This is my story of how I came to know Jesus as a child and then again as a woman. I would LOVE to hear yours! If you don’t know Him personally or if you have questions, we would love to talk with you. Please send us a private Facebook message or feel free to comment here.​

You know those iconic small stain-glass windowed churches nestled in rolling hills? I was blessed to grow up in such a church in upstate New York. A myriad of memories flood my mind as I think back to my growing years in that church. Such memories as being baptized in a nearby very cold creek and yearly Easter sunrise services held in the back field followed by a yummy breakfast.

The most important memory, however, involves summer camp. Every summer the church members made sure we kids went off to church camp for a week. Amidst the greased pig contest and polar bear swimming club, my heart softened and permanently declared an eternal relationship with the Lover of my soul, Jesus. 

I remember stepping outside that night after my decision to trust Jesus as my Savior. I looked up at the starry expanse spread like a canopy above me. I was overcome that the Creator of the starry realm loved me. Little ole me. I felt like Maria in the Sound of Music just singing and spinning with a soaring spirit.  I was so filled with joy I could burst! I felt sure Jesus and I could conquer anything that came my way.

Years slowly slipped away and that night at camp became a definite but distant memory. My adult faith roller-coastered from joy-filled to joyless. Soon, my cup of joy was depleted. While I was active in my local church and wearing my joyful Jesus girl mask so skillfully, deep down I was miserable. 

Miserable looks different for each of us but for me, it was as if a toddler had taken paint and splattered it over a beautiful masterpiece. There was splattered paint of anger, depression, and abusive and erratic behavior. I staggered from the high of Sunday morning worship to the deep valley of despair by Sunday afternoon. I was on and off anti-depressants and sleeping pills. My marriage was rocky, and my children trembled in fear at my sudden rage.

Something needed to change. 

The joy I experienced that night years ago seemed so elusive now, possible for others but not for me. When I looked at much of what was wrong with my life - my marriage, my parenting, my friendships - I realized I was the common denominator.  I had lost the joy of my salvation. I was the Titanic headed for the iceberg. 

I needed to change.
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I was in the midst of a Beth Moore study. I had always been in awe of her vibrant, radical faith and wanted it, but thought she was blessed with something special, something that was not obtainable for the average follower of Christ. But during one session, it finally clicked! Christ’s abundant life is a promise for all believers, including me!

The smoldering ember of my faith caught a flicker of air and started to burn! 

Like a marathon runner, I began to train my flabby spiritual self hardcore. Instead of just a Sunday morning accessory, my Bible became my constant companion and lifeline. I asked the Lord, “Change me.  I am willing to do whatever it takes to have the abundant life You promised in John 10:10.”

The Four Steps I Took to Turn My Titanic Self from Destruction: 

1. Developed a Personal Bible Study Time
I was as inconsistent as an unreliable car with my quiet time. So, I determined to get up each morning before my family and spend time with the Lord.  When my rebellious flesh wanted to stay in bed a little bit longer; I would pray Psalm 42:1-2,
“As the deer pants for the water, help me long for You.”

2. Studied and Applied God's Word
I dug deep into James 3:13-18 and into the Proverbs, like Proverbs 29:11, longing to be counted among the wise instead of the fool who is controlled by anger. My constant prayer was:
“Make me wise, Lord. Help my tongue speak words of life, not death. Allow my hands to be hands of healing, not hurting.”
 
3. Really Fell in Love with Jesus
I asked the Lord to help me fall deeply in love with and trust Jesus. With a renewed hunger, I studied the four gospels and every account of Jesus’s interaction with everyday people. With new eyes, I saw His love and compassion and miraculous healing of EVERY kind of sickness and disease. I prayed,
“Help my unbelief! Help me know you love me as deeply as those You walked with all those years ago."

4. Claimed Resurrection Power
I understood Christ's power to overcome death was available to me as a believer, yet I let that power lie dormant. I knew the only way to overcome my angry, depressed, abusive self was to pray Christ's death-defeating power over myself and my weaknesses. My steady prayer was:
"I'm weak and helpless to change myself. Lord, please help me believe Your resurrection power can save me from myself!”

And slowly, unlike the Titanic, I veered around the iceberg and started to feel a change in me.
- I started having joy which lasted longer than a worship service.
- I was experiencing peace that no pill or brownie or latest purchase could bring.
- I began to love being a wife and a momma and a friend. 

I. Am. Changed! (Happy dance!)

Finally, I am experiencing the abundant life Jesus promised in John 10:10! All because the same power that raised Jesus from the grave is still available to us today! I just needed to receive it and believe it! Life has not become a bed of roses since my radical transformation. But now the joy of the Lord is my strength!  His strength makes me strong where I am weak!

Just like that night long ago, the Creator of the starry host still loves little ole me. Just as important, Jesus and I CAN conquer anything that comes my way. When given the chance, I tell all who will listen,

"Jesus saves, not only from the literal hell, but also from the hell inside of ourselves!"

That is the victory of the empty tomb, my friend. That is the victory guaranteed to each person who humbles themselves, confesses their sin, and accepts Jesus as Lord.

Oh my friend, it's NOT too late! You are NOT too far gone! The victory of the empty tomb is possible for you, also. If He can save me from a Titanic-like existence, He can do the same for you!

May you believe it and walk and flourish in the power of Christ's empty tomb this Easter and beyond! 

I often tell people that I was born in church. Well, I was actually born on the last day of February inside a hospital during a freakishly long snowstorm which my dad, who is famously known for slightly exaggerating his stories, said lasted for six weeks. He loves to tell me how he slipped on the ice while carrying my 2-year old sister into the hospital to meet me and how he had to climb the steepest hills in Bowling Green, Kentucky in all the ice and snow during that long winter while carrying his mail route.
 
Six weeks or not, it was a memorable event, forever frozen in his mind, and I’m positive that as soon as the ice melted, we found ourselves on the doorstep of Grace Baptist Church.
 
I have few recollections of my nursery and preschool church years at Grace. My earliest memory is of the red carpet in the nursery and the sea of cracker crumbs that littered it. Most Sunday mornings found me clutching a soggy cracker in one fist and the thumb of my other fist tucked securely inside my mouth while being soothed by the steady rhythm of the rocking chair.
 
Graduating from the nursery took me down the hall to the preschool room with Mrs. Betty. I remember three distinct things about Mrs. Betty: she had felt hangings on her walls, she had an infectious laugh, and she taught me the song, Jesus Loves Me. I had three constant companions named Julie, Jonathan, and Carmen. Although we moved away shortly after I turned five, I still remain in contact with them to this day. I guess that’s what happens when relationships are built around Jesus and saltines.
 
My early elementary years were spent in a small town in an unfamiliar church. The only thing that I remember about this time was that my daddy taught children’s church and he gave away the best quiet seat prizes. One morning he planned to give away a bracelet that opened up and became a pen. I wanted that bracelet SO bad!! I was determined to be the quietest, stillest child he had ever seen. I barely even breathed!! When it was time to give away the prize, he pretended to search through the sea of anxious faces before landing on mine and saying, “This little girl has been really quiet today. I think that she deserves the prize.” All the energy that I had been stuffing inside erupted into the biggest, proudest smile as I went to claim my red rubber bracelet/pen.
 
We moved again two years later and quickly found a new church. Unlike the previous church where no friendships were forged, I met a girl named Amber. I never left her side. My favorite memory was from our second grade class. We sat in little wooden chairs and an elderly woman, who loved to lead us in hymns out of old hymnals, was our teacher. To God Be the Glory was my favorite. When church service began, my family sat on our usual pew, right side about 5 rows back.
 
As the preaching began, I passed a few notes back and forth to my dad with checkboxes for his “yes” and “no” answers. Then, I would lay my head in his lap and drift off to sleep. This was our norm every single Sunday. I will never forget it.
 
After service was over, Amber and I would conspire and hit up our parents for an afternoon playdate. I would approach my daddy, cross all the toes and fingers that I could, and sweetly ask if I could go to Amber’s house. It worked every time! After a long day together, we would return for GA’s to study about a missionary and make some sort of craft such as Annie Armstrong or Lottie Moon banks out of old Pringles cans.
 
It was during this time when heaven and hell started to become very real realities for me. It occupied quite a bit of my thoughts. One day I asked my mom,
 
“What if all this heaven and hell stuff ends up not being real? What if there really isn’t a God?”
 
She paused and looked intently into my eyes. This was a make-or-break question for me so I met her gaze and waited for her answer. She replied,
 
“Well, if we believe in God and find out in the end that it was one big lie, what do we lose?”
 
“Nothing,” I answered.
 
She let that question sink in before asking another one.
 
“But, if we decide that God is not real and choose not to believe in Him and we find out in the end that we are wrong, what do we lose?”
 
“Everything,” I said.
 
That was all that I needed to hear.
 
She answered my two questions with two questions of her own and it satisfied me. I became a believer right then and there.
 
Some weeks later, she prayed with me and I asked the Lord to come into my heart.
 
On Easter Sunday 1987, at the age of 9, wearing my best dress for twirling, with weak knees and a quaking heart, I went forward to make public that I had received Jesus as my personal Lord and Savior. Easter suddenly took on a whole new meaning for me. Jesus was no longer just a one-dimensional picture that hung on my Sunday School wall. He was now inside my heart.

​I wish that this is where my salvation story ended. I wish I could tell you that I became a super Christian and never doubted, never denied, and never walked away from my faith. I wish I could say that my parent's faith was enough to sustain mine. But, I can't. And, if I could, I am 100% positive that I would be the most unrelatable person that you know.  
 
Like any good story with twists and turns, my journey of faith has many as well. Unfortunately, the teenage years squelched much of my courage to live for Christ. Jesus was safe to discuss in small doses at youth group and summer camp. I would attend these youth events and promise the Lord that I would live for Him. But, my school friends didn’t go to church with me, so, not knowing how to bridge that gap, I kept my faith tucked tightly inside of me in the public places where I should have made Him known. I cannot count the missed opportunities.
 
If high school found me swaying back and forth, college found me 100% lost. I walked out of my parent’s house and stepped outside of the protective bubble that had enclosed me my entire life. I was wayward and wandering. Nobody talked about Jesus. Nobody shared their faith. Nobody acknowledged Scripture. I filed all my memories of Jesus into the archives of my mind and set out for one thing – to have a good time.
 
It wasn’t until I met a broken boy from a broken home that the wheels on my runaway train car started to turn. Unlike me, he did not have an idyllic childhood. He didn’t win quiet seat prizes and sing To God Be the Glory every Sunday morning. He didn’t show up to church whenever the snow melted nor was he rocked soundly to sleep with a saltine in his fist. Yet, I was equally as lost as he was.
 
Our runaway trains collided with a great BLAST!  shortly after we got married. I didn’t think either of us would survive it.
 
From the wreckage, I was left with a choice – Will I reach back out to the only One who was capable of saving me, the One I had given my heart to so many Easters ago?
 
At this moment of decision, two questions came to me…
 
What would change if I didn’t reach back out to Jesus? Nothing. Absolutely nothing. And, the thought of nothing changing meant that I would continue down my own self-destructive path.
 
What would change if I did? Possibly everything.
 
His extended arm was waiting. I decided to grab hold.
 
With rubble surrounding me, I began doing things that I had never done before. First of all, I started to study the Bible. I attended Bible study whenever the doors were open. For the first time, I saw that all the seemingly disjointed stories in the Bible that I had learned my whole life – from Noah to Abraham to Joseph to Moses to David to Jonah to Daniel and even to the wee-little man named Zacchaeus – were all filled with great revelations about Jesus! I was hungry to learn more! I also began to pray.
 
Another pivotal moment came in 2006 while I was attending a weekend event called The Emmaus Walk. Prior to this weekend, the Lord and I had been sorting through some hard stuff and my once weakened faith was blossoming anew. Most importantly, I was discovering a missing piece to my salvation – a personal relationship with Jesus. 
 
But, you may be saying, “You gave your life to Jesus and publicly acknowledged Him as your Lord and Savior on that Easter Sunday long ago in your best twirly dress.” Yes, that’s right. But, the 9-year old Rebecca who had walked the aisle did so out of fear of missing out on heaven and somehow missed the memo that accepting Jesus Christ as her Savior is MORE than simply spending eternity with Him. It is about spending every day on this earth with Him, too.
 
At the end of this mountaintop weekend where the Lord wooed and wowed me into a deeper and more abiding relationship with Him, a song came on during the closing service that reduced me to a puddle of tears. In a very adult audience, the soft lyrics to that old nursery song, Jesus Loves Me, started to play. “It’s the first song that I ever learned!” I thought. "Mrs. Betty was right. Jesus DOES love me! And, He loves me just as I am."

And yet, it had taken me over 25 years to fully grasp it.
 
My heart hasn’t been the same since that day. I now live with the knowledge that Jesus does indeed love me. And, He never stopped loving me even when I didn't love Him back like I should have. He gave His life for me. And, He will be with me always. Today. Tomorrow. Forever. I don’t want to miss a second of it. I don’t want to miss the peace and joy of walking with Him today as I, with great hope, look forward to being with Him again tomorrow.

My husband will say the same. We are proof positive that it doesn’t matter whether or not you grew up with a holy saltine in your fist or found the Lord later on down a broken road. He rescues us all. He died for us all. And, He loves us all. He leaves the 99 to rescue the one. In our case, he rescued two. 

Jesus loves me this I know
For the Bible tells me so.
​
​I have loved you with an everlasting love. Jeremiah 31:3

​Neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 8:39

And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power...to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ. Ephesians 3:17-19

​These are only three of the many, many Scriptures that says how much He loves me...and how much He loves you, too. His love is everlasting, inseparable, and unmeasurable. And, most importantly, it is without conditions. He loves us JUST. AS. WE. ARE. RIGHT. NOW. Train wreck and all.
 
If you have never given your entire heart to Jesus, I beg you, do so today.

It will change everything.
​

This is my story of how I came to know Jesus. I would LOVE to hear yours! If you don’t know Him personally or if you have questions, we would love to talk with you. Please send us a private Facebook message or feel free to comment here.​

My salvation story started when I was ten years old. I was raised in church and I sat under an amazing pastor that boldly preached the Word of God. I can go back to the time like it was yesterday that the Holy Spirit was tugging on my heart! It was during the invitation at church one Sunday, as I was sitting next to my granddaddy, our pastor asked if anyone wanted to come forward and receive Christ. I couldn’t stop my feet from walking that aisle! I took my granddaddy’s hand and told him I wanted to go. So we went to the altar, I prayed and asked the Lord to save me from my sins and to be the Lord of my life.

Now I don’t have some great transformation testimony, but as I got older and the world started throwing things my way, I wasn’t always faithful to my Lord. The Holy Spirit was so real and present in my life that when I would stray from Him, such heavy conviction would come over me. When I began to question my salvation, I could always go back to that time that I gave my heart to Jesus. You see, Satan wants to make us doubt, he wants to make us believe that we are really not a child of God. We see early on in Genesis 3 how he is so deceitful. So, how do you know your heart belongs to Jesus? Well, for me, it was about the conviction I would feel when I sinned. It was the guilt that would come over me when I would disappoint my Heavenly Father. He never left my side, it was me moving farther away from Him.

When I was twenty-two, I was tired of riding the fence. I was tired of trying to please both God and man! He wanted ALL of me and I wanted ALL of Him, too. Scripture tells us in Revelation 3:15-16, “I know your deeds; you are neither cold nor hot. How I wish you were one or the other. So, because you are lukewarm--neither hot nor cold--I am about to spit you out of my mouth.” How dishonoring and displeasing my life was to my Savior, the ONE who gave me life! 

I am so thankful the Lord never gave up on me! Even when I was running, He pursued me with a love that no one or nothing else can give. I surrendered everything over to Him; my life, my job, my friends...it was all His. He has blessed my life more than I can ever imagine and much more than I ever deserve. He has made Himself so real to me that I will spend all of my days pointing others to Him and sharing the amazing love and redemption that can only be found in Christ.

Look, no matter what you have done or how far you have strayed, Jesus loves you! If you have not given your life to Him, He is waiting with arms open wide. If you are a believer, but you have strayed from the Lord, He is wanting to restore you into a right relationship with Him. Once you have given your heart to Christ, He promises this; “I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand.” (John 10: 28-29)

This is my story of how I came to know Jesus. I would LOVE to hear yours! If you don’t know Him personally or if you have questions, we would love to talk with you. Please send us a private Facebook message or feel free to comment here.​

An honest fact about me is that since becoming an adult, I have developed a horrible memory. I get snapshots of childhood events from time to time, but my memories are very spotty. My first recollection of being in church was when I was six years old. We were having a revival, which is a series of services for the purpose of sharing Jesus, and the man speaking asked if anyone wanted to “be saved”. I had no idea what that meant, but it did look like a lot of fun to walk up to the altar of the church in front of everybody. So, as several others filed forward, I marched down the aisle and up onto the stage. I don’t actually remember much else that happened at that point, but I am told that I was very adamant about wanting to be baptized.
 
My mom talked to me later that night, and I began learning about heaven and Jesus and what that meant for me. From that point forward I was considered to be a Christian. As far as everyone could tell, I completely understood. I can recall being very involved in church during my elementary years. My parents were always hosting and helping in different church groups I was involved in. Through these years I was learning and growing in my knowledge of who God was and what Jesus had done for me.
 
As I became a teenager some of my best friends were from my church youth group and church was a major part of my life. At another revival, my dad came to the realization that although he had been in church for many years, he had never made a decision for himself to believe in Jesus, and to turn from his sin and give his life to following God. Several other church friends came to the same decision: that they needed to trust and follow Jesus. By now I was 13 years old and I had been learning about God and the Bible for several years.
 
It was confusing to me that these “church people” could be so involved and so committed to serving, yet not “be saved”.
 
I certainly was, right? I began to think back to the time I walked down to the front of the church and insisted on being baptized. I couldn’t remember why. I couldn’t remember what I had chosen to believe at that point. I actually couldn’t remember anything from that event. But, I rested in the fact that I had walked a church aisle, and I had been baptized, and now I was involved in church…so surely I had to be a Christian.
 
Later that week, an event took place at my school called See You At The Pole. I’m sure many of you are aware of this event that takes place on school campuses all across the country still today. Our church youth group had a rally the night before to inform students and encourage them to go and pray for their friends. It was that night, as I watched a video depicting the life and death of Jesus, that I truly understood what He had done for me. I knew all of the Bible stories. I had heard a million times that Jesus had died for my sins. But it was at this moment that it all came together in my heart. I was a sinner. Yes, I went to church and yes, I loved God, but because of my sin, I was separated from Him. I needed Jesus to take my punishment. The Bible says in Romans 6:23 that the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life THROUGH JESUS.
 
This gift was available to me, but I had to accept it. I couldn’t go to church enough or be involved in enough religious events to earn my way to God. Jesus was the ONLY way!
 
Romans 10:9-10 says,
If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved.
 
1 John 1:7b & 9b
The blood of Jesus, God's Son, purifies us from all sin. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.
 
So, I had to accept the gift of Jesus, but I also had to be willing to turn from my sins and to give my life over to God. I was only in sixth grade and, for the most part, I was a pretty good kid. But, although I couldn’t have seen it then, looking back, I can tell you that there was an evil in my heart that could not have been changed without the power that comes from knowing Christ. That was the immediate transformation in me. My heart wanted to follow Jesus! I wanted to do right and to walk with Him well. However, the application of that has been a learning process. That is the part that has taken work, spiritual maturity, and time.
 
I definitely didn’t understand everything about God or His Word when I made a decision to follow Him at 13. In fact, I still don’t. It’s been a messy, up and down, and sometimes all over the place journey. But I can say, without a doubt, He has walked me through every second. He continues to teach me and He has been so patient as I learn. And, although my walk is still not always pretty, He continues to give me a heart that truly longs to please and follow Him.
 
This is my story of how I came to know Jesus. I would LOVE to hear yours! If you don’t know Him personally or if you have questions, we would love to talk with you. Please send us a private Facebook message or feel free to comment here.
 
I encourage you to share your story!
​

Francine Rivers - Audra's Pick
This was a hard one for me. To tell the truth, I don’t read fiction very often. But, Redeeming Love by Francine Rivers, was one of my favorites from many years ago!

Karen Kingsbury - Laura's Pick
I was never a big reader growing up...I know...it's a horrible thing! Even now, I don't often read for pleasure because I don't have much quiet time to dedicate to it. But, when we go on vacation or a rare quiet time arises, I love to read Karen Kingsbury! I have read all of her series and still have a few stand alone books to read. I remember getting so enthralled with The Baxter's series that I began wanting to tell their stories in real life! HA! Needless to say, her books come to life for me!

Lynn Austin - Rebecca's Pick
Goodness, I could list a dozen favorites because this is my FAVORITE genre! In fact, it's the only genre that I read for pleasure now. I especially love Biblical historical fiction because the attention to the little details regarding the culture, the customs, the characters, and the circumstances surrounding God's people make it come alive in my mind! Such is the case with Lynn Austin's Chronicles of the Kings Series and The Restoration Chronicles. The first is about Israel's kings. A select few feared God and experienced great triumphant while many others rejected God and self-destructed. The second series is about the return of Israelites after 70 years of captivity in Babylon and the massive rebuilding and rededicating of their wall, Temple, and hearts. These books take you back a few thousand years and make you feel as if you are walking through the pages of the Bible as they were being lived out.

And, just because I can't resist...if Christian historical fiction is your thing, you have to check out the Mark of the Lion series by Francine Rivers and The Advocate ​by Randy Singer, too!

Bodie and Brock Thoene - Tammy's Pick
Back in the days when I was trying to break my addiction to smut fiction (bleh), I discovered the Thoene's books full of rich history and characters. Their series cover everything from underground Jerusalem during the six day war to a whole series surrounding Christ's time on earth. I haven't read their work in a while but have been reminded again of how kind God is. Even in our reading material, when we cry out to Him He directs our path to truth and beauty.

​Janette Oke - Andrea's Pick
(Be sure to read Andrea's excellent guest post on Christan fiction filled with a myriad of suggestions.)
For me it would be a toss-up between Lynn Austin and Janette Oke but since Rebecca is going with Lynn Austin, I'll pick Janette Oke. I love the fact that her fictions spans the early New Testament Church History all the way to the Wild West.

I love to read. It is my escape to adventure and relaxation. Recently, I received an audio book subscription and find it truly luxurious to let someone else read to me! What indulgence! 

Don’t you find your “me time” precious and maybe a little harder to come by than you would like? I do. When I think I’m going to have time to snuggle up and read (or listen to) a good book, there’s a little dance going on inside me. I like to think about what kind of drink I will put on the coaster beside me and what fuzzy socks I will wear. Will I push back the curtain and let in a flood of sunshine to light the page, or will it be a dark and stormy night when my bed and lamp or firelight are more in order?

If it sounds to you like I fantasize about my alone-time, you could not be more right! You may not be an avid reader but what do you love to do to wind down? If you had an unexpected afternoon off to spend however you wanted to, what would you do? Spa day? Shopping? Baking Day? Run in the park? 

Hey, wait… are you fantasizing about your alone time!? 

Let’s face it, leisure time is not filling up most of our calendars. Those moments when we can relax and recharge are a limited commodity and therefore valuable to us. That’s why when a few years ago a sweet saint gently challenged me to change how I use that leisure time, I balked at first.

Here’s the story… 
As early as my teen years, the classic “who dunnit” genre captured my fancy. I particularly enjoyed the work of the British sleuth writer, Agatha Christie. I loved her ability to bring to life the human personalities in her books. She was also the master of nailing the surprise ending where all the puzzle pieces fall into place so neatly and yet you are shocked and dismayed that you never suspected the perpetrator for a second! I had read many of her works, but always looked forward to the next book, so I asked my mother-in-law who was running a used book business to keep her eyes open for any of the titles I hadn’t read. 

Ladies, I highly recommend finding a man to marry whose mother loves you like a daughter. What a blessing! My mother-in-law spent the next couple of years combing her inventory and other sources and eventually acquired for me EVERY work ever written by my favorite author. I knew that the acquisition of these sometimes rare books was a labor of love, and my heart was warmed by her effort on my behalf. One day when my collection was nearly complete she was handing me a rare copy of one of Agatha Christie’s romantic novels, and she casually remarked that she had found it enriching to start reading only Christian and “uplifting” material in her leisure time. 

Huh. 

Read only Christian and uplifting material… In my leisure time… My “me time.” 

Huh. 

If you have been a believer long, you may already anticipate how I was feeling. Now my precious mother-in-law had not even SUGGESTED that this was something I should do. But I was feeling uncomfortable. Why? Because my flesh did not want to submit my leisure reading to God, and I immediately knew that was the crux of the issue. I did not want to entrust what I held as my own, private, valuable, treasure to God to change it however He wanted. Ugh. 

So I dithered around and made excuses mentally and basically pouted for a while. I don’t remember having a particular moment when I surrendered this fight against God, but the Holy Spirit, ever so gracious, helped me to come around. 

Now, I joyfully confess that my absolutely favorite genre is Biblical Fiction, a subset of Christian Fiction in which the author takes a text of the Bible and imagines personalities and details to bring the story to life. For example, I’m currently reading a series about King Hezekiah. Passages about him can be found in the Bible in 2 Kings, 2 Chronicles and Isaiah. Lynn Austin has used a vast amount of research and inspiration to make this hero of the Bible into someone who lives and breathes in my imagination. In the current chapter, the walled city of Jerusalem is surrounded by the Assyrian Army.

The general of King Hezekiah’s army has been captured, tortured and hung on a stake to taunt King Hezekiah who stands on the city wall and weeps to see one of his dearest friends tortured. But Hezekiah refuses to surrender. Why? Because within Jerusalem’s wall is God’s Holy Temple and he chooses to die rather than let pagan soldiers defile the house of God. Things are very tense and King Hezekiah is waiting to hear back from Isaiah what the Lord says about what they should do. And let me tell you, I.AM.DYING to go to the Bible and read the end of the story!!! 

Some of these authors do a wonderful job of researching historical details. I can learn so much about the context of the stories God included in His Word for us to read! The sleuthing I do nowadays is to listen to a book and then go find and read the Biblical text from which the skeleton of the plot is taken and enjoy how closely the author can weave the way she imagines those people to have been to the actual Word of God.

The best authors can also write their stories to carefully illustrate God’s truth that we should glean from His Word. I’ve noticed that as I hear these stories, I remember the Bible characters better. I rejoice when they make the right choices. I grieve when they stray from God’s will. I laugh and I cry and I praise God. Seriously, I actually caught myself starting to pray for one of the characters the other day before I realized that she lived thousands of years ago and is already home with the Father! 

So. My dear mother-in-law was right. Submitting my leisure time to God has been enriching. If anything, it is even more precious to me than it was before, because it brings me real joy by drawing my heart closer to His. Isn’t that just God’s way? He will ask you for things, beloved. Things that you may not want to hand over. His way is always better. More joyful. Deeper. 

If you want to get your feet wet in Biblical fiction, may I recommend One of Janette Oke’s more recent works, which she co-wrote with T.Davis Bunn? These books bring to vivid life stories of the early church just after the life of Christ. 

Acts of Faith series 
· The Centurion's Wife, 2009 
· The Hidden Flame, January 2010 
· The Damascus Way, 2011 

Some of my favorite Christian Fiction Authors are: 
Jamie Langston Turner for modern day stories of everyday (but inspiring) faith. 
Jan Karon for stories that will make you laugh and cry in a peaceful small-town setting. 
Francine Rivers for gripping stories (Biblical or straight fiction) that illustrate God’s truth. 

Some of my favorite Biblical Fiction Authors are: 
Lynn Austin who does a broad cross section of Biblical, Historical and straight fiction that all speak to God’s faithfulness. 
Jannette Oke who does both Biblical and Christian fiction with a flair for holy romance. 
T.Davis Bunn who is a prolific writer of all kinds of works from the Christian worldview. 
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I believe on Saturday our blog hosts will reveal some of their favorite Christian authors. I can’t wait to see their list! 

Andrea Harper grew up in Longview, Texas and earned degrees from Southern Nazarene University and University of Texas Health Science Center before she was transplanted to Tennessee as she pursued a medical career in Obstetrics and Gynecology. She is a partner at the Woman’s Clinic, PA in Jackson, TN. With her husband Scott and daughter Darcy, she attends Cornerstone Community Church in Jackson. In her free time, when not reading, she likes to cook with her daughter, do paper piece quilting, and travel.