It was when I was fourteen. I’d been writing short stories for years, and enjoyed writing ever since I learned how, but I had just realized the year before that I actually wanted to write books. I’d written a fantasy novel and wanted to publish it. But then God changed my plans. One night I was lying awake in bed, unable to sleep. There was something on my mind, a Bible verse. I knew there was a verse in Micah about justice and mercy, but I couldn’t remember exactly what it was. I’ll look it up in the morning, I thought. But more time passed, and still I couldn’t sleep. So I finally climbed out of bed, got my Bible and flashlight, and began to read. I found the book of Micah, started at the beginning and read until I got to chapter 6, verse 8. There it was. “He has shown you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God?” Let me back up. Shortly before this, God had really opened my eyes to the injustices of abortion and modern day slavery and given me a desire to do something about it. It started with a dear friend who was raising awareness of modern day slavery and money to fund rescue missions and another friend who’d been raising awareness and funds for the pro-life cause. I didn’t even know slavery still existed before then. And while I knew about abortion and certainly believed it was wrong, I’d never really done anything to take a stand against it. But I started researching and learning, and God gave me a desire to do something. I’d been thinking and praying about what to do and after that night when I read the verse in Micah I became more and more certain of what I should do—write this book. At first, it was only going to be about abortion and modern day slavery, but then I began to expand it to include information about orphans, the persecuted church, and because of my little sister Sadie, epilepsy and children with special needs, among other issues. In short, it’s about gaining God’s heart for the hurting and oppressed, and beginning to see through His eyes. It’s about Jesus, and following Him wherever He leads. It’s about doing justly, loving mercy, and walking humbly, not just in the “big things” but in our everyday lives. I told my mama about my idea and she said, “Well, I think you should.” So I got started. I had no idea the twists and turns life would take in the time from when I first had the idea to when I actually held the published book in my hands. But, as always, God was good. I learned a lot about being patient and about prioritizing, and three years after the idea for the book was born, I completed and independently published it. Fast forward to today: it has now been two years since I first published that book, which I called Do Justly: The Call to be the Hands and Feet of Jesus in the Midst of Injustice. In those two years, God has given me many opportunities to share my book with people—telling people about it, giving away numerous copies, selling books at two conferences (getting interviewed on the radio at one of those conferences!), and sharing about my book online. Life has also taken many more twists and turns that I never would have expected but that the Lord has used to grow me. I have grown both in my walk with Christ and in my writing and book design skills, and I decided it was time to do a second edition of Do Justly, which I am now calling Do Justly, Love Mercy, Walk Humbly. (I’ve had some people at conferences say things like, “So this book is Do Justly. Are you going to also write books for Love Mercy and Walk Humbly?” I actually intended this book to cover all three, so I decided I needed to change the title.) So, what’s different about the second edition (besides the title)? Well, not a whole lot. It’s the same book, just with some additions and a few changes. I redid the illustrations and added a little paragraph to the end of each of the first three chapters explaining more of how I believe Micah 6:8 applies to the issues of human trafficking, abortion, and orphans. I made some changes to the list of recommended resources (books, movies, etc.) in the back of the book as some really good new ones have come out and I have discovered some more good ones I just had to share. I also added an appendix at the end explaining why socialism is not the answer. It was something I had not even thought of doing when I first published it, but I’ve since realized that a lot of young people think socialism is a good idea, that it will help people. I don’t believe it will, and I explain why from a biblical perspective. There are a few other minor changes, but those are the big ones. The book is $10. You can buy it on Amazon here or contact me and I’ll send you a signed copy. I also still have some copies of the first edition which I’m selling for just $5 and free shipping. You can contact me if you’re interested.
Well, always remember, “He who calls you is faithful, who also will do it,” (1 Th. 5:24). All for Him, Savannah Jane P. S. In case you did not see my previous post, my family and I are going to be at the Teach Them Diligently homeschool convention in Denver, Colorado, on May 23-25 (read more about it here.). My parents and I will be speaking, and we’ll have a table where we’ll be selling all our books. Lord willing, my family will have published a total of six books by then. I’ll have Do Justly, Love Mercy, Walk Humbly; my fantasy story--The Invisible Guide--and hopefully, I’ll have also finished a children’s book about my little sister Sadie and her journey with epilepsy and the first book in my historical fiction series set in the Roman Empire (you can read about that here). My parents will have their book The Greatest of These is Love, and my older sister Samantha has almost finished a children’s picture book. Lots of exciting happenings!
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Hi! I'm Savannah Jane...I'm the author of several books for children and young adults with a passion to encourage young people to live for Jesus. The third born in an amazing family of seven children, I was homeschooled all the way through. This is where I share encouragement for Christian girls, updates about my books, writing tips, book and movie reviews, and assorted other tidbits. Archives
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Quote"When I try, I fail. When I trust, He succeeds."
-Corrie ten Boom I'm on GoodReadsFollow my family's writing, illustrating, and publishing business/ministry.Follow my blog on Bloglovin' |