Exactly ninteen years ago – on August 9, 2005 – I birthed my first book, Blessings: Adventures of a Madcap Christian Scientist.

I’ve always enjoyed the process of writing – I’ve kept journals for decades – and at some point the idea came to me that it was time to share my experiences as a Christian Scientist with other people in an open and honest way. I wanted to “demystify” CS – to introduce folks unfamiliar with CS to an actual CSist (me). I felt that others would be able to relate to my life experiences, and I hoped my book would be a way for me to connect to my fellow human be-ings.

Once I started writing Blessings the words just flowed out of me. At times I felt like I wasn’t the one writing this book at all – like I was just a transmitter or something. And whenever something would happen that discouraged me – problems with the printer or my computer – I’d get a call out of the blue from Mel Schoening, the wife of the man who’d saved my Dad’s life on K2 – and she’d encourage me to keep working on this book. She’d tell me that what I was doing was important, and that she loved what I was sharing with her. (I’d sent her an early chapter about her husband’s heroics on K2, and it had really touched her.)

I got the first draft of my book done by Mother’s Day and presented copies to my mom and her sisters, Elsie and Junie, as gifts. I dedicated the book to them.

And at some point, one of my friends who’d read the first draft, suggested I look into print-on-demand publishers. I found CreateSpace – a publisher that gave me the tools to format my book for publishing, and would sell my books through Amazon and other book stores.

In those days I didn’t have any platform, really, to advertize my book – Facebook, instagram, WordPress, TikTok, Twitter – none of these social networks existed then, or if they did, I wasn’t familiar with them. But I sent out copies of my book to my friends and they ordered copies and sent them to THEIR friends, and, in a very modest way, I began to sell books on Amazon. And then I began to get reviews on Amazon. That was pretty cool.

Here are some samples:

On New Year’s Eve in 2007, when I was struggling with a massive depression and needed some reassurance from the Cosmos, I found this review waiting for me on Amazon by a man named Fred Lloyd, who had written his review just that day: “One reviewer recommends this book to those who may need a lift. I recommend this book for anyone, including devoted Christian Scientists. When I came across it I wondered if it would be appropriate as a Christmas gift to my wife who is a Christian Scientist. I think it is a wonderful sharing. Karen becomes your friend, someone you know and love and you know if she knew you, she would love you the way you want to be loved. I may be wrong, but I don’t believe anyone else could have written this book. It is a stand alone item that gives us a window of life that is rare indeed.”

RobertJ wrote: “To echo the reviews of others, I did laugh, I did cry, this book touched my soul. My wife and I read it out loud on a snowy New Hampshire day and there were numerous times when I had to pause as the lump formed in my throat. I’ve been a Christian Scientist for most of my adult life and this book tells my story and the story of many fellow travelers. I recommend this book highly for anyone who would like to see how prayer can make a difference in your life, in ways both large and small.”

VoIP-Dragon User wrote: “OK, after reading the reviews, I thought this might make a nice Christmas present for a friend. When it arrived I decided to ‘peek’ at a few pages, but couldn’t put it down. I finished reading it in one sitting. But how to review the book is a challenge. It leaves you with such a joyful uplifted feeling and one of appreciation and relevance. At first I found myself saying, ‘I want to know this woman’ and after I finished the book I felt I did. Karen brings very positive reinforcement into the reader’s experience and the easy flowing style just melts in your mouth like comfort food. I found dozens of instances where I saw a parallel in my own life, that were entertaining and inspirational in a down to earth sort of way. I’m wearing a smile having read this and can’t think of a better way to pass an evening than this quick roller-coaster ride through another’s eyes of refreshing gratitude. It touched my heart and soul. Highly recommended.”

I now have 33 reviews and 47 ratings on Amazon: 37 five-stars, four four-stars, five three-stars, and, yes, even one one-star (which comes with no review and no name to go with it – but what kind of namby-pamby writer would I be if someone didn’t hate my book enough to give it a one-star?).

This book has also brought me many beautiful and valuable friendships. Because of *Blessings* I’ve been able to connect with new friends all over the world – with Chip and his partner, Eric, in Florida; with readers in a book club in Chicago; with members of the local Unitarian Universalist church; with Norman in Africa; and with a whole host of wonderful hooligans on an Amazon discussion forum. *Blessings* has led me into cool new communities and opened new doors for me, and the encouraging responses I’ve gotten for *Blessings* over the years has touched my heart and inspired me to keep writing.

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Here’s the Introduction to Blessings: Adventures of a Madcap Christian Scientist:

Years ago an old boyfriend said to me, “I can’t see that Christian Science has made you any better than anyone else.”

“I know!” I said, nodding my head in complete and happy agreement, “But can you imagine what I’d be like without it?!”

He raised his eyebrows and laughed. What could he say? He was looking at a self-centered, moralistic, stubborn idealist who saw everything in terms of black and white. But I could have been worse. I believe without Christian Science I would have been worse.

Let’s get one thing clear from the start: I am not the best example of a Christian Scientist. I’m not as disciplined as I could be. I have fears and worries and doubts. I’m a little neurotic. I am the Lucy Ricardo of Christian Scientists.

I should probably put in a disclaimer here, too—the views expressed in these pages are not necessarily the views shared by other Christian Scientists. Christian Scientists are really a pretty diverse group of people—there are Democrat Christian Scientists and Republican Christian Scientists, “Green,” and “Red,” and “Blue” Christian Scientists, and Christian Scientists with no political affiliations at all. Frankly, I like that about us. We keep each other on our toes.

I should also tell you that this book is not an authorized piece of Christian Science literature. If you want to actually study Christian Science you should probably read the textbook for this way of life, Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures by Mary Baker Eddy.

My purpose for writing this epistle is really two-fold (I don’t think I’ve ever used the word “two-fold” in my life, and using it now is making me feel sort of professorial. I like the feeling.):

First-foldly, to introduce you to one Christian Scientist so that if you ever hear someone talking fearfully and ignorantly (feargnorantly?) about Christian Scientists you’ll be in a position to say, “I have a friend who’s a Christian Scientist, and, although it’s true she’s a bit of a nut, she’s also…” and you can go on and talk about how your friend has used her study of Christian Science to try to make the world a happier place.

Second-foldly, I feel the need to acknowledge God’s blessings in my life. I don’t want to be like those nine lepers in the Bible who couldn’t take the time to thank Jesus for healing them. I want to be like that one leper who “fell down on his face at his feet” before Jesus and gave him thanks (Luke 17). Through my study of Christian Science I’ve witnessed some incredible proofs of our Father-Mother God’s love for Her creation in my life. God has filled my life with infinite blessings and it’s time for me to acknowledge these blessings to others.

-Karen Molenaar Terrell