We are officially in the home stretch to this book-babe’s long-awaited debut and I, for one, cannot believe it.

Mark your calendars for:

October 2, 2018

because three months from TODAY is the big release!

I spent a few months in a titling conversation with the publisher, going back and forth in both brainstorming and tweaking in response to buyer feedback (and just as much time on the subtitle). This book has been called everything from How to Study Scripture and Dig Your Well to White Knuckle Faith, and I cried a little bit each time I had to let one go. Too heavy, too vague, too close to another book title. As I learned of the yet another pending round of titling, I was at a complete loss and found myself on the phone with my agent who had been on a phone conversation with a colleague just before his phone call to me. They had been talking about one of her author’s new books, which sparked an idea of a new title for mine.

“What do you think of Mercy Like Morning?” he asked. It had alliteration. It had profound meaning. And it was simple and to the point.

“Sit on it for a couple of days,” he said. “Pray about it. Then let me know what you think.”

I got off the phone and stared at the notebook paper where I had scratched out the words. As I took pen to prayer-journal-paper, I realized the fear that was creeping up inside of me. If we’re finding so much opposition with a title that the buyers love, how can I possibly think they will love the content? I wrote.

Mercy Like Morning, I wrote the words on the page and scratched them over bold.

The more I thought about it, the more I liked it. The more I fell in love with it. It was beautiful. Poetic and simple. And as I fell more in love with it, I wondered more fear aloud on paper: is my book good enough for a title like that?

I googled “mercy like morning” and the first result was Lamentations 3:22-24 – words I instinctively remember often visiting in the midst of our wait. I had recognized my reflection in Jeremiah’s pool of verse-18 words. The ones that talk about perishing strength and hope. I love the NIV’s particular translation of verse 20:

I remember my affliction and my wandering, the bitterness and the gall. I well remember them. (Lamentations 3:18, NIV)

Oh boy, do I ever.

And then come those mercy-like-morning words:

This I recall to my mind, therefore I have hope: Through the LORD’s mercies, we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness. ‘The LORD is my portion’, says my soul, ‘Therefore I hope in Him!’ The LORD is good to those who wait for Him, to the soul who seeks Him. (Lamentations 3:20b-25)

I breathed out deep and wanted to lay my head of His mercy-like-morning-shoulder. In relief. In the full-circleness of it all. After dancing in waiting-circles for so long, it had all finally come full circle.

The next morning, I sent the new title along to the publisher. Three days after that, the official book title was approved. And today? I finally get to reveal the cover!

This book is a little bit of every piece of my personality. It’s personal stories, Scripture-digging-moments, and several sample studies, pulled directly from my prayer journals, and all impeccably designed with my photography and hand-lettering sprinkled throughout the pages. And, spoiler alert, I have yet to read through the last chapter of our own story without crying. God is so good, and His story was so beautifully pre-written for us that I would have burst if I didn’t get these words out onto paper.

It’s so funny that I had all the time in the world to write in our ten years of waiting for our family, but He saw fit to have me write my first book with our first babe as a newborn, and launch it into this world while chasing a toddler and growing our second. It’s a little bit like Gideon, I suppose, only the army is my time and energy. And I cannot wait to see His glory shine on you like sunbeams as a result of that stripped-down-energy in October when you can finally get your hands on this miracle babe of its own kind.

Also, I’m finalizing the plans with Harvest House Publishers on formulating the book launch team this week, and I would love for you to be a part of it! Make sure you are signed up for my newsletter so you can get notified the second that information is released!