#030 - Unexpected Book Sales and the Ripple Effect

Welcome back to the Hit Splits. And this week CJ and I have been visiting family in Florida. We have been on vacation and just enjoying this time away, really, just connecting with our family. And it's been good. It's been really good. But my mom was talking to my aunt on the phone and my aunt was like, I would. I would love to talk to Shelly. So she gave the phone to me and. And my aunt mentioned that she ended up buying 20 of our Illuminate Prayer journals as gifts for family and friends. This was definitely some unexpected book sales that we had during the holiday season. And she went on to tell me that she had gotten one of our illuminate prayer journals previously, and it sat in her drawer or her bookshelf or wherever she was. And then she said it was maybe a year or two later that she saw it again. And she's like, you know what? I'm gonna do this journal this year. And she told me that it had helped her so much in her spiritual growth. And my aunt is a really strong Christian, and so to hear her talk about how much our book helped and helped her to grow, it was just really, just amazing. And these are the things that we rarely hear as authors, right? I mean, it's so rare that we hear exactly how our books are impacting lives. But she is going through a hard time right now. She's gonna have to have heart surgery. And just to know that as she waits for her surgery, as she's doing these things, like she is using our journal to connect with God, to grow closer to him and grow spiritually. So amazing. And if you're interested, you can check out the Illuminate Prayer Journal. It's on Amazon. It's print only right now, but it's available and you can check it out as well. But then she went on to tell me, she said, yeah, I decided to get one for my son in law. And because she said, I knew he would enjoy it. And then her daughter, my cousin, she's like, so said she also wanted a copy and she was excited to get it. And so it's just really been neat to hear that. But the reason I'm telling you this is there may be times that you get unexpected book sales. My aunt had that book in her drawer on her bookshelf for years. Didn't pick it up. And then I believe God prompted her. She saw it and she began to read it, use it, and saw her life change because of it. And when she saw what happened in her life, she wanted others to experience it and she then ended up buying 20 copies of our books to give to other people. Those are like 20 additional seeds going out into the world, right? Being able to impact people. So I just want to encourage you. Sometimes you may not see the results right away, even from a seed that you planted. It may be a year later, a couple years later, when God really starts to bring fruit from that book that has been purchased or given or whatever it is. But keep praying, keep praying that God would get the right book to the right person in the right timing. That was, that's something that we always pray as well. And this was just a, a small little example of God is doing that with our books. And I just pray he does that with yours as well. So let me just pray for you, God. We just thank you for books that are door openers, that are seeds planted in people's lives. And we just thank you that at the right time you can bring the right book to the right person and just grow spiritually. Things in their lives that they never even thought thought possible. But Lord, that there, it can impact them, influence them, help them, entertain them. Whatever the goal is of our book, Lord, that you're able to do it and in the right timing. So we just surrender our goals and our, our. Our timing and the way that we want things to happen. And we just ask, Lord, that you would, you would do it in your timing. I do pray that every person listening that their books would be getting into the right hands and the right time and that it would really impact their life that their books would get read. That if they've been sitting on a shelf for a while, that the person would, you would prompt them to pick up that book and read it and let. Let the author know that they did. But we just thank you, Lord, that once we take the courageous, obedient step of faith of publishing our book, anything is possible. You're able then to use that book in many ways and in many lives. Even things that we will never see this side of heaven. And we just thank you, Lord. We pray for each person listening that has not published their book yet. I pray that you would give them the resources and the ability to publish their book this year so that their book can then be available to be used by you in ways that they never even thought possible. So we thank you, Lord, and we pray this in Jesus powerful name. Amen. So friends, just know that at any time there can come unexpected book sales and that there could be a ripple effect. Just like with my aunt who got her journal was so deeply impacted that then she bought it for 20 other people. Now, if those 20 people then really love it, and then maybe they'll buy it for someone else. But there is the potential for this ripple effect with our books. So I hope that this encouraged you today and wherever you're at, that you will keep moving forward in God's call in your life to write, publish and market your books. I'll talk to you next time. Bye. Bye.