Today I want to do things a little differently. I want to talk to you about a book I’ve been reading. Well, it’s more like a devotional book that I have been reading for months now and enjoy every minute of it. Let me introduce you to Authentic Happiness: Devotions for the Slumbering Believer by Sarah Rowan.
This book was given to me by my Aunt while I was in Georgia in May 2015. She knew the author for they worked at the same Christian retreat together. My Aunt brought me and my sister the book with Sarah signing it for us. I began reading it while I was still in Georgia and took it back to Wyoming with me. I am still reading it and I love it!
Sarah takes you on a journey of when God opened her eyes to stop slumbering and start living a life for Him and Him only. She began this book by writing a journey of her discovery with no intentions of publishing it. Sarah was learning and growing as God showed her more and more of Himself. She has stories in metaphors what God has shown her, the lessons she has been learning, and she takes scriptures and dissects them into our everyday language in bold bluntness that we all need.
This journey, however, did not start out with her intentions to publish. She was writing these journals until one day, Sarah offered a young woman that she was mentoring a few pages of her devotions. Sarah sent her mentee a few pages, not expecting what was to unfold. This young woman LOVED what Sarah had to say! She told Sarah she wanted more of her journals! Shocked, Sarah sent more. What became private became public when Sarah, after letting a few more people read her journals, which left everyone begging for more, decided to start having a newsletter for her journals.
Everyone she knew told her, “Sarah, you got to published these!” Like all about-to-be-birthed authors, she shrugged it off. But after hearing this over and over again, Sarah finally decided to publish it. God worked in her life in many ways during this process. Sarah discovered that the publishing fee $6,000. Sarah didn’t have the money, but believed God would provide. And He came through by providing people in Sarah’s life to give money to her, even strangers from different states! Then the publisher called Sarah and tells her that they are offering a special deal that will allow her to take 50% off the $6,000! Sarah had $2500! God had blessed her with all the money except $500, which she took out of her and her husband’s savings.
Now, almost two years later, Sarah’s book has traveled to 16 different states (Wyoming was her 16th state) and she is sharing her testimony with others by traveling all over Georgia and is starting to travel outside of the state to share what God has done for her through her book. She is now working on her second novel and that should be coming out soon.
You can learn more from Sarah by visiting her Facebook Page as she’s working on getting a website soon.
What can you and I learn from this story? Never under estimate what God can do when you begin writing for His glory to further His kingdom. You never know how your book will be discovered by others and travel to different states! Also, prepare yourself for lots of stretching and lots of speaking gigs! I hope you’ll pick up Sarah’s book and discover her journey along with the journey that God has you on now.
