God Can Use Your Story! Debra Torres’ Story

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Hey friends, welcome to the Her God Story podcast where you will always hear a good

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story to encourage and inspire you in your walk with God.

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I'm your host Jodie Chiricosta, ministry leader at Somebody Cares America and International,

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author and traveler on this journey of faith.

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I'm so glad you tuned in to hear Deborah Torres' God Story.

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Psalm 119, 105 in the NIV says, Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path.

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As a wife, mother of five, and a published author of two Amish fiction novels that are

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part of her Willowbrook Secrets of the Pen series with another one on the way, Deborah

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has had to rely on God's word for insight, understanding, and strength.

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She also works at Liberty University as a web content specialist.

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I first met Deborah when we were both masters degree students at Regent University and God

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has done a lot in her life since then.

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She has so much to share with us, so welcome Deborah.

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Hi Jody, thanks so much for having me on the podcast.

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Yeah, it's fun to see all that God's been doing with you.

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Before we jump into your God Story and how he led you into writing, give us just a sneak

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peek into what your first two books, Forbidden Gift and Forbidden Truth, are about.

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I am super excited about these books and the fact that they have a trilogy, so I've got

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another sequel along the way, the story continues.

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The story really centers on a primary character, Johanna Yoder, and she is a young Amish maiden

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which means that she's an unmarried woman, a little bit older, didn't marry when she

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was younger.

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She is a writer, so she actually writing his band in her Amish district by an overbearing

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bishop.

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She actually secretively writes for a local newspaper under a pseudonym for two years

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before she's found out.

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But when she's found out, she goes on a journey and discovers that her Amish bishop has some

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secrets of his own.

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Very interesting.

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You know, I haven't really read much of the Amish fiction genre, but I'm an avid reader,

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so you're wetting my appetite.

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I'll have to check those out.

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Be a good writer, you have to have some life experiences to draw from.

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You can't just pull it out of thin air and it be real.

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So take us back to your beginning, your once upon a time.

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Where did you grow up and how were you raised?

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I grew up in upstate New York near the city of Rochester.

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Was raised in a home, had one brother and two parents in the home, and was raised Catholic.

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I knew of the Lord, but I didn't know the Lord.

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I had a yearning and a desire to know more about him, but I didn't know him nor did I

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really understand that I could have a personal relationship with him until high school.

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So how and when did you make that personal decision to follow Christ?

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Yeah, so I had a friend in high school that we just started hanging out and I just could

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tell something was different about her.

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Just even little things.

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One time we had a little fight and she came to me later and apologized and said that as

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a Christian she shouldn't have been acting that way.

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And I was like, what?

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As a Christian?

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I mean, I heard that term and growing up Catholic, of course, you hear Christian a lot, but it

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was very real to her and very important to her to walk the straight and narrow because

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of her relationship with Jesus.

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So she was really living that faith, huh?

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She was.

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I mean, we were 14 years old.

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There was one point where she invited me to a movie at her church and I really thought

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we were going to see like a Disney movie.

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I thought, okay, here comes another Herbie the Lovebug or something.

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Here we go.

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But when we went, I noticed it was a very serious movie.

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It was called A Thief in the Night.

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And I want to say 70s is when those came out because I think it would have been, I was

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in high school, so it would have been early 80s when we saw it and it was corny then.

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So it was not the script, but some of the scenes were kind of funny just because they're

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trying to make, I don't know, the plot was funny.

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But anyway, I was there and it was really the first time I heard that there was an end

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times and that I needed to make a choice.

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And I didn't know that before.

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Maybe I missed that sermon or whatever, but I did not understand that.

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Then when the movie was over, the pastor did have an altar call and I felt it so strongly

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in my heart that I needed to go forward.

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But here I was probably 15 at the time and I scared to death.

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I never had heard anything about an altar call.

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What?

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Go forward in church?

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You know, you don't do that.

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You don't go forward, you know?

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And so I thought I am not doing that.

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I am going to accept Jesus, but I will just do it here in my chair or at home, but I'm

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not doing this public thing.

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And you know, as I've heard it preached before, sometimes it's really important to people

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to say so, you know, in front of a lot of people or in front of other people.

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And I didn't do that.

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So it wasn't that monumental of a thing for me that first time around.

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But for what I didn't know at the time, The Thief in the Night has many different episodes,

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you know, in their series.

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So I was, I didn't know.

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Laurie invited me to movie number two from Thief in the Night.

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And so I went and that was the one where I could not stop my feet from going to the altar.

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In fact, I remember there was a girl next to me and I was like, will you go with me?

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And she looked at me and said, no, I'm not going forward with you.

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Wow, okay.

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I guess I'm doing this on my own.

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So I went forward and out there and just wept, you know, at the altar.

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Laurie was playing the piano at the time and she came down right away, stopped playing,

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came down right away and just prayed with me and prayed the sinner's prayer with me

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right there at the altar.

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I can't imagine how she would have felt at that time.

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You know, you invite a friend, a high school friend to church and she receives Jesus right

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there at the altar.

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I have thanked Laurie over and over again for that invitation.

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But anyway, that was a monumental thing.

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And that was when just doing it publicly, receiving Jesus publicly meant something to

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me.

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And I think it meant something to Laurie too, because she had a commitment to disciple me

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after that.

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Yeah.

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Well, I remember those movies.

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I was a Christian already when I saw them, but it scared me to death.

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Some of those scenes, you know, I saw them when I was a little bit younger and they made

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quite an impression.

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You know, but unfortunately, a lot of people you mentioned, you know, Laurie discipled you,

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but a lot of people that respond to altar calls at crusades or events, they struggle

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to move forward in their faith.

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They don't really know what they're supposed to do.

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You actually had someone discipling you after that.

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How did that happen and what was that like?

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Well, it was interesting because it was a peer, you know, she was my age and she was

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my friend.

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So it wasn't like I was suddenly plunged into something that was really unfamiliar to me

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with an unfamiliar group anyway, although I did start to meet Christians, which was

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interesting to me.

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There was, I didn't know this, but there was a group that met in our public school before

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classes started and we were allowed to go in one room and pray.

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It was just a small group.

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It was just me, Laurie and this other girl for a while.

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And then it started growing and then they shut us down because we were Christian.

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My horizon started expanding with more and more Christians finding people who had professed

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faith, who were my age.

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But one thing that Laurie did was she gave me this little packet and I remember that

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and I remember I probably still have it.

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It meant a lot to me.

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It was just this little packet that explained what I had done.

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But then there was a little contract in it.

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And in the contract, it really was explaining to me, you know, as a Christian moving forward,

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here are some steps that I can take to move forward in my faith and to grow in my journey

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with Christ.

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And one of the things was reading a chapter of the Bible daily.

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And I remember signing that thing, you know, as 15 year old, I signed that little certificate

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or document saying that I would, I guess, a contract that I would read the Bible a chapter

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a day.

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And honestly, Jodi, I have kept that over 40 years.

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You know, I've been a Christian now and I, you know, there are days, there are days when

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I, you know, don't do it.

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But as general part of my life is reading a reading a chapter of the day.

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And I have been through the Bible.

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I don't know how many different times I've started now, which is kind of cool.

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I've started reading different versions for a while.

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I was always the same version, but now I thought, well, right now I'm in the message and heading

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towards the passion version, I think, just getting a different perspective.

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I do that too.

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I started reading the New American Standard Bible and then I moved to the NIV and I'm

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currently reading the New Living Translation with some of the passion translation sprinkled

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in, but it does, it gives you a whole new perspective.

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You know, I memorized a lot of, you know, Bible songs when I was growing up and they

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were all King James version, the old, you know, the old Bible songs.

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So every time I read those things in, you know, those verses in a new translation, it

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comes alive and speaks to me in a different way.

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Even though in my head, the old King James version is running through my head as I'm

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singing it in my head.

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So having so many years of reading the Bible has really, I'm sure grounded you in your

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faith and kept you moving forward, as they said, to move forward in your faith.

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It's so important to read God's word.

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And it never gets old either.

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That's the thing about God's word, it's living.

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So I mean, it's just like you, you could read through, you know, that chapter your whole

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life, but then something happens, you know, or the Holy Spirit is just pinpointing, you

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know, something in you.

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And it's like, what?

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You know, I never, I saw that always, but now I just see it in a new fresh way.

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Or that verse ministers to me in a very special way right now that I really needed, that I

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didn't need when I was younger, but now I do, you know.

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Yeah, I am amazed.

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I try to read New Testament and Old Testament together.

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And I'm always amazed at how very often, and I'm not following necessarily a plan, sometimes

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I do, but how often the New Testament and the Old Testament, what I'm reading, reinforce

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the same message, whatever the Holy Spirit is trying to speak to me that day.

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Your commitment to Christ took you to a Christian college and then a Christian graduate school,

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where when you got there, it felt a little bit strange at first, but God had some new

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things to teach you.

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So tell us about that.

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I went from Catholic to being born again, and then spent time in the United Methodist

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Church with some friends.

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I had a friend whose dad was a pastor, so did a lot there as a teen, and then went to

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college, free Methodist college.

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And so whenever I wanted to go down to regent, I wanted to study journalism.

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And at a Christian school that had a master's program in journalism, and I found Regent

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University, I remember whenever I was headed down there, I had a friend who looked at the

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brochure and he goes, you know what this means, right?

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And I was like, what?

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No, you know what?

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And he's like, the fullness of the Holy Spirit.

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And I was like, I had no clue what it meant or what differences it meant to the faith

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walk that I had already been going on.

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So I went and learned when I was there, the first couple of chapels, I was like, what

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is going on?

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But I, you know, as the, just like the Lord sent Laurie to me, he sent a good friend to

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me at Regent who really sat down with me and taught me more what the baptism of the Holy

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Spirit meant, what it meant to live a spirit-filled life.

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And really that part of me that was kind of missing in my journey with Christ that I didn't

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know was missing, but I noticed it once I was around people who had the baptism of the

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Holy Spirit.

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I was like, I want that, you know, I want to go that deeper part of Jesus that I'm not

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experiencing.

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So there was a retreat one time at an Assemblies of God church in the local area and Rena,

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my friend, took me to that.

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And after the retreat, I had the baptism of the Holy Spirit and received the gift of tongues.

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And it was an amazing, amazing thing for me.

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Well, once you received the baptism of the Holy Spirit, did you notice a difference in

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your life or when you were reading the Bible, you know, God's word?

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I mean, how did you feel different?

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What did it change?

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I mean, people who may be not quite sure what that means, maybe a little bit timid about

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what that would mean for their life.

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What did you experience?

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For me, it was just depth, a deeper walk with Jesus, a deeper, a deeper way to him, a deeper

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understanding of his word.

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I went from shallow to deep.

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It's kind of imperceptible, but you know, there's that deeper connection there.

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The well within you is fuller even.

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I remember one time I went to a mother's or preschoolers group and there was this woman

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there and she she walked up to me.

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I don't know how much time we'd spent together, not a ton, but a little.

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She said, I just want to be around you.

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I was like, what?

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She's like, I don't know.

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I just want to be around you.

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And I was like, it's just Jesus.

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I said, it's Jesus, it's Jesus, it's Jesus.

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And so I told her, she's like, I know, I know it's Jesus.

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But it was funny because, you know, she sensed something deeper.

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She was a Christian, but she sensed something deeper, I think she was, than what she had,

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you know, and wanted.

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Well, you know, when you read the Bible every day, the word of God speaks to us and it changes

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us.

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And one of the scriptures that's an invitation for all of us is James 1 27, which says, pure

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and genuine religion in the sight of God the Father means caring for orphans and widows

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and their distress and refusing to let the world corrupt you.

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If somebody cares, we take that seriously, which is why we have a Widows and Orphan Fund.

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Through our network around the globe, we care for orphans as well as widows who've given

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a lifetime of service to the Lord and who are in need.

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The challenges facing them in places like Haiti and Colombia and Nigeria and Ukraine

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and other places would be overwhelming without help.

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And as a company of women, we can do so much together to help care for them.

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So we invite you to join our company with a gift at hergodstory.org.

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Now, Deborah, while you were getting your master's degree, you also met your husband

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Michael.

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And you've told me that you made a real impact on him.

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So how did you meet?

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I prayed long and hard for that man.

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Boy, I just I can't imagine.

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The Lord just blessed me with him.

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But yeah, so it was interesting because maybe just to backtrack a little bit, when I was

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in college, I dated a young man and we broke up right before graduation and he broke up

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with me and I was it was really hard for me.

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And one of the things one of the ways I, I don't know, coped or did something different

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was I started playing softball and I just something totally I'm not even skilled in

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that.

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You know, I just I mean, just wanted to do something crazy that I've never done before.

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You know, so I started learning mainly church ball, you know, softball.

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I just had fun with it.

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It was something different.

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Whenever I went to Regent, I learned that there was a softball intramurals team that

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was starting up and they need coaches.

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And I was like, wow, I'm kind of new at this.

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But okay, so I was working at the library and we decided to make a team and we call

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ourselves the bookies, which we thought was a fun team name.

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So I remember going to that.

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I don't know if it was our first game.

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It may have been and meeting him, shaking his hand because he was the umpire and I was

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playing catcher.

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And I remember I kept missing the ball and it kept hitting him in the shins.

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And I would turn around, you know, your crouched down as catcher and I turn around and look

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at him like, sorry.

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And then so anyway, he'd be like, it's okay.

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But I tell people that I made an impact on him because literally the ball kept hitting

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him in the shins.

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Yes.

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So he was actually a student there as well at Regent or?

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Yeah, before I came, he was a student there.

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He had graduated and was working at, um, at CBN in their international programming department.

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I'm not sure exactly what he was doing then, but he ended up being, I believe, a managing

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producer there for a while.

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So you had a pretty whirlwind courtship.

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You were married soon, starting a family.

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In fact, you had three little ones almost right away.

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So here you are with a master's degree and a desire to write because your degree was

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in journalism and writing.

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And now you had your hands full being a mom.

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And how did you reconcile that?

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What did God show you through that whole process?

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Sometimes, you know, we grieve when we have a dream and we can't fulfill it.

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What was your experience?

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Well, one of the things was I was glad I had my education behind me.

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I was glad I had, God had worked out my life in that way that I, I felt like whenever I

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was ready to go back to work, I wouldn't have to be like, Oh, I've got to get a degree because

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I couldn't get a job.

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So I had my master's, I had, you know, that track had started, but yeah, stopped for a

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while.

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One, one of the things that I spent a lot of time with my kids in the library, they'll

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tell you, that was one weekly, maybe even more than that.

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We would go to the library because I just wanted to be around books.

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I love teaching them a love of learning and a love of reading.

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And they all are readers.

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All my kids are readers, but yeah, I would read a lot about writing at that time.

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I felt like this, that was the season.

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Maybe I could just study how to write.

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I remember I took a class on writing books.

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It was a, what would be an online class now.

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But then we moved, when we moved to Pennsylvania, I don't know how this happened, but I was

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meeting with the editor of the local newspaper in the small town, small rural town where

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we were living.

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He was part of the school or something.

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And I was working with the PTO and I started talking to him about wanting to write for

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the newspaper.

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And I was starting to want to write again.

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My kids were getting a little bit older and I was starting to write again.

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And he said, he opened the newspaper and he said, this is what I need.

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I need another columnist that has a different perspective.

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And he's like, can you write a column?

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I was like, sure, I can write a column.

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I was like, I want to write a column.

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So I took it home and wrote it.

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And the first one, it took me a while, but what I did was I wrote about my kids and I

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00:18:28,920 --> 00:18:33,320
wrote about God and I wrote about what God was teaching me through family and through

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teaching me through parenting and gardening and things that I loved and always bring it

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back to a Bible verse.

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So it ended up, he liked my column, but I think he decided that I would go on the church

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page.

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Okay.

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I'm like, okay, I'll be over there.

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So I wrote for them for a while, but it was kind of cool because I would get, I forget

333
00:18:52,800 --> 00:18:56,400
what it was called, first writes or something, first printing rights.

334
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After the column was produced in their newspaper, it became mine so I could do what I want with

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it.

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So I started a blog and I started, it was called, at first it was called My Christian

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Devotional Blog and I would take my column and put it in the blog.

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And I did a lot, I was learning a lot of marketing and the online things at the time.

339
00:19:13,360 --> 00:19:16,960
So I used a lot of tactics to try to get people to see it.

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00:19:16,960 --> 00:19:22,800
But yeah, I mean, there must be a hundred blogs in there and I have them now on my author

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00:19:22,800 --> 00:19:28,040
website, author of Amish fiction website, but I have my blog, it's called now the Simply

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Jesus Blog.

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But I go back, I was just looking at them even before we were talking, Jodi, and I was

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looking and I was like, oh, there's so many memories in there now because it's of when

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my kids were little.

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And I was like, oh, I remember that.

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And it was interesting, but it was a very special time in my life and a way to exercise

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writing while being a mom.

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What did your kids think about being the topic of your blogs or your columns?

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My daughter would laugh and she'd say, mom, you could write everything, any little thing.

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I would like, oh, there's a column there.

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00:19:59,640 --> 00:20:02,880
And I start writing and she's like, mom, look at that plate of grass.

353
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Is there a column there?

354
00:20:03,880 --> 00:20:06,640
I was like, oh, she'd joke at me.

355
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Share one of your favorites.

356
00:20:08,080 --> 00:20:10,600
One of the ones, this one was a tough one.

357
00:20:10,600 --> 00:20:12,440
I was looking at it just earlier.

358
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It was called Will You Dance?

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And I had just watched the movie Courageous and in Courageous, I don't know if you remember

360
00:20:19,440 --> 00:20:25,760
if you watched it, Jodi, but there's a scene where, I don't want to spoil it, but somebody

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dies in the movie and somebody regrets the time that he didn't spend with that person.

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00:20:32,000 --> 00:20:35,000
She had asked him to dance at one point and he said, no, I'm busy.

363
00:20:35,000 --> 00:20:36,000
I don't want to do that.

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00:20:36,000 --> 00:20:37,000
That's embarrassing.

365
00:20:37,000 --> 00:20:38,760
Cause it was like in a public place.

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And then she passed away and he realizes he wished he had that moment back.

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In my story, I wrote about an accident that my daughter had on a, we were on a bike ride

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and we were going on the rolling hills of Northwestern Pennsylvania, up and down some

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hills.

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I liked to exercise.

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She not so much or not at the time.

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And she was like, mom, I don't feel good.

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And I'm like, come on, let's go.

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00:21:04,600 --> 00:21:05,600
We're here on a bike ride.

375
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We're going to do a bike ride.

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Come on.

377
00:21:08,480 --> 00:21:15,280
So she went ahead and she was heading down the hill and she totally spilled and banged

378
00:21:15,280 --> 00:21:16,280
her.

379
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It was, I still have a hard time because I was behind her watching it.

380
00:21:19,960 --> 00:21:25,260
It was bad concussion, us in the middle of the road, screaming for help.

381
00:21:25,260 --> 00:21:30,060
She ended up having to get in the life flighted to the children's hospital in Pittsburgh.

382
00:21:30,060 --> 00:21:31,060
She's okay now.

383
00:21:31,060 --> 00:21:33,760
She does have some gashes on her upper lip, but she's okay.

384
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We worked through a concussion with her and thank God she's, she's fine.

385
00:21:38,160 --> 00:21:44,760
But I was able to kind of start sharing about that movie and the connection and how my daughter

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00:21:44,760 --> 00:21:50,280
going through that made me realize just how important it was to spend time with her or

387
00:21:50,280 --> 00:21:51,280
my kids.

388
00:21:51,280 --> 00:21:56,000
Just, just those moments when they're like, Hey, can you, you know, braid my hair or,

389
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you know, can you listen to this?

390
00:21:57,560 --> 00:21:59,200
Can you listen to me recite my poem?

391
00:21:59,200 --> 00:22:03,300
My daughter, my other daughter yesterday, you know, can you, I have to recite this poem.

392
00:22:03,300 --> 00:22:07,760
She had me bring it up on the computer and she's reciting a long fellow for me.

393
00:22:07,760 --> 00:22:13,800
And then I'm like, okay, taking a breather and listening to the poem and just those things,

394
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always tying it back into the Bible or just some sort of life lesson for other people.

395
00:22:19,900 --> 00:22:25,020
And you were also living in the middle of Amish country when you were up in Pennsylvania.

396
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And what did you learn?

397
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Their lifestyle is very different from modern life here.

398
00:22:29,920 --> 00:22:35,680
So what did you observe and learn and see in the Amish that sparked your interest?

399
00:22:35,680 --> 00:22:38,880
It was kind of interesting to be plunged into Amish country at that time.

400
00:22:38,880 --> 00:22:43,840
There weren't a ton of, it wasn't like you're living in Lancaster, but there were some,

401
00:22:43,840 --> 00:22:48,000
you know, we would go to this one remote, more remote grocery store and there was the

402
00:22:48,000 --> 00:22:52,280
buggy parking lots and the buggies would be there when we were walking past and I'm pushing

403
00:22:52,280 --> 00:22:55,560
the cart with the kids and the horses are there.

404
00:22:55,560 --> 00:22:56,560
Just beautiful.

405
00:22:56,560 --> 00:22:59,960
But, and they'd be, the Amish would be shopping in the stores and Walmart, the Amish would

406
00:22:59,960 --> 00:23:00,960
be shopping in Walmart.

407
00:23:00,960 --> 00:23:05,280
So that was kind of new to me because I didn't have that in Virginia Beach when we lived

408
00:23:05,280 --> 00:23:06,840
there.

409
00:23:06,840 --> 00:23:08,220
So that really fascinated me.

410
00:23:08,220 --> 00:23:12,760
And around the same time I started reading the Amish novels, I just kind of was like,

411
00:23:12,760 --> 00:23:17,440
there's something very clean about the Amish novels and most of them, not all of them,

412
00:23:17,440 --> 00:23:21,560
but mainly the ones that are in the category of inspirational Christian fiction.

413
00:23:21,560 --> 00:23:27,000
There is something clean and refreshing about them that you don't get anywhere else.

414
00:23:27,000 --> 00:23:30,840
And I remember I would read, and I read a lot, but I would read the Amish novels and

415
00:23:30,840 --> 00:23:32,840
then I would be like, Oh, I'm going to read something else.

416
00:23:32,840 --> 00:23:35,360
And I'd be like, I need to go back to Amish country again.

417
00:23:35,360 --> 00:23:37,240
And then I get another novel of Amish country.

418
00:23:37,240 --> 00:23:42,560
My husband would tease me, you know, another bonnet book, you're reading another one.

419
00:23:42,560 --> 00:23:45,280
So I just got really fascinated with the subculture.

420
00:23:45,280 --> 00:23:47,360
Unfortunately, I didn't know any Amish.

421
00:23:47,360 --> 00:23:50,840
I was telling you earlier, I think that at one point I was like, I'm just going to go

422
00:23:50,840 --> 00:23:51,840
find them.

423
00:23:51,840 --> 00:23:54,360
And I had a friend who told me what road they lived down.

424
00:23:54,360 --> 00:23:58,680
And so I'm in my van, my mini van with my daughter in the car seat in the back and I'm

425
00:23:58,680 --> 00:24:00,400
like, I'm just going to go find the Amish.

426
00:24:00,400 --> 00:24:04,560
And I started driving down this road and it gets more and more remote and there's like

427
00:24:04,560 --> 00:24:08,800
nothing but weeds, you know, and I hadn't gotten to anybody's farm or anything yet.

428
00:24:08,800 --> 00:24:12,280
And I just started getting like, what am I, what am I going to just show up and say I'm

429
00:24:12,280 --> 00:24:13,280
here?

430
00:24:13,280 --> 00:24:15,240
You know, so I turned around.

431
00:24:15,240 --> 00:24:16,240
I'm here.

432
00:24:16,240 --> 00:24:17,240
I want to watch you.

433
00:24:17,240 --> 00:24:19,240
Yeah, we'll just sit right here and watch you.

434
00:24:19,240 --> 00:24:20,240
But it was really interesting.

435
00:24:20,240 --> 00:24:25,600
It was interesting to live there too, though, in that small rural town, because I feel like

436
00:24:25,600 --> 00:24:31,160
there were some customs and things from the friends that I met there that were shared

437
00:24:31,160 --> 00:24:32,160
by the Amish.

438
00:24:32,160 --> 00:24:37,640
So I wonder sometimes if some of the culture, the types of things were intermixed a little

439
00:24:37,640 --> 00:24:38,640
bit.

440
00:24:38,640 --> 00:24:44,360
Well, after 12 or so years in Pennsylvania, God led you guys back to Virginia, but wasn't

441
00:24:44,360 --> 00:24:45,360
back to Virginia Beach.

442
00:24:45,360 --> 00:24:47,400
How did he orchestrate that for you?

443
00:24:47,400 --> 00:24:50,000
That was pretty amazing how he led us back.

444
00:24:50,000 --> 00:24:53,480
My husband had wanted to come back to Virginia.

445
00:24:53,480 --> 00:24:59,480
He didn't do well living in the weather in northwestern Pennsylvania.

446
00:24:59,480 --> 00:25:03,720
There are very few blue, I call them blue sky days, very few blue sky days.

447
00:25:03,720 --> 00:25:06,720
And winter pretty much lasts for six months there.

448
00:25:06,720 --> 00:25:08,560
So it was really hard for him.

449
00:25:08,560 --> 00:25:13,600
He dealt with a lot of, struggled a lot with that and was always looking to move back to

450
00:25:13,600 --> 00:25:14,960
Virginia.

451
00:25:14,960 --> 00:25:20,480
And then, and finally he came to the realization that, you know what, if God wants us here,

452
00:25:20,480 --> 00:25:21,960
this is where I'm going to retire.

453
00:25:21,960 --> 00:25:23,920
This is where I'll be, Lord.

454
00:25:23,920 --> 00:25:28,240
And then God opened a door for him to work at Liberty Online.

455
00:25:28,240 --> 00:25:29,760
So he, Liberty University Online.

456
00:25:29,760 --> 00:25:35,680
So he was still working at his state school in Pennsylvania, but then had some extra classes

457
00:25:35,680 --> 00:25:37,600
he was taking with the Liberty University Online.

458
00:25:37,600 --> 00:25:39,060
He was teaching.

459
00:25:39,060 --> 00:25:43,400
And then, and then he found out there was an opening for the film school, in their film

460
00:25:43,400 --> 00:25:45,200
school there was an opening.

461
00:25:45,200 --> 00:25:49,720
At the same time, I was about ready to start working again.

462
00:25:49,720 --> 00:25:52,360
I had been a stay at home mom for 20 years.

463
00:25:52,360 --> 00:25:57,440
The last five of those years, I was working as a web writer, web designer with my own

464
00:25:57,440 --> 00:26:00,000
home business freelancing.

465
00:26:00,000 --> 00:26:05,980
And Michael saying, well, he said, why don't you look at their job board and see if there's

466
00:26:05,980 --> 00:26:07,600
anything for you.

467
00:26:07,600 --> 00:26:10,780
And I looked and there was a web content specialist position.

468
00:26:10,780 --> 00:26:14,040
And I looked through all the things that I needed for that job.

469
00:26:14,040 --> 00:26:15,040
And I was like, I can do that.

470
00:26:15,040 --> 00:26:16,440
I can do that.

471
00:26:16,440 --> 00:26:20,400
Because of what I went and went ahead and stepped forward and did as a stay at home

472
00:26:20,400 --> 00:26:22,880
mom, you know, starting my own business.

473
00:26:22,880 --> 00:26:28,400
I had enough experience to be able to do well in the interview and get that job.

474
00:26:28,400 --> 00:26:30,240
Thanks, God opened the door for me.

475
00:26:30,240 --> 00:26:32,440
But you got the job before your husband, right?

476
00:26:32,440 --> 00:26:33,440
I did.

477
00:26:33,440 --> 00:26:34,920
I got hired before he did.

478
00:26:34,920 --> 00:26:37,320
And we were like, what happens if I'm the only one that gets hired?

479
00:26:37,320 --> 00:26:39,880
And he was like, we'll just cross that bridge when we come to it.

480
00:26:39,880 --> 00:26:41,240
I was like, okay.

481
00:26:41,240 --> 00:26:46,400
So yeah, I was, whenever he went down to interview, I actually went down and met my team.

482
00:26:46,400 --> 00:26:49,360
You know, I was going to work with.

483
00:26:49,360 --> 00:26:50,360
And then you moved.

484
00:26:50,360 --> 00:26:51,360
And then we moved.

485
00:26:51,360 --> 00:26:52,360
Yeah.

486
00:26:52,360 --> 00:26:55,920
And then we can have we had to move out of our house.

487
00:26:55,920 --> 00:26:56,920
And that was crazy.

488
00:26:56,920 --> 00:27:01,680
I called every friend I knew, texted every friend I knew and asked them to come help.

489
00:27:01,680 --> 00:27:05,640
I'm like, not I am going to be clear.

490
00:27:05,640 --> 00:27:06,640
I need help.

491
00:27:06,640 --> 00:27:10,680
I remember my brother saying, I will come and help you if you really need it.

492
00:27:10,680 --> 00:27:12,600
I said, I really need it.

493
00:27:12,600 --> 00:27:17,120
And so he and his wife came and helped paint and just so many things we needed to do.

494
00:27:17,120 --> 00:27:20,600
It was a five bedroom house on 10 acres with a barn.

495
00:27:20,600 --> 00:27:22,960
And you had to be moving a week and a half.

496
00:27:22,960 --> 00:27:23,960
Wow.

497
00:27:23,960 --> 00:27:24,960
And a half.

498
00:27:24,960 --> 00:27:27,120
Yeah, that's probably a God story on itself.

499
00:27:27,120 --> 00:27:30,360
We were going to a church right there at the right then that we were my husband, I were

500
00:27:30,360 --> 00:27:31,960
both media directors at the church.

501
00:27:31,960 --> 00:27:33,080
So we were very involved.

502
00:27:33,080 --> 00:27:39,240
And so so many helping hands came and helped us pack that truck and everything.

503
00:27:39,240 --> 00:27:45,520
It was so many stories involved in how God got us from Pennsylvania to Virginia in a

504
00:27:45,520 --> 00:27:46,520
blink of an eye.

505
00:27:46,520 --> 00:27:51,160
It was probably a little difficult leaving that family, that community of the church

506
00:27:51,160 --> 00:27:57,000
that had been so close and then, you know, moving to middle of Virginia.

507
00:27:57,000 --> 00:27:59,120
Of course, you're moving to a university community.

508
00:27:59,120 --> 00:28:03,040
So you know, there's going to be something there for you as well.

509
00:28:03,040 --> 00:28:04,040
Transitions always hard.

510
00:28:04,040 --> 00:28:05,040
How did your kids take it?

511
00:28:05,040 --> 00:28:06,040
It was interesting.

512
00:28:06,040 --> 00:28:07,500
They did okay.

513
00:28:07,500 --> 00:28:10,600
My one son was at first going to have some difficulties.

514
00:28:10,600 --> 00:28:13,500
I think he was coming in as a high school junior.

515
00:28:13,500 --> 00:28:15,080
So that's what I think about that.

516
00:28:15,080 --> 00:28:18,720
But something happened at the school that he was going to in Pennsylvania.

517
00:28:18,720 --> 00:28:19,720
He's like, I'm ready to go.

518
00:28:19,720 --> 00:28:23,040
I was like, okay, come on.

519
00:28:23,040 --> 00:28:26,840
And one of my sons, oh my goodness, he did not want to go.

520
00:28:26,840 --> 00:28:29,180
And he's like, he was he was college age.

521
00:28:29,180 --> 00:28:30,520
He was supposed to be going to college.

522
00:28:30,520 --> 00:28:33,080
And he was like, I'm just going to go to a state school.

523
00:28:33,080 --> 00:28:35,400
You know, I don't I'm not really into going there.

524
00:28:35,400 --> 00:28:36,400
And we're like, okay.

525
00:28:36,400 --> 00:28:39,800
And then he never did, you know, never did what he was needed to do to go to the state

526
00:28:39,800 --> 00:28:40,800
school.

527
00:28:40,800 --> 00:28:43,480
He came and he's like, well, I'll stay for just a little bit.

528
00:28:43,480 --> 00:28:46,820
He said, but I'm going to go to this other school and transfer out.

529
00:28:46,820 --> 00:28:51,840
So he comes and he receives just an experience with God.

530
00:28:51,840 --> 00:28:53,720
And today he's a missionary now.

531
00:28:53,720 --> 00:28:55,800
It was a youth pastor.

532
00:28:55,800 --> 00:28:56,800
Yes.

533
00:28:56,800 --> 00:29:00,300
And now as a missionary and just had total transformation.

534
00:29:00,300 --> 00:29:05,920
So God used that God used our obedience and coming down to liberty to change his life.

535
00:29:05,920 --> 00:29:09,320
You know, he definitely was going in a totally different direction.

536
00:29:09,320 --> 00:29:14,840
Went to liberty, met some good friends, met the Lord and became actually he studied ended

537
00:29:14,840 --> 00:29:19,480
up changing his major to religious studies and got the full Bible experience there at

538
00:29:19,480 --> 00:29:25,640
liberty and and the Pentecostal experience, too, because he he hung with that crowd.

539
00:29:25,640 --> 00:29:26,640
Yeah.

540
00:29:26,640 --> 00:29:27,640
So wow.

541
00:29:27,640 --> 00:29:29,640
Well, God is so faithful.

542
00:29:29,640 --> 00:29:33,120
You know, all that God showed you in Pennsylvania was percolating, still percolating inside

543
00:29:33,120 --> 00:29:39,720
of you and you're, you know, busier than ever as a mom of five now and a new job.

544
00:29:39,720 --> 00:29:45,080
So what actually happened that convinced you to take the huge step of writing a book on

545
00:29:45,080 --> 00:29:46,880
top of all of that?

546
00:29:46,880 --> 00:29:52,000
There were a couple of times when I was in Pennsylvania, when I felt like the Lord said,

547
00:29:52,000 --> 00:29:55,120
you know, it was at one time was at church and I walked went forward.

548
00:29:55,120 --> 00:29:58,120
I think I went forward for prayer about my blog or something.

549
00:29:58,120 --> 00:29:59,120
I don't know.

550
00:29:59,120 --> 00:30:01,560
And the pastor says, you know, you're supposed to write a book.

551
00:30:01,560 --> 00:30:05,320
And I was like, well, you know, my blog, he's like, no, you're supposed to write a book.

552
00:30:05,320 --> 00:30:08,040
And I was like, OK, I'm supposed to write a book.

553
00:30:08,040 --> 00:30:10,880
And I actually started when I was in Pennsylvania.

554
00:30:10,880 --> 00:30:15,040
I felt like I had read so many Amish fiction books that I could write one.

555
00:30:15,040 --> 00:30:17,000
And I was like, I don't live next door to the Amish.

556
00:30:17,000 --> 00:30:18,000
I don't live across.

557
00:30:18,000 --> 00:30:21,560
I don't have an Amish best friend like some of the, you know, the top Amish authors have

558
00:30:21,560 --> 00:30:25,280
are able to say, I just love reading about them.

559
00:30:25,280 --> 00:30:26,620
And I wanted to write.

560
00:30:26,620 --> 00:30:29,360
So I started a book about a young Amish writer.

561
00:30:29,360 --> 00:30:34,320
And I was telling you earlier, it was funny because I started it, but it was taking a

562
00:30:34,320 --> 00:30:38,040
long time, you know, as a mother of five, freelancing, working from home.

563
00:30:38,040 --> 00:30:41,820
I would write a little bit here three months later, write a little bit there.

564
00:30:41,820 --> 00:30:47,820
So I had this one scene that I had written where my character, Johanna Yoder, is swinging

565
00:30:47,820 --> 00:30:52,360
on this wooden swing that was tied to an old oak tree over the rushing.

566
00:30:52,360 --> 00:30:57,080
I forget the name of the river, but it's a river in northwestern Pennsylvania.

567
00:30:57,080 --> 00:31:03,440
And I wrote that scene and then just life happened and, you know, didn't write for a

568
00:31:03,440 --> 00:31:04,440
while.

569
00:31:04,440 --> 00:31:06,680
And then I remember thinking, I need to get her off that swing.

570
00:31:06,680 --> 00:31:08,840
I need to find out what happens.

571
00:31:08,840 --> 00:31:11,280
She is still on that swing.

572
00:31:11,280 --> 00:31:12,280
Okay, fast forward.

573
00:31:12,280 --> 00:31:18,800
We're now living in Virginia and I'm working full time and trying to still work on this

574
00:31:18,800 --> 00:31:22,280
novel, you know, kind of maybe someday kind of thing.

575
00:31:22,280 --> 00:31:26,880
And he challenged me and he said, how long does it take you to write a page?

576
00:31:26,880 --> 00:31:30,960
And I said, well, you know, I was writing pretty slow at the time.

577
00:31:30,960 --> 00:31:34,000
I said, probably a half hour.

578
00:31:34,000 --> 00:31:38,720
He said, okay, I challenge you to write a half hour a day and, you know, basically to

579
00:31:38,720 --> 00:31:40,080
write a page a day.

580
00:31:40,080 --> 00:31:41,960
And I was like, okay.

581
00:31:41,960 --> 00:31:43,520
And so I started doing that.

582
00:31:43,520 --> 00:31:46,920
And actually we carved it into my time right after work.

583
00:31:46,920 --> 00:31:50,220
We had a little bit of time when before he was done with work.

584
00:31:50,220 --> 00:31:53,840
So I had, I stayed working in my little cube at Liberty.

585
00:31:53,840 --> 00:31:56,400
I would stay working and start working on my novel.

586
00:31:56,400 --> 00:31:59,000
I remember people, my boss would be like, okay, you going home soon?

587
00:31:59,000 --> 00:32:01,180
And I'd be like, I'm working on my book.

588
00:32:01,180 --> 00:32:02,520
So I would write a half hour a day.

589
00:32:02,520 --> 00:32:07,400
And what I found is once I started doing that, it was consistently in my mind.

590
00:32:07,400 --> 00:32:12,200
I was consistently thinking about the story so that it wasn't so hard the next day because

591
00:32:12,200 --> 00:32:16,440
I was just in the story the day before, or sometimes I'd be taking a walk and I'd be

592
00:32:16,440 --> 00:32:20,560
like, oh yeah, let's write, you know, and I start dictating into my phone the next scene

593
00:32:20,560 --> 00:32:22,900
and then emailing it to me.

594
00:32:22,900 --> 00:32:25,920
So it was just something that became part of my life.

595
00:32:25,920 --> 00:32:28,480
And I was a little surprised actually when I finished.

596
00:32:28,480 --> 00:32:30,880
So I was like, oh, it's done.

597
00:32:30,880 --> 00:32:31,880
I finished.

598
00:32:31,880 --> 00:32:35,320
And then after that, I wanted to be traditionally published.

599
00:32:35,320 --> 00:32:40,640
So I worked really hard at finding an agent, landed an agent who actually had an honest

600
00:32:40,640 --> 00:32:43,200
background himself in his family lines.

601
00:32:43,200 --> 00:32:47,080
Last name was Yoder, which is the name of my main character's last name.

602
00:32:47,080 --> 00:32:51,880
I remember when that email came in from him and it was funny because I got it.

603
00:32:51,880 --> 00:32:52,880
I was working.

604
00:32:52,880 --> 00:32:57,400
I have a morning huddle every day before work where all of our team members gather together.

605
00:32:57,400 --> 00:33:02,280
And I just had flashed open my email before huddle and I saw that I got an email response

606
00:33:02,280 --> 00:33:06,120
back from him when I had given him a portion of my manuscript to read.

607
00:33:06,120 --> 00:33:07,960
I think I gave him the whole thing.

608
00:33:07,960 --> 00:33:14,320
And he, the very beginning subject line was like, Deborah, I read your book and, and I

609
00:33:14,320 --> 00:33:17,160
was like, I cannot open this right now.

610
00:33:17,160 --> 00:33:20,880
And so I'm like in the middle of huddle, we're talking and we finished it.

611
00:33:20,880 --> 00:33:25,200
And then I think I told some of my friends, I'm like, I just got a response from that

612
00:33:25,200 --> 00:33:27,480
agent, the one that I really want.

613
00:33:27,480 --> 00:33:29,280
And I don't, I'm scared to open it.

614
00:33:29,280 --> 00:33:32,200
And so my, one of my coworkers, she's like over my shoulder.

615
00:33:32,200 --> 00:33:33,200
She's like, you got to open it.

616
00:33:33,200 --> 00:33:38,680
And I was like, oh, so I opened it and it said, I read your book and I loved it.

617
00:33:38,680 --> 00:33:40,040
And then he went on to talk about it.

618
00:33:40,040 --> 00:33:45,100
And I was like, I'm like carrying my computer around to like people at work and my executive

619
00:33:45,100 --> 00:33:46,760
director, I'm in his office.

620
00:33:46,760 --> 00:33:48,440
Look at this email.

621
00:33:48,440 --> 00:33:49,440
It was just exciting.

622
00:33:49,440 --> 00:33:52,240
And I think it's exciting for other people too.

623
00:33:52,240 --> 00:33:56,120
That's what I think about, you know, in this journey, when a lot of people have come up

624
00:33:56,120 --> 00:34:00,480
to me, like just amazed that I was able to finish this big thing.

625
00:34:00,480 --> 00:34:05,680
But I think it's because they have a big thing, you know, that they haven't done yet or they

626
00:34:05,680 --> 00:34:06,680
want to do.

627
00:34:06,680 --> 00:34:10,880
And when they see somebody who has done a big thing, they're encouraged to do their

628
00:34:10,880 --> 00:34:11,880
big thing.

629
00:34:11,880 --> 00:34:16,280
And I have, I have, I have preached that half hour a day to so many authors, you know, well,

630
00:34:16,280 --> 00:34:17,280
I just don't have time.

631
00:34:17,280 --> 00:34:19,400
I'm like, do you have a half hour?

632
00:34:19,400 --> 00:34:22,360
What can you cut out of your life that you don't need to do?

633
00:34:22,360 --> 00:34:27,880
You know, maybe that series you're watching, you know, whatever a half hour of it, dedicate

634
00:34:27,880 --> 00:34:33,480
that to your book or your creative pursuit, art or music or whatever you're working on.

635
00:34:33,480 --> 00:34:36,240
And you know, getting an agent, that's, that's no small feat.

636
00:34:36,240 --> 00:34:40,400
I mean, that really had to, how many agents did you approach?

637
00:34:40,400 --> 00:34:46,000
And I'm sure you had your prayer partners praying fervently for, for that.

638
00:34:46,000 --> 00:34:51,120
Uh, I had some rejections that were really hard to take, but God was there with me through

639
00:34:51,120 --> 00:34:53,040
that too.

640
00:34:53,040 --> 00:34:56,080
And I realized though, now there are the rejections that I've had.

641
00:34:56,080 --> 00:35:00,800
I'm glad I didn't go down that path because of, you know, the things that I see now or

642
00:35:00,800 --> 00:35:02,040
where he's leading me now.

643
00:35:02,040 --> 00:35:06,880
I'm like, if, if I had gone down this path, I wouldn't be here, you know, I wouldn't have

644
00:35:06,880 --> 00:35:09,080
this, this path I'm going on now.

645
00:35:09,080 --> 00:35:10,080
So yeah.

646
00:35:10,080 --> 00:35:13,960
So God was directing it even, even though you didn't have all the information, you know,

647
00:35:13,960 --> 00:35:15,920
that's the wonderful thing about God.

648
00:35:15,920 --> 00:35:23,160
He sees the future that we don't see and he directs us around the problems and the snares

649
00:35:23,160 --> 00:35:26,720
that the enemy would try to put for us, even in things like publishing a book.

650
00:35:26,720 --> 00:35:34,540
I mean, you know, it's, it's, it may not be your salvation, but you write books that actually

651
00:35:34,540 --> 00:35:37,260
have spiritual messages woven into them.

652
00:35:37,260 --> 00:35:42,940
So they really could, could really speak to someone like that movie spoke to you back

653
00:35:42,940 --> 00:35:43,940
in the day.

654
00:35:43,940 --> 00:35:45,360
I mean, these books are very similar.

655
00:35:45,360 --> 00:35:52,880
It's a, you know, it's a, it's a modern parable that can open the door to Christ for someone.

656
00:35:52,880 --> 00:35:53,880
Yeah.

657
00:35:53,880 --> 00:35:54,880
And definitely.

658
00:35:54,880 --> 00:35:57,120
And I think even as a writer, sometimes I feel a little guilty.

659
00:35:57,120 --> 00:36:02,320
I'm like, well, shouldn't I be, you know, writing nonfiction spiritual books, you know,

660
00:36:02,320 --> 00:36:04,040
about Bible verses and things.

661
00:36:04,040 --> 00:36:07,800
And I'm thinking that's not the path that God has for me.

662
00:36:07,800 --> 00:36:09,160
He has me here.

663
00:36:09,160 --> 00:36:11,680
And actually I call it a writing ministry, you know?

664
00:36:11,680 --> 00:36:14,120
Yeah, I am writing and you're talking to people.

665
00:36:14,120 --> 00:36:15,120
I'm marketing.

666
00:36:15,120 --> 00:36:16,120
I'm working.

667
00:36:16,120 --> 00:36:18,840
I have a Facebook group Amish book friends of Deborah Torres author.

668
00:36:18,840 --> 00:36:22,720
I send them a Bible verse every morning and, and they're reading my books.

669
00:36:22,720 --> 00:36:27,360
I mean, I went to a author event this summer and this one woman came up to me and she said,

670
00:36:27,360 --> 00:36:30,760
you know, my daughter died this summer or whatever recently.

671
00:36:30,760 --> 00:36:33,480
And she said, and I was reading your book at the time.

672
00:36:33,480 --> 00:36:35,200
And she said, and it really helped me.

673
00:36:35,200 --> 00:36:37,000
And I thought, what?

674
00:36:37,000 --> 00:36:43,120
My story, my story helped you, you know, but yeah, those are incredible things when people

675
00:36:43,120 --> 00:36:47,200
come up and talk to you about how your book really meant something to them.

676
00:36:47,200 --> 00:36:50,760
Well, on your author website, it says you write Amish fiction.

677
00:36:50,760 --> 00:36:53,640
That's real, raw and compelling.

678
00:36:53,640 --> 00:36:58,120
How has your faith in the experiences of your life shaped those stories so that they are

679
00:36:58,120 --> 00:36:59,520
real raw and compelling?

680
00:36:59,520 --> 00:37:06,080
I mean, there's got to be some truth behind some of those things for them to feel authentic.

681
00:37:06,080 --> 00:37:07,680
That was my desire.

682
00:37:07,680 --> 00:37:13,240
And that was one of the reasons that drew attracted my agent to me was that I didn't

683
00:37:13,240 --> 00:37:17,280
want to write surface level Amish fiction that was feel good.

684
00:37:17,280 --> 00:37:19,480
And, you know, everybody, everything's rosy.

685
00:37:19,480 --> 00:37:21,040
What do they call that?

686
00:37:21,040 --> 00:37:23,840
The happily ever after kind of, kind of effect.

687
00:37:23,840 --> 00:37:28,560
I wanted to write something that really touched people's hearts where they could say, oh,

688
00:37:28,560 --> 00:37:31,400
that's me, you know, or that happened to me or something similar.

689
00:37:31,400 --> 00:37:33,520
I've had that pain too.

690
00:37:33,520 --> 00:37:39,880
And then, you know, have God take that character through it and to him through it and growing

691
00:37:39,880 --> 00:37:44,900
in Christ because of it and becoming something even greater because of the challenge and

692
00:37:44,900 --> 00:37:48,240
trials or relationships issues that they went through.

693
00:37:48,240 --> 00:37:52,920
There's some tough things that my characters experience that I experienced too.

694
00:37:52,920 --> 00:37:57,040
And I can't really go into, you know, all of that right now.

695
00:37:57,040 --> 00:37:59,880
But but definitely there are personal things in it.

696
00:37:59,880 --> 00:38:01,640
In fact, just even lighter things.

697
00:38:01,640 --> 00:38:03,440
You know, my daughter read my book.

698
00:38:03,440 --> 00:38:07,600
She's a college student right now and she read it and she's like, Mom, there's so much

699
00:38:07,600 --> 00:38:10,920
of us in this book.

700
00:38:10,920 --> 00:38:13,600
Just little things, you know, that I weaved into it.

701
00:38:13,600 --> 00:38:15,320
I'm like, yeah, I know.

702
00:38:15,320 --> 00:38:18,160
How can you not put yourself in your story?

703
00:38:18,160 --> 00:38:25,040
As a busy mom with a God inspired vision, what advice do you have for other women who

704
00:38:25,040 --> 00:38:28,640
don't see how their vision will ever become a reality?

705
00:38:28,640 --> 00:38:32,200
I mean, you talked about encouraging writers to write half hour a day.

706
00:38:32,200 --> 00:38:37,800
What about women who have other visions that they just can't, you know, they don't see

707
00:38:37,800 --> 00:38:38,800
it on the horizon?

708
00:38:38,800 --> 00:38:43,800
Well, I think it translates really to anything, you know, whatever you want to do.

709
00:38:43,800 --> 00:38:48,200
You know, if you want to be an artist, you want to be a potter, you want to be a glassmaker,

710
00:38:48,200 --> 00:38:50,360
a glassblower, whatever, learning those things.

711
00:38:50,360 --> 00:38:56,360
Now, even like, let's say you have newborns, you know, and and I know having those newborns,

712
00:38:56,360 --> 00:39:01,400
it's exciting and fun, but there's part of your brain that's like, I want to do that

713
00:39:01,400 --> 00:39:06,880
thing too, you know, there are times, you know, but it's it's it's a disciplined walk,

714
00:39:06,880 --> 00:39:12,280
you know, when the child is taking a nap or, you know, something like that is when you

715
00:39:12,280 --> 00:39:18,680
can maybe have that 15 minutes, 15 minutes a day, whatever of time for your thing, your

716
00:39:18,680 --> 00:39:22,760
creative pursuit, even if it's just like I did at the time, whenever my kids were really

717
00:39:22,760 --> 00:39:27,400
little is I just would learn how to write a get books on how to write.

718
00:39:27,400 --> 00:39:32,120
I, you know, I got to the point where I was done learning how to write, you can, you know,

719
00:39:32,120 --> 00:39:33,600
yeah, just do that.

720
00:39:33,600 --> 00:39:37,320
And I were right, you know, when the time was right, and when there was a little bit

721
00:39:37,320 --> 00:39:40,960
more time, you know, is able to incorporate writing into my day to day.

722
00:39:40,960 --> 00:39:45,800
So you're really preparing yourself, even while the Lord was preparing you with all

723
00:39:45,800 --> 00:39:51,280
the experiences he had in your family and in your life, you were also doing what you

724
00:39:51,280 --> 00:39:54,640
knew how to do to prepare for that vision God had in you.

725
00:39:54,640 --> 00:39:58,360
It's disciplined because it's you know, when you're a mom, there's just, I just want to

726
00:39:58,360 --> 00:40:04,600
sleep or I just want to, you know, eat or I just want to, but it's disciplined in spending

727
00:40:04,600 --> 00:40:08,280
that time on your creative pursuits or whatever God has you to do.

728
00:40:08,280 --> 00:40:12,920
So what are some of the foundational truths or practices that have kept you grounded and

729
00:40:12,920 --> 00:40:16,520
growing in your faith through the challenges, the ups and downs of life?

730
00:40:16,520 --> 00:40:20,160
I mean, you've mentioned that there have been some you're not really can't talk about

731
00:40:20,160 --> 00:40:25,320
yet, but all of us have those things that we're pressing through.

732
00:40:25,320 --> 00:40:26,320
What's kept you grounded?

733
00:40:26,320 --> 00:40:34,200
Yeah, well, definitely reading that chapter a day, way back, the Word of God, you know,

734
00:40:34,200 --> 00:40:42,160
hearing the Word of God, fellowshipping and, and also, I think, talking to people who are

735
00:40:42,160 --> 00:40:48,080
maybe a little maybe a little bit farther along than me on my in my faith journey, you

736
00:40:48,080 --> 00:40:55,080
know, finding that mentor person in your life, that person that, you know, wow, I wish I

737
00:40:55,080 --> 00:40:59,480
could be like her, you know, or just just spend a little time with her, maybe reaching

738
00:40:59,480 --> 00:41:04,520
out to her and saying, you know, can we talk on the phone sometimes or you know, whatever

739
00:41:04,520 --> 00:41:06,160
you you can do.

740
00:41:06,160 --> 00:41:09,040
If you're you know, home with small children, maybe you can't run out and you know, get

741
00:41:09,040 --> 00:41:10,200
coffee or something.

742
00:41:10,200 --> 00:41:16,160
But even a talk on the phone can really encourage you and encourage you in your faith because

743
00:41:16,160 --> 00:41:19,720
you know, this like she's saying, this people all have their own story.

744
00:41:19,720 --> 00:41:21,360
How did they grow so deep in Christ?

745
00:41:21,360 --> 00:41:23,680
Well, probably because they've been through some pain.

746
00:41:23,680 --> 00:41:24,680
Yeah.

747
00:41:24,680 --> 00:41:28,600
And, and probably that's the person you want to talk to is someone who's been through some

748
00:41:28,600 --> 00:41:29,600
pain.

749
00:41:29,600 --> 00:41:31,360
Yeah, there's a lot of depth there.

750
00:41:31,360 --> 00:41:37,200
As we wrap up, Deborah, can you share about a woman in the Bible whose story has inspired

751
00:41:37,200 --> 00:41:41,360
or encouraged or taught you something and how maybe your story compares with hers?

752
00:41:41,360 --> 00:41:46,360
I mean, you know, when I read the Bible, I see myself in a lot of it.

753
00:41:46,360 --> 00:41:47,560
And what about you?

754
00:41:47,560 --> 00:41:50,800
I helped lead a Bible study for young girls.

755
00:41:50,800 --> 00:41:57,000
I have a young, young teen and we lead a Bible study and we met with them this summer and

756
00:41:57,000 --> 00:41:58,560
we said, what do you guys want to do?

757
00:41:58,560 --> 00:42:03,840
You know, we we've been through a book, we've been through working through the Book of Ephesians.

758
00:42:03,840 --> 00:42:08,000
And so in the summer, we said, what do you guys want to do for this upcoming year?

759
00:42:08,000 --> 00:42:11,320
And they said, we want to study a person in the Bible.

760
00:42:11,320 --> 00:42:13,760
We want to be focused on people of the Bible.

761
00:42:13,760 --> 00:42:16,280
I'm like, okay, you know, we'll do that.

762
00:42:16,280 --> 00:42:18,080
So we're going to start focusing on that.

763
00:42:18,080 --> 00:42:23,320
So I guess I'm working through Esther right now, you know, and I read Esther so many times.

764
00:42:23,320 --> 00:42:27,160
This is my first time reading Esther in the message version.

765
00:42:27,160 --> 00:42:35,360
And you know, that whole thing, you know, when Mordecai, you know, says, you know, don't

766
00:42:35,360 --> 00:42:38,080
think that this isn't going to impact you either.

767
00:42:38,080 --> 00:42:42,480
You know, the you and you may be here for such a time as this.

768
00:42:42,480 --> 00:42:47,760
And, you know, I think about that for my life and for, you know, the work that I'm doing

769
00:42:47,760 --> 00:42:53,480
that, you know, maybe God has me doing this for such a time as this, you know, whatever

770
00:42:53,480 --> 00:42:55,880
in someone's life, you know, in Susie's life.

771
00:42:55,880 --> 00:43:00,060
You know, it means a lot to her that she's reading, reading some stories that really

772
00:43:00,060 --> 00:43:04,280
impact her and draw her closer to Christ through the through story.

773
00:43:04,280 --> 00:43:12,520
My audience actually is older women, probably my age, but women, you know, 40 and up.

774
00:43:12,520 --> 00:43:18,120
So I get a lot of range of people who are who are in different paths of their faith.

775
00:43:18,120 --> 00:43:24,000
And some of them just have a lot of time and want those and are attracted to those reads

776
00:43:24,000 --> 00:43:32,100
where they can not have a lot of bad stuff and drawn closer to God in through story.

777
00:43:32,100 --> 00:43:37,680
So if I can help them help somebody, I think of one person, you know, through my stories,

778
00:43:37,680 --> 00:43:43,760
then I have accomplished such a time as this, you know, what I'm supposed to be doing.

779
00:43:43,760 --> 00:43:44,760
Thank you, Deborah.

780
00:43:44,760 --> 00:43:50,080
You know, like Deborah, I love discovering the truths hidden in God's word.

781
00:43:50,080 --> 00:43:56,860
Psalm 78 one through four says, Oh, my people, listen to my instruction.

782
00:43:56,860 --> 00:44:01,960
Open your ears to what I'm saying, for I will speak to you in a parable.

783
00:44:01,960 --> 00:44:08,360
I will teach you hidden things from your past stories you've heard and known stories our

784
00:44:08,360 --> 00:44:10,800
ancestors handed down to us.

785
00:44:10,800 --> 00:44:12,920
We will not hide these truths from our children.

786
00:44:12,920 --> 00:44:17,800
We will tell the next generation about the glorious deeds of the Lord about the power

787
00:44:17,800 --> 00:44:20,160
and his mighty wonders.

788
00:44:20,160 --> 00:44:25,480
God so often teaches us through the stories of others, through ancient stories and modern

789
00:44:25,480 --> 00:44:30,420
parables like what Deborah's writing and through the lives we've talked about the lives of

790
00:44:30,420 --> 00:44:35,800
of others as well, because he wants us and he wants others to know him.

791
00:44:35,800 --> 00:44:43,760
So when we share our story with others, whether it's in a fictional portrayal or whether it's

792
00:44:43,760 --> 00:44:49,880
the real raw story of our lives, it shows others that God is at work in us and through

793
00:44:49,880 --> 00:44:51,080
us.

794
00:44:51,080 --> 00:44:56,800
And God has treasure stored up in you, dear friends, that he's eager to draw out for

795
00:44:56,800 --> 00:44:58,340
his glory.

796
00:44:58,340 --> 00:45:03,840
If you'll faithfully pursue his kingdom first, he will bring about all the good things he

797
00:45:03,840 --> 00:45:07,080
says in store for you, just like he's done for Deborah.

798
00:45:07,080 --> 00:45:11,680
Deborah, would you take a moment and pray for everyone who's listens to your God story?

799
00:45:11,680 --> 00:45:15,280
Father, we just thank you for all the people who are listening.

800
00:45:15,280 --> 00:45:21,080
God to this podcast who are listening now and who will listen father, we just pray you

801
00:45:21,080 --> 00:45:27,120
bless their lives, Lord, you would encourage them, Father God and Lord, I just speak life,

802
00:45:27,120 --> 00:45:33,040
Father God to that whatever it is, God, that you've laid in their heart that extra thing,

803
00:45:33,040 --> 00:45:38,760
Father, that creative pursuit or whatever, God, that area of interest that you put in

804
00:45:38,760 --> 00:45:40,240
their hearts, Lord.

805
00:45:40,240 --> 00:45:45,400
I pray, Father, for comfort for our sisters in Christ, Lord, as they wait for the right

806
00:45:45,400 --> 00:45:47,720
time in their lives to pursue it.

807
00:45:47,720 --> 00:45:54,400
I pray for creative ways to add elements of that thing into their life now if they're

808
00:45:54,400 --> 00:45:59,800
busy with families and young children or other things, God.

809
00:45:59,800 --> 00:46:05,160
I pray for an opening of the doors, Father God, when the right timing happens for them

810
00:46:05,160 --> 00:46:10,520
to pursue that thing, when they have the time, Lord, and the capability to do it, you would

811
00:46:10,520 --> 00:46:16,040
give them the courage to walk through that door, God, as you open it, Lord.

812
00:46:16,040 --> 00:46:22,480
I just thank you, Father God, for open doors in your timing, in your way for each person

813
00:46:22,480 --> 00:46:23,480
listening, God.

814
00:46:23,480 --> 00:46:29,040
We thank you for them, Lord, and how precious each one of them is to you.

815
00:46:29,040 --> 00:46:31,000
In Jesus' name.

816
00:46:31,000 --> 00:46:32,520
Thank you for tuning in.

817
00:46:32,520 --> 00:46:37,280
Links to Deborah's website and books, as well as scriptures and other helpful information

818
00:46:37,280 --> 00:46:41,480
can be found in our show notes at hergodstory.org.

819
00:46:41,480 --> 00:46:44,660
And there you can also sign up for periodic emails.

820
00:46:44,660 --> 00:46:48,380
You can get a free Her God Story devotional, and you can find out about Somebody Cares

821
00:46:48,380 --> 00:46:50,200
Widows and Orphan Fund.

822
00:46:50,200 --> 00:46:58,760
If you need prayer, feel free to call or text the Somebody Cares 24-7 prayer line at 855-459-CARE

823
00:46:58,760 --> 00:47:02,480
or email us at prayer at somebodycares.org.

824
00:47:02,480 --> 00:47:06,800
We're going to have Deborah's website there where you can find out about her book series

825
00:47:06,800 --> 00:47:12,520
and also a new book that's coming out that she's co-writing for Christmas.

826
00:47:12,520 --> 00:47:16,040
So check out her website so you can see what she's doing.

827
00:47:16,040 --> 00:47:19,960
We'd love for you to share Deborah's story with friends and be sure to follow the podcast

828
00:47:19,960 --> 00:47:21,680
so you don't miss an episode.

829
00:47:21,680 --> 00:47:26,220
And now, dear friends, I leave you with a blessing taken from Colossians 1, 9-12.

830
00:47:26,220 --> 00:47:31,120
May God fill you with the knowledge of His will through all wisdom and understanding

831
00:47:31,120 --> 00:47:35,820
that the Spirit gives so that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and please Him in

832
00:47:35,820 --> 00:47:42,240
every way, bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, being strengthened

833
00:47:42,240 --> 00:47:47,840
with all power according to His glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience

834
00:47:47,840 --> 00:47:52,080
in giving joyful thanks to the Father who has qualified you to share in the inheritance

835
00:47:52,080 --> 00:47:55,440
of His people in the Kingdom of Light.

836
00:47:55,440 --> 00:47:59,480
Her God Story is a ministry of Somebody Cares America and international.

837
00:47:59,480 --> 00:48:19,840
To find out more about or support the ministry, go to somebodycares.org.