My original vision for what is now the book, A Heart for God: Loving God with Your Whole Heart, was simply to document my beliefs as a keepsake for my family—especially future generations I’d never meet. I wanted to share what I came to discover as a young adult: why the claims of Christianity are believable and worth embracing. So, I started saving notes about what I wanted to include in this family keepsake. At this point, I was in my late 50s.

About two years later, with a folder full of notes, when I was almost ready to begin this writing project, I was hit with the news that I had a very aggressive cancer. This project was shelved for over a year while I went through surgery, treatment, and recovery. During this time, my vision for this project expanded. Instead of pages in a binder for my family, I would put what I wrote into eBook format and share it—not only with family, but also with friends and anyone else who would want to read it.

Early 2016 I began to write the book. Since I still work and have little free time, I realized that completing A Heart for God would require a marathon, not a sprint. So, I plugged away at it little by little.

Proverbs 11:14 tells us “… in an abundance of counselors there is safety.” So, as each chapter was completed, I arranged for it to be reviewed by at least one scholar with the credentials needed to verify that what I had written was correct or to recommend changes where needed. (A list of those who reviewed the book chapters is included in the book under “Acknowledgements.”)

Once I completed the first four chapters (in 2018) I began sharing them electronically. After that, I was making little progress on the remaining four chapters—until the pandemic lockdown in the spring of 2020. I thought to myself, “This is the perfect opportunity to finish this book.” A Heart for God was completed before the end of that year. I created a website and posted it. At this point, I considered my project complete and began sharing the web address through word of mouth and social media.

What I soon came to realize is that many people prefer printed books over eBooks. So, a new project emerged. I started printing books on my computer printer. I ordered the book covers from a print shop, assembled them at home and began sharing these books with family and friends. A year and a half later, in January of 2022, the book was first printed in standard book format.

My desire going forward is to share the gospel with as many people as I can through this book. God has already orchestrated more opportunities for the gospel to be shared through A Heart for God than I ever hoped or imagined. I am so grateful to Him for all He has done! And I look forward to what is to come.

“Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we can ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.” (Ephesians 3:20-21)

I am in awe of, and so grateful for, what God has done and what He is doing that allows the gospel to be shared with many through A Heart for God. Below are some of these experiences…

A Heart for God is shared with 700 employees. (Christmas 2020)

After the book was completed and I had begun printing them through my home computer, I gave the book to friends and relatives, including Dr. Joseph (“Joey”) and Gwen Lacoste. Joey is Founder and CEO of Louisiana Dental Center. He called to let me know how the book impacted him. (Joey’s comments are listed on the book’s endorsement pages.) I was stunned when he informed me that he would like 700 copies to give to employees at his numerous office locations. We made arrangements with a print shop to print them, and they were distributed to the employees for Christmas.

A Heart for God is widely received. (Spring of 2021)

A Heart for God shares the basic gospel message. It became evident by the spring of 2021, based on the church affiliation of those who were requesting books and bookmarks, and the feedback I was getting, that A Heart for God was being well-received by members (and clergy) of various Christian faith backgrounds.

“I would like to lead a study of A Heart for God”  (Spring of 2021)

I was contacted by Ruth Hatfield, who has been on staff at a church for many years. She let me know she would like to lead a study of A Heart for God. Her plan was to review one chapter a week. We decided to talk each week to come up with lesson plans. That experience planted a seed with me. I am beginning to work on a study guide to accompany the book for small-group studies. I hope to have it completed in 2025. Once completed, it will be posted on the website. 

“Would you like to be on a Jesus [Mardi Gras] float, handing out Bibles and your books?” (Spring of 2021) 

In early 2021 I attended an Alpha Course. At one point we were given an opportunity to pray privately with our table leaders. My prayer was that God would direct me in how to share A Heart for God. I explained to the table leaders what I had been told by a literary agency—that publishers would not consider publishing my book because of my requirement that the book is always offered as a free eBook online. They said publishers would consider this requirement a “non-negotiable.” So, my one prayer request that night was that God would open doors for me to share the book.

Two weeks later, a few hours before I was leaving to go to my Alpha class, Joey Lacoste called and told me he had been thinking about my book and he wanted to see it in standard book format. (At this time it was still in 8 ½ x 11 page format and I was printing and assembling them at home.) Joey said that what he had in mind was for me to first re-format it to standard book size and then he would have 500 copies made. He explained that he was working on having a “Jesus float” made to lead the Mad Hatters Parade—which is the parade his business (Louisiana Dental Center) sponsors. He then asked me to be on the float for the 2022 parade and told me I would be handing out Bibles and my books! Of course, I agreed.

In all of the years I’ve lived in the New Orleans area, to my knowledge, there has never been anything like a “Jesus float” in a Mardi Gras parade. (I should probably note here, for those who do not live in the New Orleans area, that some of the parades held are much more family-friendly than others. Some parades, such as this one, are actually part of what has been dubbed “Family-Gras.”)  So… here I was, accepting an offer to be on a Jesus float in a Mardi Gras parade, passing out Bibles and 500 of my books that someone else provided! Amazing what God orchestrated! I couldn’t wait to attend Alpha that night. When I got there, I told the ladies who had prayed with me, “Sit down! You will never, in your wildest imagination, guess how God has answered our prayers!” 

And that’s not the end of this story. Above, I mentioned how Ruth Hatfield and I were talking weekly to plan lessons for the study of A Heart for God that she was leading. Well, days after I had spoken with Joey, Ruth called me to go over the next week’s lesson plan. I told her about the Jesus float. Her response was, “I have chills from the top of my head to the bottom of my feet, and I have to tell you why.” She then proceeded to tell me that several years earlier, at a church staff retreat, the staff was told, “Think out of the box. If you could share the gospel some way you’ve never seen done before, what would you be doing?” She said, “I’d be in a Mardi Gras parade, handing out Bibles!” When I told Joey about this conversation, he said, “She needs to be on the float too.” And she was. (This annual tradition has continued.)

“I wish the book was translated into Spanish” (Fall of 2022/Summer of 2023) 

In the fall of 2022 I was talking with a woman at my church. She and her husband were moving to Guatemala to do full-time mission work. She commented to me about A Heart for God, “I wish the book was translated into Spanish.” That thought had never entered my mind.

Several weeks later, someone I know who is from Boliva and works at a Seminary, asked me for an update on my book. After I shared with her what God was doing, she asked me, “Have you ever thought about having your book translated into Spanish?” I laughed and said, “Not until a few weeks ago!” Then I shared with her what my church friend had said. She told me she would like to talk with me about this, but she had a lot going on for the next few months so we planned to re-visit it later.

Then, weeks after that discussion, in early December, I went to a women’s Christmas party at my church. Someone I know (who had no knowledge of the previously-mentioned conversations) asked me, “Would it be OK with you if I try to translate your book into Spanish?” Although originally the thought of translating this book into Spanish had never crossed my mind, I now believe this is something God wants to happen. 

This project was delayed due to some life circumstances, but I’m happy to say that this August (2023) I met with my friend from the Seminary who will be assisting with this project. It will be a long process, but plans are beginning.

A Heart for God is selected as a resource for a long-standing ministry. (Summer of 2023)

Life Resources is a ministry in the New Orleans area that has been in existence for about 40 years–with the mission of evangelism and discipleship. The Founder and Director of this ministry is Barry Haindel. Barry became a Christian in his 30s. In his early 40s he quit the lucrative career he had as a Ph.D. in nuclear physics to work full-time for a college campus ministry. He later founded Life Resources. 

One of this ministry’s key events is a prayer breakfast which is attended by civic leaders, business leaders and others. I attended a recent breakfast and gave a copy of A Heart for God to Barry’s wife, Liz. I was thrilled when Barry contacted me soon afterward. He told me he had read the book and that this is the book he would have written if he had written a book. Barry has since obtained a large supply of A Heart for God to share with his friends and those who are being discipled through Life Resources. He also gave a copy of the book to each attendee at the April 2024 prayer breakfast.

Spanish Translation in Progress! (Spring of 2025)

One of the first persons to read my book after I first circulated it several years ago, was a man who lives in Bolivia. (I know his sister-in-law, and she had forwarded the link to him.) His response to A Heart for God was very encouraging. He and his wife still live in Bolivia and are both attorneys. They have agreed to translate the book into Spanish (using the Universal Spanish dialect). The translation process has begun. Once completed, it will be added as a free eBook on this website.

As previously mentioned, I wrote A Heart for God to share the gospel–how it can be believed, embraced, and lived. I hope this book will be a helpful resource for you when you share the gospel with others. Here are some suggestions:

• Spread the word. Send the link for A Heart for God to family and friends and share it on social media.
• Share printed or purchased books. Print or purchase copies of A Heart for God to give as gifts for graduations, Christmas, other special occasions, or “just because.” 
• Share bookmarks. Have bookmarks printed using the template below. I use Printrunner.com, but you can print them anywhere. You’ll just need to send the PDF bookmark template (below) to the print service you use. Share bookmarks with people you know,  people you do business with, and anyone else. If you own a place of business, consider leaving a stack of bookmarks out for customers/clients. Churches can put bookmarks in the church foyer or place them in weekly bulletins.

  Bookmark-Template