Day 21: The Paper...

     Well, you'd think my experience with the "victory garden" would have cured me from attempting any large projects. It didn't and several months into publishing my small weekly handout to the singles group I attended at our church, I picked up a Nickle Ads. We had several publications in Vancouver that came out weekly and had all kinds of things for sale. I liked looking through them because I liked dreaming about would I could get, if extra money came my way. However on this particular day, I looked at the Nickle Ads with a new eye. Hmmmm. I thought to myself. My little handout, could maybe me a small newspaper like these were.

     I stopped by the Nickle Ads' office and asked some questions. How did they publish their paper, and where did they do it? How much did it cost? The lady was extremely helpful and going home with visions of newspapers dancing in my head, I decided to start publishing.

     The first edition was a classic typewritten, out of the box clip art, little newspaper. I included articles, poems, messages of hope to the struggling soul. I called the Camas Post newspaper and got prices. The first edition I printed 7,500 copies. Wow, was I excited! The smell of fresh newsprint leapt at me as I went to pick up my bundled papers. I was as proud of that paper as if I'd won a Pulitzer Prize. Bundle after bundle of the newspapers filled car and home I went. 

      There began a scenario to be repeated hundreds of times in the next few weeks. I would go into a store, restaurant, bowling alley, tavern, introduce myself and ask to speak to the manager. I was polite and very earnest. Ninety percent of the people said, "Sure go ahead, we'll give out your paper."

     After the first month I realized that I needed newspaper stands. I built a copy, off square, mom and pop, type of stands and put them into stores. In the IGA store near my home my little stand stood near the door. As the stack dwindled, I added more papers. Mentally and emotionally I was determined that I would not allow the pain and suffering my children and I had gone through to be in vain. I was determined to offer other people help, comfort and hope in the middle of their pain. To communicate the message that Jesus Christ cared, died to save them, and was waiting to help them go safely
through their storm.

     For several months I continued to print the paper. I used my own monies and efforts to publish, and distribute my little Single Perspective. One day, at the IGA store a nice looking young man in a suit approached me. "Do you publish the Single Perspective?" He asked. "Yes, I do." I answered excitedly, happy that someone even knew I existed. He introduced himself; he was in charge of distribution for the For Rent magazine in Portland and Vancouver. They had shiny metal racks with dozens of pockets. I'd seen their racks in many of my location and though, "If only." The man continued to speak, "Here's what I want to do for you and your paper. I'm going to have labels professionally made saying, The Single Perspective. We're going to offer you a free space on all of our racks. You just need to keep them filled."

     Truthfully, I wanted to cry, it was too good to believe! How wonderful an opportunity that meant for my little paper. Good to his word, a week or so later my newspaper title appeared on their racks. I got even more enthused, I upped my order to 10,000 copies a month and kept writing, asking for articles, and publishing.

     Some of the children remember going with mom to pick up the papers. The bundles would be piled around them and their car seats as back and forth we went, messengers of hope.

    About nine months into the project I started attending a larger singles ministry in Portland. There after a few weeks, the pastor suggested I leave a donation dish next to my papers. Wow! Now I was getting money to help publish. The head pastor, author of more than a dozen books, liked my paper and my concept. I was hired there to help with the ministry and to keep publishing my little paper. Only now, instead of driving around delivering it to my stands, the church would pay for postage, I would have a group of volunteers get it ready for mailing. Unbelievable! For the next six years I continue to publish my little paper. The Senior pastor asked me to help him get his own church weekly publication into the newspaper format, which I did. I also was asked on occasion to write, and publish the paper when their own graphic artist was on vacation.

Norman Vincent Peale

     It was an exciting time in my life. I got to be in an interview with the author of the Power of Positive Thinking and the founder of Guideposts, Norman Vincent Peale. This was very meaningful to me since his book had helped spark my desire to overcome obstacles, triumph over pain and start my paper.

    After six and a half years the church decided to move in a different direction and I was let go. For me, it was a heartache for sure, but God is good and every sorrow comes with a purpose. I needed to regrow my spiritual roots which had admittedly become blurred. I could handle failure okay, I wasn't dealing with success too well and made some poor choices.

     For each of us, God allows us to take different journeys. Sometimes, these journeys are adventures, and we like the scenery. Other times, we go through trials that test our faith, but through it all as we yield to our Creator He will use everything to give him glory. My newspaper days are over, but I like to think that many people who took and read my little paper found a message of hope to help them through dark times. 

Remember the promise, they that sow in tears shall reap in joy. God also has promised that His Word will not return empty. Continue to be a sower of good....eventually you will reap a harvest of blessings.