PublishU
EDITIONFIFTEEN
Letʼsembarkonajourneytodiscoverwhattodowhenhopedisappears, wheretofindhope,whyhopeissovitalandhowtokeepitalive
e l c o m e t o
Matt Bird is the Founder of PublishU, an international publishing house that helps first-time and serial non-fiction authorswrite,publishandmarkettheir booksworldwide.
P u b l i s h U
Welcome to this edition of the PublishU Magazine featuring Connie J. Milchling and her deeply moving new book, Encountering theGodofHope.
Born out of personal journaling to process the painful loss of her first husband, Connie shares what she beautifully calls prayer on paper. Her honest reflections serve as a comfortingreminderthateveninourdarkest seasons, we are never truly forgotten or alone.
This special feature invites you to discover howrealhopecanbeactivelykeptaliveand rediscovered when it feels entirely out of reach.
We are proud to share Connie's uplifting messageandheartfeltjourneywithyou.
PRAYERONPAPER: AJOURNEYTOHOPE
Interview with Connie J. Milchling,author ofEncountering theGodofHope
Connie, give us some insights aboutyou.
and I'm married to my husband, Greg and I have two adult children. I became a step-mom for the first time after my first husband had passed away, which is some of the story includedinEncounteringtheGod of Hope. I'm actually a pastor, though I've recently headed into that semi-retirement phase of life, but I'm still very much enjoyingbeingpartofourchurch family.
I was born in a small town in West Virginia and then moved to Pennsylvaniainmyearlyseventh gradetimeframeoflife.I'vebeen there ever since, except for a five-year jaunt to California and back on business and college. Now I live in York, Pennsylvania and What was it that first sparked you
youtothink,“I'mgoingtowrite thisbookˮ?
Back in 2004, they told me my firsthusband,Brad,haddied.My way of processing is through journaling. I call it prayer on paper. Nine months later, a local church invited me to speak. I looked over the journals and created a retreat talk from that. People said, "You should write a book," but I couldn't think about that at the time. In 2018–2019, I converted the talk into a manuscript and gave it to my nieces and nephews. Then COVID hit and several of them told me how much it helped them.Ifeltatugonmyheartthat I was letting it sit in a drawer. So that's where it became, alright, let'swriteabook.
How does it make you feel that yourstoryisouttheretoread?
It's simultaneously surreal. Where you go like, “Wait, this is really happening?ˮ And then going, “Oh my goodness, it's really out there!ˮ I also feel so grateful. My prayer is that if just one person can encounter the Godofhope,it'sallworthit.Heis so real and so present. I just really want to encourage people to know that, to feel that and to sensethat.
If somebody is reading this and they're feeling hopeless, what wouldyouwanttosaytothem?
I want to say you're not alone. I understand if you feel like you're alone,Iunderstandifyoufeellike God's forgotten you, that He's lost sight of you, but I want to assure you that He has not. There are other people in the world who have felt what you're feeling now, and because of His kindness and His care through others, they realise they do have hope because of who He is and what He does for us. I just want youtoknowthatHeseesyou,He loves you, He cares about you, and there is hope for the future. So don't give up. We are praying for you. We care. Life matters. Yourlifematters.Andwewantto encourage you. He is the God of allhope.
Myprayeristhatif justonepersoncan encountertheGodof hope,it'sallworthit.
ConnieJ.Milchling AuthorofEncounteringtheGodofHope
YOUHAVEA BOOKINYOUTOO
There comes a moment for many people, sometimes quietly and sometimes persistently, when a thought begins to surface…Ihaveabookinme.
It may be a story you have lived, a lesson you have learned or a message you feel called to share, something that could encourage, guide or change the life of someoneelse.Andyet,formany,itremains unwritten, held back by doubt, uncertainty ornotknowingwheretobegin.
Thetruthisthis.Youdohaveabookinyou andyouaremorecapableofwritingitthan yourealise.
Writingabookiseasierthanyouthink,but onlywhenyouknowhow.
With the right structure, support and encouragement, what once felt overwhelming becomes achievable, even enjoyable.
That is why PublishU exists, to walk with you from idea to manuscript, from manuscript to book, and from book to opportunities.
The PublishU Writing My Book"coursegavemethe focus I needed to dedicate the time to writing my book The supportI'vereceivedfrom Matt Bird has been execellent,withoutwhichI wouldn't have written my book. If you are thinking about joining this course goaheadanddoit!"
MichaelSmith
The whole PublishU ‘WritingMyBookʼprocess has been life-changing. I can hardly believe what I'veachievedinsoshorta time! I am a globally publishedauthor!ˮ
JeanDobson
“With gentle persuasion, unwavering encouragement and a wealth of experience, Matt skillfully guided me from concept to manuscript, always bringing out my best without ever overwhelming or overshadowingme.ˮ
DawnWalker
