Every December, our family has a tradition of praying and discussing which Bible verse will be our family verse for the coming year. Then we post it in my office on the whiteboard, on three-by-five cards for the three of us to carry, and then on the kitchen's ceramic pedestal, which sits on top of the counter.
Back in December of 2014, I suggested for us to do a challenge for the coming year: to pick one thing that would be considered hard and work on it starting in January. As I thought of my challenge, I started to receive a barrage of emails on how to write a book, book publishing, book writing, and how to succeed as an author.
"God, are you telling me to write a book?"
I have always loved reading and can remember reading several books all within a weekend when I was single. So this idea of writing a book was indeed challenging, and immediately, I became full of fear and feelings of insecurity, which meant I was to write a book. It was a hard thing to do. What would I write about? The only thing I could think of were two things: (1) how God was always working in my life for my good and showing His great love for me with my mistakes, missteps, and misunderstandings; and (2) how I always wanted to do something that I considered significant, that my time here on earth would be marked by doing something big for God and my family:
To have the courage to live fully without being ruled by the bullies I call self-doubt, fear, shame, and insecurity, those bullies who want to keep you small and living in a box. I do not want to live my life in a box or even keep God in a box.
To allow Jesus's words to resonate that He came that I may have life and have it more abundantly (John 10:10).
To live what could be possible for me in faith.
This challenge was a real fight, a real fight to feel worthy, a fight to know that I can make a difference in someone else's life, to give myself and them hope.
This book is for my husband and son, my loves, whom God blessed me with, and a reminder that God wants me to live courageously even when scared, to do it afraid, to trust Him with everything, and to know I am a woman with worth. My prayer is that this book will bring enlightenment to the reader whom I believe is only found in God, His Son, Jesus, and His Spirit. If only one person finds within these pages (His) Truth for their life and will pursue their life with purpose, vigor, dedication, joy, and peace and honoring Him who gave them life.
To the brave souls on their life's journey, May God bless you richly.
