Book Contract!

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Out for a celebratory breakfast – Pictured hands belong to Jeff 🙂

Last week, a long-held dream came to fruition. I received a contract to publish a book.

So many emotions are swirling right now. I am profoundly grateful, humbled, and in awe, really. It is a holy gift and a holy opportunity –  one I’ve prayed over and worked towards for years.

With Chalice Press and the support of Young Clergy Women International (THANK YOU!), I will be publishing a book of prayers – Journeying through Ash and Starlight: Prayers for the Pilgrimage. Hoping for a launch date of July next year (2019).

Like this blog, Journeying through Ash and Starlight will help us pray through the every-day inner landscapes of life, as well as specific seasonal and liturgical times of year. Life is a journey of continual progression and change – a pilgrimage deeper and closer to the true self and to God. This book will be a compilation of my prayers which I hope helps you find connection and wholeness in your own spiritual pilgrimage.

I am profoundly grateful to all of you, and to the congregations and communities that have nurtured my writing. Composing prayers began as a practice eight years ago in my early pastoral work. Each week, I wrote and emailed out a prayer incorporating the prayer requests received from the congregation. The practice followed me to our beloved congregation in Fort Wayne, and then to the creation of this blog.

The world is broken and beautiful, and a tender, strong God holds each one of us in it. I write from love and I write for love. My deepest desire with this book is to bless and encourage as many people as I can, and in doing so, bring great joy to God.

 I look forward to these coming months of honing my manuscript. Things may be quiet on the blog for the next month or so as I get my head around a new game-plan (and we also move into a different house!). Be well, friends, and stay tuned for more updates soon.

 

 

 

 

28 Comments

  1. Wonderful. I greatly look forward to buying a copy of your book as soon as it is published. I am a church of England clergy-person living just outside London. Every blessing Anne Townsend

    Sent from my iPhone

    >

    1. I’m so honored, Anne! What a beautiful gift to connect with you across the sea! Thank you so much for your support. Please keep in touch! I would love to learn more about your ministry!

  2. I am so proud of and happy for you, Arianne! I will be in line for a signed copy!

    1. Thank you so much, Deb! You had an important role on my English/writing journey, and I’ll forever be grateful. Love to you, Callie, and your whole sweet family!

  3. You are so deserving of a larger audience. Your thoughts, meditations and prayers are a balm for me and you’re right, sharing them must certainly bring joy to God. Congratulations, Arianne.

    1. You’ve been such an amazing, spirit-filled cheerleader, Amy. I am so grateful of you. You bring such joy to God, and such joy to ME! How loved you are.

  4. Wow!!!!!! Congratulations!!!! So your blessing of expression in prayer will be used by a wider
    Group of folks. How could I get an autographed copy?

  5. Arianne, CONGRATULATIONS ON YOUR CONTRACT—-what a special affirmation of your prayer and work in all of this. God has given you a special gift and has blessed you in so many unique and special ways. I think of your family heritage, the special blessings you have had with your father and mother, along with your grandfather and grandmother, and your church background along with you studies in grade schools on through seminary—what a special journey you have been on. I also praise the Lord for your pastoral experiences in Fort Wayne and now in the Chicago area. The Holy Spirit has surely written so much in your heart and mind that you can now capture it on the pages of your first book and many to follow. This past week I listened to an interview of Robert A. Schuller, and learned that he had a reading problem when he finished high school, and majored in music in college so he wouldn’t have to read very much, and the Lord helped him in many ways—telling the interviewer that he had been able to write 17 books. I had missed some of this journey in his life. I’ve been blessed in recent weeks in reading Dr. Barry Black’s book on prayer which he finished this year after being able to speak at the Prayer Breakfast in 2017 following the election and inauguration. Also, I’m reading a book by Robert Morgan on memorizing 100 Bible Verses that everyone should know my heart. His insights and sequence of verses is absolutely amazing. Thank you again for faithfully sending your e-mails and special prayers. You are an inspiration and I can’t even imagine the affect that you are having on young lives. Blessings, Gene

    On Fri, Jun 1, 2018 at 5:05 AM, Ash and Starlight wrote:

    > ariannelehn posted: ” Last week, a long-held dream came to fruition. I > received a contract to publish a book. So many emotions are swirling right > now. I am profoundly grateful, humbled, and in awe, really. It is a holy > gift and a holy opportunity – one I’ve prayed over and” >

    1. God bless you, Gene. You have such a gift in encouraging my own heart, while inspiring me to grow and stretch! I have been continually motivated to dwell in Scripture more deeply as I witness your own spiritual practices and faith. You are an inspiration, Gene. And thank you for loving our family so well.

  6. Arianne
    My blessed and dedicated friend, I am so happy about your contract. How wonderful now to be able to reach out to thousands, and your wonderful prayers will be available to calm and encourage so many more. I am so greatful for having met you at a most horrific and demanding time of my life. I gathered much needed strength from you. I shall forever be most thankful for that.
    Blessings and courage to continue your ministry, as only you can do.
    Love from
    Marianne

    1. Precious Marianne, your tender spirit and loving heart have blessed me far beyond what you know. This friendship has indeed been one of much mutual blessing. You are so loved!

  7. Thank you for sharing this news Arianne! Congratulations!! We will all be blessed by your prayers.
    I hope you are healing from your last injury and it is wonderful to see the picture of the children.
    Fran

  8. So very happy for you! I will be looking forward to this book as I so cherish the prayers you have offered to me online.
    Judy Dawes

  9. What wonderful news! Keep us posted so we know where to buy a copy!
    Good luck with your move – take care of your foot.
    I see you and your mom in darling Eden.

    Jean Nicholson

  10. Congratulations, Arianne! Your prayers are wonderful, and I look forward to seeing them published.

  11. Dear Arianne,
    I am so happy for your book news! Congratulations! Your prayers are beautiful, touching and inspirational. I always look forward to Fridays, hoping to have that special message from you:). (I understand that there won’t be some for a while.) I hope that you are fully on the mend! Miss you and Jeff and your beautiful children. Hope you enjoy a wonderful summer. Happy move!
    God’s blessings to you all!

  12. Arianne
    I am so happy to hear this news. From the very first time I read and heard your beautiful wise words I felt they should be shared in a book. Congratulation, may this be just the beginning.

    1. Thank you so much, Joanne! You have offered such meaningful and abiding support on this writing journey. I am so grateful for you and Bob!

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