what beauty || a poem

what beauty || a poem

i heard that light only has definition

in the face of darkness,

+ i wondered if beauty too

was only beautiful in the presence of distortion.

for i hold the dying hand of a flower kissed by frost's poison--

+ the loveliness wilts in the curse's winter,

melts like ice.

but it's not the death that makes life--

life was the first,

the lovely before mar,

+ though darkness was in the beginning,

the Spirit of God was hovering,

the God who made l i g h t;

life, beauty, light formed in the fingerprints of Almighty Beauty.

all nobility is defined by the Day

the Maker made something good,

+ all today that looks like Him or His work,

that is beautiful:

the healing in dirty, mechanic hands

a waterfall thundering like heaven

fellowship unbroken,

what true beauty!

defying any serpent's attempts

to turn good into evil,

the Almighty will crush his head,

so we praise

+ become full-time beauty seekers

in a faulty world.

even the Deaf sign beauty before their face,

+ i wonder if it's the glory of a soul created

or the unsurpassed wonder of the Beauty Maker Himself.

Yes, in the way of Your judgements,

O LORD, we have waited for You;

The desire of our soul is for Your name
And for the remembrance of You.

- Isaiah 26:8

 

~♥~

is the Bible the Fallen Weapon of the Faithful?

Hello friend! ♥♥♥

It's the 5th-week-bookiversary of The Way of the King being published (yay!), and as my brother enjoyed the story for the first time, he made a comment:

"Sometimes, it seems like the followers of the King are weak; they're always losing the fight."

I thought about that, knowing the beginning to the end of the story, and remembered a favorite character.

He was a young man who was trained thoroughly. He was ready. Prepared. If his weapon was in hand, no enemy could defeat him, no knife come against his bowstaff.

But one day, he lay it aside and went out empty handed.

He was defenseless.

If every character in the book took up their weapon and allowed themselves to be trained under the hand of their King, they too would be ready to fight in all situations that besieged them.

Yet I wonder if, as Christians, we're faltering like the young man and dropping our own weapon--the weapon of the Word of God.

The enemy is telling us--telling me--to lay down our weapons.

Sometimes for our persecuted brothers and sisters, it's with another weapon pointed at their heart, and to hold onto the Bible means literal death. But for us, the threat is just as deadly.

Like a river tugging at us to simply float and coast beside the shoreline, admire the sun and flowers and cool water. "Stop fighting," it whispers, "to drift is easier, and you deserve the break. You can't keep swimming forever."

It bids us lay down our weapons.

Because if we're not actively pursuing Jesus, we're falling away.

Like another warrior in my tale who thought he was following neither the King or the Prince, but, unknown to him, a person is always on one side or another, and there is no indecision.

Choose your side

Then keep the loyalty.

I hear the enemy's lies, trickily trying to deceive me into laying down my bowstaff, and sometimes it sounds good.

Like, 

I just don't have a desire to read the Bible.

It's hard for me to understand.

I too busy.

I can only spend time in the Bible if I can set aside a long time to study hard.

When the enemy whispers those lies, my sassy self wants to lift my eyebrows and say, "Oh yeah? Then I'll just read it more. Take that." *giggles*

But do I realize the lies are from the enemy and thus identify the lies and attack them with truth?

Do I let the scriptures actually define my life?

Do I let Jesus transform me?

Oh fight, dear warrior!

And if you don't have a love for the scriptures, if you don't have time to sit and read, if it's hard to understand, and you don't consider yourself a good studier, fight anyway.

I am encouraged by a dear friend who is beginning her walk with Jesus. She plays the Bible on audio and doesn't understand it all but keeps persevering and is excited to share verses she memorizes because she knows it's important and is learning to love it.

And I remember times when reading the Bible was hard and dry, and I asked Him to increase my love for it, and He did.

Because our God wants to speak to us. Encourage us. Teach us. He is a Father in Heaven who loves His children and wants to spend time with us and have us be His children because He treasures us.

He knows we live in a world besieged by a treacherous Prince who desires our destruction, so He offers His own Spirit to live inside us, handing us all we need for life and godliness, and the scriptures are a weapon.

He knows the current pulls us downstream, so He rows up a boat and says, "will you join Me?"

Oh, let's fight! Let's treasure His Word. May it be precious to us.

I've been praying this for me and for the Church. And I beg us, don't listen to the enemy's lies. Make time to dig into the Bible. Let it transform you. Fight with it.

I'll sign off with sweet verses that have been an encouragement to me as of late, and may they be a blessing as we pursue our Jesus. ♥

I will delight myself in Your commandments,

Which I love.

The law of Your mouth is better to me
Than thousands of coins of gold and silver.

I will never forget Your precepts,

For by them You have given me life.

 

Oh, how I love Your law!

It is my meditation all the day.

 

How sweet are Your words to my taste,

Sweeter than honey to my mouth!

 

Your word is a lamp to my feet

And a light to my path.

 

I rejoice at Your word

As one who finds great treasure.

// snippets from Psalm 119 

~♥~

The Way of the King || book release!

 

once upon a time, God whispered a little story into a writer's heart. and for four years, He walked with her through every step of the way--encouraging, loving, prodding her forward--through giddy excitement, messy mistakes, and tearful moments until one day the release came. even then, it was a battle, but He was the King who always wins.

and she's here to celebrate a victory of the King she gets to call Father.

The Way of the King is released!!!!

*dances in the rain with girlish excitement*

*runs back to the computer to tell everyone about it*

If I said it in a sentence: God used me to write my favorite book, and I'm blown away. ♥

As I put on Instagram this morning, He did everything in this book, and it's full of:

epic adventures as He grew me to embrace that Jesus is worthy of it all

warrior souls in ordinary characters as He also bids to fight through surrender

hunting tales in which He drew me to the woods to hide away in orange with my brother

fantastical creatures He gave us to invent during the deep darkness of tenting with my young friends under a million shooting stars

the most adorable, little characters based off my own siblings I love, so many moments to praise

and stories of heroism, danger, gentle love, forgiveness, fiery passion, unyielding loyalty, mysteries to solve, and a purpose worth laying down one’s life for. HIM

all in the stories of a warrior-defector sister to orphans, a musician missing an arm, and a brother to the tyrant Prince.

And even though it seems I'm two days late to the release, that's another entire set of desperate prayers He answered.

I simply asked Him to produce fruit in this book as it released on August 1...

Instead of my plans, the paperback didn't come out until today.

And that produced so much fruit. Because in the surrendering of the book to Him (again), I relearned that my Father in Heaven is good. His plans are higher than mine. I can trust Him.

(so I choose to say that I'm not late... I just celebrated for THREE days instead of one!) *giggles*

But that's my deep heart for this book:

may it strengthen and encourage every reader

may it glorify our Heavenly Father who is our King

I could go on and on, but I'm gonna stop talking and just say, I'm praising Jesus! He did all this, and He is worthy of all glory and honor.

Now go enjoy the story! *wink*

You can officially purchase The Way of the King on Amazon:

Paperback
(for the lover of stories in their hands)

Hardcover
(for the reader who wants the long-lasting book and the deleted scene only in this copy)

Kindle
(for the one who can't wait and wants to bring the story wherever they go)

Happy reading, dear Friend! I've waited so long for the day I could share this with you, and may the Lord use it in beautiful ways! ♥

about the book

As the Kingdom of Érkeos collapses in revolution, three unlikely heroes must keep the loyalty through the darkest of days.

Three months after The Torch Keepers ends, Kadira, a warrior-defector from the Prince’s Liberation army, flees into the mountains as a big sister to a family of orphans. Her eyes mark her as a Torch Keeper for the King, an enemy to the Prince.

Behind her, Rekém rises to power over the city that was once the children’s home. As the Prince’s brother, he is forced to become a leader yet is drawn to humble hunting trips where he remembers dreams he once had. In mountain forests, Rekém discovers dangerous secrets he can’t escape from.

And deep in the throngs of cave tunnels, a musician missing half his arm builds his own fortress, not knowing that two armies close in. When the sides collide, the heroes must decide if the one they follow is truly worthy of every sacrifice. It seems the future of Érkeos is in the hands of a King who's never been seen.

“For My thoughts are not your thoughts,
Nor are your ways My ways,” says the Lord.
For as the heavens are higher than the earth,
So are My ways higher than your ways,
And My thoughts than your thoughts.

“For as the rain comes down, and the snow from heaven,
And do not return there,
But water the earth,
And make it bring forth and bud,
That it may give seed to the sower
And bread to the eater,
So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth;
It shall not return to Me void,
But it shall accomplish what I please,
And it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it."

Isaiah 55:8-11

~♥~

What Book Release Week Looks Like for an Author

The Way of the King releases tomorrow!!! *claps* *dances around*

If I described the themes of the novel in a nutshell, it would look like this:

is the King worth losing everything for,
and what does it mean to keep the loyalty?

In my own life, the question has crept in like that side character you don't notice but who changes the entire course of the story:

will I be a disciple of Jesus?

This book release week has been one of the craziest and most blessed weeks ever where that question was closely personal. Read on to discover what release week looked like for this girl, + may it encourage you to be a disciple of Jesus deeper.

When this author anticipates release week, there's a few ideas that come to mind.

giveaways • signups for people to share on release day • social media posts • last minute things that drive me crazy ;) • lots of prayer • and then the bittersweet emotions of releasing a book that's been intimately mine for so long but now is vulnerable for the entire world to explore

But this week has been so different.

I felt God calling me to hand away the busyness and step out in faith.

So no signups. No giveaways. Instead, this week was an adventure.

Through a series of events, I found myself facing an adventure that terrified me and was too hard, but I said "yes" anyway and left the results to Him.

It ended up with me being in a hotel in a big city alone during the days with a half-week of strangers, traffic, and so many buildings... and I didn't know what God would do.

(hard for this planner, no-surprises, introvert, county girl)   ;)

And God did incredible things.

He supplied all I needed for my book release in moments of sweet quiet. With cool air pulsing the shimmery curtains and wall hangings that sweetly matched the book covers, I finalized the novel, snapped pictures, and curled on the couch with Jesus to write out snippets of the heart behind the story.

But book release week challenged me to be a disciple of Jesus myself.

I got to meet my hotel cleaning lady who spoke only Spanish and do my best to love her with my limited language. When we left, God prompted me to write her a Google-translated thank you note and shared how Jesus changes lives, and she gave me hugs.

God answered a dream (I seriously always wanted to do this!) to go to a restaurant alone and sit with a lady I’d never met, enjoy a meal and conversation together, and give her a Gospel tract.

He gave me an opportunity to share how following Jesus has transformed my life with a beautiful Muslim girl from UAE.

There was a woman in the mall who got to share her testimony with me. My sister who was on a work trip had multiple Gospel opportunities, and we gave out Gospel tracts, and there was so much more God did!

And then there were days farmsitting for a friend where I explored with my siblings, made memories, dropped in on friends randomly, and even though I couldn't wait for home, He made it fruitfully beautiful (hence, the pictures for this post).

I look back on those days and can declare, I was on mission for Jesus, and He was glorified in that.

Not that I wasn't scared or had all the right words. And thinking of doing that again is scary too. He simply was strong in the midst of my weaknesses.

I just followed Jesus. It turned out beautiful.

I share all this to say, you can be a disciple.

If you're home away with littles. If you're in the thick of the mission with missiles whizzing past your head.

He asks us to follow Him.

I'm just an ordinary girl with the Holy Spirit inside me, which changes everything. And if you have that relationship with our God on His throne in the heavens, you can be a disciple too.

Not that I was strong or capable (I was terrified).

We can be disciples today.

There's a theme verse of The Way of the King that graces the pages before the story begins:

And (Jesus) said to him, “Follow Me.”

Matthew 9:9

During book release week, this is what it looked like for me.

And my characters--Kadira, Rekém, and Othniel--have to decide if they'll follow their King.

The novel releases tomorrow (!), and you can preorder Kindle to read it right at midnight! *wink* 

...so that through patient endurance and through the exhortation of the Scriptures, we may have hope. Now may the God who enables you to endure and who exhorts and strengthens you...

Romans 15:4-5

 

~♥~

How God being our Father Changes Everything

 

Recently, in preparation for The Way of the King's release, I went back and explored the prequel, and in the last pages, I found a hidden gem that's strangely exactly the same as one in the new book.

I thought to take it out. To edit it. To make sure the heart of the story wasn't repetitive.

But I couldn't.

Because the phrase is a singular key that brings

so

much

hope.

It's one of my favorite parts about this two-part series.

It reveals the Father-ness of our God in the Heavens. And that simple fact changes everything.

In this new book, the enemy is on the rise, and the entire Kingdom is falling prey to his schemes. Life for the faithful is desperate. They have two options: flee to the furthest reaches of the Kingdom to possibly hide out the war until it eventually would find them and squeeze out all life... or face it head on and watch their children and families be slaughtered one by one.

The treacherous Prince mocks, talking of the King,

"You've allowed this Kingdom to suffer for hundreds of years, let your children die, and you watched, uncaring. Your people hate you."

Sometimes I feel this ache in the world today.

Jesus feels so far away. The world gets dark, our bodies hurt with the pain of sin and death, we see people we love die, there's tears and fear and horrible things.

My heart cries out,

Jesus, when will You return?

I miss You.

Because I do.

The pain was in the first book too, when Kadira stood up to her adopted father, brokenness on every side.

I raised my stiff jaw toward Father's face. "You already did. You left me that day in the desert. You turned around and left without saying goodbye." My voice rose to a shrill cry. "Why is this any different?"

His answer makes this heart break:

Tears lingered in his eyes. "My child," he said, "that was the hardest thing I ever did."

That was the hardest thing I ever did.

Oh, soul that's hurting and broken! Oh heart that's sliced by knives this evil world slashed! You have a Father, and He hurts for you!

Sometimes the waiting is so hard.

Sometimes the pain hurts, and we want to give up.

Sometimes the battle looks lost, and the lies surrounding us scream so loud we can't hear anything else.

Why does He wait? Why doesn't He do something?

But as I read Hosea, I see the picture of a loving Father who is yearning passionately for His children and hurts right along with their pain. It's a Father who must allow punishment for wicked deeds, but I wonder if it's harder for the children or for Him?

"When Israel was a child, I loved him,
And out of Egypt I called my son...

So they went from them;
They sacrificed to the Baals...

I taught Ephraim to walk,
Taking them by their arms...

I drew them with gentle cords,
With bands of love,
And I was to them as those who take the yoke from their neck.
I stooped and fed them...

How can I give you up, Ephraim?
How can I hand you over, Israel?

... My heart churns within Me;
My sympathy is stirred.

Hosea 11

This is a heartfelt message from God to His people, Israel. After He delivered them incredibly from Egypt, they were unfaithful, and here He painfully recounts His love to his straying children and the hardness of punishing them when He truly wants to gather them up like a hen gathers her chicks under her wings (Luke 13:34).

He was their Father. He hated the pain. And one day, He will rescue His children.

And whatever you're facing today, you have a God to call Father.

Yes, there's trials. But joy - He even allows those trials to produce perseverance, character, and hope, and the lovely thing is that HOPE isn't in some far-off dream but in a concrete reality He promises that WILL come to pass.

Jesus will come back.

He will restore this broken world to something beautiful and Eden-like.

He will give us resurrection bodies of glory.

No more pain.

Tears.

Loneliness.

Fear.

Sin.

Death.

All that will be removed with this earth's curse because God will win and defeat the enemy once and for all.

But right now, He painfully waits, knowing we hurt. And He bids us believe.

That's what The Way of the King is about. It's about keeping the loyalty in the darkest of days. It's about holding onto Hope. It's about the King being worthy.

((the book releases in SIX DAYS! Preorder here!))

And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; and perseverance, character; and character, hope. Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.

Romans 5:3-5

~♥~

 

Meet the Character on the Book Cover

 

The Way of the King releases in 11 DAYS, and today I get to introduce you to the character on the cover--a man who's a warrior who doesn't know he can fight, a musician who lost his music, and a once-boy who forgot he has permission to dream and that laying his life down for the King's dreams can change the course of the Kingdom.

Meet Othniel.

As I reread The Torch Keepers after so many years, I got to be introduced again to little Othniel.

In a barren desert with arid heat and blasts from sandstorms, a little city rises up, and in the very center is what Oth's heart loves best: the dancehall.

Marbled floors and ceilings with skylights adorn the hall, and tapestries of woven colors tell stories of the Kingdom. But he always finds himself running with eager legs to the elevated dais where instruments wait. Even with child fingers, the upcoming protégé tunes woodwinds, polishes their glossy sides, and makes the laude-chorda fill the room with music that stirs hearts. In hours, the city will rejoice in the new year celebration with feasting and dancing, and Oth gets to make music as they worship the King.

The celebration never happens.

Enemies besiege the city. Death ensues. 

And as The Torch Keepers ends, we never hear from Othniel again. This story seems lost.

But it's only the beginning.

As The Way of the King opens more than a decade later, you get to meet the man on the cover.

Oth's broken--a one-armed man with a broken past who gave up music forever and rejected the King.

After years of pain and suffering, he banded together with wanderers who established their own fortress deep in the western mountains, carving out an intricate network of cave tunnels to be their place of safety.

He's a leader. He's strong. He has an army beneath him but gets to enjoy life with fellow citizens as they build an owlery in the caves and celebrate their freedom.

But his half-arm reminds him of the past. Any hint of music makes his body freeze in fear, and he becomes a runner, pacing through a western world edged with smoking volcanoes, because he lost his purpose for the King who seemingly took so much from him.

That's the man you get to meet in The Way of the King.

"His stories are beautiful, even if they're hard." (Kadira) laughed, then looked at me, quiet. "Would you tell me your story, Oth?" ...

I pulled away... "Not all stories," I whispered. "They're not all beautiful."

The memories. Fire. Explosion. Someone screaming, thrusting away, and burning pain in my arm. Darkness.

Kadira grabbed my hand, and her eyes were fiery. "Oth," she said, "only without the King they're not. But he can change that."

Writing Oth's part of the story was a lovely part of the book-writing process... but it was hard.

I sat with fingers itching to write, to be faithful in this calling God gave me... but I didn't know his story.

The book follows three characters, and Kadira's was easy. Her tale has been growing and begging to be written for years. But Oth and Rekem's came slowly, from hours of pressing forward and leaning into God.

In Oth's, I got to experience cave life, weave loose ends of The Torch Keepers from his past (it makes reading the first book even more fun!!), and write about someone with an amputation and how much value and purpose his life had, how the King could bring so much good out of what he'd lost, and that even with part of his body missing, Oth was completely loved and utterly desired for the King's grand purposes. He was a warrior.

Sometimes writing looked like me stumbling to remember which arm was his full arm (left or right?) and being shocked at the amazingness and ingenuity of people who live with that every day.

And I believe more than ever:

every person is called to be a warrior for our King.

every person is beckoned to surrender themselves to a purpose He has that's grander than what they could ever envision.

And He gives us everything we need.

Our decision:

will we trust?

I rejoice because God promises a Day when He will return and bring restoration to broken bodies... from food allergies to sicknesses and even restoring missing limbs and opening the eyes of the blind!

And today, we're called to keep the loyalty. He is worth it, and the battle will be won.

Othniel had to decide for himself if the King was worth it, and his story is a heart-felt one of suffering, humility, and heroism (and it's amazing, and you should totally read it XD).

The Way of the King will be released August 1, but preorder on Kindle just opened! Click here!

Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened,
And the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped.
Then the lame shall leap like a deer,
And the tongue of the dumb sing.
For waters shall burst forth in the wilderness,
And streams in the desert.

Isaiah 35:5-6

~♥~

Ready for a Brand-new Book Cover?

 

Once upon a time, I woke up with God pouring out story ideas, and I couldn't argue that I was too busy working on another book, because it was so clear that this was Him.

A year and a half later, the first book was published, but it was only the start. Because there was a continuation, a satisfying, beautifully urgent, and war-cry ending that was yet to be written.

Every step of the way was a fight to be loyal to Jesus:

There was editing that was overwhelming and beyond me.

There were days I had no creativity but sat down to write as an act of worship anyway.

There were moments of formatting that seemed endless and minute as I cried out to God.

But I type here to declare that God is faithful. This story is beautifully beyond me, and I'm humbled that He chose me for His work and said, "this story is for her, and I will give her all she needs to complete it."

((And I cannot wait for you to read it, eep!!!))

So today, I'm celebrating by sharing the never-before-seen cover of The Way of the King: a fantasy, allegory novel (AND a giveaway)!

Are you ready?!?!?!?!?

The Way of the King

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(coming August 1, 2023)

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designed by the lovely Megan McCullough...

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 presents

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about the book

As the Kingdom of Érkeos collapses in revolution, three unlikely heroes must keep the loyalty through the darkest of days.

Three months after The Torch Keepers ends, Kadira, a warrior-defector from the Prince’s Liberation army, flees into the mountains as a big sister to a family of orphans. Her eyes mark her as a Torch Keeper for the King, an enemy to the Prince.

Behind her, Rekém rises to power over the city that was once the children’s home. As the Prince’s brother, he is forced to become a leader yet is drawn to humble hunting trips where he remembers dreams he once had. In mountain forests, Rekém discovers dangerous secrets he can’t escape from.

And deep in the throngs of cave tunnels, a musician missing half his arm builds his own fortress, not knowing that two armies close in. When the sides collide, the heroes must decide if the one they follow is truly worthy of every sacrifice. It seems the future of Érkeos is in the hands of a King who's never been seen.

And to celebrate...

a giveaway!

• a beautiful, ceramic mug (that just matches the books *giggles*)
  
  
• organic hibiscus berry tea
  
  
• + coconut water & mimosa flower bath bombs (that smell so good that I use them as air fresheners!)

Enter by dropping a comment below! Share what you're most excited for about this book or send to a friend!

God is so good and faithful and worthy of following, and He fills life with celebrations to praise Him in! So let's do it. ;)

Now to the One who is able to keep you from faltering beyond recovery and to bring you before His glorious presence without blemish and with great joy, to the only God, our Savior, through Jesus the Messiah our Lord, be glory, majesty, supremacy, and authority, before all ages and now and forever into all the ages. Amen.

Jude 1:24-25 

~♥~ 

A Battle Cry of Encouragement

There's a city with war-torn walls, and the enemy draws near. The defenses have crumbled to rubble piles that tiny creatures scurry beneath, and the fresh wind that quivers the rough homes traverse the same path that foreign armies can march. The war is almost upon them.

So they grab swords in one hand, tools in the other, and they begin at their homes.

The people work.

They raise a wall, ready to fight or build, because this city is the Lord's, and the work will be completed.

Recently, our church family studied the story of Nehemiah.

It's an account of Israel--a people chosen by God who rejected Him and were thus sentenced to exile and their homes fell apart to rubble. Years later, a remnant returned to find Jerusalem in shambles and enemies darting in with angry threats.

But God had a plan.

And His people put their trust in Him and got to work with swords and tools. They began at their homes and made sure that in the place God set before them, a wall was built. They worked in a battlefield.

Live your lives in union with Me, and I will live My life in union with you.

 

And it reminds me of a favorite scene from my soon-to-be-released fantasy novel, The Way of the King.

As tension rises, Kadira finds herself surrounded by enemies, and one of her closest friends chooses to defect to the opposing side. Broken, she finds maybe her last friend--a man wounded and imprisoned in the same enemy's prison cell.

Kadira's hurting. Alone. Afraid.

She loves her King and would lay down her life for him, but the weight is so much.

And in the darkness of prison cells where the treacherous Prince's green fire burns like an emerald snake, she meets her friend in similar dire circumstances, and the words of encouragement could make me cry.

I AM the vine, and you are the branches. If someone is living his life in union with Me, and I in union with him, he will produce much fruit; for apart from Me you can accomplish nothing.

Kadira and her friend stand, metal bars separating them, but they know the King is worth it, and He will win. So they stand strong.

And before she leaves, he whispers to her,

keep running.

Because yes, it's a race and she's tired and exhausted and ready to give up and fall, but no. Keep running.

And I think the people during Nehemiah's time had a similar call ringing in their ears: keep going. keep building. keep working. This is for our God, and He will provide, protect; He will win.

Today, I needed that too. Maybe you do as well.

Because life can be hard. Races aren't easy strolls through "Sound of Music" hills. The ground might be rocky, your knees may be bruised or bleeding, or maybe you're completely out of breath.

Friend, keep running.

Maybe there's city walls falling all around you, and the only defense is that little pile of stones in front of your home. But God can use that wall, and He can defeat the enemy. So let's move to the next house and help them build too.

Or go to the runner who has fallen, take his hand, and help him keep going.

Here's where it starts:

If you are living in union with Me, and My words are dwelling inside of you, you may ask for whatever it is that is on your hearts, and it will be done for you.

 

It starts with me and Jesus.

You and Jesus.

Knowing He is worthy and that if He has called you to this moment, He also has given you everything you need for it (2 Peter 1:3).

He is a loving, tender God of rest and grace, and He will supply all you need.

To fight, we abide. Remain. Live in union with Him.

Like Nehemiah building the wall and Kadira and her friend fighting onward for their King. And I can't tell you the end of The Way of the King (as that would give away way too many spoilers!), but Nehemiah's story is already published. ;)  And part of the ending is an entire parade of musicians traversing the finished wall and ending up at the House of the Lord where they filled the city with song and yelled their praises so loud that they could be heard from afar off.

That's what I call victory!

So I encourage you: keep running. keep building.

Pursuing Jesus has changed my life forever, and He can do the same for you, Friend! ♥

((verse snippets from John 15))

The same kind of love that the Father has shown me, I, likewise, have shown you. You must continue in My love...

You will continue in My love if you obey the commandments you have received from Me...

~♥~ 

How a Christian Endures Trials || (and I went on a race)

dear reader,

this is a post for the one traveling through a desert

and seeking a Promised Land.

don't give up hope.

I go running every week, and people ask me if I enjoy it.

That makes me laugh. ;)

I think of how my body literally hurts all over, how my lungs feel like they could explode, and how the sun beats down and wants to wither me like a raisin sweltered in the desert heat. I'll look up a hill and count mailboxes as I pass painstakingly slow knowing there's only four more, three more, two more until the finish line!

But I run again. And again. And somehow, yes I do enjoy it. Just like I did that three-tier race in April--running, boating, and biking--even though it was hard, it was beautiful and good.

Maybe that's because when I do this hard thing, it grows me, and I'm stronger and can say, panting, "God did it. He got me up the hill."

Instead of focusing on the pain, I run thinking of the prize: the cold cup of water waiting in an AC home that I can enjoy with the satisfaction that I did something hard and overcame.

Lately, God has been taking this idea further as life throws real-life trials in my face, and through the temptations to focus on the heat, the pain, the stretching, He whispers, count it all joy.

Consider it the truly greatest of joy whenever you find yourselves being beset, my brothers, by trials and temptations of various kinds, since you know that the testing of your faith results in patient endurance.

- James 1:2

But how, Father? How can my painfully weak self rejoice? 

I look at something impossible.

He reminds me, it results in patience. There's a reward.

So I run.

But what makes it worth it is when I realize my Jesus did the same thing before me. And He gave thanks.

Then He took a cup of wine and, after giving thanks, said... "This cup is the new covenant in My blood, which is about to be poured out in your place."

- Luke 22:17, 20 

 

 

How? How could a Man understand that He was about to go through the most intense, painful agony, spilling His own blood for people who would mock and betray Him? And He thanked God for it? What impossibility!

He went a step further...

Then He took some bread and, after giving thanks, broke it and gave it to the disciples, saying, "This is My body, which is about to be offered up in your place..."

- Luke 22:19 

He thanked God twice.

This is the Jesus I follow.

He was a perfect Man who let His body be broken because He loved us that much.

Jesus was the Passover lamb in Exodus 12 that had to be slaughtered so that the Lord would pass over His people who were marked with the lamb's blood, and thus they were saved while the enemy received punishment. In the same way, I stand in a world torn by sin and death, but I'm washed in His blood and am clean, forgiven, covered.

But after that, God's people still wandered in a desert. They hadn't entered the Promised Land.

And that's why we're walking in a desert today.

These trials, these pains, these things that hurt and confuse, we can give thanks in them because a Promised Land is coming when our King who also suffered will come from Heaven, restore this earth, and establish His Kingdom in it! Wrong will be destroyed, our bodies will be freshly new, and Eden will spread across this broken land.

That's why Jesus endured. He knew there was a joy set before Him.

...run the race set before us with patient endurance, keeping our eyes fixed on the One who pioneered our faith and makes it blameless, that is, on Jesus, who for the joy set before Him patiently endured the cross, thinking nothing of the shame of that kind of death, and now sits at the very right hand of the throne of God.

- Hebrews 12:1-2 

It starts with a Lamb giving His blood, and we can travel on knowing He will be victorious.

So consider it joy.

Oh friend, consider it joy!

 

When we run and sweat and hurt, may we know it's drawing us to the finish line and making us more into the person He always intended us to be.

Beautiful.

Whole.

Holy.

A person that can walk and talk with God as we did in the garden of Eden.

And that's how we endure.

God does impossible things like that.

God's been putting this urging on my heart over the last weeks, and I hope it blesses you! I was inspired by my lovely friend Laurel, and you can read another hug of encouragement on her website here!

And, just sayin', my favorite book is about to come out and is stuffed full of encouragement for the soul fighting to be loyal to their King. ;) Keep your eyes out for a cover reveal soon!

You're so loved, friend. Travel on!

((photos credit to Alesha who photographed a triathlon I got to be part of))

~♥~

Presenting... (a book title reveal + more!)

 

Are you ready for a book title reveal?!

coming this summer...

an epic novel...

of suspenseful adventure...

life-altering truth...

and a beautifully, emotionally gripping tale...

presenting:

 

THE WAY OF THE KING

((an allegorical fantasy novel and sequel to The Torch Keepers))

Want a sneak peek?

 

Picking up three months after The Torch Keepers ended, this novel holds the epic adventures, heart-wrenching secrets, and life-altering truths of three beloved characters from the first book—a warrior-defector who becomes a big sister to a family of orphans while fleeing the enemy, a man with a half arm who leads an underground fortress, and a city ruler who wishes he could escape. As the future of the Kingdom hangs in the balance, the unlikely heroes must not only choose their sides but now keep their loyalty through the darkest days. When two sides collide, they must decide if the one they follow is truly worthy of every sacrifice. It seems the future of Erkeos is in the hands of a King who's never been seen.

 

 

Ahh, this story has all the feels! Adventure, emotion, truth. I can’t wait!

In 2018, God gave me the story of The Torch Keepers, and this novel came soon after. So I was faithful with the first book as this new story tickled at my mind, begging to be written. As readers finished The Torch Keepers and noted all the loose ends and unfinished stories, I couldn’t wait for them to read the completion!

But it wasn’t time until now.

Because sometimes God must teach us, grow us, and care for the roots before the bud is fully ready to open. He knew every aspect of this book and its passionate message, but I wasn’t ready as a disciple of Jesus.

Even as I wrap up last edits, I’m praying, seeking, and pursuing Him. And He is making it even more beautiful.

But how did The Way of the King come to be?

 

BEHIND THE TITLE

 

These two books are based on Isaiah 35, and the ending of the chapter is gorgeous as it describes a day when Jesus returns and all is made new:

 

A highway shall be there, and a road,

And it shall be called the Highway of Holiness.

The unclean shall not pass over it,

But it shall be for others.

Whoever walks the road, although a fool,

Shall not go astray...

And the ransomed of the LORD shall return,

And come to Zion with singing,

With everlasting joy on their heads.

They shall obtain joy and gladness,

And sorrow and sighing shall flee away.

Isaiah 35:8, 10

When I read that, the Lord whispered a title:

The Way of the King.

In the Bible, those words jumped out at me over and over again, and it was perfect and beautiful for this story!

((writing advice: however God leads is a good idea, no matter what!))

As I read Isaiah, I picture that road crossing through a desert land where all is dry and barren. It's a road where God’s people were. A road that leads to joy and gladness, to the city of the LORD where He will reign as King. I imagine Israel and God’s people singing on that Day.

Sometimes it’s a hard journey, a painful one of sacrifices and ridicule and persecution.

But it’s the way of the King, and He is worthy.

In Acts, followers of Jesus were called those “of the Way” (Acts 9:2), and as I wrote this book, I heard the invitation:

will you follow the way of Jesus?

In my life, there were days when the cost felt so high, and I had to decide if He was worthy of following. He required all of me. I put both sides on the scale and honestly asked myself if Jesus was worth it. Would I follow the way of Jesus?

That’s the question my characters ask.

In The Torch Keepers, the question was:

Choose your side.

And now the tension mounts as the characters go one step further:

Keep the loyalty.

Blessed are those who keep His testimonies...

They walk in His ways. 

Psalm 119:2-3

 

I've considered honestly if Jesus is worth it, and the answer is a resounding “yes!” I have known Jesus as the dearest friend, the closest comforter, the kindest encourager and confronter, the One who loves me more than anything. He gave up all for me so that I can walk forgiven + righteous before God, dance in freedom, talk freely with the Creator of the universe and know His future hope for me. Jesus is worthy.

I’m a disciple following the way of Jesus.

Teach me Your statutes.

Make me understand the way of Your precepts...

Remove from me the way of lying...

I have chosen the way of truth.

Psalm 119:26-27, 29-30

Oh friend, if there was any way to convince every soul that Jesus is worthy, I’d do it! Through this novel’s drafting, I watched people I love make the decision on both sides. Some chose to keep the loyalty. Others decided He wasn’t worth it.

But Jesus has changed my life. He’s offered hope and love and mercy. He makes us completely free and offers incredible purpose!. There’s nothing more valuable than knowing Him!

Every reader who explores the story within The Way of the King must decide for themselves.

You can’t just choose your side and then remain apathetic. This changes everything. Will you keep the loyalty? Will you be a disciple?

  

Teach me, O Lord, the way of Your statutes,

And I shall keep it to the end...

And revive me in Your way.

Psalm 119:33, 37

As you walk in your own journey with Jesus, may we both count the cost and realize overwhelmingly that He is worthy and beautiful, and may we walk in the way of the King. ♥ *bear hugs*

((and keep your eyes open for a book cover reveal!!))

Jesus said to him, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me."

John 14:6

~♥~

Coming this Summer... (guess the book title!)

Hi Friend!!

Ahh, I'm excited for this. I'm actually about to pack up my little sisters for their ballet and gymnastic lessons (so cute!) and then party as my other sister comes home who's been gone for two weeks on a mission's trip (one sibling gone out of 8 others is a huge hole for real!), but I had to get on and share that you get to have some bookish fun!!

Ahh! Here you go:

Four years ago, God gave me a story. Right after that, as I dug through the Bible, He whispered its name, and it was perfect. No laughter about having a title before the book was started could stop me because I knew it was Him.

And somehow, this book just finished going through its editor, and I'm about to tackle the list of changes (just a few *cough*) then format this book for a summer 2023 release!

So it's time to celebrate! I can't wait to throw out all the details of this new book: the characters, feels, story behind the title, so many truths God slipped into the adventures, and how He was faithful every single time and turned this into my favorite book I've ever written. He was so, so good in every step of this project, and I wanna share those testimonies. I think you're gonna be swept away by the epic adventures in this book!

But first, it's your turn to start the reveal!

((picture it like taking the first whack at a piñata to spill out the candy or clicking the "on" switch of a bubble machine to fill the air with them!)) *wink*

Take a guess! Comment below with the genre + title of the new release! Be as serious or fun-loving as you want, then in a few days, I'll get to share all the funnnnn!

And here's a hint to get you started: the first letters of the title!

Guess the book title below, and let's have fun!! 

...holy is His name!
His steadfast love endures from generation to generation for those who fear Him!

- Luke 1:49-50 

~♥~