Hungry for God; Starving for Time

Sunday

Guess What I've Been Working on All Year? An Exciting Announcement!

WOW! Do I have news for you!

But first, a story:

I’ll never forget the first time I read the story of Jonah. As a new believer, I couldn’t stop thinking about it. The same thing happened when I read the story of the Moses parting the Red Sea. And Daniel’s sleepless night in the lion’s den. The stories inspired and fascinated me.

But after a while, something changed. The fabulous stories became familiar. Their knock-out punches became more like gentle pats – comforting, but certainly not seismic. To fight the boredom that threatened to lull me into spiritual sleep, I bought several women’s devotionals. Sadly I discovered most authors seemed stuck in the same rut I was in. Their devotions focused on the same well-worn stories and verses I’d been reading in my own quiet times. Zzzzzzzz.

Then I participated in a Bible study called Let Prayer Change Your Life. In one of the sessions, author and speaker Becky Tirabassi challenged us to read through the Bible in a year using The One Year Bible. As I began to read the whole Bible, not just the familiar sections to which I’d previously gravitated, I discovered books and passages I’d read but never really seen before. 

Buried in familiar portions of the Bible and in obscure books like Ezra, Habakkuk, and Philemon were dynamic, life-changing verses. Before, I’d avoided or skimmed these less-familiar sections. Now their gems shined with extraordinary brilliance. In the more well-known books, I discovered unlikely verses that sparkled with truth and life application. Perhaps if others knew these gems were here, I thought, they’d fall in love with the Bible, too.

This is how my latest book project, Uncommon Insights for an Unbounded Life, 66 Unusual Devotions from Every Book of the Bible was born. 

I've spent the last year journeying through the Bible in my personal quiet times, searching for powerful, God-filled verses to spotlight. Once I found THE verses, one from each book of the Bible (and it was HARD. There are SO many amazing Scriptures to choose from), I asked God to give me a real-life story to pair it with. This helps the verse come alive and demonstrates how we can apply the verse to our lives.

In the meantime, my agent, the amazing Bob Hostetler, was busy shopping the proposal around to different publishers. As we prayed for just the right home for Uncommon, God answered by sending an offer from a well-respected publisher in the Christian book industry, Discovery House, publisher of Our Daily Bread and the works of Oswald Chambers.

Their publishing goal aligns perfectly with mine:

To publish books that feed the soul with the Word of God, fostering growth and godliness in the live of God's people. Their materials focus on Scripture, show reverence for God and his Word, demonstrate the relevance of vibrant faith, and equip and encourage you in your life every day.

I signed the contract this week, thus beginning the long road to publication. But before we know it, Uncommon will be available, target date: Spring 2020.

In the mean time, will you cover this book in prayer, and pray for me, also? We must accomplish many steps before this project is complete. I deeply desire God's anointing on each one of them.

Dr. Jerry Falwell often said, "Nothing of eternal important happens apart from prayer." 

I want Uncommon to have eternal importance.

It’s my hope that as readers journey with me through little-known and often overlooked verses in every book of the Bible, they, too, will discover the joy, excitement, and riches of God’s Word. I hope they’ll not only fall in love with the Bible, they’ll fall in love (or back in love) with God, the Author of the Bible.

As we move through the process, I'll share the journey with you, invite you to pray, give input, and test drive some of the really cool components of the book. When launch time nears, you, my faithful readers, will be the first to know about giveaways, excerpts, and free stuff. But the most important thing you can do right now is pray. Thank you in advance, dear friends.

Now a question for you: what feature or aspect is most important to you when choosing a devotional? Leave a comment below and share your thoughts. If you're reading by email, click HERE to visit Hungry for God online and leave a comment.

If you'd like to hear more, here's a video sharing a little more about my journey.




 If you're reading by email, click HERE to view the Youtube video announcement of my latest book.



Are you hungry for God, but starving for time? 
I’d love to send you a 5-minute e-mail devotion twice a week to start your day off with the Lord. 

Sign up for a free subscription to Hungry for God by CLICKING HERE.
Then, be sure to VALIDATE the confirmation email you receive. 

Note: I promise never to spam you or share your email address.

Because busy women need to connect with God in the craziness of everyday life.




6 comments:

  1. Yay! I’m super excited for you, Lori! I know that God’s message through your writing will touch the hearts of many. When I choose a devotional book I look for one that helps connect the Word to my heart in an authentic way and grounds me in my eternal purpose. I need constant reminders of my true identity in Christ! Thank you for your faithfulness in writing.

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    1. Oh, you are a DEAR. I pray Uncommon meets your Bible devotional goals one day. I'd be honored for you to add it to your collection. In the mean time, I covet your prayers. There's much work to be done :)
      Blessings to you!

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  2. Rejoicing with you! This is Alicia's friend. I met you many moons ago when she lived in SC. I think we went out for Chinese food?! Anyway, wo! I am so excited for you. Ironically, the feature that I like is what your devotional is about! I like reading about "obscure" verses-the ones that aren't emblazoned on t-shirts or coffee mugs. I can't wait until the book comes out!

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    1. HI Pat! So nice to hear from you again. I remember well finally getting to meet you after all Alicia's years of singing your praises. What a blessing you are. Thank you for the encouragement and validation that my premise resonates with you. It's be a marvelous process of discovery, and I can't wait to share it. Very different from Hungry for God, but still filled with tons of real-life stories and application, along with gold nuggets from unfamiliar verses and passages. I covet your prayers as we move forward. Hugs!

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  3. Lori, may you be blessed on this publishing journey as I am sure your book will bless many hearts!

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    1. Thanks so much, Barbara, for your encouragement :)

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