This week, I witnessed the manifestation of a promise God made to me a long time ago. He began to confirm to me years ago, that I would write. It was a dream that had been put on the back burner for 30 years. I actually felt in my late teen years, God told me I would write a book some day. Well, life happened for 30 years and I didn’t even think about it much.

He kept telling me I would write and I kept telling Him I wasn’t sure and doubted. I was anointed and confirmed many times and still doubted. I was shy to call myself a “writer” for a long time. I hid it from family and friends. I began this blog way back in 2012 and the following has been very slow and remains small. I kept asking God, “are you sure?” He would often reassure me to keep going. I kept attending writing conferences, a writing group, and had a close circle of prayer warriors and writing friends who believed in my writing and that God wanted me to write.

Words of Hope is a daily devotional booklet. It is put out quarterly.

I had been working on various projects thinking I was going to write a book, when I asked about the opportunity to write for Words of Hope. I had never written a devotional in my life, but they accepted me and gave me a chance. Not only did they want me to write one, they asked for 15! So over a period of a year, I worked on them and had edits done by my writing group and friends, then later by Words of Hope. From the first inquiry, to the date of publication was about a year and a half. It took a lot of tears with inadequate feelings, loads of prayer, and this week, I finally saw the finished product!

On the left, you’ll see the introduction of all the contributing authors in this booklet. On the right, you’ll see my mini “bio.”

The promise of my first published, in print work, was in front of my face. It finally came to be. God had different plans and timing than I did.

I was going really well on some book ideas, but God decided that the devotionals would be first. They were very good practice for me. They taught me how to depend totally on Him because I had no idea what I was doing, how to be more concise, how to accept help from editors with humbleness, and mostly how to gladly accept prayer from others.

I have had health problems now in the last few months and it is intensifying. I don’t have answers yet and it will be a process. Tonight I’m sneaking in this blog post when I have a few moments of feeling better so please excuse my mistakes. I just wanted so badly to share this with my readers.

I was working on a book and going strong on it, when health issues struck me down to doing almost nill in the last month. I’m not sure when, but I’m hoping to get back to that book again. Also Words of Hope has asked me to do more devotionals, probably in about a year. So, I think that the evil one wants to keep me down.

Thank you to all who have walked this road with me. I love you, my dear church family, community, family, extended family, friends, prayer warriors, my Bible Study Fellowship friends, writing groups, and fellow authors. Yes, I guess I finally “dare” to call myself an author. I even got my first speaking request from a fellow writing group! God, it’s all in your hands.

I need His healing and helping hand. All glory to God. He will get ALL the honor and glory for any writing I do. He will also get all the honor and glory when I am healed.

Ways to obtain Words of Hope: at https://woh.org/ by mail, on Facebook, or if you want a copy from me, let me know. They can be found at many restaurants and grocery stores across the nation.