I Said Yes to Writing a Book—Here’s What God Did Next

Starting this book wasn’t as easy as I thought it would be—it was actually a little intimidating. I found myself questioning the idea, second-guessing whether I could do this, and if I even had what it takes to follow through with completion. But I started anyway—unsure, a little excited, but still willing. And somewhere in the middle of those questions, I’ve begun to notice something steady and reassuring: God has been showing up in ways I didn’t expect, gently reminding me that I’m not doing this on my own.

One of those ways is through my website; I’ve received several response forms from people. Each one contained something along the lines of, “This book seems like a great idea. I would love to share my testimony too!”

In response to these forms, I reached out to each person, asked whether they would feel comfortable sharing their testimony, and wrote a summary of each. Here are the summaries below:

Testimony 1: Elena Boehm (Ellie) had a family situation that forced her to take on a mature role very early in life, as early as 11 years old. She raised a family of 8, becoming a mother figure to her siblings, while her mom worked tirelessly to pay the bills. Her father, while showing a life of faith to her mother, eventually began to fall into a depression. Sadly, he would disappear from their family entirely. Ellie began to pursue a second income through smaller jobs after school, which became an idol for her that she would soon have to face. Her overwhelming anger was something she struggled to control throughout her life, even today.

Testimony 2: Rachel Boal was born in California and raised in the church. She accepted Christ around 5 years old. At age 14, she felt convicted of her facade of following God, which had been exposed at a junior high retreat. Over time, she felt pulled by the Lord to become a mom. Fascinated by childbirth, she began exploring the subject through YouTube. Unfortunately, it led to the addictions of pornography and masturbation at 16 years old. She continued her facade of following God while giving in to her flesh, blocking God from helping her repent. One night, she felt convicted by God to let it go. God laid it on her heart to put on worship music, and in this moment, a song called "My Arms" by Jen Ledger broke down her sinful walls. She persisted through her journey of accountability and repentance as she found her group of friends and her fiancé. In the past year, she has overcome her addictions and stepped into freedom from pornography addiction.

After hearing stories like these, I’ve found myself pausing a little longer each time. It’s one thing to talk about faith in general terms, but it’s another to see it lived out in real, personal ways—through hardship, mistakes, growth, and redemption. Each testimony carries its own weight, but together, they start to paint a bigger picture.

The more I’ve listened to people share their stories, the more I’m seeing what Christianity actually looks like beyond surface-level understanding. It’s not just about becoming a “better” person or leaving parts of your old life behind—it’s about walking through things that stretch you, challenge you, and sometimes break you, while still choosing to trust God in the middle of it.

In the midst of this process, something else stood out to me. Many of these stories include seasons of pain, struggle, or deep personal battles. Not because something has gone wrong, but because following Christ often means facing things head-on instead of avoiding them. It can look like wrestling with anger, overcoming addiction, navigating broken family dynamics, or learning how to surrender control.

That doesn’t mean every Christian’s life looks the same, or that hardship is the only marker of faith. People experience their journeys differently, and God works in each story in His own way. But what I am starting to understand is this: when your life is rooted in Christ, you begin to see even the hard things differently. They’re no longer meaningless—they become part of how He shapes you, strengthens you, and draws you closer to Him. It’s no longer, “Why is this happening to me?” or “What did I do to deserve this?” but rather, “How can God use this for His glory?”

Looking back, I can already see that starting this book was never just about writing—it was about obedience. It was about saying yes, even when I didn’t feel like I could do it correctly, and trusting that God would meet me in the middle of it. And He has. Through the stories people have shared, the connections being made, and the ways He’s been quietly working behind the scenes, I’m reminded that this was never mine to carry alone. Those who have gone through tribulations are following this journey with me. This book will not be about how much money I can make, but rather who it will impact. It will be someone's answered prayer.

If there’s anything I’m learning, it’s that God doesn’t wait for us to feel fully prepared—He asks us to be willing. And when we take that first step, He meets us there in ways we could never have planned or expected.