An Evening to Remember 

 

It’s hard to put my feelings about the book launch into words. My heart is overflowing with gratitude and I think it’s safe to say that I really did not believe this was going to happen! 

Writing and publishing my first mother-daughter devotional, I learned to expect the unexpected, be patient in the process, and remember the calling to share my heart even when I wanted to give up. All of this is God’s timing, not mine. There was so much going on in my life and in the world at that time: a pandemic, adopting a new chocolate lab, and a broken ankle.  While I was recovering in bed, the Lord met me in a very comforting way through the love and generosity of many friends and family who brought food, cards and flowers for our family as well as constant emails, texts and phone calls for me. 

Even though I was in a very challenging situation, I saw the love of God all around me, and it filled my soul. I was able to do some deep reflection, writing, journaling and thinking of the future while I recovered, which laid the foundations for my first devotional. And yes, I did watch TV, indulged in some movies, and read a few good books. I also homeschooled my kids on the bed beside me! My precious Angie was forever by my side and never left me. We all experience hills and valleys in life, and this was one of my valley moments. But I also had many glorious mountaintop experiences that would never have happened without the low points. I wouldn’t have had the time to reflect and pray in the ways that I needed to in order to write my book if I hadn’t encountered those challenging circumstances. What resulted later that year was my first devotional.

Writing my second devotional had its own unique circumstances too, as it should! Our puppy is now more manageable and calm, the pandemic is over (with noticeable residual effects), and my ankle still bothers me. In fact, I’m due for surgery to address it, which I’m definitely not looking forward to, even though I know it’s essential. Through it all, God and his goodness allowed me the opportunity to pour out my heart into another devotional, this time geared toward mothers and sons. 

The remedy to all the struggle and self-doubt that comes with writing a book is when the finished copies arrive, and celebrating this achievement with friends and family was a dream come true. It was an honour to have so many people show up to support and encourage me, pray for me and share this book with other moms in their own circles. As much as the second devotional was the focus of the evening, it was also an opportunity to think back over the past few years and celebrate the first devotional too! The restaurant was absolutely stunning, and in the perfect location. The food was delicious, the staff was wonderful, and the ambience was warm, friendly and perfectly seasonal, decorated with just the right amount of Christmas flare! 

I am particularly grateful to my friend Erin for sharing her heart about both devotionals, which she has worked through with her daughters and her son. Thank you, Lorna, for speaking about how this book is really God’s heart for us as parents. I’m so grateful you were willing to endorse both devotionals. And to my cousin Cliff and his daughter Kenzie for sharing the gift of their incredible music. They are both talented and have such a heart to serve. It made the evening just perfect!  A big thank you as well to my friend Melinda Estabrooks (Executive producer and host of See Hear Love) for being such an eloquent host for the evening. She pulled it all together and blessed me above and beyond what I could have even imagined. Thank you to my parents, my dear husband and kids (especially for being willing to grace the covers of the books!), sisters and brother and my new and old friends! I am so grateful to all of you!

I was nervous at first because I didn’t know if everything would come together smoothly, but it did, and I’m so grateful for the opportunity to be able to share the heart behind this devotional and to read through portions so that the audience would be able to see understand how they could actually go through this devotional with their own sons. It was an honour as well to have my parents in attendance. I dedicated the first devotional to my mom and grandmothers and the second to my dad. And to my dear children, thank you for all your encouragement and patience through the writing process! You know more than anyone the amount of time that I spent would be typing away! I am a mom because of you, and I love you dearly!  

I truly am in awe of how God orchestrated all the details to come together. It’s difficult to convey the feeling of a heart overflowing with joy when I looked at the book signing table piled high with copies and around the room at all my dear friends and family. It’s a night I will never forget, and I think I left that evening floating just a few inches off the floor.

 God allowed me to write these, and he is truly the author. I’m so thankful for an evening of friendship, family, fun, celebration and encouragement. Life is too short not to celebrate one another! Thank you to all of you, and you, dear reader, for the love and support you have shown me through the launch of my second devotional. 

 

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