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Dedication

For as long as I can remember Dr. Billy Graham has been telling people that God loves them. He has preached the Gospel in almost every country in the world and to more people in live audiences than anyone else in history. By conservative estimates he has proclaimed the good news of God’s love to nearly 215 million people. And he has been doing this from before he was ordained in 1939—that’s almost three-quarters of a century. Thank you, Dr. Graham, for your faithful life of ministry—and for always keeping the main thing, the main thing.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

On more than one occasion I have been asked about the process of writing a book. As I was writing God Loves You, I discovered a phrase that is a pretty accurate description of the process: “relentless incrementalism”—taking each phase of the process seriously and pouring oneself into it. At each stage there is nothing more important than continuing to learn and move forward—whether the day’s writing yields two pages or just two words.

I have found that the writing of a book can be divided into six steps: inspiration, incubation, investigation, creation, publication, and circulation. And at each intersection of the journey, there are people who help—each in their own and unique ways.

There is no greater source of inspiration than the Word of God and prayer. I am also inspired daily by the people I meet and the books I read. As a pastor, I write first of all to minister the Word of God to the people God has entrusted to me, the people at Shadow Mountain Community Church. But no one person inspires me more than my wife. Thank you, Donna, for the hours you have spent encouraging, listening, and sharpening my vision for this project. And thank you for loving me with the love of our great God.

Next comes a period of incubation. Once I have settled on a topic, I have found it necessary to take time to reflect on the message of the book and to truly understand the issues. This is a time of excitement, angst, and solitude. Thank you, Diane Sutherland and Barbara Boucher, for guarding my schedule and freeing me to pursue the things God has called me to do.