It is Finally Here!

Oh Lord, thank you for the news I get to share! This is all because of you! Thank you for the opportunities that you have given me to write what it is in my heart.  I know that my heart may want to lead me astray and become too confident that this accomplishment is all because of my ability, but I pray you remind me humbly that you are the one who gives me the words to write.  

I love to write.  I hope that was shown through my love of my weekly blog.  I hope my passion for words and messages has rang throughout my blog posts.  Because of my love of writing, I have always wanted to publish my own devotional or my own book.  I have had this dream since I was a child, but these last couple of years I have been thinking more and more about how this could possibly be accomplished.  Could I even accomplish this?  How would I really be able to see this through? Is this completely impossible?  The usual self-doubt talk was keeping me away from accomplishing or even pursuing this dream. 

But then I decided to do something, and that was to write.  I decided to start writing.  I started writing more and more for my blog.  I started to write down ideas I had for a book.  I started to brainstorm with others.  I started to have others read over my work and give me suggestions (shout out to my mom who is going to say something in the comments-yes, thank you for looking over a lot of my writings). I just generally started to write and write.  This increased even more as we were home in quarantine and after my grandpa passed.  Through the pain, I found great solace through writing.  Then I thought about the idea of writing a devotional breaking down every verse from one of the Psalms.    

Through many months of hard work of editing and writing, I have written a devotional book about psalm 66.  I spent months writing.  I initially looked at every verse in psalm 66.  I put down what I was originally thinking. Then I took some time reading through it as well as having others read through it.  There were some original entries I needed to completely rewrite and then others that only took a few edits.  If you have ever had to write a paper for class or for church or just because you desire to, you know the writing ideas part is fun, it is the editing that can take excruciating time and energy.  Writing this first devotional book has definitely been a learning experience to the hard work it takes to be a published author.  

This blog post is not only being used to talk about the exciting achievement I have to share in the writing world, but also it is being used as a sale’s pitch.  If you have never been a reader of devotionals, this one will be a good start.  It is 20 days long, a day dedicated to each verse.  It is broken down in 5 devotionals a week for four weeks along with weekly reflection questions.  It is short and easy, and follows just one chapter in the entire Bible.  

The verse that comes to my mind when I am thinking about this whole process is Proverbs 16:3, “Commit your work to the Lord, and your plans will be established.”  I have committed this plan to the Lord.  I have committed my writing to the Lord, and now I will see where it will continue to go.  I am praying I will have a continuous opportunity to write more books and blog posts that bring glory to God.  I have felt called to write as a way to grow closer to God and his beautiful love for me.  I hope that through my writing I can also show others God’s beautiful love for them as well.  

Before I end this blog post, I do want to take the time to, of course, thank those who have been involved in the making of this devotional book as well as my writing career as of yet.  I want to thank anyone who has read my blog or are a follower of my work.  I want to thank anyone who has congratulated me personally, and I am pre-thanking anyone who will purchase my book.  I want to thank my personal publishing assistant, Ben (Who is probably not reading this,but I appreciate all the work that you have done).  

Again, if you would be interested in buying a copy of my devotional, here is the link to my personal book page: books – Covenant Books.  Then below is a picture to the cover of the devotional book I have written.   God bless!