0Have you ever wondered why when you were sure you communicated clearly your friend still didn't get what you were saying? The words we use have attached to them our emotions, our history, our own interpretation, our dreams, our desires, our fears, and so much more. Our words paint pictures in our mind and affect what we hear. Thus, our words don't have a standard meaning but rather a usage that is influenced by our mental pictures. Not until we see all of this in what the other person is saying, until we have practiced visual listening, has true communication happened. Hardy will show you how your mental pictures affect how you communicate and how you hear others. "Blind shares a new perspective and toolkit on how we should relate to others by improving the clarity of our communication while also building empathy to improve how well we see and hear others. Blind has different ways of framing information through a balance of practical exercises, personal and professional anecdotes, and biblical references, and communication and psychology research, which is helpful to thoroughly understand the concepts in an entertaining way. - Grace Bassett, PhD, Communication "Blind is absolutely brilliant! Hardy sought to deal with one of the most serious problems of communication breakdowns, between people, especially couples. He draws from numerous examples, including his own life, to expose how communication breaks down but he also offers very constructive suggestions to overcome this problem. Jeanette and I have found his insights most relevant and useful. - Cecil Peasley, Founder and President of Living Ministries International Exter Hardy III is married to his blessing, Lisa, and together they have eight children and seven grandchildren. He has served as Pastor at Pole Line Road Baptist Church in Davis, CA since March 1991. He loves cross-cultural ministry and the communication challenges that brings. God has blessed Exter with the opportunity to serve on six different continents. He has his M. Div. and D. Min. from Gateway Seminary and his M.S. in Marriage and Family Therapy from California State University, Sacramento. He also authored "Does Ministry Have to Hurt so Much?" published by Xulon Press.