It’s almost been three weeks since I posted a blog, but as you probably know I just launched my first book!

You can grab it here if you havn’t yet.  If you have thank you for your support!

What an amazing experience this has been.

I have had so many blessings in the past couple weeks that I can’t even begin to start to list them.

To sum it all up, God is faithful and if I can encourage you in any way today BE OBEDIENT to whatever you feel Him calling you to do.

You will be rewarded in ways you could never imagine and probably learn a few things along the way.

This journey of writing, editing, and publishing has been so much work, so much labor, so much time.  But I can truthfully say that it has felt like Jesus has been holding my hand every slow step of the way since I said “YES” to the call.

I can’t help but grin as I look back on all the recent happenings and whisper, wow God.

***

But can I be honest with you?

Theres been lots of ups, but theres been some hard things too.   

The year I felt God call me to write my first book, I had just completed the read the bible in a year plan.  I was full of the Holy Spirit after spending so much time in prayer and digging deep into the word.  I had ingested all that I could that year, which made me more sensitive to Gods voice than I had ever been.

But as I began the process to fulfull the call, I realized I had been trying so hard to be obedient to complete the task at hand, I was failing at the one thing that was necessary (Luke 10:41-42) .

I had neglected the one thing that had allowed me to feel God speak to my heart in the first place, sitting at Jesus’s feet.

Because of this, I allowed fear in, and some scary things happened.

There were the obvious scary things, such as launching a book and praying someone buys it, scheduling a book signing and praying someone shows up, and the ultimate fear of writing a book with meaning and purpose, praying it makes sense to the reader.

But there was also warfare (trouble with spiritual enemies) (Ephesians 6:12) and let me tell you it came strong, and Satan got way too close.

I mean of course there would be warfare right?

I was writing a 50,000-word testimony to distribute out into the world.

Honestly people told me to watch for it, I expected it, but I felt strong.

To my surprise the enemy crept in slow and deceived me and my family in ways that were so confusing.  I won’t air out specifics, but Satan almost took us down during this experience.

***

But God!

God sent other believers to speak truth into us when we needed it the most and helped me realize what was happening.

When I could finally see clearly, I was shaken at how easily I had been deceived.  Me, the one writing the book about how much I had been changed, how much I had learned.

The enemy used hurt, confusion, and discouragement from other people to keep me from having a clear mind and I let it affect me so much that it almost caused complete turmoil.

Once I realized it was intense warfare and Satan was trying to ruin everything God was doing it also made me realize that one intense year in the Bible and prayer could never end.

Regardless of the truth that I know, I’m not strong enough in my flesh.

I need God every minute of every day.

I was only able to get through these scary moments and the hard labor of this process because I knew without a doubt this was His plan and felt so strongly that I needed to finish faithfully.

I knew even in the midst of the confusion that He was with me, but He also had to send other believers who were spending more time in prayer and in the word to lead me out of the despair I was coasting into.

I’m starting to understand more and more why we need the full armor of God every day.  Ephesians 6:10-18

Satan hates me and you, he will stop at nothing to draw us away from the peace God desires for us and His plan for our life.

But we have a choice.

***

In Matthew 6:7 Jesus says, But, when you pray, go into your room, close the door, and pray to your Father, who is unseen.  Then your Father who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.

The promise is that you will be rewarded.

I am living proof and testify that the reward I received from being obedient to God is not anything I can accurately describe in words, nor can I tangibly show.

One of the rewards I received was the gift of other believers and their obedience to speak life into me when I was tired and weary of doing the work God called me to do.

My reward was a lesson that my heart has learned, and my soul finds rest in.

The reward itself has changed me and made me stronger and more faithful to speak the name of Jesus even more boldly than I had, even when the lions are circling around me.

I am confident that I am drawing from a well that never runs dry.

I know now more than ever that the most important thing I can do with this life I have been given is to go to my inner room, shut the door, and pray.

God will tell me what to do and all in His timing.

I am to spend intimate time with my Heavenly Father so that He can guide my every step.

So are you.

You may be the person that speaks life into someone when the enemy is in full attack mode with them, you may have been that person that helped me not fall into the deception being heaved on me.

When my family and I finally came to our senses and saw all the truth of what was happening we broke down and praised Jesus for fellow believers helping us because of their time spent in prayer.

I looked at my husband when we both had fresh eyes to see what had happened and as I wept said, “I have no other reason to live, but for Jesus Christ.”

I stand by that.

***

So, I invite you to come along this exciting journey called living a life for Christ.

I’m starting over now that the book is complete.

With fresh eyes, a thankful heart, a lesson learned and a new song.

Because as long as were on this earth, God is not done using us.

***

Will you come with me?

Do you trust that God’s got you?

Has He been calling you to do something that frightens you?

If you know without a doubt that it’s God, say yes!

It will be work, it may be scary at times, you will be humbled, but it’s worth the reward of a deeper relationship with our creator.

***

Let’s pray for each other.  I would love to hear from you.

You can send a prayer request or just a thought here.

Today, I begin again.

Genesis 1-5.

Today, prayer.

God has called me to book #2 but it’s at His pace and first things first.

Him.

***

Heavenly Father, please forgive us when we try to rush ahead, even if it is to try to please you and be obedient.  I pray you remind us, remind me, that relationship with you comes first.  Please help me and whoever is reading this to settle in that thought and find peace in your promise that we will be rewarded if we go into our room, close the door, and pray to you in conversation, which includes silence so we may hear you speak to our hearts.

Thank you Lord that your mercies are new every morning and that you are patient and kind.  Please help us to do your will Father until our time on earth is over and we can spend eternity worshipping you.

Amen.