Ever since I was small, I enjoyed writing. When we studied about the Civil War I wrote a 'Civil War journal' as a Yankee girl during that era and it evolved into my first 'story' Amongst the Roses. It took me over four years but I enjoyed writing each girl's romantic adventures and all the silly, little girl details. Then came Prairie Hope...again, not focused on the Lord, though I did intertwine Christian themes, but it was focused on my rather immature fascination with storybook romances. As the Lord grew me, I began to take some of my favorite fictional heroines' advice with my writing. Jo March and Anne Shirley are two who learned this valuable lesson in their writing journeys: write what you know.
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As I grew older and the Lord continued to reveal more of Himself and HIs will for my life (all the little facets!), I realized that everything I do or said mattered. The same way with my writing. When I began one of my novels, God's Will, I wrote it based on some of the physical and emotional struggles I had gone through after learning I had a disability. It was a far cry from the lighthearted, 'fluff' of my two earlier stories. It wasn't until I was about half way through it, that the Lord really gave me a vision for this story and all my writing: to present the Gospel unashamedly and point whoever may read what I write, to the Lord.
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It's hard, a daily process, of surrendering all efforts and works to the Lord. The same is true for my writing. It is His, not mine...He takes so many posts, and articles submitted elsewhere, and completely changes them and me in the process as I resist in my pride. ILooking back, I am so thankful He did change so many posts and articles because when I write, I'm not preaching. I'm speaking out of and to my own heart at the same time.
