Dan Walsh's Blog, page 26

Tribute to a Great Writing Friend

Last week I lost a very good friend. The day he passed and for the next week, my grief was profound. I’m still not over it. He wasn’t a writer, but he was certainly a great source of encouragement in my writing.

I’m referring to my dog, Darcy. Darcy was a mini-Australian shepherd. Along with his sister, Bailey, they’ve been keeping me company every day as I write for the last several years (Darcy is the gray one on the right). For those of you who write full-time, you know it can be a lonely vigil. But Darcy wouldn’t let that happen. He had a way of constantly inserting himself into my day with mostlywelcomed and pleasant interruptions. He wasn’t a high-maintenance dog; he just loved to be with me and wouldn’t put up with me ignoring him for too long.

He started getting sick midway through the summer, with a persistent cough and frequently running out of breath. He was only eight years old, so we knew it wasn’t his age. We took him to the vet, who diagnosed him with congestive heart failure. We were really alarmed but were told it was something that could be controlled with medication, and that he still had a good many years ahead of him.

That wasn’t what happened.

For the next 6 weeks, he grew increasingly worse, and the vet kept increasing his meds. It was so hard to see him suffer and not be able to do anything to really help him. He would constantly come to me for comfort when he got afraid, as if somehow I could make his suffering go away. I took the picture here on the right during one of those times. For some reason, my efforts to love and comfort him did seem to help temporarily. His face would brighten right up, and his little doggy smile would return.

But eventually, even my comfort didn’t help. It became obvious he wasn’t going to make it. So one night last week, after holding him for 6 hours then saying our final goodbyes, I brought Darcy down to an emergency vet clinic at around 3am.

To be honest, the amount of grief my wife and I have experienced since letting him go is very similar to the grief we’ve felt when losing close family members. I know some people couldn’t possibly understand this. Dogs are pets, not people. Usually these people are not “dog people” and don’t really understand the unique relationship dog owners can have with their pets. At the same time, we’ve received dozens of comforting notes from other dog lovers who totally get it. They speak about the grief they’ve gone through, and it’s remarkably the same.

It’s like losing a close member family, because that’s exactly who Darcy was. And I realized, for me, he was even a little more than that.

Let me explain.

I’ve just finished the first novel in a new series, called Rescuing Finley. Finley, as you might have guessed, is a dog. Each of the novels in the series will feature a dog as a main character. Finley is a shelter dog who winds up rescuing the two people who think they are rescuing him. One is a former meth addict who becomes a female inmate who helps train Finley to become a service dog. The other is a Marine who lost his leg to a landmine in Afghanistan, and he’s really struggling with PTSD.

To research this book, I spent all kinds of time reading and watching videos about veterans who said, time after time, that their service dog literally saved their lives. This is no exaggeration. The stats say 22 war veterans are committing suicide every day because of PTSD issues. Yet somehow, many of them are being saved through the power of a relationship they are having with these dogs.

These vets talk about their dogs with the same passion they talk about their combat buddies. Usually after a few sentences, they choke up and start crying. As a researched their stories, I realized I completely understood what they mean.

Five years ago, I went through a terrible relational and financial trial that devastated me emotionally. It got so bad, I saw a doctor who said I was having the same kind of PTSD symptoms soldiers have (although clearly, they’ve suffered far worse than I). Nevertheless, I now realize just how much Darcy helped me through this time.

He wasn’t a trained service dog, but he served the same role in my life. For those of you who aren’t dog lovers, perhaps if I explain it this way it will help. Imagine you have a close friend who loves you unconditionally. He never judges you or makes you feel tense. Just the opposite. You feel totally accepted and loved whenever he is near. If you’re hurting, he’s right there to help in any way he can. He is completely devoted to your welfare and, without hesitation, will always puts your needs ahead of his own. He loves spending time with you, even wasting time with you. In fact, he’ll drop whatever he’s doing if there’s even a chance to be with you doing anything at all. This relationship goes on this way for years, and these qualities about your friend never diminish. If anything, they only grow in their intensity.

Now imagine, this incredibly good friend suddenly dies. That’s how it feels.

That’s why the grief is similar to losing a close loved one or friend. Because that’s who Darcy was to me (to us…my wife’s grief equaled my own). One of the things that has really helped, besides the great comfort offered by other dog-loving friends, is to know that my God perfectly understands everything I’ve just said, and everything were going through. He created these wonderful little creatures and appointed them to be some of our best friends.

I only wish he would have given them the lifespan of a tortoise. I’m sure tortoises are very nice in their own way. But really, why give them 75 years?

 

End of Summer Book Update

It’s hard for me to fathom we’re already talking about the end of Summer. Not officially as it appears on the calendar (think that’s Sept 22nd), but unofficially. People talk about summer ending when the kids start going back to school. In my day, we didn’t head back to school until the day after Labor Day. And our summer began the first week of June. We got 3 full months to play. I feel sorry for kids today. For many, their summer begins a couple of weeks into June and ends in mid-August (most are already back to school this week).

But since we are nearing the unofficial end of the summer, I thought I’d share some book updates. Haven’t done it in a while and some great things are happening.

Christmas in August

My 4th Christmas novel, Keeping Christmas, has already begun to release in stores and

will be available everywhere in about a week or so. I’ve already received my copies. It’s a beautiful little hardback but will also be available as an e-book (Kindle, Nook, etc.). We love how the cover turned out. My wife, Cindi, picked out the title.

As I write this from the Daytona Beach area, Christmas is the farthest thing from our minds. Our summer really extends to the end of September. People still go to the beach and swim in their pools. Personally, I don’t even begin to think about Christmas till we get close to Thanksgiving.

But I’m told in many northern parts of this country it actually begins to get chilly in September. People start to wear jackets and even light their fireplaces in the evening. That’s why they start making Christmas books available so soon. If you’d like to get a copy…

Click Here to check the book out on Amazon.

Click Here to check it out at Barnes & Noble.

Click Here to see it at Christianbook.com (seems to be the cheapest here)

Finished My Latest Novel: Rescuing Finley

For the last 6 months, I’ve been working on a new novel called, Rescuing Finley. I just finished it 2 weeks ago. It will be the first in a trilogy of books which all feature a shelter dog as a main character. Of course, there will be plenty of people in the novels (some love stories and lots of relational drama, too). My wife is a certified dog trainer and an expert in dog behavior (seriously, she could have her own TV show). She will be helping me get all the dog parts right.

What’s the story about? Finley is a shelter dog who winds up rescuing the female inmate who trains him (a former meth addict) and the Afghan war vet who adopts him (wrestling with PTSD and learning how to walk again). And they might just fall in love.

As you can see, these books will be more on-brand with my Sparks-type novels, but will also include a great deal of suspense. I don’t have a cover for the book yet, but I hope to use the dog in this pic as the “model” for Finley when I do. When will it be released? I’m not sure yet, but I hope it will be in 2015. I’m exploring whether to release it as an indie book or sign with Amazon to publish it (why the release date is still unclear).

What Am I Working on Now?

I’m just beginning this week to start my next novel (hard to believe it will be Book #17). I’m in the story-building stage, doing a bunch of research and hammering out the synopsis. For you non-writer types, a synopsis is basically the story, front-to-back without any frills. Imagine we’re sitting in the living room and you ask me the question: “What’s your new book going to be about?” And I told you over the next 10 minutes. If I put that in writing, that’s a synopsis.

When I finish the synopsis, I’m ready to start writing the book. It usually runs 5-6 pages. From that, over the next 4-5 months a 320-page book will emerge (give or take).

This time, I’ll be writing my second indie suspense novel, a sequel to When Night Comes which released back in November. It’s done so well, I’m finally able to get my wish. Which is, to write both kinds of books from now on (suspense thrillers and my Sparks-type books).

The working title right now is, Remembering Dresden. Our young history professor, Jack Turner, will be the main character again, working to solve a new history-mystery with the help of Sgt. Joe Boyd and his new partner. Of course, Rachel, the love of his life, will do her part. The setting will, once again, be the sleepy little college town of Culpepper, Georgia.

I’m having great fun putting this multi-layered story together. I can’t wait to write it.

And the Winner Is -

This has been a very big week for writing awards, especially Christian fiction. On Sunday, AWSA announced the winners of the Golden Scroll Awards. Then on Monday at the big ICRS event in Orlando (which is still going on), the finalists for the ACFW Carol Awards were announced, as well as the winners for the 2015 Christy Awards.

But these weren’t the only award announcements made this week. Family Fiction magazine announced the winners of the INSPY awards for fiction in seven different categories. Christian Retailing announced their “Best” Awards for 2015 (includes many categories, not just fiction). Am I forgetting any others?


As I read over the various lists on websites, blogs and Facebook posts I thought of a number of things. Of course, it resets the discussion about the value of becoming a finalist or a winner of one of these awards. How much does it matter? Does it really affect book sales? Some say yes, some say not so much.


While it might be hard to measure the rewards in terms of dollars and cents, it certainly brings a lot of extra attention and free publicity to the books and authors who make these lists. I’ve experienced this kind of attention several times, and I have to say…it does make you feel pretty good (for at least a few days). I’m also aware of a certain, intangible sense of validation that comes from it, too (maybe I don’tstink as a writer).


But I think the greatest benefits from these awards might be for the reader, not the writers themselves. But it’s a benefit many readers seem unaware of, or don’t use to their full advantage. Let me explain.


I’ve been publishing novels now since 2009. I have 15 books “on the shelves,” and I’m finishing up another. I’ve had the privilege of being named a finalist and also of winning a number of these awards. I was pleased to learn my novel, What Follows After, was among the Carol Award finalists announced this week for the historical fiction category. But before I was a fiction author, I was an avid fiction reader. I still am.


Those who love to read fiction are always on the lookout for another great book to read, or hoping to discover a new author whose work they totally love. When a fiction lover reads a great book, they instantly contact their friends and say, “You’ve got to get this book.”


That’s where these book award lists come in. Don’t you realize what you have here? A perfect list of great books already broken down for you by category, pre-screened and thoroughly examined by other fiction lovers (who also happen to be skillful folks). Each one guaranteed NOT to be a dud.


The only possible setback might be the price. Many of these books come from traditional publishers who set the prices kind of high ($9 is common). I realize that most people are buying e-books now at the $2-3-4 range. But hey, let’s be honest, you can easily pick up 3 duds for $9 lickety-split. Wouldn’t you rather spend that money on one truly satisfying, well-written book? Who knows? You might also just discover your next favorite author, and you might also find out that author has lots of other books, published a year or two ago that are marked down to a discount price.


My advice? Spend a few minutes on Google and check out those lists of finalists and award winners in your favorite categories. Then make a shopping list of some really great summer reads!

Proud of Charleston

As with everyone else this week, our hearts are broken over the horrific tragedy that has befallen Charleston, SC. But in the aftermath, I have to say I’m not all that surprised this has NOT gone the way of Baltimore or Ferguson (which it certainly could have). Instead, the citizens of this fine town have demonstrated an amazing measure of restraint and poise. More than that, they have taken the evil intent of this misguided young man (to incite a race war) and done just the opposite thing — put on a display of unity, mutual support (regardless of race), and an almost unthinkable degree of mercy…even toward the killer himself.

As I sat and listened to many of the victims’ family members speak directly to the killer in court yesterday, I could hardly believe my ears. One after the other, these hurting Christian believers poured out two things that are rarely seen at the same time: Excruciating pain mingled with tender mercy. I found myself marveling at their reaction; quite sure I could not have done the same myself. It was among the most remarkable examples of God’s love at work in human beings I’ve ever seen.

Well before this, Charleston, SC has been one of my favorite cities, and definitely our favorite romantic getaway location. My wife and I spent our 10th anniversary there and absolutely fell in love with the place. We’ve easily been back 20 more times since then (have just celebrated our 38th). I decided to use Charleston as a main setting for one of my highest-reviewed novels, The Discovery (see pic above). It’s a beautifully restored old Southern town, with block after block of huge southern homes, historic churches, charming cemeteries (they are to us anyway), antique shops and art galleries, and some of the finest restaurants we’ve ever visited.

And the people? Well, you’ve seen what they are like all week long. If you want to do something to show your support for this wonderful city, may I suggest you plan a vacation or getaway to Charleston very soon. Tourism is the #1 source of revenue for the town.  You can’t go wrong spending money your money there.

 

 

Summer Book Specials

Now that the 4th and final book of the Restoration Series has released (The Legacy), I’ve decided to offer the entire set of 4 books, signed, with matching bookmarks for only $25 (plus $4 shipping for the set, not each book). That’s 40% off the best price offered for all 4 on Amazon. If you’d like to order a set, simply email me at dwalsh@danwalshbooks.com (and mention “Restoration Series” in the subject line).

If you have some of the books, but not all, I am also offering signed individual copies for Books 2, 3 and 4 for only $8 each (The Promise, The Desire and The Legacy). That’s almost half-off the cover price. Shipping is $3 for 1 book (add $1 more for each additional book).

I’ll run this special through the summer (or until the books run out).

Indie Book Deals

I’m also offering my 2 newest indie-published books at a special summer price. You can buy a signed copy of my suspense novel, When Night Comes for only $10 (plus $3 shipping). I have a limited supply of slightly damaged copies available for only $5 (book is new, cover curls up slightly), same shipping applies.

Or you can purchase a signed copy of my new 31-Day devotional called Perfect Peace for only $9.99, shipping included.

If you prefer ebooks, both of these can be purchased on Kindle ($4.99 for WNC, $2.99 for PP). Just click on the title above to go to the Amazon link.

What Follows After Wins Selah Award

Last night I learned some wonderful news. My novel, What Follows After–borrowing a phrase from one of my favorite Christmas movies–won a “major award.” I had posted a few weeks ago that it had been named a finalist for the Selah Award in the historical fiction category. Last night during the awards banquet for the annual Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writers Conference, the winners were announced.

What Follows After won for best historical fiction!

This is now my 3rd novel to win this prestigious award. The other two books that won were The Discovery and The Reunion.

It released just over a year ago in April, 2014. The year on the award plaque, though, will say 2015. Writing awards almost always come the year after the books have come out. I had so much fun researching and writing this book, you could hardly call it work.

Although there is a baseball and glove on the cover, this is not a baseball story. It is set during October, 1962, the peak of the “Camelot Years” of John F. Kennedy. The backdrop is actually the infamous Cuban Missile Crisis, though the book focuses on a more personal crisis for one family.

Click Here to read more about the story, as well as some of the reviews. You can also order the book from this page on all the major online bookstores. Right now, you can buy it on Kindle for $7.55. I wish it were priced at something like $4.99, but I have no control over such things.

If you’ve enjoyed my other books but haven’t picked this one up yet, I think you’ll enjoy it too. It’s received 138 customer reviews on Amazon, 114 of them are 5-Star.

 

One Other Piece of Good News

I have some other good news to report. I ran a special for my newest book, a 31-Day devotional called Perfect Peace, this past week. During the sale, so many copies were downloaded on Kindle that the book climbed to #1 on Amazon in all three of the categories it is ranked.

Below is a screenshot of that moment. The book has only been out about 6 weeks. So far it’s received 9 customer reviews, all of them 5 Star. You can buy it on Kindle for only $2.99 or in print for $9.99. If you have Amazon Prime, the shipping is free.

Another option is to order a signed copy directly from me for the same price, $9.99 (shipping included). Just email me at dwalsh@danwalshbooks.com.

 

Book Specials to Announce in May

Thought I should get the word out about a number of books specials happening in May. The first one has already begun.

Big Discount for When Night Comes

To celebrate a special milestone for my new suspense novel, When Night Comes, I’ve decided to offer the Kindle version for only $2.99 during the first week of May (which started yesterday). That’s 40% off the regular price. What is the milestone? During the month of April, sales of When Night Comes passed the 6,000 mark (actually at 6,409 right now).

Selling 6,000 copies in the first 6 months of the book’s release is way more than I had expected. For two reasons: it was my first indie book (I had only a fraction of the resources a traditional publisher would have to promote it). And second, it was totally outside my normal genre (Nicholas Sparks-type books). Some people had warned me not to expect the book to sell well because of this. Some suggested I should even release it under a pen name.

Not only has the book exceeded my sales expectations, it’s received over 140 customer reviews and maintained a 4.5 average. Thanks again to all who bought a copy. If you haven’t gotten yours yet, Click Here (or on the cover) to get one at $2.99.

 

Chance to Get All 4 Books of the Restoration Series

The Legacy, the 4th and final book of the Restoration series co-authored with Gary Smalley, released on April 1st. Some readers have told me they wait for all the books in a series to come out before they buy even one. They hate waiting so long between each book. If that’s you, or if you haven’t bought any of the books in the series yet, this May special is for you.

Through the month of May, and while supplies last, I’m offering signed print copies of all 4 books, with matching bookmarks, for only $25 (plus $4 shipping). That’s 40% less than buying all 4 print books on Amazon (plus my deal includes them being signed and matching bookmarks). If you’ve already got some, but not all 4 books in the series (while supplies last), I’m offering single copies of Books 2, 3 and 4 (The Promise, The Desire and The Legacy) for $8 each (plus $2.50 shipping).

If you’re interested in this offer, email me your order at dwalsh@danwalshbooks.com (make sure to include your mailing address). Put “Restoration series offer” in the Subject line.

 

Major May Special Coming for Perfect Peace

My first nonfiction book, a 31-Day Devotional called Perfect Peace released in mid-March. It’s available on Amazon in the Kindle store for $2.99 and in print for $9.99. I am making signed print copies available for $9.99 (including shipping). For those, you can email me at dwalsh@danwalshbooks.com.

I am firming up a special Kindle promotion for the month of May, which I hope to announce next week, that will make the Kindle version of Perfect Peace available for only 99 cents. The special will probably run for one week. I’ll be announcing this special once it’s confirmed on my Facebook Author page (Click Here to go there, then Like the page), and on  Twitter (Click Here then click Follow).

Customer reviews for Perfect Peace have just started coming in (I knew they’d be slow since it’s a 31-Day book), but so far all of them have been 5-Stars.

 

 

Perfect Peace out in Kindle and Print

I’ve got some fun book news to share. My newest book (and first non-fiction book), Perfect Peace, is now available in both Kindle and Print editions on Amazon. The Kindle version released last week; the print edition just became available over the weekend. A lot of readers have told me they prefer to read devotional books in print form (even if they use E-readers for most of their other books).

The print version came out really nice. It’s smaller than my fiction novels (a devotional size) and includes 110 pages. Essentially, an Introduction to the book and 31 Chapter-Days, each about 2-3 pages long.

The Kindle version is only $2.99. As you might expect, the print edition sells for a little more — $9.99, since there are additional costs to create it. If you have Amazon Prime, shipping is free. Perfect Peace is also available and completely free to those enrolled in Kindle Unlimited (Kindle’s program that offers readers as many Kindle books as they can read for $9.99/month).

Click Here to order Kindle version ($2.99)

Click Here to order Print version ($9.99)

If you’d like to preview the book first, you can read the Table of Contents, the Introduction and the first several pages by Clicking Here (then click on the book cover where it says “Look inside”). I think you can check out the first 10-12 pages. 

Special Deal for My Blog and Website Readers

If anyone reading this would like to get a signed copy of the print edition, I’ll match the Amazon Prime price of $9.99 (including shipping). Just email me at dwalsh@danwalshbooks.com, mention “Ordering Perfect Peace” in the Subject Line, and we can make this happen through PayPal (even if you don’t have a PayPal account). My copies will arrive on April 7th. I can ship them out any day after that.

Constant Change is Here to Stay

I don’t know who said this: “Constant change is here to stay.” I first heard it many years ago at a pastor’s conference. It was shared by a seasoned pastor speaking to other pastors and, as I recall, he didn’t know who first coined the phrase, either.

I don’t even recall the topic he was speaking on. I just remembered that phrase, because it hit me as something eminently true. I suppose he offered the quote to comfort us about some big change he was announcing. It’s not surprising that I don’t remember the big announcement. Why should I? Whatever it was, it’s probably been changed many times since then.

Because constant change is here to stay.

If you like your present circumstances, don’t cling to them too tightly. They are going to change. If you don’t like your present circumstances, be of good cheer. They are going to change. Constant change is here to stay.

The reason this saying came to mind, I’m pretty sure, is because I’m going through a season of change…again. Largely because, the whole publishing world is going through a change. I’ve been talking about some of these changes in my last several posts here.

Back in November, after publishing a dozen novels the traditional way through two major publishing houses, I released my first indie-published novel (read, self-published). I had been thinking of doing this for some time. My decision was greatly helped when my publisher decided not to re-sign me (after being with them 6 years).

Thankfully, because I did see this coming I began setting aside some of my advance money to be ready for this change. That’s one of the things about being an indie: no more advances. You write the book, get it out there, people start buying it (you hope), then you get paid. One upside to this is that you get paid right away (well, every 30 days). But with the traditional route, money only came in about every 6 months.

Since everything was already going through an upheaval, I thought: why not increase the intensity? I decided to make my first indie novel, When Night Comes, a suspense novel. You’re not supposed to do that, write a novel outside of your “brand.” What’s my brand? All my other books have been compared to Nicholas Sparks (not known for writing suspense).

Well, that was 4 months ago. Has this change been a good thing? I’m saying yes. A few reviewers clearly preferred my other kind of books (to be expected). But the overwhelming majority of reviews have been extremely positive. Perhaps even more importantly, the sales have been strong and steady. This past week I passed the 5,000 books-sold-mark, and the income is on a track that, by year-end (Lord willing), I could make the same amount I used to receive in a typical advance.

It’s been encouraging enough for me to decide to stay in the game and continue writing as an indie. I’ve decided to flow with the changes rather than try and stop them. To that end, I’m getting ready to do something else I haven’t tried before as an author.

This week (or early next week), I hope to release my first non-fiction book, a 31-Day devotional called, Perfect Peace (in Imperfect Times). In it, I share all the lessons I have learned during these last several years, a season most definitely marked by constant change.

I’ve been told that devotionals don’t sell well. We’ll see. Maybe they don’t, and maybe this won’t. Then again, you aren’t supposed to write books outside your brand. Either way, I’m grateful for the freedom to be able to write this book, even if it only sells a handful of copies. It was a book I needed to write. I hope its lessons will encourage and strengthen believers wrestling with the uncertainties of life.

Because one thing is certain. Constant change is here to stay. And one other thing is certain–a more important thing: God is faithful; He loves us with undying love, and He’s well-able to work all of life’s changes together for good.

A Taste of Perfect Peace

I’m working on something a little different in my writing life these days. I’m still writing my next novel (something of a love story that involves a shelter-rescue dog named Finley), but I’ve also been working on something else. I’m finishing up a 31-Day devotional book that I hope to release about a month from now.

Here’s the cover and below is an excerpt from Day 2.

*     *     *

Day 2 – True Peace is a Person

True Peace is a Person?

The secret to Perfect Peace is found in this Scripture (and in dozens more like it, which we’ll meditate on in future chapters):

“You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You.” (Isaiah 26:3)

Do you see the promise here? What is being offered to us? Perfect Peace. Do you also see what this perfect peace hinges on? What makes it possible?

“You will keep him…”

“…whose mind is stayed on You…”

“…because he trusts in You.”

Perfect Peace is not simply the absence of trouble in one’s life. It’s found in a close relationship with a Person. The Scriptures tell us this person is Jesus Christ. He is called the Prince of Peace (Isa. 9:6). We’re told Jesus is “the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature” (Heb 1:3). Jesus is the “You” Isaiah is talking about. Perfect Peace comes to those who keep their minds “stayed” (focused or fixed) on Christ.

This involves a bit more than simply becoming a Christian. If Perfect Peace came automatically when people come to Christ, Christians would never worry or fear, never fret or become anxious.

But they do.

If you’re like me, you’ve known moments of real peace. Moments when you’ve trusted God fully for your life, for everything going on in your life. And in those moments, you knew real peace. The problem is the word “moments.”

The moments didn’t last.

The promise of Isaiah 26:3 is not to have moments of peace in our lives. The promise is that God would “keep us in Perfect Peace.” So why is it that most of us only know moments of peace?

I believe the problem stems from our embedded tendency to live independently from God. We aren’t convinced we need God as much as we do.

What did Adam and Eve do right after The Fall? They hid from God and tried to fix the problem themselves. This is what we all try to do. We’d prefer it if God would make this perfect peace something we receive once, then it stays with us the rest of our lives, regardless of how close we live to God, day to day.

But that’s not how it works.

You probably already know this. The perfect peace Isaiah is referring to is given to those who draw near to God each day and stay near to God throughout the day. It is directly connected to the level of relationship we maintain with Jesus Christ.

God will keep us in perfect peace when our minds are stayed on Him, on Jesus. Jesus enjoyed this peace and experienced it every day on earth, because He kept His mind stayed on His Father. He wants us to enjoy this same level of peace as we keep our minds stayed on Him.

To help us experience this fully, Jesus gives us a wonderful gift. The gift of Himself, in the presence of the Holy Spirit. We’ll look more into this in Day 3.

Lord, thank You for giving Your life to make it possible for me to experience Your Perfect Peace. And for living now within me, so I can experience this peace every day. I want my relationship with You to increase. I want my dependence on You to increase, and my awareness of Your Presence at work in my life. Help me to keep my mind stayed on You today, and to trust You for everything I face. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

*     *     *

I’ll let everyone know when the book is ready to go.