As a child, I loved reading. Little House on the Prairie and the Love Comes Softly series by Janette Oke were my favorites. I also loved Beverly Cleary books as a younger girl and the Sweet Valley High books in middle school.
In high school, I didn't find a lot of time to read and didn't pick up many book recreationally until my twenties. I would always look for Christian fiction, but quickly grew tired of the same old story. Woman had a job, but is unfulfilled. She meets a man, often one that is not interested in her or that she doesn't like. Fast-forward after several chance encounters and several missteps and VOILA!, they fall in love. Bleck. That works for a Hallmark movie for me that I'm only required to invest less than 2 hours in. But not for a book.
Hours of time go into reading a book. Sometimes just finding a book that looks interesting takes a lot of time. That is, until I found the author Karen Kingsbury. I fell in love with her writing style. Yeah, often times the girl gets the guy, but she built real-life obstacles into her story, real-life struggles, real-life emotions. Honestly, I never get through one of her books without laughing AND crying...sometimes equally.
She is able to present a story and transport me into the life of these characters. And RARELY can I put her book down, most often completing each one within a day. I actually have to impose limits on how many I'll read and how often otherwise I'll lose weeks of my life in her stories.
Bottom line, I trust Karen. To be very honest, I rarely read anyone else anymore. I'm even currently waiting on my Barnes & Noble order to arrive which will bring Karen's latest novel right to my door. I know that when I give my time to Karen, she will respect my Christian beliefs, she will bring characters into my life that I will love (and a few I'll dislike a LOT), and she will not dumb down the female characters and the male characters will be strong, godly leaders.
As I went to bed last night, I talked to God for a few minutes like I often do. The topic isn't important (well, it is to me, but it's not important to this story), but I was asking Him about something I've long prayed for. And all of a sudden a bible verse came to mind, one I'm pretty sure God sent directly to me to bring some of my answer to that prayer: "I am the author and finisher of your faith."
Wow. He reminded me to trust the author of my story...THE AUTHOR. With all due respect to Karen, even she couldn't write a more perfect story!
God is writing my story. He has brought all the characters into my story, some to last a lifetime with me, some to be antagonists and be removed, some to encourage me for a time, some to distract me, some to be lifelong friends. He has brought events into play, some extremely painful for seasons that seemed they would never end, some so joyous I prayed they would never end and then some mundane things to pass the time. He has taken me on adventures, had me living all over the country, let me experience different cultures and shown me the oceans. And, in the still quiet moments as I drift off to sleep, He has encouraged me with His Words.
As I fell asleep last night, I was encouraged by the rest of the passage in Hebrews that He reminded me of and I pray His Words bring joy and comfort to you where ever you are in your story. Oh, my friend, I do pray you remember to trust your Author. 💖
"Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God." Hebrews 12:1-2
In high school, I didn't find a lot of time to read and didn't pick up many book recreationally until my twenties. I would always look for Christian fiction, but quickly grew tired of the same old story. Woman had a job, but is unfulfilled. She meets a man, often one that is not interested in her or that she doesn't like. Fast-forward after several chance encounters and several missteps and VOILA!, they fall in love. Bleck. That works for a Hallmark movie for me that I'm only required to invest less than 2 hours in. But not for a book.
Hours of time go into reading a book. Sometimes just finding a book that looks interesting takes a lot of time. That is, until I found the author Karen Kingsbury. I fell in love with her writing style. Yeah, often times the girl gets the guy, but she built real-life obstacles into her story, real-life struggles, real-life emotions. Honestly, I never get through one of her books without laughing AND crying...sometimes equally.
She is able to present a story and transport me into the life of these characters. And RARELY can I put her book down, most often completing each one within a day. I actually have to impose limits on how many I'll read and how often otherwise I'll lose weeks of my life in her stories.
Bottom line, I trust Karen. To be very honest, I rarely read anyone else anymore. I'm even currently waiting on my Barnes & Noble order to arrive which will bring Karen's latest novel right to my door. I know that when I give my time to Karen, she will respect my Christian beliefs, she will bring characters into my life that I will love (and a few I'll dislike a LOT), and she will not dumb down the female characters and the male characters will be strong, godly leaders.
As I went to bed last night, I talked to God for a few minutes like I often do. The topic isn't important (well, it is to me, but it's not important to this story), but I was asking Him about something I've long prayed for. And all of a sudden a bible verse came to mind, one I'm pretty sure God sent directly to me to bring some of my answer to that prayer: "I am the author and finisher of your faith."
Wow. He reminded me to trust the author of my story...THE AUTHOR. With all due respect to Karen, even she couldn't write a more perfect story!
God is writing my story. He has brought all the characters into my story, some to last a lifetime with me, some to be antagonists and be removed, some to encourage me for a time, some to distract me, some to be lifelong friends. He has brought events into play, some extremely painful for seasons that seemed they would never end, some so joyous I prayed they would never end and then some mundane things to pass the time. He has taken me on adventures, had me living all over the country, let me experience different cultures and shown me the oceans. And, in the still quiet moments as I drift off to sleep, He has encouraged me with His Words.
As I fell asleep last night, I was encouraged by the rest of the passage in Hebrews that He reminded me of and I pray His Words bring joy and comfort to you where ever you are in your story. Oh, my friend, I do pray you remember to trust your Author. 💖
"Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God." Hebrews 12:1-2
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