I am sitting here looking at the first copy of God’s Not Dead (And Neither Are We). It came in the mail today, despite the best efforts of something or someone somewhere along the line that managed to rip a gaping hole in the padded mailer. The book was unscathed despite a corner being exposed.
It looks all right. I wish I could have made the page margins a bit larger, but it was necessary to keep things somewhat tightly packed in order to keep the price down. It’s readable, and not tough on my less than stellar eyes, so it should work.
I’ve spotchecked it. Haven’t found any major gaffes, so I’m hoping this means the proofreading I did along the line was sufficient. Therefore, I just approved it and it should be available for purchase in a few days.
I talked to my mom on the phone last week and mentioned the book was complete. She replied by saying she knew my father would have been proud of me seeing it through to completion. I talk about him a bit in the afterword.
When he passed away in May of 1999, he was working in the garden of his and Mom’s house when felled by a heart attack. My mom has often told the story that when their parish priest was there administering the Last Rites, the most beautiful butterfly she has ever seen landed on Dad. It stayed there for a long time. When the priest finished, the butterfly flew away.
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! (2 Cor. 5:17)
Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed — in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. For the perishable must clothe itself with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality. When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: “Death has been swallowed up in victory.”
“Where, O death, is your victory?
Where, O death, is your sting?” (1 Cor. 15:51-55)
Earlier this evening I spoke with my brother. He suffers — and I mean suffers — from diabetic neuropathy and MS, yet his faith is strong. He mentioned how much he was looking forward to seeing me this Saturday, as doing so brings him comfort and relief from the constant physical pain he endures. We talked about how God uses us, foolish and fumbling men that we are, to share His love and peace with the world. He then made the comment, “I just noticed there’s a dove sitting on my balcony, cooing. A sign, perhaps?”
Why, yes, as Gord the polar bear would say. I do believe it is.
Beautiful thoughts, and congratulations on the book! Well done, good and faithful servant