One of the best pieces of advice I’ve ever heard about creating is this: If you create for yourself, you’ll always know that at least one person is happy with your work. I wrote my first book Faithful Families for me and for my family. I’ve been so incredibly grateful to see it resonate with other families and with church leaders. I am delighted by its success. At the same time, if it had flopped, if not one single person bought it, it would have been worth writing. It made me happy to write it, and it makes me happy to use the principles in it with my family.
In thinking about “what comes next” for publishing, I wrestled with this. I didn’t want to create something just to sell it. I wanted to create something the world needs. How could I know if it was creating something the world needs? Simple. I would create something my own family needs.
My family needs a prayer book where the central theme is this: God is love.
My family needs a prayer book that we can flip open and use when we’re scared, when we’re tired and when we’re drifting off to sleep.
My family needs a prayer book that is dead simple and easy to use right away because life is very busy right now.
My family needs a prayer book that is light hearted and has prayers for simple moments I want to celebrate, like losing a tooth or the first day of school.
My family needs a prayer book that invites me to slow down, remember what’s important, and take a deep breath.
My family needs a prayer book that is bursting with love, acceptance, joy and peace.
My family needs a prayer book that Christian Educators I admire have reviewed, signed off on, and are excited about.
My Family. Needs. That. Book.
And so I wrote it.
I wrote this book with my family in mind, my audience of one.
I’m very proud of the finished book, and I’m proud that it’ll be sold to anyone who needs it as much as I need it. I can’t wait to hold it in my hands, and I can’t wait for you to hold it in yours.
Soon after production began on this book I suggested that maaaaaaaaaaaaybe, maaaaaaaaybe, the publisher Beaming Books might consider using Paul Soupiset as the cover designer. I love Paul’s work. He did the cover for Faithful Families. They said they would consider it, and I trusted them to take it from there. When I saw Paul’s idea for the cover, I squealed with delight.
That teddy bear! That band aid! That cup of coffee! (THIS MOTHER NEEDS A CUP OF COFFEE ON THE FRONT OF HER FAMILY PRAYER BOOK. PLEASE AND THANK YOU.) I’m thrilled to show you the cover of this book, though I wish you could order it right this very minute. I promise I’ll let you know when you can.
Coming soon, to my family — and yours.
xoxo