So...I Did a Thing!

Pretty much since the day this blog began, way back in 2008, friends have told me I needed to write a book. "You are so funny", they said. "You must write a book; it will be a best seller". I filed those comments away and went about my life, corralling three boys and blogging about the hilarity of life as their mother. 

Eleven years and ninety-five posts later, (which includes a period of 4 1/2 years where I didn't blog at all. Don't know why...just got busy...or lost interest...or was completely lame...or something) I finally published the book. YES.I.DID!  

Available in print and digital formats on Amazon 

Now, I realize it is unlikely this book will ever be a best seller. But I must admit to being completely shocked when two days after the launch, it reached #15 in the "Military Families" category. Aaaannndddd... #1 in new releases in "Military Families". That was a cool day! Even more shocking was the day my book became #1 in "Christian Families" and #2 in "Motherhood" in the Free Kindle Store. That was simply amazing!

So here's the deal: I didn't write this book to make money or gain notoriety. I wrote it because I felt God calling. Every time someone said "you need to write a book", I felt a pulling inside, along with  a gentle whisper: Your stories are relate-able to other moms. Write a book to encourage and inspire. So I did.  And I hope it does encourage the mommies. I hope it uplifts and inspires and provides a warm hug along with some refreshment for the soul. I hope my stories can make a mama laugh through the hard days, with the knowledge that all the days won’t be so hard. I wanted to remind the mommies how fleeting life is and that if their preschool children are making them crazy...rejoice in the knowledge that their children are normal.

So, I published the book. People often ask why I chose to self-publish instead of seeking a traditional publisher. An entire book could be written about my journey from seeking a traditional publisher, and being solidly against self-publishing... to where I am today. Here's the short version: a traditional publisher requires a non-fiction author to have a giant following. Like... HUGE! The "following" would need to be at least 10,000 people before they would even read my book proposal. The truth is I am not at all interested in building a following. It's not about ME. It's about pointing people to Jesus. I just didn't want to spend my time posting things on social media with the intent of building a following. That's not my style. And... If God really did call me to write this book, I knew HE would get it to the mommies who needed it. So I chose to self-publish.

Christian recording artists, Casting Crowns, released one of my very favorite songs. Here are the lyrics.

ONLY JESUS

 By Casting Crowns

Make it count, leave a mark, build a name for yourself

Dream your dreams, chase your heart, above all else

Make a name the world remembers

But all an empty world can sell is empty dreams

I got lost in the light when it was up to me

To make a name the world remembers

But Jesus is the only name to remember

And I, I don't want to leave a legacy

I don't care if they remember me

Only Jesus

And I, I've only got one life to live

I'll let every second point to Him

Only Jesus

All the kingdoms built, all the trophies won

Will crumble into dust when it's said and done

'Cause all that really mattered

Did I live the truth to the ones I love?

Was my life the proof that there is only One

Whose name will last forever?

And I, I don't want to leave a legacy

I don't care if they remember me

Only Jesus

And I, I've only got one life to live

I'll let every second point to Him

Only Jesus

THIS!

This is exactly why I am not interested in building a following. I'm not going to waste one day getting people to "like" me or "follow" me. I don't care who subscribes to my blogs or who buys my books. All I care about is this: Did I point someone to Jesus today?

So, here’s the book. If you buy it, I hope you love it. But mostly, I hope it will bless your socks off. And if it does, please leave a review on Amazon. If it doesn't, send me an email with your concerns. I am always open to constructive criticism and I may even edit the book accordingly. If you see typos, please let me know. I will fix them. Above all, know this: I am cheering for all the mommies. Your children will only be little for a short time. They will make you crazy; it's their job. But I hope my book will provide a new perspective and help the mommies to fully embrace the wild and bitter-sweetness the preschool years have to offer. 

So... this is my ministry. I might just write another. Enjoy! 

Available in print and digital formats on Amazon