The Amen Diaries. . . from the hearts of those who read The Amen Sisters
With this page, I’m sharing with you some of the dear thoughts and prayers readers of The Amen Sisters have shared with me. As an author who seeks to serve the Kingdom of God with her writing, I cannot tell you how encouraging these notes have been for me.
I present them to you unedited (I did remove spoilers and identifying information) because I want to share them with you as they were shared with me. May your hearts be encouraged and your lives enriched as you read these notes. If you find yourself distracted by typos or grammatical errors, take a moment and ask the Lord to clear your heart. You’ll miss a blessing if you focus on the wrong thing.
God bless every person who poured out their hearts and their thoughts! If you’re reading this and The Amen Sisters has been encouraging to you, please share your experience by emailing me HERE.
“When we get together, I want to encourage you in your faith, but I also want to be encouraged by yours.” (Romans 1:12, New Living Translation)
The Amen Diaries. . . from the hearts of those who read The Amen Sisters
I just finished reading your book a few minutes ago. Great story, which held my interest . Thank you for writing a book which gives insight into the real issues and problems that occur in our churches, with other Christians, and our Pastors. It was very helpful to see the real interest and processes that Pastor Thomas took and used to help resolve the problems encountered by his members. An uncaring and less sensitive Pastor can do much harm to his members if he doesn’t care or know how to resolve his own personal conflicts and those involving his members. I think you book provided valuable methods for showing how church and personal conflicts should be resolved. Thanks again for a great book and I look forward to your next book which I hope will continue to show us how to deal with real life issues within the Body of Christ.
I am reading “The Amen Sisters” at this time and I can hardly put it down! It is so very well written! You can feel the characters’s emotions. It brings so many issues to light; real issues. It validates the pain that so many women and men go through and shows the way God would want us to resolve these situations his way, not ours. If I could, I would read it sun up to sun down. I will give it to someone as a gift this year. The scripture shared throughout this book by mention and example are tools of God that we can use throughout our lives.
Hi Angela, Reading your new book The Amen Sisters is what I needed to read. I read this book in two days, It touched my heart becasue I know someone who is under the spell of my old pastor who I looked up to and it is a close family member of mines and it hard to get her to unhook from this man. I don’t know her pain but I do know she is hurting. Thank You so much Angela for letting the Holy Spirit lead you to write this book in this day in time. There are so many other church members who hurting and feel they are the only this is happening too. I pray everyday to the LORD about my family member to open up her eyes to see that GOD LOVE HER so very much. God Bless You
Whoever reads this book will be blessed. It helped me deal with a past similar (very similar) experience with a former pastor. God, please help the church and deliver the leaders who are taking advantage of their leadership positions to seduce, manipulate and con the people of God who are sincere. And God, open the eyes of the members that are still there, that they might see what is happening and once and for all free themselves from the bondage. Okay….where did that come from?
This is truly a blessing ! The Amen Sisters was awesome and it has uncovered a very real problem. Thank you for having the courage to approach this subject.
I just finished reading The Amen Sisters and I can’t tell you how much I enjoyed it. I wanted to take time to compose a nice letter but I’m so excited, I just had to send this right away. (forgive me if me letter sounds crazy). Anyway, the book really spoke to my heart. I saw myself in Francine and some of the other characters too. I like how her friends supported her, especially Stuart. He was a good friend and his words of wisdom will remain with me for a long time. I was surprised at the ending. [spoiler deleted] I am an avid reader, averaging 3-4 books a week and I can honestly say that The Amen Sisters was the best book I’ve read all year – probably ever. Please keep them coming. I’m looking forward to more books from you.
I recently finished the Amen Sisters and I just wanted to say it is a powerful book. I am a 23 year old african american women and feel that all young women should take the time and be blessed by this book as I was. I’ve never been in the situation the characters went through, but it just really opened my eyes. And it has taught me to forgive, trust in God and he will lead us all in the right direction. Thank you!
I received your book “The Amen Sisters” as a gift for my birthday and I was pressured into reading it. I have to admit I don’t like to read but once I started reading this book I could not put it down. I know it was fiction but it touched so many areas that go on in church and in marriages. It is great for Christians to have fiction books they can read and clean comedy because this lets the world know we are not as boring as they think (not like we need their approval). I plan to get your other novels because I know it will be just as great as the one I just read. My sister and I plan to have a group discussion about this book.
Thank you for the powerful wisdom and awe inspiring insight of undaunting truth in the “Amen Sisters” I was deeply touched, being so by having been in similar situations as one of the characters! I was surprised to learn that I wasn’t alone in this particular experience and the advice was the pat on the back I *REALLY* needed. It was quite easy to put myself in the characters shoes and for so long many among myself have been at a lost for words to discribe to others and their familes the same situations dealt with in the book and how to overcome it! I just want to thank you for you bold wisdom and for bringing this topic to surface. Thank you for all the right words.
Thank you so much for writing the Amen Sisters. I have been where your characters were–been under a cult-like church, with a pastor that took advantage of me (and many other women) and I got pregnant twice. That was one of the worse seasons of my life and I felt just like the girl in your book did that no one believed. Thanks for helping me sort through some things I had never dealt with concerning that whole season of my life. God bless you!!!
I just finished reading The Amen Sisters today and it was such a blessing. It was very refreshing to read a book that had such a clear message of love and forgiveness. It was so true to life. I would love to see “The Amen Sisters” as a movie. I appreciate you and I thank God for the awesome gift the He has given you. Continue to walk in God’s divine purpose for your life and you will be sure to prosper. Your sister in Christ…
I just purchased your book (Amen Sisters) on Tuesday of this week, read the book the same day and finished early this morning. Your characters were so vividly portrayed in your book until I am still thinking about the sobering experience and encounters this book bought me. You are such a probing, creative writer. It was amazing to see how you carried the reader from one character to another, engaging us to stick with the people and their life-changing events. Although, I rarely purchase a fictional book, this one took me to the top because the events were actually things that are still happening in Christian circles. If you are ever speaking in my area, I will be there! Thanks for writing such an aspiring story. I have recommended the book to several sisters already and will continue. This book has mystery, joy, saddness, truth and courage.
I was greatly moved by reading the AMEN Sisters – it really prepared me for some news I was about to hear that was going on at my church. When men of God stray it does have far reaching consequences and unless you are anchored in the Lord you can be destroyed – nevertheless the anchored can still be devasted. Thank you for such a timely book.
Hi Angela, I feel like I already know you or at least you are one of the girls. One of my spiritual sisters gave me your book The Amen Sisters for my birthday last year. Once I started reading your book I couldn’t wait to pick it up again. I have a 9 year old son and keeping up with him and his homework keeps me pretty busy during the week. Nevertheless, I started during the week either Monday or Tuesday, by Saturday I was telling my son I was not moving until I finished it. Saturday is his day for cartoons so I layed across my bed and the burst of “oh my’s” caused my son to come and see what was the matter. I was very much surprised by your ending. [spoiler deleted] Reflecting on the story from the ending to the beginning. I felt your ending was very happy indeed. [spoiler deleted] In short, I loved your book, as well as your creativity in putting the story together in scripture, prayer, as well as the reality of life. Although, it wasn’t until a talked to my freind Carole after we both had finished, that I realized the simularities in my own life.
Angela, I’ve only read one of your books, The Amen Sisters, but what makes me want to go out and buy your other books, is that your writing is RELATABLE. If you are a Christian, you can more than likely identify with one of the characters in your book. For instance with The Amen Sisters, you may identify with the woman who was taken advantage of by the pastor, or you were the friend who they confided in, or you were like the mother who embraced someone even though they had hurt you, or you were the unforgiving brother who couldn’t get over his own bitterness and resentment. I literally was holding my eyelids open with my fingers b/c I didn’t want to put your book down. And I know your other books will be equally as enjoyable. Your book, by far, is the best Christian fictoin book I have read to date. The reader can feel your passion for writing. Your story is not one you have to imagine; your readers can place themselves somewhere right in the midst of it.
I really enjoyed the book and have experienced some of the scenarios that are in the book!!!! I feel this book is a tool for healing to take place in the lives of those who have experienced like sitauations. Thank you for writing this book.
I am not one to email my thoughts or opnions on things but I just finished “The Amen Sisters” and as the old folks say “I couldn’t hold my peace!” Thank you, thank you,thank you for that inspiring novel. In my opnion it teaches us to trust in the Lord and He will give us the desires of our hearts. I have also read Abiding Hope and Awakening Mercy. I love the way the charecter in your books all relate. Please bring us more. I am really interested in starting a book club in my area because I have found that so many of my friends and I really enjoy reading. I have even gotten a sister friend of mine to put down E Lynn Harris and read more faith based materials. I thank you again. May God continue to us you to bring us wonderful words of wisdom. Be Blessed my sister.
I just finished reading Amen Sisters and I must say, I was in enlighted. I feel that book respresents most families, I can only speak for myself. Harboring secrets is not a good thing for anyone.
Thank you for helping me deal with some powerful issues. I’m a much better woman after reading your book. God continue to Bless you,
I just wanted to tell you “The Amen Sisters” is great. I just loved the way the characters were all connected. It was so perfect. In addition, truly received a blessing when reading the words of encouragement. Something else–I enjoyed how you took the Bible and made this a teaching tool and in the midst–I was also entertained.
The Lord led me to your book “The Amen Sisters” in our local library last week and I was so-o-o-o-o blessed by it! You are truly a “heart sister in Christ” in characterizing my life and thoughts!
I just had to tell you I love your writing and how it represents such divine wisdom and humble faith. I was saved 9 years ago and 3 weeks later met my husband [identifying information deleted] Your insight in to the realities of Christian life are just so great and I can’t wait to read more of your books and share them with friends.
First I must apoligize for not thanking you sooner for sending me the book “Amen Sisters.” The book arrived at a time, I needed my spirits lifted. I was diagnosed with breast cancer at that time. I had surgery, and the tumor is gone. I had radiation treatments, and if it is God’s will, there will be no reoccurance of the cancer. The book was so good, I could hardly put it down. It only took me two days to read Amen Sisters. My friends and co-workers have all purchased your book. Everyone that read the book loves it!! Again I want to thank you for the wonderful gift. I will always keep you in my prayers, and I will remember your kindness forever.
I just finished reading “Amen Sisters”. It was very good. I enjoy Christian fiction because, it shows that we have real lives and have problems like everyone else. and wer’e not churchy all the time.
I have been out of the church of my youth and also where i was employed for 1 year 8months and 13 days. My pain lessens by the day and God has placed positive persons in my life in the last few months who help me restore my faith as I plan for the future. Yes I obtained another job but not another church. Fear is what has kept me from making that kind of commitment again (40+ years is a long time) but I know, believe and must trust God for another home where I can again share my ministry skills and be blessed as I bless others. Your article alone was so needed thus I’m sure the book will be a further blessing. Blessings to anyone who takes a stand however the wind blows. Peace my Sister.
I would like to learn more about how to reach a family member involved in this type of abusive church senario. My little sister may be involved and has been for over 20 years now. Her group has a “mission” or church in Ghana but she lives in [identifying information deleted] and works two jobs to send all of her money to fund the church. Many young women go to Ghana and don’t come back. Prayer is my hope to reach her. The last two posts actually refer to an article I wrote when the hardcover of The Amen Sisters was first released, Helping a Friend after the Trauma of an Abusive Church. You can read it HERE.