I am so excited to share that we have completed a new series of messages on DVD as a companion for the book of quiet times, A Heart On Fire. This book is organized into eight weeks of quiet times and is all about Jesus. The goal of both the quiet times and the messages is to have you grow in your love relationship with the Lord Jesus to the point that your heart burns on fire with a contagious love that spreads to the world. We have called this series of messages, The Candlelight Sessions. The messages I give will challenge you to know and love the Lord in a deeper way. Their titles are as follows: Face To Face With Jesus, Lord Set My Heart On Fire, The Real Life Of Privilege, The Proof Of God’s Amazing Love, Do You Recognize His Face?, What A Friend We Have In Jesus!, The Lifechanging Power Of Jesus Christ, Do You Love Jesus?, and When Your Heart Burns On Fire.
You will notice that these DVD messages are personal, as though I am speaking one on one with you. They are very effective when used in a group or individually in your own study. We are currently using this set of messages with a group of about 40 women at church. A Heart On Fire is one of our most popular books of quiet times so this DVD series will be a great resource for those groups that are using this book of quiet times to grow in their relationship with the Lord. It is my prayer that we will grow in our understanding that it is a “priceless privilege” to know Christ and that we will pay the price in time and energy to know Him intimately and follow Him wherever He leads us. A Heart On Fire DVD messages are available at the Quiet Time Ministries Online Store. May the Lord use these messages for His glory.
I returned home at almost midnight Tuesday evening from the International Christian Retail Show 2006 in Denver, Colorado. What an experience this was for me! Years ago I had the privilege to attend this convention when it was called the Christian Bookseller’s Convention. I worked for Josh McDowell and was able to attend as he signed his new books there. Anyone who loves books would have an incredible time just walking the floor. Many authors sign their new books and give them away. Can you imagine! I remember years ago when I went with Josh I got a bunch of books signed by Elisabeth Elliot. In fact, I went to so many of her book signings that she took notice of me. When I went to about my fifth book signing I said to her with a big smile on my face, “Well here I am again!” She looked at me, smiled, and said, “So you are.” I still laugh about that! Anyway, after attending that convention so many years ago I prayed to the Lord, “Lord, will you allow me some day to write a book just so I can come to this amazing convention again?” Little did I know that He indeed planned for me to write books and for a much greater reason than to attend a convention! SMILE.
The convention floor is really something to behold. The publishers have their own displays showing the books that are out for the coming season. Then, at various times throughout the day authors sign their new books. This is the Harvest House Publishers booth where they are displaying the new books in the Fall Catalog. It was exciting to walk the floor and see what the Lord is doing in Christian publishing. There are hundreds of exhibits and all kinds of new products. I like to see what is available especially in Bibles. I spent some time looking at the English Standard Version of the Bible at Crossway books. I like this translation and have used it more and more. Of course, I still LOVE the New American Standard Bible. I also enjoy the New Living Translation. I would say those are probably my three favorite translations. I use the Amplified sometimes but the ESV, NASB, and NLT are my favorites.
It is such a privilege for me to be part of the Harvest House family. And it really is like a family. I am so impressed with their staff team. Harvest House does everything with such excellence. During the course of the convention I had a number of important meetings with my publisher. I met with Bob Hawkins Jr., the president of Harvest House, and others on his staff team to talk about the books I’m writing and they are publishing. It was fun to be able to show them that I had just completed the writing of Hope For My Hurting Heart. They were excited! That book will be released July 2007. We are currently piloting it here in Palm Desert and also with others throughout the United States who have been involved in previous pilots. This helps me in the editing process before I give the manuscript to Harvest House. It is such a privilege to serve the Lord in this way and a joy to do what I LOVE to do!
I also had the opportunity to meet with my agent, Greg Johnson of Wordserve Literary . What a gem he is! It was an amazing day when he visited the desert and came to our Quiet Time Ministries Resource and Training Center to meet with me. Since then we have worked together to take advantage of every opportunity the Lord gives for the resources and books that the Lord has given me the privilege to write. The Lord is opening amazing doors for Quiet Time Ministries and it is my commitment to make the most of every opportunity as the Lord leads. I so desire that He get all the glory as I run the race He has set before me. 
Two days ago we arrived in Denver for the International Christian Retail Show (formerly known as the Christian Bookseller’s Convention). This show is held once a year in different cities across the U.S. I’ve been to ones in Anaheim and Orlando. This is an opportunity for booksellers throughout the world to see what new books are available on the market. With the publishing of Six Secrets To A Powerful Quiet Time in January 2006 it’s my opportunity to meet with distributors, media, marketing, and booksellers. I love this kind of thing because there is nothing I am more passionate about than encouraging others to get into the Word of God. And of course, I am excited about this new book, Six Secrets, because it encourages others to spend daily time with the Lord so that they can experience radical intimacy with Him. Last night I had the privilege to attend the Harvest House Publishers Celebration. There were lots of authors there. I had the opportunity to meet and talk with Kay Arthur. We share a similar passion for God and His Word so it was such a joy to speak with her. As I walked through the room meeting people and sharing about Quiet Time Ministries, I felt incredibly humbled at this amazing door that the Lord was opening for the books and our ministry. I thought again how our ministry is “a stewardship” given to us from the Lord. Paul said, “I have a stewardship entrusted to me” (1 Corinthians 9:17). We must always remember that it is the Lord who has entrusted a particular ministry to us. May we handle it with nothing but the very highest and most excellent effort and service. And may He get all the honor and glory as we run our race. Today I get to walk around the floor of the convention center. Wait until you see what that looks like. I’ll share more pictures soon.
I am so excited to be able to share that I have just finished writing another book! It’s a 30 day journey on hope entitled Hope For My Hurting Heart - Experience God’s Promises For Life’s Circumstances. I’ve been working on the ideas and message of this book for many years and what a joy to see the fruition of what God has been working into my life. So much goes into the writing of a book like this. And it has only begun. Now we begin a pilot of the book. The results will help me in the final edit. I cannot wait to share it with everyone. The cover you see here is, of course, not the real, final cover - it’s just what we’ve created to put together a pilot copy. The real cover will be so much more beautiful and completely different once the publisher makes it into a book. It will be available in summer or fall of 2007 through Harvest House Publishers. I’ll keep everyone updated up here on my blog. Thank you to so many who have been praying for the writing of this book. God bless you! And to God be all the glory!