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Contact: John Baroody
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 jbaroody@guideposts.org

“I’M PRAYING FOR MY LIFE!” CRIES MARION BOND WEST
SPIRITUAL MEMOIR PROVIDES POWERFUL INSPIRATION

“Though the fig tree should not blossom
And there be no fruit on the vines,
Though the yield of the olive should fail
And the fields produce no food,
Though the flock should be cut off from the fold
And there be no cattle in the stalls,
Yet I will exult in the Lord
ADD VERSE 19”
Habakkuk 3:17-19 (New American Standard)

NEW YORK, NY—When life experiences became overwhelming and her own faith was severely tested, popular author and Guideposts magazine contributing editor Marion Bond West found herself literally praying for her life—praying a desperate prayer for confidence in God’s power. In her new spiritual memoir, Praying for My Life (GuidepostsBooks, October 2006), the author shares a prayer drawn from the little-known Biblical book of Habakkuk, that changed her life. Readers who find themselves in similar life struggles will discover a rare treasure in Marion Bond West’s story.

“I have always loved and identified with Habakkuk,” writes West. “It’s a tiny book—only three chapters. Pastors rarely preach from it. For years I didn’t even know how to pronounce its name. But I loved to read the passage aloud marveling at the prophet’s astonishing faith—his stubborn, determined faith that was never altered. Never.”

West is no stranger to adversity. She struggled as a mother of four, particularly after the birth of her last two children, twin boys Jon and Jeremy. She buried her husband Jerry after a horrific bout with brain tumor and faced life as a single mother to rebellious and difficult teenagers. Later, her two now-adult sons were hospitalized simultaneously and fighting for their lives. But through it all, an obscure promise in the Bible showed her how God would be faithful even in the most unfathomable situations.

When West’s faith was tested in situations great and small, she began praying like Habakkuk, first just to see what it felt like, never believing it would change her and her life. Then, as she tailored the words to fit her own life, the Habakkuk passage became a personal declaration of God’s power to transform her—regardless of the situation! She recounts one of her Habakkuk-inspired prayers in the introduction of Praying for My Life: “Though my husband does not get healed, and the new CAT scan doesn’t show what we want, and I have to raise these children alone, and I have no idea how to do that, I will put my total trust in the Lord.” This and similar prayers have served as markers of faith for the author during her darkest hours.

“I have written Praying for My Life for all of those people who have almost given up hope, almost stopped believing, almost ceased praying,” says West. “Almost, but didn’t. I have been at that exact same place. And through this obscure scripture in Habakkuk, God has shown me the difference prayer can make when everything else seems to fail.”

West faced life’s tragedies with faith, seeking not a changed situation but a changed heart. Readers will discover inspiration as they walk alongside a woman who questions God even as she trusts Him:
? How does a mother face the overwhelming and unending job of raising children – especially by herself?
? How can a wife bury her beloved husband and continue with life?
? How does a mother say “no” to an adult addicted child who wants to come home?
? How does a parent know when they can’t take care of their adult children anymore?
? How does a grown child from a “good” family get trapped in addiction?
? How can one woman face her life alone?

“Marion is an extraordinary woman with an extraordinary story…and an extraordinary faith,” says Marilyn Moore, Vice President and Editor-in-Chief, GuidepostsBooks. “Praying for My Life is a book readers will devour cover to cover the day it is opened. And it’s also a treasure people will return to again and again to discover the transforming power of prayer in their most painful and difficult circumstances.”

The release of Praying for My Life will be supported by an extensive marketing campaign. Plans include a national print and broadcast publicity campaign, a national advertising campaign, a direct marketing campaign and a broad internet promotion. Marion Bond West will be traveling this fall for key media, speaking and bookstore appearances.

Marion Bond West says she has the distinction of being Guideposts magazine’s most published and most rejected writer. Her first piece for the magazine appeared in the early 70s and she has contributed to Daily Guideposts for more than 36 years. She has written seven books including Out of My Bondage, Look Out Fear—Here Comes Faith and The Nevertheless Principle. West was married for 25 years to Jerry West, who died in 1983 of cancer. Together they parented four children. Marion Bond West found her second love in Gene Acuff, meeting him through an article she wrote for Guideposts. They married almost 20 years ago. Gene and Marion spend most of their time on the back porch swing at the home in Georgia with their beloved cat Girlfriend and lab Lovey.

GuidepostsBooks publishes faith-based, inspirational books helping people in all walks of life achieve maximum personal and spiritual potential. GuidepostsBooks is the trade book imprint of Guideposts, one of the most beloved and widely-distributed publishers of inspirational books and magazines. Although Guideposts has published books for more than 40 years, GuidepostsBooks, launched in 2006, marks the first foray for Guideposts into general trade publishing under its own name. GuidepostsBooks editorial and marketing staff is based in New York City. Sales and distribution is handled by Ideals Publications, the retail arm of Guideposts, in Nashville, Tennessee.

Guideposts, a non-profit organization headquartered in Carmel, New York, was co-founded in 1945 by Ruth Stafford Peale and her late husband Dr. Norman Vincent Peale, one of the foremost motivational speakers of the twentieth century. His landmark book, “The Power of Positive Thinking,” has sold over 20 million copies in 42 languages worldwide. Guideposts is a trusted and forward-looking force for positive change empowered by a deep and determined desire to help others by providing life-changing information, products, and services for all in need. Guideposts is America’s pre-eminent publisher of inspirational books and magazines with annual book sales of over 6 million copies and a combined paid magazine circulation of over 4.3 million. Ideals Publications, based in Nashville, Tennessee, is the retail book sales and distribution outlet of Guideposts; including Guideposts Books, Candy Cane Press, Williamson Books, and Ideals Press.

Praying for My Life by Marion Bond West
ISBN: 0-8249-4705-3
EAN: 9780824947057
Price: $17.95 U.S. $24.50 Canada
Page ct: 304
Trim size: 5-5/8 x 8-3/4
Binding: hardcover with jacket
Pub Date: October 2006
Category: Inspiration, Memoir, Spirituality

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May 4, 2006