I have a huge announcement that I am so excited to make: To the End of Her Days: A Fanfiction Sequel to The Lord of the Rings, the first book I ever completed, is now available as an eBook download! A few of you have been anticipating this release for a while. The rest of you are probably surprised to hear that I've been working on this for 16 years. It's hard to describe what it's like to finally share this project, since I starting working on it when I was only 13 years old. But I have poured so much of myself into this book and have received many positive reviews from those that have read it over the course of its development, so I am excited to finally share it with my friends and family in a tangible way, something I once thought wasn't possible due to copyright restrictions.

With this in mind, I want to ask for your help. One of my greater reasons for sharing this story is to see how it's received. If it's well received, then I plan to remove Middle-earth from the story to officially publish it. But I need you to read and review it in order for that to happen!

Curious if this book is right for you? Find the answers to your questions and the download links on the page for the book: To the End of Her Days Fanfiction

I am so excited to see everyone's reactions to this book. I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it. Let me know if you have any questions

We are currently living in unprecedented times. As we are navigating the covid-19 pandemic, many of us are uncertain about the future. We are unsure how long it will be before we can leave our homes without fear. We are unsure where our next paycheck is going to come from. We are unsure when we will times will return to normal. As we try to figure out where to go next, we often struggle to turn to the best source of strength and hope: our Lord and Savior. As I have tried to figure out how to navigate this pandemic, some of the books I've reviewed have come to my mind and have helped me to find joy and peace in the middle of difficult circumstances. If you are looking for books to read during this time, I give you 5 recommendations as a place to start:

A powerful story of a young women who learned to hope through a series of difficult and trying circumstances, Daring to Hope is an inspiring testimony that will encourage you, regardless of what season you are currently facing (as is her previous book Kisses from Katie).

To check out my review of Daring to Hope, click here.

A collection of stories from their personal lives, the lives of friends, and the lives of characters from the biblical narrative, this book is a powerful reminder that we can trust God to work in any and every season of our lives.

To check out my review of You Can Trust God to Write Your Story, click here.

A biblical exploration of the concepts of gratitude, this virtue is important for us to develop, especially with the circumstances that we are currently facing. Our outlook on our circumstances will change significantly if we learn to choose gratitude in any and every season of our lives.

To read my review of Choosing Gratitude, click here.

One of the best books I've read about trials and suffering, Through the Eyes of a Lion is a book designed to help you face your current and future trials in the strength of Christ. When we face painful situations head on instead of hiding from it, we find the strength to "run toward the roar".

To read my review of Through the Eyes of a Lion, click here.

An incredible perspective on prayer, The Circle Maker is the perspective you need to help you change your prayer life. I am currently read through the devotional book Draw the Circle and enjoy its unique perspective on how to pray for God's glory in all that we face. 

​To read my review of The Circle Maker, click here.

Have you read any of these books? Are there any books that you would add to this list? Be watching for more recommendations over the next month!

So excited to share that the trailer for my book is now available on YouTube! Please share either this blog post or the YouTube link! I am also excited to be working on a video series for the book on YouTube and possibly a live event for the book! If you want to learn more, make sure to stay tuned!

I am so happy to announce that my book, Beyond Your Wardrobe, is now available on Amazon and Barnes & Noble. For more information about ordering and early order bonuses, check out my book page. Hope that many of you will consider purchasing it and joining me on a journey to embracing the freedom found in modesty.

For this next sneak peek of Beyond Your Wardrobe, I am going to share an excerpt from chapter 5 - "It's What's Inside that Counts." My next post about the book will be when it is finally available. If you want to learn more, stay tuned to this blog!

One of the problems I see with the way modesty is addressed in many churches is that it is almost exclusively based on the clothes you wear. Although some churches get it right, others struggle with making it all about the rules without addressing your heart attitude. The truth is that attitude is everything when it comes to modesty. Most of us don’t think of that, but it remains true:

The way that you dress reflects the condition of your heart.

This concept really should make you think twice when you get dressed in the morning. Your outside reflects what’s happening inside your heart. This means that there may be times when a woman may be appropriately covered, but because she still has an unhealthy desire for attention, she has an immodest attitude. In moments when I encounter young women like this, it grieves me to see them reflecting the struggles of their hearts in their clothing choices. This is why it’s important to make sure your insides match your outsides.

Before we dive into the main passage for this chapter, I want to take a look at a story about when one of God’s prophets had to learn a lesson about physical beauty. Samuel would be the last of the judges that reigned over Israel when they were governed by a theocracy (letting God be their king with human judges being God’s spokesman), but the people insisted on having a king so that they could be like the nations around them. Samuel was upset that they wouldn’t listen to God, but God assured Samuel that it would be alright and that He would reveal the right man to Samuel. The man God chose was named Saul. Through a series of events, Saul and one of his father’s servants found themselves in the same town as Samuel and God revealed that this man was meant to be king. Samuel probably knew Saul was king material from the first time he looked at him. The Scriptures tell us that Saul was tall and handsome (1 Samuel 9:2). Anointing him probably seemed like a no-brainer. God said Saul would be the one to save Israel from the Philistines. It all sounded very promising.

However, it didn’t take very long for King Saul to stop listening to the Lord’s instruction. On more than one occasion, Saul only obeyed part of the Lord’s commands instead of all of them. He started to try to solve problems on his own and do things his way. After multiple offenses and warnings, Samuel declared that the Lord had rejected Saul as king and would choose another to take his place. Eventually, the Lord would send Samuel to see Jesse of Bethlehem to choose one of his sons to anoint as the next king of Israel. To make sure that Saul would not discover his plan, God told Samuel to invite Jesse and his sons to offer a sacrifice with him. As they were doing so, Samuel saw Jesse’s oldest son, Eliab. Samuel thought for sure that he would be the Lord’s anointed. But God said to him,

“Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him. For the Lord sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” (1 Samuel 16:7 ESV)

At the end of the day, after seeing seven of Jesse’s sons, Samuel asked to see the youngest. When David arrived, straight from the fields with the herds, the Lord confirmed that he would be the Lord’s anointed.

I think it’s interesting to note that although David was described as having beautiful eyes, he was also described as being “ruddy,” or reddish, in appearance. I believe that David didn’t immediately strike Samuel’s eye as being king material, especially since Saul had been tall and handsome. I think that’s part of the reason that the Lord had to essentially tell Samuel, “I’m picking this man for his heart, not his appearance. Be prepared, because this guy might not be much to look at.”
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We live in a world where we judge everyone and everything by external appearances. But in this story, we learn that God doesn’t judge a book by its cover. He cares more about our hearts being in line with His will than He does about our physical appearance. Saul might have been easy on the eyes, but he didn’t have his heart in line with the Lord. David, on the other hand, may not have been much to look at as a ruddy shepherd, but he had the heart willing to do what God asked of him. He later became remembered as a man after God’s own heart. Like David, if your heart is in the right place, that makes you beautiful to God, no matter what anyone else says. I believe that this is a lesson that we all need to learn...

Like what you read so far? Then make plans to order your copy of Beyond Your Wardrobe today! Preorder is available now for the ebook through any of the following links:

Paperback will be available on Amazon and
​Barnes & Noble by February 21, 2020.