Book Signing at My Church

Signing books on 30 October 2011

Yesterday was a really special day for me.  I was able to sign books at my own church!  The reception was tremendous, and all my brothers and sisters in Christ that bought books added to the Kingdom.  My husband and I both prayerfully felt that we should give 30% of the profit of the books sold there to the children's ministry.  It doesn't matter if it is here at home or for one of the world outreach churches that we have, as long as the children benefit.  I have come very far with children in the last 15 years or so.

Back then, I was so disgusted with children of all ages.  I wasn't too happy with their parents either.  The children were unruly, impolite, and undisciplined.  It seemed that no matter where I went, there they were!  I couldn't get away from them.  And I didn't want to be around them.  I didn't even go to friends' houses because I didn't want to have to deal with children.  I was like that for quite sometime, avoiding restaurants, movies, the mall, etc..  

One day I noticed just how out of control it was getting.  I was angry when I was around them.  I couldn't stand it when I would call a friend, and they had to have a conversation with their children at the same time they were talking to me.  Have you ever had that happen?  Of course you have.  You no longer know who they are talking to, and conversations get very stressful.

I knew I had it bad when a man brought an INFANT to see "We Were Soldiers Once and Young."  I was just waiting for this days old baby to start screaming because of the noise of gunfire and mortars in Vietnam.  As it turned out, the baby never made a fuss.  (I hope it wasn't deaf), but it took my enjoyment away wondering when this baby would wake up and start screaming. 

So I had to pray.  I needed my heart softened.  I used to almost yell at the hostess that she should be asking "children or no children" instead of smoking or not. 

God hears all prayers.  He knows when you have had enough of any one thing.  I think that sometimes he places things into our lives so that many years later we can look back and see that He was working.  He did soften my heart.  He made children really like me.  They would come up to me and hug my leg and not let go.  He made them smile their beautiful smiles and give me slobbery kisses on the cheek, and I didn't mind saying, "no, it's okay" when the mother was apologizing for the drool on my shoulder.  I started to buy them birthday gifts.

God softened my heart, and gave my husband and I a vision of opening a retreat for children (another blog for another day), and thought it would be very appropriate that my first book is for children written about Christmas Eve when I was a child!  Now I try to give back to the children's ministry.  Now I sign my books and add, 'Matt 19:14'.  When God has a plan, He prepares your heart for it.  His plan is to reach children.  My book is going to do just that.  I don't pretend to know why, I just know it will.  It is what He wanted out there, so He will see it succeeds.  So far we have sold a few hundred ourselves, and now tomorrow it is released on Amazon and to the markets all across the world.

About the biggest honor for me has been when little girls of 8 or 10 just stand there and look at me with such awe, as if I am someone famous.  They see that their dreams can be realized too.  "I like to write," some have told me.  They love knowing that the picture on the cover is me when I was seven and when they see the real pictures of my house, and my Dad and Mom and baby brother, they are even more amazed!  I tell them to always remember those dreams, to write, and ask Jesus for help with what they should write about.  They are the authors of the future!  I hope they don't wait until they are 55 years old to get started, but God knows no age limits, right?  I'm 55 and just beginning!  I am confident that there are many more books in me.  God will lead me,  and I will gladly follow!

Please say a prayer that  through divine orchestration, thousands upon thousands, if not millions of books are sold, and places like Scholastic Books will want to distribute it.  Not for me, God is taking care of me; but so that we can spread the good news of the Gospel and give back to the Kingdom of God.  Let the children know the real true God and what He is like--that He so loved the world that He sent His only begotten Son.  Thank You, Jesus, for coming as a child, to change the world.  Thank You that together, we can change the world one child at a time!

"But Jesus said, “Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of heaven.”  Matthew 19:14

So tell me, have you ever gone through a time when you didn't like children, and now you do?  Has He softened your heart too?  Please leave a comment.  Have a very blessed day, dear reader.  God bless you!