CENTRALIA, Ill., Sept. 14 /Christian Newswire/ -- The president of the United States was one of only a few prominent Americans who received a copy of Thinking Out Loud [Xulon Press ISBN 978-1-60791-397-9], and the promise of prayer by its author Ken Qualls.

Qualls told Obama that he would pray that God would give him strength and wisdom to carry out his tremendous duties and responsibilities as president. He also encouraged the president to have the courage stand fast when he is right and to change course when he is wrong.

Just Thinking Out Loud is a compilation of articles that Qualls has written over the years. They are the thoughts and observations of a rural pastor on Christianity and life in general. It covers such topics as loneliness, depression, hope, the Bible, knowing God's will and more.

The author draws from his thirty years as a rural bi-vocational pastor. He doesn't always say what people want to hear but people like what they hear. The response of one reader expresses the feelings of many: "I don't always agree with him, but I enjoy reading his articles and he makes me think." Qualls reflects: "I believe that people like what I write because they are tired of having cotton candy shoved in their faces and being told that 'everything's going to be all right.' Life is tough and people are hurting. They need real life solutions to real life problems."