Get to Know Me: My Faith and Reading Journey

Hello again, friend!

It’s a joy to have you drop by for another visit. Why don’t you make yourself comfortable and help yourself to some tea and cookies while we chat? I just made them fresh. Well, virtually fresh. As fresh as virtual cookies can be. Anyway, I thought we’d take some time to get to know each other. So get comfy and make yourself at home.

As you may know, I’m passionate about my relationship with Jesus and I’m also an avid bookworm. Being that the case, I thought I’d share a few snapshots of my life. I’ll first share about my faith, and then I’ll share about my passion for words, writing, and books.

What is my faith?

To me, it’s everything. I grew up in a Christian home with two God-loving parents, so Jesus has been a constant in my life. Around the time I turned fourteen, God radically encountered me with his love through a prophetic word. (Yes, prophetic words are a thing!) I’d been poetry-praying for over a year and pouring out my fears, worries, and questions before God. Then, at a conference, a man came up to me and told me God had heard all my secret prayers. He then proceeded to share the things God wanted to do with my life, and this word miraculously aligned with many of the dreams and desires I had in my heart.

From that moment, my faith became mine. Not just that of my family, or parents’, or church; it became personal and real. While I had always loved the Lord and I’d given him my life when still a little kid, it was this moment that marked me and made me realize God cared for me individually. He gave me a glimpse into who he is, and now my life’s desire is to pursue him with the same love he has pursued me.

How do I walk out my faith in everyday life?

The best I can! We’re all growing and learning to love the Lord, but through the journey there are many opportunities to serve and pour out our love on him. As a ministry kid, I’ve had the privilege of getting many opportunities to be stretched and grown in my faith and relationship with God.

As you may imagine, growing up in a church environment presents many opportunities for service. Amongst these, I’ve worked in teaching, discipling (or mentoring), and helping lead others to encounter God’s presence through worship, youth ministry and bible studies. But walking out my faith has gone beyond the structure of the four walls of the church. It has looked like loving my friends without expecting anything in return. It has looked like showing up to commitments when I haven’t always felt like it. It has looked like showing love to those around me, regardless of whether we share the same ideas or not. It has looked like serving others through online ministry and helping them grow in their knowledge of the Bible. More recently, it has looked like taking my words to offer hope to those around me.

What I’ve learned is this: True faith is about a genuine relationship with Jesus, led by the Holy Spirit in every area of my life, and demonstrated through my love and service to God and those around me.

Where do my faith and love for books intersect?

Here is where we get to the fun part. Ever since before I could read I’ve had a deep love for books. It began with picture books, and grew from Dr. Seuss, to the encyclopedia, to The Chronicles of Narnia, and to the Bible.

I’ve always had a deep love for words, and the older I’ve gotten, the more I’ve discovered their power to change and transform lives. God created the universe with a Word. He transformed the world through a Word, and he continues to transform our lives with his Word.

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.” – John 1:1-5 NIV

He is extremely creative, and has created us as creative beings. I’ve gotten to a point where I see creative writing as an opportunity to collaborate with the Creator to make beautiful things that can bring hope and transformation to people’s lives. On the flip side, words can also destroy and bring about chaos, but that’s not something I want to be a part of.

What books have had the greatest impact on my life?

This list will be interesting. But here are the books that have had the greatest impact on my life and a brief reason why.

1. The Bible

This one sounds pretty obvious, right? But the more I read the Bible, the more my life is changed, the more I’m challenged, and the more I grow. To be honest, I didn’t understand it very well when I first started reading it, but the more I read, the more I understood. It’s a powerful book like that. It defends itself. It’s living, sharp, and breathing. You could read it a million times and still learn something new every single one of them. I love this book and am so grateful for it! It is a source of strength, stability, comfort, peace, joy, challenge, and hope.

2. The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis

I’ve read this series multiple times, and I’m always amazed at the depth in them. At first, I loved them because of their incredible characters, the adventure, and the plot. It fascinated my younger self. Now, I appreciate this series even more as I glimpse the deep theological truths Lewis wove into every book.

3. Emily of New Moon by L.M. Montgomery

Didn’t expect this one, did you? Montgomery is better known for her Anne of Green Gables series. But when I read Emily of New Moon, I recognized within myself a love for writing and storytelling same as the main character had. When I read this series, I realized that writing was something I deeply loved and wanted to do.

4. The Christy Miller series by Robin Jones Gunn

These books were not only incredibly fun, they were also full of lessons on life, growing up, and growing up with Jesus. This series was one of those in which the characters became like friends. As I read (and re-read) Christy’s challenges and the way she continually surrendered to God, I learned many valuable lessons. Older me is incredibly grateful to Gunn for writing this series. Not to sound cheesy, but they’ve been a huge gift to my life.

You know that saying, “You are what you eat”? Well, I believe that could also say, “We are what we read.” This adds perspective to the things I’m continually feeding my mind, but it’s also a reminder that God can speak to us even through unexpected places.

These are the books that have had the biggest impact on my life, both my faith and my passion for storytelling.

Are your virtual cookies all gone? You can have another one to go. Thanks for stopping by for a visit. I wanted to let you know more about the person behind all the posts, and I’m glad you stayed through for the journey down memory lane. Thank you for being here and for being a part of The Grapevine. I’d love to get to know you more through these posts, so feel free to comment and share what books have had the greatest impact on your life and faith. For more encouraging words, consider joining the monthly newsletter down below.

For now, that’s all!

Until next time,
Anna