Happy New Year 2025 -- Why I write

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When I started writing fiction several years ago, I decided my tagline would be "Writing Words of Hope." It is my greatest desire that each person who reads my books is pointed to our only true source of hope--Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior. My fiction books are filled with twists, turns, and romance. But those things pale in comparison to the Word of God, where we meet the main character in all of our stories--The One who loves us with an unbreakable, unmatchable, perfect love. The One who makes all other loves pale in comparison.

It's my desire that as you read my books, something in one of the characters' relationships with God resonates with you and pulls you further along in your own walk and relationship with Him. As a Christian, our walk with God is constantly changing. He never changes as He pursues us, loves us, and provides for us, but our response to Him does change and so does the way we live out our faith both outwardly and inwardly. If as Christians we believe what we say we do, it should be our goal to grow more in Christ-likeness and allow the Holy Spirit to change us (growing in the fruit of the Spirit) throughout our life.

As you read my books and works--both fiction and non-fiction, look to see how they grow you spiritually. What do you learn about His word? Check the scriptures for yourself and maybe look up crossreferences you find in your Bible, definitions of words, or study more in the chapter.

What about the lives of the characters in the fiction? Are they doing Bible studies with others, mentoring others, witnessing to others, getting involved in their community providing services in Jesus' name? Or maybe it's as simple as the character learning that they can trust God with their hard things. 

In John 4, Jesus meets with the Samaritan woman at the well and turns a conversation about drinking from the well into a spiritual one.

John 4:13-14 ESV -  Jesus said to her, "Everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again, 14 but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again. The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life."

He's talking about how He is offering people eternal life and in John 7:38-39 it explains that the living water is referring to the Holy Spirit who is given to every believer. I mention these things to say that I want my books to be more than entertainment, and to meet more than a physical need. I don't want them to be water at a simple well that you will soon need again and again, but I want them to point you to the greater book and the greater Word. the Bible and Jesus (John 1:1 ESV -  In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.)

If you read my books, I hope they challenge you to dig deeply into God's word and to drink from the well of eternal life! And as we enter a new year, I would be overjoyed if you read my books and shared them with others. But more than anything I would be overjoyed if you spent more time in the Word of God and with Him!

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.  Romans 15:13

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