He replied, “Because you have so little faith. Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.”
Matthew 17:20 

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I wanted to publish a book for as long as I can remember. Growing up, I had a lot of experiences that told me what my gifts were not. Art. Volleyball. Perfectly cracking an egg. But words—words came easy to me, and I didn’t take that lightly. 

In high school, I struggled to find novels for girls my age that were fun, but clean. I wanted to provide this for the next generation. I wanted them to have a book that made them laugh and showed them Jesus’s love.

One summer I finally decided to write that book, and by August I had a very messy first draft. The following summer I had the opportunity to attend a local writer’s conference. This is where I could get published and make my dream come true!

I arrived at the conference like a fish out of water. Attendees had briefcases, business cards, and actual published books. I had a manuscript, printed from Office Depot, in a puffy paint-decorated tote bag. I had no idea what I was doing.  

What happened at the conference should not have happened. Not without Jesus. There were people way more qualified with more experience. But I won a contest with my messy rough draft and an editor took a chance on a naïve twenty-something with no professional writing experience.

Eight years later, that messy manuscript became a real-life book, and I pray people are finding humor and love in its words. None of it would have happened if I hadn’t taken that literal first scary step into a writer’s conference.

God calls us to do things that seem impossible. Through those eight years, I faced rejection and hardship that made me want to give up, but I kept believing in what God called me to do. I took step after step until I made it to the finish line.

I still have dreams that seem impossible. But I take one step at a time in the direction God leads. I may end up at my dream, or I may end up somewhere else, but I know wherever I end up, it will be possible with God.

Next Steps

What is a dream God has put on your heart? Spend time in prayer asking him what next step you should take.