Enjoying the rewards of readers' comments...

I have not had time to blog much since my first shipment of books arrived. I have been so busy. I have sold and shipped many books. I have submitted my book for a possible review by Tim Challies (Discerning Reader.com). And now I am enjoying, truly enjoying, hearing some of the feedback from friends who have read or are now in the process of reading the book.

Most of these comments have been private; some have been on my Facebook Wall. I would love for many of them to be shared openly as reviews on the website's guestbook and/or on Amazon and Barnes & Noble. But if most of you are more comfortable sharing your response to the book with me privately, I want you to know that I certainly don't consider that "settling." I love the comments you have shared with me. No matter what kind of disapproving comments may come, those of you who have shared from your heart with me have already made this effort more than worthwhile. I'm thinking about saving every email into a file that I can keep forever to remind me of you and your response to the book for the rest of my life. That is how touched I have been by your comments. And I know there are more to come.

As I've shared before, I have a hard time taking money. In my heart, I just want to give the book away to everyone so badly. And I do mean everyone. Although my husband and many friends assure me there is nothing wrong with selling a book that I have invested almost a year (and several thousand dollars) in, I still find myself wanting to gift people with it.

This morning when I got up and checked my email, I had a message from a missionary in Burma. Somehow she had found my book website and wanted to know if I would consider donating my book (just one) to her efforts because she thought it could be helpful to her ministry there. I was absolutely blown away that a missionary in Burma even knew about my book only a week after I received my first shipment. She also asked me to pray for the unbelievers and the children's home she works with. I emailed her back that I would not send her one book, but several. And I went to the post office today to find out how expensive it is to mail a package to Burma. It was a little more than I expected, but I could not even hesitate. I told the postal clerk that I could just see the look on my husband's face tonight when I told him that I spent $33 to give three books away to someone in Burma. But I knew it could not be a coincidence that she found my book and I felt that God wanted her to have this book for some reason. I told the clerk that I had to be obedient and send the books even if it was expensive to mail them. She asked what my book was about and I told her, with exuberance, that I had found the true Gospel after being raised in a cult with many false beliefs about salvation and God. She asked to see the book, so I went to my car and got one to show her. She asked if I could come back on Friday so she could buy a signed copy. I said I would be happy to. I had to fight the impulse to say, "Oh, here. You can just have it." I heard John and Jennifer in my head, saying, "It's okay to let people buy the book." LOL.

That is the second time I have gone to the post office to ship books and sold one to someone as a result of simply talking about it. I believe God is telling me that He is pleased that I want to touch people's hearts more than I want to make money from the sales of this book. I told John tonight, "God will bless me as He sees fit and His blessings are the best. After all, He blessed me with you, didn't he?"

The thing is, I really, truly don't care about anything other than the hearts I may reach. Every single one of you who has written to me, it feels like you have given me a million dollars with your words.

I have to go exercise and work off the homemade pizza I ate for dinner or I would continue to write and exude my gratitude. I just wanted to take a few minutes to tell all of you how much I appreciate your love and support. And I am just basking in the warm glow of your messages. Not because of the compliments on my writing or anything like that. I love feeling the bond and the connection I have made with you through this book. Some of you who have written to me, I have not had contact with in years. To know that you feel so safe with me that you would write to me and pour out your heart, letting me know how much the book has resonated with you and settled things in your mind that you have wrestled with for many years; THAT is the most meaningful kind of "profit margin" I could ever hope for! From the deepest part of my heart, I thank you. And I love you.

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