Taylor Edge publishes book detailing his journey of faith, trust in God
MADISON—Saying Taylor Edge is an encourager is a huge understatement. His positive outlook on life seems to flow so easily; whether it comes through a simple high-five and the words of encouragement he gives students at Bob Jones and UAH or the way he makes himself available to anyone in need of a friend to talk about life, there is an infectious positive quality about him.
Over the past several years, Edge has been involved – as much as anyone – in what has made Madison great.
He has served alongside his friend Mayor Paul Finley in two stints as his executive assistant, helping to shape the city in its greatest period of growth, and he has been heavily involved in the sports programs at Bob Jones as a mentor and golf coach. Edge has also been an entrepreneur, owning two successful companies.
Today, Edge is the character coach for the UAH men’s basketball program, a technology consultant and worship leader. He is also a new author.
In a book published two months ago, “More Than A Believer,” Edge talks frankly about his own flawed attempts at happiness in the past and the transformation that changed him into the man most people are familiar with today.
Edge said he seemed to have it all – a well-paying job, nice house, sporty cars, exciting travels, beautiful wife and a personality people liked. Having it all, however, was the furthest thing from the truth.
“None of those could solve my problem,” admitted Edge. “I needed something or someone I could blame. So one day, with the intent to use God as my scapegoat, I challenged Him with an unsolvable problem – and God miraculously solved my problem. But solving a problem wasn’t His desire; it was merely His method to wake me up.”
Edge said there was a transitional point in his marriage that changed everything.
“It really rocked me and woke me up to start investing in my faith,” Edge said. “This book is a bit of a memoir, but it also talks about my process and the catalytic event that occurred in my life that woke me up and started me to really consider Jesus.”
In “More Than A Believer,” Edge uses his own life transformation and the lessons he learned to help others going through something similar.
“I feel like there are many lukewarm Christians like I was. Maybe they realize they need to change or have begun to wake up to the fact that all of the things they thought would bring them happiness and fulfillment just don’t,” Edge said. “That is an overwhelming place to be because their desire is to change, but now they are left with the questions: Can I change? What is interfering with me changing? How do I start to change? Does God still want me now? They know God has a better life for them, a better purpose, but they are wondering what they do now.
“That is what this book is about. It’s me wondering those same things and how God answered me. It’s my story.”
Edge said “More Than A Believer” is ultimately his journey from selfish to selfless and the practical steps he took that transformed him from an “agreer” of the Bible into the follower Christ called him to be.
“Humorously and vulnerably, I describe the difference between a believer and a follower; what interferes with us actually doing good; how to get on the right track; and the all-important mindset shifts that occur along the way,” he said.
The idea for the book came from the encouragement he received from friends and family who felt like he should share his story. “I kept thinking to myself, I don’t know how to write a book, that’s for authors – I don’t know what I am doing,” Edge said. “But I had some encouragement from a mentor and another friend of mine I highly admire who has written a number of books. So in 2018 I started.”
Edge wrote for three months and then hit a wall. “I was like, I’m out. I don’t have anything else to write. I hit the wall and I just put it down,” he said. “I put it down for three months. One day a friend of mine who I talk to a lot told me that I still had so much in me, and I needed to get it out for others to hear my story. He kept on me and told me to pop up my laptop and start writing.
“One day I did it. I had no idea what more to write, but I figured I was just going to write, and just like that, I started writing again. “
Over the next three months, Edge ended up finishing his book. “After that I had to learn about formatting it, organizing it and laying it out.”
Edge used Kindle Direct Publishing, a self-publishing branch of Amazon. If he didn’t know how to do something, Edge said he would watch videos and read how-to articles to learn how to complete his book. “I did everything,” he said. “It’s not perfect, but I learned a lot through it.”
In “More Than A Believer,” Edge takes the reader on a journey through his own life, knowing God’s will, being honest with oneself about where one stands, realizing what is in the way, overcoming fear, trusting God and being obedient.
In the book, Edge shares about how he came face-to-face with his own disobedience, even in the midst of doing seemingly good things.
“I describe a point in my life when I had been trying to follow Jesus for years, and I felt in June 2013, He really called me to make a positive impact on the lives of young people,” Edge said. “At the time, I owned two boat companies, making good money. Life seemed good. A few months rolled by, and I was sitting at my desk one day when, all of a sudden, I said to myself, ‘What are you doing?’ That was the day I felt the weight of disobedience. God had called me to do something, but I had been trying to figure it out. It was then I realized God had called me to go do it, not figure it out. I needed to be obedient.”
Edge said he got up from his desk and drove to Bob Jones High School. “I knew they were having summer football practice, getting ready for the season. I didn’t know what I was supposed to do to make a positive impact on the lives of some young people, but I knew where some young people were, and I knew the head coach. By Dec. 31, I had sold both companies and completely sold out to what God had called me to do,” Edge said. “There is a point where you feel the weight of disobedience and the conviction. You can’t help but go and do whatever God has called you do. It’s trusting Him with the details.”
Edge has made a profound difference in the lives of young people, especially student-athletes. His current role at UAH as a character coach is to provide one-on-one mentoring, character building, community engagement, spiritual encouragement and mental skills development to the players. It’s something Edge had been doing naturally, long before he came to UAH.
Trusting God with the details is something Edge is doing again with another task: marketing his new book, something he said is a little out of his comfort zone. “I do not generally like bringing attention to myself, but I heard someone once say that books are not just meant to be written – they are meant to be read,” Edge said. “The message that transformed my life is in this book. I want that for other people.”
Edge has created his own website for the book, MoreThanABeliever.com. He is also working to get his book in area stores and will be holding book signings. His next book signing is April 20 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Shades of Pemberly Bookstore in Albertville.
Also, a launch party is planned for “More Than A Believer” on April 25 from 7 p.m. to 8 p.m. It will be held at Café 153 at the Bridge Street Town Center.
Edge can be reached directly by emailing taylor@edgegainer.com.
