Macomber - Knit together discover Gods pattern for your life

Copyright 2007 by Debbie Macomber, Inc.

All rights reserved. Except as permitted under the U.S. Copyright Act of 1976, no part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, or stored in a database or retrieval system, without the prior written permission of the publisher.

Scripture quotations noted NIV are from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION. Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations noted The Message are from THE MESSA GE. Copyright 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002. Used by permission of NavPress Publishing Group.

Scripture quotations noted NKJV are from THE NEW KING JAMES VERSION OF THE BIBLE. Copyright 1979, 1980, 1982, Thomas Nelson, Inc., Publishers.

Scripture quotations noted NLT are from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright 1996. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189.

FaithWords

Hachette Book Group

237 Park Avenue

New York, NY 10017

Visit our Web site at www.HachetteBookGroup.com.

The FaithWords name and logo are trademarks of Hachette Book Group, Inc.

First eBook Edition: August 2007

ISBN: 978-0-446-19901-8

To Wendy Lawton

For seeing the vision long before I did

O LORD, you have searched me and you know me.
You know when I sit and when I rise;
you perceive my thoughts from afar.
You discern my going out and my lying down;
you are familiar with all my ways.

PSALM 139:13 NIV

by Liz Curtis Higgs

Y ou are going to love Debbie Macomber.

Shes the bubbly friend youve always hoped to meet and the savvy mentor youve longed to know. Though she calls herself average in the most average of ways, youll soon see how far above average Debbie truly is. A role model, a cheerleader, and a wise sister in Christ, she puts her heart on the page, revealing her numerous challenges and setbacks, as well as her many joys and triumphs. Her goal is to help you set goals; her dream is for your dreams to come true. In Debbies vocabulary, success is another word for blessing, bestowed by a loving God who has called and equipped His followers to do great things.

A dozen years ago, when the Lord was nudging me toward writing fiction, one name was whispered up and down the halls of every writers conference I attended: Debbie Macomber. She was not only a hugely successful novelist, with sixty million (!) books in print, but she was also known for her strong faith in Christ. Thats what really got my attention.

I finally worked up the nerve to introduce myself at a writers gathering and found a very approachable, unpretentious woman whose faith was genuine and whose enthusiasm was contagious. So youre going to write historical fiction? Debbie asked, without a hint of sarcasm. The sparkle in her eyes and warmth in her voice communicated not only, I believe you, but even more so, I believe in youa vital distinction.

Our conversation that morning blew me away. Most successful people enjoy touting their own accomplishments; Debbie wanted to know what I had in the works. Rather than looking over her shoulder for someone important to talk to, she fixed her gaze on me, nodding and listening as I poured out my dreams. Instead of treating me like a wannabe, she saw me as a gonnabe. Talk about a confidence booster!

Watching her in action over the years, Ive discovered Debbies secret: she greets everyone who crosses her path with the same affirming, upbeat approach. Encouraging others comes as naturally to her as breathing. Or storytelling. Or knitting.

Youll find that same joyful attitude in each chapter of Knit Together, her first nonfiction book. Searching for your God-given purpose in life? Debbie will point the way. Hoping to meet the real woman behind so many best-selling novels? Youve come to the right place. Needing a positive word in a negative world? Thats her specialty. Longing to see your own words in print? Debbie offers her secrets to writing and publishing success (patience tops the list!). Wondering if God can use you, whatever your talents might be? The answer (yes!) and all the necessary how-tos are waiting for you here.

You wont just meet Debbie the businesswoman; youll also meet her husband, Wayne, and the children and grandchildren she loves. Youll hear about friends from church and motivators from around the globe, stirring memories in your own heart of people, both unknown and well known, whove shaped your life.

Each real-life story Debbie shares is designed to turn your secret dreams into spoken dreams and your spoken dreams into reality. Along the way, she exposes the lies we often tell ourselves to avoid moving forwardIts who you know and Im too old and Its too hardthen reminds us that, if we know God, were never too old, and nothing is too difficult for Him (Jeremiah 32:27; Luke 1:37). Such good news!

Youll note verses of Scripture woven throughout Knit Together, especially as the book draws to a close and focuses on our being Created for Blessing and Created for Worship, my two favorite chapters. Her respect for the Bible is clear: We were created to soak in it, inhale it, live it, be it.

Debbies mission statement is captured in Gods words addressed to Abraham: you will be a blessing (Genesis 12:2 NIV). Im here to tell you, girlfriendshes taken that promise and run with it! Blessing her loved ones. Blessing her neighbors. Blessing strangers in need. And in turn, blessing her readers. Oh, and did I mention shes just plain fun to be around? A whole chapter on the benefits of laughter says it all.

If you fear that pursuing your dreams might come at your familys expense, Debbie offers comforting examples to put your mind at ease. If you worry that success isnt pleasing to the Lord, Debbie gently dispels that notion with solid guidance from Gods Word. If you cant imagine adding one more thing to your busy life, Debbie provides timesaving tips and practical tools for taking charge of your calendar.

Knit Together is a joy-filled reminder that we were created according to Gods design and for His distinct pleasure. May your journey with Debbie Macomber open your eyes, open your heart, and open the door to a whole new way of loving God and serving others!

Celebrating two decades of professional speaking, Liz Curtis Higgs has addressed 1,500 audiences in all 50 states and 8 foreign countries. An award-winning columnist for Todays Christian Woman, Liz is also the author of more than two dozen books, including her nonfiction bestseller, Bad Girls of the Bible, and her fiction bestseller, Thorn in My Heart.

I write fiction, and the thought of writing something in the nonfiction realm was completely foreign to me. Oh, Id entertained the thought a time or two: a cookbook, or perhaps a book describing my plotting and writing techniques. In the back of my mind I entertained the thought of sharing some of the lessons Id learned along my spiritual journey, but I assumed that would be years down the road, when Id semi-retired.

A phone call from Wendy Lawton changed everything. Wendy was a friend long before she became my agent. Wed attended a number of writing conferences together, and shed heard me speak. My nonfiction book, she claimed, was already written. I didnt quite believe her, but I was willing to hear her out. Wendy suggested I print out the speeches Ive given, articles Ive written, and devotions Ive shared. More than seven hundred pages spewed from my printer. My friend was right. The book was there all along, and that was how