Writing From The Heart

I believe there is power in stories, offering lessons learned, and personal growth. My writing has gone through a definite progression, from poetry to Contemporary Christian fiction. It’s a movement through life’s seasons. It began with a poetry book, Promises Seeded Inside, and then an up-close-and-personal coming of age novel, Depression Cookies (rebranded Heart Chatter).

All my writing is about God leading me into the struggles and successes humans encounter every day. Brokenness. Unforgiveness. Loss of identity. Unworthiness. Addiction. Remorse. Lies. Truth. Love. Grace. Mercy. Redemption. God has taken me into the belly of human frailty and hurt. I never meant to write about it, but God kept pressing me. I had to tell the story of brokenness to reveal God’s mighty work in the lives of His people. Thus, the Cries trilogy was born: Cries of Innocence, Cries of Grace, and Cries of Mercy (due out in May 2019).

More importantly my writing is about how people maneuver through life, its highs and lows. Do they reach out in faith and determination, letting God lead them? Or do they sink under the weight of life? In both cases, their choice is determined by the condition of their heart.

“The heart of the matter is what matters to the heart.” 

“Nothing paralyzes our lives like the attitude that things can never change. We need to remind ourselves that God can change things. Outlook determines outcome. If we see only the problems, we will be defeated; but if we see the possibilities in the problems, we can have victory.” ~Warren Wiersbe

If we face challenges feeling defeated, we open the door for Satan’s entry into our situation. Satan’s evil and his intent to sabotage lives, twisting truth into lies, is so insidious it slips in unnoticed, consuming us. Desperation and anxiety, addiction and health issues often follow. 

If we face challenges in God’s victory, we rise above circumstances by trusting God to lead us to higher ground. “Adversity is not simply a tool. It is God’s most effective tool for the advancement of our spiritual lives. The circumstances and events that we see as setbacks are oftentimes the very things that launch us into periods of intense spiritual growth. Once we begin to understand this, and accept it as a spiritual fact of life, adverse situations become easier to bear.” ~Charles Stanley

How do we begin to face challenges in light of a risen Savior who loved us enough to die for us, who wants us to seek Him for strength?

1.      Believe God is who He says He is.

“I AM WHO I AM.” Exodus 3:14

People who know God’s name trust Him with their heart.

2.     Believe God can do what He says He can do.

“I am God Almighty, walk before Me, and be blameless.” Genesis 17:1

“God is Lord strong and mighty.” Psalm 24:8

“Power belongs to Him.” Psalm 62:11

“Ah Lord God! Behold, Thou hast made the heavens and the earth by Thy great power and by Thine outstretched arm! Nothing is too difficult for Thee.” Jeremiah 32:17

3.     Believe you are a child of the King, loved beyond measure.

“But to all who did receive Him, who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God.” John 1:12

4.     Believe you can get through anything with God’s help and guidance.

“I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” Philippians 4:13

5.     Believe the Word of God, study it, memorize it, sink it deep within your heart until it is alive and active within you.

“For the Word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edge sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.” Hebrews 4:12

The above statements are modified from Beth Moore’s 5 Statement Pledge of Faith in her book “Believing God”.  The first time I heard Beth Moore declare them, I wrote them on my heart as my belief statements. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve shared them with others and seen the change in their faces when they heard these powerful words. That’s why I offered these life statements to my story characters. Some received. Some didn’t. All had choices just like you and me. Navigating those choices, problem solving, and bringing it back under the authority of God, kept hope and perseverance at the forefront of their decision making. That’s my goal as an author, letting the reader see what happens when we stand in the light of our Savior verses standing alone, struggling.

Writing is my life’s joy. God is my fortress, my anchor through life.

God bless you,

Angela