Still Playing His Own Game
A Story of Grit, Grace, and the Call of God
by Marvin McKenzie

From the day he entered the world wailing in a Portland hospital, Justice Boone Thatcher never followed the crowd—he led it. Born into a young pastor’s struggling home, raised in a world of Bible truth and financial uncertainty, and molded by hardship, Justice quickly proved one thing: he always had a plan. Whether wrangling neighborhood kids into backyard crusades or navigating his way into early manhood, Justice didn’t wait for life to make room for him—he made room for himself.

But his strong will came wrapped in something deeper—a heart for souls, a burden for truth, and a faith that was raw, real, and sometimes hard-fought. Justice is saved as a young boy after a heartfelt conversation about hell with his father, and from that moment forward, the Gospel becomes his life’s heartbeat. He leads others to Christ before most kids know how to spell “eternity.”

While his friends play games and dream of fame, Justice pursues plumbing—yes, plumbing. By 19, he’s the youngest licensed journeyman in state history. By his early 20s, he owns his own business. But the call to preach never lets go. He steps into ministry the same way he’s done everything else—head first and heart engaged.

Marriage, miscarriage, ministry, and the marketplace all shape his story. Alongside his loyal wife, Justice raises two boys not born to them but entrusted by God. He pastors faithfully, builds a successful business, and later becomes a business coach and counselor to pastors and missionaries walking through their own valleys.

But life doesn’t come without cost. The strain of loss and leadership nearly breaks their marriage. Stepping back from pastoring, Justice and his wife find healing in a new season—one marked not by the pulpit, but by quiet, faithful service to those who carry the Gospel into hard places.

Now, with Bible in one hand and business boots on his feet, Justice and his wife are sent out again—this time not to lead a congregation, but to strengthen the hands of those who do. From backroads to small churches, from late-night phone calls to marriage counseling sessions with ministry couples, their mission is simple: help the helpers. Strengthen the saints. And always—always—follow the will of God.

Still Playing His Own Game is a heartfelt, fictionalized tribute to a son who carved his own path with courage and conviction. It’s a story for every parent who raised a child that marched to their own beat, for every preacher who carried burdens no one else saw, and for every believer who wondered if faithfulness still mattered in a loud, distracted world.

If you’ve ever watched someone live out God’s calling boldly—even stubbornly—this book will speak to you. Because Justice’s story reminds us:
You don’t have to fit in to be faithful. You just have to keep playing the game God gave you.