Unexpected Surprises!

(When Hong Ming had his best day ever!)

      There are the "pleasant surprises" of publishing--books undertaken with the expectation of paying expenses that have soared away to the hundred-thousand mark. Others are "undertaken because they are known to be works of great merit, and while the publisher may not have much hope of a satisfactory result, there is a chance that the merit of the book may in time make an impression on the public." Then there are those undertaken because "they strike a new note in literature, which may receive the appreciation of the public." "David Harum" is called "the greatest surprise." Seven or eight publishers had declined the book, and only two persons in the house accepting it had much hope that it would pay expenses. For six months after publication a few thousand copies were disposed of; its ultimate sale was nearly a million.--Appleton's Magazine, 1911

      There are as many surprises to be found in books as there are in everyday life. In the Bible, God surprises readers with His amazing love for all people. Our Heavenly Father's love is even stronger than "puppy love" and His book has reached millions upon millions of readers throughout history. 

 16"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life." John 3:16