2015 Year in Review and Blog Questionnaire

   Hello Readers!

   2015 is almost gone and the new year is quickly coming!  How did your life change this year?  I am sure that in the 525,948.767 minutes that this last year contained, something had to change.  Here are some of the highlights of the last year for me...

--I published my first novel
--I started my first blog
--I finished my rough draft on my second novel
--Our family had a wonderful trip to Florida to visit friends
--Our family was in a super fun musical called Joseph and His Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat
--We met friends from Cameroon Africa 
--I attended my first Contra dance
--War Room was released
--Beyond the Mask was released
--Our good friends adopted a baby
--I started a class in American Sign Language

   And countless other blessings!!  Just like always, God has blessed us.  Everyone can find something to be thankful for as they look back on the last year.  And I hope that we realize this and grow more and more in love with Jesus as the years, months, weeks, days, and hours pass!  "For the Lord is great, and greatly to be praised!" (Psalm 96:4a)

Survey below...

"Tramp For the Lord" review

In 1940, Corrie ten Boom was living with her father and sister above their watch shop in Haarlem, Holland—and when their country was invaded, this devoutly Christian family provided sanctuary for persecuted Jews. Before long, the Nazis captured Corrie and her family. They were sent to a concentration camp, where Corrie lost both her sister and father. But remarkably, throughout this turbulent time, Corrie sustained the faith in God that helped her become one of the most beloved evangelists of her time.

Tramp for the Lord continues Corrie ten Boom's extraordinary journey of hope following the events recounted in her bestseller The Hiding Place. From her near-destitute days in postwar New York to heart-stopping adventures in Africa, Corrie's inspirational life story proves that miracles do happen.

My Review:

     Tramp For the Lord is the amazing story of Corrie ten Boom as she travels through the world, following God's leading! The book is full of lessons she learned and lessons she taught to others around her. She doesn't hesitate to say that after 80+ years she still learned new lessons about God. Her life as a "tramp for the Lord" shows what can happen when you dedicate your life to His glory. The book is interesting and valuable for learning about the Christian life, however, I didn't enjoy it as much as The Hiding Place. This is a good sequel to read for those who enjoy reading about the life of an amazing woman--Corrie ten Boom!

Come, Thou Long Expected Jesus

     Merry Christmas to all my readers! Instead of writing something for Christmas, here is a hymn by Charles Wesley back in the year 1744. I think it sums up our prayer to God during this Christmas season. 

Come, Thou Long Expected Jesus

by Charles Wesley

"Come, Thou long-expected Jesus

Born to set Thy people free

From our fears and sins release us

Let us find out rest in Thee

Israel's strength and consolation 

Hope of all the earth Thou art

Dear Desire of every nation

Joy of every longing heart

Born thy people to deliver

Born a child and yet a King

Born to reign in us forever

Now Thy gracious kingdom bring

By Thine own eternal Spirit

Rule in all our hearts alone

By thine all sufficient merit

Raise us to Thy glorious throne"

"Dayuma: Life Under Waorani Spears" review

Jim Elliot, Nate Saint, Pete Fleming, Roger Youderian, and Ed McCully chose to lay down their lives on a sandy beach in Ecuador. Their lives and sacrifice come full circle in the breathtaking true story of Dayuma.

Violent, unexpected death was a way of life for the mysterious Waorani tribe living deep in the Ecuadorian jungle. When her father is brutally speared, young Dayuma is faced with a clear yet frightening choice: flee to the outside world to those thought to be cannibals or stay in the jungle to face certain death from the spears of the tribal killers. 

Dayuma: Life Under Waorani Spears is the unforgettable story of one girl's odyssey into the unknown. Her eventual encounter with Christ ultimately changed her life and forever altered the destiny of her people. Dayuma is a vivid, lasting testimony to the power of the love of God and the cross to reach beyond any barrier. 

My Review:

     Dayuma: Life Under Waorani Spears is a story of how a tragedy changed the lives of hundreds in the jungles of Ecuador. It is an amazing example of how God used an American woman (Rachel Saint) and a native Waorani of Ecuador (Dayuma) to change the world for His glory! This book is very captivating, showing how the Waorani tribes lived in their native home. It is an amazing testimony of faith to the five men, Ed, Pete, Roger, Jim, and Nate, who gave their lives for the savage Waorani people who murdered them. Amazingly, God took that evil and used it to impact the world in this unforgettable story. It is a story of adventure, danger, and total surrender to God. This book impacted me, and it is sure to do the same for other readers! 

About the Author:

Ethel Emily Wallis went to the edge of the Waorani forest to work with Dayuma and Rachel Saint on this book. In it she has recaptured the violence, courage, and devotion which are at the heart of "Dayuma: Life Under Waorani Spears."

Christmas Around the World

Photo by: Jeff Weese

With Christmas coming up, it is easy to get lost in the busyness of life. I enjoy seeing the colorful Christmas lights that sparkle as you drive home during the night. It's fun to observe how different people celebrate the holidays. But one thing we often miss is that there are others in the world who are not celebrating. Others who are missing family members. Others who are running for their lives.

In Iraq alone, around 1.3 million Christians have been displaced, murdered, or imprisoned since 2003. They face ISIS--a terrorist group that doesn't hesitate to kill Christians or anyone else they disagree with. Christians are running for their lives. They are forced to leave their homes because if they don't, they will be killed. Men, women, and children are losing their lives and becoming enslaved. This is not only in Iraq but in several countries around the world. They are people just like us--Christians who are standing up for what they believe. They are willing to stand up for Christ, even if it brings persecution.

This Christmas we can make a difference. We can help our brothers and sisters in other countries. Through the Be Heard Project, you can sign a petition to stand with the persecuted Church. The petition will be brought before Congress, demanding that America does something to protect Christians in other countries.

Will these Christians be able to celebrate Christmas next year with their families? Maybe they can...but only if we make a difference.

"The Hiding Place" Review

At one time Corrie ten Boom would have laughed at the idea that there would ever be a story to tell. For the first fifty years of her life nothing at all out of the ordinary had ever happened to her. She was an old-maid watchmaker living contentedly with her spinster sister and their elderly father in the tiny Dutch house over their shop. Their uneventful days, as regulated as their own watches, revolved around their abiding love for one another. However, with the Nazi invasion and occupation of Holland, a story did ensue. 

Corrie ten Boom and her family became leaders in the Dutch Underground, hiding Jewish people in their home in a specially built room and aiding their escape from the Nazis. For their help, all but Corrie found death in a concentration camp. The Hiding Place is their story. 

My Review:

   Wow. The Hiding Place was so much better than I had imagined when I first picked it up!! This is an incredible story of a life dedicated to Jesus. Cornelia Ten-Boom's story is one of courage, trust, and love in the midst of the hardest trials. She gave her life to Jesus, and suffered because of it. However, in the end she learned that "(nothing) shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord." 

   It was very inspirational to read about her sister, Betsy, whose very life shone with love. She loved her enemies--when they were in the midst of taunting her. She could look around on her death bed and love them. 

   After reading the after-note where it explained how Corrie finally was reunited with her family in heaven, I knew at that moment that the earth had lost a great woman of faith. I felt personally sad that she had left...the earth needs more Ten-Booms like her and her family.

   Just as Corrie said, "There is no pit so deep, that God's love is not deeper still." 

   This book is perfect for anyone ages 13+ because of some content.

About the Author:

   Corrie ten Boom and her family were Christians who were active in social work in their home town of Haarlem, the Netherlands. During the Nazi occupation, they chose to act out their faith through peaceful resistance to the Nazis by active participation in the Dutch underground. They were hiding, feeding and transporting Jews and underground members hunted by the Gestapo out of the country. It is estimated they were able to save the lives of 800 Jews, in addition to protecting underground workers. 

On Feb. 28, 1944, they were betrayed and Corrie and several relatives were arrested. The four Jews and two underground workers in the house at the time of the arrest were not located by the Nazis and were extricated by the underground 47 hours after they fled to the tiny hiding place (located in Corrie's room).

   The ten Boom family members were separated and transferred to concentration camps. Corrie was allowed to stay with her precious sister, Betsy. Corrie's father (Casper), her sister (Betsy) and one grandchild (Kik) perished. Corrie was released in December of 1944.

   These acts of heroism and sacrifice became the foundation for Corrie ten Boom's global writing and speaking career after she was released.

   Ten Boom has received numerous awards for her writing and speaking. Notably, she was honored by the State of Israel for her work in aid of the Jewish people by being invited to plant a tree in the famous Avenue of the Righteous Gentiles, at the Yad Vashem Holocaust Museum, Near Jerusalem. She was also knighted by the Queen of the Netherlands in recognition of her work during the war, and a museum in the Dutch city of Haarlem is dedicated to her and her family.

Trust in the LORD!

     Typically, I am a shy person. I don't enjoy talking to strangers, saying speeches, or performing in front of a crowd. I have been trying to overcome this weakness (and yes, being shy is a weakness, not a personality trait exactly), but it doesn't always feel like it gets easier. 

     Anyway, one day I was in town with my mom and sisters shopping at a consignment store. (my kind of shopping) =) I felt like God wanted me to talk to someone I saw across the store! My first instinct was, "No way! I can't do that! What would I say? We are about to leave anyway, so my family would have to wait for me. There is NO way I am going to do this!" 

But then I remembered. I thought about the times that I have said no. I realized that when I got home, I would feel bad that I had disobeyed. I would always remember how I failed. And I would be ashamed that I had really just said "No" to God, the One who had given me the very air I was breathing! It was a hard struggle, but eventually, I forced my feet forward and walked over to where the elderly, African-American woman stood with her daughter trying on shoes.

     "I just wanted to tell you that God loves you." It was more of a whisper than anything else, and I am not even sure that she heard me. But I do know that she felt the hug I gave her and the smile I forced to my lips. My heart was pounding harder than it ever had, I think, but I did it. I obeyed God and was glad that I did. Even as I walked out of the store, I could see the woman staring at me in wonder. I don't know what she thought, or if she even heard my words, but it doesn't matter. I trusted God, and I am so glad that I did. Even a month later, it makes me smile to remember how scared I was and how I relied on God. That is all that matters.

Next time remember that. All that matters is that you obey God. You don't have to be scared, and you don't have to hesitate. You just have to trust. It sounds so easy doesn't it?

"The Way of the Wilderking" Review

In book three of the acclaimed Wilderking Trilogy, civilizer Aidan returns home from three years in Feechiefen Swamp to discover that a party known as the Aidanites has arisen among his fellow Corenwalders. They believe the “Wilderking Chant” makes reference to Aidan, and that he is destined to overthrow Corenwald's tyrant King Darrow. Aidan has no intention of leading any such rebellion. But when the Corenwald kingdom continues to weaken, and the enemy Pyrthens threaten to invade, it's clear the Aidanites are the only army his people have left. What soon transpires among civilizers, feechiefolk, Corenwalders, and Pyrthens alike, no reader could predict. When all is said and done, who will be the Wilderking? 

My Review: 

   As the final book of the Wilderking Trilogy, this book perfectly sums up Aidan's adventures! Jonathan Rogers used this last book to tie the strings and bring the three books into harmony. This book is completely different than the other two, and yet it is still full of adventure. Dobro is an amazing character all throughout the book and a great friend to Aidan. He lightens the mood of the story and brings fun into play! I love how this book combines excitement, sadness, and funny scenes into a novel! this is one of the special books that I have gotten to the last pages and felt very sad that the story was over. As a childhood favorite and even today, Aidan's exciting feats leave me eager for more and glad that finally the Wilderking has done his job of "living the life that unfolded before him." The best part of this book is how it ties together major characters into a wonderful history, but I won't say more or it would ruin that part for you. =) This book is one that will inspire readers with tales full of thrill and stories of how trusting in the One True God can change your life forever. 

About the Author: 

     Jonathan Rogers grew up in Georgia, where he spent many happy hours in the swamps and riverbottoms on which the wild places of The Wilderking are based. He received his undergraduate degree from Furman University in South Carolina and holds a Ph. D. in seventeenth-century English literature from Vanderbilt University. The Bark of the Bog Owl has already found a receptive audience among Jonathan’s own six children. The Rogers clan lives in Nashville, Tennessee, where Jonathan makes a living as a freelance writer. The Bark of the Bog Owl is his first novel.


Have you read The Way of the Wilderking, or any other books by Jonathan Rogers?  Comment below!

Forgiveness: The Willingness to Forgive

   Almost every Christian knows that the Bible says, “But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,” (Matthew 5:44) It is a commandment that can seem impossible at times. 

   Forgiving your enemy is…hard! It is difficult, trying and takes a great deal of patience and love. How can you forgive someone who hurt your feelings? How can you forgive someone who did wrong against you? And how can you forgive someone who just doesn’t care? 

   You read amazing stories about people like Corrie Ten Boom who showed compassion to the very ones who killed her family and ruined her life. She said, "When He (God) tells us to love our enemies He gives, along with the command, the love itself."

   That shows that we can forgive, because God first forgave us. He can help us. He will be right beside you through the whole ideal, as He was even before it started. 

   But here is a harder question. How can we forgive our friends? Surely, there are people you can think of that fit into that area. Friends who hurt you. People that you trusted who turned out not to really want your friendship. How do you forgive them?

Here is the answer:

God

   Ask His help. Pray often. And then do it. Just forgive the person. Sent him/her an email just asking “what’s up?” Try to rebuild your friendship. 

   This can seem impossible. I know people who I need to forgive. And it’s hard! That doesn’t mean we shouldn’t do it. You need to do hard things sometimes. Often enough, the offender doesn’t even know that he/she hurt you. Just forgive them, as God forgave you. Take the first step in faith. God will never leave your side to stable you if you fall. 

Have you ever been in a tough spot where you knew that you needed to forgive someone and just didn't want to?  Comment below!

"Tomorrow You Die" Review

Another book in the International Adventures series! 

Reona Peterson Joly and Evey Muggleton Heckman never dreamed of the adventure and danger that lay before them as they attended a short-term missions school in Switzerland. Then, as the two young women sought God, they began to sense a burden for the mysterious, isolated nation of Albania - a nation unlike any other.

In the 1970s Albania's leaders boasted that theirs was the first completely atheistic nation in the world. Closed to almost all outsiders, Communist Albania particularly wanted no contact with Christians. In this nation that had sealed Christian citizens in barrels and rolled them into the sea, preaching the gospel was punishable by death. 

Willing participants in God's plan, yet unsure of how He would lift their burden, Reona and Evey took the first small steps of faith. Through a miraculous set of events, the two young believers were drawn into the danger and intrigue of being God's undercover agents in a nation that officially despised Him. 

My Review:

  I was disappointed with this book after I had finished another in the series that was amazing. Tomorrow You Die is an interesting read for someone with a heart for Albania. If you are not interested in that European country, then it will probably not grab your attention. There were numerous pages in the book that talked about the history of Albania and how it boasted to be the first completely atheistic nation in the world. Some parts of the book were interesting, but there was not much action throughout the piece. I admired how Reona Peterson Joly and Evey Muggleton Heckman risked everything for the Gospel. The ending was nice, showing the testimony of an individual who was saved because of their mission. I will be reading more in this series...but hopefully they will be written better than this one.

 Have you read Tomorrow You Die or any another book about life in Communist Albania?  Comment below!

"The Secret of the Swamp King" Review

As book two opens, Aidan is living in the court of King Darrow. He has become best friends with Darrow's son Steren, and he enjoys great favor among the courtiers. But King Darrow's suspicion is growing and his insecurity causes him to hate the young man who saved his kingdom. Concerned about his king's spiral into ever-darker moods, Aidan asks what he can do to help. Darrow sends him on an impossible adventure to the recesses of Feechiefen Swamp, thinking he is sending Aidan to his death. After all, no Corenwalder has ever returned from Feechiefen alive. But Aidan's fate is not sealed yet for Aidan has allies among the feechiefolk who know him as the hero Pantherbane. 

My Review: 

   The Secret of the Swamp King is another exciting book by Jonathan Rogers! It continues off of the first book in the Wilderking Series, and it is recommended to read book #1 before this one. This book is as good as the Bark of the Bog Owl if not better! Aidan, the main character, is forced into a situation that he eagerly embraces and sets out for the adventure that follows. There is not a dull part in the book! He is forced to show courage, strength and trust in the One God. One of my favorite things about this book is Aidan's friendship with Dobro Tutlebane! I love when those two characters are together! =) This series only gets better!

About the Author: 

   Jonathan Rogers grew up in Georgia, where he spent many happy hours in the swamps and riverbottoms on which the wild places of The Wilderking are based. He received his undergraduate degree from Furman University in South Carolina and holds a Ph. D. in seventeenth-century English literature from Vanderbilt University. The Bark of the Bog Owl has already found a receptive audience among Jonathan’s own six children. The Rogers clan lives in Nashville, Tennessee, where Jonathan makes a living as a freelance writer. The Bark of the Bog Owl is his first novel.

 Have you read The Secret of the Swamp King or any similar books?  Comment below!

Your Can of Asparagus

 

   Several weeks ago, my father was telling us a story about when he was a child.  He attended a Catholic school and enjoyed the times where they would set up a box in the main room for students to bring their “offering” of a food item.  The food would then be put into their program and then donated to the poor around the city who were less privileged and in need of food.  The reason he said he enjoyed watching as the box for donations was slowly filled, was because of the interesting items given.  Everyone would bring the food from their pantry that they did not want!  They dug towards the back row of cans, where the slimy, canned spinach was, or the can of asparagus, or the expired box of crackers that was probably stale.  You could see all the food that no one wanted being donated to the poor…as if they would want it!

 

    Of course, no one bothered to notice that the people accepting this food was just like them.  They also had taste buds and food that they did not like.  They probably didn’t like canned spinach, or asparagus.  They would rather have a nice box of something special.  However, they never received it; everyone was too selfish to see beyond their own desires. 

    How often do we do this unknowingly?  How often do you give your afterthoughts to God, saying, “Well, I have time for You for a few minutes, but after that I need to go to this.” 

   Have you ever done that?  Is your prayer and devotion time just a deliberate motion so you don’t feel guilty later?  That is not what He wants.  He wants you.  Your life.  Your time. Your love.  Why don’t you offer it to Him?  Keep your asparagus.  He doesn’t want it.


What are YOU going to offer to God?  Comment Below!

"The Bark of the Bog Owl" Review

Here is another review of one of my favorite books ever!!

Twelve-year-old Aidan Errolson comes from a long line of adventurers. His grandparents were among the first settlers of Corenwald’s Eastern Frontier. His father had been one of the kingdom’s greatest warriors. Aidan, on the other hand, lives the quiet, comfortable life of a nobleman’s son. He never has any real adventures, and that, he believes, is the one great injustice of his otherwise happy life. All that will change the day he first hears the bark of the bog owl and meets Dobro Turtlebane. Dobro is one of the feechiefolk—a tribe of half-civilized swamp dwellers who fight too much, laugh too loud, cry too easily, and smell just terrible. But another meeting on that remarkable day may change Aidan’s life even more profoundly. Bayard the Truthspeaker arrives with a startling pronouncement: Aidan Errolson will grow to be the Wilderking—the long-prophesied wild man who will come out of Corenwald’s forests and swamps to lead the kingdom back to its former glory. There’s just one question: Is Bayard the Truthspeaker a prophet or a madman? This initial installment in The Wilderking Trilogy is sure to capture the hearts of young and old, boys and girls alike. Written in the same fashion as The Lord of the Rings or The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, The Bark of the Bog Owl, as the author says, will help “direct a God-fearing boy’s sense of adventure and warrior spirit – his God-given wildness.” 

My Review:

   Ever since I was...maybe 8, I have LOVED this series, which makes this the 7th year being one of my favorite series! When I finished the last book in the series, I would want to cry because it was over! The Bark of the Bog Owl is full of adventure, story twists and unusual characters. The characters are real, and you learn to love them through the story. Jonathan Rogers also takes this book an extra step to parallel one of the most exciting adventures in the Bible, to show how it might had felt for the protagonist. (I will not spoil who the Bible character was) Though this series might be said to be for younger readers, I still enjoy it, and can't stop reading after book 1. This series is not only for guys!!

   This book has encourage me to, as Bayard the Truthspeaker would say, "Every great man starts out as a boy. Every great woman starts out as a girl...Live the life that unfolds before you. Love goodness more than you fear evil...the One God is with you." That is how any Christian should live--always trusting in the One True God!

   Here comes the next book! **pulls out The Secret of the Swamp King**

About the Author:

    Jonathan Rogers grew up in Georgia, where he spent many happy hours in the swamps and riverbottoms on which the wild places of The Wilderking are based. He received his undergraduate degree from Furman University in South Carolina and holds a Ph. D. in seventeenth-century English literature from Vanderbilt University. The Bark of the Bog Owl has already found a receptive audience among Jonathan’s own six children. The Rogers clan lives in Nashville, Tennessee, where Jonathan makes a living as a freelance writer. The Bark of the Bog Owl is his first novel.

Have you read The Bark of the Bog Owl or any other similar books?  Comment below!

"Totally Surrounded" Review

     I just finished an awesome book by Christiana Di Stefano Davis!!!!  This is her only published work (that I am aware of), but it is definitely worth the time to read!  Here is my review!

With danger on every side, would she live to fulfill her destiny? 

"I'm going to see Jesus now," the little girl whispered, "and I want to show Him that I suffered for Him, too." Moments later, she was in God's arms... This image, and countless like it, resonated in the heart and soul of Christina Davis as she shared and lived out the gospel in a remote, danger-filled jungle of the Philippines. 

Her three-month mission trip grew into a six-year labor of love. Surrounded by threats from militant rebels, witch doctors, and the hostile jungle, Christina used any opening to proclaim the one true God who had freed her from the prison of her own pain and fear. 

Christina's incredible story is a captivating adventure of how one woman's determination to answer God's call forever changed her own life and altered the destiny of a people enveloped in a web of fear, darkness, and oppression.

My Review:

     I loved this book!  The complete piece is full of stories of Christiana's missionary work to the people of the Philippines!  The real-life encounters range from stories that will make you laugh, cry and then cheer on the main character.  Her courage made me wish for the same in my life.  She was willing and eager to give up everything familiar in her life for God, and she did so!  The story is exciting, touching, and thrilling all at the same time!  AND, it is 100% a true story!  The ending was sweet and sad, but especially stood out to me in two reasons.  (SPOILER ALERT)  The first is that she married the best friend of the nephew of my favorite missionary!!!  And she lives in my favorite state!!  (END OF SPOILER)  This book will encourage you to use your gifts and talents for God, while learning about an amazing missionary.

   Please read it!!!  I am looking forward to reading more in the series (International Adventures) and have already started another book!

About the Author:

Christina Di Stefano Davis heads a nonprofit ministry that helps to fund a Manila Bible college and an orphanage in the Philippines. She and her husband, Michael, live in Kentucky with their two sons, Jake and Trevor.

Have you read Totally Surrounded or any other books about the Philippians? Comment below!

Introducing My Novel

Hello Readers!

I am going to introduce my WIP novel as a Beautiful Book link-up! I have been working on this novel since the first of July, however it is still in the writing stage. So, here goes!

1. How did you come up with the idea for your novel, and how long have you had the idea? I came up with my favorite scene last year. I considered writing the story then, but decided to put it off, and I am now very glad that I did! I have no clue how I first came up with my scene, but it was something that I thought would be the perfect one for me to write, and now it is in rough draft form. :) 
2. Why are you excited to write this novel? I really enjoy history. Because this novel is historical fiction, I have LOVED writing it and learning more about the time period! And...this novel has been something that I have thought about for a while, so finally putting it into words has been pretty fun!! 
3. What is your novel about, and what is the title? My novel is historical fiction during the years of early America. It is about a girl who lives during those times and what they had to go through. I don't actually have a title yet, however. 
4. Sum up your characters in one word each.  Let's see...Madison is real. She has problems that she goes through, yet tries to stay trusting in God. Nektosha is a beautiful girl who just wants a friend. And the last one I will mention is Edward who is protective and loyal. 
5. Which character(s) do you think will be your favourite to write? Tell us about them! I love writing about all of my characters...I don't have a favorite. :) They are all so different! 
6. What is your protagonist’s goal, and what stands in the way? My main character just wants a home. After moving around, she wants a place that can be her own. She also wants people in her life that understand her--true friends. There are many obstacles in the way that she has to overcome. 
7. Where is your novel set? My novel is set in early America during the settlement period. 
8. What is the most important relationship your character has? My character has an important relationship with her best friend until something happens. (I won't spoil it by saying why) 
9. How does your protagonist change by the end of the novel? My protagonist learns to trust in God and that His way is the best way. Always. 
10. What themes are in your book? How do you want your readers to feel when the story is over? I want my readers to learn the same thing that my characters did: that God always knows the right ways, and we just need to trust Him. I want my readers to enjoy my novel, and learn from it at the same time. 
11. BONUS! Tell us your 3 best pieces of advice for others trying to write a book in a month. One: just sit down and do it...don't forget about it! Two: Word wars are nice ways to quicken your pace. Three: Set a daily amount of writing that you want to complete. And stick to it!!!

Changing the World

Someone once told me, “I want to do something but I don't know how…I want to impact and improve this world.” What if changing the world wasn’t as hard as everyone thought? What if changing the world really could happen…and happen by only the lives of regular girls and boys around the world?

You don’t need to change the lives of everyone around the globe. You can’t. It is absolutely impossible. But together, you can change the lives of thousands, millions, or billions. How do you do that? By touching the lives of a few. 

Think of anyone who made a big impact on the globe. Mother Teresa had many helpers behind her work. Though she did give up a lot for the poor, she didn’t do it alone. George Washington didn’t win the War for Independence alone. He had armies of thousands of people backing him up. Abraham Lincoln didn’t win the Civil War. He was only the leader of vast armies of brave hearts who said “we will stand against the evils of slavery and keep this nation together.” Even Jesus asked His Father for strength to go on and complete His mission! He wasn’t truly alone. 

And YOU don’t have to be! Jesus Himself told us, “I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:20b) He promised to be with us…all we have to do is ask. 

How can we change the world? By touching the life of one or two people around you! Imagine if you changed the lives of three people. What if those people each touched the lives of three others? And then if all of those touched three more people? After a while, there would be hundreds, no thousands of lives touched! So why don’t you go out right now and make a difference? 

• Go tell someone “hi”. 
• Give someone a hug. 
• Write someone a letter. 
• Smile at someone. 
• Tell someone that you love them. 

Maybe that is all they need for a brighter day. Maybe that would brighten their mood. Maybe that would bring them to Jesus. You never know until you try, right?

I think Dr. Steve Maraboli put it correctly when he said, “With one kind gesure you can change a life. One person at a time you can change the world. One day at a time we can change everything.”

How are you going to change the world?  Comment below!