When I first read this poem by Allison, I literally had chills running down my arms. It resonated with me so greatly! This poem, it sums up my entire vision for my writing life. The goals I strive towards with this blog.

"Do you see Jesus living in me?"

It's a question we should ask ourselves every day. Are we shining the light of Christ for the world to see?What do others see when they look at us? Or more accurately... WHO do they see?
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Inside Me
Allison Grace

If I asked you to define me,
Would you see what is inside me?

Would you say I’m just a shy girl,
Or a writer,
Or just another face in the pew?

Would you see Who is living inside me?

Would you say I’m the girl who laughs,
Or has that cute dog,
Or has the braided hair?

Would you say I’m kind,
Or call me special?
Would you see what really should define me?

Would you see Jesus in me?

If you asked me to define you,
Would I see what is inside you?

Would I call you the girl in the nerdy T-shirt,
Or the boy who always cracks jokes,
Or the girl with the freckled nose?

Would I see Who is living inside you?

Would I call you the artist,
Or the boy who plays the drums,
Or that girl in the corner?

Would I say you are sweet,
Or a hard-worker?
Would I see what really should define you?

Would I see Jesus living in you?

When we look at each other,
What do we see?
Do you see Jesus, living in me?

If you looked at my life,
Would you see my Savior,
Would you see Jesus in me?

​
Does my life look like a light in the darkness,
Or does it just look like words on a page?

Does my life look like a burning fire,
Or just like another smiling face?

Does my life look like salt to the earth,
Or just another face in a sea of the lost?

I don’t want to be defined as kind,
I don’t want to be known as a writer,
I don’t want to be the girl who makes everyone laugh,
Or the one with the cute blog.

I want to be the girl who stands up for Jesus, 
Even when it’s hard. 
The girl who loves as Jesus loved, 
A young woman who gives it all. 

When you look at me,
What do you see?
Do you see Jesus living in me?
​

Did you enjoy Allison's poem? Leave her a comment below! <3

My writings have always been geared toward adults and young adults. But a few months ago I got to thinking...

Wouldn't it be neat to have a story for the children and toddlers of my reader fans?! 

And that brings us to today...
​
EXCITING NEWS. 

ABOUT A NEW BOOK. 

FOR CHILDREN.

These last few months, I've been working hard on a new adventure. And this time it's for children!!

15 delightful illustrations follow the journey of a caring brother and sweet little sister as they embark on an adventure to the neighbor's farm. 

They come across messy pigs, silly old goats, beautiful horses (and a pesky pony!) and so many more fun animals!

It's an adventure with humor and fun education!

STAY TUNED, friends!! Because I'll soon tell you how YOU can have a chance to read "A Visit to Oaklenbrooke Farm" to your little one, before ANYONE ELSE.

Would you like to see a sneak peek? Let me know in the comments!
I might be able to put a little something together. ;) 

Until next time, friends, let's keeping letting our lights shine for Christ!

Okay, I don't know about "biggest" but that title was fun to write. ;)

I've teamed up with some AMAZING authors to bring you one of the most AMAZING giveaways this year! (See if you can spy any books by yours truly!)

BUT, there's only ONE MORE DAY TO ENTER!!! This giveaway ends tomorrow at midnight!!

Click HERE for more information about the authors and their books!! 

Or HERE to enter the giveaway! 

Until next time friends, let's keep letting our lights shine for Him! <3

“4 reasons I don’t like Thanksgiving.” 
 
Five words you will NEVER hear me say.
(five, because one was a number. For those of you who thought I had trouble with math. I do, but that’s beside the point).
 
Thanksgiving and Christmas win the contest for being my top favorite holidays of the year. (And trust me, you’ll get an entire Christmas email closer to the day!)
 
Yesterday we celebrated a day full of food, family, and fun. We set apart time to think extra hard about what we were thankful for.
 
I enjoyed reading posts by friends and family yesterday! I especially appreciated a certain post I read....
 
As one friend put it: 
 
“I didn't sleep under a bridge last night
I'm not headed to the funeral home to make arrangements for a loved one.
I'm not sitting at the Pediatric Cancer ward of Scottish Rite Hospital where my child lays in a bed with no hair and dark rings around their eyes from Chemotherapy.
I'm not headed over to the prison to talk to my child or spouse through a glass.
My spouse is not laying in an ICU bed with wires hooked up to her, breathing with a Ventilator.
I will not be scrounging through a dumpster to find my Thanksgiving meal.
I am not out searching the streets for my child who is a meth addict.
I'm not standing in ruins where a Hurricane destroyed my home and town.
No bombs or gunfire in the streets woke me up from my sleep last night.
A state patrol officer did not come to my door last night with bad news.
My phone did not ring at 3am with more bad news.
Our doctor did not come into a room with the results of an MRI with even MORE bad news!
I'm not sitting in a wheel chair typing this.
I am NOT a sad person who knows nothing about the love, joy, grace and hope that comes with having a true, wonderful, joyful relationship with Jesus Christ!
Hmmmm.....yeah.....I'm sure of it....I am blessed....and I have MUCH to be thankful for today, and everyday.”
 
 
That was well said. Because we DO have a lot to be thankful for! 
 
Being thankful for one day a year is great and all, but the heart of gratitude we all had yesterday? It should be the heart we have all year around. 
 
Which, trust me, I know, it can be tough. 
 
As most of you know, I was diagnosed with a chronic illness last month. I have a lot of reasons to complain lately. Almost constant nausea, daily headaches, fatigue, body aches, countless appointments, needles and tests. I could go on. 
 
But instead of grumbling, instead of complaining, (which only makes matters worse!) how much better is it to have a heart of thanksgiving?
 
I have hundreds of reasons to be thankful. Even amidst the health issues, even reasons I’m thankful BECAUSE of it. 
 
I can be thankful that:

1. I don’t have cancer. (For a few anxiety-filled days last month, we weren’t sure.)
2. That I’m not in a wheelchair. 
3. For the good days that my symptoms aren’t as severe. 
4. That my headaches aren’t as frequent. 
5. That my nausea isn’t as bad as it has been. 
6. For an illness that’s treatable. 
7. That I’m doing better than I was a couple of months ago.
8. For the lessons He’s teaching me through the pain. 
9. For newfound friends He brought along to walk with me during this journey. 
10. For wonderful doctors.

 
Is it always easy to have a thankful heart? No. I wish it was, but it isn’t. I think God knew that. He knew it wasn’t our natural tendency to be joyful and thankful all the time. That’s why He reminds us over and over and over again to be thankful. That’s why there are countless Psalms on “giving thanks to the Lord.”
 
I’ve compiled a few of my favorite verses below:
 
"Give thanks to the LORD, for He is good; His love endures forever." (1 Chronicles 16:34)

"Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful." (Colossians 3:15)

"Enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise; give thanks to Him and praise His name." (Psalm 100:4)

"Praise the LORD. Give thanks to the LORD, for He is good; His love endures forever." (Psalm 106:1)
 
 
3 Tips for Cultivating a Thankful Heart

1. Think about what you do have. (Instead of thinking about what He’s taken away, think instead on what He’s GIVEN you! You’ll soon find that your blessings outweigh all the negativity everywhere else.)
2. Remind yourself that it could always be worse. (Think about a friend who’s going through an even tougher time. Or a mother who recently lost her son. A wife who lost her husband. This doesn’t undermine your own pain, but take a minute to think and pray for these people. It always helps to bring things into perspective a bit, and makes it easier to have a thankful heart!)
3. Think about the future. (If you followed the two steps above and never found a single blessing, couldn't think of a single person who is having a harder time than you, (which I think I can speak for all of us when I say that most likely won't be the case!) then think about where you're going to be for eternity. Think about the days of endless joy and happiness, and praise. A place with no tears and no pain. Ponder the fact that God sent His ONLY Son to die in our place so that we could experience this eternal glory.)

​
Lastly, I want to leave you with one of my favorite short videos. It's Christmas (but then again, Thanksgiving is over so we can all start singing Christmas songs now, right?) but it's so neat and gives us a great perspective that everything is a gift! WE HAVE SO MUCH TO BE THANKFUL FOR! 

Did you have a good Thanksgiving yesterday? What was your favorite part? 

I saw a neat post asking people to list one negative thing they're thankful for this year. Let me know in the comments what yours is! What is one hard, negative, thing that you're thankful for? What is it teaching you? 

Until next time, friends! Let's keep our lights shining for Christ. <3

Today I'm SO EXCITED to be joining in the blog tour for Tessa Emily Hall's upcoming release "Fallen Leaves." (Isn't that cover AMAZING, y'all?!?!?!)

I had the immense pleasure of reading this precious story several weeks ago!

I had fun learning about the behind the scenes aspects in her guest post, and have been dying to share it with you! So, without further ado....

​This quote was really encouraging to me this morning.
It reminded me of the scripture in Ephesians that says, “For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus so we can do the good things He planned for us long ago.”

Sometimes we wonder why God causes the brokenness upon our lives. Sometimes we ask ourselves, “what good can come of this?”

The death of a family member, health issues, a discouraging diagnosis.
​
I’m coming to realize that beauty is sometimes not the outward presentation that we often think it is, but the bright reward at the end of a darker journey.

In the same way, the Author of our lives brings trials and suffering upon us.
Because it’s necessary in order to continue on into the next chapter of our life.

It’s necessary so that we might change. So that we might come out of this so much more stunning and beautiful of a masterpiece then how we started.

He does it, because He loves us. Because as the Author, He alone knows the entire plot of our lives.

And He alone knows that this brokenness...is just what He needs to create His masterpiece.

Tessa Emily Hall writes beautiful fiction for teens and young adults. Imagine taking Karen Kingsbury and turning it into YA! It’s not just a journey of another character, but a journey that will change your life.

Fallen Leaves releases in just five days!
I hope you’ll consider purchasing a copy of this beautiful book!

​“Have you ever noticed that it seems SO MANY WRITERS have health problems?” My sister observed. “Maybe you got into the wrong profession. You better change hobbies, and fast!”
 
Well, that was almost two months ago. Just a couple of weeks before I ended up at the hospital.
 
A lot has happened in this whirlwind of weeks. And I thought it was time I updated you all.
 
After having almost every organ in my body scanned, plus several tests, doctors’ appointments, hospital visits, needles, and research, I was finally diagnosed with POTS.

POTS stands for, Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome, and it causes so many different symptoms. Such a wide variety, that it’s hard to be diagnosed. But I was. And we’re finally getting answers.

Each day is different. Bringing with it its own set of ups and downs. It’s during times like these that you truly start to live in the moment. Allowing yourself to think about tomorrow today, as Winnie-the-Pooh says, “is too many today's.”

People have been so kind. The sweet cards from fellow writers, the encouraging words from friends. All the prayers.
I appreciate them all so much. And I appreciate YOU dear reader, for having patience with me as I catch up on my blogging duties.
​
I’m back now, because in typical writerly-fashion, I need to write in order to process everything going on.
I hope my ramblings in the coming days will be an encouragement to you. As I write about trusting God through the trials, having patience during the wait, and learning to say as Job did, “the Lord giveth and the Lord taketh away.”

And I’ll go ahead and say right now, that these future posts are more like letters to myself. As I write down the reminders that are so needed right now. But I hope that through them, you might find a bit of comfort during your own trials.

Are you struggling with any health issues right now? Would you mind commenting below or sending me an email through the Contact Me page, so I can be praying for you?

Until next week, friend, let’s keep shining our lights for Christ. Together. <3 


PS. Lots of you entered to win a signed copy of COFFEE SHOP DEVOS by Tessa Emily Hall. I just wanted to update you and let you know that I'll be announcing the winner next week!! So stay tuned!

If you enjoy historical fiction, chances are you've heard of Sarah Sundin. And if you haven't, you're in for a real treat!

Keep reading to enjoy a bit of Sundin's delightful humor, amazing writing advice, and her short-term imaginary friend (poor thing!) 

Tell us a little about your younger self. When did you first start writing? Did you always know that you wanted to be an author?

Like all avid readers, I considered it and dabbled with some stories—but I knew they weren’t any good. I also wanted to be a ballerina, a firefighter, and a protozoologist (studies one-celled protozoa)—which led me to study science and become a pharmacist. I didn’t start writing seriously until I was thirty-four.

Did “The Sea Before Us” turn out how you thought it would? If not, what was different?

Yes, it did. I write from an outline, so I don’t have plot surprises when writing. The surprises come in smaller ways—unplanned humor or compelling thoughts, a side character who takes on life, and thematic elements.

Did you have any imaginary friends as a child? If so, tell us a little about him/her!

At about the age of six, I decided I should have an imaginary friend because that’s what little girls did. So I tried, but I neglected the poor thing and I think she died of starvation.

What do you find the hardest in finishing a book? Is it the writing process, the editing process, waiting to hear back from publishers, etc?

The outlining process, specifically plotting, gives me the most headaches. I call it a smackdown wrestling match. All the scene ideas and character development ideas have to be placed in an order that makes an engaging plot structure—and also fit the timeline of actual historical events.

If you could have lunch with any author, who would you choose?

As a people-pleaser, I hate these questions, because I don’t want to leave anyone out! Also, one of the unforeseen benefits of joining the writing community is that I’ve met almost all of my favorite authors at writing conferences—and had lunch with them.

Are you more of a coffee or tea person?

Depends on the time of day. In the morning, I need the rude jolt of coffee. In the afternoon, I like tea—hot in the winter, iced in the summer (today’s is black tea with black currant). In the evening, just water so I can sleep.

Do you write down story ideas as you think of them? If so, how many do you have written down/in your head?

I’m not blessed with a lot of ideas—I say the Lord gives me only as many as I need. So when I have an idea, I grab onto it. In this phase, I make a lot of handwritten notes and throw them in a binder. Right now I only have three percolating ideas, all for my next contracted series. After that…she stares into the void and prays for the next idea.

What is one thing about your MC that we might not know?

There was a childhood incident when Wyatt’s younger brother Adler talked him into doing something rash, and Wyatt broke his leg. This highlighted both their personalities and why Wyatt is so incensed in the prologue when Adler’s sweet-talking puts someone in danger. That never really fit into the novel itself, but it definitely shaped Wyatt’s thinking.

What project(s) are you working on right now?

I’m waiting on the final page proofs from my publisher for The Sky Above Us, the second book in the Sunrise at Normandy series (February 2019), and I’m at the quarter-way mark in the rough draft of The Land Beneath Us, the third book in the series (2020). Plus, I’m doing early story development for my next three novels.
​
What is one piece of advice that you would give to an aspiring author?
​
Relax and take a deep breath. Write and write and write. Learn and edit, and learn and edit. And relax—don’t rush things. The self-publishing revolution has so many positives, allowing stories to be told that might never have found a home. However, it’s led many writers to rush their first novels to print, when they really should have been practice novels. I have two starter novels sitting in my file cabinet. I adored them when I wrote them, and I was convinced they’d take the market by storm. Now I know they’re really not good at all, and I’m glad I didn’t have the option of tossing them on Amazon at the time. Writing, like any profession, takes time to develop properly. So relax and enjoy the process!

The Sea Before Us blurb: 
​
In 1944, American naval officer Lt. Wyatt Paxton arrives in London to prepare for the Allied invasion of France. He works closely with Dorothy Fairfax, a “Wren” in the Women’s Royal Naval Service, who pieces together reconnaissance photographs with thousands of holiday snapshots of France—including those of her family’s summer home—in order to create maps of Normandy. Maps that Wyatt turns into naval bombardment plans for D-day.
 
As the two spend concentrated time together in the pressure cooker of war, their deepening friendship threatens to turn into something more. But both of them have too much to lose to give in to love . . .
​

I had so much fun learning more about Sarah! If you haven't read her books, you should add them to your TBR list!

Are there any authors that you'd like me to interview? Put your suggestions in the comments! I'd love to hear them! 

Until next time, friends, keep letting your lights shine!