Books in My Head...

I woke up this morning full of ideas... I can see some of you that know me starting to squirm already. You don't know the half of it, because these ideas involve you. And because I am married to a person who is regularly freaked out by my ideas I want to assure you that although I have big ideas, I'm not about to bowl anyone over with them.

Okay, here it is...please just bear with me, I want you to catch the spirit in which I'm going to say this, but totally open and asking for feed back, suggestions, input, etc. I want to write a book. Okay, I don't want to write it. I want to compile it.

I've been reading all these blogs lately and I'm blown away by a number of things: the intensity and rawness of this writing, the caliber of writing, and the topics that are written about.

These are articles and input written, not as you would read in a book, but written from raw emotion, from very real struggles and journeys. The way discussions emerge about God, and who he is and who he sees us as and the fresh perspectives on scripture and grace and church... It's incredible. You could probably find books that touch on all of these subjects, but rarely would you find one written in such real emotion, unsanitized and uncensored of offensive statements.

And I, who have been in the 'Church' my whole life, at least to some degree, have been challenged and inspired more from reading these blogs than by anything I've ever heard in 'Church'.

Here's the other side of the coin: I love missions. I have no desire to go on a missions trip. I do, however, have a burning, compelling, desire to fund missions. We've recently been getting to know Steve & Christina Stewart, leaders of Impact Nations, a missions organization based in Vancouver, BC (that's Canada).
My Dad recently went with them on a trip to the Phillipines.

They have various projects around the world where they set up medical clinics, teach widows to set up sewing businesses, bring in water filtration systems. They also do a lot of praying and healing the sick. Incredible stories. If you'd like to know more about them, go to www.impactnations.com

So here's how this all fits together: I'm into marketing. I can't help it. When I sit in a class in our prophetic training school, during a worship time, people all around me will be seeing visions and praying for people...my head is being bombarded with marketing ideas. I'm over feel guilty about it and moved on to accept that I just have a strange bent. I'm okay with that. I'm hoping you will be, too, once you've heard my idea.

I'd like to start compiling posts and comments from different blogs on various topics and put them into an ebook, then sell that ebook with proceeds going to Impact Nations. That's it in a nutshell. Here's the longer version:

Only those who choose to be involved would be. I certainly wouldn't use any material without permission. My husband, Murray Dueck, is an author that is growing in recognition, so if this book was listed as 'compiled by Murray & Kelly Dueck' it would have a ready market. I'm talking about Elijah List, Graham Cooke's site, our site (www.samuelsmantle.com) and a bunch of others.

For topics, I'm thinking maybe something like a look at grace, or journeys of grace, or, I don't know, stuff about women, for women. We could even make the money raised go specifically towards the widow's sewing project, which is really cool! Check it out on the Impact Nations site. Talk about putting choices back into the hands of women!

We can edit out the really personal stuff and make things as anonymous as people want it, but I think it could be a really cool thing?

Okay, I need input. Please, if you like the idea and have other bolggers that you think might like it, send them over. I haven't been around this bloggersville very long, so you'll have to make the connections, if you are into this.