Gratitude Day 348

Tues., Oct. 29, 2019

Luke 10:41-42:  The Lord answered, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and distracted by many things. One thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the better part. It won’t be taken away from her.”

Good Morning, Sunshine! We have SNOW here in Wisconsin this morning, which means there will not be sunshine until maybe later today.

But I’m feeling very sunshiny, sun or not … because today, I’m sharing something that has brought so much joy to my life.

Almost two years ago, I began a quest to change some things in my life. After serving as a pastor for over 18 years, I stepped back from pastoral ministry to pursue other ministry opportunities I felt that God had placed on my heart. One of those ministries was being more consistent in sharing how I see God in my everyday life through this blog. I’ve turned this into looking for gratitude in the simplest of ways in my very normal life.

Behind the scenes, I also have been writing a book. Today, I’m so excited to share that the book is in final production stages AND will be released on Sun., Nov. 17. I know … like in 19 days.

Let me introduce you to The Mary Experiment: When DOING and BEING Collide. This book is written for people who struggle to keep the right tension between feeling like they do enough while allowing themselves to simply be in God’s presence.

I have personally felt this challenge for decades. Too often, I have allowed my life to be over-full, over-committed and over-scheduled. Yet, I have yearned for a deep and satisfying relationship with God, those around me and myself.

Years ago, I realized there was a biblical story that addresses the tension I feel. It’s the story of sisters Martha and Mary. Martha is a doer. When Jesus comes to visit them, she is the one making sure every detail is handled. Meanwhile, her sister Mary sits at Jesus’ feet and drinks in very word he teaches.

Ms. Busy-Body Pants Martha becomes upset that Mary is not helping host their guests. Martha goes to Jesus and asks him to tell Mary to help her. Martha is surprised, maybe a bit annoyed, when Jesus tells Martha that her sister has made the better choice.

So much for help in making those fancy ham sandwiches.

The Mary Experiment captures my struggle towards becoming a recovering Martha. I share how I have tried to navigate my journey towards embracing my Martha-ness while building more Mary-ness in my daily life.

Many years ago, I read that everyone should write a book. But not everyone should have it published. Well, I am self-publishing this book. My dream is that this will be the first of many books that I will write.

Because I am self-publishing my book, I am responsible for every aspect of marketing the book. This is where I am looking for some assistance.

Would You Be Interested in Helping with The Mary Experiment?

There are a few ways that I invite you to consider partnering with me as I prepare to launch The Mary Experiment:

• Become part of my Launch Team. If you feel the topic of this book speaks to you and you would like to help spread the news about this book, please consider joining my Launch Team. Launch Team members are committed to reading The Mary Experiment before Nov. 17. I will make a PDF of the book available. Then, on Nov. 17, you will download a free Kindle copy of the book from Amazon AND post a review of the book online, preferably a positive review! It is not necessary to own a Kindle to download the book. You can use a Kindle reader to access the book. To leave a review, you must have purchased $50 on Amazon in the last year. Launch Team members will help promote the book in other ways. Most importantly, Launch Team members will help with the book BEFORE it is actually released. If you are interested in joining the Launch Team, please send me an e-mail at dideaton@hotmail.com. I will begin communicating directly with Launch Team members by the end of the week.
• If you want to support my book but want a less involved role, please join the Pre-Release Team. I will personally let these team members know when the book is available online. The first few days, the Kindle version will be FREE. I’ll keep you in the loop about when it is available and how you can get a copy. Providing a review would also be very helpful! Join the Pre-Release Team by emailing me at dideaton@hotmail.com.

• Attend my Book Launch and Signing Event! On Sat., Nov. 30, I will have copies available at my house from 1:30-3:30 PM. Please stop by our home at 424 N. Franklin St., Poynette, WI. I will be personally signing books. You can hear a short reading of the book at 1:45 PM and 3 PM. We’ll have some fantastic treats as well! Bring a friend and stop by.
• I have another Book Signing Event scheduled for Fri., Dec. 13 in Augusta, WI. It will be at Creative Touch Floral as a late afternoon/early evening event. I’ll have copies of the book available that I can personally sign as well as share some short readings from the book.

I welcome other opportunities to promote and share my book. If you have an idea of such an opportunity, please let me know. This book would be excellent for a book study. Read it together with a group of friends. I have a free accompanying Reflection Questions & Journal that is designed for such purposes. It is also a tool to help you develop your own Mary experiment.

It is SO HARD for me to ask and encourage people to partner with me in promoting The Mary Experiment. It’s not part of my normal MO. Yet, I am anxious for as many people as possible to have access to the information captured in the book. It is full of personal stories and examples of how I have struggled with the tension between doing and being. I know that I am not the only person who has lived this struggle! This is why I have been so passionate and committed to publishing this book.

When I began this blog, I had no idea that I would write and publish a book. Thanks for reading along and sharing feedback and insights when something touches your soul. Thanks for being a safe place for me to explore and share my ideas about a variety of topics. It’s been a joy for me to sit at my computer and share how God is woven into my daily life. I pray The Mary Experiment will continue this journey.

For friends who follow Simple Words of Faith, I am grateful. 

Dear God – every day, You place before us new opportunities. I pray that we can honor the tugging’s of our hearts and follow Your leadings. Thank you for opening up new opportunities for me. I pray that others hear Your voice and keep You close to their hearts. Amen.

Blessings –

Dianne

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