I had it in my head to share my thoughts of winter trying to turn to spring in my beloved Michigan, however that will happen next time. God turned my thoughts and had me examining the sense of joy, of contentment, and of excitement that I’m feeling these days. Rather like many of you get when spring is on the way!
For years I’ve had the desire to write. I’ve dabbled. I’ve taken classes. And I didn’t do anything with it because I allowed the enemy to whisper to me. “You have nothing worth reading.” “Boy, aren’t you the arrogant one? Thinking people should read what you write.” And there was always, “That sounds really stupid. Don’t do it. You’ll embarrass yourself.” Can anyone relate?
Over the course of the last year I began to brush off my dreams. As you know, I’m working on my first children’s book; that is ongoing. But since December of 2016 I’ve also become a book reviewer for many authors.
I love to read and I’m always looking for great books. But how and who? What writers can I trust? My friend Sarah is a reviewer and she shared her love of reviewing and why she does it. And something resonated in me. I read. I write. Why couldn’t I do both? So after a few pointers from her I’m off and running! As I post reviews I hope you see something you enjoy and check it out. Although we all have different tastes, know that you can trust me to tell you the truth about what I read.
I also have the great pleasure of being on the teams of authors Amy Clipston, Wanda Brunstetter, and Naomi Rawlings. Meaning I read their books and I promote their books. And I get to make a lot of new friends! It is so much fun!
But how does this relate back to the feelings I touched on in the first paragraph? Joy, contentment, and excitement? I have finally, with God’s help and love, seen that I was believing lies. And I’m so excited! I may not have anything profound to share but doggone it, I’m still going to share my thoughts. You can read them. Or not. And that’s okay! The walls have tumbled and I’m free! There’s a sense of lightness inside. Writing actually makes me happy! I truly believe that God has given me some small gift to use to reach people. Nothing fancy, just me being me. I encourage you to find your happy place and do what gives you joy!
Vicky Sluiter 