge: A Collection of a Lifetime of Inspiration" is available for $15 from www.publishamerica.com.
T&D Features Writer Candace Newson can be reached by e-mail at cnewson@timesanddemocrat.com or by telephone at 803-533-5540. Discuss this and other stories online at TheTandD.com.